《The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter》
Chapter 1: - Possessed the Weakest
? Possessed the Weakest ?
Dawn.
Roaring thunder.
The sound of rain shing against the pavement echoed.
I settled down while being curled up in the open draped curtain.
Raindrops slid down the translucent veil, seeming to be one with the window as they froze.
I kept staring at the scene endlessly.
¡°Aahh.¡±
Three days. It was already the third day.
No matter how much thought I tried to put into it, I have somehow transmigrated into the game ?Magical Knight of M?rchen?, a game which I had been ying for the past 7 years.
Even worse, it was as a third-rate extra who had nothing to do with either the hero or any of the other main characters.
It truly was an obvious clich¨¦.
I don¡¯t even know whether or not I¡¯m in a stable period right now.
It was all too vague.
Being suddenly dropped back to the start of my student life, when I saw the piles of books stacked taller than my own height, I felt a sense of dread and hopelessness.
Perhaps this was a punishment.
I had wanted to re-experience the story after ignoring it for a long time. Not wanting to bother with grinding, I went ahead and tried to leisurely start a new game after applying the stat 100 cheat code, the only one that works in the game.
Being a hard-core veteran, I definitely shouldn¡¯t have done that¡
¡®That¡¯s probably why I transmigrated.¡¯
Haha, that would be crazy.
I¡¯m really starting to think of all sorts of things.
However, it was an undeniable fact that I have transmigrated into ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
After living in this world for the past three days, I was able to confirm that this was the M?rchen Academy that I had seen in the game.
And that today is the day of the entrance ceremony, the event that marked the beginning of the game for the yer.
I found out the time and ce for the ceremony thanks to the date being posted on the entrance ceremony banner and the dormitory calendar, both of which have been mostly hidden behind the main gate.
When I first opened my eyes in the student dormitory.
I used the academy¡¯s own currency, which I received as a freshman benefit, to pay for my meals.
Other than that, I did nothing but wander around in silence day after day.
With how realistic it all felt, I had no choice but to ept this absurd reality¡
In addition, I had gained the ability to use magic by manipting mana with my senses. This [Ice Curtain] I¡¯m using as an umbre was proof of that.
Well¡ it¡¯s not exactly a funny situation I¡¯ve found myself in.
As I was lost in my own thoughts while absentmindedly listening to the sound of rain, I suddenly realized something terrible.
¡®This is¡ it¡¯s Hell-level difficulty, isn¡¯t it?¡¯
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? begins with a selection of three different difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard. You can choose the ¡®Extreme¡¯ difficulty after beating the game once, and the infamous ¡®Hell¡¯ difficulty after beating the game a second time.
The game¡¯s atmosphere in ¡®Hell¡¯ difficulty changes dramatically from the start.
Today was supposed to be a clear and sunny day from start to finish, as usual. It was a good day to mark the beginning of the main character, Ian Fairytale¡¯s, chaotic life at the academy.
The refreshing music ying in the background and bright atmosphere of that time were still etched in my memory to this day.
However, if you were to select Hell difficulty instead, the game begins with heavy downpour and gloomy weather.
I still remember just how gloomy the beginning of the ¡®Hell¡¯ difficulty was, with the opening cutscenes being void of any kind of background music and only the sound of rain remaining. It was almost as if it was foreshadowing the difficult road ahead.
And it was in this difficulty that Ian is forced to fight an enemy before the entrance ceremony even began.
¡®Even though I got transmigrated¡¡¯
Hell difficulty, as its name would suggest, boasted an insane difficulty level.
It was natural for the enemies¡¯ level to randomly increase or for their pattern to be moreplex, and with the story itself being changed as well, enemies that had never appeared in any of the previous difficulty settings make an appearance every now and then.
It was a challenge that only the most hardcore of veterans could ovee.
¡®But I¡`
When I tried to check the status window, a translucent window suddenly materialized in front of me. It was an interface that I had seen often in fantasy games.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 20
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 280 / 300¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D-)
¨C Stamina (D-)
¨C Strength (D)
¨C Intelligence (D)
¨C Willpower (B) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (D-)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (D)
¨C Elemental Synergy (C)
¨C Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (D)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(C)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (C)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (E)
Passive
¨C None Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C None
Even for a third-rate extra, these were disastrous stats.
First and foremost, my level was at a measly 20. The average level of freshmen, from what I can recall, was around 40 at this time. Other than a few exceptions, the present students should all be in this category.
In this game, Level 20 was the level that you would get during the Hell-difficulty version of the tutorial. However, it was too low.
Even if my willpower stat is high, it will only end up increasing my resistance to Illusion-type magic. It¡¯s not a stat that would be of much help inbat.
¡®What kind of life did this guy lead to not even be at the basic level?¡¯
The same goes for my skills. Considering that the worst grade is E, it¡¯s easy to guess just how garbage the level of my [Elemental Firepower] D-grade is, which is directly responsible for the power of my skills.
Just how did a trivial character such as this manage to make it into somewhere as prestigious as the M?rchen Academy?
If I were to think back to how difficult the contents of this game were, it was an obvious conclusion to make that I had passed the overwhelming entrance exam with my theoretical skills, rather than my practical skills.
If that was the case, then what was I supposed to do now? No matter how hard I tried to recall this body¡¯s memories, my head remained nk.
Rather than the past, I now had to worry about my ns for the future.
I still didn¡¯t know if I would ever be able to return to my own worldter on, or if I would have to live here for the rest of my life.
The worst case scenario was if the world had a bad ending as a result of the death of the main character, Ian Fairytale, and I died along with everyone else.
So, under the assumption that I can¡¯t return to my own world, what would be the safest countermeasure to take?
Of course, it would be to clear this game.
¡®It¡¯s lucky that the cheat is still valid¡¡¯
After thoroughly checking the status window for the past 3 days, I was able to confirm that the stat 100 cheat had been applied to me as is.
While it has no direct effect on my stats, it can be used to invest in my potential growth.
Therefore, it was difficult to expect dramatic effects right away.
The main problem is that this ¡®Isaac¡¯ character not only had terrible specs but awful growth potential as well¡
¡®¡ [Ice Generation].¡¯
The ball of ice that had just been created mid-air with my mana was only the size of a ser ball. It was the result created by squeezing out every ounce of mana I have in order to make a single block of ice.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Once I finally released the mana holding the ice-sphere in ce, the physics-defying mass could no longer resist the force of gravity and immediately fell to the ground.
¡Really, really weak.
Why didn¡¯t I create the ice using the liquids inside of another person¡¯s body inbat, you ask? Sadly enough, it was simply not possible. This game had a setting where it was impossible to generate any form of magic within another person¡¯s body because of an inherent ¡®mana force field¡¯ that all living beings have.
To put it simply, my only power was the ability to drop ice cubes.
Knowing that, I now needed to make sure with my own two eyes before doing anything.
Is the main character, Ian Fairytale, capable enough to get through this hellish difficulty appropriately on his own?
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? had a new boss fight at the start of the game exclusive to the hell difficulty, ¡®Trevion the Evil¡¯.
He is supposed to meet the main character today, just before the entrance ceremony begins.
In the future, the main character, Ian Fairytale, will end up facing countless enemies. It was a result of the special powers that Ian holds.
¡®The rain has stopped.¡¯
The time hase.
I took a nce over at the clock tower ced in the center of the academy.
Right now, the time is 8:00 AM. The sunlight was finally pouring through the cracks of the gradually receding dark clouds.
I immediately began heading into the ¡®Josena Forest¡¯ that was located just outside the Academy¡¯s main gate, while reliving my past memories of ying the game to find my way.
After climbing up the hill, I would be able to find a small dormitory where the main character, Ian Fairytale, had stayed for a period of time while traveling to the M?rchen Academy. Ian is supposed to leave the dormitory today, finally making his way towards the academy.
My destination was a de that would appear midway through a forest trail lined with trees. It was the ce where Ian was supposed to be while on his way to the academy.
¡®It¡¯s here¡ !¡¯
I stopped in my tracks the moment I reached my destination.
A ck-haired man could be seen leaning against a tree, his head facing downwards.
He was dressed simrly to me, and a stream of blood leaked down his chin.
Seeing his oh-so-familiar face, I was immediately able to recognize who he was.
Ian Fairytale. He was the main protagonist of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
[Ian Fairytale] Lv: 30
Race: Human
Elements: Light
Danger: X
An information window suddenly materialized and identified the ck-haired man before me as Ian Fairytale, confirming my suspicions.
After havingpleted the tutorial in Hell-difficulty, your level will be automatically set to 30. The main character, who had been knocked out over there, seemed to have already finished the tutorial.
And standing before the fainted protagonist was a dark-skinned man.
The limbs of the dark-skinned man were eerily limp. His hands, both of which appeared nearly bent in their opposite directions, were twisted.
Pure white, curly hair. The infamous first boss that had driven countless yers into the depths of despair right from the start of the Hell difficulty.
[Trevion the Evil] Lv: 80
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Water
Danger: High
It was ¡®Trevion the Evil¡¯.
¡®Level 80¡ It¡¯s Hell difficulty for sure.¡¯
Appearing right after starting the game, is the enemy who can see into the future, Trevion the Evil. He was level 80 on Hell difficulty.
On the other hand, Ian¡¯s level was a pitiful 30. In his current state, if Ian were to get a direct hit from just one light attack from Trevion, he¡¯ll immediately fall into a moribund state like right now, and if he were to get hit by a second attack, he¡¯ll die instantly.
As a result of the ¡®Hell¡¯ difficulty, the enemy level was extremely high. Even after defeating it, the amount of experience gained wasn¡¯t much more than the other difficulties.
The development team¡¯s gloomy intention for yers to not even consider beginning the Hell difficulty without already having a high level of control seemed excessive.
It doesn¡¯t make sense whening from a plot standpoint for the current Ian to be able to defeat Trevion.
Eventually, in the middle of the fight, Kaya Astrean, the ¡®Second seat¡¯ of the ¡®Freshmen ss Magic Department¡¯, would make an appearance and subdue the enemy herself.
So in the end, the goal in this fight was to keep ¡®holding on¡¯.
By the way¡
¡®Ian, just what are you doing at a time like this?¡¯
Did you run out of stamina right away?
It can¡¯t be. Please no¡
Of course, the Hell difficulty requires an amount of control only attainable after training until you feel like dying from the very beginning, but even so, this is not¡
Trevion slowly began to approach the currently knocked-out Ian. ck orbs of water floated in the palm of each of his hands. It was a type of magic thatbined the two elements of darkness and water.
¡And so, from the first day of the entrance ceremony, this world was already on the verge of a bad ending.
¡®What would happen to me if I were to die here?¡¯
What will happen to me when there is a bad ending? Would I be sent back to reality, or¡ do I die permanently?
¡Ominous. I had no idea what to do to salvage this situation.
The only thing most likely to guarantee my safety is to clear this game.
At the end of the story, it is said that Ian became a magic knight and went on to win countless wars.
Furthermore, as M?rchen Academy is the most prestigious academy on the continent, you could easily live in this world with just one of their diplomas.
However, in order to do that, you must first defeat the final boss, ¡®Nephid the Evil God¡¯.
Naturally, this game couldn¡¯t bepleted without the help of that unconscious bastard with the so-called title of the main character.
Let¡¯s hurry up and try to think of a solution. Now, the best way to solve this crisis is¡?
¡®Oh, the Cheat.¡¯
The 100 Stat Bonus cheat!
I quickly opened the status window and clicked on the Potential ??Details?? section.
[Potential] Stat Points: 100 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (D+): 16/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (D-): 10/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]
¨C Rock Resistance (E): 2/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
The 100 stat bonus cheat I had entered a while back was sessfully applied without any problems.
The [UP] button was active for each potential because there were stat points avable.
The potential that already had points allocated by default seemed to be innate to Isaac himself.
Anyway, ignoring everything else, I immediately poured all of my stat points into [vs. Demon Combat Power].
Trringgggg-?
[Potential [vs. Demon Combat Power] has been improved from E-ss to S-ss!] [You have acquired the unique trait [Hunter]!] [vs. Demon Combat Power Highest Level. This gave you the unique trait ¡®Hunter¡¯].
It was only natural to put everything into this particr potential in this situation. That¡¯s because of its effect of temporarily increasing stats when dealing with demons.
As a matter of fact, nearly all of the official viins in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? are demons. Therefore, the more you invest in [vs. Demon Combat Power], the more specialized you be in boss battles.
And [Hunter] is a unique trait that is only obtainable after fully maxing out [vs. Demon Combat Power]. It is a trait that vastly enhances the effectiveness of [vs. Demon Combat Power].
As a result, I will be able to exert overwhelming strength when fighting against demons like Trevion from now on.
Finally prepared, I headed into the open space.
Then, as Trevion approached Ian, he finally noticed my presence and directed his gaze toward me.
¡°¡¡.¡±
[¡¡]
Dark purple eyes. A human-esque face. An elongated body that looked as if it had been stretched out. The moment he spotted me, he grinned wide enough to tear apart the corners of his lips. Frankly speaking, it was a bizarre appearance.
1AI made
[Hello?]
Trevion¡¯s head twitched as he greeted me with a squeaky voice.
It was because of this particr trait that many yers had given him a nickname. It was ¡®Hello-man¡¯.
Trevion was a demon that can only say ¡®Hello¡¯.
[Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello?]
He swayed back and forth and suddenly approached me with frightening speed!
Without any time to hesitate, I stretched out my right hand towards Trevion. It was a traditional stance for using magic.
What kind of effect will it have? Fear and anticipation intertwined as they swirled within me.
Then, suddenly, my heart started beating strongly, as if it was gripped by a vise.
My blood boiled, and the surrounding flow of mana grew intense.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] [Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: (120)
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: (30000) / (30000)¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B+)
¨C Stamina (A-)
¨C Strength (A)
¨C Intelligence (D)
¨C Willpower (S)
¡®Oh¡¡®
Levels and abilities¡ rose sharply.
Unlike before, it felt as if I had an unlimited amount of energy at my disposal.
I willfully surrendered myself to that feeling.
Trevion swung his arms, causing a strange mana mixed with darkness and water to begin spiraling in my direction.
At that moment, I released the cold air that had been flowing throughout my body with my right hand.
A geometric patternposed of a bright blue light manifested itself in front of my outstretched right hand
Then, the cold magic exploded.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Baaaaaang¡ª¡ª-!!
¡°Woah!¡±
As if exploding from a cannon, a ball of ice burst straight out of my hand and proceeded to devour Trevion¡¯s magic!
The vast mana made up of ice spread outwards in a motion akin to a fan all at once and overwhelmed the de in an instant.
It easily swallowed up Trevion and then soared diagonally towards the sky as if it were bouncing off the ground.
A huge block of ice formed in no time, looking like an incredibly magnificent sculpture.
With the cold air blowing around it, that block of ice gave the illusion of having been transported to the North or South Pole.
Trevion stood trapped in the block of ice with a painful expression as if he had been frozen in time.
Fortunately, the main character, Ian Fairytale, was barely outside the range of the ice block, so he had ended up suffering no damage from my attack. It was probably because the ice ball had flown into the sky before it reached him.
I heaved a deep sigh of relief, my breath visible in the cold air.
From the palm of my right hand, where the magic hade from just now, pure white cold air was flowing out, simr to smoke leaking from a pistol¡¯s muzzle after firing a bullet.
Just a few moments ago, I was only able to make a block of ice the size of a ser ball¡
On the other hand, the iceberg that had formed before my very eyes, with various thorns poking out in every direction, was on a different level entirely.
So this was the result of upgrading [vs. Demon Combat Power] to its maximum level¡ª¨C.
I vaguely sensed that it was possible to get rid of my magic¡¯s aftermath by releasing the mana holding it together. As if I had simply pressed a button on a remote control, I naturally released the mana flowing through the massive ice block.
As one would expect, the sharp and huge chunk of ice began cracking apart.
Craaack¨C.
It broke down with an explosion of ice, suddenly turned into a light blue-colored powder, and then started to be blown away by the breeze. I guess you could say it was ¡®freezing off¡¯.
No longer frozen in ice, Trevion copsed while covered in blood. His wounds were formed from the countless ice shards aggressively flung at him when the skill, [Frost Explosion] had urred.
¡®Is it fine¡?¡¯
It wouldn¡¯t be an issue even if I had to fight any further. I thought I could win with ease.
After a period of intense silence, Trevion copsed on the ground while still uttering the word.
[Hello¡ Hel¡]
A powerless voice scattered in the wind.
As Trevion turned into ashen dust and faded away.
Footnotes:
Chapter 2: - Mana Evaluation (1)
? Mana Evaluation (1) ?
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Trevion the Evil (Lv 80)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 25!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?Beginning of a Legend?! You have gained an additional 15 bonus stat points!]
¡°Oh.¡±
A sudden increase of 5 levels all at once.
Also, along with every level up, each of my stats were increased by 2. The rewards for achievements appear to have been awarded as it normally would.
By the way, the overly-high level of the enemy just now was because of this scenario being on the Hell-level difficulty setting. In other words, even if the level difference between us was extreme, a wild explosion in levels would not ur.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 25
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 305/320¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D-)
¨C Stamina (D-)
¨C Strength (D)
¨C Intelligence (D)
¨C Willpower (B)
¡®Looks like my mana has increased by 20¡ª. Meanwhile, all of my other stats are the same as before.¡¯
A unique characteristic of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was that, unlike most fantasy games, the yer¡¯s level-up didn¡¯t have any kind of direct effect to their stats.
Sure, the higher the level, the higher the limit of the character¡¯s stats were, but it was not a mechanic for me to concern myself with.
In the end, you needed to start training desperately if you wanted to actually raise your stats.
The stat points that were umted from a level up can be invested in a character¡¯s ¡®growth efficiency¡¯, so as the game progressed, the stat level began to curve upward.
Therefore, it could be said that Isaac¡¯s stats would start to see a sudden rise.
Putting that aside, another game mechanic was that the higher the opponent¡¯s level was, the less damage it would end up taking. However, seeing as Trevion was only level 80 while I was level 120 at the time, the damage I had given him seemed to have been fully applied.
¡®Oh, does it also give party experience?¡¯
I nced at Ian, who was still knocked out on the ground.
[Ian Fairytale] Lv: 31
Race: Human
Elements: Light
Danger: X
A sudden increase of 1 level.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, allies who fought together in battle received experience points ording to their performance.
If the character was a damage dealer, it would be based on how much damage they dealt, if the character was a healer, it would be based on how much health they restored, and so on.
Additionally, the more characters in a party, the higher the total amount of experience would be. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t the type of system where the experience points were split between party members.
It looks like the party experience system was the same as before, even after the unpredictable event where I had gotten myself transmigrated into this game.
¡®The first bad ending has been prevented, and now¨C¡¯
I should hurry up and head to the entrance ceremony.
The fact that I was still stuck in this world after three days no longer fazed me. It was a necessity for me to properly face all of the events that are going to happen in the future and to sort out each of them myself.
¡®¨COh, right. Kaya.¡¯
Come to think of it, Kaya Astrean hadn¡¯t shown up yet. Plot-wise, Kaya Astrean was supposed to appear while Ian was in the middle of holding out against Trevion.
I tried looking around but couldn¡¯t sense or see her anywhere.
However¡ª
When I thought about it more, it made sense. In the game, Kaya had only appeared after Ian held on for a while.
But I had already killed Trevion in an instant. In other words, Kaya must not have arrived here just yet.
¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯
I felt relieved that I didn¡¯t get caught in the middle of the fight.
Had Kaya, the second seat of the entire freshman ss, seen me obliterate a level 80 demon in one attack¨C I couldn¡¯t even imagine how things would¡¯ve turned out.
If I were to continue living within this world, I would have to prevent any possible bad endings in the future. I shouldn¡¯t have such a setback in my ns this early on as a result of identally revealing my true abilities.
First of all, I had ended up making a lot of noise when casting [Frost Explosion]¨C, so it would be better to quickly get away from the scene before I get noticed.
After sorting out my thoughts, I began walking back towards the Academy for the entrance ceremony.
©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥
¡®Wait, what?¡¯
Kaya Astrean, who was currently hiding behind a tree, couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut from shock.
While wandering around Josena Forest, she had suddenly sensed a dense source of mana and quickly flew over with her wind magic.
Once she arrived, she saw that there was a confrontation between a strange-looking demon and a single man.
To begin with, the random appearance of demons is normally considered to be a natural disaster. There was nothing all that strange about the sudden appearance of demons in a remote ce like this.
Feeling the amount of mana he was emitting, it was clear that he was quite a dangerous demon. But in that case, just what the hell was that man who had ughtered such a demon in an instant?
His appearance was that of a young male student with silver-blue hair and a pair of crimson eyes which had a bluish aura attached. His height seemed to be about average, and the overall impression he gave was cute.
However, the moment he fought, his eyes turned cold. It was a dramatic shift in his atmosphere, akin to flipping one¡¯s palm. It looked as if the air surrounding him became freezing cold.
Sure enough, it was quite an impressive attack. [Frost Explosion], a 5-star ice spell. With that much power, it was clear that his skill level was extremely high as well. Rather than feeling jealous, his skill was at a level worthy of admiration.
Furthermore, at the moment when that man cast [Frost Explosion], Kaya had sensed from him an amount of mana far greater than her own.
The amount of her mana was something that Kaya was particrly confident in. She was so talented in that regard that she was admitted to the Magic Department of the prestigious M?rchen Academy as the second seat in her ss.
But that guy¡ª who the hell is he?
¡®Looking at his uniform, it looks like he¡¯s a freshman like me¡ª?¡¯
He was clearly wearing the academy uniform. A silver-rimmed navy blue cape was neatly draped over his shoulders, and the small brooch attached to his tie was scattering the red light that symbolized the first grade.
At a nce, you could tell that he was a freshman like herself.
¡®Could he be the ¡®Top Seat¡¯?¡¯
Seeing the clear difference between them, Kaya suddenly realized that she was a frog in a well.
The days when the people around her praised her while saying that she was a genius born with magical talents shed through her mind.
¡ªA strong skepticism regarding those ims now engulfed her.
¡°Breathe-!¡±
She let out a gasp when she saw that the silver-haired man began to move.
Kaya Astrean quickly turned around and crept behind a tree.
Her light green hair, tied to both sides into a twin-tail, fluttered for a moment.
She had been holding her breath. Kaya found the man¡¯s strength to be terrifying.
The silver-haired man, on the other hand, leisurely left the de, as if he had never noticed her in the first ce.
©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥
The entrance ceremony in reality was simr to the one in the game.
It took ce in the middle of a sunny day after the heavy rain had finally cleared up, while having the students gather up in an outdoor za.
I took a seat among the other students on an ordinary chair. Thanks to the faculty preparing the venue and installing a light barrier in advance, the za was left untouched by the morning rain.
Standing behind the podium was Luce Eltania, the top seat holder of the Magic Department¡¯s freshman ss, and Kaya Astrean, the second seat beside her, who were currently in the middle of receiving their awards together.
For some odd reason, Kaya was looking back and forth between the second seat and the students sitting in the audience, wearing a suspicious expression on her face. Was she still in shock from being in the second seat rather than the first?
It was impossible to tell if that was originally the case, because the faces of the first and the second seat were hidden in this cutscene, but I never knew they could have that kind of expression. It felt fresh, in a way.
Fortunately enough, The main character, Ian Fairytale, was able to arrive at the entrance ceremony on time. Seeing how his physical condition was intact, it was clear that Kaya Astrean had quickly healed him with healing magic after I left the scene.
Thanks to his unique constitution, Ian could be healed to peak condition just by casting a little bit of healing magic on him.
Then, after casually talking about this and that with his savior, he would suddenly exim that he needs to get to the entrance ceremony as soon as possible.
By the way¡
¡®I can¡¯t believe that the main character is having this much trouble from the get-go.¡¯
An ominous feeling slowly crept down my spine¨C.
Although the main story hadn¡¯t even started yet, Ian Fairytale had already gotten his ass beat by Trevion the Evil.
In other words, it¡¯s impossible to know whether he would be capable enough to beat any of the numerous enemies that will appear in the future.
With my soul having been transmigrated into this world, I have no idea what kind of disastrous fate would befall me if Ian Fairytale were to die and cause a bad ending to ur.
With all of this in mind, the most certain way for me to avoid an untimely death is to go ahead and clear the main story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, while struggling through this hellish difficulty level to prevent a bad ending.
¡®It¡¯s a bit of aplicated feeling, though¨C¡¯
Alongside a feeling of anticipation, the fear of the unknown crept up as well.
The feeling I had right now was simr to what I felt back when I had bought up all of the stocks of a certain electronicpany, in the hopes that the stock price would end up rising to 100,000, all while the price chart gradually continued to drop.
It was the kind of feeling that made me feel both anticipation and anxiety at the same time, the kind that made me feel unable to move on as I told myself things like, ¡®It will rise again someday.¡¯
©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥?¡ð?©¥
The orientation for freshmen was scheduled to take ce directly after the entrance ceremony.
After checking the bulletin board inside the building¡¯s entrance and finding my name, ¡®Isaac¡¯, listed underneath the provisional 3rd ss, I began heading over to the lecture hall for the provisional 3rd ss.
After ying through this game a countless number of times, I had already be more than familiar with theyout of this vast and sprawling M?rchen Academy. Thanks to that, I was able to find the lecture hall designated for the provisional 3rd ss without any issues.
It was a terraced lecture hall reminiscent of what you would find in a university. Looking around, there were about 50 students who had already taken their seats. Even then, around ten more seats will be filled in the future as well. The Magic Department in this academy had a maximum capacity of 300 students per grade, with a total of 5 provisional sses each.
I roughly pushed my way through the crowd and sat down in one of the seats in the center.
Ian Fairytale, the main character, still hadn¡¯t arrived just yet, but even then there were a couple of familiar faces I could spot.
[Mateo Jordana] Lv: 75
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Mateo Jordana, who would end up ying the role of an early viin in the story, acting as a stepping stone for Ian Fairytale¡¯s development. His brown bangs were greased back, revealing his clenched forehead, which he paired with his muscr physique to make for an intimidating figure.
[Tristan Humphrey] Lv: 71
Race: Human
Elements: Wind
Danger: X
Then there was Tristan Humphrey, a vain aristocrat who had a hobby of looking down on those he considered weak as well as themoners he saw as inferior. He was the typical blond-haired aristocrat who wore an arrogant smirk on his lips at all times.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 90
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
The second seat of the freshman and one of the game¡¯s heroines, Kaya Astrean, was here as well. She gave a cute impression with two ck ribbons tied to her light green hair in the style of pigtails.
¨C Wait, just why am I getting embarrassed now that we¡¯re actually face-to-face? Am I shy?
Anyways, Kaya Astrean had the personality of a kind-hearted and broad-minded individual. Sure, there were some edges to her personality here and there, but they were more like defense mechanisms she used to hide her shyness and embarrassment.
She also tended to follow those she admired, like a lost puppy. She is the number one type of girl who should be protected from pseudo-religion propagandists at all cost.
She is also very good at making a mountain out of a molehill. She was a cute heroine who would attach a deeper meaning to each and every action Ian would make without putting much thought into them and would often get excited on her own.
¡®Woah.¡¯
Having seen all of the characters from the game I always used to enjoy in the flesh, my heart was strangely feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden.
¡°Wee, prospective wizards.¡±
Eventually, the front door of the lecture hall was opened and our professor entered the room.
As he appeared, many of the female students started making various exmations like ¡°Oh my¨C¡±, ¡°Oh my God¡ª¡±, and ¡°So handsome¨C¡°.
The professor finally arrived in front of the podium amidst themotion, staring at the students with a chilling re as he stood in silence.
[Fernando Frost] Lv: 98
Race: Human
Elements: Ice, Water
Danger: X
Unlike the silver-rimmed student uniform, the gold-rimmed navy blue uniform was the attire that the academy professors would wear. His well-groomed silver hair, blue eyes, and tall stature exuded the aura of a professional.
Fernando Frost.
He was a cold individual who wore an emotionless poker face at all times, as if not even a single drop of blood or tears existed within his body.
In reality, however, he was a selfless humanitarian whose mind was always on the safety of and concern for his students.
Thanks to this appealing character trait, he was ranked 5th in the character poprity ranking of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Level 98. Although he was definitely at a higher level than most of his students, as a wizard, it was around average. For reference, the level of the characters in this setting was determined based on their directbat power. The level of their knowledge is also involved to a certain extent, but in the end, the most important factor was their ability to use magic well.
If the setting of the criteria for a character¡¯s level was to be theory-oriented instead, Fernando¡¯s level would have been much higher. In fact, that would be the case for most of the professors here.
¡°I am Professor Fernando Frost. I am the professor in charge of the provisional 3rd ss for this week.¡±
Professor Fernando said as such in a smooth, calm tone. The girls in the ss seemed to be dying because of the slick charm he possessed.
I¡¯m sure he was aware of how handsome he was. This kind of reaction would be normal for someone like him.
¨C I envy him.
¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about any unrted personal matters and just get straight to the point. Orientation will be held over the course of the next week. Then, when the ss cement evaluation ispleted and the sses have been properly divided, the lessons will finally start in earnest depending on the level of each ss from then on.¡±
Professor Fernando continued to speak with the same impassive attitude as before.
¡°With that said, for the sake of the future evaluation and to make sure that you are aware of your current level, I will be measuring the amount of everybody¡¯s mana from this point forward.¡±
¡°Our mana?¡±
Oh, right. The amount of everybody¡¯s mana gets measured during the first orientation ss. It¡¯s a minor part of the story, so I always skimmed through the event whenever I yed through the whole episodeter on, which caused me to forget about it entirely.
Either way, the results of the mana evaluation will end up being useful for my future tests.
When the story begins, the main character, Ian Fairytale, is rated in the test as an ¡®E¡¯ rank, the absolute lowest level when ites to mana, so he ended up bing an outcast among the students.
Butter on, as Ian grows rapidly over the course of the story, the students increasingly start to reevaluate him.
¡°Alright,e out one at a time when your name is called.¡±
Following the guidance of Professor Fernando, the students of the provisional 3rd ss were able to safely arrive at the training ground along with everybody else.
It was a spacious training ground lined with seats for spectators and fine sand making up the floor.
In addition to the provisional 3rd ss I belong to, several provisional sses all came out to the field as well. Ian and the heroines had caught my eye in particr.
¡°Here, I will be measuring the mana of each and every freshman belonging to the Magic Department.¡±
Professor Fernando used a small stick with a loudspeaker enchantment cast on it to exin the rules to the crowd of freshmen enrolled in the Magic Department, all of whom were standing together in an orderly manner. Simply put, he was basically using a microphone, although it was called a ¡®loudspeaker¡¯ spell here.
Meanwhile, the other professors of the provisional sses were sitting in the stands in order to observe their potential students.
¡°First of all, take this.¡±
At his words, the assistants began handing out objects to the students that had an appearance simr to hand grippers.
Of course, I epted it as well. The translucent grip felt firm when I held it.
¡°This particr magic instrument is a tool that measures the maximum amount of mana of the user by looking at the concentration of their mana. All you have to do is hold it with a firm grip while allowing the mana within you to flow, and then your grade will automatically be disyed before you. That grade is what your current position will be within the academy, so this will be an important reference for any future evaluations.¡±
As usual, Professor Fernando gave his speech in a perfect deadpan.
¡°Whenever you let your mana flow while trying to measure the amount of your mana, magicmonly tends toe out as a result. With that said, for the sake of the student¡¯s safety, I will be doing the measurements in an open space where there are no people for this evaluation. In each ss, five people shoulde out, one group at a time in order from the lowest number.¡±
Thus began our first mana evaluation.
NOTE: More chapters wille soon, hope you enjoy these two for now.
Chapter 3: - Mana Evaluation (2)
? Mana Evaluation (2) ?
Students began emerging from each provisional ss and formed a line for each group. After getting into their proper positions, they gripped their mana meter and let their mana flow in an empty direction.
All of them emitted an elemental aura with respect to their individual elements. After being used, that aura would end up leaving something known as a ¡®Mana Trail¡¯. It was evidence that proved whether or not magic of a specific element had been used.
In addition to elemental types and mana capacity, this mana evaluation also contained an additional hidden evaluation factor that tested students for their ability in something known as ¡®Mana Control¡¯. When mana is channeled, traces of magic could end up remaining as well. Even more so with powerful individuals that possessed greater mana.
In other words, what if, after having finished the evaluation of one¡¯s total mana capacity, that person obtained a high grade for their result, but there was ack of a magic aura?
It meant that the person in question would end up receiving a very good score for their mana control, which would be added onto their ss cement evaluation score.
After each person belonging to the first group of students finally finished their mana evaluation, Professor Fernando lifted the mana meters into the air using telekinesis magic, lined them up, and began to read each grade aloud.
¡°¡Provisional 3rd ss. 1st, Grade C-. 2nd, Grade C+. 3rd, Grade C-. 4th, Grade C+. 5th, Grade C.¡±
Of course, there wouldn¡¯t be any extra points for these guys. Even with that amount of mana, aura still ended up being released.
¡°Next!¡±
With that said and done, the mana evaluation continued on.
Meanwhile.
Haaaaaah-!
¡°Oh my, I couldn¡¯t control my dense, thick, limitless mana¡¡±
The conceited noble, Tristan Humphrey, shook his head in an exaggerated motion as he cast his overwhelming wind magic. When said with such a confident face, it sounded more like a theatrical line than a serious statement.
In the aftermath of his wind magic, both the hair and uniforms of the professors and students alike had been violently shaken. Some of the girls let out a grunt as they patted their hair neatly. Professor Fernando, on the other hand, remained as expressionless as ever.
Tristan Humphrey¡¯s mana ended up being a Grade B-. At that level, he was already at the top level of the students belonging to the Magic Department. His cocky demeanor wasn¡¯t an empty bluff after all.
Of course, his mana control in particr was a negative score.
Mateo Jordana, who was an early viin in the game, also came out with a Grade B-. Only a bit of his rock elemental aura was released, which was worth a couple of extra points.
Next up was this year¡¯s first seat, Luce Eltania, along with the second seat, Kaya Astrean.
The noisy audience suddenly became quiet as the two girls overflowing with elegance made their entrance. It was to the point where even the air started to feel heavy from their aura. The students¡¯ attention were focused entirely on them.
¡°Woah.¡±
I unconsciously eximed. It was because Luce was much more beautiful in person than in the game.
Wide strings could be seen flowing down each side of her silky rose-gold hair. She was wearing a unique headband that had been designed with a morpho butterfly in mind, with a deep blue color reflected within its intense ck border.
Her deep blue eyes, which seemed to contain the sea itself, were both clear and pure, and put together with her fair skin and graceful face simply radiated youth to anyone who watched.
As I admired Luce along with everybody else, I willed her level to be shown, causing a system window to appear in front of me.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 110
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Level 110. It was a number that waspletely overwhelming among freshmen.
When it came to the characters of Magic Knight of M?rchen, Luce was my second favourite. She was one of the game¡¯s official heroines, and she also ended up being paired with the main character, Ian, for the uing ss cement evaluation in a few days.
That¡¯s not to say that Kaya Astrean, the second seat, isn¡¯t beautiful as well, but¡ Sorry, I¡¯m just more of a Luce person than a Kaya person¡
Of course, if my favourite character was here, Dorothy Heartnova, it would be a different story entirely!
¡Let¡¯s just stop this nonsense and watch.
Luce and Kaya, like the other students, clenched the mana meter in their hands and stretched their arm forward.
Inparison to the other students who were releasing an elemental aura.
The two girls seemedpletely calm.
¡°¡?¡±
Then, after a few moments of standing still in silence, Luce and Kaya simply lowered their arms as if nothing had even happened in the first ce.
The students who were unaware of the existence of any kind of hidden grading factor were perplexed, because they thought the visible release of an aura was a given when using magic.
At that level of control, their mana control grade would have definitely received a perfect score.
Just as he had done the previous times, Professor Fernando lifted the mana meters the students had been holding with his telekic magic.
¡°The amount of mana this time will not be announced separately because they are the first seat and the second seat respectively.¡±
After a quick exnation, Professor Fernando looked over the grades disyed on Luce and Kaya¡¯s mana meters and read them aloud.
¡°Luce Eltania, Grade A+. Kaya Astrean, Grade B+.¡±
The students watching from the audience were unable to keep their mouths shut in awe. The A+ grade, which not a single person expected to show up in this examination, hade out of the professor¡¯s mouth.
Kaya, having be the second seat of the freshman ss as well as having Grade B+ mana, was already at the level of active wizards. It was a ridiculous feat for a freshman at the academy, but Luce¡¯s Grade A+ had left such an overwhelming impression that it was left buried.
The Grade A+ score was widely considered to be the ceiling level for most wizards. With that much talent, bing a Grade S was a step that could easily be epted as a realistic story.
For example, the highest grade that an ordinary person born without any talent could achieve with an immense amount of effort is Grade A- at best.
Grade S was a realm that couldn¡¯t be reached without talent.
This was all part of the setting that I had read countless times while ying .
As Luce was both talented and a hard worker, she had already nned to be a Grade S before her second year.
¡°Grade A+? Wow.¡±
¡°Is she really a freshman like us?¡±
¡°Are we really the same age?¡±
However, as of now, Luce Eltania was unable to deliver the full extent of her supposed Grade A+ power. This was a result of the mana evaluation only measuring the maximum capacity, not the amount that could actually be used.
She was constantly consuming a considerable portion of mana in order to suppress her familiar, ¡®Thunderbird ¨C Galia¡¯. Only after the conclusion of her struggle to subjugate the Thunderbird during her final exams would Luce be able to unleash her true power.
So then, what was she supposed to do before the battle of the Thunderbird? Well, at that time, she should be helped by the main character who would be considerably active by then, but unfortunately, it was starting to look like he would be a dumbass.
Anyway, amidst the ongoing gossiping from the crowd of students, Luce and Kaya finally exited the stage. Kaya clenched her fist in frustration while shaking her head.
¡®It looks like she¡¯s angry.¡¯
Over the course of the game, Kaya would continue to feel inferior when faced with the solid wall known as Luce.
Butter on, Kaya would grow strong enough to cast the 8-star ultimate spell [Yggdrasil].
In this world, the absolute highest rank of magic was 9-star, capable of world destruction. Even then, the lower 8-star magic was still powerful enough forrge-scale battles. Despite that, Luce¡¯s defeat seemed unlikely.
However, Kaya was not the kind of character who lived her life while harboring an inferiorityplex after seeing someone better than her. In fact, she had a tendency to admire and blindly follow those who were vastly different and overwhelmingly strong, regardless of their status.
As I mentioned before, if she were to ever be deceived into joining a cult, she was the type of person who would definitely get in trouble.
¡°Next.¡±
Hearing the Professor call for the next group, I readied myself. Now, it was my turn.
I stepped forward, mingled among the other students, and stood alongside them.
Once I had one in my hand, I proceeded to stretch the mana meter forward.
¡®Currently, my maximum mana is 320¨C¡¯
Now that I was thinking about it, I didn¡¯t know much about this world¡¯s mana grading standards. It was just a minor detail briefly mentioned when passing through the game¡¯s story.
I wonder how my 320 mana willpare to the average?
¡°Start!¡±
At the professor¡¯smand, I began squeezing the mana meter and poured out all my mana.
¡®Controlling this¡ is a little difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡¯
As a result of my poor control, cold air flowed out from where I stood, forming small pieces of ice in the process.
Soon, just as I heard a buzzing sound from the mana meter, I immediately cut off the flow of mana.
Just what will my grade be?
Ignoring my heart fluttering in my chest, I checked the grade disyed on the mana meter.
¡It was Grade ¡®E¡¯.
¡°¡¡±
The worst possible grade. You would have gotten a better oue if you had simply grabbed a random bystander on the streets whocked any prior experience or knowledge in magic and measured their mana.
It¡¯s a little¡ serious¡?
¡Ah, I just remembered.
¡®Wasn¡¯t there another Grade E other than Ian this year? Was that actually me¨C?¡¯
After Ian¡¯s turn in the game, I remembered hearing a studentmenting something along the lines of, ¡®There are two Grade E students this year.¡¯
Now that I¡¯ve figured that out, I finally remembered just what kind of character Isaac was. This guy was an extra among extras that ended up with a sense of inferiority towards Ian, despite having a weightless existence.
At least Kaya, who felt inferior to Luce, had the tenacity of a second seat.
On the other hand, Isaac, who felt inferior to Ian, was pathetic.
With that said, at the beginning of the game¡¯s story, he became one of Mateo¡¯sckeys and makes several attempts to harass Ian, who was a Grade E just like him, but ended up easily getting robbed of that position soon enough.
Besides his failed attempts at petty revenge, simply watching Ian¡¯s rapid growth made him frustrated to the point where he could only grind his teeth, and in the end, his weight turned to dust¨C forever being nothing more than a third-rate extra.
His purpose was to be a small darkness that would add a halo to Ian¡¯s growth, and wasmonly considered to be the weakest point in .
¡°Provisional 3rd ss. 21st Grade C-. 22nd Grade C. 23rd Grade C. 24th Grade C. 25th Grade E¡ª?¡±
All the students whose names were announced, including me, headed back to our seats.
When Professor Fernando came across my grade while checking the mana meterbelled No. 25, his expression appeared to have be perplexed.
¡°Grade E¡ª?¡±
What?
So what?
¡°Grade E?¡±
¡°Wait, did he actually get Grade E? Really?¡±
¡°How in the world did a Grade E manage to get epted into the M?rchen Academy?¡±
¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, isn¡¯t it¡ª that¡¯s certainly one hell of a guy in a different sense, huh?¡±
Once my meager result was announced, the students¡¯ attention was inevitably drawn to me, student number 25. Someughed at my misfortune, while others were surprised. Rather than the surprise shown at Luce¡¯s result, this surprise was more along the lines of ¡®How did you even get into this academy?¡¯ It basically meant the same thing as mockery.
This was M?rchen Academy, the single most prestigious academy on the entire continent.
In other words, the fact that someone with a mana capacity equivalent to Grade E had managed to make their way into the Magic Department of the M?rchen Academy was akin to some sort of doubtful miracle.
For reference, Ian Fairytale, who would also be graded at the same Grade E as myself, was able to enroll thanks to his ¡®rarity¡¯. It was a result of Ian¡¯s unique ability to use ¡®light¡¯ magic.
On the other hand, all I had was low-level ice magic¡ª not a rarity at all.
Perhaps the original owner of this body, Isaac, got epted with his theoretical ability in the entrance exam.
In that case, it was a shame that I didn¡¯t have any of his theoretical knowledge left in my head right now.
¡®¡Uh?¡¯
¡Wait a sec, the more that I think about it, the more I realize I have nothing to offer, right?
Uh, wait, what about¡
While the students were indulging in their gossip, Professor Fernando suddenly intervened.
¡°If you were able to get into our academy with this amount of mana¡ª your theoretical grades must be excellent. Your goal must be a ¡®Schr¡¯, then. Of course, the role of a magic schr is significant for the development of the magic system. You¡¯ll have to pull yourself together, but don¡¯t be discouraged by the others.¡±
¡°¡¡±
He said it as if he were sure that being a schr was my desired career path.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t something to be angry about. This was Professor Fernando¡¯s own way of showing me consideration. At the very least, as long as my goal was known to be a schr, even with my actual mana capacity being incredibly insufficient among the student body, I would be ridiculed less by the other students.
As I recalled, Professor Fernando had said the same thing to Ian in the game as well.
Ian, then, would be furious and exim, ¡®My dream is not to be a schr! My dream is to be a magic knight!¡¯
After making such an unrealistic im, he would end up getting countlessughs from the other students in response.
¡°Grade E? E, huh? How dare such an inferior being stand in the same line as one as superior as myself?! It¡¯s funny, it¡¯s so funny!¡±
As expected, Tristan Humphrey, the conceited blonde aristocrat, made a gruesome mockery of my terrible score.
The lines he said were funny, sure, but the one saying them was stupid. You bastard.
¡°Excuse me!¡±
At that time, the second seat, Kaya Astrean, suddenly raised her hand and shouted.
What was it this time? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen an event like this happening in the game.
¡°Have there ever been any cases where an error urs in the process of evaluating the amount of mana? For example, a case where the grade is measured incorrectly¡¡±
¡°What?¡±
Both Professor Fernando and the students responded to her question as if they couldn¡¯t understand.
I was the same.
Perhaps this was a question stemming from pointless doubts such as, ¡®Even though somebody as strong as myself is a student at the M?rchen Academy, does it make sense for a Grade E to be in the same year¡¯?
¡ªI have no clue.
¡°Hmm¡ I see. First of all, there is nothing wrong with the mana evaluation method.¡±
Professor Fernando quietly answered her question in a calm fashion as he picked up my mana meter, which was supposedly the root of the issue at hand.
The professor then began to pour his mana into the mana meter, undisturbed by the stares directed at him.
Just as one would expect from a professor, no elemental aura was released in the process, and with a ping, the magic power was quickly evaluated on the device.
¡®Grade A¡¯. Professor Fernando confirmed the result and showed it to Kaya.
¡°As you can see, the mana meter is working just fine. ording to the results of the inspection this morning, there were no abnormalities in the device. At the very least, there has never been a case of an incorrect measurement. If an error urs, the operation itself won¡¯t work because of the device¡¯s structure.
¡°¡Is that so.¡±
Kaya now had an expression of disappointment on her face, as if Professor Fernando¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t the one she wanted to hear.
Seeing the reaction he was given, Professor Fernando then proceeded to exin the second possible exnation.
¡°¡Of course, there are some cases where the evaluation ends up being wrong even without an error. Rare, but possible.¡±
Professor Fernando suddenly made an unfamiliar argument, confusing the students listening.
Regardless of their confusion, the students soon understood after his next words.
¡°It is said that an Archwizard has a level of control over mana beyond the realm of possibility, allowing them to deconstruct and reconstruct the flow of mana within their body. If that¡¯s possible, then they could control their mana output during the evaluation to achieve their desired grade. However, this is only possible for Archwizards who have been blessed by the heavens and honed themselves through countless hours of meditation, training, and solitude.¡±
¡°Without exceptions? Like a method where, even without being an Archwizard, you could adjust your magic level¡ª¡±
¡°I assure you. There are no exceptions other than this. If there was, they would probably be a superhuman who has already mastered all forms of magic. It would never happen at the student level, even if you were born with a level of genius talent that would be regarded as irrational by global standards.¡±
Regardless of any further objections, Professor Fernando continued to assert his point.
That was the official setting, after all.
An Archwizard was perceived in this world as a transcendental being that lived outside the jurisdiction of naturalw, and even the Emperor would have to be wary of one.
¡°Is that so¡?¡±
For some reason, Kaya looked shocked by this well-known fact.
Could she be flustered while thinking, ¡®Really, a Grade E that actually exists at the same M?rchen Academy as myself?¡¯
She certainly prided herself on being admitted to the prestigious M?rchen Academy. In other words, the Grade E that lowered the overall level of the academy must have been a thorn in her eye.
Oh, of course, this was just an exaggeration on my part. She was a good-natured person, so it was probably just at the level of a minor difort.
It was definitely a shame, though. Even if you ignored me, Ian was still there as well. The fact that there was not just one, but two students with only Grade E level mana must have scratched her pride quite a bit.
After 40 more minutes of testing, the mana evaluation was finally over.
Just as I thought, the story progressed as normal.
Ian was graded as a Grade E level mana, and after being mistaken for a schr, ended up revealing his dream of bing a magic knight to the entire student body, certainly showing off his presence as the main character as he made the studentsugh.
Facing the students of the Department of Magic, who had finally settled down and began standing in an orderly manner, Professor Fernando began to speak.
¡°The mana evaluation has concluded. Each of you should be aware of your own position, keep it in mind every moment, and use it as a stimulus for your devotion to magic. You may be aware of this already, but I will emphasize it here once more. The tradition of our M?rchen Academy is survival of the fittest. The strong consume the weak, and the weak are consumed. So be strong to the core if you want to avoid being consumed. Try as hard as you can in order to survive. That is all.¡±
I had experienced the harsh educational climate of the M?rchen Academy several times already while ying the game.
Ha, the weakest, the Grade E. Isn¡¯t that the perfect prey to be bullied in this environment?
With that in mind, I thought that I would have to try to keep myself from standing out for a while.
¡°¡¡±
For some reason, I could still feel Kaya ring daggers at me.
I had been pretending not to notice her stare for a while now, but I was sure the reason for it was because of my Grade E.
It seemed like it would be a rough start from the very beginning.
Chapter 4: - Goal
? Goal ?
M?rchen Academy.
The entirety of a vast, remote ind located in the eastern part of the continent was the M?rchen Academy itself.
They had established their own independent economic system.
First and foremost, the currency used was not the prevalent currency that wasmonly used elsewhere. The only currency that could be used here was referred to as ¡®Gel¡¯.
The mostmon method for a student to earn gel was undergoing either a performance evaluation or another form of testing. It would then be distributed in varying amounts depending on one¡¯s grades or some other specific criteria. It was also possible to earn gel by working part-time, but it wasn¡¯t very efficient. It would be best to think of it as a supplementary measure when running low.
Other than that, converting local money into gel was another valid method used by students. However, it was only possible before the start of each semester, at least until the first semester¡¯s tuition was paid for. If you had a lot of gel, you could even pay the tuition with it as well.
What if I were to run out of gel? In that case, I would have no choice but to borrow some from somebody else, go to the academy bank for a loan, or try and work part-time. I would end up starving otherwise. This was a harsh ce, after all.
At the beginning of the year, all of the freshmen who came to the academy were given 5000 gel.
With the textbooks and school uniforms already being fully provided by the academy, unless you overspent on anything unnecessary, you would definitely have enough tost until the next performance evaluation at the very least.
Knowing that, I decided to use my gel in moderation at the student cafeteria for my lunch and dinner. Despite that, everything still ended up tasting delicious and I felt fully satisfied.
What a strange feeling this was.
Anyways, after defeating Trevion earlier in the day and personally experiencing the entire entrance ceremony and orientation, I was now fully convinced that I had been transmigrated into the world of .
I also made a trip over to the library to read an [Introduction to Basic Magic] textbook that I believed to be appropriate for my current level.
Fortunately enough, understanding the contents of the textbook was not too difficult, possibly due to my prior knowledge of the game.
After confirming that fact, I also went ahead and took out an [Introduction to Advanced Magic] textbook and began reading.
¡®Oh, it¡¯s more difficult than I thought.¡¯
Physics? Chemistry? I¡¯m not quite sure which it was, being a liberal arts major myself, but it felt like I was seeing something simr.
Just looking at theplicated forms and equations made me start feeling dizzy, so I quickly closed the book and headed back to the dormitory.
At M?rchen Academy, there were a total of four dormitories. The dormitory you¡¯re assigned to is determined by grades each semester.
As for myself, I resided in the ¡®Doris Hall¡¯, the lowest ranking dormitory with rtively poor facilities as a result. The dormitories were assigned to each student based on their entrance exam scores.
Just as you would expect, Doris Hall was a dormitory for the inferior students. A gathering ce for those with the lowest grades in the academy. Ian Fairytail, the protagonist, also resided here for the time being.
I entered my room.
All of my belongings had already been transferred into my room: clothes, toiletries, disposables, writing utensils, and everything else I needed.
In any case, it was quite a small room. Of course, by that, I meant that it was just small inparison to the other dorms.
As an experienced civil service exam taker who had been previously living in a 3-pyeong studio in Sillim-dong, I was able to wholeheartedly attest to the fact that it was spacious, clean, and luxurious.
For reference, the academy had purposefully made the facilities in here more narrow than the other dormitories for the purpose of motivating students to try and get out of here. Elitism, indeed.
Even despite that, however, the showers were still extremely well-equipped.
¡°I¡¯m stuck in a ce like this!?!¡±
¡°Huh! What?¡±
That startled me¡
It sounded like somebody was shouting in the room next door ¨C a cry filled with the strong will to escape.
It seemed that a room like this must have been a sizeable blow for the spoiled aristocrats, who had always lived their entire lives in an extremely nice ce.
I shut the door behind me and sat myself down on the bed. The single bed felt incredibly soft as it gently enveloped my buttocks.
¡°¡¡±
It had already been 3 full days since I transmigrated into this game.
If I were to fall asleep tonight and still not end up back in my own reality, then just as I¡¯ve thought to myself many times ever since I came here, my goal was clear.
I needed to clear this game.
The main problem currently was that Ian, the main character whose death would serve as the condition for a bad ending, was no better than a shitty newbie.
Hell-Difficulty was obviously an extremely challenging experience, starting with the enemy¡¯s specs. As a result, the yer was required to have excellent control abilities from the very start.
On the other hand, Ian, this bastard, had already almost gotten a bad ending right at the beginning of the first day, and there was no guarantee that this would not continue to happen in the future.
¡®If that¡¯s the case, I just have to get stronger.¡¯
If the protagonist is useless, then there is only me. An unpredictable variable with the ability to prevent the numerous bad endings of this world.
ording to the scenario, this was because Ian, despite being a human, was born with the light element, which was a demon¡¯s only weakness. As such, Ian would be able to defeat demons even with significant level differences between them.
Normally, light elemental abilities and divine powers were only usable by the noble saintesses blessed by God. Simply put, it should have been impossible for Ian, an ordinary human, to have the light element from birth.
However, it eventually came to light that within Ian flowed the mixed blood of a human and a heavenly being, who naturally wielded divine power. This is the full exnation of how he was born with the ability to wield divine power without a blessing. It was a backstory supposed toe out as a twistter on.
Of course, both Ian and I must gradually improve our strengths together. The light element had many uses besides directbat, and if he still couldn¡¯t use his divine powerter on, demons with an invincible status would begin appearing regardless.
When that timees, Ian will have to dispel their invincible status by using the 8-star light element ultimate spell [Expelled from Paradise] along with his final weapon ¡®Luminous Sword.¡¯ In other words, it was necessary to at least be strong enough to properly progress the story.
¡®In the end, though, the biggest issue is still going to be the final boss.¡¯
The game¡¯s final boss,
¡®Nephid, Evil God of Destruction.¡¯
It was a damn tough boss. In Hell-Difficulty, even if the yer maxed out their specs, if they were hit even once, it would be game over. This was because Nephid could cast 9-star magic, a level of power capable of destroying the world.
The magic circle for resurrecting the sealed Evil God Nephid was engraved on the roof of ¡®Bartos Hall¡¯ in M?rchen Academy.
However, it would be impossible to even see or touch the engraving because of a 9-star spell blocking absolute perception. What if you destroy the building? During a Q&A event for the game, a user had asked that exact question to the developers, and I certainly still remembered the answer to that question even now. The developers had responded by saying, ¡®It would be meaningless to destroy the building because the magic circle itself is actually engraved beyond time and space.¡¯
In the end, the Evil God Nephid was bound to be resurrected when the time came.
¡®Still, if I could just catch Nephid, that would end everything.¡¯
The demons would no longer be a threat because Nephid was the one who had sent them to Ian in the first ce.
Nephid was still sealed away in the Abyss, and could only release a little bit of mana to the outside world at a time.
The mana Nephid sent outside would be used to wake up the demons thatid dormant beneath the surface. It was this restriction that made him only able to send a few demons to kill Ian every once in a while.
All this meant was that I needed to prevent the bad ending by defeating all the demons myself.
¡®In order to clear this game, I need to be strong enough to beat the final boss as well¡¡¯
As long as I was Isaac, the goal was clear.
¡®Let¡¯s check my current potential.¡¯
[Potential] Stat Points: 25 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (D+): 16/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (D-): 10/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]
¨C Rock Resistance (E): 2/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
Where should I invest my stat points first?
It¡¯s finally time to start thinking about the future.
There will be a ss cement evaluation soon, and around that time, another demon would appear.
The problem was that, in order to catch that demon, there was a harsh condition attached where I would be forced to avoid elimination for about 5 hours in a battle royale against only those stronger than me.
However, if I were to try and increase my immediate chances of survival by increasing my [vs. Human Combat Power] potential, I would end up being much further away from defeating the Evil God Nephid in the long run.
I definitely needed to level up even just a little bit faster.
¡®Then, I should give top priority to the [Physical Training Efficiency] and [Magical Training Efficiency] potentials.¡¯
After making my decision, I proceeded to distribute 10 stat points to [Physical Training Efficiency] and 15 to [Magic Training Efficiency].
Ding ?
[Potential [Physical Training Efficiency] has increased from D+ to C!] [Potential [Magical Training Efficiency] has increased from D- to C-!]
Even with this, I don¡¯t expect any dramatic effect until the uing ss cement evaluation, but I hope it¡¯s at least as good as the figures show.
¡®Now that I¡¯ve finished that, the next thing I need to do is make myself a training n.¡¯
¡With that said, I was starting to feel exhausted already.
As I sat at my desk, unfolded the parchment, and began writing down my future ns.
In the middle of that, I somehow fell asleep.
* * *
Each and every room of the top-ranked dormitory of M?rchen Academy, ¡®Charles Hall¡¯ was luxurious, truly befitting its splendid exterior.
After all, this was a super-luxurious facility where only the top 10 students from each department and year could stay.
There were also facilities that could be used by employees.
The academy itself had prepared high-quality human resources for students living at Charles Hall.
It was there that Kaya Astrean, the prodigious second seat of the freshman ss at the Department of Magic, was seated at her desk while resting her chin on her palms, deeply lost in her own thoughts.
Inside a dark room, the soft light of an enchantedmp quietly illuminated the figure of her in a luxurious nightgown.
¡°It really just doesn¡¯t make any sense at all¡¡±
Kaya was reflecting on what she had witnessed earlier today.
This morning, when that man with silver-blue colored hair defeated the demon.
Kaya clearly felt an overwhelming amount of mana overflowing from within him.
Yet, at the time of the mana evaluation, the same man achieved Grade E, the worst grade.
It was an obvious contradiction. It could only mean that the mana meter he used was broken.
Was it possible that the silver-blue haired man just didn¡¯t let any of his mana leak out? Impossible. She already confirmed that there was elemental aura flowing out.
Besides, even at that time, Kaya herself had even felt his feeble mana personally.
¡®There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true.¡¯
After all, the ability that the silver-blue haired man had showcased when he obliterated the demon was already at a level far superior to her own.
It wasn¡¯t that she mistook his ability either, since Kaya knew how to manipte wind and ice elements herself. Therefore, she had an eye for ice magic.
The moment she saw his 5-star spell, [Frost Explosion], she felt like she was watching a masterpiece that had been created by a master craftsman with great care for decades.
How in the world could such an expert be ssified as a mere Grade E? She was about to burst intoughter when the topic first came up.
Contrary to her expectation, Professor Fernando had insisted that the mana meter¡¯s results were impossible to get wrong.
The silver blue haired young man, number 25, did not raise any objections to such a im and just continued to stay silent.
In spite of all the ongoing giggles and mockery of the surrounding students.
It was almost as if he had known this would happen from the very start¡
¡®An Archwizard is an existence able to easily change their maximum mana at will¡¡¯
She couldn¡¯t help but think back to the words she heard before. To be able to fake their amount of mana, by changing mana itself? How would that be any different from the absurd im that each and every cell in your body could also be changed at will?
No, in the first ce, an Archwizard was a being that would transcendmon sense just by existing, so even if that¡¯s possible¡
It still didn¡¯t make any sense that a student the same age as her was sessfully able to reach the level of an Archwizard.
An ¡®Archwizard¡¯ was an honorable title that was given only to those who have been recognized as the absolute best wizards across the entire continent.
Even the most sessful first-ss wizards, such as the Tower Masters, the Leaders of well-renowned and high-ranking Guilds, or Court Wizards, were not evenparable to the size of a fingernail in front of an Archwizard¡
Even Kaya¡¯s family, the Ducal house of Astrean, with their high social status, would be forced to bow their heads in front of an Archwizard.
The level of an Archwizard was at the point where ¨C whether it was heaven¡¯s blessings, an unparalleled talent, or bone-breaking efforts ¨C all of it was required.
In the first ce, although the man who was number 25 had powerful mana when facing the demon, it was still a bit weaker than the first-ss wizards Kaya had seen thus far. It was not enough power to confidently state that he had already reached the level of an Archwizard.
However, even thinking about it that way couldn¡¯t exin the inconsistency of his mana being Grade E.
¡®I noticed that the ck-haired man earlier didn¡¯t know about him either.¡¯
After the silver-blue haired man left, Kaya went and woke up the person named Ian Fairytail who was passed out in the clearing, and used healing magic to treat his wounds.
His wounds actually recovered themselves surprisingly quickly, as if Kaya¡¯s healing magic only served as an elerator.
During the healing process, she asked Ian if he knew the man who defeated the demon.
To her disappointment, he seemed to bepletely unaware. In the first ce, his attention at the time was focused entirely on the demon that had already turned to ashes and vanished by that point.
She decided it would just end up being a waste of time to keep asking him, so Kaya stopped talking.
¡®Could it be a secret where I¡¯m the only one who knows student number 25 is actually strong?¡¯
She had already told Ian that she would report the issue of the appearance of a demon to the academy. After the mana evaluation was finally over, she decided to report it to Professor Fernando.
She couldn¡¯t bear to see it be reported anyter.
Demons weren¡¯t known for their collective behavior, and typically appeared as natural disasters. In other words, there was never any kind of rush to report it when the aforementioned demon had already been in.
However, after hearing the result of the mana evaluation of the person who defeated the demon, with Fernando¡¯s exnation added on top of that.
Kaya reported the incident a little differently from the truth.
She reported that the demon was already dying, and disappeared soon after. That was why she didn¡¯t know the identity of the demon yer.
All because she had suddenly thought of an unbelievable possibility.
¡°Really, no, really, that¡¯s got to be nonsense¡¡±
After the perception of the impossibility and possibility that had beenyered on top of each other, slowly peeled away¡ the truth hidden underneath was finally revealed.
Finally, Kaya voiced the possibility.
¡°If it¡¯s true that number 25 has reached the level of an Archwizard, then¡? What if he arbitrarily adjusted his mana when he defeated the demon earlier today¡? If that¡¯s the case, then, is that person a so-called genius among geniuses, surpassing all of the Archwizards that have ever been recorded in history¡?¡±
What had long been considered an absolute, immutable truth could easily be overturned at any time, whenever an exception were to appear.
This was something that humanity had only been able to deduce with inductive reasoning thus far.
However, what if today, the very ¡®exception¡¯ that had only been spoken of in theory had suddenly appeared?
What if that ¡®exception¡¯ was number 25, the man with silver-blue hair?
¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±
Thrill. Excitement. These were the emotions she felt when arriving at this conclusion.
It meant that he was a being who would be a legend.
And she was the first person to know his identity!
It felt surreal. She felt as if she was facing a monumental truth that she shouldn¡¯t have known.
Kaya began to tremble and the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
¡°No, no. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself just yet.¡±
The professor already said it himself that it was impossible. Let¡¯s think carefully.
When she calmed down and went over the details once again, it was clear that this was impossible. In fact, it was something no different from something in the realm of fantasy.
But, what if it¡¯s real? Really, what if it¡¯s really real?
What if he went and entered the academy while hiding his true power for some unknown reason?
Without realizing it, Kaya¡¯s thoughts had already reached this point. So then, under the assumption that this person was an important figure hiding their identity, her mind became focused on keeping quiet about his contribution to defeating the demon, seeing as he was pretending to be a weakling.
¡®I need to find out.¡¯
In the end, Kaya resolved herself to speak to number 25 tomorrow.
Chapter 5: - Realm of an Archwizard
? Realm of an Archwizard ?
In the morning, I finished the orientation for [Introduction to Basic Magic]. The content itself was easy to understand, thanks to having yed . It didn¡¯t tell me much, though.
After ss, I headed to the student cafeteria for lunch.
¡°Hey, that person¡¡±
¡°Is he that Grade E guy from yesterday? Really, how did he get in here?¡±
¡°He¡¯s not good enough¡¡±
While sitting alone and eating my 50 gel lunch, I could hear the mocking remarks directed at me from another table.
Considering theirck of subtlety, they clearly meant for me to hear everything they were saying.
I felt it before, but it seems the fact that I was a Grade E in mana was spreading among the students.
The academy advocated for a system where the weak were oppressed by the strong, so naturally, students openly looked down on those ranked lower than them.
As a Grade E who scored even lower than Ian Fairytale, who also had the same Grade E mana, this fate was inevitable, since I was the weakest student.
In other words, I can¡¯t beat anyone here.
¡®Let¡¯s just ignore it for now.¡¯
Today was the fourth day since I came to this game world and as expected, I couldn¡¯t go back to reality even if I fell asleep regrly.
Seeing as I have to stay here, I shouldn¡¯t go and antagonize other students since it would make my academic life difficult. It was best to just ignore them.
I didn¡¯t have time to worry about such trivial stuff anyway, I instead had to devote all of my time to training from now on, meaning I had no time to worry about anything else.
This morning, I had some time before my sses for the day started, so I decided to jot down my ns for the future on a piece of parchment paper, recalling my previous memories of ying the game while doing so.
As for my first priority, I was thinking of aiming for the top of this department.
Grades were not only the easiest, but also the most indicative way to measure how strong an individual is, and since I needed to be the strongest to survive, it was imperative that I increased my grades. My ultimate goal was to eventually surpass the top seat, Luce, and I would do what needed to be done in order to achieve that goal.
As a side note, getting low grades wasn¡¯t an option. If I failed repeatedly, I would be expelled, kicked out of the academy, and then this world would receive a bad ending.
With that in mind, I nned to go and find the legendary weapon, ¡®Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe.¡¯
Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe is the final ice element weapon, and in the original game, it could be obtained after the second year¡¯s second semester. But, because I wasn¡¯t bound by the story of the game like Ian Fairytale, it didn¡¯t matter.
¡®I want to get it before the end of the first year if possible¡¡¯
To obtain Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, I needed toplete the trial given by ¡®Ice Dragon Hilde¡¯, but in order to even think of receiving said trial, I had to first raise my [Ice Element Resistance} to 60 at the very least.
I needed to be strong enough to get Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe as soon as possible.
ording to the setting in the original game, one person could only use up to two kinds of elemental magic, depending on whether or not they werepatible with it. The only exception to this was the power of fairies.
I didn¡¯t know what element that Ian, who currently only used light magic, would choose from among fire, water, ice, lightning, rock, and wind in the future. That was because, in the game, the second element of Ian was decided by the yer, but now that wasn¡¯t the case.
If he chooses the ice element, Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe will be his final target¡ Sorry, that¡¯s mine now, I have nothing to give to a fucking newbie.
So I could only hope that he wouldn¡¯t choose the ice element.
¡®I have to clear the game no matter what.¡¯
I¡¯m going to get as strong as I can in order to win this game.
It was my specialty to achieve my goals through grit and hard work. It was an asset that I had acquired throughout my life studying for exams.
I yed as both a break and a reward after a long day of studying.
Although, on my day off I would y it all day long, and this only continued after I passed the exam.
I could¡¯ve never imagined that I would be transported into as an extra, and I could tell it would be a long and arduous battle before my final goal was achieved.
I¡¯llmit evil deeds without hesitation.
¡°Fufufufu, fufufu¡¡±
¡°Hey, is that kidughing?¡±
Oh, I burst outughing without realizing it. I seem to have been too engrossed in myself.
I could hear someonement when Iughed, but I didn¡¯t care.
After the meal, I was walking toward the ssroom¡
¡°How are you?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡When suddenly, someone greeted me from behind.
I came to a halt and looked back. I saw a familiar female student with light green pigtails tied with ck hairbands and two eyes that were a beautiful jade color, shining like emeralds.
Kaya Astrean, the second seat freshman in the Department of Magic, was dressed in her school uniform.
[Kaya Astreane] Lv: 90
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
But¡ Why is Kaya talking to me?
Is it to give advice like an old man, to work hard because I¡¯m an unimportant Grade E?
If it¡¯s Kaya, that could be the case since she¡¯s nosy.
¡°No. 25 of Provisional 3rd ss, right?¡±
Was it because of the impression that a Grade E gave? She managed to remember my number.
¡°Ah yes, you remember my number?¡±
I just answered out of curiosity, but suddenly Kaya¡¯s shoulders trembled.
¡°Uhh, I didn¡¯t remember it because I was interested in you¡!¡±
She turned her head sideways and answered in a timid tone.
Her face grew red with embarrassment. Kaya had a shy personality, so she reacted to even a hint of embarrassment like this, one could even call it a defense mechanism.
Wow, she¡¯s really familiar. Is it because I saw her in the game?
I almost shed her a smile that could only be described as fatherly. I had no reason to show such a smile, so I kept my mouth shut and looked at Kaya, waiting for her to speak.
¡°Hmmm.¡±
Kaya cleared her throat and looked back at me.
¡°Do you remember me? From the same Provisional 3rd ss¡ Kaya Astrean.¡±
¡°Yes, because you¡¯re the second seat.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, there was an awkward air.
What is this feeling? Was there anything strange about what I just said?
¡®Ah.¡¯
Oh, right.
Kaya Astrean was the second daughter of the Duke of Astrean, who was responsible for managing the western part of this country, Zelvere.
She was, in other words, a high-ranking aristocrat, whose name was known by all.
On the other hand, I was amoner without a surname.
Her status was too high for me to just say, ¡®I remember you because you¡¯re the second seat.¡¯
It would have been natural if I had added something like ¡®I remember you because you are from the Astrean family¡¯.
Do I have to be polite now?
¡®It¡¯s an honor to talk to you¡?¡¯ No, it¡¯s a bit too much.
¡°What is your name, by any chance?¡±
Thank God.
Kaya immediately blew away my worries by asking a single question.
¡°It¡¯s Isaac.¡±
¡°Isaac¡ Isaac¡¡±
Kaya repeated my name twice as if to clearly engrave it into her mind.
I was both ttered and thankful for her reaction.
I felt like I had made a huge mistake by forgetting to add the ¡®Daughter of the Duke¡¯s family¡¯ part, but it seems like my worries were needless since Kaya was too kind to bully me.
The real problem was the students who asionally stole nces at me and Kaya as they passed.
They tried to infer the contents of the conversation by reading our lips.
¡®Did Kaya just talk to a Grade Emoner¡?¡¯
¡®Why?¡¯
¡®Is she here to call him pathetic because he¡¯s Grade E?¡¯
¡®It¡¯s Lady Kaya, she probably came to say something ¡®because he was so pitiful¡¯.¡¯
It seemed that their conversation was roughly going this way.
The situation where the second seat freshman of the Magic Department, and the daughter of the Astrean family with Grade B+ mana spoke to the weakest freshman with Grade E mana, and was amoner, was simply absurd.
What should I do¡?
It was unnatural, but would it be better to bow down at a right angle and say, ¡®Nice to meet you, Lady of the dignified Duke Family!¡¯
¡°Isaac, I¡¯ll ask you straightforwardly¡ Why are you hiding your identity?¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡What does she mean by that?
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t hide it from me. You¡¯re hiding your identity, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Kaya looked nervous.
What kind of bullshit is this.
¡No way? Wait a minute.
¡®¡I get it.¡¯
Kaya must have witnessed me defeat ¡®Trevion the Evil.¡¯
¡®Could it be that, then¡?¡¯
The next memory that came to my mind was yesterday¡¯s mana evaluation.
When Professor Fernando said something about an ¡®Archwizard¡¯ being able to deceive the maximum amount of mana, I remembered the look Kaya had on her face.
If it was true that she witnessed the scene of me defeating Trevion, then the expression on her face was quite convincing.
I showed overwhelming power in front of Kaya, yet ording to the mana meter, my mana was only Grade E¡ Anyone would look at the two events and think it was ridiculous.
¡Wait, could it be that? Does she think I am a genius among geniuses who has reached the level of an Archwizard?
¡°The realm of an Archwizard¡ You can hide your own mana, right?¡±
Kaya ask quietly on purpose so that no one could hear.
My head was throbbing¡
Kaya felt inferior to Luce, but she had a tendency to harbor admiration for people whom she found out of her reach. Perhaps I was seen as thetter.
She was someone who blindly followed such people.
Yes, this girl who appeared wless, was in reality a fool among fools.
First of all, Kaya¡¯s misunderstanding was troublesome for me since I needed to be regarded as a ¡®weakmoner¡¯ by people unconditionally in the beginning, but if she suddenly started saying things like ¡®Isaac is actually strong¡¯ people¡¯s perception of me might change.
As Isaac, I need a reason to be Mateo¡¯s subordinate for a while.
First, however.
¡®The most dangerous problem is¡¡¯
Whether or not the fact that ¡®I¡¯ defeated the demon was reported to the school.
If reported, it would be a very serious issue.
¡®¡I guess not.¡¯
But I concluded immediately that it wasn¡¯t the case.
If my contribution in defeating the demon had been reported, the academy would have made a big deal out of it and rewarded me.
In particr, ¡®Alice¡¯, one of the most powerful people in the academy and the president of the student council, wouldn¡¯t have stayed still. If she had heard the news, she would have tried to approach me in any way possible.
If you looked at the story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Alice couldn¡¯t touch Ian, the main character, rashly because he came from the Fairytale Viscount family.
But, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if she killed an insignificantmoner like me at any time.
In other words, Alice was unaware of the fact that I had defeated the demon.
¡®You didn¡¯t say anything?¡¯
Why is that?
Why, Kaya?
¡Even if it would cause me a headacheter, it seems I needed to go along with this fool¡¯s misunderstanding.
A momentary silence descended upon us as I carefully thought of my next words.
After closing my eyes and opening them, I sighed quietly and spoke with a serious expression.
¡°Did you tell anyone about me?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
An age-old clich¨¦, a nerd that hides their power. In short, someone who pretends to be powerless. I decided to imitate that role.
¡°I didn¡¯t¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°No, that¡ I reported it to the academy the same day the demon appeared at the entrance ceremony, but I said I didn¡¯t know who killed the demon, on purpose.¡±
I tried to endure the tingling of my hands and limbs and looked at Kaya.
Perhaps understanding the flow of the atmosphere, Kaya was clearly nervous. She seemed to think that her guess was correct.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because you seem to want to hide your power¡¡±
¡®Anyway, thank god she noticed.¡¯
It was a relief that Kaya was very perceptive in matters like these.
She almost caused a game over without even knowing it.
I could roughly guess how the academy must have reacted to Kaya¡¯s report.
In the setting of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, demons were regarded as natural disasters. If it had already been dealt with, there was nothing more to look at.
The most important thing was ¡®student safety¡¯ and since everyone was safe beside the sole victim Ian, the only thing they would do is mark him for a few days and be done with it.
The academy¡¯s staff members got in a lot of trouble because so many demons appeared in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? thus holding the chairman ountable for the potential dangers of the situation and the inevitablemotion a demon brought.
Nevertheless, the academy¡¯s staff members somehow manage to solve every problem so that it doesn¡¯t interfere with the academy¡¯s curriculum. They don¡¯t get much attention despite the amount of important and troublesome tasks they have to take care of.
Alice must have been looking for the person who defeated the demon by now.
She was unaware of how demons were created, so she didn¡¯t know when and where a demon would appear, however, she knew to an extent, that it was Nephid¡¯s will that demons arose.
Nephid had a simple goal in mind when creating demons, and that was eliminating any potential threats to them.
So, Alice had no choice but to look for the one who defeated the demon.
¡®Let¡¯s maintain this atmosphere for now.¡¯
I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh on purpose as I pretended to be annoyed.
¡°You said your name was Kaya, right?¡±
¡°Y-Yes¡?¡±
I opened my eyes and red at her with a gaze that was even colder than death¡¯s embrace.
¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about me.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Kaya froze.
She resembled a cornered deer, trembling before a beast trying to devour her.
She was weak in front of someone who showed overwhelming skill that she wasn¡¯t even close to matching.
¡Let¡¯s stop here.
If the yer took Kaya¡¯s lover route, she was imaginative enough to guess every word that woulde from Ian¡¯s mouth, which naturally caused her to think badly of herself.
I quietly left the ce.
I had to run away before Kaya regained her senses and said anything else, and now that it was like this, I shouldn¡¯t reveal my true identity.
Luckily, she still had a frightened expression on her face.
We spoke quietly, so the students watching us shouldn¡¯t have heard what we were talking about.
¡®But can I just leave it like this?¡¯
Well, it¡¯ll probably be fine.
?????????????????????????
¡°I was right¡¡±
Kaya trembled like an aspen tree as she recalled her interaction with Isaac.
She shuddered like amb that felt the fear of death in front of a wolf.
The strength in her legs was giving out, and it seemed like even the slightest touch would cause her to copse.
Her beating heart continued to race faster and faster as an intense fear rushed in like a tidal wave, gripping her entire body, and preventing her from moving.
A warning¡ That was a warning.
Isaac¡¯s red eyes were the vibrant colour of blood.
When the image of him crushing a powerful demon merged with the hostility she had seen earlier today, it became a source of fear for her.
Isaac was definitely hiding his true identity and judging from their earlier conversation, he must have been pretending to be weak for whatever reason.
¡°What should I do¡?¡±
Kaya med herself for trying to find out more about Isaac.
To him¡ She had gotten on his bad side¡
Chapter 6: - Class Placement Evaluation (1)
? ss cement Evaluation (1) ?
In three days, there will be a ss cement evaluation.
It was an event where the main character, Ian Fairytale, and one of the heroines, Luce Eltania, would get entangled.
As for why they got involved, it was because a demon suddenly appeared.
Right before Ian and Luce fought, a demon emerged and the two joined forces to fight the demon, and Ian ended up protecting Luce.
Ian was just protecting Luce, thinking that she was caught off guard.
Anyway, they seeded in defeating the demon and after the ss cement evaluation was over, Luce started caring for Ian because of the memories they formed that day.
The two of them end up dating because Luce was vulnerable to situations where she is being protected.
¡®Of course, none of this would matter if Ian were to lose again at the beginning.¡¯
In the first ce, there was no need for Ian to protect Luce.
If Luce didn¡¯t take the lover route, she would live with ¡®living my life my way¡¯ as her motto and instead be a supporting character who asionally helped Ian. Even if Ian didn¡¯t protect Luce, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems with the story.
My role was to simply defeat the demon without much thought.
By the way, even if Ian was defeated and Luce was left alone, she could still defeat the demon.
The problem with that, however, was that it led directly to a bad ending.
So, the key to that event was to defeat the demon as quickly as possible and prevent a bad ending from urring.
However, the ss cement evaluation started at 2:00 PM, and the demon wouldn¡¯t appear until 7:00 PM.
The ss cement evaluation was a survival game where everyone was an enemy besides yourself. In that battle royale, I would have to survive for five hours until the demon appeared while being the weakest student.
¡®Firstly physical training, secondly magic training, then Introduction to Basic Magic, and finally The Study of Elementary Ice Science¡¡¯
I started to move ording to the training n that I had drawn up in advance.
As dusk descended, I arrived at the corner of the Butterfly Garden.
The ce I had arrived at was an open area. Under the dark and gloomy evening sky, I deeply inhaled the grassy air.
Probably because the location was sorge, it was easy to find a deserted ce.
¡°Whoo.¡±
From now on, I intended to use the 1-star spell [Ice Generation] like crazy.
Basic elemental magic was very useful, and it was necessary to master it first because it was the basis of all magic.
¡®[Ice Generation].¡®
I stretched out my hands into the air and let the ice mana flow.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I repeatedly produced ice blocks the size of ser balls before removing them through unfreezing.
I used up almost all the mana I was able to muster, before patiently waiting for my mana to replenish itself and then doing it all over again.
Despite the cold weather, beads of sweat were dripping down my body as if I was standing in the rain ¨C the fatigue that I had been ignoring so far finally settled in, causing my energy to dwindle and blood to start flowing from my nose.
Spending mana recklessly was more arduous than I thought.
Then, after two hours had passed, I headed to one of the seven gyms with an exhausted body.
Most of the students in the Department of Magic aimed to be wizards, so they didn¡¯t feel the need toe to the gym.
It was much more efficient to study magic theory or increase your magic proficiency while training your muscles in moderation for conditioning and health.
I¡¯d rather train ording to the standards of this world, but in , having good stamina came with a variety of benefits, both in terms of growth and overall progression of the story. In other words, physical training was something that no one could deny the importance of.
¡°Oh, oh.¡±
When I arrived at the gym, I saw students from the Knight Department in sportswear exercising with great intensity.
A party of steel for men. I felt like I was going to drown in all the testosterone that was radiating from their bodies.
¡®There really isn¡¯t anyone from the Magic Department, is there?¡¯
Fortunately, I didn¡¯t see any students who seemed to be from the Magic Department after looking around for a bit.
If there were, I would have been criticized for things like ¡®he¡¯s amoner with Grade E mana but doesn¡¯t train his magic and instead chooses to do outrageous exercises, it¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t understand what he¡¯s studying.¡¯
Wouldn¡¯t I lose all interest in exercising?
¡°Ugh.¡±
I started with the bench press.
I put a collective 20kg of iron on the left and right of a 20kg iron bar, for a total weight of 40kg.
I could feel the fit students of the Knight Department ncing at me.
It must have been a strange sight to see a normal-looking Magic Department student trying to exercise.
Let¡¯s ignore it.
¡°Uughhhh¡!¡±
¨CHaa Haaa!
Gritting my teeth, I lifted the iron bar with all my strength.
¡°Ha.¡±
I managed to lift the iron bar up for 5 reps, then rested.
I lifted it 5 more times. Rest.
Then another 5 times. Rest.
¡°Blerchhhh¡¡±
I dropped it as is. I felt like I¡¯ve alreadypletely overworked my arm and chest muscles. Is this really my limit?
I was staring at the ceiling for a moment when suddenly four muscr male students rushed towards me.
¡°Are you a student at the Magic Department?¡±
Oh, man, it¡¯s intimidating to be surrounded by such muscr individuals.
It was natural for them to notice that I was in the Magic Department, since the navy blue sweatshirt I was wearing right now was for the Magic Department.
But what were students of the Knight Department doing here?
¡°Yeah, what about it¡?¡±
¡°Why exercise¡? Are you an aspiring Magic Knight¡?¡±
I wasn¡¯t able to think much because I was tired, so after taking a deep breath I just told them the first thing that came to mind.
¡°I just want to be stronger¡¡±
¡°¡¡!!¡±
The eyes of the male students from the Knight Department lit up.
How did¡ the atmosphere be like this¡?
¡°I know that feeling very well¡!¡±
¡°To think there would be a person with such a wonderful mindset in the Magic Department¡! Yes! If you want to be strong in magic or whatever else, exercise is essential!
¡°Can we teach you how to properly exercise?¡±
What¡?
Are you guys saying you want to be my personal trainers, right now?
Before I came to this world, I would frequently go to the gym and I would always hear that getting a personal trainer was an effective way of helping you exercise, but they were too expensive for me to even think of hiring one.
The students from the Knight Department had better muscles than any personal trainer I had ever seen so it seemed like a good idea to ept their proposal.
¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could.¡±
¡°¡¡!¡±
Soon I would regret those words.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
The muscles all over my body were screaming in pain.
I couldn¡¯t even walk properly.
¡°Ughguk¡¡±
The training of the Knight Department students could only be described as hell. ¡®You¡¯re doing great! Good! Great! One more rep, one more rep!¡¯ I forcibly lifted the iron while thinking I was going to die.
The effect was certain as every single one of my muscle cells were aching.
They wanted to see me again tomorrow, it seems they had fun teaching me how to exercise.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 25
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 250/320
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D-)
¨C Stamina (D-)
¨C Strength (D)
¨C Intelligence (D)
¨C Willpower (B) Potential ??Details??
There was no immediate change in stamina and strength, it seemed that they would only increase after new muscle tissues were formed.
¡®Ahhh¡¡¯
My body had reached its limit.
Seriously¡ I barely made it to the dormitory, after crawling like a drunk.
I had to study now¡ but my stamina didn¡¯tst¡
As soon as I entered the room, I kicked the bucket, and fell asleep on the floor before I even got to bed.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 26
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 340/340
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D)
¨C Stamina (D)
¨C Strength (D+)
¨C Intelligence (D+)
¨C Willpower (B) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (D)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (D+)
¨C Elemental Synergy (C)
¨C Elemental Series 2 (Locked)
It was difficult to expect dramatic changes in just three days but I did grow a little.
As a result of training, my level rose by 1. I invested the newly acquired 2 stats in [Magic Training Efficiency] and thanks to that, my [Magic Training Efficiency] went up from C- to C.
My abilities also increased and my mana was raised by 20.
[Mana Recovery Speed], [Stamina], [Strength], [Intelligence], [Elemental Firepower], and [Elemental Efficiency] also rose by one level each.
¡®I¡¯m seeing less growth than when I was ying the game.¡¯
It seemed impossible for me to grow as fast as when I was ying the game as Ian. It was probably a matter of overall potential, so it would be clear to anybody that I was the weakest student at the academy with Grade E mana.
However, if I kept raising [Physical Training Efficiency] and [Magical Training Efficiency], my growth rate would skyrocketter.
¡®The preparations are¡¡¯
I prepared for the ss cement evaluation by buying 10 slingshots, magic pouches, a few magic tools, and a Magic Cloak of Disguise.
The slingshot was easily obtainable at the general store, and the magic tools at the magic tool store. However, the magic tools were a little on the expensive side.
The Cloak of Disguise could only be bought at a secret shop, which required taking a secret route to find, since ordinary magic tool stores only sold perception-impairing sses.
Perception-impairing sses only made it difficult to distinguish faces, but did not hide physique or voice.
On the other hand, the Cloak of Disguise couldpletely change the physique and voice of the wearer, effectively making them look like a different person. The reason for this lied in the optical illusion cast upon it, which altered the perception of those who looked at it.
If I wore this outfit, I would be able to hide myself in front of Luce¡¯s sharp eyes and photographic memory, since if she realized my true identity, she would report it to the academy¡¯s office, and inevitably, it would reach the ears of the student council president.
¡®It¡¯s very expensive¡¡¯
Just like one would expect from the secret store, the Magic Cloak of Disguise cost me a sizable 3000 gels.
Fortunately, I had just enough after eating nothing but a 10 gel piece of bread every day, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford it otherwise.
In the end, I was robbed of all my fortune¡
However, depending on the results of the ss cement evaluation, the gel allocated would increase, so I had no choice but to get a decent grade.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
¡°We will start the ss cement evaluation today.¡±
It was the day of the ss cement evaluation.
The midday sky was clear and blue.
The Magic Department¡¯s Provisional 3rd ss had arrived in front of a dense forest located on the west side of the academy, the forest was called ¡®Delphine Forest¡¯.
There, Professor Fernando faced the Provisional 3rd ss while standing in an orderly manner.
¡°The rules are simple, all you have to do is find as many mana grains as you can within the allotted time. They are hidden throughout the ¡®Delphine Forest¡¯, and if you bring the watch I gave you close to the mana grains, they will naturally attach themselves to it. The mana grains cannot be removed from the watch once they are attached.¡±
The contents of M?rchen Academy¡¯s performance evaluations and exams changed every year, and they were all revealed on the same day. In other words, this was the first time the students heard the contents of the ss cement evaluation.
I looked down at the watch on my left wrist.
The hour and minute hands indicated that it was currently 1:30 PM.
My name, ¡®Isaac¡¯, was engraved on the watchband in magical characters. I just have to bring this closer to the mana grains.
Mana grains emitted weak mana, making them difficult to detect. In other words, the most important thing in this ss cement evaluation was mana perception.
For reference, mana could only be detected if it was emitted, meaning even a person with excellent mana perception couldn¡¯t detect mana from Luce Eltania when she wasn¡¯t using magic.
Mana perception that was sensitive enough to detect mana that wasn¡¯t being released, was in the realm of an Archwizard.
¡°Mana perception? That¡¯s easy.¡±
¡°It is simple.¡±
¡°I am confident.¡±
The students listened to the exam contents, shrugged their shoulders, and started chattering.
These were the students who would soon be terrified after hearing Professor Fernando¡¯s exnation, which would follow.
¡°Also, if the watch is removed from the wrist for any reason, a signal is sent to us immediately and the student is eliminated. It is also possible to steal another student¡¯s watch. A student who seeds in stealing a watch will receive additional points equal to the level of the opponent¡¯s mana. In a word, it¡¯s a ¡®survival¡¯ game, any means of collecting points is eptable, so be careful since all first-year students of the Magic Department will be participating.
The students were startled and started whispering.
¡°Was it a survival game?! What should I do? I¡¯m weak¡¡±
¡°If I get caught by someone like Luce Eltania, won¡¯t I just die? It¡¯s all luck¡¡±
¡°On the other hand, if I get a Grade E like Isaac, I will be lucky.¡±
¡°No, even if you do catch him, his magic power is Grade E so you wouldn¡¯t receive a lot of extra points.¡±
If you caught Luce Eltania, who had Grade A+ mana, or Kaya Astrean, who had Grade B+, you will receive an enormous bonus. Then not only would you get into a good ss, but you would also earn a lot of gel. Of course, there was no way I would be able to pull something like that off.
On the other hand, Ian Fairytale, who had Grade E mana, would only you a small number of points if you caught him¡
Ian will be targeted by many students because he¡¯s Grade E, but what about me? I can already see the dark future ahead of me.
At least Ian¡¯s fighting skills and physical abilities were excellent, so he wouldn¡¯t be defeated easily. This was the reason he could hold out until 7 P.M. when the demon appeared.
On the other hand, I was as good as doomed.
¡°Professor, what if an outsider breaks in during the exam? It¡¯s in the forest, so I¡¯m afraid I might meet a strange person¡¡±
A female student asked Professor Fernando.
¡°When all the students enter the forest, a barrier is set. No one will be allowed inside during the test, so don¡¯t worry about threats from the outside.¡±
That¡¯s right, the test was safe from external threats. Except the demon came from within the forest.
Besides, once you got eliminated and left the forest, you wouldn¡¯t be able to re-enter until after the exam had ended.
Afterward, the question ¡®What about the bathroom?¡¯ came up, and Professor Fernando simply answered, ¡®Do it yourself¡¯.
¡°Then you will enter in numerical order starting from the number 1.¡±
Student number 1 entered Delphine Forest and with a bit of time difference between them, all the students started entering as well.
Other provisional ss students must have entered like this from the other side of the Delphine Forest.
Finally, on number 25, I also entered the Delphine Forest.
The ss cement evaluation began at 2:00 PM and the demon will appear at 7:00 PM.
¡®Let¡¯s do it¡¡¯
I have to endure for 5 hours in a survival game with only people stronger than me.
Recalling that fact, I held my breath and maintained my tension.
Before I knew it, a barrier was drawn around Delphine Forest, and a firecracker exploded in the sky.
The ss cement evaluation had begun.
Chapter 7: - Class Placement Evaluation (2)
? ss cement Evaluation (2) ?
The ss cement evaluation.
In M?rchen Academy, there were four sses: A, B, C, and D. The top-scoring students were assigned to ss A, while the lowest-scoring students were assigned to ss D.
The results of the mana measurement and the ss cement evaluation determined which ss a student would be assigned to.
As it was a test determining which ss you would belong to for the entire semester, the ss cement evaluation was of great importance.
My top priority was defeating the demons rather than worrying about my ranking.
Currently, all the first-year students of the Magic Department were in Delphine Forest.
That meant the risk of meeting other students soon was high, meaning there was a high probability of an immediate battle.
This was the ripple effect brought about by the word ¡®survival¡¯ mentioned by the professor. Most students knew that they had to fight when they run into each other.
Bang©¤!!
Roaaaar¡ª!!
Kwaaaaaaa©¤!!
The sound of magic firing and smashing from all directions alerted everyone that the Battle Royale had begun.
In such a situation, it was only natural for students to band together to not only gain a numerical advantage but to also find mana grains more easily, which was the purpose of this test.
However, there was no one merciful enough to team up with me, a person with Grade E mana. If anything, I would be fortunate as long as they didn¡¯t try to take advantage of me.
Can I at least rely on Kaya, who has a misunderstanding about my strength?
¡No. There were far too many variables to consider. There was no guarantee that Kaya would help me, and there was also a high risk that my true nature would be revealed, as well as the possibility of her stabbing me in the back for being dangerous.
If that was the case, I had only one choice.
¡®I think¡¡¯
I¡¯ll just hide.
I saw a tree with thick leaves that looked perfect to hide in, it was the ce I decided on after looking around Delphine Forest in advance.
I took a magic pouch out of my pocket.
[Magic Pouch] A small pouch that stores many items using magic. Good portability.
Rank: Tier 6
Rank Tier 6. A tier was a unit of measurement for determining the rarity of an item, and the lower the number, the rarer it was.
I took a water bottle from my magic pouch and sprayed water on the tree. In addition, I used the [Ice Generation] skill to create a crude ice staircase.
My [Elemental Synergy] was at a rather high levelpared to my other stats. The higher the [Elemental Synergy], the greater the effect that would appear when my elemental magic ovepped with another element.
Thanks to this, I was able to create a bigger block of ice than when I used the [Ice Generation] skill normally.
I stepped on the ice staircase and finally climbed up the tree.
¡®It¡¯sfy.¡¯
As I sat on a thick branch surrounded by a cluster of leaves, I leaned my back against the tree and defrosted the ice staircase.
¡°¡¡±
This was the only strategy that I, the weakest student could use, ¡®fuckin¡¯ hold¡¯1E/N: From what I understand ¡®Fuckin¡¯ hold¡¯ is a reference to Starcraft¡¯s Zerg Burrowing Mechanics, basically it means to persevere through anything., but what would I do if other studentspletely cleared out all the mana grains while I was hiding in a tree?
Okay, so I overlooked something in this ss cement evaluation.
¡®Mana grains are luminescent. When it gets dark, it bes easier to distinguish with the naked eye.¡¯
As someone with low mana perception, it would be better to go looking for the mana grainster anyways.
I stayed still and focused on listening to my surroundings, to check if there were any signs of people approaching.
20 minutester, I felt a presence. Someone wasing this way.
I reached for a frozen slingshot that I had ced out of sight within the tree.
[Slingshot] An ordinary slingshot made of wood and a rubber band. Weak durability.
Rank: Tier 9
The slingshot was fixed by attaching stones to a rubber band and freezing it while stretching the rubber band as far back as it could possibly go.
A total of 10 slingshots were installed and I memorized each location.
¡®Defrost.¡¯
When I loosened the ice that was holding the slingshot rubber band, it turned into blue powder and scattered while the slingshot fired stones.
Whiiiik¡ª
The stone from the slingshot sliced through the air, cut through the grass, andnded on the ground.
¡°Huhhhhh?!¡±
I heard the surprised exmation of a girl.
She moved her gaze to the stone that had flown out from the grass, and appeared to be rather confident in her abilities as she immediately prepared for a fight.
There were now 9 slingshots left.
¡®Let¡¯s hold on¡¡¯
The constant tension kept me from getting bored.
Please, I only hope that I can hold out until the time is right.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
The sky was dyed the color of the sunset.
The sound of the students casting magic had long since faded away, and silence descended upon the forest.
The current time was 6:30 PM, and I was still alive, hiding in a tree.
¡®Should I sneak down now?¡¯
Fortunately, the ¡®fuckin¡¯ hold¡¯ strategy worked.
I ended up using all 10 slingshots, but I didn¡¯t see it as a waste since each one performed their role faithfully.
After taking out the water bottle from the magic pouch, I poured the remaining water from it on the tree and then used [Ice Generation] to create ice in a cascading fashion.
As expected, it was difficult to control, so a sloppy staircase was created.
I carefully climbed downed the icy steps.
¡°Oh god.¡±
It felt like forever since Ist put my feet on the ground, and my legs were trembling from sitting in the tree for 4 hours. It didn¡¯t help that I still had muscle pain from the gym yesterday.
After massaging my legs, I dispelled my magic to remove the ice staircase.
Now I had to get moving.
¡®Where are they?¡¯
I didn¡¯t know where Ian and Luce would end up fighting the demon.
In the game, you would get a cutscene after surviving the ss cement evaluation. This was the scene where Ian and Luce first met, and the scenery changed automatically.
I needed to find that location quickly.
The sky above the barrier was gradually darkening as I moved forward with caution, trying to make as little noise as possible.
¡®I have to look for some mana grains.¡¯
I was robbed of all my fortune in preparation for the ss cement evaluation. If I couldn¡¯t earn enough gel here, I would have no choice but to starve or take out a loan from a bank and be a debtor.
So finding any leftover mana grains was also important.
¡®¡Did I mess up?¡¯
Ha, damn it, not a single mana grain was visible, the students must have cleared them all out.
My hope of easily finding any remaining mana grains after it had be dark waspletely shattered.
I had overlooked something, this was the prestigious M?rchen Academy.
It was only natural that the students had excellent mana perception.
¡®Please, I also need some mana grains¡¡¯
I became so engrossed in searching for mana grains that I had failed to recognize the sound of small footsteps approaching me.
¡°Huh?¡±
A woman¡¯s voice rang out in front of me and in an instant, my heart sank.
I, who had been bending down while searching for mana grains, froze while a drop of cold sweat ran down my cheek.
¡®What do I do, what do I do¡?¡¯
Let¡¯s think.
I still had some magic tools I purchased before, if I fought using them, it would be possible to ovee the level difference to some extent.
If the person in front of me had a level in the 30s or 40s, wouldn¡¯t it be worth trying?
I slowly raised my head and looked at the female student standing in front of me.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 90
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
What should I say?
Hmm.
Wait. Kaya?
¡°Ah, ah, how are you¡?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Kaya seemed very frightened, as both her voice and body were trembling.
She was the freshmen¡¯s second seat. It was impossible for me to defeat her, even if I used every trick up my sleeve.
However, she currently thought of me as a ¡®powerful man who had attained the level of an Archwizard, but was concealing his power.¡¯
Let¡¯s think and act calmly, if I use that fact to my advantage, I might be able to get out of here safely.
¡°Move.¡±
I had always been confident in my acting skills.
I consequently narrowed my eyes and spoke in a cold, authoritative tone, as if I were revealing my true colors.
I acted as if I wasn¡¯t nervous at all.
¡°Ah¡! Yes, pardon me¡!¡±
Kaya trembled and moved out of the way.
Alright, I just had to move on like this.
I started walking slowly.
A feeling of relief washed over me.
I¡¯m d nothing went wrong¡
¡°Ah, Sir Isaac¡!¡±
Suddenly, Kaya called me.
¡®What is ¡®Sir¡¯ Isaac?¡¯
I didn¡¯t expect her to use such an embarrassing honorific, but then I thought it was only natural considering what Kaya thought of me.
I quicklyposed myself.
I stopped and looked back at Kaya with a cold expression, and heard.
¡°Well, this is still a test so¡ Why don¡¯t we fight¡?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡No.
¡°Of course, to Sir Isaac, who has reached the level of an Archwizard, someone like me would be akin to an ant under the ground¡ But even then, I still wish to fight you!¡±
No, don¡¯t do that, rx your determined expression.
¡°Please do me this favor, Sir Isaac!¡±
No, don¡¯t deploy your magic circle, it¡¯s not like we already agreed to fight, so get rid of it.
¡Please.
¡®In another 20 minutes, the demon will appear¡¡¯
Before I knew it, the test clock was pointing at 6:40 PM which meant I needed to quickly find where the demon would appear.
Despite my pleas, Kaya¡¯s light green magic circle deployed in the air was slowly spinning toward me.
Even though she was afraid of me, the second seat was burning with a desire to fight against the gigantic existence known as an Archwizard.
¡°¡¡¡±
I am weak, I have Grade E mana, the lowest grade! I am the weakest student of the Department of Magic¡! No matter what I do, I can¡¯t win¡!
Calm down for now, calm down and think.
How could I get out of this situation? What could I tell her in order for her to dispel her magic circle?
I couldn¡¯t just say that I was the one in charge of the demons. No matter how hard I try, I couldn¡¯t even imagine how much of a headache that would be for me in the future.
Then what I can do¡ What can I take advantage of¡
¡I thought of something.
I don¡¯t know if this will work, but let¡¯s give it a shot.
¡°Whew.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
I started with a sigh.
That magic circle looked dangerous, no matter how I looked at it, but I stared at Kaya with the most amused expression I could muster, and simrly, Kaya was looking at me with a dubious expression.
Since this has already happened, it was all or nothing.
I crossed my arms and looked at the pale green magic circle that Kaya deployed in the air as if it were pathetic.
¡°With only that kind of magic?¡±
¡°¡!!¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes widened in shock. What I said must have hurt her feelings.
¡°Only that kind¡?¡±
¡°You¡¯re wasting your time right now.¡±
I turned my back.
A terrifying, murderous feeling came from behind.
Please don¡¯t kill me¡
¡°I know you are an amazing person. But¡ what you said just now ignores all the blood, sweat, and tears I¡¯ve put in¡¡±
¡°I mean, ¡®for now.¡¯¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
The situation changed quickly.
I felt my life fading away. Perhaps Kaya was trying to figure out what I meant.
¡°You¡¯re close with ¡®Sylphia,¡¯ right?¡±
Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy. It was the name of a fairy who used nt magic.
¡°H-how did you know that¡?¡±
¡°Because I can sense the aura of [Yggdrasil] from you.¡±
¡°¡!!¡±
Even though I didn¡¯t look at her, I could feel that Kaya was very surprised.
The aura of [Yggdrasil]? What¡¯s that? I was just bluffing. How could I sense that when I couldn¡¯t even sense mana grains?
Anyway, Kaya was on good terms with Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy. It was a secret that only she knew, and couldn¡¯t be found out by anyone else.
She also wore the ¡®Seed of Yggdrasil¡¯ she received from Sylphia as a ne around her neck. Kaya had to keep the seed with her at all times in order to ess its nt mana.
At first nce, it appeared to be a regr seed, but unlike a regr seed, it was constantly condensing mana rather than emitting it, making it difficult to detect.
After entering her second year, she became fully attuned to the nt mana. Later on, she was able to use the ¡®Seed of Yggdrasil¡¯ as a catalyst to cast the 8-star nt spell [Yggdrasil], which contained both a fairy¡¯s power and the capability to destroy a nation.
Only I, who was familiar with the future, could say this now.
¡°It seems to be quite recognizable.¡±
¡°Did you know Sylphia?!¡±
Of course not.
But I didn¡¯t answer on purpose and kept my eyes closed, pretending to reminisce about a great past.
¡°¡Your true value will be revealed in the future. When that happens, if you be someone worth my time, I¡¯ll face you one day.¡±
¡°¡¡±
After that, I started walking again.
I didn¡¯t know what kind of expression Kaya was making behind me, and I didn¡¯t know what thoughts were racing through her mind.
It didn¡¯t matter. What really mattered was the little noise caused by the magic circle subsided and then disappeared. Kaya had dispersed her magic circle!
A smile leaked out from the corners of my mouth. It was relief at being alive.
I was bluffing like a middle schooler, but I was d things worked out anyway¡
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
Oh, not again, why, why!?
I tried to pretend I hadn¡¯t heard, but Kaya called out once more, ¡°Sir Isaac!¡± and forced me to a halt.
¡°Why are you here ¡®pretending to be weak¡¯?¡±
Certainly, that was a question worth asking.
Even though, I was really just weak.
But in Kaya¡¯s eyes, I was pretending to be a weakling.
Well, that¡¯s easy.
There was only one response I could give here.
¡°¡You don¡¯t need to know.¡±
That was it. In this situation, the typical response from the other person would be to just remain silent and nod.
And then, I started walking again. As expected, Kaya didn¡¯t call out to me again.
After walking for a while, when I looked back, she was out of sight.
¡°Wheeeeeew¡ª¡±
I let out a very, very deep sigh of relief.
Kiyaaa~ I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m not dead.
I was lucky. Hmm, it¡¯s really awesome!
But now was not the time to be immersed in the joy of survival.
I calmed down and steeled myself. I needed to find the ce where the demon would appear, as well as where Ian and Luce would meet.
Where are you? Where?
¡I found a mana grain. Let¡¯s pick it up.
When I brought my watch near it, the mana grain flew off the stone like a firefly and stuck itself to the watch.
¡®There are only 10 minutes left.¡¯
It was currently 6:50 PM, meaning the demon would appear in 10 minutes.
I retraced my steps.
The only clue I had was that the demon would appear in an empty lot with a low cliff.
I looked around Delphine Forest yesterday, but I couldn¡¯t find an area that matched that description due to the forest being sorge.
I had to find it.
It will most likely be difficult to find it in time. If so¡
I arrived at a stream that I had memorized the location of during my preliminary search. I could see the sky clearly from here, no matter how dense the trees were in the Delphine Forest.
Then I took a look at my wristwatch.
¡®7 o¡¯clock¡¡¯
A dark blue hue dyed the sky as the sunset faded.
By now, the demon should have appeared in front of Ian and Luce.
It would be a waste of time to wander around here.
Let¡¯s put the search for mana grains aside for a moment. My number one priority is to avoid a bad ending.
I decided to stay where I was.
Certainly, when Ian and Luce begin to fight the demon, there would be a significant scale of magic involved.
I just needed to head to the location where the spells were being cast.
It was entirely possible for me to move further away from the fight if I were to continue wandering around.
Let¡¯s wait a little bit.
Just a little bit¡
¡°¡¡±
In the forest, which was gradually turning dark, I stood still and held my breath.
KUUUUUUUU©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
¡°¡!!¡±
A roar erupted.
I jerked my head in the direction of the roar. Since I was near a stream, there were no trees blocking my view, making the loud noise easily identifiable.
A sharp pir of ice rose a short distance away. The pir was pitch ck rather than the cool blue normal ice would have.
Others may have been unaware, but I was certain that an ice spell with the darkness element had been cast. It was, without a doubt, the magic of demons.
The ice pir instantly disintegrated into ck powder and disappeared.
I hurried towards the location where the ck ice pir had risen.
Please hold on until I arrive, Ian! It would be even better if you win!
¡°Whoa. Where are you going in such a hurry?¡±
No, no.
Ughhhh¡
¡°¡What is it, huh. Aren¡¯t you a lowlymoner with Grade E mana?¡±
[Tristan Humphrey] Lv: 71
Race: Human
Elements: Wind
Danger: Medium
The person who stood in my way was Tristan Humphrey, a high-ranking freshman, and a conceited blonde aristocrat.
¡°¡¡±
I shook my head rapidly.
Thanks to ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? so much, I kept all the characteristics of the main characters in my head.
My level was 26, the level difference between me and this guy was 45, but¡ If I did my best, I think I could beat him. I wasn¡¯t sure about others, though.
Let¡¯s take him down quickly.
¡®I¡¯ll be passing through now.¡¯
I elerated the flow of mana in my body, warming up my ice mana.
Footnotes:- 1E/N: From what I understand ¡®Fuckin¡¯ hold¡¯ is a reference to Starcraft¡¯s Zerg Burrowing Mechanics, basically it means to persevere through anything.
Chapter 8: - Class Placement Evaluation (3)
? ss cement Evaluation (3)?
¡°You managed to survive this far, Grade Emoner, Oh, it seems there¡¯s a mana grain on your watch¡ Only one? Ho-ho, were you so desperate to survive that you hid the entire time?
¡That¡¯s quite intuitive.
¡°And on top of that, your mana perception must be atrocious! How pitiful!¡±
Isn¡¯t it a cowardly move to hit me with facts?
Well, even though he looked like an asshole, it was an obvious fact that he was far superior to me in terms of skill.
If I fight him head-to-head with magic, I would lose 100 out of 100 times.
But I needed to get past him somehow.
I didn¡¯t know what was going on with Ian right now, maybe the worst-case scenario had already happened. I couldn¡¯t let myself have a bad ending because of him.
I secretly inserted one of my fingers into the magic pouch in my back pocket, and a magic tool in the form of a small ss bottle was caught by my finger.
As I saw during the magic power evaluation, Tristan Humphrey¡¯s magic was quite powerful, but he was inexperienced in defending himself since he solely focused on attacking rather than defending.
He disliked thebat style that involved carefully deploying defensive magic while fighting.
He was a man who had only mastered attack magic with the mindset of ¡®the best defense is a good offense.¡¯
It was a mindset born out of theck of practical experience. The servants of the Humphrey family supported and raised him without giving him any hands-on experience. In fact, this ss cement evaluation was probably his debut stage.
¡°You aren¡¯t even trying to run away when I¡¯m in front of you? You¡¯re just a Grade Emoner, where does such unfounded confidence evene from? Or, are you petrified from fear?
¡°Hahaha¡ª¡± Tristanughed heartily before coughing and gasping due to swallowing his saliva incorrectly.
Maybe it was because I had been ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? for a long time, but even Tristan¡¯s third-rate viin lines felt familiar.
Still, I had to knock him down and get past him.
¡®Because I know him well.¡¯
It¡¯s possible.
I threw the small ss bottle in my hand to the ground.
Clink-!
The small ss bottle collided with a stone and broke, releasing the hazy mist that had condensed in it.
Suuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤
[Processed Fog] When the bottle is shattered, it instantly generates a dense fog of the water element. The effectsts for 20 seconds.
Rank: Tier 7
¡°Fog?¡±
The magic tool I broke was a water element item, ¡®Processed Fog¡¯.
It created a hazy fog around itself in an instant, simr to a smoke bomb.
However, this was insufficient, as Tristan and I could still see one another¡¯s movements if we looked closely.
I stretched out my right hand and spread pure white, cold air.
¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
The dense fog immediately turned colder, and even whiter. As the air cooled, condensation urred and formed advection fog, bing denser and thicker.
I channelled ice mana with my other hand.
Ian and Luce must have joined forces by now. They should be headed toward the ce where they fought the demon.
At that time.
¡°¡¡!¡±
Whooooosh!!
A sharp, light green wind sliced through the dense fog and grazed me with only a few inches to spare.
¡¸Wind Sword (Wind Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
I froze on the spot.
I was almost done for¡
¡°Haha, is there nothing you can do other than y jokes like this?¡±
As Tristan approached me, he conjured a magic circle in front of his hand, scattering a pale green light.
Whoooosh.
The wind began to blow in all directions, clearing the fog. The wind was caused by Tristan.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
The wind element was distinguished by abo that continuously generated wind, consequently increasing the magic output.
In other words, he intended to hunt me down in earnest.
¡°I already knew this was the oue!¡±
However, as the fog cleared, I reached out my hand towards Tristan.
I had already begun forming ice from the moment the fog spread.
Then I clenched my fist, my palm glowing with a blue light.
The flow of mana was severed by me, causing therge chunk of ice that had formed over Tristan¡¯s head to rapidly fall to the ground.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
¡°¡Huh?¡±
©¤Crack!
A heavy noise echoed eerily throughout the forest as the block of ice, pulled down by gravity, fell directly on Tristan¡¯s head.
¡°Ugh!!¡±
With a single blood-curdling shriek, Tristan copsed.
The block of ice that struck him was bigger than what I usually made, thanks to [Elemental Synergy] and the water element from the ¡®Processed Fog¡¯.
Soon, Tristan¡¯s wind died down and the fog dissipated.
I could clearly see Tristan lying on the floor, with blood dripping from his head.
Having suffered a humiliating defeat from a Grade Emoner that he had ignored for so long, he might as well start practicing defensive magic from now on.
¡®Time is running out¡¡¯
I looked at my watch and reminded myself of the urgent situation.
As much as I wanted Tristan¡¯s watch to earn points, it wasn¡¯t worth the time I would have to spend taking it away.
I made up my mind and started running toward my destination once again.
The trigger for this bad ending wasn¡¯t Ian¡¯s death.
It was actually when Luce summoned her familiar to defeat the demon.
Her familiar was the 8-star magic beast, ¡®Thunderbird ¨C Galia¡¯.
As with magic, the highest grade for familiars was 9-stars, which was on the level of world destruction. And Galia was the strongest familiar of the grade just below that, national destruction.
The problem was that she couldn¡¯t control Galia.
Originally, a magic beast who became a familiar must faithfully follow their master¡¯s every word, but Galia could not be controlled, lightly disregarded her orders, and even went as far as willingly epting the penalty for disobeying said orders.
If Galia manifested here, all of the talented students who had survived so far during the ss cement evaluation would perish.
Currently, there were only first-year students from the Magic Department in the forest, and Galia¡¯s lightning strike would engulf the forest before the academy could respond.
It was no surprise that the protagonist who was still trapped in the forest, Ian, would die.
Galia was one of the greatest powers in M?rchen Academy, after all.
The situation eventually settled down after Dorothy Heartnova, a sophomore in the Magic Department called the Star Witch, managed to repel the Thunderbird ¨C Galia. However, many people, including Ian, had already died.
In other words, it was a bad ending.
¡®Please don¡¯t be toote¡!¡¯
Even though I was out of breath, I ran with all my might.
?????????????????????????
¡°How dare you¡ wound this body¡!¡±
Tristan reached out in the direction Isaac had left.
There was dirt covering his entire body as he was copsed on the ground, blood pouring from his head.
In front of his hand, a light green magic circle was conjured and slowly started to rotate.
If he continued to pour his mana into the magic circle and fired the long-range attack magic [Whirlwind], it might have even reached Isaac.
¡°To the hands of a lowly Grade Emoner¡ an insignificant Grade Emoner!!¡±
Tristan struggled to resist the urge to lose consciousness and poured his mana toward the departed Isaac.
¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Wooooosh©¤©¤©¤!!
A light green wind began to whirl and swirl with strong momentum.
But.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Woooooooosh!!
The whirlwind, which was about to crush the trees and move towards Isaac, was devoured by a more powerful whirlwinding from the side.
Tristan¡¯s eyes widened.
A female student who blew a much stronger [Whirlwind] against his [Whirlwind] walked out from the darkness of the forest.
Her light green pigtails fluttered along with her footsteps, and her jade-colored eyes were brilliantly vibrant even in the slowly darkening forest.
It was Kaya Astrean, the second seat freshmen in the Magic Department.
¡°Uh, why are you¡?¡±
As if not interested in Tristan¡¯s question, Kaya quietly closed her eyes.
¡°Haah.¡±
She took a deep breath and began to ponder.
He¡¯s weak.
So weak, that he wasn¡¯t even worthy of Sir Isaac¡¯s sincerity.
Isaac had sensed the mana contained in Yggdrasil¡¯s seed.
Even though she was always carrying the seed with her, she couldn¡¯t even sense the mana¡
The ability to sense mana that wasn¡¯t being emitted was famous for being in the realm of an Archwizard.
Isaac had proven once again that he was someone whose skill couldn¡¯t be surpassed by someone like herself.
¡®Sir Isaac is amazing.¡¯
Only that kind of power?
It was only natural he said that.
She must have seemed so insignificant to such an amazing person.
If she wanted topete with Isaac and his natural talent, it was only polite to at least meet a certain threshold.
Rather, challenging him with her mediocre skills was equivalent to disrespecting him.
It was akin to a young child challenging an adult knight to a fight, of course, the knight would say. ¡®Come back once you¡¯ve grown up.¡¯
¡°I¡¯m going to be strong enough to make Sir Isaac recognize me.¡±
Kaya slowly opened her eyes as her resolve burned quietly like embers.
¡°Why¡ did you cover for that Grade Emoner?¡±
Tristan asked in a trembling voice as if he didn¡¯t know why.
¡°It¡¯s only natural I do so, that¡¯s why.¡±
Kaya replied with a sigh mixed with a pitiful voice.
Whoooooooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤
The wind generated by Kaya started swirling around her.
Kaya¡¯s [Wind Generation] had a stronger mana concentration than Tristan¡¯s [Wind Generation], and was thus stronger.
Her light green pigtails and the hem of her school uniform began to flutter wildly.
A face covered in the darkness of the forest, eyes looking down with displeasure.
Tristan looked at her with a face full of doubts and fear.
Tristan wondered, why was she protecting Isaac and fighting him?
¡°Even I have never touched Isaac, what makes someone like you think you can?¡±
It was a simple matter of pride.
The wind around Kaya swirled violently and soon, Tristan¡¯s body floated above the twilight forest.
The twilight of the evening sky was truly beautiful ¨C with that feeling, his consciousness faded far beyond the distant horizon.
Meanwhile.
Dried dirt covered Luce Eltania¡¯s rose-gold hair and the school uniform she was wearing.
She calmed herself in front of the bizarre-looking demon whose appearance was akin to a man wearing loose-fitting and navy blue clothes, it was standing before her as if it were a statue.
He had gray skin and a lean, muscr body. Both of his eyes were tightly shut with one hand under his chin, and his head slightly bowed. He appeared to be contemting something.
[Hmm¡ª, Hmm¡ª, Hmm¡ª, Hmm¡ª, Hhm¡ª, Hhm¡ª, Hhm¡ª, Hhm¡ª, Hhm¡ª, Hhm¡ª, Hm¡ª]
The constant buzzing that resonated in Luce¡¯s head had started a while ago.
Ian Fairytale, who fought this strange demon with her, had already lost his consciousness.
¡°Please die.¡±
Luce lightly waved her arm and poured out her mana.
Then, a magic circle that was glowing blue formed under the demon¡¯s feet, and hot water quickly gushed out into the sky.
¡¸Geyser (Water Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
©¤©¤©¤©¤Pyuuuuuuuuu!!
The sight of the demon gracefully avoiding Luce¡¯s magic did not match his stiff appearance.
Even during the evasive action, he still looked like he was in deep contemtion.
The hot fountain soared powerfully, as if it would pierce the sky itself.
Luce knew how the demon would avoid it, and deliberately adjusted the angle.
She directed the demon¡¯s escape path and activated her magic there as well.
¡¸Seawater Prison (Water Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
In an instant, a round dome made of water appeared and imprisoned the demon.
The [Seawater Prison] quickly froze over.
Cracking¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Hmm¡ª, hmm¡ª, hmm¡ª, hmm¡ª, hmm¡ª, hmm¡ª, hmm¡ª]
The demon casually smashed the frozen [Seawater Prison] and escaped.
¡°My water magic alone isn¡¯t enough¡¡±
Luce monologued in a voice as serene as the moonlight.
Ice magic, enough to instantly freeze the [Seawater Prison] and neutralize it. It was proof that the demon¡¯s ice magic proficiency and [Elemental Synergy] were extremely high.
That demon was too strong for Luce to handle with water magic alone.
[Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!]
Suddenly, the demon began humming loudly.
Arge, light blue magic circle formed behind him, with elegant ice crystals floating around it.
rm bells were going off in Luce¡¯s head, telling her that this was dangerous¡ª
He suddenly took a step forward.
The ground began to freeze from the tips of his toes.
Charaaaaaaaaaaaa¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
The cold air rose like a blizzard, quickly spreading along the ground in the shape of a fan, the areas where the cold air passed through froze, bing smooth sheets of ice.
¡¸Frost Wave (Ice Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
Luce hurriedly deployed a [Water Wall], a water element defense spell, around herself.
A circr water barrier formed and shielded her from the cold wind.
¡¸Water Wall (Water Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
¡°Ugh!¡±
A powerful surge of cold air attempted to freeze the water barrier that surrounded Luce.
She countered the cooling by squeezing out her mana, elerating the flow of water that formed the [Water Wall].
The cold air rushed past the [Water Wall] and transformed the forest behind it into an ice-agendscape.
The [Frost Wave] eventually lost momentum and calmed down.
Luce let out a white breath in the cold air as she released the [Water Wall].
¡°¡ ¡±
She inhaled deeply and scanned the demon with eyes that reflected the blue ocean.
Her water elemental magic wasn¡¯t enough to defeat that demon on its own.
Her most powerful elemental magic was ¡®Lightning¡¯, and she was certain that she would win even against unfavorable odds.
But¡ In order to use lightning magic properly, she would have no choice but to summon something that should never be called upon. One-half of her mana was always used to keep ¡®that guy¡¯ at bay.
Luce rolled up the sleeves of her school uniform and looked down at the magic circle engraved on her left wrist.
If I summon ¡®that guy¡¯, I can definitely defeat this stupid gray-skinned demon.
But¡ ¡®That guy¡¯ is a double-edged sword, and I¡¯m not sure if I can control him yet.
However, she had be much stronger, to the extent that she entered the prestigious M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department at the top of her ss. Even her mana was rated A+.
¡®Galia¡¡¯
She thought that she might be able to control him now.
¡°Haah.¡±
Her heart throbbed, but after taking a deep breath and calming her tense emotions, Luce finally made up her mind.
The 8-star magic beast, ¡®Thunderbird ¨C Galia.¡¯ Let¡¯s summon that guy.
Just then, when Luce tried chanting the summoning spell with her index and middle fingers pointing at the magic circle engraved on her wrist ¨C
Thud.
¨C She heard the sound of footsteps. Although it might have been an illusion, it seemed to have been made with the intention of being heard.
Luce turned her head towards the sound.
On the surrounding low cliffs, a man stood in a navy blue hooded coat. His entire body was toned, and he appeared to be at least two meters tall.
The inside of the haggard hood revealed fierce, blood-red eyes, and just below that was arge, grotesque mouth.
The mouth had its gums exposed withrge, sharp teeth neatly aligning them, the jutting canines andrge mrs were especially terrifying.
Because of the worn-down hood, it was difficult to tell, but he seemed to have pitch-ck skin.
[Grrrrrrrr¡]
It was like a beast, a magic beast.
She never thought another dangerous-looking monster would emerge from here¡
Now she really had no choice but to summon the Thunderbird ¨C Galia.
¡°¡?¡±
Something was off.
The monster standing on the cliff¡¯s eyes were not on Luce, but on the gray-skinned demon.
The demon also stopped his contemtive pose and stared at the monster with both eyes raised, it was clearly on guard.
For some reason¡ the atmosphere seemed like the monsters were trying to fight.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
I think I bought the wrong clothes.
I didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter, however, as I just bought the one that the owner of the secret shop said they had left, but it turned out to be ¡®Magic Cloak of Disguise ¨C Berserker¡¯¡
I was now dressed in a navy blue hooded coat with the hood pulled down. My face was full of sharp teeth,rge fangs, and mrs neatly aligned in the corners of my mouth, it was possible because it was magic camouge.
From my perspective I looked normal, but to others I would appear as a big monster standing on the cliff¡¯s edge. I looked to and from Luce and the demon, but Luce¡¯s expression was unusual.
Well¡ It was a reasonable reaction considering my current appearance.
¡®But Ian is passed out again.¡¯
Ian was leaning against a tree, seemingly unconscious.
This made it clear that I couldn¡¯t trust Ian in this game.
Moreover, Luce appeared to be on the verge of summoning Thunderbird ¨C Galia.
If I was even a littleter, I would have been in big trouble¡
¡°That¡¯s a relief¡¡± (Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)
I breathed a sigh of relief.
When I spoke, I heard a gurgling sound that sounded like the cry of an animal. It seemed like when I talked, a berserker¡¯s cry came out of my mouth.
¡I¡¯m about to be misunderstood as a demon, too.
Anyway, I seeded in getting here in time.
What I had to do now was clear.
[Pernicus the Contemtive] Lv: 105
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Ice
Danger: High
Chapter 9: - Class Placement Evaluation (4)
? ss cement Evaluation (4)?
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] [Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 126
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 34000/34000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (A-)
¨C Stamina (A)
¨C Strength (A+)
¨C Intelligence (D+)
¨C Willpower (S) Potential ??Details??
Power¡ overwhelming!1T/N: This is Issac referencing a Starcraft cheat which makes the yer invincible. ¡®Power Overwhelming¡¯ = ¡®?? ?????¡¯
My body didn¡¯t even feel like my own. It was so light!
It felt as though there would be a burst of wind if I even slightly swung my fist.
An uncontroble amount of mana was overflowing inside me.
I felt like I could easily get rid of that demon.
¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
An icy chill surged through my entire body, enveloping me in cold air, and enhanced my ice magic output.
It was a level of mastery that the ordinary Isaac could never even hope to achieve, but with the current me, it was possible.
[Hmm!!]
The demon, [Pernicus the Contemtive], exuded a strong sense of vignce as he poured out his magic and created a ck [Ice Spear] in the air.
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Ice Spear (Ice Element)¡¹
A huge [Ice Spear] menacingly ripped through the air and targeted me.
Despite its incredible speed, avoiding it was child¡¯s y.
The [Ice Spear] had a limited attack range. Its main purpose was to be hurled at enemies to pierce them with its tip, which was best used for huge magic beasts.
However, Pernicus used [Ice Spear] against humans.
If I avoided the [Ice Spear], he would use a tactic that involved blowing up the darkness mana that he already infused his [Ice Spear] with in advance, which would st ice shards in every direction.
It was an incredibly difficult attack pattern to avoid.
But, the current me?
¡®I¡¯m a Demon-Limited Hunter.¡¯
I could just parry that [Ice Spear].
I spread my palms and poured out my mana generously. Because my skill tree increased to +10, I was able to use magic that I couldn¡¯t normally use.
I swung my arm, and then.
©¤©¤Tuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuh¡ª!
Following the movement of my hand, a massive [Ice Wall] spread out.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kaang¡ª!!
The [Ice Spear] couldn¡¯t pierce through the solid [Ice Wall].
After hearing the two spells collide, I immediately jumped off the cliff.
Woooooosh!
¡°Whoa!¡± (Guwaak!)
My body leaped like a ball, and I felt like I was floating in the air for a while.
It¡¯s exciting¡! This dizzying feeling is as if I were bungee jumping¡!
As adrenaline and dopamine rushed through my body, the feeling of excitement surged.
I dispelled the [Ice Wall], causing the gigantic wall of ice to instantly disintegrate into a powder that scattered into blue light. The sight of the blue light engulfing my surroundings was spectacr.
In the midst of that light, I went flying toward Pernicus.
[Hmm?!!]
Just from his expression alone, one could see how flustered Pernicus was.
He hastily attempted to use his magic, but it was toote.
As I soared towards him, I poured ice mana into my right hand.
A blue magic circle appeared in front of my palm, and mana condensed as I reached out my hand in Pernicus¡¯ direction.
When I finally reached the enemy, the mana fully condensed before erupting into a magnificent explosion.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element), ¡ï5¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Ice exploded in all directions, releasing an onught of ice upon the demon.
A misty cold air was rampant as the explosive flood of ice engulfed Pernicus.
The enormous block of ice created by the [Ice Explosion] initially appeared to cover the Delphine Forest before rising off the ground and extending diagonally toward the sky.
Inded softly on the ground and rose.
¡°Whew.¡± (Greung¡)
My sigh became a cold chill that permeated the air.
I lowered my hand and turned to face Pernicus, who was trapped in the ice block, seemingly in pain.
Slowly, I clenched my right hand.
Crack¡ª!
Kwajajak-!
Then, the huge block of ice shattered and dissipated into a beautiful blue powder, before scattering into shards as Pernicus fell to the floor, coughing up blood¡
[Huuu¡ uuum¡]
¡With the expression of a failed philosopher who couldn¡¯t find the answer he desperately sought, no matter how much he repeated his thoughts.
Pernicus turned to ashes and scattered away in the wind.
¡°¡¡±
It was over.
I seeded in preventing a bad ending.
I felt such a strong wave of relief that made my entire body shiver.
I¡¯m d¡
All of a sudden, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[Congrattions! You have defeated the demon [Pernicus the Contemtive (Lv 105)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 30!] [You have gained an additional 8 bonus stat points!]
This time, there wasn¡¯t any special achievement, but there was one other thing that more than made up for it.
A ck, finger-sized, spherical jewel had fallen where Pernicus turned to ash and vanished. It was the reward for defeating Pernicus.
I picked it up and put it in my pocket.
[You have obtained the loot [Remnant of Darkness]!] [Remnant of Darkness] It imbues the user¡¯s basic elemental magic with dark mana, granting the ability to learn a new elemental magic.
Rank: Tier 1
The Remnant of Darkness is mine now.
The main character?
[Ian Fairytale] Lv: 38
Race: Human
Elements: Light, Fire
Danger: X
Why would such a pathetic bastard need something like this?
Anyways, his level increased significantly since thest time I saw him at the entrance ceremony. At the time, he was only level 32¡ Being the main character, his growth rate was ridiculously fast.
He chose fire as an element other than light. I was d we had no ovep¡ No wait, if my second element was fire, there would be an ovep. I could only hope that my second element wasn¡¯t fire.
After obtaining Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, I would need to acquire the final weapon of the second element that I would acquireter, so it was better if it didn¡¯t ovep with Ian.
¡Ah, now my body is getting heavy. It seems that I returned to my normal state.
It was as if I had been wearing sandbags all my life, and then took them off for a moment of freedom before ultimately putting them on again.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 30
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 260/350
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D)
¨C Stamina (D)
¨C Strength (D+)
¨C Intelligence (D+)
¨C Willpower (B) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (D+)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (D+)
¨C Elemental Synergy (C)
¨C Elemental Series 2 (Locked)
It seemed my skills had returned to normal¡
No, my total mana increased by 10 points, and [Elemental Firepower] increased from D to D+.
Apparently, my stats had improved while dealing with Tristan Humphrey and [Pernicus the Contemtive].
It was a small increase, but it still felt great.
¡°¡What are you?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± (Greung?)
I forgot Luce was here too¡
She was ring at me with a wary face.
¡°Are you a monster?¡±
I was sure I looked like a dangerous monster right now, but she still calmly asked about my identity.
No matter what answer I gave, she would only hear ¡®Greung¡¯ or ¡®Guwaak¡¯.
It was in my best interest to quickly run away. Now that the big event was over, I needed to collect more mana grains.
I was going to collect as many mana grains as possible, until the end of this ss cement evaluation.
Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to be concerned about being looked at suspiciously even though a Grade E student like myself made it through the lengthy ss cement evaluation, since it was a secret who survived and how they survived.
Unless someone like Tristan bragged about it.
Luckily, he had a lot of pride, so he wouldn¡¯t go around bragging about how he got beat up by me.
I turned my back on Luce and started running away.
¡°Wait a minute!¡±
¡¸Water Generation (Water Element, ¡ï1 )¡¹
¡°Whoa!¡± (Guwaak!)
Sshh-!
Tuk©¤
A column of water shot up at my feet. I was startled and stumbled backwards.
It was Luce¡¯s magic. I never thought that she would try to bind my feet¡
¡°Name¡ What is your name?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Why are you asking a grunting monster for his name?
¡°Greung.¡± (Greung.)
It was going to sound like ¡®Greung¡¯ or ¡®Guwaak¡¯ anyway, so I just answered with a cry.
Then I started moving my feet again. Fortunately, Luce didn¡¯t try to stop me anymore.
¡°¡Greung.¡±
For some reason, Luce kept repeating the sound of my cry to herself.
I ignored it and continued to run through the darkness of the forest. I had to get out of here and search for mana grains.
After running quite a distance from Luce, I removed my Cloak of Disguise.
Now, if I put this Cloak of Disguise into the magic pouch, it was like destroying the evidence.
Every time I see thisrge piece of clothing fit into a small pocket, I get amazed. They say it¡¯s a storage spell, but I don¡¯t know the principle behind it. Anyways, the magic pouch is a really convenient item¡
¡where did it go?
¡®Where did the magic pouch go?¡¯
It wasn¡¯t there. No matter where I looked, there was no magic pouch¡
I looked back at my memories, I was sure¡ Before I ran away from Luce, I heard a ¡®Tuk¡¯ sound when she used her [Water Generation] spell¡
Was it then¡!?
¡®Ah, I have to go back.¡¯
Darkness filled the sky, and the ce where I briefly stopped because of Luce¡¯s magic was also very dark. That was why I probably didn¡¯t notice the magic pouch falling¡
How do I go back and pick it up?
Is Luce still there? If she is, would it be better to go back in while disguised and pick up the pouch?
No, it would be unnatural for a monster that had fled after defeating a demon to suddenly return and retrieve something. Luce would undoubtedly find it strange.
Besides, I wondered if she would let me go. It was over the moment she caught me. There was no way I could resist her interrogation. It would only be a matter of time before she realized that the clothes I was wearing were a Magic Cloak of Disguise.
If that was the case, it was a bit of a risky gamble¡
I had no choice but to go as Isaac and pick it up naturally. Falling down pretending to be surprised, sneaking back, secretly picking up the magic pouch, and running away.
ording to my memory, Luce didn¡¯t touch Ian. This was because she had already umted enough points, and her head was filled with thoughts about the demon.
Besides, she was a person who had no interest in other people. She didn¡¯t even know who the student with Grade E mana was, and didn¡¯t even try to find out until the story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was over.
She wouldn¡¯t have any doubts about the fact that I, a Grade E, was still alive.
In other words, it was worth betting that she didn¡¯t care about weaklings like me.
I hid the Cloak of Disguise in a pile of grass and headed back to the ce where I had fought Pernicus.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
Luce required some time to collect her thoughts.
The monster that just left was strong enough to crush the demon, who Luce struggled against, with one strike. Common sense told her she shouldn¡¯t be caught or chased by a monster that strong.
If the madness and hostility he exuded had been directed at her, it would have led to irreversible and disastrous consequences.
Yet, Luce mustered the courage to stop the monster just once. It was because she wanted to ask for its name.
For a moment, she regretted doing such a foolish thing. Anxiety swept over her at the thought of fighting the monster.
But the monster quietly left. It was a relief.
¡°Greung¡¡±
Luce recalled his answer.
Greung. It was called Greung.
Of course, she knew it was just a cry. However, not knowing what to properly call it, she decided to call it ¡®Greung¡¯.
¡®What is its true identity¡?¡¯
Luce posed a question. It was still impossible to know at this point.
She then heard the rustling of grass. It came from the direction that the monster had left in.
Could it be that ¡®Greung¡¯ had returned? Luce took a quick look at the direction of the noise.
¡°Crap!¡±
¡It wasn¡¯t. It was an ordinary male student.
A man with red eyes and silver hair tinged with a bluish glow under the moonlight.
As soon as he saw Luce, he fell down on his butt in surprise.
Luce couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment.
She had already earned enough points because no one could match her.
That man was surely nobody important.
Besides, her head was full of thoughts about the demon and Greung. She didn¡¯t have time to worry about a frail-looking guy.
¡°To- top¡!¡±
It¡¯s noisy, don¡¯t make a fuss and just go.
Luce frowned.
Did he notice her frowning expression? The student with blue-silver hair crept back with a terrified face as if he had seen a ghost.
Then, he quickly got up and started running.
¡°¡¡±
Luce looked at Ian, who was still unconscious.
He looked like he would be fine, so she walked away, leaving Ian unattended.
Footnotes:- 1T/N: This is Issac referencing a Starcraft cheat which makes the yer invincible. ¡®Power Overwhelming¡¯ = ¡®?? ?????¡¯
Chapter 10: - Class Placement Evaluation Interlude
? ss cement Evaluation Interlude?
The ss cement evaluation was over.
However, the results were less than desirable.
I survived for 5 hours while being the weakest and managed to defeat the demon, but despite all that I only collected 2 mana grains.
Since each mana grain was worth 10 points, I ended the exam with a total of 20 points.
Regardless of the loophole that the mana grains could be seen better at night, the students here had excellent mana perception. As such, they collected most if not all of the mana grains.
Besides, there wasn¡¯t enough time.
Right after defeating [Pernicus the Contemtive], there were barely even 20 minutes remaining.
In addition to that, I returned to the scene where I had defeated the demon, pretended to be surprised in front of Luce with actingparable to that of famous actors, secretly picked up the magic pouch, and returned with only about 10 minutes left.
I had only ten minutes to search for the remaining mana grains¡
Gel was earned ording to the ss cement evaluation points. In other words, I would only earn 20 gels.
If I bought two loaves of bread, I would run out of gels¡
¡®I¡¯m at a loss.¡¯
When I returned to my dormitory, I stretched out in frustration¡ and got up again, then went out to exercise.
It wasn¡¯t the time to struggle. It wasn¡¯t the time to get frustrated because I earned less gels. I had to be strong. Strong enough to defeat the final boss, the Evil God Nephid.
¡®Ugh.¡¯
My entire body ached, as expected. Muscle pain was noughing matter. It seemed almost unreasonable how bad it truly was.
When I went to the gym for a few days, the students from the Knight Department greeted me and gave me a series of hellish PTs. On top of that, I was already tired from the ss cement evaluation.
Still, I couldn¡¯t put off training. Today, I had to focus on magic training, since I wanted to relive the magic perception I had used when dealing with [Pernicus the Contemtive] as soon as possible.
Since the ss cement evaluation was held today, most of the first years would either be resting orpletely exhausted. Meaning, I could monopolize the training grounds.
A full moon was hanging in the night sky.
I ignored the corner of the garden where I had been practicing magic for a week, and went to the training ground for the Magic Department¡¯s first years.
As I entered the domed building, a view of the empty training ground greeted me. The ceiling lit up with luminescent magic as I turned on the light.
The silence was awkward for me, since this was always a ce where high-spirited students trained their magic while sweating profusely. I was ignored because I was amoner with Grade E mana, so I couldn¡¯t use the training ground to my heart¡¯s content. If I got caught in a bad fight, I would suffer both mentally and physically.
So, except for the first day of measuring mana, today was the first time I had ever used the training ground.
Spacious. Special facilitiesprising various elements were installed. Lakes, fireces, rocks, icebergs, and so forth¡ The area where those facilities were installed served as a training ground for [Elemental Efficiency] and [Elemental Synergy].
There was also a training area where I could hit targets with different elements, and just next door, I could fight illusions of monsters.
¡°Let¡¯s do it¡¡±
I pped my cheeks to drive away the fatigue.
It¡¯s not time to rest yet, hang in there.
Let¡¯s start by distributing my stat points.
[Potential] Stat Points: 8 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (C): 26/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (C): 27/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]
¨C Rock Resistance (E): 2/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
I invested all 8 stats points into [Magic Training Efficiency].
[Potential [Magic Training Efficiency] has increased from C to C+!]
C+ Grade¡ Certainly, my growth rate would rise, but I remembered that the noticeable change urred from the B+ Grade.
B+ Grade was the area of genius.
As I waved my hand, the status window disappeared.
Now, let¡¯s review the magic I used against Pernicus.
First and foremost, I wanted to learn the 5-star magic [Frost Explosion] as quickly as possible.
[Frost Explosion] was an extremely versatile and powerful offensive magic. It would be a kind of ultimate skill for me once I got used to it.
However, in the game, 5-star magic can only be mastered by the second year. Students like Luce and Kaya, who could easily use 5-star magic since the first year, were exceptionally talented.
Anyways, my short-term goal was to master [Frost Explosion] to an amateur level at least, before the PvP performance evaluation.
It would be a good opportunity to evaluate my fighting ability as ordinary Isaac. The enemies I would fight in the future wouldn¡¯t be limited to demons, which meant I couldn¡¯t solely rely on my unique trait [Hunter].
It was even the end-of-semester evaluation, not long after the PvP performance evaluation. Since there was a part where Luce¡¯s familiar, the level 175 ¡®Thunderbird Galia¡¯ appeared, I would easily die if things went wrong.
Therefore, it was necessary to increase the number of skills avable when the [Hunter] trait was triggered.
¡®But who am I going to fight against in the PvP match?¡¯
During the PvP performance evaluation, the main character, Ian Fairytale, was paired up with Luce. Now, were the matched opponents decided on luck? Of course they weren¡¯t. Ian was just being a brat.
Then what about me? Isaac¡¯s bout wasn¡¯t depicted in the game, meaning this was uncharted territory.
At least until then, I wanted to learn a few decent skills besides [Frost Explosion].
I stood upright and pressed the fingers of both hands together, creating a gap between my palms and channeling my mana flow through it at maximum output.
Because [Frost Explosion] was a spell that poured mana all at once and explodes, this was the most efficient stance.
In the space between my palms, the cold blue ice mana started condensing.
Release it all at once and explode!
I extended my hand and released a burst of the condensed blue mana.
¡Paaaaat©¤
¡°Ah.¡±
The mana scattered helplessly. It sounded like a deted balloon.
When dealing with demons, I could easily use [Frost Explosion] due to the influence of ¡®Skill Tree +10¡¯, but now, even trying it didn¡¯t work properly.
¡°Who0¡¡±
One more time.
¡Paaaaat©¤
¡Eh.
Beads of sweat dripped down from the attempt itself. It was difficult to finely control the mana, especially since the amount I had was insufficient to begin with.
If it felt like I was pouring out mana against the demon, it now felt like I¡¯m spilling mana.
When you take a shower, the water pressure is weak, and there is only one hole to pour out the water, so it ends up feeling small.
I opened my status window. I wanted to check the acquisition conditions of [Frost Explosion] once again.
Pat©¤
[Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (D+)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (D)
Passive
¨C None Skill Tree ??Details??
I clicked [Skill Tree ??Details??] at the bottom.
I pressed the first of the two elements, the [Ice] element. The second element had not yet been opened, so the second skill tree was still locked.
By the way, there was also a third menu, [Neutral], which included things like [Basic Protection Magic].
I checked the ice skills disyed in the [Ice] section. The skills I could use were etched in bright letters. [Ice Generation], [Ice Curtain], and [Cold Divergence].
In the middle of a skill tree with circuit-like branches extending downwards, the words [Frost Explosion] were engraved. Unlike the bright letters of other skills, the color of [Frost Explosion] was dark, meaning it was a skill I had yet to master.
When I pressed [Frost Explosion] with my finger, a new system window appeared.
[Frost Explosion (¡ï5)] Condenses and releases arge amount of ice mana, causing explosive freezing and dealing powerful damage to enemies.
Type: Active Skill (Offensive)
Elements: Ice
Acquisition Conditions:
¨C Lv 50 (-)
¨C [Ice Generation] Grade B- (-)
¨C [Cold Divergence] Grade B- (-)
¨C Ice [Elemental Firepower] Grade C+ (-)
¨C Ice [Elemental Efficiency] Grade C+ (-)
Trigger Conditions:
¨C None
I hadn¡¯t met any of the conditions.
As expected, ultimate skills aren¡¯t always easy to obtain.
I waved my hand and the status window disappeared.
There was still time, so I had no choice but to train harder and be stronger.
¡®[Ice Generation]¡¯.
I released my mana toward therge rock prepared in the training ground.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Cracking¡ª
If I used [Ice Generation] raw, I could only create ice the size of a ser ball.
But if I used it on something like a rock, it was possible to freeze it by expanding it.
The surface of the rock waspletely covered by the ice that I had created. But as expected, it was thin.
¡°Oh right.¡±
Now that I thought of it, there was loot.
I took out the ¡®Remnant of Darkness¡¯ I had put in my pocket.
I infused the Remnant of Darkness, which looked like ck pearls, with ice mana.
Suddenly, the Remnant of Darkness began to radiate a ck light, which condensed into dark mana and flowed in my body.
It felt as if cold and dreary mana were merging in my body. Suddenly, a new sensation arose, and a system window appeared in the air.
[The aura of the loot [Remnant of Darkness] permeates you¡] [Congrattions! You have learned the unique skill [ck Ice]!] [ck Ice (¡ï5)] Creates ck ice.
Type: Active Skill (All-Purpose)
Elements: Ice (Derived from Darkness)
Acquisition Conditions:
¨C Apply ice mana to [Remnant of Darkness] (O) Trigger Conditions:
¨C None
ck Ice.
It was the same skill as [Ice Generation], but the firepower and strength were on a whole other level.
I felt like I knew how to use the ck ice as if it was natural, the sensation instinctual, just like breathing.
I reached for the rock and dispelled the ice. The ice then turned into a blue powder before scattering into nothingness, and the rock regained its original form.
After that, I activated the new skill created by mixing ice mana and dark mana.
¡®ck Ice.¡¯
¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Crackling-!
¡°Oooh¡!¡±
The rock was instantly covered with ck ice.
It was much tougher than the [Ice Generation] that I just used, and the momentum of freezing things was much faster. The ck ice covering the rock¡¯s surface appeared to be five times thicker than when [Ice Generation] was used.
In addition, the ice was glowing ck, making it difficult to tell if there even was a rock inside.
¡®I can use it to block my opponent¡¯s vision.¡¯
I then extended my hand upward and activated [ck Ice] with maximum output toward the ceiling.
Tssarrr!
¡°Uh-oh¡!¡±
Arge amount of mana disappeared in an instant, leaving my body with little to no strength. I felt like I would copse at any moment from the depletion of mana. But when I saw the ice in the air, I couldn¡¯t help but be filled with joy.
¡®So big!¡¯
It wasn¡¯t the size of a ser ball, it was nearly the size of a car!
At that moment, a system window appeared in front of my eyes.
[The [Elemental Firepower] of the Ice Element has increased from D+ to C-!] [The [Elemental Efficiency] of the Ice Element has increased from D+ to C-!]
It must have been because my [Magic Training Efficiency] increased, and I had used [ck Ice] for the first time. Immediately, [Elemental Firepower] and [Elemental Efficiency] went up by one level.
Good, good.
¡®Ah, disperse, disperse.¡¯
I quickly dispelled [ck Ice] before dropping the ck ice block.
The block of ck ice turned into a glowing ck powder and flew into the air before disappearing.
¡®I almost copsed for a while¡ How much mana do I have left?¡¯
Mana: 10/350
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D)
¡°Oh my god.¡±
As soon as I turned on the status window, I felt chills. I couldn¡¯t believe I only had 10 mana left¡
When mana was depleted, the mana recovery rate dropped drastically. Of course, I hadn¡¯t experienced it yet, but if it was anything like the game, I needed to avoid it at all costs.
¡®[ck Ice]¡ it¡¯s worth the performance.¡¯
Of course, [ck Ice] could notpletely rece [Ice Generation], because the mana consumption was equally as high as the superior firepower and strength.
[Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (D+) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (D+)
[ck Ice]¡¯s level directly corresponded to [Ice Generation], so if the level of one went up, the other would go up as well. This meant that there would be no loss in terms of growth, even if they were used alternately.
When the proficiency of [ck Ice] reached S rank, it bes possible to apply [ck Ice] to other magic, like Pernicus did with [Ice Spear]. It was a buff of sorts.
In other words, if the [Hunter] trait was activated every time I dealt with a demon in the future, I could infuse [ck Ice] on other spells to strengthen them. Normally, I would only be able to use it for [Ice Generation].
The issue was that using [ck Ice] on other spells would increase my mana consumption by three times. As a result, it was best to refrain from doing so unless it was time to go all out.
I had to check onest thing.
¡®Have I not learned [Ice Wall] yet?¡¯
[Ice Wall] was the first magic I had used against Pernicus, and the sensation of using it was still vividly in my mind.
I went into the status window [Skill Tree ??Details??] again, clicked the [Ice] item, and tapped the [Ice Wall] skill.
[Ice Wall (¡ï4)] Creates a solid wall of ice.
Type: Active Skill (Defensive)
Elements: Ice
Acquisition Conditions:
¨C Lv 30 (O)
¨C [Ice Generation] Grade C- (-)
¨C [Cold Divergence] Grade C (O)
¨C Ice Element [Elemental Firepower] Grade C- (O)
¨C Ice Element [Elemental Efficiency] Grade C- (O)
¡®I¡¯ll learn it soon enough.¡¯
The only unfulfilled acquisition condition, [Ice Generation] Grade C-, was only one step away.
Sooner orter, I would be able to learn [Ice Wall].
I felt motivated. After all, it was fun to grow stronger.
First order of business though, was to finish this magic training, since I was currentlycking mana.
¡®I feel good, maybe I should exercise.¡¯
I went to the gym.
Then, the students of the Knight Department greeted me as if they had been waiting.
After finishing the Hellish PT, I trudged back to the dormitory with deep regret.
Chapter 11: - Class D
? ss D?
[ss cement Evaluation Result]
1st. Luce Eltania 8350 pts.
2nd. Kaya Astrean 8200 pts.
3rd. Ciel Carnedas 8020 pts.
4th. Tristan Humphrey 7720 pts.
5th. Doji Tu Mals 7600 pts.
.
.
.
.
.
.
300th. Isaac 20 pts.
¡°Ian¡¯s a surprise, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s Rank 240 with Grade E¡¡±
¡°It must be some sort of fluke.¡±
¡°Whew, even a fluke deserves praise. I mean, look at Isaac, the same Grade E got 20 points, 20 points!¡±
¡°20 points? Is he even human¡?¡±
¡®Orphin Hall¡¯, the Magic Department building.
The first-year students from the Magic Department were gathered in the hall on the first floor of the building. Meanwhile, arge piece of parchment, imprinted with the results of the ss cement evaluation, hung on the hall¡¯s central wall.
¡®Last ce¡?¡¯
I was ranked 300th out of 300 students in the first year of the Magic Department.
I expected it¡ But, seeing it is another matter. I really am inst ce.
On the other hand, Ian, who also had Grade E magic power, was ranked 240th. My insignificance stood out even more.
The studentsughed as they looked at me.
Haah¡ Nothing in this world is going my way.
The ss cement evaluation was essentially a test to determine which ss each student would be assigned to. As the name implied, the provisional ss was only temporary.
Of course, I would be assigned to the worst ss, ss D.
For reference, the ss cement evaluation reflected not only the results of the ss cement evaluation, but also the results of the mana evaluation. In other words, Ian Fairytale, who had Grade E mana, would also be assigned to the same ss D as me.
Even when I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the result of the ss cement evaluation was unconditionally evaluated as ss D. In the end, it was an inevitable fate for Ian.
ss D itself was no problem.
No matter which ss I¡¯m in, I¡¯m going to do my best to be stronger.
The problem was¡ Money.
¡¯20 points, so 20 gels¡¡¯
I would be given 20 gels ¨C the price of two 10 gel loaves of bread.
How am I supposed to live on nothing but two loaves of bread?
¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤ The only answer is a loan.¡±
I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t avoid being a debtor.
A student¡¯s information was shared between the Academy and the bank, since the ind¡¯s banks themselves were under the Academy¡¯s control.
If the loan became a non-performing loan, their credit rating would fall, and the student¡¯s performance evaluation will be penalized as a result.
It meant that if youck the ability, you should leave the academy, or die trying.
It was a ruthless system befitting the elitist and predatory education policy of M?rchen Academy.
¡®Why me¡?¡¯
I let out a deep sigh.
?? ? ???? ? ??
Shortly after the ss cement evaluation, Luce reported to the Academy regarding the appearance of the demon.
The faculty called an emergency meeting. Judging from what happened in the game, I knew the gist of what they talked about.
Firstly, when a demon appeared, it was kept secret to prevent confusion among the students.
Because there were no signs of an outside invasion, it was concluded that the demon had been present in the Delphine Forest from the beginning.
As a result, the academy staff would thoroughly investigate the academy grounds and devise alternatives for identifying and eliminating risk factors.
Of course, the Academy¡¯s alternatives would have little to no impact.
Even if they inspect every corner of the exam hall just before the exam and put up a barrier, that wouldn¡¯t prevent the demons that were sleeping under the ground in the form of mana from emerging during the test.
They couldn¡¯t stop it.
In the end, the director and the principal would have to shoulder a heavy burden, but the academy would continue to run, so there was no need to worry.
However, this time there was something different from the original game¡¯s story.
¡®I intervened.¡¯
It¡¯s my existence as Isaac.
Luce seemed to have also reported about the monster that had defeated the demon, which was just me in disguise.
I could tell by looking at the notice posted on the bulletin board in Academy Square.
The notice depicted a humanoid monster with ragged muscles, and it read: ¡®Students who have seen a figure with this appearance, please report it.¡¯
¡®This is what it looks like¡¡¯
In the game, when you wore a Cloak of Disguise, your character changed as if you were wearing a skin. So I knew how scary the Berserker looked.
More than 2m in height, with bulging muscles. That huge guy had the face of a ferocious monster with ck skin and arge gaping mouth.
The sharp but well-arranged teeth were clearly visible.
Plus, the fangs were as big as those of a saber-tooth tiger, and with its haggard hood pressed down, the corners of his eyes appeared to be dark, which only served to emphasize its ferocious eyes that radiated an ominous red glow.
All these traitsbined to form an appearance that could only be described as menacing.
¡®I¡¯m about to be misunderstood for a demon.¡¯
The demons would continue to appear until Ian graduated, and I would continue to hunt them down.
If the academy staff, who would be in trouble because of the demons, got to know me like that, I don¡¯t know what kind of trouble would arise.
It was only a matter of time before my existence reached the ears of student council president Alice Carroll.
The same went for being talked about by students. Just imagining it made my head hurt.
It would be best to reach the final boss, the Evil God Nephid, while reducing as many variables as possible.
That¡¯s why I bought a Magic Cloak of Disguise, but of course, it turned out to be a Berserker skin¡
If I catch a demon and get misunderstood and attacked because of my appearance, it would be a disaster.
Still, I couldn¡¯t help it.
Firstly, I didn¡¯t know how to recognize the concept of that outfit. The only thing in stock was that one outfit, and the shopkeeper didn¡¯t exin anything.
¡®But I can¡¯t buy anything else anymore¡¡¯
One of the secret shop¡¯s features was that it didn¡¯t offer refunds or exchanges. And to add insult to injury, the price range was too high to buy another Cloak of Disguise.
Currently, I was in a position where all of my assets would be gone if I just bought and ate two loaves of bread.
In the first ce, it was doubtful that other stocks would havee in time.
¡°I am hungry¡¡±
The growling sound from my stomach brought me to tears. Hungry¡
But all I had was a 10 gel loaf of bread in my hand.
I sat on a bench in broad daylight and began to eat.
Now, my only remaining wealth was 10 gels. I would have to go to the bankter and get a loan¡
I¡¯m a freshman who has just taken the ss cement assessment, and I¡¯m already in debt.
I have yed the game countless times, and nothing like this has ever happened¡
It¡¯s painful, really.
¡°Are you alone?¡±
Suddenly, a deep male voice called out from behind.
It was an all-too-familiar voice that I heard a lot while ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I turned around to see the owner of the voice.
[Mateo Jordana] Lv: 75
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
His brown hair was parted into bangs, leaving his forehead exposed, and his facial features were defined. He had a sturdy physique, so he fit the image of a rock element.
Mateo Jordana.
He was a named character who would eventually face Ian Fairytale and y an important supporting role in the future.
As I stared nkly at him, Mateo introduced himself.
¡°It¡¯s Mateo Jordana. You¡¯re Isaac, right?¡±
Mateo asked while leaning slightly on the bench.
His voice echoed as if it were in a cave. I wish my voice was overflowing with masculinity like that.
¡°Right, why do you ask?¡±
¡°Only one loaf of bread¡ Are you not eating a proper meal?¡±
¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any gel.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve already used up the gel? No, no way¡ Were you robbed?¡±
Mateo furrowed his eyebrows.
It was a response that reassured me that we were on the same side, it was only natural considering he was amoner. He must have felt a sense of kinship with me, anothermoner.
Mateo¡¯s gang, which would be formedter, were allmoners. Mateo was going to rebel against the nobles, and Ian was the first toe into conflict.
In order to prevent a bad ending, Isaac, me, needs to be this guy¡¯s subordinate for a while.
¡°Well¡ That¡¯s right.¡±
I lied on purpose to garner his sympathy so he would buy me food.
Mateo had a strong sense of camaraderie, so he couldn¡¯t easily ignore a pitiful guy like me. And now, that camaraderie was directed toward moners.¡¯
Besides, he had be ustomed to saving money, and his magic skills were also top-notch. No matter what, he would always have a few extra gels.
¡°Damn it, the nobles did it again¡! Follow me right now. I¡¯ll help bnce your nutrition.¡±
I didn¡¯t say whether the robbery was the work of a nobleman or amoner, but Mateo seemed to make his own assumption.
It would be great if I could just get some food. Due to his personality, it seemed I wouldn¡¯t have to starve for the time being.
Sweet. I didn¡¯t expect that to work.
Of course, I nned to pay off my debt all at once when the time came.
I went to the student cafeteria with Mateo and ate a 50 gel meal. He asked who the robber was, and I evasively replied that I didn¡¯t know because it waste at night.
?? ? ???? ? ??
¡°The sses were determined bybining the results of mana evaluation and the ss cement evaluation. This is the lowest among all the sses, ss D.¡±
In a ssroom with 20 people, I was sitting in the middle.
Five students were assigned to the top ss, ss A, and twenty students to the worst ss, ss D. The rest of the students were clustered into ss B and ss C.
In other words, the ce I was in was the ssroom for students in ss D.
¡°Meaning, all of you are the most ipetent freshmen students currently in the Magic Department.¡±
In front of the podium, the professor in charge of ss D nced over the students with blue eyes as he recited his orientation in an apathetic tone.
It was Professor Fernando, a handsome-looking man with silver hair.
I could see the fluttering figures of the ss D girls. It was to the point where I could start hearing jokes about how fortunate it was for them to be in ss D.
¡Who could possibly be making such sarcastic remarks so happily?
¡°This is M?rchen Academy. In this world, only the strong survive.¡±
Professor Fernando continued to speak as he slowly paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. The sound of his shoes echoed throughout the ssroom.
¡°The educational opportunities may be equal, but there is no consideration for the weak in results. If you don¡¯t be strong, you will only be eaten by the guys from the top ss. So survive, failure to do so will result in expulsion.¡±
If you failed to meet the standard, you would be given a strike. Once you umted 3 strikes, you would be expelled.
Come to think of it, maybe the reason that Isaac didn¡¯t appear after the beginning of the game was because he was expelled¡?
¡I¡¯ll have to work harder.
¡°Even if you are in ss D, you are supposed to be the elite of the elite, just like the other students of M?rchen Academy. Develop thoroughly and try as hard as you can. This is your duty as both wizards and students of M?rchen Academy. If you do all that, you will graduate with your diploma. Do you understand?¡±
Professor Fernando stopped and asked the students in an ice-cold voice.
The female students gave a lively, ¡°Yes!¡±
Professor Fernando was taken aback by the unexpected mood of the students.
I had been through this brief orientation so many times to the point of getting tired of it. I practically had the entire thing memorized. I was even capable of imitating the professor¡¯s voice.
¡°Hmm. Then, let me exin the curriculum for ss D going forward.¡±
In the game, the cutscene ended here and the scene changed, and the phrase ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 1, ss D¡¹ appeared. It meant that the second act of the story had begun.
Despite that, Professor Fernando¡¯s orientation continued. It was a scene outside of the game.
By the way, the episode about catching Trevion the Evil was ¡¸Act 1, Chapter 1, Ian Fairytale¡¹.
The mana evaluation episode was ¡¸Act 1, Chapter 2, Passion of a Grade E¡¹.
The ss cement evaluation episode was ¡¸Act 1, Chapter 3, ss cement Evaluation¡¹.
¡°¡During the first semester, you will intensively master one element. The first semester curriculum is also structured ordingly. If you can properly master one element, you will be able to be a proficient wizard.¡±
In line with the academy curriculum, it would be more efficient to intensively master ice magic during the first semester.
The second element could be learned in the second semester of the first year.
Afterward, Professor Fernando exined the schedule ahead. It was filled with stuff I already knew.
It had nothing to do with the curriculum, but soon, ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 2, Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case¡¹ would begin. This was the episode where Ian and Mateo got involved, as well as the event where I could get the loot called the ¡®Abyssal Ring¡¯, which gave the wearer the ability to read minds.
Then there was the ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 3, Practical Training¡¹ episode.
During the practical training, the infamous ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 4, Ant Legion¡¹ episode would begin once ¡®Garzia the Hermit¡¯,monly known as ¡®The Little Ant¡¯ emerged.
One of the Wailing Walls of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? in Hell Difficulty. He was a demon who was hated by many yers.
His pattern was very tricky, and his level was 140. Even if I used the [Hunter] trait, it would be difficult to defeat him.
In addition, Garzia¡¯s servants, the ¡®Disaster Ant¡¯ legion, had excellent collective intelligence and used all kinds of tactics to pressure the yer.
Now, why would the already hell mode suddenly spike in difficulty? The reason was Garzia¡¯s setting.
There was a countermeasure for Garzia that I had thought of beforehand. I just hoped it would go well.
As much as Garzia was called a Wailing Wall, there was a very useful item called the ¡®Sheath of Disaster¡¯ he would drop despite being hated.
¡®That has to be mine, no matter what.¡¯
Next was the ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 1, Battle¡¹ episode.
At this time, a PvP performance evaluation would be scheduled. It was sparring, which would be a way for the freshmen to fight one on one against each other.
The key point of this episode was the scene where Ian fought Luce and surprised the students by using his light magic.
¡®Who am I fighting with?¡¯
By then, I would be a little stronger. It would be a good measure to assess how strong I had be.
Let¡¯s just avoid insurmountable walls like Kaya, since it was obvious that I would just be overpowered.
Next was the ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 2, Familiar¡¹. That was when I could get a familiar, and the episode that concluded the long-awaited first semester, ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 3, Semester Exam¡¹. This lead to ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹.
Once I finished ¡®Act 3, Chapter 4,¡¯ the first semester would be over, and we would be given time off. In order to grow stronger, I would have to n my vacation very specifically. Before that, though, I had to survive the Thunderbird.
Let¡¯s keep thinking. I need to recall each episode in as much detail as I can, and use all the advantages I can get.
And.
¡®I have to defeat the Evil God Nephid and clear this game.¡¯
?? ? ???? ? ??
Luce couldn¡¯t concentrate on the ss.
Just as she had expected, she was assigned to ss A, and one student was already trying to build connections.
¡°Luce Eltania, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m from the Whiterk family¡¡±
Swish¨C
Once Luce arrived in the ssroom, she ignored the students who were trying to make her acquaintance by keeping a cold demeanor.
She didn¡¯t care much about others in the first ce. Her main concerns were neither connections nor a youthful life.
She entered this academy with her eyes on ¡®M?rchen Academy¡¯s Senior Diploma of the Magic Department.¡¯
Then, her goal of bing a Tower Master would be much easier.
¡°¡¡±
However¡
Like a small fishbone stuck in her throat, there was something that kept bothering her.
She couldn¡¯t hear the contents of Professor Philip¡¯s ss, who was in charge of ss A. It didn¡¯t matter, though, because it felt like she was reviewing stuff that she already knew.
¡®The Demon, and Greung¡¡¯
After Luce reported what had happened during the ss cement evaluation to the academy, she was told that ¡®there was no outside invasion.¡¯
In other words, Greung and the demon were in Delphine Forest from the very beginning.
¡®At that time, there were only first-year students in Delphine Forest. Is it possible that either the demon or Greung was a student in the Magic Department who used a Magic Cloak of Disguise or something¡ At least that can¡¯t be the case for the demon.¡¯
The freshmen at the M?rchen Academy had to undergo a detailed verification process to see what elements they had.
Just in case, if an intelligent demon had entered the academy, its darkness mana would have been discovered. In other words, there was no way the demon could be an official student.
¡®But Greung is different.¡¯
On the other hand, Greung simply showed ¡®Ice Magic¡¯, an ordinary element. It was possible that the monster could be an academy student.
¡®It looked like he hade to hunt the demon¡ Did Greung know in advance that a demon would appear during the ss cement evaluation?¡¯
Such thoughts gued her mind.
¡®What if Greung is a first-year student in the Magic Department and was in Delphine Forest during the ss cement evaluation? What if he entered M?rchen Academy with the purpose of hunting demons? What if for some reason he didn¡¯t want to be discovered, so he used a Cloak of Disguise to hide his identity¡?¡¯
¡It made sense that an absurd monster was hiding with such a motive.
But Luce immediately shook her head.
¡®¡That¡¯s stupid. We already finished the mana evaluation on the first day. If someone was that strong, he would have been caught.¡¯
The results of the mana evaluation did not lie. It was impossible to hide the maximum amount of mana.
¡Unless it was the ¡®Realm of an Archwizard¡¯ that Professor Fernando referred to.
¡®No way¡ it can¡¯t possibly be, right?¡¯
It¡¯s not. It can¡¯t be. It wasn¡¯t possible for a student her age to have reached the realm of an Archwizard. It wasn¡¯t realistic.
Luce pondered as she stroked her chin with her slightly bent index finger.
¡®Or, maybe Greung is a vagabond, and was wandering through the Delphine Forest.¡¯
Let¡¯s think about it, are there any more clues?
¡®¡Clothes.¡¯
Clothes. Luce recalled the clothes Greung was wearing.
Her eyes caught the appearance of the clothes that Greung was wearing when magic manifested and illuminated it in the night forest.
The memory came back to Luce as vividly as a photograph, and she examined the fragments of her memory.
Not entirely neat, but almost new. They weren¡¯t tattered enough to be seen as a vagrant.
What if it was ¡®Magic Cloak of Disguise¡¯?
Perhaps he anticipated that a situation would arise in which he would be forced to conceal his identity.
And¡ the story of him appearing to y the demon.
¡It didn¡¯t make sense, but at least one hypothesis came to mind.
¡®Among my ssmates, there is a person who has reached the realm of an Archwizard, and that person secretly entered this academy to hunt demons¡ There¡¯s some kind of mystery hidden in this academy¡¡¯
Luce let out a smallugh. She thought of it herself, but it was ridiculous.
¡®What nonsense am I thinking of¡¡¯
But what if it was real?
¡®¡It wouldn¡¯t hurt to investigate.¡¯
Luce had always kept her heart closed to others since the age of ten, after she signed a contract with Thunderbird Galia.
But now, for the first time in a long while, she was seething with curiosity about someone else.
¡®First of all, I¡¯ll have to pay attention to my ssmates who use the ice element.¡¯
Luce wrote that decision with a quill on a parchment thatid beside her book¡
[Uncovering Greung¡¯s identity]
¡Then, she smoothly underlined the sentence.
Chapter 12: - The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case (1)
? The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case (1)?
It was midday, and the sun was shining brightly. A cool breeze gently caressed my skin.
I was chatting with Mateo under the shade of a tree after hanging out with him.
Mateo, as expected, invited me to join his gang.
He looked after me for three days, and I epted the offer while pretending to be impressed by the fact that he bought me a meal, exuding the impression of ¡®I will follow you¡¯.
I was truly grateful. Thanks to him, I was able to fill my stomach and focus on training without bing a debtor.
¡°A noble title? Give it to the dog. My purpose is to get revenge on the nobles who ignore themon people. I will be stronger here and raise the status ofmoners.¡±
Mateo made a promise that I couldn¡¯t care less about. I pretended to be moved, saying things like ¡®hmm, yes,¡¯ and ¡®right!¡¯. It was necessary in order to earn Mateo¡¯s trust.
I felt as if I had be a new employee at thepany, trying to please the manager.
¡°Someday, I will create a world wheremoners are not looked down upon. You understand it well, since you were treated badly because you were a Grade Emoner. Take my side, Isaac.¡±
¡°¡I get it, I¡¯ll jump on board.¡±
It was a false promise that would be shattered soon.
I have to stop the bad ending, so I¡¯ll have to y with you for a while.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
Just like that, I became a member of Mateo¡¯s gang.
Besides me, there were three more people in Mateo¡¯s gang. One from ss B and two from ss C, all were ofmoner origin.
¡°Ugh, do I have to do this¡?¡±
As a member of Mateo¡¯s gang, I had to put my bangs up. I didn¡¯t look very good with my forehead shown.
Anyways, Mateo, who was holding the school uniform jacket over his shoulder, led the way, and I and his three subordinates followed.
Mateo was working hard in order to rewrite the dark history.
Is it because everyone has their bangs up? As we walked through the corridors of Orphin Hall, I could feel the eyes of the students focusing on us.
¡°Hey, it¡¯s that Grade Emoner.¡±
¡°That Grade E guy joined Mateo¡¯s gang to survive.¡±
¡°He wasst in the ss cement evaluation, pfft.¡±
¡No, they were solely staring andughing at me.
As expected of M?rchen Academy. The students¡¯ terrible personalities were amazing.
¡°What did you say to my friend?¡±
¡°Ah¡! Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing¡¡±
Oh? Mateo picked a fight in my stead.
Mateo, who was at the top of ss B, was a recognized talent. Most students didn¡¯t even dare to approach him.
M?rchen Academy had a setting where one¡¯s social status didn¡¯t necessarily determine their ability to learn. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that social status wasn¡¯t important, but rather one¡¯s skill and abilities held more weight in terms of status.
¡®Bastard¡¡¯
I snorted.
Even though I was just a subordinate, I couldn¡¯t help but be grateful for Mateo¡¯s friendship.
Of course, I was only grateful to him for taking my side. The current Mateo was naive and hopeless, so he wasn¡¯t particrly impressive as a person.
¡°Ian Fairytale?¡±
At that time, another kid beside me called out the main character¡¯s name.
It was because Ian intervened when Mateo was picking a fight with another student.
Mateo and Ian¡¯s gazes shed.
Silence. The air became heavy.
¡°That bastard, what are you going to say to brother Mateo this time¡?¡±
¡°Cheeky bastard.¡±
Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much to call him brother when we¡¯re in the same ss?
¡°Are you arguing with someone again, Mateo?¡±
Wow, it was the first time I¡¯d heard Ian¡¯s voice in this world.
A sharp voice like that of a main character. It was a very familiar voice that I had heard countless times while ying the game.
I almost said hello because I was so happy to see him.
Mateo stepped closer to Ian and looked down at him in an intimidating manner.
¡°Ian Fairytale¡ the second son of a Viscount¡ As expected, you are annoying too.¡±
¡°What are you going to do about it?¡±
¡°I will use you as a stepping stone for my goal, and as an example of my hostility toward the aristocracy.¡±
¡°You foolish bastard.¡±
Okay, they¡¯re fighting, the story is going just as nned.
ording to the story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ian and Mateo must have already met before and were on the verge of fighting.
The root of the problem was that Mateo asked a ss C student in the Magic Department for a one-on-one spar at the training ground. The opponent was a discriminatory aristocrat who usually despisedmoners. Mateo obliterated him with zeal.
At that time, Ian, the protagonist with a strong sense of justice who happened to be on the same training ground as Mateo, stepped up and stopped him and the two engaged in a battle of nerves.
After a few words, Mateo pretended to be generous and walked away.
That was the story I knew.
¡°Am I annoying? Then let¡¯s fight.¡±
Mateo provoked Ian.
¡°I won¡¯t fight with you, you¡¯re not even worth fighting with.¡±
¡°You¡¯re weak, I already know that you¡¯re all talk.¡±
The war of nerves was short-lived.
After a brief snowball fight, Mateo ignored Ian and started walking again, with his hands stuck in his pockets.
His subordinates ¨C me, and three other male students ¨C followed Mateo.
Like some third-ss viins, they stuck out their tongues at Ian or mocked him as they passed by.
Of course, I followed suit.
Please don¡¯t faint when fighting demons.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
¡°There¡¯s a girl who always sticks with Ian. ¡®Amy Holloway¡¯. She¡¯s the daughter of Count Holloway.¡±
Somewhere in the Josena Forest.
The Mateo gang, including me, were gathered in a spacious abandoned warehouse, having a third-rate viinous strategy meeting.
¡°Let¡¯s kidnap her.¡±
¡°Huh, are we actually gonna kidnap her?!¡±
The subordinates were startled. I pretended to be surprised on purpose, too.
As expected, Mateo¡¯s strategy was following the original story.
¡¸Act 2, Chapter 2, The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case¡¹. It was an incident that took ce when Ian¡¯s childhood friend Amy Holloway was kidnapped by Mateo¡¯s gang.
This was the moment when Ian and Mateo¡¯s gang began to fight in earnest.
¡°I¡¯m not saying we¡¯re going to do anything bad to Amy Holloway. We¡¯ll just kidnap her and lock her up somewhere. She¡¯s just a bait to lure in Ian.¡±
¡°Brother, what do you mean¡?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s a reminder for the nobles that if they look down on usmoners, they will suffer severe consequences.¡±
After defeating all of Mateo¡¯s men, Ian confronted Mateo one-on-one.
Meanwhile, a demon appeared. It awoke as a result of Mateo¡¯s extremely powerful mana.
Of course, the demon¡¯s goal was Ian, who had the light element.
However, the demon attacked the hindrance, Mateo, first. Ian was the only person who could protect Mateo at that time, since all of his subordinates were passed out.
Once Ian saved Mateo, the two would form a temporary alliance to defeat the demon. Mateo then apologized to Ian, and the two became friends.
Anyways, it was the first time I saw Mateo¡¯s gang nning their strategy, it was kind of fun to see a scene that did not appear in the original game.
¡°The first is Ian Fairytale, that cretin. We can¡¯t force him to fight, so we need to give him a reason to. I intend to thoroughly bring him to despair.¡±
¡°As expected, brother!¡±
When I was ying the game, I thought he was just a third-ss viin and didn¡¯t think much of it¡
But looking at it now, Mateo was a real idiot and one hell of a bastard.
His subordinates were on the same level as him. They all responded by saying that they would obey Mateo¡¯s will or that they would show the strength ofmoners.
I had two reasons to join Mateo¡¯s gang.
The first was to deal with the demon.
Second was¡
¡°Then the kidnapping¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±
All eyes fell on me.
The second reason I came into Mateo¡¯s gang was¡
¡To safely kidnap Ian¡¯s childhood friend as well as one of my favorite characters, Amy Holloway.
¡°Leave it to me. I want to be of use too, Mateo.¡±
Mateo¡¯s gang was taken aback by Ian¡¯s unexpectedly goodbat skills.
Contrary to Mateo¡¯s intention, he ended up treating Amy quite harshly.
It was probably a story device to escte the conflict, but I hated it.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
¡°Keukkukkeukkeukuk.¡±
¡°Hahahaha¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t understand why Mateo¡¯s gang wasughing like a bunch of third-rate viins. But for some reason, it was fun, so I jumped into the mood andughed like a viin too.
I felt a sense of belonging as I ate together with Mateo¡¯s gang.
When Mateo got into a fight with someone, we would re at them from the side, and we would gather in the abandoned warehouse, to share the hardships we had to face being neglected by the nobles.
Well, it¡¯s a group that will disband soon, so I should enjoy it to the fullest.
¡°Keukkeukkeuk.¡±
¡°Hahahaha¡¡±
Hahahaha¡
It was fun.
¡®Tomorrow will be the end.¡¯
The final date of the operation was tomorrow.
Somehow, the number of Mateo¡¯s gang increased by two more, but it didn¡¯t matter.
After all, they were all extras who would get knocked out by Ian anyway.
Even if it was ¡®Hell¡¯ difficulty, it was only non-human races that rapidly increased in difficulty. Humans had a fixed level regardless of difficulty.
In addition, Ian¡¯s level, which I happened to see earlier, was ¡¯45¡¯. The level of Mateo¡¯s subordinates was on average in the mid-40s.
On the other hand, Ian had the sizeable advantage of being physically strong and being good at hand-to-handbat. - In other words, he was akin to a bully who could easily defeat these extras, regardless of how many times he was beaten by demons.
If Ian protected Mateo even once, the situation would be over. Then all I had to do was step in and deal with the demon.
At least, if there was no obstruction¡
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
Life at the mansion of Duke Astrean was vastly different from that of any other noble¡¯s daughter.
Gerald Astrean was awarded the title of Duke for his great achievements in the War of Nies. Considered one of the greatest Sword Saints, he married the genius wizard Historia, continuing the Astrean family lineage.
A girl with light green hair, the second born of a Sword Saint and a genius wizard.
To her, her father, a Sword Saint, was ¡®a being to be followed blindly.¡¯
¡°House Astrean, rise.¡±
¡°¡±KNIGHTS!!!¡±¡±
When her father said that over the loudspeaker, no matter how deeply she was dreaming, she had to quickly wake up and make her bed.
¡°Merlin Astrean!¡±
¡°The eldest daughter! Merlin Astrean!¡±
¡°Kaya Astrean!¡±
¡°The second daughter! Kaya Astrean!¡±
When calling out her name, she had to put ¡®second daughter¡¯ in front of it and moderate her speech.
As soon as she woke up, she had to immediately gather in front of the mansion.
¡°Let out a powerful shout for five seconds.¡±
¡°¡°AHHHHHHHHHH©¤!!!¡±¡±
¡°Conduct the morning routine. House Astrean, run!¡±
¡°¡±Yap!!!¡±¡±
¡°GO!¡±
Before sunrise, it was customary for them to run in the morning while breathing in the moist air.
¡°Did you y with Arwen instead of studying or not?¡±
¡°y! I¡¯m sorry!¡±
¡°Roll to the left.¡±
¡°Rolling to the left!!¡±
¡°Roll to the right.¡±
¡°Rolling to the right!!¡±
¡°Do five push-ups. How many times?¡±
¡°Five times!!¡±
¡°Five times, begin.¡±
¡°One, two¡! Kuheuk!¡±
She thought it was too much for a 6-year-old kid.
¡°Go to bed now. It¡¯s mandatory.¡±
¡°What the heck!¡±
¡No, she tried to recall the past, but she only had those memories.
In addition, she had no contact with the opposite sex, restrictions on snacks, restrictions on y, etc¡
Gerald¡¯s own educational philosophy was that children only grew up righteously when they were raised like soldiers, which had tormented Kaya her entire life.
At the very least, Kaya was able to have some breathing room and keep her aristocratic way of speaking due to the generous education policy of her benevolent mother, Historia.
Still, in front of her father, she had no choice but to follow his military discipline.
Was it because she¡¯d lived such a stressful life? Kaya developed a habit of carefully observing the people she cared about since she had to carefully look into her father¡¯s eyes.
But now, she only cared about one person.
The second ce examinee of M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department, Kaya Astrean.
As a result of the ss cement evaluation, she was assigned to ss A, the highest ss, yet her joy at being in ss A was fleeting. The only thing she could think about at the moment was Isaac.
After giving it some thought, she decided to keep an eye on Isaac.
One day, as soon as the ss ended, she went looking for Isaac, and shortly afterward, she noticed him passing by in the distance.
He was flocking with Mateo¡¯s gang for some reason. It was amoner group that was frequently mentioned in gossip these past few days.
It was clear that Isaac belonged to the same gang, seeing as they all wore their bangs up.
Did they say that they were a group rebelling against the aristocracy? I heard that they were arguing with aristocrats.
No matter how talented Mateo Jordana, the leader of that gang was, it wouldn¡¯t be good to be hated by the aristocracy.
It was like a group of mentally immature adolescents.
However¡
¡®Why is Sir Isaac in Mateo¡¯s gang¡?¡¯
A powerful man who reached the realm of an Archwizard.
Isaac must have had a deep meaning behind this that Kaya herself couldn¡¯t fathom.
Why did he end up in that gang of bullies?
Kaya couldn¡¯t help but wonder why.
So she decided to tail Isaac.
He waspletely influenced by Mateo¡¯s gang, letting out a cheesyugh like ¡®kekehaha¡¯.
¡®Is Isaacughing like a viin¡?¡¯
Kaya, who was watching Isaac with her head sticking out from behind the pir, couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut.
She was sure the strength of Mateo¡¯s gang couldn¡¯t even reach Sir Isaac¡¯s toes! It was obvious that at Isaac¡¯s level, that kind of gang would look ridiculous.
But why¡?
¡®¡Is there something going on with that Mateo gang?¡¯
There was only one conclusion that came to mind. Isaac had a deeper meaning for doing this than she could evere to understand.
Otherwise, there¡¯s no way Isaac would join such a pathetic group.
Isaac was a mysterious man.
Now that she¡¯d entered M?rchen Academy, she had to focus on her studies and training¡ but her head was full of thoughts about Isaac these days.
Why is such a strong man hiding his skills?
What a spectacr past he must have had, one I can¡¯t even begin to imagine.
What is the rtionship between him and Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy?
¡Isaac didn¡¯t answer any of her questions, so there was no way to find out yet.
At the very least, she had to find out for herself why he joined a group of third-rate bullies.
¡®I have no choice but to closely monitor him¡!¡¯
The word ¡®stalking¡¯ came to mind for some reason, but she shook her head, telling herself that it wasn¡¯t like that.
Chapter 13: - The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case (2)
? The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case (2)?
Amy Holloway, Ian¡¯s childhood friend and one of the heroines.
She had a passive bloodline ability, the neutral magic, [Heart Color Discernment]. Thanks to this, Amy was able to distinguish the colors of other people¡¯s heart and perceive their true nature.
She could tell whether the other person was lying, what kind of personality the other person had, and what kind of plot the other person was hatching.
In other words, she was the number one contributor who assisted the Holloway family in surviving in an aristocratic society full of intrigue and deception and rising to the ranks of a Count Family.
Count Holloway cherished his daughter dearly. Because of that, Amy was a girl who grew up on a bed of roses.
The person she actually met in her flower garden was the second son of Viscount Fairytale, as well as the main character, Ian Fairytale.
In her eyes, Ian was a boy with a good heart. The two quickly became friends, and after working hard, they entered M?rchen Academy as ssmates.
Yes, at the beginning of the story, Amy¡¯s role was vital.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 2, Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case¡¹.
At this time, Mateo¡¯s gang had good timing.
On the day of her nned kidnapping, Amy got into a fight with Ian, and Mateo¡¯s men approached her at that time and urged her to follow them.
She figured out that they were trying to kidnap her, but she followed them anyways.
They didn¡¯t seem to have any insidious desires, and she wanted Ian to value her more.
After all, the man she liked would arrive like a Prince on a white stallion and save her, in addition to caring for her more after the event.
In other words, it was just in stupidity.
Rather, she was able to see through her opponent¡¯s mind, so she easily fell for the tricks of Mateo¡¯s gang.
As a result, Amy was treated unexpectedly harshly until Ian saved her.
She was pped and kicked and while Amy was resisting, Mateo¡¯s men were in a panic because Ian fought better than they thought he would.
Putting Ian in jeopardy because of her own momentary urges and foolish ideas was not what she wanted.
It was a scene that didn¡¯t sit right with me.
So when the childhood friend kidnapping was over, Amy cried and apologized to Ian. Since then, she became a devoted heroine and stopped trolling.
Anyways, it would be easy to kidnap her because of how psychologically vulnerable she was.
As long as I was here, I wouldn¡¯t allow Amy to be treated roughly.
¡®Where¡¯s Amy?¡¯
I remembered the after story of Act 2, Chapter 2.
Amy said that before Mateo¡¯s gang got her, she was mad at Ian and went somewhere. Where was that exactly¡?
¡®Oh, right. Hydrangea Garden.¡¯
It was a beautifully decorated garden with colorful hydrangeas. Amy would be there on the bench.
I was prepared to wander around for a long time, but luckily enough I was able to easily find Amy sitting on a bench in anguish.
Let¡¯s start with the bangs first, since I¡¯m alone now.
I lowered my curly bangs down and walked over to Amy.
Suddenly, several emotions crossed my mind.
While ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I went through Amy¡¯s route quite a few times.
I always liked her bright smile, which seemed to be in full bloom.
That¡¯s why I was fond of her and had many memories of her. One of the characters I wanted to cherish was Amy.
As I stopped in front of Amy, she looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes. She was a white, short-haired woman and had a ribbon shaped like ck rabbit ears. She looked like a puppy with her big eyes and had a cute overall appearance.
It was the first time we had officially met each other. As expected, she looked like she had question marks all over her face.
[Amy Holloway] Lv: 51
Race: Human
Elements: Fire
Danger: X
¡°Amy Holloway?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Amy must be seeing through my intentions with [Heart Color Discernment].
There was nothing to hide.
So, let¡¯s make an offer as politely as possible.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m trying to kidnap you. Will you cooperate?¡±
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
Is he crazy?
Amy was taken aback by what the man in front of her had just said. She didn¡¯t know what to say, so she just stared nkly at him for a while.
Silver hair with a slight blue hue and blood-red eyes that looked at Amy.
She knew who he was. His name was Isaac. In addition to being judged as Grade E in mana, he was rankedst in the ss cement evaluation. A man who was at the bottom. He even came from amoner origin.
He was a man famous for such bad things, so she couldn¡¯t help but know him.
But Amy didn¡¯t look down on him. On the contrary, she couldn¡¯t understand why the students at this academy were so eager to put others down.
Was it because her childhood friend, Ian, who she had a crush on, was also judged with Grade E mana and became the subject of humiliation by the other students?
The fact angered Amy, but there was nothing she could do. Except for being by Ian¡¯s side.
Somehow, unlike the other students, Amy felt sympathy for Isaac.
But what did such a man say all of a sudden¡?
Did she hear him wrong?
¡°Kidnap?¡±
¡°Kidnap.¡±
Isaac answered clearly as if to confirm.
Amy was able to see the color of Isaac¡¯s heart thanks to the ever-active [Heart Color Discernment] magic. She saw a bright blue color with a slight orange tinge. It was a color devoid of impure intentions.
Therefore, when he said ¡®kidnapping¡¯, it didn¡¯t seem like it was a real ¡®kidnapping.¡¯
It was only natural, who in their right mind would kidnap in such a manner? It would only be a true kidnapping if he exercised force from the beginning, or tried to deceive and entice her before taking her away.
¡®This is the first time we¡¯ve talked with each other¡ Why is he showing affection to me?¡¯
The orange color of the heart meant friendliness, affection, and liking toward Amy. A color usually seen in family or close friends. It was a color that represented goodwill when seen by someone for the first time.
It was a color that could turn pink, signifying love between the opposite sexes at any time.
But this was the first time Amy had seen Isaac.
That means¡
¡®Did he get bewitched without even realizing it?!¡¯
As he passed by, she must have won Isaac¡¯s liking for her pure beauty.
She was embarrassed but the corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch. She covered her cheeks and turned her head to the side.
¡®You sinful woman¡ Oh my gosh, what should I do?!¡¯
She didn¡¯t have any special feelings for Isaac, but she felt like her self-esteem went up thanks to him.
Amy was upset at Ian, as he had been neglecting her these days. Even the color of his heart had faded¡
This caused her to feel a strong sense of skepticism about the fact that her self-made appearance, which she had worked hard to maintain, was unable to win Ian¡¯s heart.
Of course, rationally, she understood that Ian was focused on his training. But he¡¯s been too neglectful recently¡
Is it training, or is it me?
She wanted to ask that, but her pride wouldn¡¯t allow it. In the first ce, she and Ian were not even in a romantic rtionship. Revealing this desire for exclusivity was a shortcut to disaster.
Yes. She and Ian were just damn childhood friends. She was just his friend, his friend¡
¡®Stupid Ian. Why don¡¯t you try to be a little jealous?¡¯
Amy wanted to get back at Ian.
¡°Puhuh. Kidnapping, that¡¯s funny. It¡¯s Isaac, right?¡±
Amy smiled brightly as she spoke in a curt tone.
¡°Do you want to talk to me somewhere privately?¡±
¡°Well¡ Alright?¡±
¡°I wish there were delicious refreshments and ck tea. I¡¯m pretty picky.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about ck tea, but there are some handmade choctes made with special grade A milk, directly imported from Ailo Farm, and cocoa from Doark.¡±
¡°¡ Huh?¡±
Amy¡¯s eyes started glowing with curiosity.
Before she knew it, she jumped up and stuck her head out at Isaac.
Isaac, startled, reflexively pulled his upper body back.
Regardless of his reaction, Amy asked in an excited voice.
¡°Gee, what kind of chocte is that¡? I¡¯ve never heard of it, is it good?¡±
Her voice trembled with excitement.
If it was Amy who was obsessed with ¡®sweets¡¯, she could confidently say that she had eaten all the sweets in this world.
So, the homemade chocte Isaac mentioned was enough to arouse her curiosity.
¡°I have one, so try it.¡±
Isaac pulled a small piece of chocte the size of a finger from his pocket and handed it to Amy. The chocte was wrapped in paper.
Amy eximed when she saw the pretty packaging design.
Her expression melted as she put the brown chocte inside her mouth.
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°So sweet¡¡±
After swallowing the chocte, Amy was immersed in the lingering taste for a while.
She soon came to her senses, cleared her throat awkwardly, and nodded.
¡°Umm, yes, that¡¯s good. It was delicious, do you have any more choctes?¡±
¡°If you follow me, I¡¯ll give you more.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
Amy covered her expression and gave Isaac a lively smile.
¡°I¡¯ll be kidnapped! Where do you want to go?¡±
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
¡°Wow, there¡¯s a ce like this!¡±
I brought Amy to a small house somewhere in Josena Forest. Initially, it had been an abandoned warehouse, but it was cleaned under the pretext of kidnapping. One of Mateo¡¯s subordinates knew how to handle the wind element, so it was easy to clean off the dust.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was content rted to creating and decorating your own hideout. This abandoned building was one of those ces.
I guided Amy to a table with refreshments.
¡°Sit here, I¡¯ll make you some tea.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Amy¡¯s mind was already focused on the pile of choctes on the table.
After settling her down in a chair, I headed for the kitchen. Even though it was called a kitchen, it was just a small space with one partition.
There, I ced a kettle filled with water on top of a scroll engraved with the 1-star fire spell [Fire Generation] magic circle, and started boiling it.
But this situation. It¡¯s kind of¡ How should I say this¡
¡®Isn¡¯t it too easy¡?¡¯
I thought it would work, but I didn¡¯t think I could lure Amy with just one chocte¡
Oh, of course, the chocte I used was an effective item limited to Amy.
The choctes I had prepared in advance were bought with the kidnapping money I received from Mateo. I bought it from the secret shop since it was cheap.
The chocte was originally one of the gift items to increase the favorability of the heroine. The effect was most noticeable for Amy Holloway, who has a sweet tooth. It was a must-buy item if you wanted to see Amy¡¯s lover¡¯s ending.
That was why I knew that Amy would like it.
Of course, it was her [Heart Color Discernment] skill that yed the major part.
¡®What are you doing, Amy?¡¯
I peered through the partition and looked at Amy.
She tried to keep herposure while reaching out for the choctes, but she was stopping herself with her other hand.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
¡°Isn¡¯t it too much? We¡¯ve been together for so many years, but he always ignores me saying ¡®I have to train¡¯¡¡±
Amy and I had a simple tea party with chocte and tea.
Because I had been ying the game so much, I apparently had a lot to say to Amy. When I started talking, stories came to mind and words just started flowing out.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere was never awkward from beginning to end.
As if relieved by the chocte and ck tea, Amy keptining to me. Of course, it was about Ian.
¡°I¡¯ve been so good to him, that ungrateful bastard¡¡±
¡°You like Ian, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°¡Uh huh?!¡±
I blurted out what I already knew. Amy had left a plethora of clues behind, enough to warrant this much thought.
Amy, feeling embarrassed, blushed as expected.
¡°Ah, me, he, no? Not really?¡±
¡°Really? Just by looking at it, you like Ian a lot, right?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not, that¡¯s not¡ true¡¡±
It was cute to see her try to deny it.
In Ian¡¯s position, I had been ying for a long time.
I didn¡¯t know how many times I¡¯d seen her.
Should I have called this affection like that of one towards a daughter? Even though I¡¯ve never been married.
¡°There¡¯s no more chocte.¡±
¡°Oh, yes! Chocte! Chocte¡ I ate it all, sorry¡¡±
I deliberately changed the topic and Amy replied to it, feeling somewhat guilty.
¡°Would you like some more chocte?¡±
¡°Ah oh? Ah, I¡¯m not the type to eat that much, but, well, if you were to give me more, wouldn¡¯t it be hard to refuse, even out of sincerity?¡±
What are you talking about¡?
¡°Just wait a little bit. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
¡°Huh? Where are you going?¡±
I stood up and headed towards the door.
¡°I put it somewhere else. I made something like a mini-fridge and stored it there since I¡¯m an ice element user. But it¡¯s a bit far away.¡±
¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to just install a mini-refrigerator here or in front?¡±
¡°I¡¯m still not good at controlling it. It could cause harm to this house for no reason, so I deliberately kept it far away.¡±
¡°Ah~.¡±
She didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced. But Amy did not ask any further questions.
If she asked, ¡®Can¡¯t you use an ice magic scroll?¡¯ I was going to reply that I don¡¯t have any gel.
If she asked why I didn¡¯t have gel, I was going to say I was robbed.
If she asked me, ¡®Who robbed you?¡¯ I was going to say I don¡¯t know because it was at night¡
Well, that was fortunate.
It seemed that she wanted to eat more chocte as soon as possible.
¡°Oh, do you want me to go with you? I will follow you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re kidnapped. You should wait here.¡±
¡°Pufu, that¡¯s right~ that¡¯s right, I was supposed to be kidnapped by this evening, right?¡±
Amyughed, she seemed to think of this as a joke. She probably thought that she was a ¡®guest¡¯ and that being ¡®kidnapped¡¯ was my joke.
I would have thought the same. After all, I said the kidnapping was due this evening.
It was easier for me if she took it as a joke, since I wanted to make Amy feelfortable.
¡°Ah, today was fun~, let¡¯s be friends when we get back, Isaac.¡±
Friends, huh¡ I don¡¯t know. Now, Ian, whom you like, will be hurt by Mateo and the demon.
I smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± then left the hideout.
Before I knew it, the sky was dyed the color of the sunset.
On my way to bring Amy, I ced a sharpened stone at a marked spot in front of a tree in the Josena Forest. It was a signal that meant ¡®I seeded in kidnapping Amy¡¯.
Following that, Ian would receive a letter informing him that Amy had been kidnapped.
He¡¯d storm into the abandoned warehouse and begin fighting Mateo¡¯s gang.
¡®Isn¡¯t it still a long time before the demon appears?¡¯
When the demon appeared, the sky would begin to darken.
It would awaken and remain beneath the abandoned warehouse before emerging when it sensed Mateo¡¯s dense magic power.
So, it was still a long way off. There would be plenty of time to observe the situation in front of the warehouse.
All I had to do was kill the demon to prevent a bad ending.
Furthermore, if I defeated the demon this time, I would receive the ¡®Abyssal Ring¡¯ as a reward. An item that could read an opponent¡¯s mind. In , I used it to read a number of opponents¡¯ minds during battle.
In other words, the Abyssal Ring would be of great help in dealing with all kinds of variables in the future.
¡®There¡¯s no issue with the kidnapping, and nothing particrly unusuales to mind.¡¯
I took my time walking toward the abandoned warehouse.
The only variable that came to mind, would be if the demon appeared early. An example of this would be if Mateo went ahead and used mana before his subordinates.
It would be a dangerous situation that hastened the bad ending, but I hoped that wouldn¡¯t happen¡
When ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Mateo attacked Ian only after all his men were defeated.
Well, this one should be easy.
There¡¯s no contact with someone meddlesome like Kaya, so there would be no one to interfere.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
Two hours ago.
Kaya Astrean was wandering around the academy grounds.
¡®Where did Isaac go?¡¯
She couldn¡¯t find Isaac.
At best, she found Mateo¡¯s gang, but everyone was there except for Isaac.
In addition, the actions of Mateo¡¯s gang today were somehow suspicious.
Thanks to Kaya¡¯s recent tailing of Isaac, she discovered that they were using an abandoned warehouse in the Josena Forest as a hideout.
They entered Josena forest and proceeded to the abandoned warehouse as usual, but then they began to carefully look at a tree.
Afterward, all but one of Mateo¡¯s men headed to the abandoned warehouse.
The remaining one turned and left Josena Forest and headed for the Magic Department building, Orphin Hall. Kaya followed him.
The man looked around, then he secretly slipped a letter into Ian¡¯s locker, and quickly ran away.
What is that? Hopefully, it¡¯s not a love letter.
After Kaya confirmed that the man had left, she took out the letter from Ian¡¯s locker and read it.
[We have Amy Holloway with us.]
[Come to the abandoned warehouse in Josena Forest.]
[Come alone.]
¡°A hostage¡?¡±
Kaya¡¯s hands trembled.
¡®They¡¯ve gone too far¡!¡¯
Mateo¡¯s gang was notorious. The letter must have been aimed at harassing an aristocrat named Ian Fairytale.
But she still couldn¡¯t believe they took a hostage¡!
¡°¡Kaya Astrean?¡±
Just in time, Ian appeared at the locker.
Puzzled, he spoke to Kaya, who was standing in front of his locker.
¡°That¡¯s my locker.¡±
¡°Are you Ian Fairytale? Look at this.¡±
Ian¡¯s expression darkened as he read the letter Kaya gave him.
¡°Amy¡! Mateo, that bastard¡¡±
¡°Mr. Ian.¡±
Kaya then made a suggestion to the enraged Ian.
She said she would help.
©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¥©¤©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥©¤©¥
The sky was dyed the color of the sunset.
After searching Josena forest, Ian arrived at an abandoned warehouse.
Mateo¡¯s gang greeted him with giggles.
¡°Where is Amy?¡±
Ian asked in a raspy voice.
He had a training wooden sword in his right hand, but it only seemed ridiculous to Mateo¡¯s gang.
¡°Tell me right now. This is a warning.¡±
¡°Warning?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Faaaaaaaaa-!
Behind Ian¡¯s back, a barrier formed at the door. It was neutral magic from one of Mateo¡¯s gang.
¡¸Barrier¡ªPhysical Defense Specialization (Neutral Element, ¡ï2 )¡¹
Despite being a basic barrier, it specialized in physical defense. No matter how strong he was among his peers, Ian would be unable to easily break through that barrier.
¡°Who¡¯s talking, you?¡±
Mateo¡¯s voice weighed down.
¡°A Grade E, giving a warning? A warning?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s more interesting when you have that kind of backbone.¡±
Mateo¡¯s men approached Ian, but he showed no signs of fear. On the contrary, he appeared disappointed.
¡°¡It was a real warning.¡±
It was then.
Whooooooooosh-!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa-!!
Suddenly, a wall of the abandoned warehouse crumbled and a violent wind rushed toward Mateo¡¯s gang.
¡¸Gust (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
¡°¡!¡±
¡°Aaaagh!¡±
¡°Kuwahhh!¡±
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuu-!
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4 )¡¹
Before the wind magic hit the abandoned warehouse, a rock wall rose around Mateo to protect him. He quickly deployed the rock defense magic [Rock Wall]. His reflexes were like those of a wild animal.
However, all of Mateo¡¯s gang were unprepared for wind magic and were swept away by ¡¸Gust¡¹.
They mmed against the wall on the other side, fell to the floor, and then passed out.
As the storm subsided,
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
A fierce wind began to encircle the abandoned warehouse at a female student¡¯smand.
After Mateo dispelled the [Rock Wall], his eyes widened as he looked at the source of the wind magic.
The walls of the abandoned warehouse were breached by the [Gust]. A female student with light green pigtails stood nearby, holding a wand with a small green mana stone embedded inside of it. Her hair and skirt fluttering in the wind.
Weapons simr to wands increased the power of magic being released, but theplexity of the magic operation made them difficult to handle at a student¡¯s level. Only a few first-year students were currently capable of handling such weapons.
And a female student of that caliber appeared on the scene.
¡°Did my warning sound like a joke?¡±
She was the first year second seat of the Magic Department, with more power than anyone else here¡ª
¡ªKaya Astrean.
Chapter 14: - The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case (3)
? The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case (3)?
¡°Why are you¡?¡±
Mateo frowned. He never imagined that Kaya, the second seat, would break in.
He had no idea what happened, but under these circumstances, it was clear that she had joined hands with Ian. In other words, she is an enemy.
He would fight back, but in the face of Kaya¡¯s powerful magic, the oue of the battle was already set in stone.
¡°Mateo, where is Amy?¡±
Before Mateo knew it, Ian was approaching him. Mateo, however, only gave him a sidelong nce, as he was wary of Kaya. Kaya¡¯s wind, which was dominating the abandoned warehouse, would attack him fiercely if he moved carelessly.
A stream of cold sweat ran down Mateo¡¯s cheek.
¡°Answer me.¡±
Chuck-
Ian said menacingly, pointing his wooden sword at Mateo.
A man whom he considered insignificant, an aristocrat whom he hated, drew a wooden sword at him.
Mateo was furious and his eyes turned red with rage.
¡°How dare youmand me¡!¡±
Drurrrrrrrrrrrrr©¤!
The moment Mateo was about to cast a rock spell at Ian, a wall of ice protruded from the ground, standing between the two.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4 )¡¹
Mateo was startled and quickly retreated, believing it was an attack.
He turned to face the ice spellcaster. Kaya¡¯s wand had formed a light blue magic circle, which she was pointing at Mateo. It was the [Ice Wall] spell.
¡°Answer me.¡±
The [Ice Wall] turned into blue powder and scattered.
Even Kaya¡¯s wind threatened Mateo.
As long as she was there, Mateo couldn¡¯t do anything. He couldn¡¯t even deal a blow to Ian Fairytale, who was right in front of him.
It was a critical situation.
Mateo gulped.
¡°¡?¡±
At that moment.
A strange and ominous mana swept over the abandoned warehouse.
Kaya, Mateo, and Ian¡¯s gazes were drawn to it instinctively.
Their survival instincts set off an rm in their heads.
ck mana rose slowly and started concentrating in the middle of the abandoned warehouse.
[Shaaaaa¡]
[Sueuuuuuuuu¡]
The ck mana let out a weird cry, transforming into a strange two-headed creature. It stood three meters tall with gray-brown skin while the eyes protruded from the sides of the cheekbones, which resembled a hammerhead shark. His ck-d body was extremely short, and his legs were unusually long andid.
Both his arms were shaped like shark fins, but they were long enough to reach the tips of his toes.
In a hoarse voice, the two heads said ¡®shaaaaa¡¯ and ¡®sueuuu¡¯. The students¡¯ expressions became solemn as they stared at the hideous creature.
¡°W-what is that¡?¡±
They immediately guessed the identity of the strange creature.
¡°A demon¡?¡±
That was¡ an existence that was considered a natural disaster, a ¡®Demon¡¯.
[Shaaaaa¡ª!]
[Sueuuuu-!]
The two-headed shark demon roared at Ian and Mateo, and a blue magic circle appeared beneath the demon¡¯s feet, followed by a ring of dark water reminiscent of the deep sea.
The ring of water instantly transformed into a wave that mmed into the students.
¡¸Tidal Wave (Water Element, ¡ï6)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Water (Water Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Wave (Water Element)¡¹
Pyuuuuuuuuuu-!!
¡°Ugghhh!¡±
Kaya quickly deployed a [Ice Wall] towards herself and Mateo¡¯s fainted minions, while Mateo built a [Rock Wall] to protect himself from the raging waves.
However, their defensive spells were destroyed with a single [ck Wave].
Ian, on the other hand, could only concentrate light mana in the sword he had brought with him because he didn¡¯t know how to use defensive magic.
¡°Khuhh!¡±
The [Ice Wall] was sessful in protecting those covered by it until the very end, while the [Rock Wall] was shattered and failed to serve its purpose.
At the same time, Ian¡¯s sword skill proved insufficient in driving away the demon¡¯s [ck Wave].
Ian and Mateo were both swept away by the waves, the impact felt as if something had exploded inside of them.
The [ck Wave] shattered the walls of the abandoned warehouse with immense force and hurled them into the forest.
The two people rolled on the ground and bumped into a tree. As the clear ck water settled down, the two men were huddled together like drowning mice.
¡°Are you okay?!¡±
Kaya shouted urgently at Ian and Mateo, but had to turn her gaze back to the demon without having time to care for them.
To get out of this critical situation, she had to defeat that dangerous being.
[Shaaaaa¡ª!]
[Sueuuuuuuu-!]
Once more, a ring of ck water rose around the demon.
Mateo coughed up blood and water from his mouth. He wanted to avoid the attack, but his body refused to listen. In the face of such powerful magic, even [Rock Wall] would be meaningless.
It was a futile end.
He recalled the n to kidnap Amy Holloway and defeat Ian in order to threaten the nobility.
The small throbbing in his chest that he had faintly felt during the gang meeting deepened.
In the midst of a sense of skepticism, Mateo lowered his head.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
A man¡¯s voice came from the front, causing Mateo to raise his head.
A man with ck hair was standing in front of him, holding his wooden sword and ring at the demon.
¡°Ian Fairytale¡¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t want to be protected by me, get up quickly. It¡¯s hard to even protect myself.¡±
Mateo couldn¡¯t understand Ian¡¯s words. Wouldn¡¯t it be natural to use him as a shield or to run away? Nobility was such a thing.
But instead, he says he will protect me. Me, who was also an enemy?
The thought that the second son of Viscount Fairytale came up with such an idea was hard to ept.
He didn¡¯t even have the strength to protect himself in the first ce.
But Mateo looked at Ian¡¯s back and felt his heart tightening.
In fact, he was well aware that not all nobles regardedmoners with contempt. He was simply ignoring it.
He couldn¡¯t control his rage after witnessing his parents, amoner and a housekeeper, being abused and bullied in an aristocratic mansion.
¡°¡¡±
Mateo stretched out his arm and sent a stream of rock mana.
A wall of solid rock formed in front of Ian.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
¡°You¡?¡±
Startled, Ian turned his head back to stare at Mateo, but he had no time to talk as a second [ck Wave] hit them.
Pyuuuuuuuuuu-!!
To protect herself and Mateo¡¯s subordinates, Kaya made another [Ice Wall] and tried countering with [Gust].
With her magic, she couldn¡¯t even break the momentum of the [ck Wave].
A torrent surged towards them like a tsunami with the speed of a cannon.
¡°Keuk!!¡±
¡°Kyaaa!¡±
The [Ice Wall] that was protecting Kaya and the [Rock Wall] that was protecting Ian and Mateo were both smashed once again.
The shockwave sent Kaya¡¯s body flying backwards.
Even though it was water, the pressure felt like a giant sledgehammer.
The tree Mateo was leaning on was smashed, and he and Ian were once again swept away by the waves while being tossed around the forest for a while.
Ian finally lost consciousness. Thest act he managed to do was get up and use his remaining strength to protect Mateo from the evil being.
Mateo coughed up blood and looked down at the ground helplessly. His whole body was damp. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to raise his head.
All he could see was mud.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Meanwhile, Kaya rose from the floor, trembling.
A ring of ck water was rising without mercy. The third [ck Wave] was approaching.
The demon didn¡¯t even give them a chance to fight back.
Soon, the [ck Wave] came flying toward Kaya, the unconscious Ian, and Mateo.
In that fleeting moment, Kaya knew that she was going to die.
¡°¡!¡±
Then suddenly.
The air began to clear, and a cold, overwhelming basic elemental magic seemingly froze everything on the battlefield.
Kaya¡¯s eyes widened.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1 )¡¹
Charaakkkkkk¡ª¡ª!!
In the blink of an eye, the gushing [ck Wave] froze. The magic lost its momentum and became like a sculpture.
Kaya looked around, surprised.
Amidst the cold chill, a scene as if time had stopped was reflected in her eyes.
¡°Move aside, Kaya.¡±
¡°¡Ah.¡±
A voice as cold as ice, heavier than a cier.
The feeling of survival overtook Kaya.
She quickly turned to face the man behind her.
Blood-red eyes and blue-silver hair. A man dressed in a first-year uniform from M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department.
Kaya uttered his name in relief.
¡°Isaac!¡±
?? ? ???? ? ??
No, no, what¡¯s happening?
What¡¯s going on here?
[Orpheus the Submerged] Lv: 110
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Water
Danger: High
As soon as I came to the abandoned warehouse, I couldn¡¯t help but freak out.
A severely damaged warehouse with a demon emerging from within.
The sunset glow had yet to fade from the sky¡ It was fast, too fast!
¡®Why is Kaya here¡?¡¯
I had no idea how Kaya got here, but it seemed Orpheus the Submerged sensed her powerful mana and appeared sooner than expected.
ording to the story, it was supposed to sense Mateo¡¯s mana and appear when Ian and Mateo were fighting.
¡®Whew, this almost got screwed up¡¡¯
I almost ran out of time. Ian would have fallen if I were even a second slower, and this world would have met a bad ending.
The original n was for me to put on the Magic Cloak of Disguise, defeat the demon, and escape.
However, I felt that the situation was going awry, and rushed over without a chance to put on my Cloak of Disguise.
¡®Anyways, we got over the bad ending.¡¯
Fortunately, Ian and Mateo were lying down in mud together.
The fact that the two were together meant that Ian has created a situation where he protected Mateo.
Even though things went wrong, somehow it worked out the way I wanted it to. Now it was time to clean up.
There was only one thing left to do.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: (130)
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 35990/36000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (A-)
¨C Stamina (A)
¨C Strength (A+)
¨C Intelligence (C-)
¨C Willpower (S)
From the moment I decided to fight Orpheus, the [Hunter] trait activated and my level and abilities skyrocketed.
It was also possible to freeze his [ck Wave] with only [Ice Generation]. My level and elemental synergy were superior. I should have no trouble killing him.
The ice melted right away. The frozen [ck Wave] became dark blue powder and scattered in the air.
[Shaaaaa?]
[Sueuuuuu?]
Orpheus the Submerged red at me with a perplexed expression.
For some reason, I felt a gaze from the direction of Ian and Mateo. I nced at them sideways and saw Mateo staring at me in disbelief.
It seemed he hadn¡¯t fainted yet.
Mateo had a big mouth, so I needed to keep his mouth shut.
¡°Healing magic, do you know how to cast it?¡±
¡°Yes? Ah yes!¡±
I knew that Kaya could use healing magic, but I deliberately asked and checked. If I made her question how I knew that, I might get a headache for nothing.
Mateo¡¯s subordinates looked unharmed, so I gestured my chin towards Ian and Mateo.
¡°Go over there, and heal them while I defeat the demon.¡±
¡°Alright!¡±
Kaya flew towards them, imbuing herself with wind magic.
Next, I approached Orpheus.
It would now be an exchange ofrge-scale magic. I had to make sure the others didn¡¯t get swept away.
I lightly waved my index finger wrapped in mana and a translucent ice curtain surrounded Kaya, Ian, Mateo, and Mateo¡¯s subordinates.
¡°This¡¡±
I heard Kaya¡¯s voice. She must have stopped on the way to Ian and Mateo.
This one had a much thicker concentration of mana than the simple [Ice Curtain].
¡¸Ice Barrier (Ice Element, ¡ï6 )¡¹
A shield that protected the caster with ice magic. Even if I used 9-star magic, I would be safe as long as I had that [Ice Barrier].
¡°Isaac, what are you going to do¡?¡±
I heard Kaya¡¯s worried voice.
What do you mean? I just have to defeat the demon.
[Shaaaaaaaaa©¤!]
[Sueueuuuuu©¤!]
As Orpheus roared, arge blue magic circle formed beneath me. It was a trail of deep blue light, like the color of the sea.
¡®Already the [Waterspout] pattern?¡¯
Orpheus used [Waterspout] whenever his HP fell below 50% and when it dropped below 30%, he applied [ck Water] to [Waterspout] as ast resort.
Seeing as he was about to use thatst resort right away, he seemed scared of me.
Before I knew it, water mana began to swirl around me.
Its size increased in an instant, and it took the form of a huge whirlwind; a dark-colored water tornado, abination of water and darkness.
¡¸Waterspout (Water Element, ¡ï6 )¡¹+ ¡¸ck Water (Water Element, ¡ï5 )¡¹
= ¡¸ck Dragon Ascension (Water Element)¡¹
Pyuuuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
The water prison instantly tightened without any openings to escape through.
The water tornado blew away the abandoned warehouse¡¯s roof and continued into the sky. There was no end in sight.
If I was swept away by this water tornado, I would soar into the sky while suffocating from the agony of being torn apart by intense water pressure without even a chance to breathe. That was what happened when you got hit by Orpheus¡¯ [Waterspout] pattern. [ck Dragon Ascension] in particr was unparalleled in terms of power.
A ck tornado reached for the sky.
Freezing the mana of such a powerful, fast-spinning, andrge body of water would be difficult to do with a simple [Ice Generation].
However, now that I had a stronger skill than [Ice Generation], it should be fine.
I gently stretched out my hand and poured arge amount of mana, the mana then scattered dark blue light and spread out all at once.
¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Charaakkkkk¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
The water tornado froze in an instant. A huge pir of ice was soaring into the sky.
I immediately released the ice mana that froze [ck Dragon Ascension].
Crack¡ª!
As the ck ice pirs, which soared like the Tower of Babel, shattered, they turned into arge amount of dark blue powder and flew back down the sky.
The [ck Dragon Ascension] disappeared without a trace. A look of panic was visible on Orpheus¡¯ face for the first time.
I approached Orpheus and held out my open palm.
As cold mana flowed and condensed, a light blue magic circle appeared in front of my right hand.
[Shaaaaaa¡!]
[Sueuuuuu¡!]
Orpheus was unable to flee.
When I used [ck Ice], the ground on Orpheus¡¯ side froze as well. His legs had frozen, rendering him immobile.
¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±
I released the condensed cold mana and at the same time, ice rushed in.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak¡ª!!!
The exploding ice engulfed Orpheus, tore through the abandoned warehouse, and ran wild through Josena Forest.
It grew in size until it resembled a massive iceberg.
A cold wind blew wildly. The abandoned warehouse was frozen solid, and a faint cold air flowed as I sighed.
On the other hand, the other students were not affected by my magic thanks to the [Ice Barrier].
Soon, the block of ice shattered at once, turning into blue powder and scattering in all directions.
[Shaaaaaaaaa¡]
[Sueuuuuuuu¡]
Orpheus was bleeding purple blood and his entire body was in shambles.
Orpheus fell and turned into gray powder before vanishing.
Tukkk-.
A small earring fell and tumbled across the ground where Orpheus vanished.
I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it at first nce, but because I was already aware of the reward, I recognized it without difficulty.
It was the ¡®Abyssal Ring¡¯.
Chapter 15: - The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case - Interlude
? The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case ¨C Interlude?
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Orpheus the Submerged (Lv 110)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 36!] You¡¯ve gained 12 stat points! [You have unlocked the achievement ?My Childhood Friend Is Safe?! You have gained an additional 10 bonus stat points!]
I dropped to one knee and picked up the Abyssal Ring. It was a thin, rusty, ultramarine blue earring with strange rune-like characters engraved on it.
[You have obtained the loot [Abyssal Ring]!] [Abyssal Ring] When worn, you can read the other person¡¯s psychological state.
If worn for 7 days, this item loses all functionality, then even if not worn, you can read the other person¡¯s psychological state.
Rank: Tier 1
The Abyssal Ring was an earring that could be worn on the ear¡¯s pinna. When I wore this and looked at my opponent, I could see their psychological state through the status window.
Originally, it was an item that Ian should take, but it would be much more useful for me to take it than a Master Fainter. If he ever had to use it in the first ce, I could step in and solve it.
I had no intention of giving Ian any loot, unless it was absolutely necessary for the sake of the story, or if it was something I could spare.
I turned to face Ian and Mateo as I cleared the ice that surrounded the abandoned warehouse. Kaya stared at me in awe as she cast her healing magic on them.
For definitive treatment, they would need to visit priests specializing in healing magic, or be taken to the hospital. Kaya¡¯s magic was only for first aid.
Ian, on the other hand, had a monster-like resilience due to his light element constitution. Kaya¡¯s magic would be sufficient to heal him.
Now that things had calmed down, I thought of testing the Abyssal Ring.
I clipped the ultramarine blue earring on my right earlobe. It shrank to fit the size of my earlobe and gave off a cold, metallic sensation.
[You have learned the passive skill [Psychological Insight (¡ï7)]!]
I gained a passive skill that activated on the condition that I was wearing the Abyssal Ring, but if I wore this earring for seven days, the condition would cease to exist.
I covered my ear with my right hand so that neither Kaya nor Mateo, who were staring at me, would notice.
Then I looked at Ian, who had fainted first.
[Ian Fairytale] Lv: 43
Race: Human
Element: Light, Fire
Danger: X
Psychology: [ ]
As expected, a new ¡®Psychology¡¯ section was added to the status window. Because Ian was unconscious, it appeared to be empty.
[Mateo Jordana] Lv: 76
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Confused by the fact that you are strong.]
Mateo was staring at me. It was the first time I had seen someone¡¯s face filled with surprise, doubt, and admiration. Among them, ¡®doubt¡¯ seemed to be the most prevalent.
Ah, Mateo¡¯s level increased by 1 too. It was most likely due to the team EXP.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 91
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [In awe of you.]
¡®Awe, what?¡¯
Kaya looked like an ardent believer looking at the cult leader.
¡®¡Well, she¡¯s leveled up by 1 too.¡¯
Phew, know that you¡¯re stronger because of me.
I removed the Abyssal Ring from my ear and put it in my pocket. From tomorrow on, it would be natural to wear this as a normal essory.
I then proceeded to walk toward Kaya, Ian, and Mateo. Mateo had a confused expression on his face as he looked at me. Because of the shock, he seemed to be unable to speak.
Well, I didn¡¯t really have anything to say to him.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir Isaac.¡±
When I stopped in front of Kaya and started talking to her, I was taken aback. Looking up close, her eyes shined so brightly, to the point of being overwhelming.
¡First of all, I¡¯d like to ask Kaya something.
¡°Are you here to help Ian?¡±
¡°Yes, ah! Sir Isaac, do you know Amy Holloway? I heard she was kidnapped¡¡±
¡°I kept her somece safe.¡±
¡°I knew it!¡±
Kaya eximed as if she had predicted this. Her pupils were still shining in an overwhelming manner.
¡°I¡¯ll handle the aftermath. I¡¯m going to take these guys to the hospital, get them treated, and tell them to keep their mouths shut!¡±
I didn¡¯t say anything, but she knew exactly what I wanted. For some reason, I didn¡¯t dislike this sensation.
The only thing that made me feel burdened right now was her longing gaze, which was not in the least bit ashamed.
As I felt a tickle in my heart, a small smile crept across my lips.
¡°Thank you.¡±
When I said such heartfelt words, the corners of Kaya¡¯s mouth twitched violently and her lips started trembling. It was the expression she made when someone she admiredplimented her.
I¡¯m actually just a nobody, yet you look at me like that¡
What can I say? I¡¯m kind of ttered.
¡°And keep quiet about the appearance of the demon this time.¡±
¡°Yes? Why is that¡? Ah! I see.¡±
I was about to exin the reason for this ruse, but when she said she knew right away, I was left speechless.
I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of thought process was involved, but it didn¡¯t matter as long as she did what I wanted.
It brought back memories of the time I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. Soon, Mateo¡¯s subordinates would wake up and they would help Mateo and head to the hospital.
It was the end of that situation.
I gave Kaya a nod and began moving to where I had ¡®kidnapped¡¯ Amy.
Throughout the walk, I could feel Kaya¡¯s burdening gaze as well as Mateo¡¯s suspicious gaze.
I purposefully avoided looking back and hurried my steps.
As the sun set, the sky began to darken.
The transition from sunset to ultramarine blue was stunning.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¡°I brought you more chocte.¡±
¡°Oh! You¡¯re here!¡±
Amy jumped out of her seat and rushed to me like a rabbit when I arrived at the hideout.
When she asked for chocte, her eyes glowed like those of a Pomeranian.
¡°It¡¯s a littleter than I thought. But isn¡¯t it cold outside? I feel chilly for some reason, don¡¯t you?¡±
Amy inquired, her voice full of worries.
It appeared to be because of me constantly emitting cold air while fighting the Orpheus the Submerged.
I scratched my cheek andughed awkwardly.
¡°I don¡¯t want you catching a cold.¡±
¡°What are you doing?¡±
Amy suddenly extended her hand to me, and a faint me appeared in front of her outstretched hand.
Crackle-
¡¸Fire Generation (Fire Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Oh, it¡¯s warm.
¡°Ah, thank you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s thankful. Today was so much fun, and the chocte was delicious too¡ By the way, Isaac, what¡¯s your answer?¡±
¡°Answer?¡±
¡°I asked you to be friends.¡±
Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t properly answer her request to be friends before I left.
But she was about to hear it all from Ian¡ She should be able to figure out why I brought her here pretty quickly.
I wasn¡¯t sure how she would react then.
Still, why do I have to avoid it now?
¡°Friend¡ That¡¯s good.¡±
¡°Hehe.¡±
Amy smiled brightly while basking in the warmth of the mes. Her smile was sincere, like a blooming flower.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 2, The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case¡¹ was over. After escorting Amy out of Josena Forest, we parted ways in front of the dormitory. She belonged to ¡®Briggs Hall,¡¯ which housed students from the middle and lower sses.
I decided not to eat dinner. Since I was enjoying refreshments with Amy, I wasn¡¯t that hungry.
In the dark night, I went to a deserted corner of the garden to check my potential.
[Potential] Stat Points: 22 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (C): 26/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (C+): 33/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]
¨C Rock Resistance (E): 2/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¡®My level increased by 6, and I got a total of 22 stat points. If it¡¯s 22¡¡¯
My first goal was to master [Frost Explosion]. In other words, I had already decided where I would invest my stat points.
I poured all 22 stat points into [Magic Training Efficiency].
[Potential [Magic Training Efficiency] has improved from C+ to B+!]
¡®Grade B+!¡¯
If it was Grade B+, it was in the realm of a genius.
Even though Isaac¡¯s own potential and abilities were limited, my future growth rate would be interesting to watch.
Following that, I practiced my magic and headed to the physical training room.
The students from the Knight Department greeted me as if they had been awaiting my arrival. And then all hell broke loose.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The next day.
I met Amy while I was walking down the street. I was nervous about what I would hear for a moment, but unexpectedly, she greeted me with a wide smile.
[Amy Holloway] Psychology: [Feels friendly towards you.]
She appeared to be very happy. She said Ian came to her yesterday and hugged her tightly and said he was ¡®worried¡¯.
Embarrassed by the sudden hug, she asked why, and Ian replied that he was ¡®worried that something happened because he didn¡¯t see her today¡¯.
He must have stuttered quite a bit. But Amy was in such a good mood that she just let it go.
Besides, she must have been happy that the color of Ian¡¯s heart had brightened again.
¡®So Amy¡¯s on the lover¡¯s route.¡¯
If you rescued the kidnapped Amy during the ¡®Childhood Friend Kidnapping Case¡¯, you would have two choices. [Pat the shoulder] and [Hug]. If you selected [Hug], you would follow Amy¡¯s lover¡¯s route.
Congrattions, Amy. Your wedding will be really touching.
And, judging by the fact that she didn¡¯t mention anything about Ian being injured, it appeared that he had been healed immediately by Kaya¡¯s healing magic. To avoid worrying Amy, he must have gone to the dormitory and changed his clothes.
He didn¡¯t seem to have told Amy about his confrontation with Mateo, let alone about me.
If I thought about how he didn¡¯t show much of a reaction to me in the ssroom earlier, it seemed that Kaya and Mateo had agreed to keep quiet about me.
That¡¯s highlymendable, Kaya.
¡°What¡¯s with this earring? Did you buy a new one? It suits you well.¡±
It wasn¡¯t until I finished talking about Ian that Amy noticed the Abyssal Ring on my right earlobe.
I had to wear it for a week, but I was d that it looked good on me.
Following that, Mateo called me. To be more specific, the entire gang, including myself, was summoned.
After being hit by Kaya¡¯s wind magic, Mateo¡¯s subordinates had no memory of the previous events. It was all due to them losing consciousness. When they awoke to find the abandoned warehousepletely destroyed, they assumed it was all Kaya¡¯s fault. Mateo must have affirmed their assumption.
As soon as they woke up, they supported Mateo and headed to the hospital. There, Mateo received professional healing magic and was finally able to move.
Of course, he was notpletely healed. Mateo had bandages wrapped around his arms and torso. He appeared to be in pain, seeing as he flinched every time he moved his arm, but he seemed able to move his body without much trouble.
At an alley behind the academy building, Mateo bowed his head and apologized to us.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. From now on, I am going to live honestly andpete with my skills. Thank you for going along with my orders. In the future, I just want all of you to be my friends.¡±
The subordinates patted Mateo on the shoulder without saying anything, as if they thought he had been subdued by Kaya.
Although there were twists and turns, things progressed simrly to the story. I was greatly relieved.
[Mateo Jordana] Psychology: [Feels grateful to you.]
You feel grateful, huh child.
Mateo sent out all his other men, leaving us alone.
We went to the garden, sat under a tree, and started drinking. Of course, he was the one who bought it. ¡®Cause I didn¡¯t even have a penny.
¡°All¡ I watched everything. The scene of you defeating the demon¡¡±
Why are you talking so respectfully?
¡°You were pretending to be weak on purpose¡¡±
¡°Just speak normally. It¡¯s awkward.¡±
¡°How dare I¡¡±
I wasn¡¯t sure what Kaya said, but Mateo seemed to have sumbed to her misunderstanding.
¡°I¡¯ll get angry if you don¡¯t.¡±
¡°Ah, I got it¡¡±
Mateo reluctantly spoke informally again.
Kaya had a habit of using respectful words with everyone, so I didn¡¯t say anything, but it was awkward when a guy who had always spoken informally suddenly used honorifics, it was difficult for me to bear.
¡°Thank you¡ Without you, I would have died there. Not just me, but the guys I just sent there too.¡±
¡°Think of it as the payment for the meals.¡±
¡°I guess my life costs as much as food.¡±
Mateo burst outughing, as if dumbfounded.
He was always serious, so when he smiled, it felt awkward.
To that extent, he seemed to think that the bnce payment was excessively unbnced.
¡°¡I apologized to Ian.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°I understood after talking to him. I was on the wrong track. Just as the nobles looked down on themoners, I, amoner, was also treating them harshly. I thought that was the way to resist the nobles¡¡±
I wasn¡¯t interested in whatever realizations Mateo had. When he heard Ian¡¯s main character philosophy or beliefs, and reflected on himself, it was obvious that he was talking about something like that.
Once I knew things were going well, my mind was full of ns for the next one.
¡®Now¡¯s the problem.¡¯
¡¸Act 2, Chapter 3, Practical Training¡¹, and ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 4, Ant Legion¡¹.
I was already nning how to deal with the ant demon ¡®Garzia the Hermit¡¯, who appeared in Act 2, Chapter 4.
Garzia the Hermit was level 140, and his ant army had excellent collective intelligence and presents a carcinogenic evil element.
There was a reason why the already difficult Hell difficulty was rapidly increasing.
It was because, as soon as he manifested, he stored up his strength in the ¡®Tantak Underground Cave¡¯ in the academy grounds.
Then, two weekster, with a full power-up, he showed up in front of Ian in the middle of the practical training.
Afterpleting Act 2, Scene 4, you could explore the underground cave of Tantak.
Zephrim¡¯, a rare mana remnant, could be found there. It was simple to carry because it had solidified into a magic stone.
Zephrim was created as a result of Garzia repeatedly discharging and rebuilding mana while umting power. It was primarily used for essory or weapon forging and was very profitable.
In other words, my strategy was to enter Tantak Cave first, defeat Garzia the Hermit, who was hoarding strength, and collect Zephrim.
I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work out. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was impossible to explore the Tantak underground cave ahead of time. It was uncharted territory.
¡®But, what if it works out?¡¯
I could prevent a bad ending in advance, and avoid being a beggar.
It was just a brief escape at most. All I would have was a lot of gels.
Just imagining it made me feel good. Feeling confident that I would win the lottery, I thought about what to do with my earnings.
¡°¡So I¡¯m going to see what Ian does in the future.¡±
This bastard hasn¡¯t finished talking yet.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥¡¸?¡¹©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Inside ss A¡¯s ssroom.
Even in ss, Kaya Astrean couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Isaac.
Throughout the day, she had been experiencing an overwhelming sensation of excitement.
Earlier, while hiding behind a tree, she secretly overheard the conversation between Isaac and Mateo, so she was bing even more addicted to the Isaac Drug.
How many achievements had Isaac made in this disturbance alone?
He joined Mateo¡¯s gang and saved Amy Holloway from being in danger.
He defeated the dangerous demon.
He even reformed Mateo.
After all, a person who reached the realm of an Archwizard was truly amazing.
As a prospective wizard, he was a person she couldn¡¯t help but admire.
¡®How can you be so amazing, Sir Isaac¡¡¯
Isaac was a very different person from Kaya, who could only study or train magic.
The fact that they were ssmates of the same generation, the same academy, the same department, and peers excited her.
As Isaac had asked her to do the day before, Kaya properly informed Mateo.
Isaac is a man who has reached the realm of an Archwizard, and he is pretending to be weak because he has a meaning deeper than the abyss and broader than the open sea.
At that time, right after defeating the demon, she was so engrossed in the Isaac Drug that she over-expressed it a bit.
She instructed him to keep the appearance of the demon a secret and to take it with him to the grave. Everything had a purpose. In fact, Isaac had to have a deep and profound meaning for everything since he was in such a position to protect the students.
She warned him not to say anything about Isaac, and that if he did, he would not be let go.
She faked a story and told Ian that she and Mateo worked together to catch the demon somehow. Amy was safe, so she intervened to keep this matter a secret.
By the way, did Ian Fairytale have the body of a human? It was hard to believe that he was healed with nothing but Kaya¡¯s own healing magic.
Of course, depending on their constitution, some people have exceptional resilience. It¡¯s also possible that he managed to avoid the demon¡¯s attack. Kaya decided not to think too hard about it.
¡®But as an ordinary person, you would only see a demon once in a lifetime¡. It¡¯s a bit strange that so many of them appeared in such a short period of time.¡¯
Since arriving at the academy, she had encountered demons twice. If the rumor about a demon appearing during the ss cement evaluation was true, that meant the demons had already appeared three times in M?rchen Academy.
The demons appeared so rarely that they were regarded simply as a natural disaster.
The fact that they appeared at the academy so frequently was a very strange thing.
And whenever the demons appeared, Isaac defeated them¡
¡®The reason Isaac came to this academy¡ is it rted to the demons?¡¯
Was there some huge secret hidden in the M?rchen Academy?
Isaac is a genius among geniuses who has reached the realm of an Archwizard, so isn¡¯t it because he already knew the secret that he infiltrated this academy¡?
¡°¡¡±
It was a terrifying thought. In other words, didn¡¯t that mean that there was a great danger lurking in the academy, to the point where an important figure like Isaac had to step in?
¡Ah, no way.
Kaya swallowed her saliva as the ridiculous thought ran through her head.
Chapter 16: - Ant Cave (1)
? Ant Cave (1)?
¡°It¡¯s 2000 gels.¡±
I ended up taking a high-interest loan from the Academy Bank, with a monthly interest rate of 5%, or 100 gels. The interest rate was vicious, but it wasn¡¯t fatal because the amount of the loan itself was small.
Typically, the loan screening criteria included an individual¡¯s mana, grades, and credit. Because my mana was only Grade E, my loan amount was limited to 2000 gels, and I could only choose a loan product with a very high-interest rate. Not to mention the fact that there was nothing to use as coteral¡
¡®Isn¡¯t it almost like an illegal loan shark?¡¯
The institution that monopolized the financial sector under the academy was so frightening.
Still, I believed it was an unavoidable choice.
Pride didn¡¯t allow me to ask Mateo for food while condescendingly saying, ¡®I saved your life¡¯.
But if my n worked, I would be able to pay off my debt soon, and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about my grades being penalized from taking out a loan.
It was unclear whether the n would work, so it felt like a gamble, but¡
Anyway, now was the time to eat well and get stronger.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 36
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 260/400
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (D+)
¨C Stamina (C-)
¨C Strength (C-)
¨C Intelligence (C-)
¨C Willpower (B) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (C)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (C)
¨C Elemental Synergy (C+)
¨C Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (C-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (C-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (E)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight Skill Tree ??Details??
¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Nice.¡±
During a dark evening.
In a deserted corner of the garden, the 4-star ice magic [Frostfire] was engraved on a parchment. I had definitely memorized it by now.
[Frostfire (¡ï4)] [Obtainable!!] Emits powerful cold air in the form of mes.
Type: Active Skill (All-Purpose)
Elements: Ice
Acquisition Conditions:
¨C Lv 35 (O)
¨C [Ice Generation] Grade C- (O)
¨C [Cold Divergence] Grade C+ (O)
¨C Ice [Elemental Firepower] Grade C- (O)
¨C Ice [Elemental Efficiency] Grade C- (O)
Trigger Conditions:
¨C None
In order to use magic, you had to first memorize the shape of the magic circle.
Magic, with the exception of a basic 1-star spell, did not simply activate by pouring out mana into the air.
You had to use your mind to direct the flow of mana in the form of a magic circle.
When the unique trait [Hunter] activated, I felt as if my body had already mastered the magic circle, allowing me to use magic naturally.
With the body of the ordinary Isaac, I had to follow the standard procedure.
I stretched out my right hand with my palm facing the sky and formed the ice mana into the shape of a magic circle.
A light blue magic circle formed on the palm of my hand.
Above it, the faint cold and light blue mana took the form of a me, creating a [Frostfire].
¡°Ohhh¡!¡±
[You have learned the Ice Spell [Frostfire (¡ï4)]!]
It¡¯s done, it¡¯s done!
A cold, faintly burning mana flower. I could feel my mana constantly being depleted.
I grabbed my right arm with my left hand after extending my hand with the [Frostfire] outwards, then continued pouring mana in.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
©¤©¤©¤©¤Whaaaaaaa©¤©¤!
The faint cold and light blue mana zed forward like mes. Its range was short, but that was to be expected due to my Grade D proficiency.
¡°Wow¡¡±
Is it because of the fact I finally had a worthy attack spell? My mouth sprang open with an exmation.
I clenched my fists to extinguish the faintly zing [Frostfire], and closed my eyes tightly. My entire body trembled. I knew this feeling¡ This overwhelming feeling.
It was a sense of aplishment.
¡°Khehehe.¡±
There was still a long way to go.
¡®Next up is [Ice Wall].¡¯
[Ice Wall (¡ï4)] [Obtainable!!] It creates a solid wall of Ice.
Type: Active Skill (Defensive)
Elements: Ice
Acquisition Conditions:
¨C Lv 30 (O)
¨C [Ice Generation] Grade C- (O)
¨C [Cold Divergence] Grade C (O)
¨C Ice [Elemental Firepower] Grade C- (O)
¨C Ice [Elemental Efficiency] Grade C- (O)
The sensation of using [Ice Wall] was ingrained into my body.
However, just a few days ago, I had difficulty using [Ice Wall]. It took a lot of mana control to create a solid ice wall.
But now, it somehow seemed possible.
I closed my eyes and released ice mana, while imagining a wall forming in front of me.
Creak©¤©¤©¤
As I moved my hand a little, I heard a sound as if something thick were protruding from the ground.
And when I finally opened my eyes, my vision was blocked by a wall of ice.
[You have learned the Ice Spell [Ice Wall (¡ï4)]!] ¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
[Ice Wall]. It was a sess! I finally got a proper defense!
As expected, after my [Magic Training Efficiency] became B+, I could clearly feel my growth rate elerate.
¡°Keuuuuuuuuu¡!¡±
The difficult training moments passed like a panorama.
¡°Hahaha!¡±
A sense of aplishment surged up like a volcano.
I raised my fist into the air with joy.
It was almost like Manny Pacquiao.1Trantor Note: Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. CLH is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed ¡°PacMan¡±, he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
¡¸Act 2, Chapter 3, Practical Training¡¹ would start one week and four days from now.
Garzia, the ant demon, would begin to stockpile strength two weeks before the Practical Training.
By now, Garzia should be nestled in Tantak Cave, and Zephrim, which were created from the remnants of his mana, must have formed.
For reference, there weren¡¯t many Zephrims I could get by visiting the Tantak Underground Cave once Act 2, Chapter 4 ended. The reason for that was because many Zephrim would lose their function as a result of mana overload.
In other words, if I could go to Tantak Cave ahead of time, there was a good chance I could get a lot of hot, high-quality Zephrim.
In other words, the current time was best.
It just so happened that tomorrow was a weekend. After I finished all of my sses today, I would board a carriage and head to the Tantak Cave.
It would take 5 hours by carriage to get there, so after I defeat Garzia, I guess I had to spend the night homeless.
I would rather leave tomorrow, settle things, and then return right away, but it would be more efficient to set aside a day to invest in stats and train.
¡®Did I pack all my stuff?¡¯
Inside ss D¡¯s ssroom.
The ssroom was empty since all the students had left after the ss ended.
I sat in the middle seat, writing a list of luggage on parchment and checking it off one by one.
Food like water and bread, as well as a portable lightmp.
Camping equipment such as simple tents and chairs, nkets, pillows, and so on. I¡¯ve got an extra just in case¡
I also packed two magic pouches I had bought to store Zephrim. All of them were purchased by emptying the gel that I had borrowed.
¡®It¡¯s perfect.¡¯
No problem. I could start right away now.
The sky was gradually turning red. By the time I arrived at the Tantak Cave, it would be dark.
I gathered my belongings, including the magic pouch, and proceeded to the carriage stop to board one of the carriages.
There were no horses. Here, the ¡®horse¡¯ of the carriage was not a ¡®literal horse¡¯, but a ¡®magic horse¡¯.
Its shape was simr to the carriage I knew, but the carriage was operated by the coachman¡¯s mana. It moved if you infuse magic into the handle.
I wasn¡¯t sure what the exact principle behind it was, as it wasn¡¯t mentioned in the official setting. But since it was a game setting, I would just move on.
¡°Where are you going?¡±
¡°The Tantak Cave.¡±
¡°Huh? If you go there right now¡ It¡¯s going to be prettyte at night, right? There are no amodation facilities nearby. You know that, right?¡±
¡°It¡¯s all right, please go there.¡±
I got into the carriage and sat in a chair.
¡°Uhm, are you really okay¡¡± muttered the coachman as he began driving the carriage.
You¡¯re so worried even though I¡¯m perfectly okay.
¡°¡¡±
The insides of the carriage squeaked as it moved.
In this case, it would be better to take a nap and relieve my fatigue.
I closed my eyes and fell asleep quietly.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
20 minutes before Isaac¡¯s departure.
ss A had ended and Kaya had arrived at ss D¡¯s door.
¡®The Secret of M?rchen Academy,¡¯ a hideous conspiracy theory that recently floated in her mind. She thought about how to get to the bottom of this.
If there really was a dangerous secret lurking in the academy, it was a matter of great concern not only for the students, but also for her own safety.
She finally came to a decision. ¡®Let¡¯s follow Isaac¡¯, who she believed was her only lead.
For some reason, it seemed to be no different from her previous behavior as she appeared to be stalking the person she admired.
But Kaya couldn¡¯t help it, so she justified her action to herself.
From the ssroom in which the students had departed. Kaya peered out from behind the open door into the ssroom.
In the middle seat, Isaac was alone. He appeared to be scribbling something on a parchment.
What is he doing? Study? No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s studying¡
A question mark floated above Kaya¡¯s head.
¡°Oh.¡±
When Isaac stood up, Kaya freaked out and bolted.
Just as she did, there happened to be a big box full of cleaning supplies in the hallway. So she decided to hide in it.
She only poked her head out to the side of the cleaning kit. Isaac was making his way out of the ss D ssroom and down the hallway.
Now let¡¯s follow him like an assassin. Stealthily¡
Kaya followed Isaac in the shadows. Swoosh, her body hidden in ce.
Isaac made his way to the carriage stop. Kaya, who was hiding behind the tree with her head slightly poking up, tilted her head.
¡°A carriage?¡±
Isaac climbed into the carriage and began to depart.
The sky was a bright yellow. It was toote to take a carriage and depart.
Where is Isaac going at this hour?
It was unusual.
Should I go after him or not?
After much thought, Kaya decided to go after him.
She quickly boarded the new carriage after arriving at the carriage stop.
¡°Excuse me, guest. You have to tell me where you¡¯re going first¡¡±
¡°Please follow that carriage. Don¡¯t let them notice us.¡±
The coachman tilted his head. Was it an issue between students?
Without further ado, he started driving the carriage. After all, he was in a position where he only needed to get paid.
The sun was setting slowly in the sky.
Footnotes:- 1Trantor Note: Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. CLH is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed ¡°PacMan¡±, he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time.
Chapter 17: - Ant Cave (2)
? Ant Cave (2)?
It waste at night.
When I got off the carriage, the sight of a gorge entered my eyes. It was dark, with only the moonlight shining through, but even then, it was a magnificent sight that was difficult to believe, given that it was only four hours away from the academy.
The entrance to Tantak Cave was right in front of me. It appeared to be a typical cave entrance, but once you entered, a pitch-ck path leading downhill would appear.
¡°Student, will you really be okay?¡± The coachman inquired, his voice worried.
Really, I¡¯m okay¡ Even so, I couldn¡¯t be rude to someone who was worried about me.
With a light smile, I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Get home safe.¡±
¡°Students are¡¡±
After receiving the payment I had given him, the coachman began driving the carriage back.
Before I knew it, I had arrived. After taking a deep breath, I entered the cave entrance.
¡It¡¯s really dark.
I took out a luminescentmp from my magic pouch. The handy portablemp radiated light which helped illuminate the surroundingndscape.
[Portable Luminous Lamp] Amp containing glowstone. It is convenient to carry.
Rank: Tier 9
pping¨C!
¡°Uwak!¡±
As I shone the luminousmp at the ceiling, the hanging bats iled their wings all at once from the light.
My heart felt like it was going to burst¡
I¡¯m not good with scary things¡
¡°Ha, I¡¯m so scared¡¡±
Putting my hand on my chest, I took a deep breath.
Even if I had arrived during the day, it would have been dark. I shouldn¡¯t be regretful foring here at this time; it was my choice after all¡
Anyway, it wouldn¡¯t always be dark and scary. If I went in deeper, there would be glowstones made from Garzia¡¯s mana to mark the way.
Let¡¯s hold out until then. After all, it¡¯s not like there are any ghosts.
I slowly moved forward.
¡°¡¡±
As I walked, a downhill road appeared. It was a gentle slope. If I went all the way down from here, I would arrive at an undergroundbyrinth.
I had everything about the undergroundbyrinth memorized by heart, this much was only natural as I was a veteran ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? yer.
Just to be sure that I didn¡¯t slip and fall, I began to carefully descend downhill.
¡°¡¡±
Ah, but really¡
It¡¯s so scary when it¡¯s dark.
The illuminationmp had a limited-range. Beyond that range, it was pitch-ck darkness.
Suddenly, I imagined the terrifyingly frightening face of a ghost appearing from the darkness in my mind.
If that happened, I would undoubtedly pass out. Yes, I would pass out.
I swallowed my saliva. I moved my feet quietly and silently in the midst of the tension that seemed like it would make my heart stop.
¡It was then.
©¤©¤Gyaaa©¤!!
©¤©¤Kwadaang©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°¡¡¡!!¡±
Behind me, an ear-piercing scream echoed, followed by the sound of copsing rock.
In an instant, my heart sank. I was on the verge of passing out, but I managed to keep myposure.
It was just a woman¡¯s scream. It couldn¡¯t be a ghost¡
I turned around and began running uphill toward the cave¡¯s entrance.
¡°¡?¡±
After climbing all the way uphill, I saw broken stones all around the cave¡¯s entrance.
Then, as I shone the luminescentmp in front of me, a familiar figure of a female student sitting in the middle of the cave came into view.
The female student with light green pigtails, dressed in the same M?rchen Academy uniform as mine, was trembling.
She looked at me, then turned her head to the side, wiping away her tears.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 91
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Ashamed to show you such an embarrassing sight.]
Why is Kaya here¡?
¡°Kaya¡?¡±
¡°Ah, Sir Isaac. I mean, I¡¡±
Anyway, she¡¯s the one who just screamed, right?
Or did Garzia¡¯s henchman show up?
I dashed over to Kaya, knelt down on one knee, and looked her in the eyes.
¡°What startled you so much?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Maybe you ran into a giant ant¡¡±
¡°Ba, bat¡¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Because of the bats¡ I was scared¡¡±
¡I see.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
Kaya apologized in a dejected tone. But it wasn¡¯t necessary to apologize.
Anyway, as long as it wasn¡¯t a dangerous problem, it was fine.
¡°It¡¯s okay. But why did you follow me?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Why is Kaya here? Seeing that she appeared at this time, it seemed she was following me. And her startled reaction made it obvious.
¡®Why?¡¯
I was aware of her admiration for me, but was Kaya the type of person who stalked the person she admired?
¡°I, too, have a reason for being here¡¡±
¡°You came after me.¡±
¡°Ugh, that¡¯s¡ I can¡¯t tell you why.¡±
Maybe I was seeing a side of Kaya I hadn¡¯t seen before. If that was the reason she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, it was okay. I didn¡¯t intend to force her to speak right away.
¡°Can you get up?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡?¡±
When I reached out my hand, Kaya, who was hiding her expression the entire time, suddenly looked at me nkly.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Feels that your sociable attitude is awkward.]
Oh right. I had been treating Kaya with a cold attitude, deliberately pretending to be strong, and acting as if I had shown my true colors.
First of all, I was in a situation where I couldn¡¯t reveal my actual identity to Kaya. It was because I was afraid of the consequences if she had discovered that I was actually weak.
It was necessary to maintain the usual ¡®strong but revealing attitude¡¯ so as not to raise unnecessary doubts.
¡°Hah,¡± I sighed.
¡°You didn¡¯te to disturb me, did you?¡± I inquired in a cynical tone.
Only then did Kaya rx her suspicious expression and looked at me with a mix of admiration and fear.
¡°Ah, no¡! No way!¡±
Kaya jumped to her feet and stood immediately as though her body fully recalled her father¡¯s military discipline.
I ignored her and started walking downhill again. Kaya chased after me.
¡°By the way, Sir Isaac, why are you here¡?¡±
I didn¡¯t have to hide my purpose, so I decided to answer honestly, ¡°To defeat a demon.¡±
¡°Is that so!¡± Kaya responded as if she had suspected as much.
¡°So there was a demon here¡¡±
¡°You should not havee to this ce.¡±
Kaya would be in danger if she stayed here. Garzia, even while not being at full strength, was at a higher level than Kaya.
¡°No, I will help too.¡±
Kaya came to my side and she looked at me with a determined expression.
¡°To protect the academy.¡±
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Feels that it is cool to protect the peace of the academy.]
What are you imagining¡?
I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but I could tell she had a vivid imagination.
She ventures into the darkness behind the academy and defeats the forces of evil in order to protect the students.
I wondered if she was imagining something like this. On second thought, it might not be bad to have Kaya here.
Beyond the downhill road in this darkness was uncharted territory. In other words, I was unable to deal with all variables.
In addition, Kaya¡¯s abilities were also exceptional. Even if unforeseen circumstances were to arise, she had the ability to cover my back.
If Garzia attacked, I would simply have to defend her.
¡°¡Do as you please,¡± I replied with a feeling of reluctant eptance.
Kaya¡¯s face lit up. She nodded and returned her gaze forward.
Kaya took out a wand encrusted with a green magic stone and went on high alert. She seemed reliable.
We walked downhill for 20 minutes, relying on the light from the luminescentmp.
Beyond the downhill path came the dim passage. It was the entrance to the ¡®undergroundbyrinth¡¯.
¡°Where are we?¡±
¡°An undergroundbyrinth. It¡¯s easy to get lost, so follow me closely.¡±
¡°Oh, yes¡!¡±
I hurried my steps right away as Kaya followed me.
As soon as we entered the undergroundbyrinth, light brown glowstones arranged in an orderly fashion on the walls came into view. They were created using Garzia¡¯s rock magic to easily distinguish the path.
This made it possible to discern the surroundings without the use of a luminousmp.
I ced a cloth over the luminousmp and ced it in the magic pouch.
I held my breath and walked through the maze. Whenever we had to decide which direction to take, before Kaya could hesitate, I quickly picked a path and moved on.
After all, the structure was no different from when I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I could easily reach the center.
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
Kaya abruptly stopped and called my name.
¡°I¡¯ve been feeling this way since earlier, but how do you know the path so well?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡Huh?
Wait a minute.
¡®Am I being suspected right now?¡¯
I nced at Kaya and opened her status window.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Feels doubtful if you have a background where you were once part of the demons and then decided to fight against the demons.]
What kind of scenario was this again¡?
Because of her rich imagination, Kayaes up with bizarre ideas all the time. This could quickly result in a difficult-to-manage situation.
It had to be answered unequivocally.
What should I say? Well¡
Oh, let¡¯s make it up like this.
¡°I¡¯m just sensing the demon¡¯s mana and finding a way. I¡¯ve felt the mana since the beginning, ever since I was at the academy.¡±
I said that, but it was really just nonsense.
How could someone sense mana from this underground cave all the way at the academy? In the first ce, the range mana could be sensed was so damn small. It was a very silly thing.
However, as expected, Kaya seemed to believe it.
¡°Wow¡¡±
She appeared surprised.
¡°I couldn¡¯t sense anything¡ Is this the mana perception of an Archwizard?¡± Kaya eximed in awe, her mouth wide open.
As expected, she was too simple-minded.
¡°You¡¯ll be able to feel it gradually.¡±
Kaya and I started moving again.
She looked at me for a while with a twinkling gaze.
Ah, those glistening eyes. It¡¯s so dazzling, like starlight, so it¡¯s very daunting.
©¤ It was then.
Sakaksakaksakak¡
The sound of something sharp scratching, rocks being flung, and antennae rubbing against each other.
Kaya and I both came to a halt and looked ahead.
Sakaksakaksakak¡
Garzia had a lot of minions, also known as ¡®Disaster Ants¡¯ ¨C one of the factors that dramatically increased the difficulty of Act 2, Chapter 4.
Sakaksakaksakak¡
Disaster Ants have excellent collective intelligence; a cancer to y against that forced the yer with all kinds of strategies and tactics. When I first yed Hell difficulty, I had a hard time because of them.
If Garzia was hiding here, it was only natural that a legion of Disaster Ants were guarding thisbyrinth. In this underground cave, there could be up to 300 of them.
Sakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksakak©¤©¤©¤
In front of me, through the darkness, arge insect jumped out.
Scuttling with its antennae flickering, arge ck ant appeared while closing and opening its sharp pincers at the front of its mouth repeatedly. Its wide-open eyes emanated a red glow ¨C it was a Disaster Ant.
[Disaster Ant] Lv: 70
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Rock
Danger: Upper-Intermediate
Psychology: [Wants to kill you, the intruder.]
¡°What is that?¡± Kaya asked, startled by the giant insect.
Fortunately, there was only one Disaster Ant in front of us. He appeared to be patrolling the area.
It was dangerous when Disaster Ants flocked together. I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of strategy they would use to put pressure on me, despite the fact that I was a demon-limited hunter.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
Then, there was only one way.
As I took a step forward, I extended my hand to Kaya and poured out my mana.
A thin curtain was draped around her. It was a translucent film of ice with beautiful ice crystals floating around it.
¡¸Ice Barrier (Ice Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
¡°Isaac, what are you going to do¡?¡±
Sakaksakaksakaksakaksakaksa©¤©¤!
The Disaster Ant took off quickly, running on all six of its legs. At the same time, I bent one knee and ced my right hand on the floor.
¡°Freeze the entirebyrinth.¡±
And then.
I released my ice mana.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤¡¸Frost Wave (Ice Element, 6 ¡ï)
Charakkkkkkk¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
The massive flow of cold air from my hands engulfed the entire undergroundbyrinth in an instant, thoroughly freezing the Disaster Ants and turning them into ice statues.
In an instant, the entire cave was transformed into a cold ice cave, as if it had always been like that.
¡°Hah.¡±
A cold chill escaped my lungs.
If there was a legion of ants with excellent collective intelligence, all I had to do was freeze them all before they couldunch their tactics.
Chapter 18: - Ant Cave (3)
? Ant Cave (3)?
¡°Th-that¡¯s amazing¡¡±
I heard Kaya¡¯s admiring voice from next to me.
The trait [Hunter] was active, making my current level 136. With each skill¡¯s proficiency at S-ss, Kaya couldn¡¯t bepared to me.
I released the [Ice Barrier] that was protecting Kaya.
¡°You¡¯re amazing, Sir Isaac¡!¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
I started walking forward, unbothered. At the same time, the unique trait [Hunter] was deactivated, and my body became heavy. My body had reverted to its original form.
When viewed up close, the frozen Disaster Ants appeared even more menacing. Seriously, it looked disgusting.
Kaya followed behind me. Even on the icy floor, she walked smoothly.
If I unfroze the Disaster Ants I just met, they would die, but the ones further away would remain frozen. In other words, I couldn¡¯t recklessly unfreeze the frozen cave.
¡°Haaa¡¡±
I turned to face Kaya as soon as I heard her breathing.
She pretended to be fine with her arms crossed, but she seemed to be feeling cold.
The cold that pervaded the undergroundbyrinth came from my magic. Spellcasters aren¡¯t affected much by their own magic, so I hardly felt cold.
¡®I should have paid attention.¡¯
I was only thinking about myself.
I took out one of the magic pouches from my bag and reached in for outerwear.
Then I stopped walking, took it out, and handed it to Kaya. It was a school uniform cardigan.
¡°Take it.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡¡±
You look cold at a nce, so why are you refusing?
I draped the cardigan loosely over Kaya¡¯s shoulders and moved my feet again. She clutched the cardigan and followed behind me, her head bowed.
¡°¡Thank you.¡±
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Feels burdened and grateful that you gave her the outerwear.]
As I made my way through the undergroundbyrinth, I came across Disaster Ants that had turned into ice statues. It was a terrible fate for the demons who were unprepared for the sudden icy disaster.
There were no traps to be found while traversing thebyrinth. Even if there were, they would have frozen and ceased to function.
I was moving without a hitch.
Thump-
¡°¡?¡±
It was small, but clearly audible; the sound of a heart beating.
Thump, thump, thump-
We would soon arrive at the end of the undergroundbyrinth. From the other side of thebyrinth, the sound of a heartbeat could be heard.
Kaya¡¯s eyes narrowed, showing her wariness. Her reaction alone told me what she was going to say.
¡°I can feel it, this nasty mana¡ Is there a demon in front of us?¡±
I didn¡¯t feel any unpleasant mana because my mana perception was so low, but I nodded.
There was no point in being tired trying to feel the mana.
However, just hearing this heartbeat gave me the feeling that something terrifying was up ahead.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump¡
Finally, as I walked out of the undergroundbyrinth, a high ceiling and a wide space spread out before my eyes.
Because of my magic, this ce had transformed into an ice cave and the ant legion, which was standing in order, was frozen solid.
At the end of the path where they were arranged in rows like trees, there was a veryrge heart, a golden heart, which beat at regr intervals.
The ck gum-like exterior moved with the heartbeat, and the blood vessels leading from the heart to various ces in the cave radiated a harmonious color of gold and ck.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump¡ª
¡°W-what is that¡?¡±
Kaya appeared to be stunned by the magnificent sight.
¡°A demon,¡± I answered simply.
Inside the huge golden heart, the silhouette of a hideous creature glowed.
It was easy to infer what it looked like just by looking at its silhouette.
[Garzia the Hermit] Lv: 110
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Rock
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to kill you, the intruder.]
In Act 2, Chapter 4 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Garzia was level 140. He had been raising his level in this manner.
Even though the entire cave was frozen with [Frost Wave], he looked fine, it seemed to have high elemental resistance.
It must be because I used magic from afar.
¡®Is that Zephrim?¡¯
Garzia¡¯s mana remnants were transformed into the magic stone called Zephrim, and it was nestled in every corner of the cave. My magic had frozen it, but the pale yellow light that was unique to Zephrim was clearly visible.
Perfect.
Now, the only thing left to do was kill Garzia in one swift motion.
Dre-re-re-re-re-re-rek©¤©¤!
As expected, he wouldn¡¯t stand still.
Around the golden heart where he was hiding, a massive wall of rock erupted from the ground and enclosed it. The rock wall was a pearly ck color.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Rock (Rock Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Indestructible Iron Body (Rock Element)¡¹
A ck, iron-like rock surrounded the heart and blood vessels. It was as solid and imprable as a castle wall.
A showdown between an unstoppable spear and an imprable shield. The only option was to ept the challenge.
¡°Isaac?¡±
I headed towards Garzia¡¯s heart.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] ¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
In order to increase the magic output, I began sending a hazy cold air through my entire body. The cold air seeped out like a haze.
Like opening a window in a stuffy room to let in fresh air, I felt like I could increase my ice mana output even more smoothly.
[Garzia the Hermit] Psychology: [Wants to defeat you with a [Rock Burial].]
Kududududududududu¡ª¨C!!
Crushing the ice that froze the surrounding area from the ground, pirs of rock flew in from both sides.
¡¸Rock Burial (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Towering rock pirs oppressively covered the air, trying to crush me.
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
I heard Kaya¡¯s worried cry. It was alright, I could withstand this much.
As soon as I heard the sound of the [Rock Burial] being activated, I lightly waved my index finger wrapped in mana.
With a flick of my finger, thick walls of ice rose from the ground to the ceiling on both sides.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kuwuwuwoong¡ª¨C!!!
¡And the rock and ice collided.
The boulder created with [Rock Burial] couldn¡¯t pierce the [Ice Wall] that I made.
I strode along the narrow path made by [Ice Wall] until I arrived in front of the heart.
Thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª!
The huge heart was floating high up in the air. It was truly a magnificent sight. As I looked up at it, my neck began to hurt.
Garzia¡¯s heart began to beat more fiercely, perhaps from anger.
My ears started to hurt.
I stretched out my right hand toward the heart wrapped in a sturdy-looking [Indestructible Iron Body].
In this situation, I needed to use my most powerful short-range magic.
I condensed the mana in my right hand. I engraved the spells [Frost Explosion] and [ck Ice] in my mind.
A light blue magic circle appeared in front of my right hand, and a ck magic circle appeared behind it, ovepping it. A dark blue [Frost Explosion] magic circle was formed in this manner.
Then, the extremely condensed mana exploded into my hand.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹+ ¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Frost Explosion (Ice Element)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The ck ice exploded and attacked the giant heart. The ckish-blue cold air raged as the dark ice crystals and my white hair fluttered in the wind.
A direct hit. In an instant, the heart was engulfed by the ice that suddenly erupted and appeared ready to devour everything.
However¡ª
Thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª, thump¡ª.
Inside the ck ice mass¡
¡The heart was still beating. The [Indestructible Iron Body] could not be pierced.
Drrrrrrrrrrrrr©¤
Following that, the sound of rocks moving within the ice was heard. It was clear that mana was flowing to repair the [Indestructible Iron Body].
When the ice exploded, the [Frost Explosion] unleashed tremendous power. In addition, [ck Ice], which increased the power of magic, was applied, so the magic I cast now was my maximum power.
In other words, my spear failed to prate the shield.
The level difference is in my favor, but that means¡
Garzia, who was gathering strength in the form of a heart, seemed to have defense magic proficiency and elemental resistance far beyond his level.
It was as if killing Garzia beforehand wasn¡¯t allowed.
I felt the will of something like Providence.
¡®What should I do¡¡¯
Should I use the [ck Frost Explosion] again? No, it would be foolish to do so without a n. Even if [Hunter] is activated, using [ck Ice] and [Frost Explosion] consumes a lot of mana.
Not to mention, it didn¡¯t take much time for Garzia to repair the [Indestructible Iron Body] after being hit by my magic. The sound alone was sufficient for me to grasp.
In other words, if he continued to repair [Indestructible Iron Body] while I fired [ck Frost Explosion], I would be at a disadvantage.
But, if I increased the power a little more, my magic would be able to reach him directly.
And the way to deliver the strongest possible blow¡
¡°That ice¡?¡±
¡is here.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I turned to face Kaya.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was definitely a joint attack system. A joint attack could effectively demonstrate [Elemental Synergy].
When [Elemental Synergy] was activated, the effect of my elemental magic ovepping with another element would be stronger. As a result, more powerful magic could be poured onto Garzia.
¡°How about you? Don¡¯t you also want to have some fun?¡±
I recall Kaya¡¯s psychology from before. She seemed to aspire to be something akin to an Apostle of Justice, fighting the evils that threatened the academy.
I pretended to be considerate by asking Kaya that casually.
And soon, Kaya¡¯s face brightened up.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Delighted by the thought that she can y an active role.]
¡°Yes!¡±
Kaya flew towards me quickly, with light-green wind wrapped around her body, andnded lightly next to me.
I stretched out my right arm toward the heart encased in a block of ck ice. Meanwhile, Kaya also stretched out her left arm and pointed her wand toward the heart.
Whooooo¡ª¡ª!
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Kaya¡¯s wind began to swirl around her. The rough and disorderly wind blew fiercely and shook my hair, Kaya¡¯s hair, and our clothes indiscriminately, carrying with it a chill that emanated from me.
The wind element was characterized by the continuous generation of wind to increase the power of subsequent wind spells.
She was creating wind to increase the power of the attack she was about to unleash.
¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Sir Isaac! I also wanted to hit that demon with my magic!¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Kaya seemed to think that I could easily defeat Garzia.
She must have thought that the magic from earlier was only at a level to gauge his defense capabilities.
¡°Among the attack magic you can use right now, tell me which is the most powerful.¡±
¡°It¡¯s [Gale Fang].¡±
¡°Good.¡±
[Gale Fang] was a 5-star wind spell and if I couldbine ice magic with it¡
¡®¡[Frostfire].¡¯
I engraved the spells of [Frostfire] and [ck Ice] in my mind. Then, in front of my right hand, a dark blue magic circle appeared, stretching toward the heart.
Meanwhile, right next to me, a green magic circle formed and began to slowly rotate in front of Kaya¡¯s wand, which stretched toward the heart, and behind her.
I released the ice block that was covering the heart. The block of ice disintegrated into glowing dark blue powder and scattered, disying the heart wrapped in a sturdy [Indestructible Iron Body] intact.
¡°When I give you the order, you¡¯ll shoot.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
In the [Hunter] state, my [Elemental Synergy] was S-ss. The joint attack I unleash with Kaya should at least be twice as powerful as my previousbination of [Frost Explosion] and [ck Ice].
Cold air and frost, pale blue ice mana, and ck-dark mana were all swirling together.
A cold, dark blue me formed in front of my right hand, and it began to burn.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹+ ¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Winter Hellfire (Ice Element)¡¹
As it was, I fired the cold mes.
¡°Now!¡±
At my cry, Kaya and I shot out the magic at the same time. The cold, dark blue icy mes were surrounded by a sharp light green wind. The wind drew a clear trajectory from both sides and rose obliquely toward the heart.
Whiiiiiieeee©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
A firestorm of cold air quickly erupted. As if it didn¡¯t want to miss its prey, the heart was engulfed in a vicious whirlwind
As if a pack of wolves rushed in and bit it, the strong wind that swirled around the [Frostfire] hit the heart with a series of blows.
¡¸Winter Hellfire (Ice Element)¡¹ + ¡¸Gale Fang (Wind Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸cial Tempest of the Endless Night (Ice+Wind Element)¡¹
Chaaaaaaak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Chaaaaaaak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Hwarrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!
Kwaaaak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Rock debris flew everywhere.
Amidst the billowing cold and raging gusts of wind, the [Indestructible Iron Body] shattered and fell apart. A viscous pale yellow liquid gushed out like a waterfall.
The heart¡¯s blood vessels, which were guarded by the [Indestructible Iron Body], were severed by the [cial Tempest of the Endless Night].
The golden heart was consumed in cold mes and copsed powerlessly in front of Kaya.
Kuwuwuwong©¤!!
[Kkiueueueu..]
A strange whimpering sound was heard right in front of us. Kaya and I lowered our heads and gazed at the source of the whimpering ¨C a human ant with huge horns on both sides of his head and razor-sharp ws in front of his mouth.
Its body was full of sharp ws, a pale white skin, and a female-like form armored in ck. Just like an ant, there was arge pocket behind the buttocks, like an ant¡¯s belly.
Garzia the Hermit.
His golden eyes gleamed as heid on the floor, ring at us.
He was slightly smaller than what I had seen in game, but he was still well over 4 meters tall. Our magic seemed to have pierced the [Indestructible Iron Body] and ruthlessly rammed him, judging by the green blood flowing all over his body.
It was a terrible sight.
¡°This is the demon¡¡± Kaya furrowed her brows.
[Garzia the Hermit] Psychology: [I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you. I want to kill you.]
Fully formed, Garzia stood well over 4 meters tall and leads his minions, the Disaster Ants, in an attack during the Academy¡¯s practical training. He was like a killing machine who aimed to kill many students, which included Ian.
I approached Garzia and extended my right hand to him.
¡°It¡¯s a pity that you couldn¡¯t fulfill your ambition.¡±
I condensed mana into my right hand.
A light blue magic circle formed in front of my right hand.
[Kkiueueueueueueueue¡!!!]
And the condensed cold mana exploded in an instant.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!!!
The ice rushed toward Garzia.
A torrent of cold.
It was the finishing blow.
Chapter 19: - Camping (1)
?Camping (1)?
The casting of [Frost Explosion] was over.
Garzia was trapped inside a huge block of ice, covered in scars.
As the ice was released, the ice block disintegrated into a light blue powder that scattered and vanished.
Soon after, Garzia¡¯s body turned to gray powder and scattered futilely.
¡°Is it over?¡±
¡°It¡¯s over.¡±
As soon as the enemy¡¯s resurrection spell was neutralized, Kaya immediately confirmed the oue.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Garzia the Hermit (Lv 110)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 40!] [You have gained an additional 8 bonus stat points!]
Soon after, the [Hunter] trait was released, and my body suddenly became heavy. It was a feeling I could never get used to.
Thud-
At that moment, one of the swords that Garzia was holding fell to the ground. It was a dagger with a ck sheath.
I immediately picked up the dagger.
[You¡¯ve acquired the loot [Sheath of Disaster]! [Sheath of Disaster] If you engrave a magic circle with a spell and infuse it with the required amount of mana for casting, the spell can be used at the location of the sheath.
Limit: 5-star magic
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Rating: Tier 1
The ¡®Sheath of Disaster¡¯. It was an immensely helpful item that significantly broadened my tactical options.
When using the spell engraved on the sheath, there was no consumption of mana. That was because it was meant to be used after filling the necessary mana beforehand.
The embedded de was a disguise. It was just a normal dagger.
¡°Sir Isaac, what is that?¡±
¡°A weapon that the demon possessed. I will retrieve it.¡±
This is mine now, hehe.
Suppressing the urge to hum, I put the Sheath of Disaster into the magic pouch.
¡°Now¡¡±
Now that I¡¯ve defeated Garzia the Hermit, the Disaster Ants should have been destroyed as well. However, I had frozen them, leaving them unable to move and entrapped in ice.
I reached out my hand and dispelled the ice that covered the entire cave.
The ice that froze the cave disintegrated into blue powder and dispersed like fireflies.
For a brief moment, this massive ice release looked like a fireworks disy. I could tell from Kaya¡¯s exmation that she also thought it was a beautiful sight.
The Disaster Ants, who had been standing in order, quickly turned to gray powder and vanished.
At that moment, a system window popped up in front of me.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated 300 [Disaster Ants (Lv 70)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 50!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?Genocide?! You have gained an additional 10 bonus stat points!]
¡°¡¡±
Whoa, no, whoa, hold on a second.
When I defeated Garzia in Act 2, Chapter 4 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, all the Disaster Ants were destroyed as a result, but I received no EXP.
The only things that gave EXP were the Disaster Ants that you directly defeated.
Even worse, the Disaster Ants didn¡¯te at you all at once, using a wide variety of tactics to constantly put pressure on the yer instead. This made defeating all of them an impossible task.
However, while freezing the entire cave, I unknowingly touched the entire Disaster Ant poption, and it was judged that I had dealt with all of the Disaster Ants.
As a result of this, an experience party was held, and I achieved the [Genocide] achievement.
¡°Oh, ohh¡!¡±
Just as I was about to scream at the surging sense of aplishment, I saw Kaya¡¯s eyes. I coughed and came to my senses.
No, no, I shouldn¡¯t. I could celebrate after I¡¯ve parted ways with Kaya. Until then, it was better to put this joy to rest.
¡Hahaha.
¡°Sir Isaac?¡±
¡°Kaya, I have a favor to ask of you.¡±
¡°¡! What is it?¡±
Kaya¡¯s green eyes sparkled. Her eyes were full of expectations, as if she were a curious child.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 93
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Delighted at the thought of doing you a favor.]
It¡¯s nice to be happy, but isn¡¯t that a ve mindset¡?
In any case, she gained co-op EXP and leveled up too.
Even though her level was in the 90s and had only increased by one, she must have gained a lot of experience.
Kaya¡¯s performance appeared to have been deemed excellent this time.
Well, I admit it, I was d things worked out as well as they did. If Kaya wasn¡¯t here, I would have been in serious trouble.
Now there¡¯s only one thing left to do.
¡°I¡¯m going to retrieve that now,¡± I said, pointing to the pale yellow magic stone, Zephrim, lying on the ground.
¡°Help me with that.¡±
Honestly, you became stronger thanks to me, right? I can ask for this much, can¡¯t I?
¡°All right!¡±
Kaya agreed willingly.
After I handed her one of the empty magic pouches, she moved to the opposite corner of the cave and began collecting Zephrim.
Before long, she used powerful wind magic and gathered all the scattered Zephrim into one ce. Thanks to that, I was able to conveniently sweep up all of the Zephrim.
¡°But what are all these magic stones?¡± She queried, while depositing Zephrim into the magic pouch.
I didn¡¯t feel the need to lie, so I answered truthfully, ¡°A material used for forging weapons.¡±
¡°Are you thinking of making a weapon?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m going to sell it. I¡¯m collecting it to make money.¡±
Kaya nodded as if she understood.
¡°You were short on gel because you were pretending to be weak. If you had told me, I would have helped you anytime.¡±
That¡¯s too much of a request¡
Kaya was the second seat of the 1st year¡¯s Magic Department and the daughter of the Duke Astrean.
For example, if a Grade Emoner like me were to be seen having a friendly meal with her, I couldn¡¯t even imagine the troublesome rumors that would spread among the students.
¡°I do not need it,¡± I answered sternly.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
On the journey back. Kaya and I were climbing up the dark uphill road after exiting the undergroundbyrinth, relying on the light of the luminousmp.
The magic bag, containing two magic pouches full of Zephrim, weighed heavily on my shoulder. In addition, the Sheath of Disaster¡
Isn¡¯t it too full~
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
As we walked quietly, Kaya suddenly broke the silence.
¡°What was that ck ice from before?¡±
As expected. I was wondering when she¡¯d ask.
The [ck Ice] was a magic created bybining ice and darkness elements. No one could say it was demon magic simply because it cast ck light, but in this situation, it was understandable to have doubts.
If I evaded this question, there was a high chance that Kaya would imagine something wild.
Should I make something up and say it?
But there was no need for that.
I decided to answer honestly.
¡°Did you use a magic tool to change the color or something?¡±
¡°It¡¯s demon magic.¡±
¡°¡¡¡!¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes widened.
Whiiing-!
Kaya immediately retreated to the other side, wind magic wrapped around her feet.
Her tense face showed her alert posture.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Wonders if you are a demon.]
See, this is what happens.
I came to a stop and said calmly, ¡°¡I defeated a demon in the past and obtained an item.¡±
¡°Item?¡±
¡°¡®Remnant of Darkness¡¯. It¡¯s a Tier-1 item thatbines dark mana and my elemental mana in order to allow me to learn new magic. That¡¯s how I can use ck Ice.¡±
The term ¡®Tier¡¯ referred to an item¡¯s rarity. The lower the number, the more rare and valuable it was, and ¡®Tier-1¡¯ was without a doubt the highest grade.
By the way, did my response sound too much like an exnation? It may look like I am lying¡
¡°¡¡¡¡±
Three seconds. Three eerily silent seconds had passed, as if time had stopped.
Kaya lowered her gaze and nodded. She seemed to have arrived at her own conclusion.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Trusts you.]
I defeated a demon and showed Kaya. That alone demonstrated that I wasn¡¯t siding with the demons.
Perhaps Kaya thought simrly.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting you.¡±
Kaya rxed her guard and returned to my side.
20 minutester.
We emerged from Tantak Underground Cave. We were greeted by the starry night sky and a view of the gorge, the nearby forest, and the unpaved road.
Perhaps it was because our spirits were lifted, but the scenery appeared especially beautiful.
¡°We finally made it¡ Thank you for your hard work, Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°But, how will we go back to the dormitory?¡±
¡°¡¡¡¡?¡±
¡°¡¡¡¡¡?¡±
¡Oh right. How was I nning to get back?
¡°Are you going to camp?¡±
¡°¡¡?¡±
¡¡¡?
No, seriously?
It was an hour¡¯s walk from here to the carriage stop. It was alreadyte, so the carriage service had to be over. Besides, there were no amodations around here.
In addition, there was a limit to how far Kaya could fly using her wind magic.
It was the act of condensing enough wind to carry a person while releasing it steadily and continuously. The amount of mana consumed was unavoidably enormous if it wasn¡¯t intended to be used for a short period of time.
Even at Kaya¡¯s level, it didn¡¯t matter how much mana she had, she would run out after flying for about three minutes.
¡°You, did youe here without any ns?¡± I said, while Kaya silently lowered her head, her face beet red.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Embarrassed to show her clumsy appearance.]
¡That¡¯s understandable.
She never thought I was going to camp and followed me without a n.
¡°¡Follow me. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Kaya¡¯s face was filled with skepticism. It was as if a question mark had appeared above her head.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
In the middle of the gorge.
I was lost in self-indulgence as the radiant crescent moon reflected my appearance on the rippling stream.
The gorge kept the wind at bay, making it quiet, and the ground was t. In a nutshell, it was the perfect camping spot.
I took everything I needed for camping out of my magic pouch. First, I unfolded the simple tent and installed it with ease. It looked surprisinglyfortable with a nket and luminousmp ced inside.
Then, I pulled out two makeshift chairs. It was a good thing I had brought some extras just in case.
Kaya just stood there nkly. She seemed amazed by my intention to earnestly camp out.
¡°You came here with such a n¡¡±
Of course. I could catch a cold if I slept like that.
I did overspend, but I figured I could make a lot of money by selling Zephrim anyway.
It turned out to be the best choice.
¡°Kaya, can you bring me some firewood?¡±
¡°Oh, are you going to start a campfire?¡±
I nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll be back soon!¡±
Kaya wrapped herself in wind magic and flew into the forest over the gorge.
If she had her wind magic, she would be able to create firewood easily. Well, I did help her get stronger rapidly, and I decided to provide her with camping equipment, so I guess it was okay to ask for that much.
I sat in a folding chair and ced a dimly lit luminousmp in front of me.
¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯
I took out the Sheath of Disaster from my magic pouch and started examining it; there were fine scratches covering the ck sheath. When I stroked it, the smooth texture had a hint of roughness to it.
On the outside, it looked old and in. Therefore, it was a good item to catch opponents off guard.
Shuk-
I took out the dagger from its sheath and held it up.
A dagger with a moderately sharp edge. It really was just a normal weapon. Still, the dagger itself had its own functions, so it could be useful in many ways.
I put down the de and turned my gaze back to the Sheath of Disaster.
I was going to engrave the [Frost Explosion] magic circle on this sheath. Then I could use [Frost Explosion] without consuming any mana if I had the Sheath of Disaster with me.
I wouldn¡¯t have to release mana. I wouldn¡¯t even have to pretend to use magic. Wasn¡¯t it suitable for catching the opponent off guard?
However, the cooldown was 10 minutes, and I would need to keep enough mana in the sheath equal to the amount spent on [Frost Explosion] each time I used it. I would most likely only use it once per battle, but that single-use would give me the edge needed to win.
Of course, just engraving a magic circle and infusing it with mana wasn¡¯t enough. It had to be a spell I could use.
I reached level 50 today, so I should be able to learn [Frost Explosion] soon. At the very least, I wanted to learn it before the PvP Performance Evaluation.
¡°I¡¯m back, Sir Isaac.¡±
Kaya had already arrived. Next to her, the firewood was spinning in a little whirlwind.
She¡¯s really fast, she would do well as a soldier.
Come to think of it, life in the Astrean family mansion must be no different than in an army.
¡°Good job.¡±
¡°¡¡¡¡¡!¡±
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Delighted to hear your praise.]
She looks like a puppy.
¡I felt embarrassed for no reason. Have I ever had this much influence over someone? I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than when I was a ss leader in elementary school.
Anyway, I now needed to light a fire.
I took out a fire magic scroll engraved with a magic circle from my magic pouch and spread it out on the ground and fixed it with a rolling stone.
I activated the magic scroll by infusing it with mana. The spell was then activated, and a soft me rose gently.
¡¸Fire Generation (Fire Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Elemental scrolls could only be obtained up to a maximum of 2-stars. This was because there was a limit to the amount of mana that could be stored in a magic scroll.
The 1-star fire magic scroll I got was also useful in real life.
Kaya released her wind magic and ced the firewood on top of the fire magic scroll. Before long, the firewood caught fire and started burning¡
¡And the campfire wasplete.
¡®Oh.¡¯
Are you feeling okay?
¡°Sit down,¡± I said to Kaya, who just stood there nkly, as I pointed to the folding chair set up next to me.
¡°Yes, sir!¡±
The warmth of the bonfire wasforting, but the weather was still cold.
I took out a nket and wrapped myself in it before passing the extra nket to Kaya.
She thanked me and wrapped the nket around her shoulders in the same way I did.
Afterward, I heated water over the campfire and gave her a cup of warm tea. Kaya must have been amused by the number of things I brought out, as seen from the grin on her face.
¡°It¡¯s warm¡¡± Kaya¡¯s expression softened, as if her body was melting.
Crackle.
The sound of a campfire burning was rampant.
We quietly watched the campfire while sipping the warm tea. The silence wasn¡¯t that ufortable.
¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this rxed¡¡¯
It was the first time I felt rxed after being transmigrated into ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
It had been a month and a half since I transmigrated into this game, and I was working hard to get stronger. I needed to be as strong as possible in order to defeat the final boss, the Evil God Nephid.
Maybe that was why this moment of leisure felt awkward.
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, the life that had been passing by rose quietly, swaying like smoke from a bonfire, like a haze.
It was a life that I tried hard not to regret. I ended up transmigrating into this game, but I didn¡¯t have any thoughts of giving up.
Because if I gave up now, then it would all be over. I had clearly felt that already throughout my life while struggling through the exams that would decide my future.
It was hard. Magic training, physical training, and then studying. Every day, I pushed myself over and over again to the point where I felt like 24 hours a day wasn¡¯t enough.
But it was okay once you got used to the hard times. Even now, I was doing well in my routine.
¡As expected, all sorts of thoughts surrounded my head as I was spending time quietly.
However, it was fortunate that at this time, one of the people I had a lot of affection for from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was right next to me. It might be that thing called psychologicalfort.
She must have finished her tea by now.
At the thought of giving her another cup of tea, I turned towards the person I held dear to me.
¡°¡?¡±
For some reason, Kaya had her head lowered and her face was beet red. Above her head, smoke seemed to be rising like a hot spring mark.
Could it be that she caught a cold because of the chill in the cave earlier? Even then, she seemed embarrassed to admit she was feeling cold.
To check if she was suffering from a poor physical condition, I opened her status window to understand her psychology.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Extremely nervous at the thought of being with you.]
I was a fool for worrying.
Chapter 20: - Camping (2)
? Camping (2)?
I could understand her.
Since childhood, Kaya grew up like a soldier under the protection of the Sword Saint Gerald, and lived a life where she built a wall around herself and men.
For her, being in a situation where she has to sleep in the same ce as a man must have been quite a psychological blow.
Besides, I wasn¡¯t ugly. When I saw Isaac¡¯s face in the mirror, he appeared to be rather attractive. She even admired me.
The conditions were just right for something strange to happen.
I cast another nce at Kaya. She was still nervous.
She must have been afraid that I would touch her. In a good way, a bad way, or both.
That didn¡¯t mean I could sleep outside, I only had one tent.
Even if I made an igloo with ice magic, it was useless because I wouldn¡¯t be able to control my mana while asleep, and the spell would be dispelled.
¡°¡¡¡¡.¡±
¡°¡¡¡¡.¡±
In the quiet night, the sound of a crackling campfire and a gently flowing stream could be heard.
If I kept my mouth shut while listening to natural ASMR like this, the strange atmosphere would only get worse.
Just then, my drowsiness kicked in, and I was starting to feel sleepy.
Perhaps in this situation, it would be a good way to reassure her in this situation if I went to the tent¡¯s corner and fell asleep first.
¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Let¡¯s sleep.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, yes!¡±
Private Kaya Astrean.
She reminded me of when I first joined the military and was assigned to my own unit. I was a private.
I got up from the folding chair, with a nket draped over my shoulders. Then I entered the tent first, while ignoring Kaya, who was staring at me.
There was enough room for the two of us. I went to the farthest corner, andid down there so Kaya could sleepfortably.
¡®Ah.¡¯
This cozy feeling, what is it? It¡¯s nice.
It doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m justing over and camping¡ It¡¯s real camping.
¡°Excuse me¡¡±
After some time had passed, Kaya cautiously came inside.
Every move she made was fraught with tension. Her nket was slung over her shoulders and tightly wrapped around her body.
I did not respond on purpose. I only squinted my eyes slightly before closing them and pretended to be asleep.
Kaya went to the corner opposite of me andid down. I could hear the duvet and nket rubbing against each other.
Suddenly, it was quiet.
Will she be able to sleep well?
I slowly opened my eyes and nced in Kaya¡¯s direction.
¡®Oh my.¡¯
Tremble
I wasn¡¯t sure why, but Kaya¡¯s body was shaking violently like a bell. She stared at the empty tent ceiling, her nket pulled up to her lips.
She was tightly sticking to the opposite corner, making the center of the tent appear very empty.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Nervous at the thought of sleeping alongside you, as if her heart is going to burst.]
I won¡¯t touch you, so don¡¯t worry¡
¡®Well, she¡¯ll fall asleep eventually.¡¯
Thinking that, I closed my eyes again.
My whole body feltnguid. It seemed that fatigue had piled up.
After finishing a full day of sses, I rode a carriage to Tantak Cave, and killed Garzia the Hermit¡
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
Kaya suddenly called out to me.
¡°You said that you detected the demon¡¯s mana residing in the underground cave while at the academy. Did you know, by any chance, that I was following you¡ or, even when I was around¡?¡±
Of course, I didn¡¯t know.
As I reflected on what she had just said, it seemed like this wasn¡¯t the first time Kaya has followed me.
In any case, Kaya following me for whatever reason wasn¡¯t a situation that I wanted to deal with.
It was because there was a great risk that my secret would be exposed if she found out about my daily routine, where I was constantly training.
If that happened, I didn¡¯t know what kind of aftermath would follow. Unforeseen variables were a frightful factor in a position where I had to be as cautious as possible.
¡°¡Don¡¯t do that again. It¡¯s annoying,¡± I said calmly, clutching onto my sleepy mind.
¡°Ah, I understand¡!¡±
Kaya¡¯s answer trembled like an earthquake.
That should be enough.
Letting go of the tension in my mind, I fell into a dream.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
It had been about three hours. I awoke from a dream in which I fell asleep during a cold-weather military training. I was also dozing off there.
I raised my upper body. It was too cold in the morning to be sleeping with just one nket.
Although I didn¡¯t feel much cold from my own magic, I was no different from a normal person when it came to the cold caused by the outside environment.
¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold,¡± I grumbled as I turned to face Kaya.
I saw her lying with her back to me, covered by a nket.
After draping the nket over her, I pulled out a change of clothes from my magic pouch. I was going to sleep with this on.
It couldn¡¯t be helped. It was better for me to suffer the cold than for her, who had followed me with a childish mind.
¡°Ah.¡±
The Sheath of Disaster that was in my extra clothes touched my hand. I took out that item too.
Every time I saw it, I was filled with pride.
When I was young, I remembered getting one of the Egyptian God Cards, Obelisk the Tormentor, in a Yu-Gi-Oh! pack and looking at it all day long while being happy. I felt simr emotions as back then.
When I gently touched the Sheath of Disaster, a smile naturally formed on my lips.
¡°Beautiful.¡±
Hehe. I hope to use it well in the future.
I put the Sheath of Disaster back into the magic pouch.
¡®I have to sleep again.¡¯
I covered my body with the extra clothes I had taken out andid down. As expected, it was cold.
I curled up and folded my arms, trying to retain as much body heat as possible.
Luckily, sleep came easily.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The firstpany wake up call.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep!
In my dream, I awoke to an rm sound that I never wanted to hear again. It was brief, but it felt like crap.
Surprisingly, I felt refreshed and well-rested. Perhaps because I slept for so long.
I had been so busy with sses, training, and studying that I had to sacrifice sleep time, so fatigue became a passive skill for me.
This refreshing feeling, it felt awkward.
As I yawned and lifted my upper body, the nket that was covering my body slid down.
¡°¡?¡±
There was no sign of anyone beside me. When I turned my head, I couldn¡¯t see Kaya there. She seemed to have covered me with a nket and then left.
I opened the tent door. A cool morning breeze drove away any lingering drowsiness I had, and soon the crackling of a campfire followed.
I peered through the tent door. The morning sun illuminated the gorge. I could see the back of Kaya, who was sitting on a folding chair in front of the campfire.
She wore the coat I gave her yesterday with a nket draped over her shoulders.
The charred firewood in front of her was most likely freshly cut this morning.
I put on my shoes and walked out of the tent. Then.
¡°Huh!¡±
Kaya, who was startled for some reason, quickly turned her head toward me.
Why are you so surprised?
¡°Ah, Sir Isaac. Are you awake¡?¡±
Kaya smiled awkwardly, with dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was white and fair, so it was particrly noticeable.
It doesn¡¯t seem like she slept properly.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [She feels relieved that you didn¡¯t touch her, but is skeptical of her charm as a woman.]
What am I supposed to do?
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
After about 30 minutes of walking, the carriage stop appeared.
Kaya and I boarded a carriage and set off. Perhaps because a male and female student appeared out of nowhere, the coachman regarded us with suspicion.
The carriage began its journey towards the academy.
Soon after, Kaya started nodding off as she rested her head against the carriage window, falling asleep.
Her coat slid down, exposing her small shoulders. I lifted her coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Her head swayed as the carriage swayed, which caused her head tond on my shoulder. She waspletely rxed.
Thinking about it, I was uncertain what would have happened if Kaya hadn¡¯t been there. Originally, it wasn¡¯t allowed in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? to go and defeat Garzia before hepletely stockpiled his power. To begin with, you couldn¡¯t even enter Tantak Cave until the end of Act 2, Chapter 4.
Ipletely deviated from the form and explored previously unknown segments of the game. As a result, perfect preparation was impossible.
However, thanks to Kaya, I was able to sessfully pierce Garzia¡¯s [Indestructible Iron Body].
Moreover, I had no trouble collecting Zephrim. Firewood was also readily avable, avoiding the need for strenuous physicalbor.
¡®Thank you.¡¯
You helped out a lot. I¡¯ll repay you someday.
I leaned my head against the opposite window and gazed out. The morning sun illuminated the leafy green trees.
The morning fog that had nketed the forest was also dissipating.
And the sky was dyed in the purest blue light.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
About four hourster, the carriage arrived at the academy.
A sight of familiar buildings came into view. I even had the illusion that I had returned home.
Kaya was still fast asleep. She seemed to be exhausted.
¡°Kaya, we¡¯re here.¡±
I shook Kaya¡¯s shoulder, trying to wake her up. As soon as I said those words, she opened her eyes and sat up straight.
¡°Wake up!¡¡ Ah.¡±
It was obviously an instinctive move. She lived her life pretending to be gentle and meek, but in reality, her entire body was imbued with military discipline.
¡°D-did we arrive?¡±
Yes, we¡¯ve arrived.
Kaya got out of her carriage first, turned her head away from me, and covered her mouth. She seemed to be secretly yawning.
I followed her and handed the payment to the coachman. He bowed lightly and drove away.
¡®She looks very tired.¡¯
It would be best to send her home as soon as possible.
But there was something important I needed to say. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was necessary, but I didn¡¯t want to leave it out.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir Isaac!¡±
Kaya stiffened her movements as she turned her head towards me.
It was a tense situation.
In any case, it would be best to keep the defeat of Garzia a secret.
If Alice Carroll, the student body president, found out, it would be the end of my life.
Fortunately, she didn¡¯t know about the existence of Garzia, let alone an item like the Sheath of Disaster.
Alice was just a shadowy figure trying to help the Evil God Nephid manifest.
The Evil God Nephid wasn¡¯t on her side.
¡°Keep yesterday¡¯s incident a secret. It would be troublesome if others find out, so don¡¯t reveal it to anyone.¡±
¡°Ah, yes¡¡±
Kaya¡¯s voice crawled in like the sound of an ant¡¯s chirp. Wasn¡¯t it a bit cute?
Her face was flushed red again.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Embarrassed and ttered about having a secret between you and her.]
What is she mistaken about again¡
¡°I mean the demon.¡±
¡°Ah, the demon, of course, I was thinking about the demon¡! I¡¯ll keep it a secret. I¡¯m sure Sir Isaac must have a deep meaning. And also¡¡±
Kaya raised her head and looked at me with a solemn expression.
¡°The reason why demons appear in the academy, the reason Sir Isaac searches for and defeats the demons¡ Is there something in this academy that I don¡¯t know about?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡You don¡¯t have to answer. Sir Isaac is an amazing person, so there must be a good reason why you can¡¯t tell me.¡±
The atmosphere became heavy. It might have been a good idea to use the flow of the conversation to win Kaya over to my side.
The Evil God Nephid, the final boss, was the root of all evil. If I could find apanion to share information about that guy, it would certainly be great psychological support, especially if thatpanion was Kaya.
But I didn¡¯t want to put such shackles on Kaya.
The advent of a mighty being that could easily destroy the world. I wondered what the difference was between that and a death sentence. It was highly likely to put a heavy psychological burden on Kaya.
Anyway, I would keep defeating demons until I reached the Evil God Nephid. I already devised a n, and if all went well, Kaya would most likely follow my words. There wasn¡¯t much of a difference.
So it would be best if I did not respond to this.
¡°¡Thank you, Sir Isaac. I will go in now.¡±
Kaya understood my silence as an answer and slightly bowed in farewell.
She took off the school uniform cardigan and gave it back to me, turned around and walked away.
As I watched her leave, I fell into deep thought.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
M?rchen Academy was spread across an entire ind. So, under the leadership of the academy, a small economy developed on this ind, and money circted.
It meant that all sorts of ces you would expect to find in a city were here.
However, ording to academy rules, academy students were not permitted to sell items brought from outside. Students were only permitted to sell items obtained legally on academy grounds.
Upon entering the academy, all students were bound by the ¡®Marx Pact¡¯. It was an absolute oath governed by a providence created by ¡®Archwizard Marx¡¯, and it was effective only on the grounds of M?rchen Academy. Failure toply would result in a ¡®forced expulsion,¡¯ with one of the suspension conditions being the sale of goods brought from outside.
It was also prohibited to create added value in the form of consignment sales or subcontracting. I could feel a sense of determination from M?rchen Academy that said, ¡®This is ournd, so we will monopolize it¡¯.
Zephrim was a mana stone obtained within the academy grounds, and was an unowned object. I was relieved that I wasn¡¯t going to break any rules.
As an aside, the Marx Pact covered more than just trading. For example, it was strictly prohibited to bring in consumable items containing magic from outside sources. This included things such as magic scrolls and potions.
After parting ways with Kaya, I went to the appraisal center. Beyond a ss case lined with misceneous items, a short old man greeted me.
¡°Whoa, what kind of young man are you¡?¡±
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there were several appraisal centers and among them, this one ran by Harrison was the most generous. The only problem with it was that it wasn¡¯t essible at the beginning of the game.
However, because I already knew about the Secret Shop, content that was only avableter in the game. I was sure that I could enter this ce as well. I wasn¡¯t bound by the game¡¯s story after all.
I couldn¡¯t wait to see how much I would get for selling Zephrim here. I was looking forward to it.
As a side note, there was an unwritten rule at the appraisal center that they didn¡¯t pry into anything unless it was illegal, regardless of who brought it in.
Harrison, on the other hand, was a veteran with an open mind, so he wouldn¡¯t mind if I brought a bunch of Zephrim. He would probably just think of me as a lucky young man.
I politely bowed and took out two magic pouches.
Although the magic pouch could reduce weight, it couldn¡¯t be reduced to zero. Therefore, the magic pouch containing Zephrim was quite heavy.
However, my body was now trained in a hell-like PT. Carrying a magic pouch like this wasn¡¯t easy¡ but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill me.
I opened the magic pouch and took out the pale yellow magic stone, Zephrim, and ced it on top of the ss case.
Harrison¡¯s gaze shifted from me to the Zephrims.
¡°I¡¯m here to get an appraisal.¡±
¡°Oh, this is¡¡±
Harrison picked up one of the Zephrims and began examining it through a magnifying ss.
¡°Let¡¯s see, this is¡¡±
Harrison began to move the Zephrim around.
I remembered Ian Fairytale getting frustrated with his slow movements in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? but given his age, I decided to be patient with him.
¡°Hmm, ho-oh-oh¡¡±
His movements were very slow, but it was worth the wait.
¡°Mmmm¡ That¡¯s right¡ No, mmmm¡¡±
Somehow his movements were seriously slow, like a sloth, but it was still tolerable.
¡°Geee¡ heheheh¡¡±
¡10 minutes passed like that.
But just before my patience was about to explode.
¡°When are you going to tell me¡
¡°
¡°3000 gels.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°3000 gels for one of these will be enough¡ Off you go.¡±
My frustration disappeared like the melting snow.
I had brought a total of 56 Zephrims. I did some quick math.
That meant¡
¡®168000 gels¡!!¡¯
At that moment, my thoughts ceased.
Only one thought filled my head, bright and clear.
Tonight¡¯s dinner was beef.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
¡°Mydy, where on earth have you been all night¡?¡±
Inside Charles Hall, the highest dormitory of M?rchen Academy.
When Kaya saw Mary, the maid who had been waiting for her all night worrying, she replied with a serious face.
¡°I have been protecting the peace of the academy.¡±
¡°¡¡?¡±
Mary was puzzled, unsure of the meaning behind Kaya¡¯s words.
After Kaya reassured Mary through a conversation and said she wanted to rest by herself, she went into her room ¨C a luxurious and spacious room, iparable to the small tent she slept in the night before.
But her consciousness was still inside the small tent.
¡°Demons¡¡.¡±
She reflected upon the events of the day before.
Apparently, Isaac was aware that demons would appear at M?rchen Academy and enrolled.
To keep the peace at the academy, he must be killing demons. And she must keep his identity a secret to not interfere with his actions.
Although Kaya was unsure of Isaac¡¯s deeper meaning, she was certain that following his words was the best way to protect the people at the academy.
¡°¡Sir Isaac.¡±
The memories of her time with Isaac from the day before were still vivid in her mind.
His overwhelming appearance when he froze the entire cave, his kind appearance when he covered her with his coat, and his cold-hearted appearance as he unleashed his magic on the demon beside her.
All those memories flooded Kaya¡¯s mind. If her mind was an ocean, those memories were the seawater that filled it.
¡°He was cool¡¡±
He was someone she admired.
But apart from that memory. He felt a little different than usual.
It was at dawn when he secretly covered her with a nket.
Kaya, who had been pretending to be asleep with her mind in a daze, felt embarrassment and a warm feeling in her chest at the same time.
But above all¡.
©¤ ¡®Beautiful.¡¯
Hot. Just thinking about that word made her head start emitting steam.
She never imagined that Isaac would call her beautiful.
Ever since yesterday, her heart had been racing. It was as if a regr and intense sound was pounding in her ears.
It started out as nervousness, but after Isaac wrapped a nket around her and said, ¡®beautiful¡¯, she began to feel an inexplicable sense of ecstasy.
Kaya looked at her reflection in the mirror of the dressing table.
Her flushed cheeks¡ They weren¡¯t the problem.
Her hair was sticking out of her pigtails from sleeping in the tent and carriage, and the makeup that Mary had applied in the morning was pretty much gone.
She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her usual fashion, but her disheveled appearance today somehow bothered her. She tried to straighten her hair afterward, but it felt like a meaningless act.
¡°What are you doing, me¡?¡±
Kaya sighed as a sense of disbelief washed over her.
She couldn¡¯t quite make sense of what she was feeling and what she was doing.
Wasn¡¯t it too one-dimensional to think that it was all about looks in the first ce? Isaac was the one who said it after all.
¡®Was he just being nice?¡¯
Maybe he said that because he was proud of her desire to keep the peace of the academy.
Wasn¡¯t itmon for older people to say ¡®Beautiful¡¯ in the sense of ¡®beautiful work¡¯ when they saw a praiseworthy young child? It must be like that.
Maybe that was it.
¡°¡¡±
I think so¡
For some reason, Kaya couldn¡¯t take her hands off her hair for a while.
She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the mirror.
Chapter 21: - Ant Cave - Interlude
? Ant Cave ¨C Interlude?
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 50
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 605/605
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C-)
¨C Stamina (C)
¨C Strength (C)
¨C Intelligence (C-)
¨C Willpower (B+) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (C+)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (C+)
¨C Elemental Synergy (C+)
¨C Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (C-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (C-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (E)
¨C (¡ï4) Frost me (D)
¨C (¡ï4) Ice Wall (D)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter
I gained 14 levels at once.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, your mana increased at a progressively faster rate once you hit level 50, and I had just reached that point.
If I raised my level by just one, my mana would start to rise significantly.
It wouldn¡¯t be long before I learned [Frost Explosion].
I never thought it would be this easy.
It was a sunny afternoon. I was in the corner of the garden as usual.
I was sitting on the grass, staring down at the Sheath of Disaster in my right hand. I didn¡¯t want to waste any time, so I gently raised and maintained the [Frostfire] in my left hand.
As long as I kept the sheath engraved with a magic circle and infused with mana, I could use it once at any time.
Then all I had to do was charge it and use it.
I could engrave 5-star spells and below. However, the power of the spell would be the same as my current level.
When the [Hunter] trait was activated, I would need to infuse more mana into it.
¡®I can¡¯t wait to try it out.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t test the Sheath of Disaster right now. The moment I engrave a magic circle on it, the sheath would be assimted by the magic. I wouldn¡¯t be able to rece it with a new magic circle.
It would be most efficient to engrave [Frost Explosion] on the Sheath of Disaster. In other words, I would use this item only after I had acquired [Frost Explosion].
¡®Not yet.¡¯
I tucked the Sheath of Disaster into my pocket.
Next, it was time to distribute my stat points.
After I got up from my seat, I entered the status window [Potential <>].
[Potential] Stat Points: 38 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (C): 26/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (B+): 55/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Element Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]
¨C Rock esistance (E): 2/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
I had 38 stat points at this time and was close to maxing out my [Magic Training Efficiency].
Regardless of Isaac¡¯s actual potential, a [Magic Training Efficiency] of 100 was equivalent to a genius. My growth rate would be very fast.
However, as the grade increased, the time it took to advance to the next grade increased dramatically.
Even if I reach a [Magic Training Efficiency] of 100, it would take me a long time to improve stats beyond B+. Otherwise, the Hell difficulty of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? would be a breeze.
To obtain Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, my [Ice Elemental Resistance] must be at least 60, but that was something I could solve with time.
I also wanted to get my [Physical Training Efficiency] up. It goes without saying that the greater your physical ability, the more advantageous it would be inbat.
If I was not as athletic as Ian, I might find myself in a difficult situation in the future. Besides, if I thought about my future work, good physical fitness was essential. It would also help me with wielding legendary weapons.
Also, now that I had some stat points to spare, it would be better to improve my [Learning Efficiency] too. The higher your [Learning Efficiency] was, the faster your individual magic proficiency would grow.
It differs from [Magic Training Efficiency], which focuses on improving elementalbat abilities such as [Elemental Firepower], [Elemental Efficiency], and [Elemental Synergy].
It was a bonus that helped with studying.
¡®I¡¯ve decided.¡¯
Out of the remaining stat points, I invested 13 in [Physical Training Efficiency], 16 in [Magic Training Efficiency], and 9 in [Learning Efficiency].
[Potential [Physical Training Efficiency] has improved from Grade C to Grade B-!] [Potential [Magic Training Efficiency] has improved from Grade B+ to Grade A!] [Potential [Learning Efficiency] has improved from Grade D to Grade C-!]
No matter how hopeless Isaac was, if he had this much potential, he wouldn¡¯t bow his head to anyone.
Now it was back to training, training, and even more training.
¡°Whoo.¡±
I let out a deep breath, then raised a [Frostfire] in each hand.
* * *
Greung.
The mysterious monster that appeared during the ss cement evaluation.
Luce Eltania, the top seat of the Magic Department at M?rchen Academy, had repeatedly asked questions about the monster¡¯s identity.
But she had little to no sess.
Besides, there was no way to figure out what elements each student possessed.
Since the ss assignment evaluation, Greung haspletely disappeared.
She searched Delphine Forest for traces of mana just in case, but there was no sign.
¡®If I had known this would happen, I would have paid more attention during the mana evaluation.¡¯
In that case, she would have known what elemental constitution each student possessed.
It was the first time she regretted not paying more attention to others.
She was walking through the academy, basking in the sun with a troubled expression, when¡
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤!
¡She heard the sound of ice magic being used from somewhere.
It was simr to mes, but she could distinguish the subtle sound of ice crystals shing together. It was definitely ice magic.
¡°¡?¡±
The element that Greung used was also Ice.
Luce recalled Greung and headed toward the corner of the garden where the sound hade from.
She walked past the tall flower beds and avenues of trees.
Then an openwn spread out before her.
In the midst of it, she discovered a male student sweating profusely while practicing the 4-star ice magic [Frostfire].
His silver hair was half-curled with a bluish tinge, and his eyes were blood-red with an icy gaze.
Perhaps because he was focused on his training, his eyes were staring coldly into space.
In both of his hands, a cold me burned. The white cold and ice mana formed a me, and beautiful ice crystals floated around it.
¡°Ha!¡±
The man exhaled heavily and released the [Frostfire].
Luce knew who he was.
Thanks to her photographic memory, she could recall him as clearly as if she were pulling out a photograph. The man who had panicked when he saw her during the ss cement evaluation and then fled.
¡°¡¡±
He¡¯d appeared from the direction Greung had escaped, that guy.
And the ice element¡
¡°¡I don¡¯t think so.¡±
For a brief moment, Luce doubted it, but she quickly shook her head.
Greung was an overwhelming force. He wouldn¡¯t be training 4-star magic while sweating profusely all alone like that. Moreover, judging from the short range of [Frostfire], his proficiency seemed low.
It was a long way away from him.
¡°Ah, ahhh¡¡±
The silver-blue-haired man¡¯s nose began to bleed the same color as his eyes. He let out a groan as he lowered his upper body in pain.
It seemed he had overused his mana. Luce had never experienced it, but she knew that wizards sometimes overdid it and ended up like that.
She heard that when they reached that state, their entire body reacted violently, making it extremely difficult to use magic.
Despite this, he wiped his nosebleeds with his sleeve before conjuring cold mes in both hands once more.
Once again.
And then once more.
The man let out a [Frostfire].
¡°¡¡±
Luce watched in silence.
She didn¡¯t know why.
On the day she signed a contract with the Thunderbird Galia, the 10-year-old girl turned her gaze away from the human race in skepticism.
But now, Luce couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the silver-blue haired man.
Was it because of Greung? Could it be that the monster awakened her curiosity toward others?
¡°Hah, hah¡¡±
The man stopped his magic and caught his breath.
He sat on the floor, lowered his head, and breathed once again.
Was it over?
¡No. He stood up once more and repeated [Frostfire].
One more time, one more time. When it became difficult to use magic, he did exercises like push-ups and squats to train himself physically.
For some reason, she couldn¡¯t stop watching him.
Luce watched the man in disbelief.
*******
Every day, the silver-blue haired man went to the garden¡¯s corner to practice magic.
Luce watched him, from the roof of Charles Hall, a dormitory for the top students. From up there, she could catch a glimpse of him training.
On a moonlit night, Luce was resting her arms on the roof railing, her long rose-gold hair and one-piece nightgown fluttering in the breeze.
She looked at the man with her hawk-like eyesight.
The man mainly practiced basic ice magic such as [Cold Divergence] and [Ice Generation], and he was also diligently using [Ice Wall] and [Frostfire].
Whenever he had a chance, he would sp his hands together and gather ice mana between them. Luce, who had basic knowledge of most elemental magic, could easily figure out the reason.
That man must have been thinking of learning the 5-star spell [Frost Explosion].
¡°You¡¯re working hard.¡±
The night wind scattered the words that came out of her mouth. Not knowing what he was thinking, Luce simply watched the man in silence.
¡No, on second thought, she could understand.
Lightning elemental magic. Luce turned her back on that element.
She always poured lightning elemental mana into Thunderbird Galia, her 8-star familiar. Even at this very moment.
As a result, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t properly use lightning magic.
That was why she had lived by solely relying on water magic.
She lowered her gaze to her right hand. With a crackle, electricity flowed through her palms.
¡¸Lightning Generation (Lightning Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Hard work, hard work, hard work.
What is hard work?
As if in a shape dposition, the two words ¡®effort¡¯ broke into pieces and began to run through Luce¡¯s mind.
¡°¡¡±
Luce clenched her electrified hands into fists and let out a ragged breath. Her chest was throbbing.
The image of a silver-blue haired man practicing magic even while in pain.
It was a stark contrast to herself who kept running away from lightning magic.
¡
The next day, and the day after that.
The silver-blue haired man practiced magic in a corner of the garden. Even when his nose was bleeding and his body was exhausted, he continued to use magic.
Perhaps he was driven by a sense of improvement, but he appeared to bepelled by some greater purpose. He seemed to have a secret that he could never give up.
The more she watched, the more such thoughts crossed her mind. His visage of working hard was constantly stuck in her mind.
¡
A weekter.
Last night, it seemed like the silver-blue haired man would soon be able to use [Frost Explosion].
Luce was sitting on a garden bench, watching the man from afar.
He was still training his magic. He put both of his fingers together and created a gap between them, gathering his ice mana.
Then, when a blue magic circle appeared in front of his gathered hands, his eyes widened.
¡°¡!¡±
Luce involuntarily jerked her upper body forward.
The appearance of the magic circle meant that the conditions to use the spell had been met.
Now¡ was it going to happen now?
The man held out his right arm forward. In front of his right hand was a round, condensed ball of ice mana. A light blue magic circle silently followed his hand.
And then.
The man unleashed the condensed ice mana.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh©¤©¤©¤!!
A powerful explosion of ice.
In the blink of an eye, a spiky, stretched-out mass of ice appeared in front of him.
It was an ice mass at least ten meters long.
¡°Oh¡!¡±
Luce let out an exmation, unable to understand why she was clenching her fists in excitement.
Soon, surprise shed across the silver-blue haired man¡¯s face, which quickly turned into ecstasy.
¡°Ahhhhhh¡!¡±
The man tightly closed his eyes, then clenched both of his hands into fists and trembled.
Before long, he raised his head toward the sky and let out a beastly cheer.
He even shadow-boxed the air in celebration.
¡°Pu-huh.¡±
Luce unknowingly covered her mouth with her slightly clenched fist andughed.
Chapter 22: - Practical Training (1)
? Practical Training (1)?
[Time for Practical Training].
Since the grounds of M?rchen Academy were unnecessarilyrge, there were some buildings that were overly spacious.
This ce, ¡®Kalis Hall¡¯ was one of those buildings.
Kalis Hall was often used for practical training. I was at the training ground and paired up with three of my ssmates from the Magic Department.
I was in an empty room. On one side of the wall was the door we hade in through, and on the other side was a tunnel-like passage.
In front of us, a ¡®messenger¡¯ was pping its wings at a blinding speed, like a fly or a hummingbird.
The messenger was a round speaker the size of a man¡¯s fist. It was a magic tool owned by the academy, imbued with audio transmission magic and magic that transmitted the scene being watched as a video.
The cynical voice unique to Professor Fernando flowed through the messenger.
[You are divided into groups, which have been chosen at random. You will be fighting demonic illusions. Once you¡¯ve defeated them all and arrived at the final destination, your performance evaluation will be over. If someone is judged to have suffered a fatal injury, that student will be eliminated.]
The Kalis Hall alone could not amodate all first-year students in the Magic Department. Therefore, other groups not assigned to Kalis Hall would have to go to different areas for practical training.
[The main evaluation criterion for this practical training is how well you understand the characteristics and weaknesses of the demonic creatures you¡¯ve learned about so far, as well as how you can use elemental magic inbat. Second, how well you cooperate is also factored into your behavioral score. It would be best to take this seriously. We¡¯ll start in 10 minutes. Make sure you are fully prepared.]
It was the start of ¡¸Act 2, Chapter 3, Practical Training¡¹ from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
In this chapter, the protagonist, Ian Fairytale, became involved with Ciel Carnedas, a ss A student.
She was one of the official heroines. Later on, she would y a key role in assisting Ian in obtaining the ultimate weapon of the light element, the Luminous Sword.
She took a casual attitude toward the practical training and due to her apathy, she didn¡¯t even care if other students got hurt by her magic.
Because of her attitude, she ended up getting into an argument with Ian.
Then, the building copsed, Garzia the Hermit appeared, and [Act 2, Episode 4, Ant Legion] began.
Ian and Ciel join forces tobat the Disaster Ant Legion, but Ciel eventually decided to take on the Disaster Ant Legion alone.
In the meantime, Ian made his way through the ants to the center of the building.
There, he meet and fought Garzia, the main focus of Act 2, Chapter 4.
Of course, Act 2, Chapter 4 would be skipped because I already killed Garzia. In other words, this practical training would end peacefully.
¡Maybe.
¡°This is a very unpleasant situation.¡±
As soon as Professor Fernando finished speaking, a beautiful girl spoke with a sigh, as if she had been waiting for him to finish.
Her short light-brown hair cascaded down to her shoulders in a wave.
She wore a red rose hairpin in her hair, and the shawl draped over her shoulders was stunning. It had a golden border and a red background embroidered with roses.
Her bright golden eyes were looking at me.
Rose Red Rivera. She was a ss B student.
[Rose Red Rivera] Lv: 52
Race: Human
Elements: Fire
Danger: X
Psychology: [Feels contempt for you.]
¡°A vulgar Grade E is in our team. The lowest of the low, aren¡¯t you?¡±
She said with a confident tone as she looked down on me with a mocking expression on her face.
I was used to it now.
Just as I was about to ignore her, she stuck her head in my direction.
Ooh, she smells good. She must be wearing expensive perfume.
¡°Even a worm that crawls on the ground has a role to y. I¡¯ll instruct you on the role that suits you, so please don¡¯t get in the way.¡±
¡°¡¡¡¡¡±
Why are you so eager to start a fight? I don¡¯t understand, really.
The two remaining male students were unable to speak in the frightening atmosphere.
Certainly, Rose had the ability to quickly make people nervous.
¡®Ugh.¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, her role was insignificant. If I had to say it, she was an extra, not even a supporting character. She was only there for a short time, but she let it get to her head before being robbed of her arrogance by Ian.
You and I are the same, bitch.
[All right, the practical training starts now. Everyone enters.]
In the heavy atmosphere, ten minutes had passed.
Professor Fernando¡¯s voice rang from the messenger.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Our group began to walk down the tunnel-like passageway.
The tunnel was dark, but it wasn¡¯t long before we reached the end.
There were five demonic creatures, the ¡®ck Wolf¡¯, roaming around in the narrow arena. It was a demonic illusion created with an Illusion Materializer Magic Tool, there was some static in their appearance, but it was difficult to tell unless you looked closely.
The status window did not appear. It was clearly an illusion.
We stood at the end of the tunnel and watched the ck wolves. Because the moment we stepped out of this tunnel, a fight would break out.
¡°They have a habit of fighting in groups. So, Mr. n and Mr. Ethan, I need you to trap them with rock magic and ice magic. I¡¯ll end it all at once with me magic.¡±
Rose naturally acted as the leader. She seemed to believe that since she was in the highest ss among us, she should be the leader.
I had no objections to her selection as a leader. The only problem was that I wasn¡¯t a part of her n.
Well, since it was about ck wolves, I guess they don¡¯t need a ss D bastard with Grade E mana, though I wasn¡¯t really a Grade-E anymore.
Our group stepped out of the tunnel, and the wolf demonic creatures stopped and immediately started to keep us in check.
The ck wolves snarled, baring their teeth as the male students used their magic against them.
Dddddddd©¤!
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Crude walls of rock and ice rose from the ground, trapping the wolves while Rose hurled mes with both hands at the monsters.
¡¸Fireball (Fire Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Crackle©¤!
Kwaaaaaahhhh©¤!
A roaring red ball of [Fireball] struck the wolf demons trapped by the [Rock Wall] and [Ice Wall].
It was a fairly skilled [Fireball]. The wolf demons were scorched and scattered all over the ground, and then, with a whimper, they disappeared.
The ck wolf illusion was casually repelled.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep going.¡±
We followed Rose¡¯s instructions and moved to the next passage. Demonic creatures emerged one after the other, and Rose killed them all.
I want to get good grades too.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s thest one.¡±
¡°Easy, easy.¡±
Finally, we had reached the final stage. Rose and the male students were conversing quietly. The male students seemed to be in a good mood since they were performing well thanks to Rose.
Judging by the fact that she didn¡¯t give me any instructions, even after reaching the final stage, it was clear she had no intention of using me.
After passing through the passageway, we came to arge room with a marble floor. In the middle of the stage, the final boss stood guard.
It was an illusion of ¡®Tauro¡¯, a giant bull-like demon creature who appeared to be humanoid. It was at least four meters tall and held arge spear in its right hand.
Now I really had to y an active role. This wasn¡¯t the time to pander to Rose.
So, when I raised my right hand to create a [Frostfire], Rose red at me cynically.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying to get some points. Coboration is another criterion for evaluation, so wouldn¡¯t it be nice to work together?¡±
I answered in the kindest way possible with a capitalist smile on my face.
Rose¡¯s eyes narrowed in disgust, as if she were looking at a bug.
¡°Gross.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
For a brief moment, I doubted my ears.
¡°You¡¯re a Grade E, you don¡¯t even know the subject. Don¡¯t be disgusting. I am the leader here, and I want you to wait until I tell you what to do. Do you understand?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡Did I go too far?
¡°Mr. n, Mr. Ethan. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Rose and two male students walked out of the tunnel. I looked at her in disbelief for a moment before following them.
Then.
Roaring¡ª!
¡°Aaah, fire!¡±
¡¸Fire Generation (Fire Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
mes suddenly engulfed me. It surrounded me in a circle, leaving no openings for me to escape through.
¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to interfere?¡±
Wow, that bitch. You¡¯re going way too far.
What the hell am I dealing with?
Only then did Tauro, the humanoid demon resembling a bull, recognize our group.
Rose, n, and Ethan took up a fighting stance.
¡°Mr. n, Mr. Ethan! Formation¡! Huh¡?!¡±
Rose swallowed hard as she tried to give instructions.
Whooooooooo©¤!
¡°Waaaah!¡±
¡°Aaah!¡±
Beep-!
In one swift motion, Tauro leaped at n and Ethan and swung his spear. A loud horn rang from the bracelets of the two male students.
The bracelets were glowing red. They had been eliminated.
[n Neville, Ethan Purcell. Eliminated.]
Cold sweat dripped down Rose¡¯s cheeks. She, like the two male students, would have been eliminated if she had gone one step further.
Even from afar, it startled me. But Rose, who saw it right in front of her, would be absolutely terrified.
The door to the elimination room creaked open. All movements must be stopped until the eliminated are all gone.
Even the Tauro illusion remained motionless in a spear-wielding stance.
The losers walked towards the elimination door, a look of resentment on their faces. Now, the moment they step through, the door would be firmly closed, and Tauro would start moving again.
¡°Y-you!¡±
Rose turned to me. Her voice was trembling with urgency.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you a chance to perform¡! You wanted to fight, right? Be the bait. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll use my fire magic to defeat that demon!¡± Rose said, cing a hand on her chest. Her voice was high andmanding like a youngdy¡¯s, but trembling with fear.
I recalled a conversation I had with the NPC Rose Red Rivera while ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Her obsession with being the ¡®best of the best¡¯ haunted her. It was a mindset instilled in her by the Red Rivera family through their rigorous training.
However, hard work alone was not enough to beat the talented students of M?rchen Academy.
The fact that she was in ss B rather than ss A, which was the best, must have ripped her heart out.
She was even ranked at the bottom of ss B.
She couldn¡¯t help but feel impatient because she believed that she always gave her best effort. This, of course, included this practical training.
That was why she was trying to create an opening by using me as a sacrifice for Tauro and then attacking. If she wanted to be the best at M?rchen Academy, she couldn¡¯t be eliminated here.
And that way, she would look like she was doing her best.
By the way¡
¡®I think you should put out the fire first¡¡¯
She appeared to be in a hurry and wasn¡¯t thinking straight.
¡°Answer me!¡±
As the dropouts exited through the door, Rose screamed at the top of her lungs, her blood rising to her neck.
What could be the answer? Do it yourself.
©¤©¤©¤©¤[Ooooohhhhhhhhh!]
Tauro roared, resuming the practical training.
Rose¡¯s face became pensive.
Just as Tauro was about to swing his spear again, Rose quickly reached down and poured fire mana into it.
A red magic circle materialized on the ground and a pir of me erupted from beneath Tauro.
Hwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh©¤!!
¡¸me Pir (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Tauro immediately leaped backward to avoid Rose¡¯s attack. Despite hisrge size, he showed nimble movements and superb athleticism.
¡°Ahhh¡¡±
People who were good at magic were not always good atbat. Rose, for example, was not very good at fighting.
Her entire body trembled at the sight of Tauro, who refused to submit to her magic right away.
From the sound of her sobbing, she was probably in the midst of some ongoing frustration.
This was a stark reminder as to why she didn¡¯t make it to the top of the ss ranking.
Tauro, who had gained some distance from the [me Pir], began to lunge at Rose again.
©¤This is the time.
Rose¡¯s aggro was working well. Now was the time for me to make my move.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Just as Rose¡¯s mana control was disrupted and the surrounding mes started to dissipate, I created ice to cover the mes.
Then I took off running towards Rose.
On the other side, Tauro was also charging toward her, just like me. But no matter how many fire spells she threw at him, Tauro easily dodged it and closed the distance between them.
Realizing that she had lost, she dropped to the ground in despair. She was about to give her throat to the charging Tauro.
¡®Giving up already.¡¯
Pathetic. Well, I guess it didn¡¯t matter.
Rose was still quite a distance away. Even my front was obscured by her back, so the angle for attacks was not ideal.
Team kills were out of the question. But it would be a waste not to take advantage of this useful situation where she was acting as bait.
Luckily, I had a solution.
I took out the dagger I had been holding. It was the dagger housed inside the ¡®Sheath of Disaster¡¯.
¡®Here I go!!¡¯
I fiercely threw the dagger at Tauro with the Sheath of Disaster, drawing all the strength I had gained from the hell-like PT.
Whirl¡ª!
The dagger whirled around, cutting through the air without hesitation.
It flew past Rose and reached Tauro, who was charging at her.
I could feel the mana circuits in my body connecting with the flying Sheath of Disaster.
The moment Tauro reached Rose and swung his spear, I felt the sensation intensify.
Then, as if a trigger had been pulled, the magic circle engraved on the ¡®Sheath of Disaster¡¯ glowed pale blue and activated, unleashing a flood of ice.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤!
It happened in a sh.
The ice crystals and cold air swirled in a chaotic manner, and the ice that surged from the sheath of my dagger devoured Tauro.
Before I knew it, a jagged block of ice had taken over the center of the battlefield.
Soon, Tauro¡¯s shape vanished without a trace inside the block of ice.
At the same time, Rose¡¯s bracelet rang loudly.
[Rose Red Rivera eliminated.]
The messenger announced her elimination in a calm voice. Just before my Sheath of Disaster could activate its magic, Tauro¡¯s spear struck her.
Well, it didn¡¯t really matter, as I had no intention of saving her in the first ce. Who would want to save someone who looked down on you?
Rose¡¯s eyes were closed tightly and her head was bowed. She trembled and barely opened her eyes.
Coincidentally, I had just picked up the Sheath of Disaster that had fallen in front of the ice block and was clutching it in my arms.
¡°Uh¡? Wh-what happened¡?¡±
Rose asked in confusion.
I sighed, not wanting to see her appearance that was prone to despairing during battle.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
With my back to therge ice block, a white chill flowed around me.
I said that so monotonously that Rose swallowed her breath and widened her eyes in disbelief.
I unfroze the ice. Then, therge block of ice began to crack apart, turning into a blue powder that scattered into the air.
Then I turned my back and started walking down the next passage to my final destination.
Rose didn¡¯t stand up for a while. Her next destination was the elimination gate that had just opened up.
¡°>
Chapter 23: - Practical Training (2)
? Practical Training (2)?
Professor Fernando stood at the final destination. He looked at me with his usual cold blue eyes.
His teaching assistant walked over and took the performance evaluation bracelet from me while muttering, ¡°That, yes, yes¡¡± He looked like a zombie, overworked and exhausted.
Professor Fernando, who handled such an assistant, was like a necromancer.
¡°Group F, Practical Training is over. The results will be announced and feedback will be delivered in a week. Good work.¡±
¡°Can I tell the people in my group about that?¡±
I asked, since they had all been eliminated.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, I¡¯ll deliver it to them all at once before ss starts tomorrow.¡±
Professor Fernando then told us that we could go home. n and Ethan, the first to fail, had already returned to their dorms.
The manner in which the performance evaluation was conducted, as well as the specific assessments made, were strictly confidential. Hence, there was no need to worry about the student council president, Alice Carroll, discovering something suspicious like the Sheath of Disaster.
The only thing made public were the Grades. A weekter, the results would be posted in the central hall of Orphin Hall.
¡®Can I expect a better grade this time?¡¯
Even though I only got to perform once because of Rose, I still managed to defeat the final boss.
Can¡¯t I have some expectations?
Of course, now that I had enough gels and had tested the performance of the Sheath of Disaster, there was no need to actually dwell on the results of this performance evaluation.
Still, it would be nice to get a good grade.
I walked out of Kalis Hall. The bright sunlight shining down was so dazzling that I momentarily shielded my eyes with my hand.
My entire body felt unusually light. It reminded me of how I felt in high school when I went home early after midterm exams.
But it wasn¡¯t time to y around. I had to begin training immediately.
I¡¯d barely begun walking outside Kalis Hall when I was stopped by someone saying ¡°Wait a minute!¡± It was a fierce, yet delicate, youngdy¡¯s voice.
¡°How did you do it?¡±
It was Rose who asked me that. She stood in the shade of the building with her arms crossed while ring at me.
¡°What?¡±
I knew what she meant, but I was deliberately pretending to be clueless.
Snap.
Rose took a step toward me, veins forming on her forehead.
¡°I don¡¯t understand how you, a Grade-E, can defeat Tauro! Even if it was an illusion, I don¡¯t see how you could have defeated something so powerful! And besides, what the hell did you do? There¡¯s no way you, a Grade-E of ss D, the lowest of the low, could have used five-star magic already!¡±
Her voice was filled with tears, the way she tried to deny it was truly pitiful.
It was probably her tendency to restore her self-esteem by putting others down.
But her pride was crushed in front of the person she looked down upon the most.
She must have been devastated that another person had so effortlessly jumped over a wall that she couldn¡¯t.
Therefore, she tried to hide her own weakness by denying me. Otherwise, she would fall apart.
I often saw people like her in Sillim-dong1Sillim-Dong is a statutory division of Gwanak District in Seoul, Korea. Korea National University is here which is most likely what Isaac is referring to here.. Those kids definitely couldn¡¯t pass the exam.
¡°You conceded to me a hundred times, why didn¡¯t you save me when you had the means to defeat the enemy? Are you kidding me?¡±
But there was a very good lesson in this.
What¡¯s the secret to being happy? It¡¯s to not argue with fools.
¡°Whatever.¡±
¡°Eh¡!¡±
When I snapped at her with an icy re, Rose¡¯s face blushed red, angry to the point of tears. I wonder if she was speechless because she was so angry and frustrated.
Well, I was sure she was aware of how pitiful she sounded.
¡°Ah, ughhh¡!¡±
Rose gritted her teeth and stomped her foot.
She didn¡¯t seem to have anything else to say, so I just started moving my feet again.
You stay down there.
I¡¯ll head to the top.
* * *
A professor at the M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department must be well-versed in all theories of magic.
Fernando Frost became a full-time professor at M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department at the tender age of 25 based solely on his theoretical skills.
Even at M?rchen Academy, which gathered the best talents from across the continent, he was regarded as an object of envy. He was gifted with a great intellect, an outstanding appearance, and the ability to give a lecture that resonated in your ears.
As such, Fernando¡¯s near-perfect appearance was the result of his rigorous self-care and obsession.
His appearance was immacte. Sitting in a chair with his back straight and his posture upright. He mustn¡¯t look disheveled even when no one was looking.
Every action he took must be dignified, as befitted an elite professor at an elite academy.
Deep in the night. The rain was pounding against the windows.
The sound of rain broke the silence of the night.
Fernando was sitting in the office in Orphin Hall, a building in the Magic Department, reviewing the results of the practical training.
Meanwhile, all kinds of documents were properly lined up in the air. Fernando had suspended them in midair with telekinesis magic.
Knock.
Hearing a knock on the door, Fernando raised his head.
¡°Ahhhhh¡¡±
¡°Marco. Come in.¡±
Marco, a male assistant with brown hair, stepped into the office. His soul-less face did not resemble that of a human.
He walked over to where Fernando was sitting and handed him the papers.
¡°Uh-huh.¡±
Marco grunted like a zombie as Fernando epted the papers he had handed him. It was a document that summarized each student¡¯s practical training results, including grades and evaluation reviews.
He had to review it to make sure there were no issues before sending it up the chain ofmand. Fernando skimmed through it, confirmed that there were no obvious problems, and nodded.
¡°Next, this one.¡±
¡°Uh-huh¡!¡±
When Fernando pointed to the stack of papers next to him, Marco let out a sob that closely resembled a scream. However, the assistant had no other choice.
Marco, with both hands, picked up the stack of papers that were piled high enough to cover his upper body, and trudged out of the office.
Today, too, he would need to stay up all night.
¡°¡¡.¡±
Fernando flipped through the papers, reading them quickly with his telekic magic.
In today¡¯s practical training, he was assigned with overseeing Kalis Hall. He was using a crystal ball, just like the examiners, to monitor the progress of each group¡¯s performance evaluation through a messenger.
In this practical training, his role was to guide the performance evaluation.
To make sure that no problems urred during the evaluation.
If something went wrong, he had to fix it.
And to remove the eliminated students from the field.
Currently, he was evaluating the students after checking the videos of the practical training at each location.
This time, the first years of the Magic Department could hardly be called the ¡®Jade Generation¡¯, but as with every year, there were some diamonds in the rough.
¡®Top Seat, Luce Eltania.¡¯
Luce Eltania, the top seat of the Magic Department. Her mana capacity was overwhelming. Both her mana control and elemental firepower were impable. During the practical training, she used water magic to defeat the illusions of monsters with ease.
However, her coboration score with her teammates, was zero due to herck of social skills. Even when her teammates were friendly with her, she remained cynical.
You can¡¯t survive on the battlefield alone. Luce Eltania¡¯s weakness was her uncooperative, dogmatic attitude.
¡®And second seat, Kaya Astrean¡¡¯
Kaya Astrean, a first-year student and the second seat of the Magic Department. She was the student with the second-highest mana capacity after Luce Eltania.
Her skills were also impable, but she was an unfortunate prodigy who was overshadowed by Luce Eltania.
¡®Ciel Carnedas needs to reflect.¡¯
Ciel Carnedas, a top-ranking student in the Magic Department, had shown no remorse for hurting her teammates.
She even got into a fight with Ian Fairytale, who was in the same group as her.
Even if she has excellent magic skills, her divisive attitude reflected poorly on her coboration score.
¡®Mateo Jordana is pretty good.¡¯
Mateo Jordana, one of the top students in the Magic Department, was one of the topics of gossip among students. Contrary to rumors, he had a diligent side.
Compared to Luce Eltania or Kaya Astrean, he was on the weak side.
During his practical training, he used effective tactics while aiming for the weak points of the demonic creatures.
In addition, he had the charisma to make his members follow him. He possessed the qualities of a leader.
¡®Tristan Humphrey¡ has talent in magic, but he has a lot of problems.¡¯
Tristan Humphrey was another outstanding first-year student in the Magic Department. While his elemental magic was powerful, he had a lot to work on.
To begin with, it was a major issue to give up the task of analyzing the weaknesses of the demonic creatures while simply firing powerful magic.
While the power of his magic was strong enough to defeat the demonic creature illusions, it deserved the worst score in the ¡®whether they fought while considering magic efficiency¡¯ evaluation section.
In addition, because of his family¡¯s prestige, hepelled the students to follow him. His coboration score was also zero.
In the midst of evaluating the students, Fernando stopped moving in the material for Group F of the practical training.
¡°This kid¡¡±
If he had to choose the student who stood out the most today, it would definitely be a male student named Isaac from ss D.
Silver hair with a hint of blue and blood-red eyes. He was a student who came out with Grade E during the mana measurement ss and was clearly embedded into Fernando¡¯s memory.
This student had used the 5-star spell [Frost Explosion] today. The skill level seemed low, but it was certain.
It looked like he used a magic tool. Was there a magic tool that could engrave a 5-star magic circle?
The world of magic tools was vast, so Fernando couldn¡¯t easily figure it out. However,mon sense dictated that the existence of a magic tool capable of engraving a 5-star spell was an anomaly.
In theory, there was no problem. As long as the number of mana circuits in the magic tool was extremely high and the durability was very good. However, that level must be extremely high in order to withstand 5-star magic.
In other words, you couldn¡¯t get away with the structural issues of the tool. However, his main concern was the user of the magic tool.
It was hard to put anything above 3-star magic into a magic tool. This was because the magic circuit itself was much more advanced than that of a 1-star or 2-star magic, and the amount of mana that needed to be stored was different.
This meant that, even if a magic tool contained 3-star magic or higher, the user must be able to use the magic in order for theplex spell to be triggered. Otherwise, the trigger wouldn¡¯t activate. Exceptions belonged in the realm of the impossible and were unworthy of discussion.
Perhaps the professors who acted as examiners were searching through the books right now to figure out the identity of the magic tool Isaac used. It would be difficult to ask directly, as contacting students about exam content was prohibited by the Marx Pact.
Fernando was curious as well, but he was no exception to the ban.
¡®The mana evaluation was only two months ago. What are the odds that a student with Grade-E mana would be able to learn 5-star magic in just two months?¡¯
¡Not impossible. However, it was extremely, terribly low.
If he was originally a genius that lived without realizing that fact¡
Is it possible that he realized his genius only after entering the academy?
¡®It¡¯s not a novel or a y¡¡¯
Could there be such a dramatic story?
Fernando stroked his chin, pondering, then shook his head.
There could be such a student. In fact, this student¡¯s performance scores had been steadily rising.
There was also a record of him recently repaying all of his bank loans at once, including the interest at maturity, without waiting for the loan¡¯s scheduled deadline and without paying the rued interest.
He must have been working diligently. It could have been a case of him awakening to his magic talents.
This was the prestigious M?rchen Academy, after all. It was a ce where nothing was out of the ordinary, no matter how brilliant the student.
¡°¡¡±
Professor Fernando decided it would be better to give a positive review this time.
He wrote an additional personal evaluation of Isaac¡¯s feedback.
[Isaac is a student who has shown exceptional growth. He tends to rely heavily on magic tools as an alternative to mana, but given the timing at which he uses it, he deserves a positive evaluation for his actualbat ability. However, as a first-year student, it seems necessary to refrain from using magic tools as much as possible and focus on developing the ability to effectively apply pure personal abilities.]
Students who demonstrated their potential were fascinating to watch. Aside from Isaac, Ian Fairytale, who was also evaluated as Grade E in terms of mana, was also showing incredible growth these days.
¡°It¡¯s fun¡¡±
Watching the students you teach grow.
That was Fernando¡¯s favourite aspect of his job as an Academy professor.
¡°>
Footnotes:- 1Sillim-Dong is a statutory division of Gwanak District in Seoul, Korea. Korea National University is here which is most likely what Isaac is referring to here.
Chapter 24: - Dorothy (1)
? Dorothy (1)?
The morning sun was peeking through the curtains.
Mary, the Astrean family¡¯s exclusive maid, woke up with a firm spirit.
She got out of bed and folded the duvet neatly.
After a light meal of a sandwich and hot coffee, she washed up and changed into her maid outfit, and neatlybed her long purple hair.
The whole process was done like a machine. Her ce was neat and tidy, and everything was well-organized.
She inspected herself in the full-length mirror, tying her finelybed hair into a ponytail while checking the fit of her clothes. Everything seemed fine.
The 20-year-old maid tidied herself up and left the maids¡¯ quarters.
In a room on the 4th floor of Charles Hall ¨C the top-ss dormitory of M?rchen Academy ¨C there was a youngdy she served.
The youngdy was always up on time. Her long green hair was disheveled as she sat on the bed, dozing off.
Even when she was dozing off, she kept the duvet neatly folded, a habit she inherited from her father, Gerald Astrean, the head of the household.
Mary served the youngdy breakfast, which she ate blessedly well, for she was a voracious eater.
When the youngdy finished being bathed and was dressed in her school uniform, Mary trimmed her hair and sat her down at the dressing table to make her face even prettier. Then, with a ck cloth, her light green hair was tied into two pigtails.
Even today, Lady Kaya Astrean looked perfect.
Mary was satisfied.
¡°Mary.¡±
¡°Yes, mydy.¡±
But why?
Kaya nced up and down at her reflection in the mirror, and then a frown formed on her face.
¡®What is it?¡¯
Your appearance looks perfect today too, doesn¡¯t it?
¡°Well, I¡¯m feeling a little¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll fix it.¡±
Kaya didn¡¯t really care about her appearance. It was only because she was from Duke Astrean¡¯s household that she had to dress up beautifully with the aid of a maid to protect her dignity.
As such, Kaya had never once expressed dissatisfaction with Mary¡¯s work.
In addition, Kaya¡¯s appearance, which was created by Mary¡¯s touch, had always been praised by many.
Mary¡¯s skill at styling yed arge part in her being selected as Kaya¡¯s exclusive maid, and ending up following her to M?rchen Academy.
In other words, her ability to dress up Kaya in the prettiest way possible was something she took pride in. Nobody could ever take Mary¡¯s pride away from her.
As such, Mary couldn¡¯t help but have doubts.
Did she make a mistake without realizing it?
¡No. She closely examined the youngdy¡¯s reflection in the mirror, and found nothing wrong with her work.
The two-pronged hairstyle was perfectly symmetrical. The make-up was also perfectly suited to the innocent, yet elegant appearance of a student. As usual, a prettydy was there.
So, what¡¯s the issue? I mean, what did I overlook?
¡°I¡¯m thinking of changing my style for once¡ What do you think?¡±
¡°¡Yes?¡±
¡°Making it a little more feminine¡?¡±
Lady Kaya said with her eyes raised, as if it were something she uttered after careful consideration.
Mary wondered why the youngdy had a sudden change of heart, and instinctively guessed the reason.
¡°Lady Kaya, may I ask why you want to change your style?¡±
¡°Just¡ I want to dress up a bit more.¡±
¡°¡¡¡!¡±
She was ashamed of herself that Lady Kaya wanted to embellish herself further.
Mary sighed.
She wanted to ept it as a simple desire to be prettier, but Lady Kaya¡¯s behavior had been far too suspicious as ofte.
She showed a dazed appearance as if she were an empty shell, or she would be lying in bed at bedtime, kicking the duvet out of the way saying, ¡®Why did that happen?¡¯ and then¡
¡®Ah¡¡¯
A recent suspicious memory shed through Mary¡¯s mind.
She went to her room to serve tea to Lady Kaya, only to find her silently looking out of the window.
There was no response when she knocked on the door and asked to enter.
Mary snuck over to the side and watched her. Lady Kaya was blushing with a nk expression on her face while staring at a silver-blue haired man passing
Then, when Mary said that she had served her tea one more time, Lady Kaya¡¯s face flushed with surprise and embarrassment.
¡°Mary?¡±
The moment hade.
It was obvious that Lady Kaya had a crush on the silver-blue haired man.
¡®Since when?¡¯
Maybe thest time she stayed out?
That was the day Mary¡¯s life expectancy was cut short. She was so worried, she thought she was going to die.
Fortunately, Lady Kaya came back safely, and said, ¡®I have been protecting the peace of the Academy¡¡¯ Even though Mary didn¡¯t understand what she meant, she assumed everything was fine since Lady Kaya said such things with a serious face.
Lady Kaya¡¯s behavior only became strange after that.
At that time, what if she had stayed out with a man overnight, could it have been that silver-blue haired man?
¡®It¡¯s a mistake.¡¯
She would not have done anything indecent. Because if she did, it would have been inly obvious on the youngdy¡¯s face.
But the mere fact that she had stayed up all night with a man must have been a tremendous stimulus to Lady Kaya because of her vulnerability towards the opposite sex.
Until she graduates from the academy, treat her as though she is a man.
That was the order of the family head, Gerald Astrean.
She could clearly imagine his enraged figure.
Mary rubbed her forehead. Her head was already throbbing.
¡°¡My Lady, this appearance suits you the best.¡±
¡°Is that so? It can¡¯t be helped then¡¡±
Kaya twirled her fingers through her ponytail with a flushed face.
The surrounding atmosphere seemed to be indifferent to Mary¡¯s feelings of frustration and disappointment towards herself.
©¤ ¡®House Astrean Code of Conduct! What is the third principle?!¡¯
©¤ ¡®Second daughter, Kaya Astrean! Respect your instructors! Respect your elders! Behave with respect to those who deserve it! Maintain your appearance!¡¯
The family Code of Conduct was etched into Kaya Astrean¡¯s mind by Gerald Astrean.
The real meaning behind the third principle was¡
¡®Train yourself to be a person who, in the future, can stand shoulder to shoulder with those you admire.¡¯
However, Kaya realized that she hadn¡¯t been living up to the teachings properly.
¡®I want to look good for Sir Isaac.¡¯
The only person that Kaya currently admired was Isaac.
Did she present him with a neat demeanor and a decent appearance? No.
Speaking on her demeanor, she only showed immaturity when they went to take down the ant demons.
Every time she thought of the foolish side she showed to Isaac, she kicked the fuzzy duvet while thinking, ¡®Why did I do that?¡¯
Besides, what about her appearance? Wasn¡¯t she always wearing the same outfit? Even in front of the person she admired, she didn¡¯t look any different from her childhood self.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Kaya arrived at the ss A lecture hall for her morning ss.
Her mind was filled with thoughts about Isaac. But the fact that she hadn¡¯t seen him muchtely made her heart sink.
Whenever she looked at Isaac, he seemed to radiate an ethereal light, but shecked the courage to approach that light.
Even when he¡¯d told her never to stalk¡ª observe him again.
If he had reached the realm of an Archwizard, he would easily notice Kaya¡¯s approach. She couldn¡¯t afford to observe him.
It was simply a matter of speaking to him normally.
But after returning from defeating the ant demons, she became nervous when standing in front of him. It felt psychologically difficult.
¡®The House Astrean Code of Conduct¡ was it always this difficult to follow, father?¡¯
She thought about changing her appearance at the very least, in an attempt to catch Isaac¡¯s eye.
When Mary told her that her usual twin tails suited her best, she couldn¡¯t say anything. Kaya was never much of a beautician, even in her own mind.
¡®I want to see Isaac¡¡¯
She just had to go for it, what was so difficult about it? She knew the answer, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it.
Kaya wrapped her hands around her head and groaned.
* * *
I¡¯ve decided.
Let¡¯s give Kaya a gift.
She was extremely helpful when I went to kill Garzia the Hermit. If I didn¡¯t give her something in return, my heart would be troubled.
However, because she had a lot of gel andcked financial constraints, mary rewards were unlikely to appeal to her.
¡®Then, should I give her an item exclusive to the heroines?¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, you could give a heroine a gift that she would like in order to increase her likability. The chocte that I gave to Amy during the childhood friend kidnapping case was one of those gifts.
Kaya was also one of the official heroines. I knew very well what types of gifts she would like.
Among them, the best was by far the ¡®Armana Wand¡¯. Among the heroines¡¯ endgame weapons, this was the only item that could be obtained from the secret shop.
A wand made of the 8-star giant tree ¡®Armana¡¯, which guarded the Great Forest. It was the only wand among the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? weapons that resonated with nt mana. In addition, it had a gemstone made by condensing Armana¡¯s mana.
In other words, if she had it, she would be much more attuned with nt mana.
The [Elemental Firepower] and [Elemental Efficiency] of the existing elemental magic would also noticeably improve.
If Kaya had a great desire for improvement, she would jump up and down with happiness the moment she received it.
¡®It¡¯s so expensive¡¡¯
I walked out of the secret shop after buying the Armana Wand.
The Armana Wand was very expensive. The price was a whopping 120,000 gels. That was why at the beginning of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it felt like a pipe dream.
¡®It¡¯s surprising that I still have money left over.¡¯
Even after using 120,000 gels, I still had quite a bit of gel left.
The academy provided all the textbooks and high-end writing supplies. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the cost of living as long as I didn¡¯t spend too much.
I checked the Armana Wand as I walked. On the outside, it appeared to be a piece of grayish-brown wood with a gemstone roughly inserted into it. But it would feel different in the hands of someone with excellent mana perception.
I have to give it to Kayater when the time is right.
I went back to the dormitory, put the Armana Wand in a box, and headed to the corner of the garden as usual.
Now that I had finished my lessons for the day, it was time to focus on training.
I arrived at a corner of the garden and took my seat.
¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to level up today.¡¯
I was filled with excitement.
After some light stretching, I conjured up a [Frostfire] in each hand.
¡¡
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 51!] You have gained an additional 2 bonus stat points!] [Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 51
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 680/1000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C-)
¨C Stamina (C+)
¨C Strength (C+)
¨C Intelligence (C-)
¨C Willpower (B+) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (C+)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B-)
¨C Elemental Synergy (C+)
¨C Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (B-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (B-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (B-)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (D)
¨C (¡ï4) Frostfire (D+)
¨C (¡ï4) Ice Wall (D+)
¨C (¡ï5) Frost Explosion (D)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter
In the evening, the night sky was slowly driving away the glow of the sunset.
In a corner of the garden, the grass was frozen around me. These were the traces of me using magic in order to increase the proficiency of [Frost Explosion], [Frostfire], and [Ice Wall].
I only used [Frost Explosion] once, since using it consumed a third of my total mana.
But the increase in proficiency was proportional to the amount of mana consumed, so my proficiency would rise quickly even if I used it fewer times than other spells.
I was in the middle of casting a spell when the leveling system window popped up in front of me.
My level had increased by 1.
¡®That¡¯s great!¡¯
I was overjoyed.
I finally reached the mana power spike zone, level 51. My mana increased to 1000 in one fell swoop! My mana that was only rising gradually before, had now increased by half of my previous mana.
[Frost Explosion] consumed 200 mana each time it was used. Thus, after using it 3 times, I would almost run out of mana, but now it was possible to use it 4 or 5 times.
In addition, the increase in mana rose exponentially with each level, to the point where the expression ¡®exponential¡¯ would be overshadowed.
The Isaac Coin is going to skyrocket~
¡°Huh?¡±
While I was happily looking at the system window, a new system window suddenly appeared and ovepped it.
[You have acquired the passive skill [Demon Detection] through the effect of the unique trait [Hunter]!]
Oh right. If I had the unique trait [Hunter], I would be granted a passive skill based on my level.
By the time I got [Hunter] in the game, I was already at a high level, so I didn¡¯t realize that I had already acquired it.
I opened the status window, went to the [Skill Tree <>], and tapped on the [Neutral] slot which activated the passive skill [Demon Detection], a skill derived from the unique trait [Hunter].
[Demon Detection (¡ï5)] Detects nearby demons and determines their identity. As you level up, the range at which you can detect demons increases.
Type: Passive Skill
Elements: Neutral
Acquisition Conditions:
¨C Lv 51 (O)
¨C Possesses Unique Trait [Hunter] (O)
I knew where and how the demons would appear in the future.
But I wasn¡¯t sure if they would behave the way I wanted them to. Meaning, [Demon Detection] would be useful at times.
I invested the newly acquired 2 stat points in [Physical Training Efficiency].
I had to train and study at the same time, and this routine required tremendous stamina. Perhaps it was because of my recent investment in [Physical Training Efficiency] that I noticed an increase in stamina. Thanks to this, I felt that my overall training efficiency had increased.
Besides, my [Magic Training Efficiency] was Grade A, so I could afford to do it.
It would be better to invest in [Physical Training Efficiency] as much as possible and aim to be Iron Man Isaac.
[Potential [Physical Training Efficiency] has improved from Grade B- to Grade B!]
¡®Good.¡¯
Now, there are only three events left that could be considered important until the end of the first semester of the first year. The Duel, Familiar Summoning, and End-of-Semester Evaluations.
The Dueling Chapter in Act 3, Scene 1 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was significant because it showed Ian Fairytale challenging Luce Eltania to a duel and fighting, revealing to the students that he had the light element constitution. There was no need for me to intervene, as there was no impending bad end.
There was also nothing special about summoning a familiar. I guess you could say it was a good thing in terms of increasing my power, but there was no crisis.
There was a reason why these crisis-free chapters would be repeated twice. It was because thest part of the first semester, the Thunderbird Subjugation, was excruciatingly difficult.
So far, thanks to the [Hunter] trait, I had been overwhelmingly destroying the demons, but I really needed to be prepared to die during the end-of-semester evaluation. It was because the Thunderbird Galia is extremely powerful.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the maximum level was 200 and the level of Thunderbird Galia was 175. On the other hand, even with the [Hunter] trait activated, I would be level 151.
The higher the level, the greater the gap a single level caused. In fact, it meant that it would be impossible to win against the Thunderbird.
The best I could do was avoid him as much as possible.
The viin of the Thunderbird Subjugation part was ¡®Vera the Summoner¡¯. If I killed that bastard before being overwhelmed by the Thunderbird, the situation would be over.
¡®I have to train hard.¡¯
Now was the time to focus on my training.
pping my cheeks with both hands to drive away my worries, I put my fingers together and created a gap between my hands.
Ice mana began to condense as it flowed through the gap.
Light blue ice mana condensed into a dense mass. It flowed quietly, like the calm before a storm, and gathered in my hand, softly shining like moonlight.
In order to use [Frost Explosion] with the body of an ordinary Isaac, it was necessary to spend time in this position.
It took about 5 seconds to condense mana as quickly as possible and use [Frost Explosion]. If I wanted to increase the power, I needed to spend more time in the preparation process.
Condensing to 15 seconds was the limit at my current level. After that, the mana stopped gathering and leaked into the surroundings.
Then, in my mind, I engraved the magic circle for [Frost Explosion].
When the magic circle of [Frost Explosion] appeared in the air, it implied that the spell activation condition had been met. It appeared in front of my hand this time.
The light blue mana that had condensed in front of my hand began to rotate slowly. It was a shape that seemed to gather the radiating cold air.
I held it in my right hand and extended my right arm forward, aiming at the air.
The magic circle of [Frost Explosion] followed the movement of my right hand. Now that I shot this¡
¡°Waaaahhhh!!¡±
What was that? A scream?
No, it seemed likeughter.
My concentration shattered in surprise, and the condensed mana was dispelled.
I raised my head.
In the sunset sky, a female student was falling at a terrifying speed.
A witch hat pressed tightly against her head, a shawl draped over her shoulders, and the hem of her skirt fluttering wildly.
Her long, flowing hair was a light shade of purple, tied up at the very end.
And a slight glimpse of her face full ofughter could be seen from under the hat.
Chararara©¤
A cluster of beautiful, vibrant starlight flowed out from the girl¡¯s toes, causing her fall to slow dramatically.
Shended lightly in front of me.
At the same time, the starlight that was seeping out disappeared.
¡°Ahahaha! Ahh, that was fun~¡±
She, who had a pretty and cute appearance, smiled brightly as she let out a cheerful voice.
¡®Oh my god¡¡¯
For a brief moment, I wondered if I was mistaken.
As long as I was transmigrated in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I was bound to see her someday.
An opponent I hadn¡¯t expected to suddenly fall out of the sky.
It was like running into a celebrity when you least expected it.
¡°Hmm?¡±
She turned to face me, as if she had finally noticed my presence.
With eyes that seemed to contain the universe, her star-shaped pupils captured my appearance.
[Dorothy Heartnova] Lv: 180
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Rock, Starlight
Danger: X
Psychology: [¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï]
Officially, everyone could only use two types of elements. The only exception was when you received the power of a fairy. Just like the girl standing right in front of me.
She had made a contract with Ste, the Star Fairy, and used magic with an unusual element called ¡®Starlight¡¯. It wasn¡¯t derived from the main elements, but it was an element in its own realm, so there is nothing to discuss.
That was why she was called the ¡®Star Witch¡¯ and was one of the most powerful forces in the academy.
¡°Huh, you¡¯re a first year.¡±
¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤
¡°What were you doing here?¡±
She asked with a smile as she straightened her witch hat.
It was Dorothy Heartnova, my favorite character.
Chapter 25: - Dorothy (2)
? Dorothy (2)?
A magic talent that seemed to be blessed by the heavens. The depth of her power was said to be unfathomable.
With a level of 180, she was overwhelming.
¡®Oh my¡¡¯
I never thought I would see Dorothy Heartnova in person. I couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized by her beauty.
Perhaps, because she was the character that I liked the most, it may have been that I was looking forward to seeing her.
A small blue jewel brooch hung from the ribbon of her school uniform. The color blue represented second year.
¡°I was training¡ but what about Senior?¡±
I struggled to maintain myposure, and when asked what I was doing here, I responded back with a question.
Despite asking just now, I already had a guess as to why Dorothy fell from the sky.
She must have descended from the sky while admiring nature¡¯s beauty.
She did it here and there, but today she just happened to use the corner of the garden as anding point.
¡°Me? You saw, didn¡¯t you? I was falling from the sky!¡±
¡°Then why were you falling from the sky?¡±
¡°I was watching the rain clouds gather. I left because there was nothing more to see, so I came down.¡±
Dorothy answered with a smile.
¡°When I¡¯m up there, I can see the horizon. I love the line between the sunset sky and the sea. It¡¯s so romantic to watch the sun disappear beyond the horizon.¡±
In an excited voice, she started talking about things I wasn¡¯t even curious about.
¡°I especially enjoy the moment when rain clouds form. Should I call it aesthetically pleasing? So! I was flying around watching it when I said, ¡®I¡¯m done now,¡¯ and came down.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°Nihihi.¡±
Dorothy said innocently.
Her starlight magic allowed her to manipte natural world forces such as gravity, electromaism, and strong and weak forces, which allowed her to see the horizon as she levitated.
It was on an entirely different level from simply floating with wind magic.
¡°So, what kind of training are you doing? Ice element? Why are you doing it here? Are you usually alone? What kind of magic are you using? How many stars can you use up to?¡±
She walked up to me with quick steps and showered me with questions.
Since she was ¡®pretending¡¯ to be curious, I went along with it. In reality, there was no curiosity or interest in her questions. It was just an act to ease the other person¡¯s mind.
Dorothy treated others in a friendly way, but despite how friendly she appeared to be, she never opened her heart to another person. She wore the mask of a smiling face and always drew an invisible boundary between herself and others.
She was the exact opposite of Luce Eltania. While Luce was indifferent to others, if she opened her heart, she would open it uppletely. This was because she didn¡¯t know how to maintain a proper distance.
¡®Whoa.¡¯
Snap.
Dorothy leaned her face close to mine.
Startled, I reflexively jerked my head back.
She was always smiling, always trying to make everyone like her. However, there were a lot of pretenses mixed into that smile.
Beneath the witch¡¯s hat, her eyes, which appeared to hold the entire universe, were staring into my own. It was as if they were trying to prate my very soul.
It wasn¡¯t an analogy. She really could see straight through my soul.
My passive skill that could be used thanks to the Abyssal Ring, [Psychological Insight]. Dorothy could use a simr skill called [Emotional Insight].
Fear, affection, longing, love, friendship, and more. She could tell what emotions the person she was looking at was harboring towards her.
In addition, she also had a unique trait called [All In The World] which allowed her to see into the essence of living things, though the exact scope of this ability was not revealed in the game. It must have been to add a sense of mystery to Dorothy.
Well, the ability to see into the essence of things cameter in the game. It was relegated to a basic skill for high-level characters.
¡°Do you know me?¡±
As expected, she could see right through me.
I wasn¡¯t sure how my state of mind was being reflected to her, but it wasn¡¯t looking good.
I couldn¡¯t just answer, ¡®I know you because I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¯, so I decided to fake it a bit.
¡°Yes, because you are Senior Dorothy.¡±
¡°Hmmm.¡±
Dorothy tilted her head as if I didn¡¯t give a very satisfactory answer.
In hindsight, her reaction made sense. It would be strange if I didn¡¯t know Dorothy Heartnova from M?rchen Academy. There must have been a deeper meaning to her question.
She was my favorite character. In other words, there was a high possibility that my feelings were seen as something like ¡®affection,¡¯ which was a pretty big deal.
In Dorothy¡¯s situation, it would be strange to see those emotions in someone she never met before.
If so, what would be an appropriate answer?
¡®Maybe I should say something like this.¡¯
It didn¡¯t take me long toe up with something I knew Dorothy would like.
¡°I¡¯m a fan of Senior Dorothy.¡±
I said with a confident snort.
¡°Oh, really?¡±
Dorothy looked surprised.
She was an attention seeker who loved to stand out. It was called celebrity syndrome.
She liked to stand out from the crowd, and that was why she always used ¡®Starlight¡¯ magic unconditionally when standing in front of people.
¡®That¡¯s why I like her.¡¯
Dorothy was a named character, but wasn¡¯t an official heroine. Even so, my favorite character in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was definitely her.
When I was living exhausted from studying for exams, I felt like a nobody with nothing special in this world.
It was an empty everyday life.
I would go to the study room at dawn when the sky was not yet bright and when I left the study room, the stars embroidered in the night sky would wee me.
It was because of such an insignificant daily life and routine that Dorothy, a person who wanted to shine and reveal herself wherever she was, resonated so strongly with me.
You don¡¯t know how much strength I¡¯ve gotten from thinking about you.
¡°Hmm, I see. A fan of mine~¡±
Dorothy stepped back, closed her eyes, and nodded as she cleared her throat. She looked embarrassed. That was a genuine reaction, I knew it because I¡¯d seen it in the game.
Thus, fans were the best being to disarm Dorothy.
It was a situation where the person concerned could even read my feelings. There would be no doubt about the answer that I was her fan.
¡°If I have a fan in the first year, doesn¡¯t that mean I already have a fan club?!¡±
¡°¡Yes?¡±
Does that exist¡?
¡No wait, is it actually real?
¡°Ahhh, what the heck. Can I have a fan meeting? The time has finallye for my autograph to shine!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s thoughts quickly escted, and excitedly counted on a fan meeting happening before it was even certain.
Still, she was cute, so I just watched her in silence.
It was as if my daughter, who hadn¡¯t even graduated from kindergarten yet, revealed her aspirations, saying, ¡®I will be a celebrity when I grow up¡¯, and she seemed already worried about a fan meeting. How could that not be cute?
Of course, I had never been married, so I didn¡¯t truly know the feelings of a parent, but I still felt that way anyways.
¡°Who¡¯s the president?¡±
¡°For the first year, me.¡±
¡°Eh? Is it already divided into grade years¡?¡±
I didn¡¯t know. In the first ce, even if there was such a thing as a fan club, I was just trying to be nice.
I had no clue about the other years, but I was pretty sure I was the No.1 fan of Dorothy in the first year.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? Yeah, I had a lot of experience.
¡°I mean, that autograph.¡±
I decided to get her autograph in order to follow Dorothy¡¯s rhythm.
I took out a piece of parchment from the ss materials I had brought to review and handed it to Dorothy.
She giggled, took out a quill pen, and scribbled her autograph on the parchment.
I got it back.
It was just scribbles.
¡°Nihihi, nice to meet you!¡±
¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re happy. Nice to meet you too.¡±
¡°Look at the way you talk~ It¡¯s so cute! Nyahaha!¡±
Dorothy smiled broadly. Just looking at her smile made me feel good.
¡°Oh right. I¡¯m taking time away from your training, president.¡±
¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay.¡±
¡°Mmm! That¡¯s right. Since you are my fan, just looking at my face will recharge your energy, right?¡±
I wish that would give me strength.
Because otherwise, it seemed like I was going to fall behind in training.
¡°Just kidding~ I have to go now. Train hard!¡±
¡°Ah, yes!¡±
Dorothy turned to the side and started to walk away, waving her hand at me as she did so.
Then, when her figure disappeared into the trees and out of sight, my expression melted.
¡°It was a nice sight.¡±
She was really nice and pretty. Why was Dorothy not an official heroine?
That was my biggestint in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. If Dorothy had a lover¡¯s ending, I would have spent two-thirds of my ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ying time on her route.
¡®Anyway¡¡¯
It was time to focus again. Regardless of the nice experience just now, it was time to get back on track and concentrate on training.
Now that I had gotten a bit stronger, it would be better to go to the training ground for a while and work on increasing my [Elemental Synergy] as well¡
¡°President!¡±
¡°¡¡!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s cheerful voice hit my ears.
Turning my head in the direction of her voice, I saw Dorothy¡¯s peeking her head out from behind a tree.
She still had a big smile on her face.
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±
Ah, my name.
¡°It¡¯s Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes, Isaac! See you again tomorrow!¡±
¡°Yes¡ huh?¡±
See you again ¡®tomorrow¡¯?
Just as I was about to ask why tomorrow, Dorothy waved her hand and walked away, her feet imbued with starlight mana.
A cluster of colorful lights floated for a moment in her wake and then faded away.
¡°Tomorrow?¡±
What, all of a sudden?
It felt like a nuance that said ¡®You must see me tomorrow¡¯.
Because I¡¯m a fan? No wait, I am a fan, but¡
¡°¡¡±
I pondered, trying to figure out what Dorothy meant. However, thinking that it was a waste of time, I decided to focus on my training again.
If she really doese tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to ask tomorrow.
* * *
¡°That¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen anything like this¡¡±
The silver-blue haired man who had been training a while ago.
He was hiding something sinister that even Dorothy Heartnova had never seen before.
Her unique trait, [All In The World], allowed her to see through the essence of everything under the heavens. Using this power, Dorothy saw the essence of the man named Isaac as soon as she saw him.
Inside his essence was an enormous existence, capable of swallowing everything in the world.
The Unknown.
It was an existence that could only be described with that expression, and its identity waspletely unknown.
It was something of immense size and looked terrifyingly ferocious ¨C a mass of near-infinite mana that defied providence.
Its countless eyes all stared at Dorothy in unison, each one giving her a strong sense of oppression.
It made her feel as though she were an insignificant being.
And then it spoke to her.
©¤©¤©¤©¤ [ ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö? ]
It sounded like high frequency, but Dorothy could instinctively grasp the meaning of those words.
It must have meant something like ¡®You are looking at me with your bare eyes, do you want to die?¡¯.
For a brief moment, she was scared.
It was fascinating that she felt fear simply because of something hidden in the essence of human nature.
Moreover, the giant thing had beenpletely assimted by Isaac. It belonged entirely to him.
When it starts to rage, Isaac would be able to wield immense power.
She didn¡¯t know how strong he would be, but it was probably beyond her imagination.
In short, Isaac seemed like a mild-mannered student on the outside who was simply being sincere.
But in reality.
¡°A monster.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s lips curled into a wry smile.
She had heard rumors of the so-called geniuses among the first years, like Luce Eltania and Kaya Astrean. Looking back, they were definitely talented. Especially Luce Eltania, who seemed to have the potential to reach the top in no time.
Even so, it was clear that if Isaac used his original power, they would not be able to withstand it, even if all of the first-year students, including the girls, attacked him.
Besides, if Isaac could borrow that power at will, he could easily surpass even Dorothy herself, who was called a genius among geniuses.
In conclusion, Isaac was not an easy opponent, even for the person called Dorothy.
He was the person who might be the strongest in the academy.
¡°As expected of M?rchen Academy. This is why I like this ce~¡±
There was a reason why it was called the most prestigious academy on the continent.
With the power of [All In The World], she thought that she had reached the point where she knew everything. There was nothing more to be interested in.
But now, something new and mysterious had appeared¡
It was fun.
Dorothy smiled brightly and walked across the academy ground with light steps, hopping like a rabbit while doing so.
She decided to observe Isaac for the time being.
It was the middle of the night.
The sky was filled with rain clouds, making even the moonlight invisible.
High above the ceiling of the tall Kalis Hall, a demon d in ck was sitting on the railing, watching the surroundingndscape.
His grayish-brown hair cascaded neatly down his back. His face showed a hint of mischief, and his physique was dwarfed. Strictly speaking, he was a human male, but his skin was a dull gray.
A [ck me Curtain] made up of ck mes surrounded him. As soon as the raindrops hit the curtain, they evaporated and disappeared.
The demon hummed a song as he swung his outstretched legs back and forth in front of the railing.
He was scanning the surroundings with his two pairs of eyes, looking up and down on both sides.
Earlier, he hade here to catch some fresh air after talking with Alice Carroll, the student council president of M?rchen Academy¡
[Hmm?]
¡When a unique sight caught the demon¡¯s eye.
Far away, a man in a navy-blue tracksuit was running across the academy grounds, with [Ice Curtain] wrapped around his body.
It would be understandable for someone from the Knight Department to be running in such bad weather, but the tracksuit clearly belonged to the Magic Department.
The demon studied the man. Thanks to his excellent eyesight, he could easily make out the man¡¯s features, no matter how far away he was.
[Ah, he¡¯s that Grade-E.]
The demon spoke in a low voice.
Silver hair with a slightly bluish tint and crimson eyes.
Thanks to the student council president, the demon had memorized everything after looking at the academy¡¯s student record and the results of mana evaluation (which was public information).
He recognized the silver-blue haired man who was running at once.
The lowest rank that was rated as Grade-E in terms of mana. It was Isaac, amoner and the man who was said to be the weakest in the academy.
[You¡¯re a fool, you¡¯re a fool. You¡¯re not at the bottom of the first grade for nothing. Try exercising in this weather for a hundred days, a thousand days, and see if your mana goes up or not].
The demon giggled. Isaac looked pathetic. No wonder he had a miserable life at the bottom.
He would be much better off at the training grounds, practicing his magic, instead of running around in the rain.
[Ah, I want to y with you~ If I see something weak, I just want to crush it~]
The demon swayed his upper body from side to side and fell into agony. Should he harass that jogger or not?
¡He gave up. After all, that guy was in the first year. Before the start of the dueling evaluation, he shouldn¡¯t disrupt the schedule by doing something so conspicuous.
On the day of the PvP performance evaluation in the first year of the Magic Department, the demon nned to murder all the students. First he would imprison all the students with the 8-star magic [Fictional Hell] and y arge-scale death game.
Let¡¯s hold on until that day. Suppress your desire to torment and kill humans. So that when the nned day finally arrives, you¡¯ll feel even more exhrated.
[Come quickly, that day~]
Suddenly, one day, he remembered the mission he had received from the evil god, Nephid. It was an instinctive feeling.
©¤©¤¡®Kill the Child of Light.¡¯
The ¡®Child of Light¡¯ was a man named ¡®Ian Fairytale¡¯ right here at M?rchen Academy. The light element had a property that made demons fearful, so it was easy to distinguish.
If possible, it would be better to deal with the demons and the troublemaker who were roaming around all at once.
Ah, he was looking forward to it. The thought that he would be able to y with the Child of Light, that troublemaker, and the many students all with his own hands, before mercilessly killing them.
The Demon, ¡®Leafa the Illusive¡¯.
That night was gradually drawing closer.
Chapter 26: - Dueling Application
? Dueling Application?
There was an anomaly in the familiarndscape.
¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me~¡±
The sun was shining in the afternoon.
Today we had thest ss off, so I went to the corner of the garden earlier than usual to practice my magic.
Suddenly, Dorothy Heartnova jumped out of the trees.
She decided to lean against the tree behind me and watch me train.
However, the fact that someone was watching me made it difficult for me to concentrate on my training.
¡®How can I not care?¡¯
I wondered if she realized I was ufortable, as she began to read a book she got from who knows where.
Even if she was reading a book, the mere fact that she was there made me uneasy.
¡°¡Senior, are you going to stay here forever?¡±
¡°Yeah, because I¡¯m bored.¡±
¡°Why are you here?¡±
¡°Mm, because I¡¯m bored.¡±
¡°Then why did you ask to see me today¡¡±
¡°Hmm, because I¡¯m bored.¡±
Dorothy gave a weak answer that didn¡¯t really exin anything at all, while reading the book. I wondered if she was going to keep answering that way, so I asked, ¡®What are you having for dinner tonight?¡¯, and heard the normal answer of ¡®chicken¡¯.
Anyway¡ As a junior and a fan, I couldn¡¯t say anything.
Self hypnosis. Let¡¯s ignore Dorothy. Even if she dide into view, I would just regard her as another piece of thendscape. Then it would work somehow.
¡°Whew.¡±
I took a deep breath while conjuring [Frostfire] in both hands, and began to intently focus on my training again.
¡Forty minutester. The time when the sky was dyed by the color of the sunset.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Blood flowed out from my nose. My whole body began to violently ache, and my magic output was bing erratic. In addition, even the slightest use of magic triggered a strong rejection from within my body.
It was now a daily routine.
If I pushed myself a little harder at this point, I would get stronger.
It was the same logic as strength training when you feel like you couldn¡¯t do it anymore, but then you did one more rep and your muscles would stretch.
Today, as I mainly used spells with high mana consumption, it seemed that I had reached my limit earlier than usual.
I wiped the blood from my nose and got into a preparatory stance to cast a spell.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Dorothy, who suddenly came beside me, asked. Startled, I spun around to find her staring at me from up close.
¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Won¡¯t you damage your mana circuit otherwise?¡±
Dorothy smiled softly and began to wipe the bridge of my nose with her handkerchief.
It was a kind and gentle touch.
I was dumbfounded, so I just stood there and watched her in silence.
¡°Do you usually do this?¡±
¡°Oh, yeah. I guess so, huh?¡±
¡°Mmm.¡±
When Dorothy finished wiping my nosebleed, she took the handkerchief back. The pink handkerchief was stained with red bloodstains.
Then, suddenly, green mana began to flow from the side of my chest. It appeared to being from Dorothy¡¯s outstretched hand.
¡®Oh, what?¡¯
Suddenly, I felt a surge of strength, and the stiffness in my body disappeared in an instant!
¡°A buff. I used just enough so that your body won¡¯t be overwhelmed tomorrow~¡±
Woah, isn¡¯t this the best? I feel like I¡¯ve just gotten a caffeine fix after studying and my mind was shing.
I could be a little more intense with my training today!
¡°You can¡¯t overdo it, President, okay?¡±
¡As if she could read my mind.
¡°Thank you, Senior.¡±
¡°Hehe, resume training!¡±
p¡ª!
Dorothyughed and pped me hard on the back, then headed back to the tree that she was leaning against.
Ah, that hurt a bit you know, but¡ Anyway, thanks to you, it was a big help.
If Dorothy was around every time I trained, I wonder if it would be okay to get some more buffs.
I wouldn¡¯t say anything overtly, but I thought it would be a good idea to ask for it when the opportunity arises.
* * *
There was something out of ce in the familiarndscape.
Luce Eltania was watching the silver-blue haired man training in the corner of the garden.
She was seated on a stone wall. It was quite the distance from the garden¡¯s corner, with trees obscuring the view. Nheless, she had no trouble keeping an eye on the man with silver-blue hair.
This area was sparsely popted, so she hadn¡¯t seen anyonee and go for a while. It was one of the best vantage points.
The silver-blue haired man seemed to have improved his magic proficiency since thest time she saw him. It was a remarkable rate of growth.
Every time she looked at him, she felt a strange stimulus. It made her want to work harder and harder herself, and maybe that was why she couldn¡¯t help being mesmerized by his hard work.
He was the reason why she had recently be passionate about her lightning magic.
¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Eh?¡±
But at some point, a woman appeared on the other side ¨C a woman with light purple hair wearing a witch¡¯s hat. Upon closer inspection with her excellent eyesight, she was wearing a blue brooch on her academy uniform ribbon; she was a Senior in the second-year.
The woman chatted affectionately with the silver-blue haired man, then leaned against a tree behind him and began to watch him practice from her special seat.
¡®Who is that person?¡¯
Luce had never seen such a person before.
Was she a friend of the silver-blue haired man? Or maybe his lover?
She had no idea, but the women appeared to be interested in him, although Luce couldn¡¯t tell if the interest stemmed from friendship, a crush, or something entirely different.
But the way she wiped his nose with a handkerchief was certainly unusual.
¡°Hmm.¡±
For the man to have a lover was a matter of little concern. She just wondered if it would be impolite to observe.
As she watched the scene quietly, memories from her childhood suddenly shed in front of Luce¡¯s eyes.
©¤ ¡®Gretel, look at this! Yap!¡¯
©¤ ¡®It¡¯s cool, big brother¡!¡¯
A poor family.
The figure of a young older brother who wielded a wooden stick like a sword and the image of herself as a child, sitting against a tree and admiring him endlessly.
Her former name, which she had already thrown away along with the past.
Once again, her heart sank as she sifted through her memories.
¡°¡¡.¡±
Luce gently closed her eyes.
1, 2, 3.
Only 3 seconds.
That was how long it took her to bury the memories she didn¡¯t want to recall deep in her heart, and to put her feelings under wraps.
* * *
¡°I will announce the contents of the next performance evaluation.¡±
The next morning, inside the ss D ssroom.
Professor Fernando stood at the podium and started making announcements to the students.
The students were taken aback as this was the first time the contents of the performance evaluation were announced from the beginning, since it had never been revealed before.
The time hade. It was something that must take ce every semester.
¡°¡®Duel¡¯. A one-on-one fight. We n to evaluate yourbat sense and practical skills inbat.¡±
Duel. As soon as they heard that, some students rejoiced and eximed, ¡®The time has finallye,¡¯ while others despised it.
If I had to ask, I was happy. This duel evaluation would be a good indicator to judge how strong I had be.
¡®I¡¯m confident.¡¯
I was now able to use both offensive and defensive magic spells. I could even use the 5-star spell [Frost Explosion].
My confidence soared. Comparing myself now with the time of the ss cement evaluation. Ah, how amazing I am now!
¡°The ticket I just handed out is to apply for duel. Take two each.¡±
Two small tickets floated next to Professor Fernando. They floated with the help of telekinesis magic.
In my pocket were the two dueling application tickets that had been distributed earlier.
¡°You can use one ticket to challenge the opponent you want. If the other party epts, the duel will proceed on the day of the performance evaluation. If the other party refuses, the spent dueling application right is returned to the person concerned and that is the end.¡±
And that wasn¡¯t all.
¡°However, if you use two tickets to request a duel, the opponent must unconditionally ept it.¡±
To get a high score from the judges during the duel, it was best to demonstrate a variety ofbat methods. Therefore, the dueling performance evaluation was structured in which it was advantageous to receive good grades as the number of duels you participated in increased.
The only time a student would use up two tickets to request a duel was if they really wanted to fight a specific opponent. The academy made the mandatory duel rule to respect the student¡¯s will.
By the way, Ian Fairytale used both of his tickets to challenge Luce Eltania to a duel. His reasoning was that he wanted to fight the strongest person. In a good way, it showed his spirit and passion; and in a bad way, it showed his recklessness and bravado.
Still, since he was the protagonist, it worked out. When I was ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was one of those scenes that made me think, ¡®Oh, if you¡¯re the main character, you have to have this level of ambition.¡¯
¡°Each person can engage in up to 4 duels. If you have a good opponent, it would be better to apply as soon as possible.¡±
This rule was implemented so there wouldn¡¯t be a backlog.
¡°Applying for a duel only needs to be done between first-year students of the Magic Department. sses are irrelevant. However, if a high-ranking student wins a match against a low-ranking student, the score will be reduced by the difference in mana and grade. Conversely, if a lower-ranking student wins a match against a higher-ranking student, he or she will get arge number of points.¡±
Because of these rules, most people would only duel students in their own ss. They would be too scared to pick a fight with a student in a higher ss than themselves, and they don¡¯t get points for picking a fight with a student in a lower ss.
That was why it was unusual for Ian to request a duel with Luce.
¡°Once you¡¯ve decided on an opponent, report to me. For now, I will leave this time slot empty. Move only within Orphin Hall. Do as you please, but focus on gathering your opponents. Over.¡±
The moment Professor Fernando finished making the announcement.
Bang-!
The door mmed open, and the gazes of Professor Fernando and the ss D students turned toward the door in unison.
A confident voice followed.
¡°Ha! This is the ss D! So this is what the air at the bottom feels like!¡±
Suddenly, the door burst open and the person who appeared was Tristan Humphrey, a conceited blond aristocrat.
Long time no see. I had been dying to do something with him since the ss cement evaluation.
¡°Tristan Humphrey?¡±
¡°He¡¯s from the upper sses, isn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°Why would someone like that be here¡?¡±
Tristan was at the top of ss B. Maybe that was why all the students seemed intrigued and fearful at the same time.
¡°There you are.¡±
Tristan looked around at the students, then his eyes fixed on me.
He charged toward me at a brisk pace.
What the¡?
¡°I, a nobleman, challenge you, a lowly Grade Emoner, to a duel.¡±
Bang-
He mmed his hand on the desk in front of me and shed me an arrogant smile.
¡°Be grateful.¡±
You bastard, were you waiting¡?
¡°What? Did you just ask for a duel with a Grade E?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no merit at all¡ How much do you hate him?¡±
¡°When did you get on Tristan¡¯s bad side, dude?¡±
¡°Of course he¡¯s going to refuse, right? How can a Grade E beat him?¡±
Professor Fernando¡¯s eyes were filled with intrigue amidst the students¡¯ interest and whispers.
Tristan smiled as he stared at me steadfastly.
He seemed very happy at the thought of beating me up already.
I wonder how frustrated I would have been if he managed to beat me up that time during the ss cement evaluation¡
Still, I had to say that I was d that he was trying to legitimately harass me through the curriculum.
¡°¡¡±
¡Wait a minute.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Lately, I think I¡¯ve gotten a little cocky from hunting demons and fighting demonic creature illusions, but wasn¡¯t this a sign of trouble?
Although Tristan was much weaker than the demons I fought so far, he was still much stronger than me.
[Tristan Humphrey] Lv: 76
Race: Human
Elements: Wind
Danger: X
Psychology: [Delighted at the thought of beating you up.]
I wonder when he leveled up like this. He was probably level 71st time.
Of course, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed still after being beaten by me. Given his personality, he definitely put in significant effort to get stronger. He must have learned defensive magic as well.
¡®¡I¡¯m in big trouble.¡¯
I¡¯ll be damned¡
¡°I won¡¯t take no for an answer! Hahahaha©¤!¡±
Tristanughed, taking out two tickets and throwing them at me.
The thin sheets of paper brushed past my cheek and fell onto myp.
¡°¡¡±
¡You¡¯re really trying to make me lose it, aren¡¯t you?
Even if it means stepping on horse shit, I¡¯m definitely going to beat the shit out of this guy.
T/N: Isaac referred to ¡®Duel¡¯ as PvP until now because of his background as a gamer, but the official term within the world is ¡®Duel¡¯, which he began usingst chapter.
Chapter 27: - Duel (1)
? Duel (1)?
¡°The duel evaluation will nowmence.¡±
The day had finally arrived.
¡®Duke Hall¡¯, an arena dedicated to the first-year students in the Magic Department. The interior of the spacious building was divided into four equal sections, each of which contained its own arena.
The first-year students of the Magic Department were divided into four groups and each moved into a different arena.
I was in Group A. I recognized Luce, Ian, Mateo, and Tristan among the many students, but Kaya and Amy seemed to have gone to another group.
Next to the arena, there was a judging stand with middle-aged wizards sitting side by side in their seats. They were all presiding judges.
¡°The rules are simple. You win when your opponent is unable to continue, or by forcing them to surrender. However, please note that surrender is not possible during the first minute of the duel. Due to the nature of this performance evaluation, no sudden actions are authorized. Be aware that you may be restrained by the proctors.¡±
In the arena, Professor Fernando, along with his zombie-like teaching assistant Marco, and an associate professor, were giving the students a briefing on the performance evaluation.
¡°The only time you are allowed to run amok is during the duel. We have the best medical staff and clerics are on standby, so focus on showing your full capabilities. That is all.¡±
Professor Fernando finished his brief exnation and walked out of the arena.
Then, the associate professor called out the first rounds of students who were going to face off.
Mateo Jordana and a student I had never seen before stepped into the arena, and when the referee called out, ¡®match start,¡¯ the match began.
[Mateo Jordana] Lv: 80
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to catch up to you.]
Mateo had grown considerably in my absence.
Hmph, he¡¯s been working hard to target me¡ I may be caught in the act sooner orter.
¡®What should I do about Tristan?¡¯
Even though I promised myself that I would beat the shit out of Tristan no matter what, after he humiliated me, it was an undeniable fact that he outssed me in terms of strength.
Besides, I didn¡¯t even know how he honed his skills.
The conflict between Ian Fairytale and Tristan Humphrey in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was during the Familiar Summoning. At that time, Ian lightly knocked down Tristan and refreshingly sted him. After that, Tristan also began to learn defensive magic.
But I had already provoked him during the ss cement evaluation. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he had properly learned defensive magic by now.
Even if Tristan was a conceited person, I had to give him credit for his offensive magic. If he could defend as well as he attacked, I would be out of luck.
So I had to defeat him with a single move. Otherwise, I would be defeated unconditionally.
¡°¡?¡±
Huh?
Professor Fernando whispered something to the assistant professor and then quickly stepped out into the hallway.
His usual poker face seemed shaken¡
¡®Well, it¡¯s probably nothing.¡¯
I calmed down my anxiety that briefly rose.
That was because nothing serious would happen in this dueling chapter, nothing that could be called a crisis anyway.
Maybe he ate something wrong or needed to use the restroom in a hurry.
¡°Mateo Jordana, wins!¡±
Mateo easily subdued his opponent with rock magic.
After the duel, the judges gave their feedback.
Most of them had things to say regarding Mateo¡¯s wits, things to praise, and things to work on, but one judge had some harsh words.
¡°It¡¯s pathetic. Your proficiency in rock magic is very low. Rock is an element that can be shaped at a moment¡¯s notice, which means you need to be able to sculpt rock forms with forethought and precision inbat. And yet, do you know anything other than violent battles? No wonder your skills are only at a ss B level. Must be because you¡¯re amoner¡¡±
Oh, that one. I knew who he was.
A middle-aged man with red hair. An openly discriminatory professor.
It was Professor Philip, who was in charge of ss A.
[Philip Meltron] Lv: 108
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Displeased because amoner has defeated a noble.]
He was a professor with a notorious reputation, but his skills were certain. He treated nobles well, meaning there was little reason to dislike him if you were a noble.
Mateo clenched his fists and trembled, then calmed down.
¡°Thank you for your feedback.¡±
Mateo bowed his head and calmly epted Professor Philip¡¯s feedback. Contrary to how one would expect, his obedient demeanor seemed to have angered Professor Philip.
Mateo was determined to prove his worth through his skills. He was confident that he would be as solid as a rock regardless of the challenges he would have to face, and Professor Philip¡¯s provocation wouldn¡¯t faze him.
¡°Next! Isaac from ss D, and Tristan Humphrey from ss B,e forward!¡±
It was my turn now.
Whew. After taking a deep breath, I stepped up.
When it was my turn, the stadium looked bigger than ever. Perhaps because of my nervousness, my heart was racing wildly.
I slowly made my way up the stairs and into the arena. On the other side, Tristan Humphrey, the conceited blond aristocrat, was grinning as he approached.
We faced each other at a distance, with the referee in between us.
¡°¡?¡±
It was then that the system window appeared in front of me.
[A demon has been detected nearby.]
Huuueeeeeeeee©¤
Suddenly, I heard the sound of the wind in my head, and it felt as if my heart was being pulled upwards.
I reflexively raised my head.
Above the high ceilings, I could sense an intense energy from beyond.
At the same time, information about the demon that was probably on the roof appeared before my eyes.
[Leafa the Illusive] Lv: 130
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire
Danger: Very High
Psychology: [Wants to kill all students, including you.]
Was this part of ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 1, Duel¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡?
¡®What¡¯s going on¡?¡¯
The final boss of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 3, Fictional Hell¡¹, Leafa the Illusive.
He still had a long way to go before appearing¡ Why was he here already¡?
* * *
Under the clear sky, the wind whipped through the rooftops of Duke Hall.
¡®Leafa the Illusive¡¯, a dwarf-sized demon with grey-brown hair, was leaning against the railing and staring down at the ground.
The roof floor was carved with arge magic circle that emitted a faint purple light.
But Leafa¡¯s interestid beyond that.
With his unique skill [irvoyance], he could see through nearby ces and now, with the power of [irvoyance], he gazed beyond the roof floor and into the interior of a certain building.
It was an arena divided into four areas. While each student was engaged in a duel, no student stood out yet.
[No troublemakers yet~]
Leafa spoke in a bored voice, like a mischievous child.
A troublemaker who went around ying demons. He had yet to see anyone who could be the yer, but when he did, he intended to y a death game centered around that person and Ian Fairytale.
The participants would be every first-year student of the Magic Department present at Duke Hall. The boring judges were a bonus.
[Soon, very soon.]
I¡¯ll trap all of them with my magic, and let Ian Fairytale and that troublemaker protect the people. Ah, that will be fun.
Leafa giggled. The heightened anticipation was filling him with ecstasy.
It was then.
Kik©¤
The roof door opened, revealing a stoic-looking man. Silver hair and blue eyes ¨C it was Professor Fernando Frost.
Leafa¡¯s eyes turned to Fernando.
¡°A demon¡?¡±
Fernando¡¯s eyes narrowed as he red at Leafa cynically.
Leafa grinned from ear to ear. He hadn¡¯t expected a professor to show up here.
[What are you doing, Professor~? Aha, you were in the middle of the first-years Dueling Evaluation of the Magic Department, right?]
¡°¡¡±
[It was forbidden to enter Duke Hall! s, I forgot, I forgot! I¡¯m sorry~]
Leafa answered like a little child, but he didn¡¯t show any sign of remorse.
¡°You spoke¡?¡±
What surprised Fernando was that Leafa spoke like a normal human being.
Demons were inherently less intelligent and were known to be unable to have normal conversations.
[But what happened? Didn¡¯t you only inside of the building? Aha, I guess you extended it outside of the building this time? It was too much~]
¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Where did you hear that?¡±
Normally, when a test or a performance evaluation took ce inside a building, Fernando would set up a using telekinesis magic throughout the building. It was a kind of barrier. Therefore, if an abnormality urred, Fernando would immediately notice it.
However, only key groups within the academy were aware of that fact. The faculty, the Four Constetions, and the student council.
¡°Do you have a mole?¡±
[Kuhuhu.]
Leafa onlyughed with his characteristic cackle, but did not respond. As if he didn¡¯t need to answer.
The implication was clear.
¡®You¡¯re going to die here anyway.¡¯
¡°What are you nning?¡±
Fernando held out his right index finger toward Leafa. Water mana and ice mana flowed out in front of his finger andpressed into a small round ball and formed a bullet.
¡¸Water Generation (Water Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ + ¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1 )¡¹ + ¡¸Compression (Neutral Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
= ¡¸Elemental Magic Bullet (Water+Ice Element)¡¹
[Oh my, calm down, calm down~ Let¡¯s talk peacefully.]
¡°That¡¯s quite a thing to say.¡±
The magic circle engraved on the rooftop was in the form of jumbled strokes that tangled here and there.
He had memorized almost every circle. That was why Fernando had a strong feeling that this ominous and unknown magic circle was extremely dangerous.
No mana was detected from it. Maybe it hadn¡¯t been activated yet.
No, normally, when a magic circle was about to be activated, shouldn¡¯t some amount of magic power be felt¡?
[Haah, I didn¡¯t want to be interrupted. Still, I suppose you could be an appetizer if nothing else!]
¡°¡!¡±
With the demon¡¯s shrill voice, the purple light emitting from the magic circle became more intense.
Then, a ckish yet bizarre mana spread out in an instant, swallowing Leafa and Fernando in one fell swoop¡
[Have fun, Fernando Frost.]
¡And a circr purple space was created on the roof, [Fictional Hell].
The natural mana floating in the air was sucked in, and a new world that was disconnected from thews of nature, the principles of this world¡ªProvidence, was created.
Fernando was forcibly invited into such a world.
Chapter 28: - Duel (2)
? Duel (2)?
Leafa the Illusive, the final boss of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 3, Fictional Hell¡¹.
His current level was lower than I knew, but it was clear who he was by looking at his elements.
There was no way he would appear so early. Act 6, Chapter 3 was in the second semester of the first year. It meant that fighting Leafa was still a long way off.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, during the ¡®Four Constetions¡¯ part of the 2nd semester of the 1st year, Leafa transformed into a human and became friends with Ian Fairytale¡¯s party. He was able to disguise himself and infiltrate the academy by altering people¡¯s perception with illusion and perception type magic.
If you were a yer who hadn¡¯t been spoiled, you would have thought ¡®that¡¯s a new character¡¯¡® when seeing Leafa for the first time and moved on. I was like that at first too.
However, as we entered Act 6, Chapter 3, it was revealed that the Leafa was a demon, and the battle to subdue Leafa began. At that time, his level was 150. I remember the difficulty level being horrendous.
I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever experienced a story twist that big before.
This meant that something I didn¡¯t know about triggered Leafa¡¯s appearance.
Leafa the Illusive was a demon who had been manifesting in this world for quite some time. It could be seen as one of the few demons who adapted to life in this world with its own intelligence.
So, even though he was tasked with the mission of killing Ian Fairytale, a light element user, he was capable of demonstrating ¡®caution¡¯.
I quickly racked my brain.
The reason why he appeared early, what was it?
¡®¡No way?¡¯
With a little thought, I was able to figure it out.
He had a close rtionship with Alice Carroll, the student council president of M?rchen Academy, and a shadowy figure with her own agenda who was manipting events behind the scenes. It was a shallow alliance, since they could betray each other at any time, and would be more appropriate to define it as friendship.
In the original story, it was self-evident that the man dealing with the demons was Ian Fairytale. So Alice or Leafa simply had to watch Ian¡¯s every move. Even if Ian was a member of the Fairytale family, he could still be trapped and killed at the right time.
However, it was currently unknown who the Demon Hunter was. Alice must have been desperate to find me. It was highly likely that Leafa was also interested in the unknown entity after seeing his reaction.
That was why he probably couldn¡¯t ovee his curiosity and appeared now.
Since the troublemaker first appeared during the ss cement evaluation for the Magic Department, they were likely a student in the Magic Department.
This duel evaluation allowed him to gauge the strength of the first-year students of the Magic Department. It was a golden opportunity to find out who that person was.
¡®But this is too fast.¡¯
The story has just entered Act 3, Chapter 1, and the final boss of Act 6, Chapter 3 had already appeared¡
Still, Leafa¡¯s level was only 130. There would be no problem with fighting him one-on-one, but Leafa¡¯s specialty was more than just simple confrontation.
It was not like Leafa¡¯s subjugation happened for nothing. The stage for fighting him was [Fictional Hell], an 8-star magic capable of destroying an entire country; a magic that creates a world that ignored thews of this world and transcended the concept of illusions, even though it was a type of illusion itself.
It was a unique magic that no one else could copy.
It didn¡¯t emit mana, but rather absorbed mana around it into its own world, so you couldn¡¯t even sense it. Just like how a ck hole absorbs light and bes invisible.
Leafa was Absolute inside, akin to God ying around in a world of magic that was entirely his domain.
If you didn¡¯t know the ¡®strategy¡¯, even a level 180 giant like Dorothy Heartnova would have a hard time defeating Leafa with [Fictional Hell] activated. I didn¡¯t want him to be a god.
By the way, dying in that world meant losing your soul. You would be a human vegetable.
The ¡®normal¡¯ strategy was to not get caught in the [Fictional Hell].
¡®Ah, what should I do?¡¯
He likes to toy with humans and in case he finds the troublemaker, he would most likely trap them at Duke Hall and suck them into [Fictional Hell] and y a game of death. Ian would most likely struggle to keep the people safe.
So what should I do now?
¡°Ha! Are you praying to the heavens? Too bad! You can¡¯t see the sky from here!¡±
Hahahaha! Tristanughed loudly and then cleared his throat.
I lowered my head and looked at him.
I was not in a position tofortably engage in a duel here. It wasn¡¯t afortable situation currently, but rather a crisis.
In any case, I need to get to the rooftops as soon as possible. But I couldn¡¯t just give up and run to the roof.
As Professor Fernando said earlier, the waiting proctors were expected to subdue anyone who looked suspicious.
Because the duel evaluation encouraged students to fight, there were times when the adrenaline rush could sometimes get the better of them.
Those who acted unexpectedly were therefore reprimanded and then questioned about why they didn¡¯t follow the rules. And if that happened to me, I couldn¡¯t say how long it would take.
I wouldn¡¯t be free until the duel was over, and then I would have to hear feedback from the judges.
Furthermore, I cannot surrender during the first minute of the duel. I couldn¡¯t just give up and leave right away.
Even if I decide to surrender, Tristan¡¯s magic would wreck me in that one minute. He looked like he was determined to beat me to death.
And if I got beaten by Tristan, I wouldn¡¯t be able to go defeat Leafa the Illusive.
¡®What if I were to challenge Leafa directly at this moment?¡¯
The [Hunter] trait would activate and I would be stronger. But, unless I wanted to be openly caught by Alice Carroll, it was probably best to refrain from such ignorant behavior in front of the other students.
No matter how secretly the performance evaluation or exam is conducted, there was no stopping the word of mouth.
¡®Then the only option left is¡
It was the best option.
I made my decision and red straight at Tristan.
¡°The means are unlimited. No surrendering for the first minute. Now, show your opponent some respect and get ready for the duel. Ready¡! Begin duel!¡±
After the referee gave his instructions, he shouted and fell back.
The duel with Tristan had begun.
¡°Kuhhhh! I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment! This time I can ruthlessly cut off that ugly face of yours with my magic!¡±
I ignored whatever he said. Stay focused. I couldn¡¯t afford to make a mistake here. Level, mana ¨C he was much better than me in all criteria. If we start exchanging blows, I would be screwed.
Let¡¯s postpone assessing my current skills with pure magic to the next duel.
For now, I should just focus on getting through this situation carefully and quickly.
I wrapped ice mana around my fingers and sted it toward Tristan.
* * *
Tristan was tormented by the painful memory of his defeat during the ss cement evaluation.
A meremoner with only Grade E mana and no special skills. He was defeated by his poor tactics and, for some reason, by Kaya Astrean as well.
Tristan gritted his teeth.
Through his life, he had always been respected and held to high standards.
Because he was special. Even at the prestigious M?rchen Academy, he was able to take the top rank in his ss because he himself was apetent person!
Therefore¡ it didn¡¯t make sense for someone like him to lose to a Grade Emoner. Even if something went wrong, it must have been seriously wrong.
This time, he would use this opportunity to right that wrong, and make it clear to Isaac that a Grade Emoner like him couldn¡¯t even reach his toes. During the ss cement evaluation, he had only let his guard down for a moment.
Ddddddddd¡ª!!
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
A wall of ice rose from the ground in an instant, trapping Tristan from all sides.
A trick to his eyes. Tristan channeled his mana into a sharp form, carving a light green sword in the air.
¡¸Wind Sword (Wind Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Sasasasasasak¡ª!
The dense wind sliced through the [Ice Wall] as easily as if it were cutting a cake and in the blink of an eye, the [Ice Wall] with several hatches copsed helplessly.
When the students saw a 3-star spell slice through a 4-star, especially a defensive magic, with such ease at once, they eximed, ¡®As expected.,¡¯ as if it were only natural.
[Elemental Firepower] meant the power of magic, and it was an obvious fact that Tristan, a top-ranked honor student, far surpassed the level of Isaac, a low-ranked inferior student.
¡°Whew.¡±
As if he already knew his magic would be shattered disastrously, Isaac threw out his next move as the ice wall copsed,
¡®Processed Fog¡¯. A whitish fog emanated from the magic tool, enveloping the arena.
¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
As the cold air released by Isaac cooled, the processed fog grew thicker and turned into advection fog.
¡¸Snow Pellets (Ice Element, ¡ï2)¡¹
In the fog, the magic that Isaac had learned specifically for the duel evaluation, [Snow Pellets], pounded the arena mercilessly, dispersing the sound.
It was a spell that created arge amount of small icicles in the air and sent them crashing into the ground like hailstones.
The purpose was obvious ¨C to make sure that no one could hear where he was.
¡°Not again. Is this the only trick you can pull?¡±
Of course, since that¡¯s all I¡¯m good for as a Grade Emoner!
Tristan¡¯s mouth curled into a sneer. He was starting to find that Grade Emoner almost cute now.
Ever since the ss cement evaluation, Tristan had been working hard on his magic training. Now he was even capable enough to use defensive magic at a decent level.
¡°Hiding like a coward.¡±
Oh, so he¡¯s trying to anger me again.
How shallow. You think I¡¯m going to fall for your tactics twice!
¡°Pathetic!¡±
Tristan stretched his right arm upward, casting wind magic.
A light green magic circle formed above the right hand, and the wind mana began to swirl violently. The newly created whirlwind barrier absorbed the dense fog.
¡¸Wind Wall (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Huuueeeeeee©¤!
Ssshhhhhhhh©¤!
¡°Ha! I, Tristan Humphrey, am getting stronger at every moment!¡±
The thick fog cleared, and the [Snow Pellets] were absorbed into the whirlwind.
In a short period of time, as the fog cleared, the arena revealed itself and soon, the figure of Isaac, who was running toward Tristan, was also revealed.
As he ran, he put his fingers together, creating a gap between his hands to gather ice mana.
¡®Huh, what kind of athletic ability¡?!¡¯
Almost there. I got here much faster than expected!
Tristan quickly tried to retreat, but his feet wouldn¡¯t move. In a fleeting moment, he nced down and saw that the soles of his shoes were frozen.
It wasn¡¯t just his shoes. The entire arena was covered in ice.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
¡®When did he?!¡¯
The ¡®Processed Fog¡¯ created by Isaac was of water element. Even if his [Elemental Firepower] was insignificant, his [Elemental Synergy] which enhanced thebination effect between elements, could not be ignored.
Thus, it was possible for him to freeze the arena thick enough to trap Tristan¡¯s feet.
Before long, ice mana was gently condensed in Isaac¡¯s hand. A pale blue magic circle formed, following his hand.
Isaac clutched the mass of mana in his right hand and stretched it out toward Tristan.
¡°You think you¡¯re going to get away with this!?¡±
He didn¡¯t know what kind of magic that was, but Tristan himself wasn¡¯t generous enough to tolerate it calmly.
Today would be the day Isaac would be beaten into dust. It would be a day to unravel his own regrets.
Tristan released his whirlwind barrier [Wind Wall] and swung his left arm, which was covered in wind mana, in one swift motion.
And at the same time, the light blue mana in Isaac¡¯s grasp exploded towards Tristan.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹ ¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh©¤©¤©¤!!
Huuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Shut up!¡±
Tristan¡¯s lone scream could be heard as an explosive flood of ice attacked him.
The [Whirlwind] shattered the mass of ice that had formed in an instant, sendingrge shards of ice scattering into the air. However, the impact of the explosion had yet to be fully received.
A strong wind pressure was generated and the impact caused Isaac¡¯s body to bounce back like a ball. However, after rolling on the floor for a while, Isaac got up without much difficulty.
¡°Whew.¡±
Tristan¡¯s spell caused no damage because it did not directly touch him. However, the wind pressure created by the collision of [Frost Explosion] and [Whirlwind] only caused a brief pain in his abdomen, it felt as if he had been punched in the stomach with a huge fist.
¡°How?¡±
¡°What? Did I misread that student¡¯s information?¡±
There was a look of bewilderment and confusion in the judges¡¯ eyes.
A ss D student, who was supposed to have Grade E mana, used 5-star magic that most first-year students didn¡¯t even have ess too.
The judges began to sift through his information, reading the papers on their desks once more to make sure if Isaac was indeed a Grade E, or if they had misremembered.
The students watching the duel were also stunned, and soon started talking with faces full of disbelief.
¡°What just happened¡?¡±
¡°That was 5-star magic just now, wasn¡¯t it¡?¡±
¡°Isaac used 5-star magic? But he¡¯s Grade E in mana, he¡!¡±
The atmosphere centered around Isaac started to be chaotic. As for Tristan, it was a very embarrassing situation for him.
His school uniform was tattered as if it had been pierced by numerous thorns, and his body was covered in frostbite and bruises.
At least, the [Whirlwind] and [Basic Protection Magic] seemed to have softened the impact of [Frost Explosion].
¡°Keukhuk¡¡±
He groaned and staggered in pain before straightening up again and red at Isaac with a furious gaze.
At the same time, he activated [Wind Sword] and smashed the ice that was binding his feet to the ground.
Because of the collision with [Whirlwind], he trampled on the remains of the ice block that had been shattered into pieces. His anger was fully expressed with that one step.
Amidst the calmly flowing cold air, he began to generate a strong wind.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
As if to represent Tristan¡¯s anger, light green wind began to sweep around the arena fiercely.
Then, a whirlwind began to form in his outstretched hands.
¡°A Grade Emoner¡ wounded me again¡!¡±
¡°You let your guard down again, Tristan.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
That was when Tristan, in a fit of rage, let his guard down and took an offensive stance.
Isaac gently clenched his left hand, which was hidden behind his back, into a fist.
The flow of mana in his left hand suddenly ceased.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Before he knew it, arge block of ice that had formed above Tristan¡¯s head suddenly crashed down.
Crash©¤!
¡°Kaugh!¡±
The block of ice hit Tristan squarely on the head.
Amidst the screams of some startled female students, Tristan staggered and fell to his knees on the ground, a chunk of ice rolling straight to the ground.
Blood trickled down from his head. The colors present on his face were a mix of his skin and red blood.
¡°Ah, ugh¡!!¡±
Tristan stood up, gnashing his teeth to the point of making a clicking noise.
¡°Ughhhhh!!!¡±
His anger exploded as if it would pierce the sky.
The damage he suffered this time was different from the ss cement evaluation. Thanks to [Basic Protection Magic] covering his entire body, he was able to stand even after his head was directly hit by the falling ice block. He only fainted, very briefly.
He shuddered and managed to get up, then stretched his right arm over his head again.
A light green magic circle began to materialize in double and tripleyers. Tristan had often referred to his power as ¡®dense, thick, limitless mana¡¯.
The wind whipped menacingly, a swirl of mana, ¡®almighty,¡¯ as he called it, that would tear through someone straight to their bones.
Isaac no longer had a chance to win. He must now bear the wrath of the conceited blond aristocrat who was covered in blood.
¡°Are you done already? Come on, it¡¯s my turn. I am definitely going to kill you, right here, right now!¡±
They say anger is a catalyst for an awakening and Tristan, who used his anger as fuel, was unleashing a torrent of mana that could crush anyone.
The students watched and gulped without even realizing it. Even though they were simply watching, they felt overwhelmed by the mana.
Isaac no longer had a chance to win. From now on, Tristan¡¯s magic would hack Isaac to pieces without mercy.
¡°Yes, I surrender.¡±
¡That is, if the fight continues.
Isaac calmly lifted his arms up and said. Exactly one minute had psed since the start of the duel, and a quick nce at the clock above the judges¡¯ heads could confirm this fact.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
As if he¡¯d heard something he shouldn¡¯t have, Tristan¡¯s expression was tinged with astonishment.
Because he was so surprised, his concentration broke, his wind mana dissipated, and the magic circles were dispelled.
¡°Student Isaac¡? Are you aware that if you surrender, you¡¯ll lose the opportunity to get feedback from us¡?¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. Judge. My opponent is too strong. Even though it¡¯s a shame, I will surrender¡¡±
¡®No, you can¡¯t¡!¡¯
Do not say that! The fight is just starting¡!
Even though you lost, don¡¯t put on a refreshing face as if you fought well!
¡°I lost. It was a good fight.¡±
Isaac lightly patted Tristan on the shoulder with a look of ¡®I acknowledge you¡¯, and walked away.
At that moment, time stood still for Tristan.
Chapter 29: - â– â– el (3) - Fictional Hell
? ¡ö¡öel (3) ¨C Fictional Hell?
In this awkward atmosphere, I hurriedly stepped out into the hallway.
The students had begun whispering about me.
Things like what was the reason for that, why did I start running away, or why I didn¡¯t just do that from the beginning, that I was a coward, and so on.
Even though Luce didn¡¯t care about anyone else, she was staring at me rather attentively. Was I really that noticeable? Of course, from her perspective, I was probably just a passing extra 1, maybe extra 4 at best. Well, she would stop paying attention to me soon anyways.
Mateo nodded, a look of approval on his face. I didn¡¯t want to read his psychology because it was obvious that he was thinking something along the lines of ¡®Isaac adjusted his power to Tristan¡¯s level.¡¯
¡®Now is not the time to get distracted.¡¯
As soon as I got to a ce where people couldn¡¯t see me, I started running.
¡®Come on¡!¡¯
Normally, it would take me quite a while to get to the roof. Fortunately, my stamina was in good condition. I could reach the rooftop by running at full speed without stopping.
Predictably, there was a high possibility that the Leafa the Illusive intended to confine the entire Duke Hall in [Fictional Hell]. He must have engraved a magic circle into the roof.
So I had to get rid of his spell before it attacked the students.
I sprinted up three stairs at a time. Still, it didn¡¯t consume much stamina. This was where all my Hellish PT performances came into y.
As I ran up the stairs, I took out the Cloak of Disguise from my magic pouch and put it on. I wore the ultramarine blue hooded cloak, put a mask over my mouth, and pulled the hood over my head.
Magic Cloak of Disguise- Berserker. From now on, I would look like a monster.
Fortunately, I arrived at the rooftop entrance door earlier than I had expected.
¡°¡!¡±
The entrance door was wide open. The first thing I saw was arge ashen eyeball floating in the air.
[Second Eye]. It was a skill used by the Leafa the Illusive.
The eyeball was fixed on the rooftop below. It seemed like Leafa¡¯s eye was watching over the arena from inside the building with [irvoyance].
Even when I went up on the roof, there was no response from it. I guess it couldn¡¯t see the hallway and the stairs leading up to the roof. Otherwise, it would have seen meing up. I was relieved.
Then, just beyond the eyeball, a strange, darkish membrane stretched into the shape of a hemisphere came into view ¨C It was a small [Fictional Hell], covering part of the rooftop.
¡®Why is that thing already activated?¡¯
At that size, it must have been used against a small group of one or two people. Someone came to hunt Leafa!
¡®No way¡?¡¯
Professor Fernando had disappeared during the dueling evaluation, and he hadn¡¯t returned, even after I had finished my duel.
When he conducted an exam or performance evaluation inside a building, he used telekinesis magic to set ups. It was simr to a radar. If an uninvited guest got caught in there, Professor Fernando would immediately notice.
In any case¡ Professor Fernando had to be the person fighting Leafa in that small [Fictional Hell].
¡°Crazy.¡±
There shouldn¡¯t be any victims. There was also the problem of intertwined affairs, and I hated the idea of an innocent victim, not to mention the mess it would create.
In particr, Professor Fernando was a very important supporting character in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as he was there to keep Alice Carroll in check.
He would y a big role in awakening Ian, who was going to fall into a slumpter on.
I have to save him no matter what.
¡®It¡¯s like a timed attack. I have to be as quick as possible.¡¯
Leafa was toying around with Professor Fernando, and once the mana contained in the magic circle was full, it would instantly increase the size of [Fictional Hell].
I¡¯ll have to hunt him before that happens.
Thinking so, I jumped into [Fictional Hell].
* * *
The sea was like a mirror.
The shallow sea reflected the ultramarine blue sky. It was as if the sky had been turned upside down.
The sky was densely packed with stars, with the Milky Way drifting by.
Every direction led to a horizon that stretched out as far as the eye could see, there were nothing but abandoned buildings scattered about. They were so shabby that they looked like they would crumble at the slightest touch.
¡°Ugh!¡±
Fresh blood was sttered across that beautifulndscape.
Kuung-!!
Fernando¡¯s body ricocheted through the air like a ball and mmed into the building. Letting out a lone shriek, he was swept down to the ground, the shallow sea soaked his lower body.
¡°Haah¡ Agh¡¡±
He coughed blood out of his mouth. His blue eyes, however, glowed with a fighting spirit.
When he looked up, he saw a swarm of monsters staring back at him. They were alien beings with an appearance as though the Milky Way was flowing through their jet-ck skin.
They looked like they were one with the night sky, so Fernando named them Night Sky Monsters.
The Night Sky Monsters took various forms. Ranging anywhere from the forms of humans to animals, and magic beasts, and even an overwhelminglyrge octopus flying in space. The octopus was so unrealisticallyrge that it was impossible to gauge its size.
However, the thing that stood out the most was the near full moon. It had to be far away, but it was so massive that it easily dwarfed the moon he was used to seeing.
It was an incredibly beautiful sight to behold.
So much so, that he had the ridiculous thought that it might be a good ce for a grave.
¡°A grave.¡±
Fernando groaned as he got to his feet. His legs felt weak and wobbly, but he managed to stand up by holding on to the wall of a building.
He remembered what he had told his associate professor.
He told them that if he didn¡¯t return after 20 minutes had passed, they were to immediately stop the dueling evaluation, evacuate the students, gather their forces, and head for the rooftop.
Currently, the demon was having fun toying with him.
So, he had to stall for a little more time.
The odds were stacked against him. He was sure that he had killed quite a few monsters, but the number had increased ratherpared to before. The monster seemed to be replicating themselves infinitely.
A meaningless war of attrition. It was a structure where you were bound to lose.
It was at that time.
[Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤]
On the full moon that was rising in the night sky, there was a mouth growing. A mouth sorge, that it took up half of the moon.
Its jaw was too even, and the teeth were too white.
Tens of thousands of eyes opened above it. It was no longer a moon, it had already be a living being.
¡°¡!¡±
Fernando¡¯s eyes widened. The sight was so unsettling that it tingled his senses. The overwhelming sight had rendered him speechless.
Tens of thousands of the full moon¡¯s ominous eyes turned toward him in unison.
It startedughing.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Kyahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!]¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The grotesqueugh echoed throughout heaven and earth, as if it were the sound of all thingsbined.
Even the Night Sky Monsters grew mouthsrge enough to fill half their heads.
They also burst intoughter like the moon.
It was as if everything in this world was telling him to despair.
¡°Agh¡!¡±
Before he knew it, a muscr Night Sky Monster had reached Fernando and threw a fist the size of his entire body.
Fernando hurriedly deployed [Basic Protection Magic] to soften the blow.
¡¸Basic Protection Magic (Neutral Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
The monster¡¯s fist struck Fernando¡¯s temple.
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-!
An explosive roar rang out, shaking his brain.
Fernando¡¯s body flew lightly backwards, bouncing off the surface of the sea like a skipping stone, and then rolled around in the shallow sea for a while.
He made a thumping noise¡ªand then he finally stopped moving.
All of his strength left his body.
¡°Ah¡¡±
Fernando nkly looked up at the sky.
It¡¯s beautiful, it¡¯s really beautiful. But let¡¯s save the appreciation for next time.
With all his strength, he raised his upper body. He was still surrounded by monsters, who were all aiming for his life.
His muscles refused to listen. He couldn¡¯t stand up on his own two legs.
It was okay. He could still fight.
Fernando stretched out his right arm toward the monsters. In front of each of his five fingers,pressed [Elemental Magic Bullets] were created with telekinesis magic.
¡¸Water Generation (Water Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ + ¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ + ¡¸Compression (Neutral Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
= ¡¸Elemental Magic Bullet (Water + Ice Element)¡¹
BANG-!
BANG-!
BANG-!
BANG-!
BANG-!
Fernando fired five shots of [Elemental Magic Bullet]. However, none of the magic bullets hit their mark. His hands were trembling; he didn¡¯t even have the strength left to hit the enemy.
He didn¡¯t have enough mana to use powerful magic like telekinesis magic and to make matters worse, the number of monsters was increasing again.
Out in space, the giant octopus stared back at him.
The full moon was still giggling and mocking him.
The realization that he couldn¡¯t win was agonizing. He would surely die here.
Even so, he couldn¡¯t back down now.
¡°I¡¯m¡ a professor¡¡±
To shake off this despair, he reminded himself of who he was.
His voice didn¡¯te out right, but he spoke with all his might.
¡°So for my students, I must¡¡±
He became a professor, not for academic purposes, but out of a pure desire to teach aspiring wizards.
For some reason, the memory of teaching magic to a young student who dreamed of bing a wizard came to mind.
He had only taught a small part of fire magic theory, but their eyes sparkled as if he had taught them so well. He didn¡¯t show it at the time, but whenever he remembered it, a smile spread across his lips.
He used up hisst remaining mana and fired five shots of [Elemental Magic Bullet] once more. It was a precarious move that looked like the elements would disperse at any moment due tock of mana.
It might have simply been a meaningless struggle. Nheless, he needed to stall for time, even if it was just a second more.
¡°Protect¡¡±
Fernando¡¯s small, firm voice was drowned out by the demon¡¯sughter.
[What a funny face, Fernando¡ª! It was fun, goodbye¡ª]
The eerie full moon bade him farewell with a patronizing voice.
The Night Sky Monsters began to mimic Fernando¡¯s technique in unison.
¡¸Darkness Generation (Darkness Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ + ¡¸Fire Generation (Fire Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ + ¡¸Compression (Neutral Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
= ¡¸Elemental Magic Bullet (Darkness + Fire Element)¡¹
Their [Elemental Magic Bullet] appeared in the form of dark red mes, materializing in front of each monster¡¯s fingers, mouth, and forehead.
Their sizes varied. There were monsters who made small-sized magic bullets like Fernando, while some maderge magic bullets to match their size.
¡°¡¡±
Numerous [Elemental Magic Bullet] spells were aimed at him from all directions.
He was going to die this time.
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!
The Night Sky Monsters started shooting their [Elemental Magic Bullet] all at once, the sound of each shot blending with the next, filling the air with the sound of a machine gun firing bullets.
Their [Elemental Magic Bullet] sliced through the air toward Fernando.
On the other hand, the [Elemental Magic Bullet] he fired was futile, dispersing helplessly before even reaching the enemy.
Taking onest look at the Night Sky Monsters and the dark red mes flying towards him, Fernando closed his eyes.
©¤It was then.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤!!!!
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!!!!
¡°¡!¡±
A majestic ice wall formed in front of Fernando and a tsunami of icy cold mes poured down, engulfing the sea.
His eyes widened at the sight.
The [Elemental Magic Bullet] that were fired by the Night Sky Monsters couldn¡¯t even scratch the [Ice Wall] despite their elemental advantage.
As soon as the solidly rising [Ice Wall] fulfilled its role, it dispersed into powder while scattering blue light. A vast expanse of ice began to appear in Fernando¡¯s field of vision.
The bodies of many of the Night Sky Monsters were fatally frostbitten, with purple blood oozing from their scorched or torn skin.
Kuung©¤!
A man descended from the sky andnded on a thick sheet of ice. A crack was formed in the ice sheet.
The man was releasing cold air from every inch of his body.
With his arrival, the massive amount of ice that froze the sea became blue powder and scattered.
In that glittering scene, the Night Sky Monsters copsed helplessly.
Fernando caught a glimpse of the man¡¯s back.
He had a rugged, muscr build with a broad back that stood out. He was at least two meters tall.
He was wearing an ultramarine blue hooded cloak, with his hood draped over his head.
[Greuuuuuuung¡]
From the big man came a beastly cry, it wasn¡¯t a sound that a human would make. It was the sound of a beast warning its enemy.
Fernando found himself unable to speak. It was as if his brain had shut down.
He knew who that monster was. It was unmistakably the suspicious being that appeared during the ss cement evaluation.
But why did the monster appear here?
Why did the monster protect him?
But before he could find the answer to those questions.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤[Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!]
The monster ferociously roared at the full moon.
Meanwhile, beyond the Fictional Hell.
Dorothy Heartnova, a schoolgirl wearing a witch¡¯s hat, skipped her ss in order to admire the blue sky and ocean horizon. The symmetry of thendscape today was so appealing that she couldn¡¯t help but look at it.
Dorothy floatedfortably in the sky while in a seated position as she gently let the light of her colorful stars flow. This was possible because starlight magic could manipte natural forces, such as gravity.
¡®Is that¡?¡¯
Then, she looked down at the academy and noticed something strange.
On the roof of Duke Hall, a strange magic space had formed. It wasn¡¯t emitting any mana, so she hadn¡¯t noticed it until now.
Rather, it was an unknown spell that was absorbing the mana floating in the air. It was as if that magic had been cut off from the rest of the world.
¡®Another world?¡¯
It appeared to be just in an initial demonstration phase, but was rapidly expanding and would soon cover the entirety of Duke Hall.
Dorothy sensed that something suspicious had happened and flew toward the spell.
Chapter 30: - â– â– â– â– (4) - Fictional Hell
? ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö (4) ¨C Fictional Hell ?
I almost had a heart attack.
Of course, I knew there would be a full moon, but my heart still skipped a beat at the realization.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
I guess I¡¯m weak against things like this¡
On top of that, the Berserker¡¯s cry escaped my lips without me realizing it. It didn¡¯t match my voice at all; it was as if it felt my emotions and spat them out like an AI.
Anyway, if I had been a second toote, it could have been an irreversible situation.
Looking at Professor Fernando, he was on the verge of copsing!
He looked like he would pass out at any moment, but he was doing his best to hold on to his consciousness. Poor thing.
I should probably reassure him and let him pass out in peace.
[¡Who are you?]
The moon¡¯s voice echoed softly.
That thing doesn¡¯t look very pleasant. Look at that nice-looking set of teeth. I really want to give it a light uppercut and knock ¡®em out.
This was [Fictional Hell] and that repulsive looking full moon was ¡®Leafa the Illusive¡¯.
The creator of this world, and this was his domain.
¡°You can¡¯t tell what I¡¯m saying anyway.¡± (Grrrr©¤)
I was currently unable tomunicate. I was a Berserker with zeronguage skills.
In this state, it would be difficult tomunicate with words, I would insteadmunicate with my fists.
[Ah, it¡¯s you¡ª]
Only then did Leafa, in the form of the moon, seem to realize I was the demon hunter.
¡°Huh?¡± (Greung?)
Before long, the Night Sky Monsters began to rise out of the sea.
Dozens, thousands, tens of thousands of monsters¡ªcountless monsters with different shapes and sizes appeared.
-Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
It was then that an earthquake urred, and a massive arm stretched out from the ground to beyond the horizon.
[Wheeeeeeeeew©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
A gigantic monster rose from the sea, it was a Giant wearing a skull mask on its face, its whole body covered with the night sky where the Milky Way flowed.
Seeing it from this far away, it appeared to be of a size that went beyond imagination. Even then, it was much smaller than the octopus in the sky.
[The troublemaker. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been a nuisance to us demons, aren¡¯t you?]
Of course.
You will also be dealt with soon enough.
The [Fictional Hell] would soon grow in size and engulf Duke Hall. I had to defeat him before that to prevent any victims other than Professor Fernando.
[Ah, I wanted to meet you! I¡¯ve been wondering what that crazy guy was like! Heh heh heh! I¡¯m so happy right now!]
¡°Is that so?¡± (Grrr¡ª)
[Troublemaker, troublemaker¡ª! Let me y with you¡ª!]
The full moon cried out,ughing like a child, as the monsters began to pounce on me, their huge mouths grotesquelyughing.
[Kyahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Hahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª! Kyahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!]
[Fictional Creature] Lv: 80
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to bite you.]
If I get killed by these monsters, I would lose my mind and be a vegetable.
The strength of each individual couldn¡¯t be ignored and with an infinite number of them spawning, no matter how hard I fought, it would only be a long-term battle that I was bound to lose.
I didn¡¯t know if they even gave a lot of experience points because in the game they wouldn¡¯t give any at all to prevent abuse from easy power leveling.
It was a part of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 3, Fictional Hell, the Subjugation of Leafa the Illusive.
The yer must protect the students by defeating the fictional creatures. That was because Leafa held a defense game against Ian and his colleagues while imprisoning the students.
If even one student died, it was game over, so I remembered swearing a lot and retrying.
After surviving for a certain amount of time, a story cutscene would appear. This was the scene where Ian Fairytale learned how to attack this world.
The main character, Ian Fairytale, struggled with his supporters, but somehow endured with the determination to protect the students¡
As he swung his sword, he repeated to himself, ¡®I can do it¡¯.
Eventually, he started self-hypnosis while saying ¡®I am strong¡¯ or ¡®I can be stronger¡¯.
And then he became surprised by how strong he really was. That was how the full-scale subjugation against Leafa began in earnest.
¡®Yes, the [Fictional Hell] strategy is¡¡¯
¡®Self-hypnosis¡¯.
I have to be like a delusional person.
It was to confront the world of illusion with delusion. If I hadn¡¯t learned this strategy, even a level 180 Dorothy Heartnova would have no choice but to struggle.
However, if one learned how to y around it, even a normal level 51 Isaac, could defeat him with [Hunter] inactive.
The key was that I had to visualize myself getting stronger. The more I know what would happen if I became stronger, the more effective it would be.
If I couldn¡¯t visualize myself bing stronger, there was no point in learning this strategy.
As a veteran of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I had a clear understanding of what it was like to master the ice element.
In other words, I was Leafa¡¯s natural enemy.
¡°¡¡±
Everything in this world was against me.
Firstly, I put an [Ice Barrier] around Professor Fernando.
¡¸Ice Barrier (Ice Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
Let¡¯s visualize.
¡®Myself bing a Munchkin1Korean word for Over Powered.¡¯
For just a moment, I shut out the world; a skill I had acquired while studying when confined to my desk during my exam life, disconnecting myself from the world.
I colored myself, and my own life, into nothingness.
The world became silent as I redefined myself in it.
I am strong.
I am strong.
I am the strongest in the world.
Strong.
[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] [¡ù It¡¯s already maxed out!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] [¡ù It¡¯s already maxed out!] [Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: (200)
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 999929/999999
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (EX)
¨C Stamina (EX)
¨C Strength (EX)
¨C Intelligence (C-)
¨C Willpower (EX) [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (EX)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (EX)
¨C Elemental Synergy (EX)
Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [You have realized the full extent of the ice element, reaching the level of a Sovereign!] [You have learned the passive skill [Ice Sovereign]!] ¡¸Ice Sovereign (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹
Every cell in my body felt unfamiliar. I gently lowered my head and took a brief moment to get used to this unfamiliar sensation.
My skin was more saturated, and my body seemed brighter. The hair on the inside of my hood felt like it stood on its ends, and my nerves were alert.
Light blue cold air flowed gently from my whole body, and I felt as if I was capable of using the most powerful magic in the world.
My body, everything in me, felt so dense and heavy, but at the same time, I became light.
Passive skill, [Ice Sovereign].
Its effects were simple and clear.
It maximized the output of the ice magic I was about to use.
¡°Hah.¡±
My eyes took in the world rushing toward me.
A light blue chill escaped from my breath.
It¡¯s time for you to sleep.
Since from now on, I¡¯m a Super Saiyan.
* * *
Dorothy entered [Fictional Hell].
It was easy to enter that magical space. It was as if she were crossing another dimension. She was swimming in the ck hole-like darkness, and a beautifulndscape opened up in her field of vision.
An open sea that mirrored the night sky and abandoned buildings dotted thendscape.
The night sky was filled with stars and The Milky Way, a giant octopus watching her from beyond the universe, rings ofs streaking across the sky, and a full moon with a mouthrge enough to cover half of its body.
And.
An army of monsters rushing at Professor Fernando and a hulking figure in an ultramarine blue hooded coat.
Dorothy watched the spectacle from the sky, frozen in ce.
¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô©¤©¤©¤©¤
With the activation of her unique trait [All in the World], Dorothy confirmed the unknown existence hidden in the giant¡¯s essence; a near-infinite mass of mana. An overwhelming power that could swallow everything in this world.
She would never forget where she had seen it.
¡°Isaac?¡±
It was Isaac, a silver-blue haired first-year student.
But it was definitely not him; the hulking man was a hooded, muscr monster.
¡®¡A magic disguise?¡¯
Dorothy got the answer. Other than a Magic Cloak of Disguise, nothing could exin Isaac¡¯s drastic change in appearance.
But why?
The being in Isaac¡¯s essence was staring elsewhere, its countless eyes all bright red. As if Dorothy didn¡¯t matter.
The ce all those eyes were focused was the full moon. Dorothy realized that the true identity of the full moon was a demon, with the power of [All in the World].
Only then did she know.
The unknown being in Isaac¡¯s essence was hostile to the demons.
[ ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
It was a very harsh life.
The being in Isaac¡¯s essence began to chant.
As soon as the introduction rang out, a chill ran down Dorothy¡¯s spine.
¡°This is dangerous¡¡±
Dorothy channeled her mana to its maximum output, covering herself with a powerful shield of starlight.
Isaac intended to use powerful magic that could destroy this world. He was so focused on casting the spell that he didn¡¯t even sense Dorothy¡¯s mana.
In other words, Dorothy would have to defend herself against Isaac¡¯s magic.
Fernando didn¡¯t have to defend, since Isaac had already prepared the safest means of protection, the [Ice Barrier].
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Not a single thing remained by my side.
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Nothing had meaning in my life.
In ancient times, there was someone said to have fully mastered the ice element.
A woman whose name had been lost to time, and was now referred to by ¡®Ice Sovereign¡¯ or ¡®Witch with a Scythe¡¯, had created magic with her own life.
The miserable words of an Archwizard who found no meaning in continuing to exist in this world.
A chant filled with grief and resentment.
At the end of her life, a cmity plunged the world into a hundred year ice age.
Soon, behind the Berserker-shaped Isaac, a series of light blue magic circles began to materialize in quick session, like cogs in a wheel.
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Loneliness.
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Only you were by my side.
[ ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
I did not revel in the glory of endless victories alone.
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Fame and fortune had no meaning.
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Only when the owl of dusk spread its wings did I realize.
The giant octopus floating in space sensed the danger and began to strike down with its feet.
The air vibrated. The giant octopus, which could easily subdue an army of monsters with a single arm, fell with a violent crash.
The scenery of the beautiful night sky disappeared, and the surroundings were colored with shadows¡ª
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
This world with only you.
In the darkness, clusters of magic circles carved out the thin air at irregr intervals, even as the octopus¡¯ arms descended upon the world.
Behind all those magic circles, a huge magic circle drew a trajectory that seemed to touch the sky.
It glowed brilliantly.
Isaac stretched his right arm upward.
Massive amounts of ice mana coalesced like a whirlpool and became a cold sun that cast a pale blue light.
The cold sun grewrger andrger in an instant, even surpassing the sky itself.
[ ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Is like hell.
When the unknown monster¡¯s essence finished those words, Isaac lowered his arm.
The cold sun began to fall on the hordes of monsters that began to look like ants.
And it was only for a moment.
¡¸Cocytus (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaahhh©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!!!!
Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaah©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!!!!
The cold sun¡¯s rays pierced through the clouds.
It drove away the darkness and brought blue light to the sky.
In the blink of an eye, the sea froze over, and an icy cold wave raged violently, ravaging the world.
A rampaging freeze of death.
Cold winds and heavy snow.
Numerous ice spikes rose from the ground, prating the already-frozen monsters.
A beam of light spread out in all directions, engulfing everything in its path.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Snap.
The night sky turned white and this world became a frozen hell, as its name suggested.
Cold gusts of wind and frozen ice prevailed, transforming thend into a hellhole of extreme cold that would kill anyone who entered.
The army of monsters and abandoned buildings were obliterated by the beam of light.
Outside the sky, the giant octopus was frozen solid and time seemed to stand still.
Dorothy and Fernando were speechless.
¡°I just¡ What did I just see¡?¡±
It was far beyond their imagination.
Dorothy¡¯s starlight shield was a wreck. Despite the distance between herself and Isaac, despite the fact that it was a shield made by using the maximum output of her mana, and despite the fact that she controlled and blocked the surrounding natural forces¡
It was not difficult to imagine the scene where she would have been annihted if she ran at Isaac like a certain army of monsters and was hit by [Cocytus].
¡°Huh¡¡±
Fernando burst intoughter as if it were absurd.
The overwhelming strength of the man standing in front of him evoked a sense of emptiness rather than admiration.
For whatever reason, it was a relief to know that a monster among monsters was on his side.
He could no longer hold onto his consciousness. In relief, Fernandoid down and copsed.
[Uh, how¡?]
Compared to others, Leafa was less affected by [Cocytus]. He must have been watching over this world from farther away than anyone else. Even so, his full moon body was frozen in various ces. Because of its gigantic form, its condition was reflected even in the eyes of Isaac and Dorothy.
Then, Isaac bent his knees and kicked off the ice¡
Kuuung©¤!
¡And started running toward the full moon.
Kuuung©¤!
Kuuung©¤!
Kuuung©¤!
Isaac ran across the ice, his body soaring through the sky with every step.
To Leafa, it was the sound of approaching death.
Isaac took one step after another, and then he propelled himself like a rocket toward the full moon.
Kwaaaang¡ª!
[Oh, no¡! G-get away¡! Do note¡ª!]
A deep sense of dread washed over Leafa. His survival instincts were screaming at him.
He¡¯s dangerous. He¡¯s dangerous. He can¡¯t be defeated. The possibility of winning doesn¡¯t even exist.
How can such a being exist in this academy? How can there be such an abnormal monster!?
The only one who could deal with someone like this was the Evil God Nephid.
Isaac conjured [Frostfire] from both hands behind his body, and propelled himself across [Cocytus]. The [Frostfire] vastly increased his momentum as he traveled across the frozen sea.
The speed was incredible. He couldn¡¯t follow Isaac¡¯s movement with his eyes.
[Do note¡ª¡ª¡ª!!]
As soon as the distance closed a little, Isaac¡¯s magic would be able to reach Leafa.
Leafa screamed in terror and released [Fictional Hell]. He wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
Clink¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
Chararararara¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The world shattered into pieces like a broken pane of ss.
In an instant, light engulfed everything, [Fictional Hell] was released, and bizarre purple mana dispersed into the air.
All those who were inside returned to the outside world.
The familiar and ordinary scenery of Duke Hall¡¯s rooftop was reflected in their eyes.
Rooooooarrrrr©¤!
As soon as [Fictional Hell] was released, a wall of ck me rose up and split the center of the rooftop.
¡¸me Wall (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ +¡¸ck me (Fire Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck me Wall (Fire Element)¡¹
[Ah¡ AHH!]
In the meantime, Leafa tried to quickly run away.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Drrrrrrrr©¤!
Walls of ice rose from all sides, creating a ceiling and blocking any means of escape.
And then.
Snap©¤
¡°Gotcha.¡±
Isaac¡¯s hand cut through the mes and grabbed Leafa¡¯s head.
Before he knew it, his mask was off and his hood was down, and Isaac had regained his original appearance and voice.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
The ice lightly created by Isaac ignored its elemental disadvantage and extinguished the mes.
Die. Die.
Leafa trembled and examined the overwhelming monster with his [Second Eye].
[¡Huh?]
For a moment, Leafa doubted his own eyes.
Wavy silver hair with a bluish tint, and cold red eyes.
The weakest of M?rchen Academy¡¯s freshmen in the Magic Department, with a Grade E in mana.
He was a candidate who could not even be considered a hindrance, more than anyone else. Because of that, he didn¡¯t even watch his duel.
[Grade E¡? How could you¡?]
His mind started to jumble with confusion. Leafa couldn¡¯t understand this situation at all.
[¡!]
Isaac, without answering, began condensing ice mana into his other hand and a magic circle of [Frost Explosion] materialized in front of him.
Leafa was startled.
[S-save me¡! Spare me, please¡!]
A pitiful voice.
However, Leafa¡¯s desperate cry only echoed helplessly in the small space made by [Ice Wall].
Footnotes:- 1Korean word for Over Powered
Chapter 31: - Duel (5)
? Duel (5)?
There was some information I wanted to extract from Leafa the Illusive.
So I unmasked myself. I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to him while disguised as the Berserker.
As soon as [Fictional Hell] began to unravel, I quickly began to lock [Ice Sovereign] deep inside my body.
Even with the [Hunter] trait activated, I was weaker than I was in [Fictional Hell], so there was no telling what kind of strain [Ice Sovereign] would put on my body if I kept it activated for even a moment.
As a result, my skin had regained its original color.
¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±
[O-of course¡!]
¡°From now on, answer what I ask you.¡±
I said in a cynical tone as I narrowed my eyes.
Leafa was terrified. Like amon idiom, he was shaking like a leaf. The tremors were transmitted through my hands as I held his head.
[Yes, yes! I¡¯ll answer anything! I will answer, so please¡]
¡°How much does Alice Carroll know about me?¡±
If Alice found out about me at this point in the story, it would be game over. Thus, the amount of information she had about me was of great importance to me.
I was the weakest extra with the worst potential in all of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. In other words, in order to defeat the Evil God Nephid, I had to focus on bing stronger as quickly as possible.
That was why I prioritized raising [Physical Training Efficiency] and [Magical Training Efficiency] first, butter on, when they¡¯ve reached their maximum potential, it¡¯d be better to increase [vs. Human Combat Power] as well, to help me stand a chance against dark forces like Alice.
So, until I reached the level where I could stand up to Alice, I needed to hide my identity as much as possible.
The reason why I put up an [Ice Wall] before capturing Leafa was to prevent someone from witnessing this.
It¡¯s time for me to take care of things.
[Child, how do you know Alice¡?]
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kaaaahhhhh©¤!
[Kaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh©¤!]
I triggered a short burst of a [Frost Explosion] and froze his right arm. If he tried to remove the ice, his right arm would be hacked off.
¡°Just answer me.¡±
[Ugh, ah, I don¡¯t know anything¡ I don¡¯t know¡ Child, Alice is still trying to find you¡]
Leafa gritted his teeth and cried while enduring the pain.
He responded politely. He and Alice had a rtionship where it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if one of them betrayed the other at any time, and he was a light-talker in the first ce.
¡®I expected this for now.¡¯
The student evaluation data of M?rchen Academy was kept under strict security. The two who yed the biggest role in this were the Headmistress Elena, and the magic of Aria, the Tower Master of the Hegal Magic Tower, which was in a contractual rtionship with the Academy.
As long as they were there, I didn¡¯t have to worry about my information being leaked.
¡°Then next. What is Alice¡¯s n? Tell me how she intends to find me.¡±
Since it was me, not Ian Fairytale, who was hunting the demons, it was difficult to predict what Alice would do in the future.
She wasn¡¯t the type to act thoughtlessly, except for when she was around cute things, so she is definitely up to something.
Just looking at how the final boss of Act 6, Chapter 3 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? had already appeared, I could guess.
¡®The story is going to get really twisted.¡¯
[I don¡¯t know, that kind of thing!]
¡°¡¡..¡±
I shot another short burst of [Frost Explosion] at Leafa¡¯s leg.
Kwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh-!!!
[Kaaaaaahhhh-!!!]
Leafa screamed at the top of his lungs. However, he didn¡¯t show the slightest sign of defiance.
[Leafa the Illusive] Psychology: [Dreadfully frightened of you.]
Yes, he was afraid.
It must be because my hand was holding Leafa¡¯s head at the moment. If I conjure magic with this hand at any time, it would crack open his skull and he would die instantly.
[Ugh, really, really, I don¡¯t know¡, I don¡¯t know¡ Kuh¡]
He really didn¡¯t seem to know.
I wasn¡¯t surprised that there was little information to dig up.
Alice wasn¡¯t the type of person to go around talking about her own ns, much less to a person she didn¡¯t have a close rtionship with.
The only thing I could call a harvest this time was that Alice still hasn¡¯t figured out my true identity yet.
[I, s-since I answered your question¡ ar-are you sparing my life¡?]
¡°¡?¡±
What are you talking about?
¡°When did I say I was going to let you live?¡±
[¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?]
It seemed that he was seriously mistaken. I never said that I would let him live if he answered all my questions.
¡°You were going to toy with me, the students, the professors, and kill them all, right?¡±
Human life was like a toy to him.
Now and in the future, he would live with that murderous intent.
¡°Why would I let a guy like that live?¡±
[Ahhhhhhh!]
Before Leafa could beg for his life, I shot another short burst of [Frost Explosion] at the back of the his head.
Kwaaaang¡ª¡ª¡ª!
There was a small explosion of light blue cold air, and in the blink of an eye, I saw Leafa¡¯s mangled upper body trapped in a block of ice.
After dispelling the ice mana that had turned into a block of ice, Leafa fell to the ground; his whole body turned into gray powder and piled up on the floor like cigarette ash.
¡°Whew.¡±
Only then did I rx my expression.
¡®Sessfully took care of the problem.¡¯
That was really fortunate.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Leafa the Illusive (Lv 130)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 56!] [You¡¯ve gained 10 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?An Illusion Within An Illusion?! You have gained an additional 10 bonus stat points!]
It was ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 1, Duel¡¹ where I thought I¡¯d just measure mybat ability and move on.
But I somehow ended up getting 20 stat points.
However, more importantly.
¡°I already got this¡¡±
An ashen braceletid on the ground where Leafa the Illusive had disappeared. I picked it up.
[You have obtained the loot [Elemental Bracelet]!] [Elemental Bracelet] Increases the [Elemental Resistance] of certain elements by [40], excluding the light and darkness elements.
Rank: Tier 1
Effect Duration: 24 hours
Cooldown Time: 24 hours
¡®Elemental Bracelet¡¯. Naturally, I thought I¡¯d get this in the second semester.
¡For now, I had to think about my stat points and the Elemental Braceletter. There were other things I had to take care of first.
My body suddenly grew heavy. The [Hunter] trait had been deactivated. Before that, I sensed mana around me, but there wasn¡¯t much. Still, there was nothing wrong with being safe.
Afterwards, I put on the mask and the hood on my head and transformed into the Berserker.
I dispelled the [Ice Barrier] ced on Professor Fernando and the [Ice Wall] that imprisoned me.
As soon as the [Ice Wall] dispersed into bluish powder, I turned my head toward Professor Fernando.
If I took his unconscious body out now, the situation would be over.
Although, I was sure Professor Fernando must have instructed his associate professor toe up to the roof after a certain amount of time had passed.
However, I couldn¡¯t just leave a dying man on the roof without confirmation.
I must turn the fainted Professor Fernando over to the administration without revealing my presence.
A professor was injured. If it was discovered that I was with Professor Fernando, I would be summoned by the Truth Investigation Committee for questioning.
The Student Council President was also included in the emergency contact list of the Truth Investigation Committee, so it was better to avoid that situation as much as possible.
¡°You worked hard, Professor.¡±
There was an easy way out.
I headed for the rooftop entrance with Professor Fernando on my back.
* * *
Luce Eltania was walking down the hallway of Duke Hall.
The duel had been her triumph. At first, she was going to go easy on Ian Fairytale for his courage in challenging her to a duel, but then she simply finished him off with a 5-star water magic.
This was because Isaac bothered her too much.
He had nosebleeds every day and worked hard, but eventually, he met a dead-end and dered his surrender.
¡®How upset would he be?¡¯
With a face of resigned eptance, Isaac patted Tristan on the shoulder, acknowledged him, and left.
The fact that he was trying so hard to look nonchnt, as if he was relieved, made her feel even more sorry for him.
She hadn¡¯t decided what to say to him, but she wanted to meet him.
She quickly ended her duel and swiftly stepped out into the hallway so as not to be stopped by the guard wizards.
Ever since she was 10 years old, she had not been interested in others, so she was not good at constion or encouragement.
Even so, if she could pretend to run into Isaac by chance, and then say something along the lines of ¡®Cheer up¡¯¡ she felt like he would feel at ease.
¡®Where are you¡?¡¯
But Isaac was nowhere to be seen. Had he already left Duke Hall? No, he wasn¡¯t allowed to leave Duke Hall while the dueling evaluation was in progress, which meant he was still somewhere in the building.
I wonder where he is.
Luce headed for the stairs. Since Isaac wasn¡¯t on this floor, he was probably on the upper floor or on the roof.
¡°Student Luce? What are you doing here?¡±
Luce ran into an associate professor who wasing toward the stairs from the opposite direction. He was apanied by examiners and five healers.
Seeing them appear in a group, Luce was puzzled.
¡°The dueling evaluation has been suspended. Please return to your seats andply with academic regtions.¡±
¡°Huh¡?¡±
The associate professor spoke in a polite yet urgent voice.
She couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, but it was clear that something unexpectedly bad had happened.
They passed Luce and began to climb the stairs.
Isaac was probably up there as well.
Luce contemted whether to follow them up or not.
¡°Student Dorothy?¡±
Just then, a female student came down from the top of the stairs.
She stopped the associate professor¡¯s party in the middle of the stairwell.
¡°¡?¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when she saw the pretty schoolgirl with long light purple hair wearing a witch¡¯s hat.
Her cosmic, star-shaped pupils seemed otherworldly.
This was the same senior who had recently been spending time at Isaac¡¯s training grounds every day.
¡°Wait for a moment.¡±
Dorothy said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she looked at Luce and the associate professor¡¯s party standing below.
¡°Wait?¡±
¡°Yes, please wait a moment~.¡±
Why all of a sudden?
Luce and the associate professor¡¯s party couldn¡¯t understand.
¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous now.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡°Then¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡±
Closing her eyes, Dorothy snapped her fingers and began to drum a rhythm.
The associate professor¡¯s party watched her entricity from afar.
Dorothy Heartnova was a force to be reckoned with at M?rchen Academy, a genius whose talents seemed to havee from the very heavens themselves, and the pride of the academy.
That was why, when she used the word ¡®dangerous,¡¯ it was unavoidable that the associate professor and his party felt uneasy.
Still, as a professor, he couldn¡¯t be influenced by the words of a student.
¡°Student Dorothy,¡± said Philip Meltron, the professor in charge of the Magic Department¡¯s freshmen ss A, as he stepped forward.
¡°It¡¯s over now~¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Dorothy opened her eyes and moved out of their way. Her entricity was over in just five seconds.
The associate professor and his party did not understand why, but they started climbing the stairs again.
After climbing to the second floor.
¡°Professor Fernando?!¡±
A man copsed in the hallway had caught their eyes.
It was Professor Fernando, covered in wounds and unconscious.
His body bore the traces of a fierce battle.
Beside him, Dorothy¡¯s familiar was casting a healing spell on Fernando. A white cat with a pink ribbon on its tail was rubbing its own cheek against Fernando¡¯s.
¡°He needs healing magic! Please move Professor Fernando quickly!¡±
Getting Fernando to a hospital room took precedence over assessing the situation.
The associate professor gave urgent instructions to the healers.
Meanwhile.
Dorothy stood leaning against the corner, listening to the bustle of the associate professor¡¯s party. Soon after, the healing squad passed her on their way down the stairs, carrying Fernando on a stretcher.
The rest of the group seemed to be heading for the roof.
Only then did Dorothy begin to descend the stairs.
¡®You¡¯re inexperienced, President. You should thank this older sister for buying you time to escape.¡¯
Dorothy shrugged her shoulders triumphantly.
Isaac.
There must be a reason why such a strong being was hiding his identity. Whatever that reason was, Dorothy decided to keep his secret.
The fact that he had fought to protect the people of the Academy was enough to convince her.
It was natural for her to be considerate, thought Dorothy.
¡°Huh? You?¡±
As Dorothy descended the stairs, she met the eyes of a schoolgirl who had been watching her.
Her rose gold hair was delicate, and her detailed features were very elegant. The morpho butterfly-colored hair straps on either side of her head looked exquisite.
Dorothy knew who she was. She was Luce Eltania, the undisputed head among the first-year students of the Magic Department.
She¡¯d often spotted her watching Isaac before he went to training. She was a cute Junior, perhaps she had a crush on him.
Dorothy tilted her head with a bright smile on her face.
¡°Do you have something to do with me?¡±
¡°I was just wondering why Senior was here, since Duke Hall should be off-limits right now.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. However, rules are meaningless to me.¡±
Luce frowned at her.
What the hell?
¡°Did something happen upstairs?¡±
¡°None of your business, cute Junior~.¡±
After replying in a yful voice, Dorothy walked past Luce.
Luce¡¯s gaze followed her wordlessly.
¡°Ah.¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy realized something and stopped in her tracks to look back at Luce.
¡°Your crush, it¡¯s going to be a little difficult.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
What do you mean? Luce asked with a question mark hovering over her head.
Dorothy smirked in amusement and walked away with light steps.
Chapter 32: - Duel - Interlude
? Duel ¨C Interlude ?
Fortunately, the n was sessful and turned out smoothly.
With Professor Fernando on my back, I stepped through the exit of the rooftop, and after I was sure no one was nearby, I carefully ced him on the ground.
I then took off the Cloak of Disguise and ced it in my magic pouch, and carried him back down the stairs.
When I was certain we were close enough to the arena, I gently ced him in the hallway.
I took out ¡®firecrackers¡¯ from my magic pouch. Since I had to go around hiding my identity, I made sure to stock up on tools that would distract others.
Then, using a [Fire Generation] scroll, I lit the fuse and ced the firecrackers nearby. If the firecrackers exploded, the proctor or security guard who heard the sound would immediately notice and rush here.
After everything was set up, I ran down the hallway and headed for the window. Could it be because of the hellish PT performance? I jumped out the window like a stuntman and quickly ran away. If I couldn¡¯t hear the sound of the firecrackers anymore, then nothing more needs to be said.
I sprinted all the way to the first floor training room.
Since the aisles were wide open, I was able to enter naturally and blend in with the students.
A few momentster, I realized my n had worked when I heard that Professor Fernando had been sent away.
I also heard that dueling evaluation was suspended, and it was easy to guess the reason.
Professor Fernando probably said something like this to his associate professor, ¡®If I do note back for a certain period of time, stop the dueling evaluation and go up to the roof with thebat troops¡¯. It was a guess I had made earlier, but I guess I was right. It would have been fine if I had just left him on the roof.
Still, I didn¡¯t have a choice. Unless there was concrete evidence, spection was just spection.
Anyway, let¡¯s consider the result. Things worked out the way I thought they would, right?
¡®Well, a good thing is a good thing.¡¯
I didn¡¯t feel the need to overthink it.
Suddenly, an announcement was made that the dueling evaluation would resume after the truth of this incident was clearly revealed.
A few dayster¡
The findings of the Truth Investigation Committee¡¯s investigation were posted on the bulletin board in Orphin Hall, a dormitory building for the Magic Department.
The Truth Investigation Committee investigated the statements of those involved in the case, the traces of mana, and more. They were able to conclude that a demon appeared and was eliminated.
The person who yed an active part was the suspicious individual who had appeared during the ss cement evaluation. That would be me in the form of a ck monster.
The details of the investigation were kept secret, so it was unclear who was involved in the case or what happened.
In any case, it was fortunate that there was nothing about ¡®Isaac.¡¯
¡®Now the atmosphere is getting worse.¡¯
The atmosphere of the academy had sunk to an all-time low. Demons, who were considered once-in-a-lifetime natural disasters, had appeared several times in such a short period of time.
The students had repeated discussions about why demons appeared so often. Some suggested that ¡®It was just bad luck¡¯ while others believed that ¡®It¡¯s because people with high mana gathered together, which attracted the demons.¡¯
By the way, once again, the academy authorities were nning to make a concerted effort to settle the issue regarding the frequent appearance of demons.
However, after the Thunderbird Subjugation, the situation would spiral out of control, and eventually, even the Imperial Knights would be called in to investigate the case.
My condolences to the faculty and the academy authorities, who would be facing an even harder time in the future.
¡®Ah, that¡¯s right, something like that happened.¡¯
I suddenly remembered what Kaya had said to me when she came to me with a shocked expression.
¡°Sir Isaac! The ck monster appeared during the ss cement evaluation and now again¡!¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Could it be that it¡¯s a demon who betrayed the other demons?!¡±
Of course, she was an idiot, so I just let it go.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 56
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 1100/1300
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C)
¨C Stamina (C+)
¨C Strength (C+)
¨C Intelligence (C)
¨C Willpower (B+) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (B-)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B-)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B-)
Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (B-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (B-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(C+)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (B-)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (D)
¨C (¡ï4) Frostfire (C-)
¨C (¡ï4) Ice Wall (C-)
¨C (¡ï5) Frost Explosion (D)
¨C (¡ï2) Frost Wave (C-)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight
¨C (¡ï5) Demon Detection
¨C (¡ï9) Ice Sovereign Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter
In the middle of the quiet night, I once again came to the corner of the butterfly garden to train.
I checked my status window. The ultimate buff skill of the ice element, the 9-star passive skill [Ice Sovereign], was still on my list of skills.
Regardless of the [Hunter] effect, I had acquired it after fulfilling the acquisition conditions.
¡®Awesome.¡¯
It was a great oue.
The day I defeated Leafa the Illusive, I noticed that [Ice Sovereign] still remained in the status window, so I started shadowboxing while kicking up a fuss.
If I could handle [Ice Sovereign] properly, my power would increase by leaps and bounds.
¡®I already have the Elemental Bracelet.¡¯
The Elemental Bracelet was a magic tool that, when worn on the wrist, would greatly increase one¡¯s resistance to any single element except for the light and darkness elements.
I tried it with a 2-star magic scroll right away, but the scroll wasn¡¯t very effective, which made it difficult to urately test.
After the dueling evaluation, it was time for ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 2, Familiar¡¹of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? to begin. At that time, when I have my own familiar, I¡¯ll have to ask them to cast spells on me, so I could test it properly.
Using the newly acquired stat points, I invested 10 in [Physical Training Efficiency] and 10 in [Learning Efficiency], and with that, they increased to B+ and C+ grades respectively.
Now, the rate at which my stamina and strength will develop would be faster than most of the Knight Department students who regrly worked out.
¡°Whew.¡±
I took a deep breath and calmed my emotions.
It was time to retest the [Ice Sovereign] skill that I had recently tried out.
I¡¯m nervous¡
I almost high-fived Great King Yeomra1Yeomra (also known as Yeomra-Daewang) was the Korean god of the dead. He was the fifth of the ten Kings of the Underworld (called Shi-wang) and was believed to be the supreme ruler of the Underworld. the other day when I unleashed the power of [Ice Sovereign].
Still, it was critical to continue testing it and to eventually make it my own, especially since [Ice Sovereign] was the ultimate buff skill of the ice element.
¡®Focus.¡¯
I touched something cold that was nestled deep inside my body. It was the trigger to draw out the power of [Ice Sovereign] thatid dormant inside of me.
As a rule of thumb, I raised the power of [Ice Sovereign], which had been reduced to 0%, to a rough estimate of about 1%.
At the same time.
¡°Ugh!!¡±
An excruciating pain shot through my entire body, it was as if every cell in my body was being stabbed by a needle.
¡°Agh¡ ugh¡¡±
I immediately suppressed the power of [Ice Sovereign] to 0%. The pain subsided as if nothing had happened, but before I knew it, I had copsed on thewn, groaning. I must have cked out for a moment.
¡®Ugh, I think I¡¯m going to get PTSD¡.¡¯
It hurts so much¡
I still had a long way to go. Right now, I couldn¡¯t properly handle [Ice Sovereign] with my normal body.
Perhaps, it would be better to try it again properly after I trigger [Hunter].
After Iposed myself, I got up and started training other spells as usual.
In the meantime, while I was doing so.
¡°What are you practicing?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
I was startled when someone poked me in the back.
I quickly turned around and saw a schoolgirl wearing a witch hat, covering her mouth and suppressing herughter.
Soon after, she started giggling.
¡°Nihihihi¡! Oh, what was that reaction? The President is cute.¡±
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
I was feeling a little nauseous, but I gritted my teeth and endured it after seeing her face.
¡°What are you doing thiste at night?¡±
¡°The stars are so beautiful tonight, I was watching them and suddenly thought of you, so I came to see you! You¡¯re still training, huh!¡±
The sky was embroidered with beautiful stars. The stars appeared in great abundance due to the cloudless sky.
¡°I had a feeling. Our President is diligent~¡±
Dorothy mischievously opened her half-closed eyes and smiled slyly.
I felt ufortable for some reason.
There was no clear basis for it, but my experience of ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? told me that this person didn¡¯te here because she suddenly remembered me.
¡°¡Senior, do you have something to say to me?¡±
So, I probed her at once.
I couldn¡¯t read Dorothy¡¯s mind because it was protected by starlight mana, so I had no choice but to find out this way.
Dorothy was still smiling. But the silence that followed was no different from affirming my words.
Only then did I know the true nature of the sense of my difort. Dorothy¡¯s always natural, pretentious smile was showing a falseness that shouldn¡¯t be there. It meant that her mind was a little disorganized.
¡°What makes you think that?¡±
Don¡¯t underestimate me because you¡¯re my favourite.
¡°It just seems that way.¡±
Dorothy thought about it for a moment.
Then, with a wry expression, she looked me straight in the eyes.
¡°You¡¯re sharp, President. It¡¯s only been two weeks since we¡¯ve known each other, yet you know me very well. It¡¯s like we¡¯ve known each other for a long time.¡±
It was because I saw you a lot in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?
Of course, I couldn¡¯t really answer that, so I remained silent.
I wasn¡¯t sure how my emotions wereing across right now, but Dorothy looked doubtful.
¡°Can I ask you something?¡±
¡°Ask me anything.¡±
¡°Will you answer?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll answer whatever it is.¡±
¡°Nihihi, okay.¡±
Swish.
Dorothy suddenly leaned toward me and stuck her head out.
I had already gotten used to her act of leaning her face close to mine.
I stared at her in silence, not pulling my head back.
Soon after, she asked.
¡°Why is the President working so hard?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
What is she talking about?
¡°Is there some reason you have to train yourself to death?¡±
¡I¡¯m definitely nearing death with all this training.
So, to a person who was gifted with exceptional magic talent such as Dorothy, someone like me might be a rare breed.
My goal is to defeat the Evil God Nephid and knowing just how powerful Nephid was in Hell difficulty, I simply can¡¯t afford to neglect my training.
I couldn¡¯t rely on the Master Fainter, Ian Fairytale.
Of course, I could confide in a Munchkin like Dorothy Heartnova that the Evil God Nephid would resurrect in the distant future. It would seem reasonable on the surface.
But.
¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯
Dorothy was cursed to die within the next year.
In addition, the curse is elerated when shees into contact with a being whose ¡®origin¡¯es from demons. For example, the ¡®Fictional Creatures¡¯ that I fought a few days ago, a misceneous mob created by a demon.
It was one thing to fight with someone like ¡®Thunderbird Galia¡¯ who became a demon on the day of the end-of-semester evaluation.
However, if she got into a fight with ¡®Vera the Summoner¡¯, a demon by birth, she would surely lose her life in no time.
Other natural demons were no exception either.
¡®If I told you, you¡¯d undoubtedly sacrifice your life to protect the academy. That is not what I want.¡¯
She would treat her life as expendable, since she was going to die anyways.
¡°There is no reason.¡±
I lied on purpose.
Dorothy should have known right away that I was lying.
¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s good to be strong.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
Dorothy looked at me with a disapproving expression.
But she didn¡¯t bother to dig into my answer and justughed.
¡°You¡¯re no fun, President.¡±
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she looked disappointed. It didn¡¯t matter.
I don¡¯t want to put you in danger.
I¡¯m going to save you, my favourite, anyways. After that, you¡¯ll just have to help me.
Soon Dorothy turned her back and began to walk away.
¡°Senior, are you leaving?¡±
Dorothy just waved her hand without answering.
Then, as she disappeared among the trees, I began to hear the sound of grasshoppers.
¡®Ah, it feels strange.¡¯
It was a very ufortable feeling. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but I felt a faint sense of guilt, like the kind you feel when you say or do something wrong.
¡Let¡¯s just focus on training.
I pped my cheeks hard with the palms of my hands to drive away any distracting thoughts, then started pouring mana into my hands.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
In the dorm for the top students of M?rchen Academy, Charles Hall.
A certain room was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight shining softly through the window.
Dorothy, dressed in her nightgown, was lying on the bed, her head turned to the side.
In silence, she stared nkly at the moonlight shining on the floor.
¡°¡¡±
She had countless questions for Isaac.
Why are you so strong? What is the reason you¡¯re training so hard, pretending to be weak and not using your full strength?
What is your reason for antagonizing the demons while hiding your identity?
He was already strong enough to be considered an Archwizard, which made it impossible for Dorothy to understand his entricity. It didn¡¯t even feel like he was honing his basic skills like ¡®a great master perfecting the fundamentals.¡¯
Above all.
¡®Why do you feel that way¡?¡¯
Earlier, Isaac had lied. He didn¡¯t reveal the real reason for training to death like that.
Why, then, did she see emotions of ¡®concern¡¯ and ¡®affection¡¯ on his lying face?
Her [Emotion Detection] could never be wrong. Isaac was clearly worried about her.
¡®You lied to me, for my sake¡?¡¯
What connection could there be between Isaac¡¯s lies and his concern for Dorothy?
¡®Besides, I¡¯m not someone to be worried about¡¡¯
In the first ce, it was ridiculous that he, the most powerful person at M?rchen Academy, would be worried about her.
It wasical.
[Dorothy. What are you doing up sote?]
A graceful voice rang at Dorothy¡¯s bedside.
As she turned her head, a white cat with a pink ribbon on her tail reflected in her eyes.
It was her 5-star familiar, ¡®E¡¯.
[You¡¯ve been tossing and turning ever since we got here¡ Oh my, are you in love or something?]
¡°You still haven¡¯t digested the firecrackers yet, what are you talking about?¡±
[Didn¡¯t I tell you not to talk about firecrackers? Just thinking about it makes me sick¡!]
Dorothy said teasingly as she opened her half-closed eyes, E was furious.
The day Isaac defeated the demon, E ate the firecrackers he had left near Professor Fernando.
It was to give Isaac time to escape. If the firecrackers had exploded on time and the academy¡¯s personnel who heard the sound hade running, Isaac would have been caught in the act.
The academy¡¯s personnel weren¡¯t stupid.
¡®I¡¯m worried¡¡¯
Dorothy stroked E¡¯s soft body, and E closed her eyes, enjoying her touch.
¡®I wonder if the President knows about my curse?¡¯
Isaac seemed like an ordinary man on the surface, but he was the strongest person she had ever met, far beyond Dorothy¡¯s wildest assumptions. If so, there was a high possibility that he had also figured out the true nature of the curse she possessed.
If there was a connection between Isaac¡¯s lie and Dorothy¡¯s curse, it might be rted to the ¡®demons¡¯.
¡°Hmmmmm.¡±
Dorothy had been stroking E and thinking for so long that her brain started to overheat.
[Dorothy? Dorothy!]
As if her brain had been pushed to the limit and exploded, she started spacing out.
Using her brain was her Achilles¡¯ heel.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The dueling evaluation had finally resumed.
I thought things must have gone ording to the original scenario, except for the appearance of Leafa the Illusive. But while having lunch with Amy Holloway, I heard that Luce had knocked Ian out with a single blow¡
¡®Why¡?¡¯
Why on earth?
Ian was supposed to reveal that he was a light element user during the duel and leave asting impression on the students.
This was because of one of the official heroines, Ciel Carnedas. She had already been involved with Ian during his practical training.
She was shocked to see Ian¡¯s light magic. Because the ¡®Promise with the Heavenly Beings¡¯ had been passed down through her family.
¡®If you find the Child of Light, please bring him to the Heavenly Realm¡¯.
That was the promise Ciel¡¯s great-great-grandfather made with the Heavenly Beings when he went to the ¡®Divine Realm¡¯.
Thus after that, Ciel approached Ian and they became involved with one another. As they continued to interact, her fondness for him grew, andter she told Ian how to go to the Divine Realm, that is, Heaven.
Ian would need to travel to the Heavens to obtain the ultimate light elemental weapon, the Luminous Sword. Even though Ian was a Master Fainter, there woulde a time when only he could help. Especiallyter on, when the demon with immunity against all elements other than light appeared, the bad ending would be a foregone conclusion if Ian didn¡¯t use [Expelled from Paradise] with his Luminous Sword.
¡°Whoa, what was that?¡±
¡°Am I not mistaken¡?¡±
¡°Did you just use that¡ Is that light magic¡ª?¡±
Fortunately, Ian sessfully demonstrated the use of his light magic in his duel against the dueling applicant Mateo Jordana, and Ciel Carnedas was also among the crowd of students watching.
Only after seeing her eyes widen in surprise, could I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
¡®You must¡¯ve been scared to death¡¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, when Ian was dueling with Mateo, he was determined not to use light magic.
However, after being easily defeated by Luce this time, he seemed to have changed his mind, thinking, ¡®If I don¡¯t use my light magic first, I won¡¯t stand a chance.¡¯ Of course, I figured out that idea through [Psychological Insight].
Anyway.
There were no longer any problems with this scenario. Hooray!
Now, regardless of the original story, I could focus on the duel.
Mateo was defeated by Ian¡¯s unexpected use of light magic, but he grasped the hand that he held out to him, creating a heartwarming scene.
¡°Hmph, as expected, no one can touch the strength, greatness, and mana of my being!¡±
Tristan Humphrey was in a depressed mood at first, but his bravado and self-esteem were boosted by his easy victories in his duels against other students.
¡°¡¡±
Luce Eltania won, winning casually with water magic.
¡°Is this all your strength?¡±
During the course of the tournament, the groups were switched each time, so I got to see Kaya Astrean¡¯s duel as well.
Just like Luce, she easily subdued her opponent with wind magic, but she showed her opponent a degree of mercy in giving and receiving attacks.
¡°Aaahhhhhhhhh!¡±
Amy Holloway ran away in terror, but when she was cornered, she squeezed her eyes shut and unleashed a barrage of fire magic at her opponent.
Her opponent copsed, looking like a burnt chicken, leaving Amy looking visibly flustered.
¡°Huhu. I didn¡¯t expect someone from ss C to challenge me to a duel. Was this all for the sake of panting like a dog? Aaah, how pathetic, how unsightly¡ But I¡¯ll give you credit for having some courage. Great. To a nasty pig like you, I¡¯ll give you the honor of being trampled under my feet.¡±
Rose Red Riveraughed with a, ¡°Hoho,¡± and began to excitedly stomp on her opponent, a male student, with her foot as he fell to the ground.
The faces of the students who were watching were priceless.
The expression of the boy who was being trampled on was very happy. He looked like he could die happy right now.
¡°Next! ss D Isaac, ss C Donnelly Jenkins, forward!¡±
The referee called my name and I stepped up onto the arena; across from me was a ss C male student with which I had applied for a duel.
He straddled the fine line between ss B and ss C, and was a perfect opponent to measure mybat power against.
¡°All skills are unrestricted! Surrendering is prohibited for one minute. Now, show respect to your opponent and engage in a duel.¡±
Kaya¡¯s sparkling eyes¡
Luce¡¯s meaningful gaze¡
Mateo¡¯s tense eyes¡
Amy¡¯s supportive eyes¡
Tristan¡¯s inferiorityplex ring¡
Ros¨¦¡¯s annoyed re¡.
Ian¡¯s focused eyes¡
¡They all turned to me in unison.
¡°Ready¡!¡±
Even though I was the weakest, I was able to be stronger by ying an active role in teaching those demons who the person in charge was.
I was sure I couldpete with the top ss C students now.
¡°Begin the duel!¡±
With the referee¡¯s shout, I conjured [Frostfire] in both hands.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? Act 3, Chapter 1.
The dueling part wasing to an end.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
¡°Hey, you worked hard!¡±
¡°You worked hard, Enoch!¡±
¡°Hahahahaha! Enoch, your sword skills are as good as ever!¡±
It was an eerie night when a party of four adventurers ¨C two warriors, one wizard, and one cleric ¨C were on their way back to their inn after a day of dungeon exploration.
Today¡¯s harvest was quite abundant. From Halkori¡¯s ws to Demyrus¡¯ wings, and even the gold and silver treasures that the monsters were hoarding in the storerooms. The bags of harvest held by the two strong warriors looked very reassuring.
Now that the quest received from the guild office was safelypleted, it was time to celebrate by throwing a party and drinking to their heart¡¯s content.
In the midst of all the excitement, the group was walking through the forest when they suddenly came across an open space bathed in moonlight; the group of adventurers felt a presence and stopped in their tracks.
¡°Wait.¡±
The next words were unnecessary, for their gazes turned to the same ce ¨C a woman around 3 meters tall was strolling along the beach; her tattered dress and ashen skin seemed to ooze with age, but in her open mouth, the number of sharp teeth were too numerous to count.
Stop.
The woman¡¯s feet stopped. In an instant, her head bizarrely twisted toward the group of adventurers.
They held their breath at the chilling spectacle.
Suddenly, the woman¡¯s mouth was stretched open, forming a grotesque smile.
[Good morning, everyone!]
Under the dark night sky, the woman greeted them cheerfully.
[Can you hear the birds chirping? How cute, how cute!]
Despite the woman¡¯s excessive hand gestures and bodynguage, there was no chirping of cute birds. There was only silence.
The adventurers¡¯ group sensed an unusual aura and drew their weapons.
Soon, the hoot of an owl rang out.
[Yes, this sound! Hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot!!!!!!!!!!!!]
The gray-skinned woman swayed her body from side to side like a trumpet.
She whispered rapidly, then began to make a duck cry, blood sttering from her mouth.
[Ah! Cute thing! Do you have any cute ones too? It¡¯s cute, it¡¯s cute, it¡¯s cute!]
Then, as if the woman¡¯s cries were a signal re, the adventurers¡¯ familiars were forcibly summoned
¡°What is this¡!¡±
¡°Zordyk!!¡±
The familiars were engulfed in darkness mana with pained expressions.
Soon, countless familiars were summoned around the woman; an army of animal-like and hideous-looking magic beasts were under hermand.
All of them were magic beasts who had once been someone¡¯s familiars, and as they drained the darkness mana, they looked like puppets that had lost their will.
Even the adventurers¡¯ familiars forgot their masters and flew toward the woman. After being consumed by the darkness mana, the familiars became no different from the rest of the woman¡¯s magic beast army.
[From now on, I am your new owner. Aah, how cute, how cute, how cute¡]
The woman caressed the four new familiars, and her eyes took in the branding on their bodies, evidence of their contracted master-servant rtionship. The sight made her ufortable, so she frowned in annoyance.
[s, there¡¯s no use, it¡¯s okay, this stepmother will set you free!]
Soon, the army of familiars closed in and attacked the adventurers. It was a one-sided battle.
The four adventurers, who seemed to have bright futures ahead of them, fell prey to their familiars and departed from this world.
The woman summoned her familiar army back and in an instant, the army of familiars was engulfed in darkness mana, and their figures disappeared.
[Smells better¡. It¡¯s cute, smelly¡. Does the Child of Light have a cute one?]
Vera the Summoner, a demon with absolute domination over familiars.
She walked back to M?rchen Academy, staggering with each step.
Footnotes:- 1Yeomra (also known as Yeomra-Daewang) was the Korean god of the dead. He was the fifth of the ten Kings of the Underworld (called Shi-wang) and was believed to be the supreme ruler of the Underworld.
Chapter 33: - Luce (1)
? Luce (1)?
The academy issued a statement to the students after the dueling evaluation was over; they were currently in the process of investigating the cause of the frequent appearance of demons, and would prepare the best safety measures to ensure that no students were harmed.
The curriculum proceeded as normal, as if nothing had happened. Some students protested that the academy was hiding something and demanded the truth, but they were in the minority.
¡®Of course, it¡¯s not a logical situation.¡¯
An existence that threatens people¡¯s lives had appeared several times, yet the academy was going back to its normal operation even though a student or professor almost died.
Even if demons were regarded as natural disasters, it didn¡¯t make sense.
However, in reality, the board of directors, the principal, and the academic staff were working day and night to get the situation under control. Unless they had been living under a rock, there was no student who didn¡¯t know that fact.
However, by the end of the first semester of year 1 ¨C the Thunderbird Subjugation ¨C the matter would escte and would be too big, forcing the Imperial Knights to eventually intervene.
And this served as an opportunity to bring together the so-called ¡®Golden Generation¡¯, which included a rtively insignificant princess, a saintess who handled divine power (physical), and a sociopathic priestess from the East. The princess had nned to enter the school from the beginning, the saintess came because of a sense of justice to face the darkness of this world¡ no, it was because of her love for winning. And then there was the priestess, who had a n of her own.
I wasn¡¯t certain, but it appeared that those with special status or birth tended to have a peculiar way of thinking. If I survived, they, the Golden Generation, would be my juniors.
¡®But that¡¯s forter¡¡¯
What mattered now was that the original story had been greatly twisted.
During the dueling evaluation, the final boss of Act 6, Scene 3, Leafa the Illusive, appeared and because of his loose lips, he had leaked some crucial information to Professor Fernando.
The very existence of a ¡®mole¡¯.
How did I, amoner, know about this, you ask? Of course, I found out thanks to observing the main academy staff through [Psychological Insight] and it detailed ¡®Worried about the future because the demons have a mole at the academy.¡¯
In that case, I should prepare for an IF scenario ¨C when the truth that Alice is the ¡®mastermind¡¯ bes revealed sooner than in the original scenario.
For reference, even Dorothy¡¯s [All in the World] couldn¡¯t discover that Alice was the person controlling everything from behind the scenes. It was because Alice had a unique trait called the [Red Queen¡¯s Paradox].
To conclude, no one could read Alice¡¯s psychology or essence.
¡®Anyway, I have to prepare for a situation where Alice¡¯s identity is revealed sooner than expected¡¡¯
¡¸Rock Copse (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Koooong©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Ugghh!!¡±
Aaaahh!!
It hurts!!
¡°I-I thought I told you to keep it within moderation, nothing higher than 3-stars¡!¡±
The yellow glowing boulders mmed into my body, crashing into each other, causing an explosion of mana.
The impact sent my body tumbling across the grass before mming into a tree.
Whew, that was a surprise¡
I groaned and managed to raise my upper body.
The being that had knocked me off my feet was a small golem, tilting its head. Its body was made of solid stone that looked incredibly hard.
It was my 3-star rock element familiar, Eden.
[Kyuu©¤?]
Don¡¯t pretend to be cute while tilting your head. It doesn¡¯t suit you.
[Eden] Lv: 48
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to look cute to you. Kyu.]
Two days ago, I had the opportunity to summon a familiar during ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 2, Familiar¡¹. The students took turns summoning familiars using the summoning circle.
I was worried that there would be unexpected variables like there were in the dueling evaluation, but fortunately, it ended safely, without any incident.
One could summon up to 4-star familiars with the Familiar Summoning Circle. From 5-stars and above, you had to meet in person and sign a contract.
A 3-star like Eden exceeded my expectations, so I excitedly signed a contract with him.
The main character, Ian Fairytale, summoned a fire element familiar named ¡®Rex,¡¯ as per the original story. A whopping 4-stars. He resembled a newborn Tyrannosaurus, and ording to the original plot of the familiar part, Ian and Rex would soon have a confrontation to rify their master-servant rtionship.
As a result, Rex would be the partner of the Master Fainter protagonist, and this time, he would win because the demons weren¡¯t his opponent.
¡®Well, that¡¯s that.¡¯
I should focus on my familiar.
I stood up from my seat, rubbing my battered stomach. I could endure this kind of pain three or four more times¡ well, not really.
It seemed that the penalty for disobeying orders, pain, had note to Eden.
Disobedience was judged by the familiar¡¯s perception. They must be aware of the fact that they were not following their master¡¯s orders. Eden seemed to think that he followed my orders well.
In other words, it was also proof that his intelligence was so low that he didn¡¯t even realize that the spell he had just cast was a 4-star spell.
Well, this was something that could be exined and taught.
¡°Well, it certainly hurt less than I thought it would.¡±
I was testing the ¡®Elemental Bracelet¡¯, an unexpected item I obtained by defeating Leafa the Illusive, with Eden.
The Elemental Bracelet increased my resistance to a specific element by ¡¯40¡¯. Elemental magic of a certain level would no longer be able to harm me.
This effectsted 24 hours, i.e., once 24 hours have passed after the bracelet effect was activated, the increased elemental resistance would return to its original state. Then I could use the effect once more.
Presently, I had set my elemental resistance to the rock element. To modify the setting, all I had to do was simply adjust the ring attached to the bracelet to the pattern of the desired element engraved on the bracelet.
As it turned out, the effect was more amazing than I had expected. It didn¡¯t hurt unless I was hit by high-star spells, and I was much less likely to be pushed away.
Even if I got hit with 4-star magic, it just hurt and that was it. Oh, who am I kidding? It hurt like hell, but I would have passed out without the Elemental Bracelet.
What if I was wearing the Elemental Bracelet during the dueling evaluation?
When Tristan Humphrey unleashed his [Whirlwind], I could have given him a proper blow without being blown away.
¡°Eden! 3-stars! Remember, 3-stars! What you just cast was a 4-star, so don¡¯t use it anymore!¡±
[Okay!]
Eden replied, raising his right arm in the air.
His voice was more on the neutral side.
Pretending to be cute didn¡¯t suit him, but was it because he was my familiar? My heart seemed to be filling up with affection¡
¡¸Rock Burial (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kudududududududududududu©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Ugh!!!¡±
[Kyuu?]
This blockhead!
* * *
If you had to choose the tallest building on the M?rchen Academy site, it was definitely the ¡®Hegel Magic Tower¡¯. However, since it only had upancy rights on the academy site, it was safe to say that it was a kind of privatepany that had nothing to do with the academy.
The Hegel Magic Tower was home to many wizards from M?rchen Academy. This was because, in exchange for upying part of the academy site, additional points were given to M?rchen Academy graduates who took the entry test. The tower itself was so prestigious that it was often mentioned as a possible career path for M?rchen Academy students.
The entire top floor was used exclusively as a researchboratory for a single wizard.
It was a ce only those who opened their heart to her were allowed to enter. Professor Fernando Frost stepped inside.
It was arge circr room; many books were floating in the air, and the walls were lined with them. Traces of alchemy were everywhere, and the high ceiling was made of ss, allowing a clear view of the sky.
In the center of theb, a female wizard with auburn hair sprawledfortably on the floor. With a small stature and physique, she read her book calmly while waving her legs.
Aria Lilias, Fernando¡¯s teacher and the Tower Master of Hegel Magic Tower.
She raised her head and nced at Fernando with an impassive face, then turned her gaze back to the book she was reading.
¡°I came to say hello, master.¡±
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I wanted to ask you something.¡±
¡°You did not even ask how I am doing first? As expected of my disciple, losing your manners.¡±
Aria Lilias had a habit of speaking in simple sentences.
¡°Your question?¡±
¡°Have you heard thetest news from the academy? About the demons and ck monster?¡±
¡°Repeat that nonsense.¡±
¡°On the first day of the dueling evaluation, I almost lost my life to a demon.¡±
The news of her disciple¡¯s near-death experience caught Aria¡¯s attention. It was a fact she knew, of course. Since Hegel Magic Tower was located near M?rchen Academy, she couldn¡¯t help but hear news about the academy.
¡°But the ck monster protected me, and was even able to use even 9-star magic without difficulty. It is presumed that monster has already reached the realm of an Archwizard.¡±
¡°So?¡±
¡°How do you perceive this? The identity of someone who suddenly appears one day and vanishes immediately after.¡±
¡°¡¡±
A ck monster.
It first appeared during the first-year ss cement evaluation of the Magic Department, and defeated a demon that appeared out of nowhere.
During this dueling evaluation, that monster protected Professor Fernando by overpowering the powerful demon that had created another world.
¡°¡What does the academy think?¡±
¡°They see that monster as a demon who rebelled against the other demons.¡±
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°I assume you have already guessed it, but that monster is probably one of your students.¡±
It was something Fernando had already thought of, so he didn¡¯t question it.
¡°One thing is clear, that monster was trying to protect you.¡±
Fernando¡¯s figure was reflected in Aria¡¯s profound gaze.
¡°My advice is, do not interfere. Do not pry into the secrets of someone who is trying to protect you for no reason. Just analyze and solve the cause of the demons¡¯ appearance.¡±
¡°May I ask why?¡±
¡°Hey.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
In the blink of an eye, Aria¡¯s face was right in front of Fernando¡¯s. She had levitated her body with telekinesis magic.
From a distance so close that their faces were almost touching, with an emotionless face, she spoke in a sarcastic tone.
¡°You still don¡¯t understand? That monster came after observing an anomaly of this academy that even I had not noticed. It came to protect the people at this academy. You can¡¯t help, so don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±
¡°¡¡±
He knew that the ck monster was on the academy¡¯s side and was trying to protect people.
Fernando testified before the Truth Investigation Committee that the monster was not an enemy, but after numerous discussions, the conclusion was reached that ¡®The ck monster is likely to be a demon that rebelled against the demons.¡¯ How else could he have known when and where the demons would appear?
Most of the faculty were afraid of the monster. But Fernando was different; he wanted to be on the monster¡¯s side, just as the student had been on his.
¡°Of course, master.¡±
Fernando answered in a calm voice.
Darkness began to tinge the sky.
Luce Eltania, the first-year head of the Magic Department, went to the training ground for the first time in a while to practice lightning magic and was on her way back to her dormitory.
With all of the students¡¯ attention focused on her, she felt overwhelmed and left after half an hour.
Even when she left, the students eximed, ¡°As expected of the top student! Does that mean she only needs to practice that much¡!?¡± Which made her feel even more overwhelmed.
¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s hrious!¡±
¡°Hehehe.¡±
Suddenly, Luce¡¯s eyes caught sight of the girls passing by on the street. They were walking side by side, chatting happily.
¡°Later, see you tomorrow!¡±
¡°See you tomorrow!¡±
As the road diverged, the female students waved goodbye and parted ways.
¡°¡¡±
It was an ordinary sight. Eating together, chatting together, and at the end of the day, looking forward to the next time they saw each other.
It was just an ordinary daily life for the other students, who she always saw and never paid any attention to.
But for some reason, today, the sight of them stirred something in Luce¡¯s heart.
Suddenly, the image of a man came to her mind. Luce¡¯s footsteps began to take a different course, and instead of going straight to the dormitory, she took a roundabout path. The ce she arrived at was near the corner of the Butterfly Garden.
¡®Hmmmm, just passing through, just passing through¡¡¯
Even if she took this path, she could still reach the dormitory, so it was the right way back. It¡¯s just that it would take 5 times longer than her normal route.
The road at the end of Butterfly Garden was usually deserted. Only the sound of bugs echoed loudly.
¡®There it is.¡¯
Luce¡¯s gaze darted in all directions, scanning left and right, until she spotted Isaac in the corner of the garden. It was indeed a coincidence.
On the first day of the dueling evaluation, Isaac had sumbed to the magic of Tristan Humphrey. Everyone present must have felt the stark difference in magic power between the two.
How disappointed Isaac must have been when he felt that insurmountable wall. On the contrary, he pretended to be unaffected by it, and the memory of him, who looked more pitiful, came to mind again.
However, frustration did not deter him. During his subsequent duels, he showed a burning desire.
¡®I was happy.¡¯
Seeing this, Luce felt a sense of satisfaction.
As she reflected on the dueling evaluation in her head, she suddenly remembered the incident of the demon¡¯s appearance.
¡®Greung¡¡¯
Greung had appeared again. It was said that he protected Professor Fernando and then disappeared again. If she had focused her mana perception, she might have noticed him appearing. It was a pity she didn¡¯t.
Every time she thought of the monster, she felt a subtle emotion she had never felt before. It was not an ufortable feeling, but more of a favorable one.
Recently, Luce realized the true nature of said emotion. This feeling was the feeling of ¡®wanting to get to know someone¡.¡¯
For this reason, she spent a considerable amount of time pondering the concept of ¡®friendship¡¯ through books. But the more she did, the more difficult it was for her to understand what a friend was.
How do people understand and ept this ambiguous concept as if it were so natural? It was really strange.
And recently, there was one more person she wanted to be friends with.
The wavy, silver-blue haired male student who came into view was that person¡ but.
¡®What is he doing?¡¯
Luce was taken aback. For whatever reason, Isaac was¡getting beat up by the magic of his own familiar?
Isaac¡¯s condition looked awful. His eyes were forced open, his breathing was ragged. His condition looked precarious, as if he would copse at any moment.
Suddenly, water mana began to gather next to Luce. The mana took the form of a small killer whale, and with a light coating of water mana on its body, it began to swim through the air like an ocean, shouting.
[Emergency! Emergency! A familiar is beating its master!]
It sounded as if a little boy were shouting in an innocent voice.
The little killer whale magic beast, ¡®Bello¡¯. It was a 4-star familiar who responded to Luce¡¯s call during the familiar summoning.
[Bello Emergency Dispatch! No violence! No violence!]
¡°Go back¡ Huh?¡±
Luce was trying to unsummon Bello, who was about to fly toward Isaac, while saying ¡°go back¡±.
Suddenly, Isaac¡¯s eyes rolled back, and his body slumped to the side.
Thud-
He fell onto the grass and lost consciousness.
¡°¡!¡±
Luce¡¯s heart sank; she didn¡¯t bother to recall Bello, but instead hurriedly ran towards the unconscious Isaac.
[Incident urred! Incident urred! Arrested for beating your master, dude!]
[K-kyu¡?!]
Passing through the noisy familiar, Lucy held the unconscious Isaac¡¯s upper body in her arms.
* * *
Sometimes I dream about my 3-pyeong studio in Sillim-dong.
The already tiny room was half-filled with thick books; I spread three open books on my desk, trapping myself in a narrow world. I looked like an ordinary civil service examinee.
I felt as if I were walking through a tunnel that was pitch ck and had no end in sight.
I wondered if I could reach the end of this tunnel.
Sometimes, when I felt like my heart was about to copse at that thought, I would mercilessly p my thighs. Otherwise, my narrow world would shrink and my existence itself would cease to exist.
The pain was a means of maintaining my sanity.
¡®But why am I reminiscing about that time?¡¯
¡I remembered. I kept receiving Eden¡¯s spells to experiment with the Elemental Bracelet in various ways. The pain reminded me of my examination life.
It seems the damage must have umted and the fatigue that had been building up must have caused me to pass out.
So, am I just lying there in the corner of the garden?
No, my body is warm and cozy. I¡¯m pretty sure this sensation is¡
¡®A bed?¡¯
My eyes fluttered open.
What kind of bed is this?
Then, my eyes caught the sight of a familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling. I wasn¡¯t talking about d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It was a familiar ceiling in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but it was an unfamiliar ceiling to me as Isaac.
¡°What?¡±
I raised my upper body. Even at a nce, this was a luxurious room. Even the bed I was lying on was unnecessarilyrge. It was the size that usuallyes to mind when imagining the bed of rich people.
I looked around. No matter how I looked at it, this ce¡ it looked like the interior of Charles Hall, the dormitory for top-tier students that I saw in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. In addition, looking at the dressing table and interior, it seemed to be a woman¡¯s room.
Huh? Wait a second.
¡®A woman¡¯s room!?¡¯
All dormitories were divided into male and female dormitories. Of course, it was strictly forbidden to enter the dormitory of the opposite sex.
Why am I in such a forbidden area?
Soon, the damp towel that was stuck to my forehead fell off. It was a neatly folded towel.
¡®Was I being taken care of?¡¯
My mind raced. Who brought me to Charles Hall? Kaya? Was it Kaya?
It was then.
[The victim woke up! The victim woke up!]
A small killer whale flew in front of me, swimming through the air as if it were the sea.
Now that I think about it, I think I might have heard this familiar¡¯s voice right before I passed out.
And I knew who the owner of this familiar was because I had yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? until I got tired of it.
¡°Are you awake?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
It was a soft yet soothing voice, like the moonlight, it seemed to seduce my ears.
When I turned my eyes to the head of the bed, my eyes caught the sight of a girl with rose gold hair sitting somewhere.
One of the official heroines with a graceful beauty, with morpho butterfly-colored hair ties adorning either side of her head.
She was scanning me with eyes that seemed to contain the blue ocean.
It was Luce Eltania, the top seat of the first year¡¯s Magic Department at M?rchen Academy.
Chapter 34: - Luce (2)
? Luce (2)?
¡°Bello, go back.¡±
As I watched Luce unsummon the killer whale familiar, Bello, I organized the situation in my head.
While I was experimenting with the Elemental Bracelet, I passed out and copsed. Even though my body was exhausted, suddenly losing consciousness was unexpected.
I fainted and was seemingly saved by Luce, who happened to be passing by.
¡®Luce?¡¯
On the surface, there was nothing unusual about this sort of situation. However, the problem was that it involved Luce.
Unless you took the Luce route, she would disy her true nature as an outsider by living the entire first semester her way, without caring about anyone else. She wasn¡¯t the kind of character to get upset when she sees a person like me lying on the ground.
It would have been much more in-character for her to just say, ¡®He must have fallen asleep.¡¯ She was the kind of character who left people alone, dead or alive.
This made me feel ufortable. I opened Luce¡¯s status window.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 115
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [Relieved that you seem to be okay.]
Her level was 5 higher than when I first saw her, but that wasn¡¯t important right now.
Her psychology was strange.
¡®Why are you worried about me?¡¯
Even if she had saved me because of her mood today, why would she feel relieved?
That couldn¡¯t be the case. As Isaac, the only interaction I had with Luce was when I gave a passionate performance worthy of winning the Best Actor of the Year award during the ss cement evaluation.
Then the conclusion is¡
¡®Could it be that I was caught?¡¯
My face became pensive at the thought.
©¤ ¡®What¡¯s your name?¡¯
©¤ ¡®Greung. (Greung)¡¯
I recalled the events of the ss cement evaluation. Had Luce realized that I was Greung, the one who saved her?
If so, the pieces would fit together like a puzzle.
I touched my forehead with my right hand. Oh my god.
¡°Does your head hurt?¡±
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I was just passing by and ¡®identally¡¯ saw you pass out, so I used magic to bring you with me.¡±
Luce emphasized the word ¡®identally¡¯, her tone as gentle as the moonlight.
Ah, now I¡¯m stumped. How did she realize¡
The reason I brought a magic cloak of disguise during the ss cement evaluation was because of Luce¡¯s perceptive eye; if she had realized my identity, she would have reported it to the academy¡¯s administration.
There was also another reason. It was to cover up the fact that ¡®Isaac saved Luce¡¯.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, one of the conditions to win Luce¡¯s favor was to protect or save her during the ss cement evaluation. And if that happened, the yer had one more thing to worry about.
¡®Because even Luce¡¯s likability is a bad ending factor.¡¯
Luce was the type of person who, once she opens her heart to someone, opens it fully. Maybe that was why the speed at which her likability increased was speeding up like a runway train. Even without doing anything special, the likability meter would rise.
If the yer didn¡¯t regte her likability by behaving appropriately, the likability meter would eventually burst.
Then, the yer would face ¡®Extra Bad End N.13¡¯.
An ¡®Extra Bad End¡¯ referred to a bad ending that had nothing to do with the main storyline. It was simr to getting killed in a car ident while walking down the street.
Among them, N.13 ¡¸Bird Cage¡¹.
The main character, Ian Fairytale, was kidnapped and imprisoned by Luce, who had be his psychotic lover.
It was an ending where he helplessly met his end in her loving care.
Therefore, Luce¡¯s likability was one of the factors I needed to be wary of.
¡°¡Is this your room?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Anyway, there was really no other way to exin this other than that my identity was revealed¡
All the bruises on my body were healed. When I pointed out the wounds on my body, Luce exined.
¡°I¡¯ve healed most of them myself. I know how to use healing magic too. I think you¡¯ve been pushing yourself too hard¡ Lie down some more, I¡¯ll wet a towel and give it to you.¡±
Don¡¯t be so nice. You are not that kind of character.
¡¸Water Generation (Water Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I pondered while Luce picked up the towel off my leg and soaked it with water magic.
I hadn¡¯t realized there would be such a variable. How and when did she find out?
¡°I¡¯m ready. Lie down some more.¡±
The bad end variable with rose-gold hair was wringing the wet towel into a bowl ced next to me, then folded it neatly and approached me.
Startled, I reached out and stopped her.
¡°¡¡¡?¡±
¡°Wait, hold on.¡±
¡°¡¡¡?¡±
Luce looked at me with a puzzled expression.
¡°I¡¯m grateful that you saved me, but why did you bring me to your room?¡±
¡°Then where should I have taken you?¡±
¡°There was the academy hospital. And the infirmary was also close¡¡±
¡°¡ I didn¡¯t think of it. I¡¯ve never been to those ces before.¡±
It seemed that a hospital room as an option was hard for Luce to imagine, since she had a strong body and high mana.
¡°How did you manage to get here without being noticed?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t run into anyone on my way here. Why, is there a problem?¡±
Perhaps it was just good timing.
¡°No, nothing¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say, so I just took the towel. It was cold.
I touched my forehead and felt a definite fever. I ced the cold towel on my warm forehead like a hand warmer.
¡°Lie down. I¡¯ll bring you some warm soup.¡±
As Luce slid off the bed, I weighed my options and decided to ask her, ¡°Do you know me? Why are you taking such good care of me?¡±
Luce¡¯s shoulders shook as she stopped dead in her tracks.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [At a loss for words and doesn¡¯t know what to say to you.]
Ah, never mind about that. I¡¯m just curious what kind of feelings Luce has towards me¡
¡°¡I do not know either.¡±
Luce¡¯s cheeks flushed and left a meaningful remark.
¡®Crazy.¡¯
An inexperienced response. It was a reaction that would only appear in a youth romance story.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Luce turned around to look at me. She even called my first name¡ I had never even told her my name before.
Luce hesitated, trying to figure out what to say, with flushed cheeks.
¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve known you for a long time¡¡±
¡®This is not good.¡¯
Not that introduction, stop¡!
This uneasy air. The romantic atmosphere. And a mood where a confession without context wouldn¡¯t be out of ce.
From the moment Luce confessed her feelings, she would quickly be obsessed. It was a case where the fact that she confessed would make her feelings grow stronger.
But¡ it was too soon.
Could it be that my face was more to Luce¡¯s liking than Ian¡¯s? Is that why the likability was increasing much faster than in the original game?
¡°I saw you the other day by chance, and I¡¯ve been watching you ever since. And I¡¯ve been wondering, why do you train so hard¡?¡±
Luce spoke in a calm voice, barely above a whisper.
I¡¯m sure she must be curious. When I was Greung, I disyed immense power. It was incongruous to see a guy like that practice magic to death that Luce found so questionable.
¡°The other students train hard, too.¡±
¡°They don¡¯t push themselves to the point of nosebleeds every day like you do.¡±
She saw, ¡®Every day¡¯.
¡°So, I¡¯ve been watching you and thinking a lot. So, I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is¡.¡±
¡°Ohhh, what is that?!¡±
A very unnatural change of topic. I couldn¡¯t help it. I wasn¡¯t ready to hear her utter those words.
My head was still hurting because of the early appearance of Act 6, Chapter 3 final boss.
Thest thing I needed was one more bad end variable to worry about.
¡°Ah, that.¡±
Luce was kind enough to exin the names and uses of the objects I pointed at.
Each time, I would point to a seemingly mundane object and exim, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing! What¡¯s that?¡± and ask questions.
¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s luxurious.¡±
¡°Chessboard. I got it as a present once.¡±
¡°What¡¯s this? It has a nice design.¡±
¡°It¡¯s my family¡¯s ceremonial knife. It was in my luggage when I came to the academy, so I left it here for now.¡±
¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s beautiful.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a grimoire I received from someone special to me. It¡¯s made of human skin.¡±
¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s cute.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a cursed doll used in ck magic. I¡¯ve heard that if you put a human¡¯s hair in here and poke it with a needle, that person will feel pain. It¡¯s probably superstition, but do you want to try it?¡±
Before I knew it, Luce was leading me around the room, pointing out and exining to me all sorts of mundane objects.
¡°Oh, there are a lot of books here.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t touch those.¡±
As I spoke while looking at the bookshelf, Luce¡¯s voice, which had been as soft as the moonlight, turned cold.
For a moment, I felt a murderous aura. I quickly turned my head away from the bookshelf. Yes, of course it was because I was scared.
The bookshelf was lined with things she was too embarrassed to show me. Nothing special, just books with titles such as ¡°How to Make Friends,¡± ¡°What is Friendship,¡± and ¡°How to Open up to Others.¡±
¡You really made up your mind to open up your heart.
¡°But are you okay with walking around?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks to you.¡±
I had been looking around the room with the towel on my forehead from earlier.
My head felt light-headed, but it wasn¡¯t serious enough to be noticeable.
¡°This¡?¡±
Again, I almost reflexively asked, ¡°What is this?¡±
What caught my eye was a small cylindrical box. It sat on her desk while it bathed in the light from the luminescentmp, showing off the color of ck pearls.
Luce stood next to me and narrowed her eyes. As if to say, don¡¯t ask me what it is.
There was a moment of silence, and I was about to pretend I didn¡¯t see it.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Luce spoke to me in a soft, yet almost seductive voice, as if drawing me in.
¡°Do you think the ¡®Witches of Cmity¡¯ are all bad?¡±
¡Why set the mood by asking something like that out of nowhere?
¡°Why is that?¡±
¡°Just¡ I suddenly felt like asking.¡±
Luce stared at the small, ck cylindrical box, and then subtly lowered her head.
Witch of Cmity.
That was how history referred to the vilest of witches, those who possessed natural magic talent andmitted inhumane crimes against humanity.
They¡¯ve done unspeakable acts of cruelty, so it was only natural for anyone to consider them as ¡®bad¡¯ existences.
But it didn¡¯t take me long to realize why Luce was asking the question.
Inside that ck box were Luce¡¯s eyeballs. A Witch of Cmity had plucked out Luce¡¯s eyes, preserved it, and handed it to her. Luce kept the box on her desk because she wanted to remember the witch at every moment.
Luce¡¯s current eyes were imnted by the Witch of Cmity, and that seemingly cruel act was done to protect Luce¡¯s life.
Which, incidentally, exins why her eyesight was beyond that of humans.
¡°¡No.¡±
I shook my head and replied indifferently.
Because I had seen all the stories in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I knew what kind of person the ¡®Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath¡¯ was like, she was the Witch of Cmity that Luce missed so much.
Contrary to her unfair notoriety as the Witch of Cmity who lured many children into a candy store and brutally murdered them, she was someone who had sacrificed everything for the sake of children.
Although I knew I shouldn¡¯t attempt to use my knowledge as an advantage to increase Luce¡¯s likability, I didn¡¯t want to deny the person she missed so much.
¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re necessarily all bad.¡±
Luce shook her head in disbelief.
¡°But it could be a story made up by people. I haven¡¯t actually seen a Witch of Cmity myself. How can I be sure?¡±
Luce stared in my direction, wide-eyed, obviously surprised by my answer.
I deliberately pretended not to see, and looked at other objects.
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±
Luce¡¯s voice was a little teary, and a deep sense of loss could be felt.
The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath was a very dear person to Luce along with her biological brother.
However, the witch was falsely used of sacrificing many children to a Mythological Magic Beast and had been sacrificed in front of Luce.
The people and the country have ced the me on the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath for all their sins.
Luce fell apart that day. She closed her heart towards people. The world that she had tried to see as beautiful, even after being abandoned by her biological parents, was so cruelly exposed to the 10-year-old girl.
¡°¡¡¡.¡±
There was an air of awkwardness. Did I make things weird¡
No, what should I do about her sniffles? How do I react to her forcing back tears?
¡°Ah, I suddenly have a headache¡¡±
I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll just pretend to be in pain. It actually hurts, but I have to act like it hurts even more.
I swayed gracefully, yet naturally, and moved towards the bed. It was a brilliant gesture, even in my own opinion.
As I sat on the bed, I tilted my head back and pressed the towel against my forehead.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°My head feels dizzy¡ I guess I must have overexerted myself.¡±
¡°Lie down. Oh, I¡¯ll bring you some warm soup.¡±
I was not hungry, but I nodded because I wanted to buy myself some time to think.
Luce looked at me with a look of concern for a moment before going into the kitchen.
Suddenly, she poked her head around the corner and red at me.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Huh.¡±
¡°I want to be friends with you.¡±
¡°¡ Huh?¡±
What?
Upon hearing the words that contained a slight hint of amusement, I looked straight ahead again.
Luce was staring at me, a pure smile drawn across her face. Soon, as if embarrassed, she blushed and scratched her cheek while avoiding my eyes.
¡®Friends¡?¡¯
It was bewildering.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was no option to be friends with Luce. Her likability just meant ¡®romantic love¡¯ from beginning to end.
¡°E-ever since I saw you training so hard, I thought I wanted to be friends with you.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Come to think of it, didn¡¯t she say she¡¯d been watching me train every day? That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she realized that I was Greung, does it? There was no mention of me being Greung either.
Yes, it was a separate issue.
Luce simply happened to stumble upon me, was impressed by the way I trained while nosebleeding, and began to feel friendly toward me¡
I was not sure what kind of psychological change led to this, but it was just a matter of epting her words at face value.
In the first ce, I should have suspected something when I saw a plethora of books on Luce¡¯s bookshelf titled ¡®Friendship.¡¯
Therefore, she¡
¡®She doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m Greung, did she just want to be friends with me?¡¯
I felt like I had been hit hard in the back of the head. It was a feeling simr to betrayal.
I had gone through all sorts of thoughts and emotions alone¡ I felt embarrassed.
I couldn¡¯t let my guard down just yet, but being friends was not so bad.
¡®It¡¯ll be fine.¡¯
In the beginning, I was reluctant to be friends with someone like Kaya Astrean.
But after I became friends with Amy Holloway and Mateo¡¯s gang, I thought about it and realized that it was okay to have a somewhat limited approach to friendships.
I stand out when I meet Kaya, so we would meet in inconspicuous ces, although I rarely run into her these days.
Anyway, I was open to weing such a rtionship.
I set the towel I¡¯d been holding to my forehead aside, climbed out of bed, and approached Luce.
My second favorite character in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Luce Eltania.
I shed her a bright smile and held out my right hand.
¡°Of course.¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes started to sparkle with life, and her rose-gold hair began to rise slightly, as if electrostatically.
She tried to maintain her cool, keeping the corners of her mouth from rising.
She took my outstretched hand.
To be friends. It wasn¡¯t a big deal to me; it¡¯s just something I have to ept when asked to be friends.
But it must have been very difficult for someone like Luce.
She spent so many years of her life building walls between herself and others, she may have had vague fears about what it meant to have a friend.
She probably tried to understand the concept of friendship by reading countless books on the subject, and even in her recent words, there were likely a lot of worries and concerns.
In the game ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, whenever I spoke to the NPCs wandering around, Luce¡¯s dialogue was always ¡°¡¡.¡±. She always went around alone, ate alone, and studied alone. She spent the first semester of her freshman year alone like that.
However, there were moments when she, too,ughed with others. No matter how skeptical she was of humanity, and no matter how hurt she was, her true feelings were different from her outward behavior.
The crackling sound of the firecested for a long time, like a lingering afterglow. After what seemed like an eternity, I broke the silence.
¡°But you stand out too much, and that¡¯s a little overwhelming for me. So just because we¡¯re friends doesn¡¯t mean we can hang out all the time, you know?¡±
¡°Uh, well¡¡±
Luce¡¯s voice trembled slightly. She couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with me. Was that the right answer? Did she even hear what I just said?
Well, she must have heard me.
¡°Anyway, I should probably go now.¡±
¡®Luce didn¡¯t realise that I was Greung¡¯. Now that I knew that, I had no reason to stay here any longer. Even if it hurts, I would just have to toughen up. Even if I said I was going to rest, I couldn¡¯t stay in the girls¡¯ dormitory forever.
¡°Oh, it would be nice if you had some soup before you go¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. I appreciate the thought. Oh, do you have a cloak or something by any chance?¡±
¡°A cloak? Yeah, I have one, why?¡±
Luce gave me a ck cloak, and I draped it over my head and body like a hijab.
¡°Eden.¡±
Kyuuuuuu©¤.
[Kkuung!]
Light brown mana gathered right besides me, and took the form of a small golem familiar, ¡®Eden¡¯.
Itnded on the floor while cheering with a cute cry.
¡°Luce, I have to go.¡±
¡°Ah, yes¡¡±
Eden and I approached the window, and as we got closer, the scenery four stories high appeared in front of my eyes. It was terrifying, but I had no choice but to escape this way.
¡°Eden, create some rocks tond on. Make them in a stair-like formation.¡±
[Okay!]
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ ¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Sharararak©¤
Ddddddd©¤
I created a crude icedder leading from the window to the ground beneath it, Eden¡¯s boulders surged up, creating a makeshift staircase.
¡°Luce, see you tomorrow!¡±
I waved at Luce before climbing over the edge of the window.
Suddenly, Luce¡¯s eyes widened. Did I greet her in a weird way? Well, I must have looked weird wearing the cloak like a hijab.
Eden immediately jumped out of the window, and I started descending thedder.
¡°Kyaaa! It¡¯s a man!¡±
¡°Pervert! A pervert is here!¡±
Damn, my worst fears were realized.
I unsummoned Eden and hurriedly ran away from Charles Hall.
????
Luce stood still for a long time after Isaac left.
The window was open and the cool night breeze gently rustled the curtains.
¡°Tomorrow¡¡±
Isaac¡¯s greetings drifted through Luce¡¯s mind like a lingering memory.
It was a greeting exchanged between people with a close rtionship who looked forward to their next meeting.
¡°Kyaa©¤! Catch the pervert!¡±
¡°Stop there, stalker!!¡±
Roaring¡ª!
Kwaguagwang©¤!
Luce¡¯s lips quirked into a smile.
She couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of the riot outside the window, she felt a thrill that felt as if her body was floating in the sky.
¡°Yeah, see you tomorrow.¡±
The voice that expressed her innermost thoughts drifted away in the night breeze.
Beyond the window, the shining moonlight seemed exceptionally bright tonight.
Chapter 35: - Luce (3)
? Luce (3)?
It was a very refreshing morning.
I hadn¡¯t slept this well since the day I defeated Garzia the Hermit.
My fever quickly subsided. It seemed that the influence of Luce¡¯s healing magic was great.
My body felt light, so I left Doris Hall, the dorm for inferior students, while I suppressed the urge to run.
Even though the interior facilities of Doris Hall were inferior and outdatedpared to the other dormitories, the surrounding garden with lush greenery and Corinthian pirsbined with the design to create a beautiful atmosphere.
I headed for the dorm gate with light steps. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of the male students leaving the dorm gates, they all had strange looks on their faces. They were Doris Hall male students who, like me, were leaving to attend the academy.
They were passing by the corner outside the entrance, sneaking nces and side-eyeing.
¡®What could everyone be blushing about?¡¯
It¡¯s understandable if it¡¯s Dorothy Heartnova.
Thinking that as a joke, I walked out the door.
I nced in the direction of the male students¡¯ gazes. Then, for a moment, my eyes were dazzled, like the halo effect that urs when you see a handsome or pretty celebrity. It was that kind of feeling.
A female student was standing there with her bag in both her hands. Her long, straight, rose-gold hair was adorned with morpho butterfly-coloured braids on either side of her head ¨C a typical example of a nobledy. The bright sunlight beating down on her made her beauty stand out even more.
The moment her blue, oceanic eyes turned to me, I swallowed my breath.
¡°Hello, Isaac.¡±
It was her. Luce Eltania.
She greeted me with a bright smile and waved her right hand at me.
The gazes of the male students passing by turned to me this time.
¡I¡¯m fucked.
¡°The weather is nice today, isn¡¯t it?¡±
I stared at Luce in disbelief as she blurted out a clich¨¦ment that sounded like it had been rehearsed many times before.
I should have been more cautious in this situation, but I suddenly ended up casting an AOE aggro and was caught off guard.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with your expression? Is the weather bad?¡±
This girl¡ The weather in my heart is what¡¯s bad.
????
It was obvious why I didn¡¯t want the students to see me with Kaya.
I was still a ss Dmoner.
If Kaya, a ss A noble from the Ducal House of Astrean, was seen eating or hanging out with someone like me, it would naturally draw the attention of other students. This would be very suitable as a topic of conversation among first-year students.
And such rumors carried the risk of reaching Alice Carroll¡¯s ears.
There was no need to consider the case of Alice simply passing by and overhearing something. She was too busy as the Student Council President, so she didn¡¯t go to the student cafeteria, and instead rxed by getting drunk by herself.
What I had to be most wary of was Alice¡¯s subordinate, who was among my ssmates. That person was a prospective member of the Student Council recruited by Alice, and reported all the trends of the first-year students they had learned to Alice.
It was not just the student council. In addition to the student council, M?rchen Academy also had a student faction called the ¡°Four Constetions.¡±
If we were topare it to the Korean political system, members of the Four Constetions who became part of the Student Council could be seen as the ruling party, while the remaining members of the Four Constetions would be part of the opposing party or other political parties. Of course, the details were different.
There were also first-year prospective members who had already been recruited into the Four Constetions in advance. These first-year students gathered information and ryed it to their own factions. They were spies of sorts.
This was done for two reasons. First, to gather information about the students they wanted to recruit into their own faction. Second, to identify potential candidates who could be useful for other factions.
Their ultimate goal was to produce a Student Council President from within their own faction, and if they seeded, they would be able to wield enormous power within the academy.
Alice would probably use this as justification to find the troublemaker and stop him.
Perhaps the fact that I used 5-star magic during the dueling evaluation has reached her ears already. However, because there were other students who were more impressive, that information was most likely buried.
But, well¡
¡°Let¡¯s eat together, Isaac.¡±
It was while eating lunch in the student cafeteria of the Magic Department. Suddenly, Luce came up to me and put down her tray, and sat down in the seat across from me.
The gazes of the students around me stung. They all looked surprised. Some looked so flustered that orange juice was dripping from their mouths.
¡°Luce Eltania is eating with Isaac¡?¡±
¡°No way¡¡±
¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen the top seat smile.¡±
¡°Me too¡¡±
¡°What kind of pairing is this¡?¡±
Of course, the asional meal with Amy or Mateo¡¯s gang never received such attention.
However, Luce was the first-year head of the Magic Department at the prestigious M?rchen Academy. She was the object of envy for many students.
Moreover, she was famous for always being cold and indifferent.
Her dramatic mood reversal, where she only showed her bright side to me, was bound to be noticed by the students.
¡®It feels like having a meal with a celebrity.¡¯
I wondered if this was the right time to use the phrase ¡®I can¡¯t tell if my food is going through my mouth or nose,¡¯ but that was exactly how I felt right now.
¡°How was ss?¡±
Luce smiled as she made another clich¨¦ment.
¡°I remembered something I have to do. I¡¯ll go first.¡±
¡°Ah¡!¡±
I hurriedly got up with my tray and ran away quickly.
Luce reached out her arm towards me, as if telling me not to go, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to give in.
????
Orphin Hall, ss D ssroom.
The students¡¯ eyes were all drawn to me. The same went for Ian, who had a band-aid on his cheek after fighting his familiar, Rex, yesterday.
No wonder, because right next to me sat the top seat with rose-gold hair staring at me. She rested her arms on the desk and leaned her cheeks against it, while the original owner of the seat was standing in the back, unable to speak and fidgeting.
¡°Luce, the ss is about to start. Shouldn¡¯t you go back¡?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go when ss starts.¡±
This was the ss D ssroom. Meanwhile, Luce belonged to ss A, where only the top 5 students could enter, and she was even the top student among them.
Just her presence in this ssroom made the air feel incredibly heavy.
¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between the top seat and Isaac?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t there that feeling? Wanting to be close to the person you like¡¡±
¡°The top seat?¡±
¡°Is that even a question?¡±
I could hear the whispers of the students. Seriously¡ it¡¯s really making me feel restless.
A choice I had made while I was relieved that she hadn¡¯t recognized me as Greung had led to such devastating consequences.
¡°Luce, I told you not to do this because you stand out a lot¡¡±
¡°But I want to stay close to you¡¡±
I spoke in a quiet voice, but the students with good ears seemed to understand what I was saying, and their eyes widened.
¡°Did you hear that? Isaac is pressing the top seat to leave¡!¡±
¡°Rather, the top seat is the one begging?¡±
¡°Are you kidding me?¡±
I was at a loss for words here.
Just then, Professor Fernando Frost walked into the ssroom.
¡°Let¡¯s start ss now¡ hmm?¡±
Professor Fernando, who was standing in front of the podium, was about to speak but hesitated when he saw me and Luce.
¡°You are ss A¡¯s Luce Eltania. What are you doing here?¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
Goooooooo-
Luce¡¯s eyes snapped toward Professor Fernando. It was a cold re, like a murderous threat.
And for a brief moment, all of the students in the room could feel a strong flow of mana. I didn¡¯t need [Psychological Insight] to know that they were all scared.
It gave me chills and made my whole body trembled¡
Luce had a habit of taking a defensive posture like this when others spoke to her. Even if the other person was a professor.
Professor Fernando, who was in charge of grading the Magic Department¡¯s first-year performance evaluations and exams, had to be familiar with Luce¡¯s personality. Maybe that¡¯s why he only slightly narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t react.
¡°I¡¯m leaving. See youter, Isaac.¡±
That¡¯s why you have no friends, you idiot.
Of course, I didn¡¯t say that and just waved my hand and sent her off. Because I was scared.
The owner of the seat where Luce had sat at finally got his seat back and let out a sigh of relief.
He looked like he was going to argue with me, but then he went as quiet as a dead mouse. He must have realized that touching me would mean touching Luce.
Afterwards.
Professor Fernando cleared his throat with a ¡®Hmmmm¡± and began to speak in earnest.
¡°Before we start the lecture, I¡¯d like to announce the next performance evaluation.¡±
It was thest performance evaluation before the end of the semester.
¡°We are going to evaluate your magic craft skills. As I had mentioned in ourst lecture, magic crafting boasts a very high efficiency as a way to train mana control.¡±
The act of using mana to create crafting items was known as magic crafting.
Although it was referred to as craftsmanship, it was more of an art that sought ¡®fleeting beauty¡¯ rather than practical utility as amodity. The level of difficulty varied greatly depending on the design, and it was primarily used in ces such as performances.
In addition, mana efficiency and control were greatly involved in shaping elemental mana into its desired form. Together, these two abilities were known as mana mastery.
By the way, the higher the magic efficiency, the less mana was required in order to cast a spell.
As mana control ability increased, it became possible for one to more intricately shape the form of magic ording to one¡¯s will. That meant I could make the shoddy icedder I built to flee from Charles Hall look a lot better.
In addition, it had the advantage of speeding up the casting speed of magic. In my case, it should be possible to shorten the preparation time required to activate [Frost Explosion].
¡®In the game, it was just a dialogue, but here it¡¯s real.¡¯
Well, I could think of it as part of my training.
¡°The theme is ¡®Elemental Flower¡¯. If you have an ice or rock element, it will be a level 3 challenge. For other elemental types, it will be a level 2 challenge.¡±
It was only natural.
For the ice or rock elements, once the elemental flower was created, there was nothing left to do beyond the final carving.
For elements such as fire, water, lightning, and wind, it was necessary to continuously maintain the form of the elemental flower, requiring a higher level of mana mastery.
¡°For example, refer to the textbook. It would be more effective to practice elemental flowers in pairs, with two people helping one another. The performance evaluation will be in three days, and it will be during this time. Practice thoroughly. That¡¯s all. Let¡¯s start the lecture.¡±
When one student asked, ¡°Professor, what if I don¡¯t have friends?!¡± Professor Fernando gave a cold response, ¡°Then do it on your own.¡±
I was still inexperienced in using magic. It might be a good opportunity to focus on developing my mana mastery for three days.
????
¡°Is the lecture over?¡±
As soon as ss was over, Luce greeted me at the doorway of the ssroom as if she had been waiting.
A shiver ran down my spine for a moment, but I took a deep breath and tried to keep myposure.
To my knowledge, this was the first time Luce had ever made a friend. She had always lived with her heart closed off to others, so she didn¡¯t know how to gauge emotional distance, which was why she was clinging to me to the point of it being burdensome. Herck ofmon sense also contributed to this.
¡®Really, what should I do?¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Luce didn¡¯t make any friends at all. The only reason she even slightly broke out of her loner status was due to her romance with the protagonist.
Therefore, being friends with Luce was an area where my knowledge of games didn¡¯t apply. As I said before, I naturally assumed that it would be a casual friendship like Amy and Mateo¡¯s gang, but that was a mistake.
I let out a sigh.
In the end, I left school with Luce.
While walking around the academy grounds, the Magic Department students¡¯ attention was drawn to me; their eyes filled with envy, resentment, and doubt were directed at me in unison.
It was only natural, no matter how many times I said it. Luce was the top seat of the Magic Department¡¯s first year, and an official heroine in the game, and she ranked in the top five for her beauty in the whole academy, and yet she was showing me a smile she had never shown anyone else. Not to mention the fact that she was following me around.
These kids are really causing my heart to be in bittersweet agony¡
Under normal circumstances, I would¡¯ve felt smug, but considering my position, I just felt helpless.
¡®What the hell.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t that I hated Luce, but I couldn¡¯t have her sticking to me like a piece of chewing gum.
¡°Luce, I have somewhere to go¡¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you stay with me a little longer?¡±
Luce kept her head down, as if she knew what I was going to say.
¡°I know you have to train, but even for a little bit, I¡¯ve had a lot of fun today¡¡±
Oh, don¡¯t stimte my emotions. It¡¯s heartbreaking.
Judging by Luce¡¯s reaction, parting ways from her right now might have the opposite effect.
Her feelings of wanting to hang out with her friend would fuel her, meaning, tomorrow could be even worse than today. And if she follows her feelings and kidnaps and imprisons the protagonist, it¡¯s Extra Bad End N.13.
This was an urgent mission. I needed to reduce the time I spend with Luce. Just to the level of my current friends.
So, today, I¡¯d better honor Luce¡¯s wishes and spend some more time together and then have a serious talk.
I just so happened to have the perfect excuse; something that would benefit me, and something that would appeal to Luce¡¯s desire to spend more time with me.
¡°I¡¯m going to practice my elemental flower crafting from now on. Doesn¡¯t ss A have the same topic for the performance evaluation?¡±
¡°Yeah, do you want me to help you?¡±
Her first response was not ¡°Do you want to do it together?¡± but ¡°Do you want me to help you?¡±. For Luce, it seemed like crafting elemental flowers was a piece of cake.
Anyway, if someone with excellent mana control like Luce helped me, I¡¯d be more than happy.
¡°I¡¯ll be in your care then.¡±
A gentle smile spread across Luce¡¯s face.
Luce and I returned to Orphin Hall and found an empty ssroom.
The door to the small ssroom was open. We went inside and sat across from each other at a single table. I took off my coat and hung it on the back of the walnut chair next to me.
Evening. The sunset¡¯s light was seeping through the windows into the ssroom. However, it was not yet the time to light a luminousmp.
¡°First of all, the elemental flower asked of me is a level 3 challenge, right? And since you are a water element user, it¡¯s level 2 for you.¡±
¡°Isaac, do you know how to do it?¡±
¡°I can manage up to level 2, but level 3 feels a little daunting.¡±
I took out the textbook and flipped to the magic craft section to look at an example of the level 3 elemental flower.
It had a picture of a hydrangea model, and it looked quite intimidating.
¡°Let¡¯s start by warming up.¡±
I rolled up my shirt sleeves and began to channel mana with both hands on the desk to create ice crafts.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Firstly, I started with an easy-to-make model of a baby hippo and a cannon.
¡°What is this? It looks cute.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a baby hippo. Whoever touches it is fucked.¡±
¡°Oh, so there¡¯s such a thing¡ Then what about this? I¡¯ve never seen one.¡±
¡°Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but it looks highlyplete.¡±
Okay, I can do this.
Next, I managed to pull off level 1. A simple elemental flower with a few petals, and a slightly more difficult level 2 elemental flower. Luce quietly pped her hands and eximed, ¡°Wow, great job.¡±
Excited, I went on to challenge level 3, the ice hydrangea.
¡°I¡¯ll try too,¡± said Luce as she began to create her own elemental flower by channeling water mana from her seat.
¡¸Water Generation (Water Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
My head was about to explode trying to pay attention to the design of each petal. It was incredibly difficult to control mana in such a delicate way.
In the end, what I made was just a block of ice that looked like granite with holes here and there. Level 3 was just too much for me¡
On the other hand, what emerged on Luce¡¯s side was a very sophisticated and detailed hydrangea model. The water element maintained the shape of a hydrangea, boasting an incredibly fast andplex flow of water. It was as if a neww of physics had been established within that flower.
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
With the best and worst results in front of us, Luce and I fell silent.
¡°P-Pretty good.¡±
It was my praise that broke the silence first. It was truly astonishing perfection¡
It did, however, bruise my pride a bit.
If I could get help from Luce, who was this good, I could improve my magic crafting skills much faster than if I did it by myself.
¡°I¡¯ll help you, Isaac.¡±
¡°Thanks¡ huh?¡±
Suddenly, Luce put her hands on the backs of mine.
I was startled by the sudden physical contact, but I quicklyposed myself as Luce started pouring out mana to create a mold made of water. I began pouring my ice mana into the mold.
¡°Don¡¯t elementalize your mana; instead, let it flow freely for the time being. And remember this sensation.¡±
Luce¡¯s intimate tone tickled my eardrums.
Her pale, slender hands were soft and warm to the touch. Her water mana flowed gently through the back of my hand.
The light blue ice mana that had yet to be elementalized was bing an borate hydrangea. My mana was fitting into the mold that Luce had created with her water mana.
It was simr to pouring a drink into a specific mold and freezing it to form a popsicle.
Even the water that Luce created was flowing so fast, that I couldn¡¯t see any signs of it freezing under the influence of my ice mana.
¡®Wow, amazing.¡¯
How can something so difficult be so easy? A hydrangea model so borate that it was hard to believe it was made with my mana was about to bepleted¡
¡°I¡¯m going to release it now.¡±
¡°Not yet!¡±
¡°Aah!¡±
When Luce suddenly tried to release her own mana, I hurriedly stopped her. The reason why I hadn¡¯t turned my mana into ice yet was because I wanted to create a higher quality ice hydrangea.
Luce, on the other hand, had already removed the flower mold before I could even say anything.
But as soon as she heard my voice, she tried to re-elementalize the mana that had been released, but it was toote.
In the end, my mana, which wasn¡¯t in an elemental state yet, and Luce¡¯s mana shed and caused an elemental reaction.
The mana force field was to me. It was the force that repels mana away from one another. It happens when mana that hasn¡¯t yet been elementalized collides; a phenomenon that only appears between the mana of living beings.
That was why I couldn¡¯t use the trick of activating [Ice Generation] inside the enemy¡¯s body.
Eventually, the unstable water element and my ice mana spread like a watering can in all directions.
Chaaaaahhhh-
The light blue ice mana scattered in the air, while the water made of Luce¡¯s mana sttered all over our bodies.
Before we knew it, we were like mice soaked in water.
Water dripped, drop by drop, from my damp hair. Luce red at me, her face dripping with water.
The silencested for a while as we stared into each other¡¯s eyes, when¡
¡°Puhahaha.¡±
¡Luce burst outughing.
¡°Ahahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!¡±
¡What are youughing at, girl?
Luceughed, even as she wiped the tears from her eyes. It was like watching a gag that suited your taste on aedy show, and you startughing out loud.
To be honest, I found the whole situation hrious as well.
The more I thought about it, the funnier it became, and the more I startedughing out loud. It was probably influenced by Luce¡¯sughter.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s so funny¡! My stomach hurts¡¡±
Come to think of it, it was the first time I had ever seen Luce burst intoughter so happily. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, she always wore a stoic face, only asionally disying a gentle smile.
It was a strange feeling.
¡°¡I got hit right in the face.¡±
¡°Hahahaha!¡±
When I said something ridiculous, Luce burst outughing again.
I burst outughing as well, and we both happilyughed for a while.
¡°Oh, I¡¯ll wipe it off you.¡±
Soon after, Luce took out her handkerchief from the school uniform jacket hanging on the chair next to her and stood up, she leaned towards me with her upper body resting on the desk.
¡°You could just ¡®evaporate¡¯, you know.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t get rid of water magic that has seeped into your clothes.¡±
Luce responded while wiping my face with her handkerchief.
¡®Evaporate¡¯ was simr to my Defrost. It was to undo one¡¯s own water magic.
Come to think of it, even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, after using water magic and evaporate, the wet clothes did not dry. It was the same when they got dirt on their clothes. They could only get rid of the stagnant water.
As I thought about it, I raised my eyes and gasped for breath at the ecstasy that spread across my vision.
Luce¡¯s assertive chest was right in front of my nose.
Her ck underwear peered through her water-soaked white shirt. My eyes darted to the side, then back to the mesmerizing view, then back to the side again.
¡°Where are you looking at?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Like a scene from a thriller, my heart sank.
I lifted my head in remorse and saw Luce¡¯s face peering down at me.
Her face lit up with amusement, her cheeks flushing with a rosy hue. A mischievous grin spread across her youthful face, damp with sweat, as it glistened in the warm glow of the sunset.
¡°Isaac, you pervert.¡±
Luce¡¯s intimate voice tickled my ears like a feather.
That brief moment felt like an eternity to me.
Chapter 36: - Shield
? Shield?
The colorful leaves were turning dark green with the passage of time, and the warm season was just around the corner.
Due of the mildly warm weather, students had begun to take off their school uniform jackets. I was no different.
Yesterday was the performance evaluation for the Elemental Flower Craft. Although not perfect, I was able to achieve a satisfactory result. It was all thanks to Luce helping me every time I practiced.
We had decided how we would spend our time together. Even if we did choose to meet, it would be in private with just the two of us. As a justification, I reiterated that ¡®I stand out too much when I¡¯m with Luce.¡¯
She appeared to have enjoyed our friendship so much that she couldn¡¯t help but regret it. It seemed that she expected a daily routine of going to and from school together, eating together, and hanging out together, regardless of what others thought.
What could I do? I wasn¡¯t in a position to do that.
And, as expected, rumors were already spreading that there was an unusual atmosphere between Luce and I. Well, it was already spilled water. There was nothing I could do about it now.
Sooner orter, I¡¯ll have to pretend to be as ipetent as possible so that they¡¯ll stop paying attention to me and think, ¡®Ah, Isaac¡¯s a hopeless bastard, and the top seat has gone off the deep end!¡±
If Alice Carrol ever heard about the rumor regarding the two of us, I could only hope that she would think it wasn¡¯t a big deal and move on.
¡°Hey! I am going to be the test proctor for the end-of-semester evaluation for this freshman year!¡±
I was in a corner of the butterfly garden at noon with the sky shining brightly.
It was the weekend. Today, I nned to spend twice as much time practicing magic than I usually did. This was because I took up quite a bit of time practicing magic craft.
Even today, Dorothy Heartnova sat with her back against a nearby zelkova tree and interrupted my training with her chatter. But this time, her chatter was worth listening to. It was a story that had a lot to do with the scenario.
¡°Aren¡¯t you a senior? Wouldn¡¯t you normally hate that kind of trouble in the first ce?¡±
¡°Nyahaha, of course! But~ Because this elder sister wants to see if our president will do well in his exam~. Aren¡¯t you so honored as a fan of mine?!¡±
¡°Ah yes. It is an honor.¡±
¡°That reaction is boring¡¡±
Dorothy pouted her lips and grumbled.
Originally, being a test proctor was not a position that students could be entrusted with. However, the academy¡¯s administration has been gued by the appearance of demons recently.
In the end, it was decided that the strongest students within the academy would be chosen as test proctors.
One of these candidates was Dorothy Hartnova. It was the same as the original scenario of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Without Dorothy, the Thunderbird Subjugation itself would be impossible. Because without her, the odds were stacked against the academy.
¡°I even got rid of the student council president¡¡±
My head twitched.
Alice Carroll volunteered as a test proctor?
¡°The student council president?¡±
¡°Yeah, because she said she wanted to do it too. So we made a bet and I won.¡±
It was different from the scenario I knew. It was clear that she had taken it upon herself to find out who was going around fighting the demons.
I asked Dorothy what kind of bet it was, and she answered that it was a violent one. I didn¡¯t ask any further questions.
¡°Thank goodness¡¡±
In the end, it was a great relief that Alice Carroll, the student council president, didn¡¯t be the test proctor.
I let out a sigh of relief and muttered to myself, but Dorothy¡¯s ears perked up as she wrapped herself in starlight mana, and flew towards me.
¡°Do you like me being that?¡±
Ah, I was just talking to myself.
As usual, Dorothy stuck her head out to me and asked me with a lively smile.
I nodded. I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her, even if it was just a misunderstanding.
¡°Yes. I¡¯m a fan of yours, senior, so no doubt.¡±
I really was d that she became the test proctor. That thought was sincere, without a hint of doubt. Thanks to that, the scenario didn¡¯t go awry.
Dorothy let out her signature ¡°Nihihi¡±ughter and brightened up with a smile as bright as the sun.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¸Act 3, Chapter 3, End of Semester Evaluation¡¹ leads directly to ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹.
At that time, Luce¡¯s 8-star familiar, ¡®Thunderbird Galia¡¯, became a demon.
Dorothy, who yed the role of a test proctor, would be a key yer in the Thunderbird Subjugation along with the main character, Ian Fairytale.
Originally, in a one-on-one fight, Dorothy was strong enough to defeat the Thunderbird. However, the battle would have been fierce enough that the entire surroundingnd would vanish.
Since Dorothy had to fight while protecting people, she couldn¡¯t rush into a full-on fight with all her strength. If she did, they would all die.
This was where the protagonist Ian came into y, as he could deliver the killing blow with his light element, which was the demon¡¯s weakness.
¡°Hmm, do you like me, President?¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy opened her mischievous eyes and asked with a sinisterugh.
That expression seems a bit ambiguous¡?
¡°Oh my. I wonder if our cute junior has heard this embarrassing talk?¡±
Dorothy shed me a mischievous grin and tilted her head towards the schoolgirl that stood at a distance from me.
Rose-gold hair cascaded down around her face, and the sides of her head were adorned with morpho butterfly-colored braids. She was my ssmate and one of the official heroines, Luce Eltania.
She had her arms crossed with an expressionless face as her eyes were locked with Dorothy¡¯s.
¡°¡¡.¡±
Luce exuded an oppressive aura of unspoken pressure as if warning me not to speak, a pressure that enveloped my entire body and struck fear into my heart.
¡®Ugh, chills¡¡¯
Even someone as bright as Dorothy was not immune to Luce¡¯s antisocial persona.
¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s anything to be embarrassed about.¡±
By the way, Dorothy didn¡¯t even like me, but today, she was using a lot of ambiguous expressions as if she were secretly flirting. Of course, I didn¡¯t hate it.
My favorite character, Dorothy, felt like a lovely daughter. Of course, I have never been married, let alone had a daughter, but that was the general feeling.
Dorothy covered her mouth with her right hand and shed a sly smile.
¡°Didn¡¯t the President say he likes me? Isn¡¯t that kind of embarrassing?¡±
¡°I said that I like that senior became the test proctor, didn¡¯t I? No matter how I look at it, that¡¯s the context, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°What a nice boy~ You¡¯re so embarrassed. How cute~. Nihihi!¡±
Dorothy, being shorter than me, stretched out her right arm and stroked my hair.
First of all, thank you for the fan service.
Afterward, Dorothy hummed a tune as she returned to the zelkova tree. She then leaned back against the tree, pulled out an unknown book from the witch¡¯s hat on her head, and began to read.
I straightened the hair that Dorothy had stroked. There was a lot of physical contact these days¡
Dorothy was not an official heroine in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, and she was an opponent whose mind I couldn¡¯t read with [Psychological Insight].
Even though she was my favourite character, it was difficult to tell if her behavioral pattern changes were idental or if there was a cause. I didn¡¯t have enough information to make an informed decision.
¡°Isaac, let¡¯s get started,¡± said Luce in a soothing voice. I turned my head towards her.
Her expression, which had been ice-cold when facing Dorothy, softened to a gentle smile when she saw me. It truly was a dramatic change of expression.
¡°Uh, please take good care of me.¡±
[Come on, rock! This Bello will deal with you!]
[Kyuu?]
Besides Luce, the little killer whale magic beast, Bello, was busily swimming through the air with water mana wrapped around her body.
Next to me, Eden, the small golem magic beast, tilted his head and pretended to be cute.
Luce said she would help me with my training over the weekend, and here she was. I readily agreed because we were out of sight and Dorothy was not a threat.
Luce had an excited expression on her face at that time, and her cheeks were flushed enough to make me blush. I should have been happy, but she seemed to be the one who was most excited.
Of course, as soon as she saw Dorothy, she reflexively raised her guard.
Dorothy was briefly offended by Luce, who was cold to her, but seemed to understand as a senior and took a step back.
¡°Eden, prepare for battle.¡±
[Kyuuu!]
Luce was the top student of the first year at the Magic Department. Among the freshmen, there was no one stronger than her. Even though she was using over half of her original power to suppress the Thunderbird.
She extended her right hand towards me. Then, a blue magic circle appeared in front of her hand and slowly began to rotate.
I could feel a dense mana that made my whole body shudder. Motivation surged through me.
I conjured up cold ice mes ¨C [Frostfire] ¨C in each hand and faced Luce.
From now on, I would engage in a duel with her. I would cast magic at her, block or dodge her magic, and so on.
Dueling with her would be of great help to me in the mastery of magic warfare.
Soon, Luce and I began to battle each other with magic.
¡°Ugh!¡±
¡It was more like a one-sided assault.
????
¡®I guess I was right after all.¡¯
Near the butterfly garden. On a certain hillside.
Eva Heilov, a sses-wearing schoolgirl, was hiding behind a tree, secretly watching Isaac and his group.
She was a student at the bottom of ss D of the Magic Department, but had a talent that other students of the Magic Department did not have.
It was her [Stealth] magic that allowed her to conceal her own presence. In the eyes of others, her translucent body was indistinguishable from the surroundingndscape.
¡®Is there something special about you, Isaac?¡¯
A male student with silver-blue hair. She recognized him because they were in the same ss D.
His name was Isaac. He was the one who surprised the students by using 5-star magic during the dueling evaluation, despite having the lowest Grade-E when he measured his mana at the start of the semester.
It was an amazing sight, but it was quickly forgotten.
Even if a Grade-E wizard consistently polished his skills and achieved tremendous growth in a short period of time, he only seeded in mastering 5-star magic at an immature level.
In front of those who were already capable of using 5-star magic at a high level, it would only look like that.
Then there was the light element, indisputable in terms of rarity, which had appeared. As a result, Isaac¡¯s single use of five-star magic was hardly enough to make him stand out.
¡®Four Constetions¡¯. A student faction that could be involved in the administration of M?rchen Academy.
Eva Heilov was one of them, an intelligence gatherer chosen to represent the ¡®Red Elephant¡¯ seat.
The Four Constetions could each recruit 10 first-year students as members starting from the second semester, so they secretlypeted to recruit talent and collect information from the first semester.
So, the Four Constetions secretly approached students who had abilities that seemed to be useful for information gathering but were below the middle of the pack and could never even imagine of joining a Constetion.
They would whisper sweet proposals such as ¡°Gather some useful information. If you perform well, we will let you into our Constetion.¡±
Just being affiliated with one of the Four Constetions was attractive, even outside of the Academy, so most people, whether they were interested in the power within the Academy or not, epted the offer.
Eva Heilov was one such recipient of the offer.
¡®The top seat ice princess, cold to everyone, friendly to only one person¡ and that¡¯s you.¡¯
A few days ago, Eva had overheard a rumor that Luce Eltania, the number one target for recruitment, showed a particrly cheerful side only to Isaac.
So she started keeping a close eye on Isaac, and the harvest had exceeded her expectations.
¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Whenever I see our President in pain, this elder sister¡¯s heart aches.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you for your kind words.¡±
M?rchen Academy¡¯s Strongest. A genius who seems to have received Lord Manha¡¯s Blessing. The 2nd Year¡¯s Top Seat. The Star Witch.
Dorothy Heartnova, the sophomore girl who had been called all of those, was wiping Isaac¡¯s face with her own handkerchief.
¡®Besides, he¡¯s even involved with the famous senior Dorothy¡¡¯
Dorothy didn¡¯t belong to any of the Constetions. Naturally, the Four Constetions had tried their best to recruit her, but she had tly refused every offer, saying she wasn¡¯t interested. She was self-assertive, self-centered, and lived in her own world.
To think that such a monster was staying with Isaac¡ It was amazing.
It was clear that Luce and Dorothy had favorable feelings for Isaac. It was unclear whether it was a crush between the opposite sex or a friendship between friends, but either way, the fact that two monsters from the Magic Department were hanging out around Isaac was important information.
¡°What is it about Isaac that makes him so special to those two¡?¡±
Eva monologued to herself in a low voice.
Isaac seemed to have something special enough to attract those two, but what the hell was it¡
¡°I¡¯ll have to report to the right people and talk to the seniors first¡¡±
It was then.
Dorothy, who had been wiping Isaac¡¯s face, turned her gaze to Eva.
¡°¡¡!!¡±
In an instant, shivers ran down Eva¡¯s spine.
She was in [Stealth] mode and this magic consumed very little mana. Even Eva¡¯s measly Grade D+ mana was very small. In other words, there was no way she could be detected at this distance!
¡No, I overlooked it. Dorothy was a monster among monsters. It was highly likely that her mana perception transcendedmon sense.
Eva quickly ducked behind a tree and leaned back. Her breathing quickened. She was terrified.
She was an inferior ss D student with nothing to show for it other than [Stealth], amoner whosest name was her hometown name. If she was caught spying on Isaac, she wasn¡¯t sure what she could do, especially against those monsters.
¡°Haa, haa, whew¡.¡±
After a while, Eva took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
She poked her head to the side of the tree and looked back at Isaac. Isaac and Luce were shing spells again, while Dorothy leaned back against a zelkova tree, watching their duel (one-sided assault).
¡®Was it because of my mood¡¡¯
Just then, as she breathed a sigh of relief, a white cat with a pink ribbon on its tail approached Eva. An imprint of its owner on its back. It was a familiar.
[Hello there, friend.]
The white cat greeted her with the voice of a maturedy. She greeted Eva so casually, that Eva forgot that she was in [Stealth] for a moment.
[Why are you spying on my Dorothy?]
Eva¡¯s face turned pale.
Because she realized that the white cat, ¡®E¡¯, was Dorothy¡¯s familiar.
[No, it was¡ Isaac¡]
Eva¡¯s shoulders trembled. E¡¯s sharp eyes did not miss that response.
[Where are you from? ck Tiger? Blue Wolf? Golden Eagle? Red Elephant?]
¡°Uh, well, that¡¯s¡¡±
[The Four Constetions have certainly been annoying recently. Why do they keep doing the same things?]
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Eva asked in confusion, but she understood exactly what E meant by that.
There were other students who had heard the rumors and followed Isaac. It was obvious that they were in the same position as her.
[Then, Dorothy¡¯s message.]
Charararara©¤©¤
A sudden cluster of colorful stars appeared in the air. The starlight spell that Dorothy had imnted in E was activated.
[I know your purpose. It¡¯s irritating, so can you stop being such a nuisance?]
The starlight magic surrounded Eva on all sides, leaving her with nowhere to escape to.
¡°Eek¡!¡±
Fear engulfed Eva like a tidal wave, causing her whole body to tremble violently. Dorothy¡¯s magic seemed to weigh heavily on her.
Before long, E chuckled and withdrew Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic.
[Keep what you¡¯ve learned between us if possible. Otherwise, who knows what Dorothy might do. She might evenpletely get rid of the Four Constetions, depending on her mood. ¡®Because of you¡¯.]
In the first ce, there was no one who could stop Dorothy Heartnova at M?rchen Academy.
Her presence at the academy could only be described as the equivalent of arge-scale natural disaster, simply ying around with students.
Eva released her [Stealth], which no longer meant anything, and nodded her head hastily with a frightened face.
¡°Yes, yesss¡!¡±
Her sobbing voice cracked. Eva bowed her upper body to E, and quickly ran away from the area.
¡®S-Scary!¡¯
Eva sniffled and disappeared from E¡¯s sight.
E breathed out a deep sigh. This was already the 4th time she had driven out the stalkers under Dorothy¡¯s orders.
[My Dorothy is finally starting to show some interest in a boy, but why is it that they can¡¯t leave her alone¡]
Don¡¯t disturb my Dorothy¡¯s pure love.
For the record, Dorothy never said that she had a crush on Isaac. More urately, she said she was ¡®curious¡¯.
Well, curiosity was a very good emotion for love to sprout.
E was like a mother rooting for her daughter to find a good man and live a happy life.
¡In the first ce, just watching people fall in love was fun.
Dorothy said that a friend with a crush on Isaac had arrived today, she seemed excited at the thought of teasing the girl with rose gold hair.
She wasn¡¯t sure of Dorothy¡¯s true feelings, but if she had any affection towards Isaac at all¡
E hoped that her master wouldn¡¯t regret him being stolen away.
[But what is there to see in that child¡ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything special about it other than being cute. Even made me eat firecrackers for him.]
Fuaaa!
¡°Ugh!¡±
[Kyuuuuuu!]
The sight of Isaac and his golem familiar Eden being swept away by Luce¡¯s water magic was reflected in E¡¯s eyes.
E furrowed one eyebrow.
[Ooh, that must have hurt¡]
But Isaac scrambled to his feet and fought back against Luce.
¡°Eden, get up, let¡¯s go!¡±
[Kyuu¡ uu!]
¡°Ugghhh!¡±
[Kyuuuu!]
E sat there and watched the duel (one-sided assault) between Isaac and Luce.
Still¡ the man¡¯s willpower was admirable.
Chapter 37: - End-of-Semester Evaluation (1)
? End-of-Semester Evaluation (1)?
¡°It¡¯s almost time for the end-of-semester evaluation.¡±
Inside ss A¡¯s ssroom in Orphin Hall. The top five students who arrived for ss that morning were seated far apart from one another. It was an overwhelminglyrge space for the number of students present.
They were looking at Philip Meltron, a middle-aged professor with red hair, standing in front of the podium.
With his hands behind his back, he made his announcement in a gentle tone.
¡°The end-of-semester evaluation consists of two parts: a written test and a practical test. The written test will be held for five days, nine hours a day, and the practical exams will be held on the grounds of the Old Academy for five hours. You are the elite of the elite, nobles among nobles, and I trust you will all achieve excellent grades in the end.¡±
¡®Nobles among nobles¡¯. Professor Philip, who was notorious among his students as discriminatory, frequently used this phrase to describe his ss-A students.
Of course, for the five ss A female students, it was apliment with little meaning.
Lisetta Lionheart, a female student who wore a male school uniform with her shirt unbuttoned.
Keridna Whiterk, who always wore a sinister smile for no apparent reason.
Ciel Carnedas, who was always dozing off.
Kaya Astrean, with her sparkling eyes and soldierly demeanor.
And Luce Eltania, the pinnacle of the first years, and indifferent to everyone.
Professor Philip was pleased with his ss A, which was made up of all the best and brightest students, and none of themoners that he disliked.
¡°Ciel Carnedas, will you be dozing off like that during the end-of-semester evaluations?¡±
Ciel Carnedas, a beautiful girl with short, wavy blue hair, shook her head and struggled to keep her eyes open.
It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d dozed off in ss, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be thest. This was an insincere attitude that would reduce her attitude score, but Philip, who was intolerant ofmoners and generous to nobles, tended to let it slide every time as if there were no problems.
The words he¡¯d spoken earlier had been half in jest.
Ciel wiped the drool from her face with her sleeve, then rubbed her helplessly open eyes and looked at Philip.
¡°Maybe¡¡±
Excluding Luce, who was not interested in others, the other three students looked at her in disbelief.
Philip just let out a friendly smile.
¡°Well, let¡¯s start ss then.¡±
Professor Phillip was now used to ss-A, which was filled with weirdos.
????
¡°I will now exin the rules of the ¡®Fell Card Competition,¡¯ the practical exam for the end-of-semester evaluation.¡±
Finally, the¡¸Act 3, Chapter 3, End of Semester Evaluation¡¹ part of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? had begun.
Up untilst week, I had to take the written exam for a total of 5 days, 9 hours each day. It was so hard to actually do something that was easily skipped in the game.
In particr, the subjects were especially stressful: ¡®Introduction to Basic Magic¡¯, ¡®Study of Basic Elements¡¯, ¡®Ecology of Magic Beasts¡¯, ¡®Study of Magic Tools¡¯, ¡®Analysis of Magic Circles¡¯, etc¡¡ Since I came from a liberal arts background, I felt like I was dying while trying to solve calction problems.
I could only study so much on top of my training, so I was unable to fully grasp all the materials before I took the exam.
But I gave it my best shot, so I expect to get a decent grade.
This was the site of the old M?rchen Academy. It used to be a functioning school, but was now closed.
The first-year students of the Magic Department, including myself, stood in the site in an orderly fashion. Closed buildings with beautiful exteriors were nearby, as were gardens overgrown with weeds due to neglect.
On the stage in front of the students, Professor Fernando was speaking with a megaphone. Behind him stood the professors and exam proctors.
¡°The rules are simple. If you collect 5 of these ¡®Fell Cards¡¯ and bring them to the designated location for submission, you pass the exam.¡±
Professor Fernando levitated a card with telekinesis magic and showed it to the students. It was a sophisticated card with a symbol representing a grimoire and a wizard.
¡°The Fell Cards are hidden throughout the sprawling grounds of the old academy. They will be difficult to find, as they emit only the faintest trace of mana.¡±
The radius of the old M?rchen Academy grounds was unknown, but it should be consideredparable to Yeouido in Korea. Anyways, it was rather spacious.
¡°The submission location will be revealed once you have collected 5 Fell Cards. It will be assigned at random, so don¡¯t be surprised if you happen to discover the location by chance. By the way, it is possible to steal Fell Cards. If you knock out a student with a Fell Card, it will be transferred to you. It is enchanted with telekinesis magic.¡±
The students started whispering.
¡®I can¡¯t fight, what should I do?¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t this just another survival rule?¡¯ These conversations were ongoing. It was exactly the same repertoire as during the ss cement evaluation.
Meanwhile, I caught sight of the test proctor, Dorothy Heartnova, who was standing behind Professor Fernando.
She tilted her head and waved her hand at me, her smile as bright as the sun. The star and moon earrings on her earlobes glistened in the sunlight.
¡®My favorite is too cute~¡¯
I waved back and greeted her while trying to hold back my dad-likeughter.
But for some reason, the cheeky boys around me saw Dorothy¡¯s smile and blushed. I¡¯m sorry, but that greeting is mine, kids.
¡°And the biggest part of this semester¡¯s end-of-semester evaluation is.¡±
Professor Fernando extended his index finger upward. The students followed his gesture and looked up at the sky.
¡°It means that the information from 1st to 5th ce will be disclosed in real-time.¡±
Arge amount of mana grains that looked like sand were engraved in the crystal clear sky. There were tworge squares, and inside each square, there were five vertical lines of ¡®-¡® inscriptions. It was enormous.
Fell
¨C
¨C
¨C
¨C
¨C
Eliminations
¨C
¨C
¨C
¨C
¨C
¡°The left column shows who has the most Fell Cards, while the right column shows who has eliminated the most students.¡±
It was a live broadcast of those who ranked 1st through 5th in terms of card count and kill count, respectively.
¡°Now, take a look at the bracelets we handed out.¡±
The students looked down at the bracelets handed out by the academy¡¯s administrators as per Professor Fernando¡¯s instructions. They were all wearing one on their wrist.
Each bracelet had a button with the words ¡°Fell¡± and ¡°Eliminations¡± on it.
¡°The bracelet cannot be removed until the end-of-semester evaluation is over. As long as it¡¯s on, your location will be ryed to us in real-time.¡±
This bracelet was like a GPS with magical powers.
If you pass the end-of-semester evaluation, it will unlock itself on its own.
¡°And you can use it to check where the students ranked from 1st to 5th are. Take their Fell Cards or run away, it¡¯s up to you. Whatever choice you make will be reflected in the evaluation, so act carefully.¡±
In other words, this was a survival game, a game of wits, and a game of control.
It was a method to evaluate overall mana perception,bat ability, tactical ability, and problem-solving skills as a wizard.
¡°The time limit is 5 hours. Collect 5 Fell Cards within that time, and arrive at the designated location for submission. At that time, you can take off the bracelet and go home. Even if you bring more than 5 Fell Cards, there will be no bonus points, so don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡±
¡°Professor, what happens if I fail the exam?¡±
When a male student raised his hand and asked, Fernando exined with his usual icy face.
¡°If a student bes incapacitated or fails to pass the exam within the time limit¡ they will have to takepulsory supplementary ssester today.¡±
¡°Huhhhh?!¡±
The students were taken aback, but they quickly calmed down when Professor Fernando casually extended his hand. ¡°This is a penalty. I won¡¯t even unlock your bracelets in case you try to run away,¡± he said, as if he didn¡¯t care about theirints.
Students either reacted with fright or disgust.
¡°Finally, today marks the end of your first semester. May you reap the fruits of yourbor. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±
When Professor Fernando was done, the facilitator next to him directed everyone to board the carriage.
As the students began to grumble and leave, I started to walk away.
Suddenly, Dorothy turned to me, cupped her hands around her mouth, and mouthed the word, ¡°Good luck.¡± 1???, literally ¡®Fighting¡¯- used in Korean to cheer on someone and to wish someone good luck. It is used to express encouragement and to show support for a person¡¯s actions. Then she stretched her right arm upward and gave me a silent wave.
Aww, she¡¯s so cute. I¡¯m gonna die.
A group of small carriages that had been modified to resemble minicars waited behind the site. You could hop in any of them, and they would take you to a designated location.
I chose a carriage and decided to organize my thoughts as we rode to the designated location.
The final part of the first semester of the first year ¨C the End-of-Semester Evaluation and the Thunderbird Subjugation. I had already nned everything.
During the end-of-semester evaluation, around the time Luce passed the exam and nightfall was approaching, the demon, ¡®Vera the Summoner¡¯, appeared to steal Luce¡¯s familiar.
It wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to consider her one of the strongest in the world of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, particrly when it came to controlling familiars, as she possessed an extreme level of dominance over them.
That demon forcibly summoned Luce¡¯s familiar, Thunderbird Galia, and ced the familiar under her control.
The demon then goes to the examination center and tries to kill the main character, Ian Fairytale, but waster foiled by Dorothy¡¯s intervention.
When Dorothy was forced to retreat for the sake of the student¡¯s safety, the demon would unleash the barrier of the Thunderbird and enshroud the site of the old M?rchen Academy.
If I didn¡¯t pass the end-of-semester evaluation before that, my n to ¡®kill Vera the Summoner at the optimal time¡¯ would be thrown out the window.
¡®In other words, my purpose¡¡¯
¡was to pass the end-of-semester assessment as quickly as possible, remove the bracelet, and set myself free.
It was to prepare for ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¯s ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹ part.
As a side note, there was no option to miss the exam. If I did not attend the exam for reasons other than those specified in the Marx Treaty, I would be automatically expelled.
¡°Phew, haa.¡±
I inhaled and exhaled to relieve the tension I felt.
Now, it was time to check my current status.
There had been no dramatic change in my stats from the day I defeated Leafa the Illusive until now. [Ice Sovereign], which was always active, was still unusable, so I¡¯ve been suppressing it to the point where it didn¡¯t even have an effect.
Still, I did achieve a higher level of growth than I expected at the beginning of the semester. It was thanks to defeating the Disaster Ant Corp and Leafa the Illusive.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 57
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 1450/1450
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C)
¨C Stamina (B-)
¨C Strength (B-)
¨C Intelligence (C+)
¨C Willpower (B+) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (B-)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B-)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B-)
Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (B-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (B-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(B-)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (B-)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (D+)
¨C (¡ï4) Frostfire (C)
¨C (¡ï4) Ice Wall (C)
¨C (¡ï5) Frost Explosion (C-)
¨C (¡ï2) Snow Pellets (C)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight
¨C (¡ï5) Demon Detection
¨C (¡ï9) Ice Sovereign Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter
My current level was 57. I had recently gained 1 more level. My growth rate was snail-like inparison with the top students, but that was the way Isaac was, so I couldn¡¯t help it. I just had to deal with it.
For reference, I had invested the newly acquired 2 stat points in [Learning Efficiency].
¡®I¡¯ve grown a lot from being the weakest in one semester¡¡¯
Of course, it still felt like there were more students in the first grade who I couldn¡¯t beat yet.
¡°We have arrived, students! Work hard!¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
I bid the coachman farewell and got off the carriage. We arrived at Seiran Hall, a four-story stone building surrounded by green foliage and vines.
It was originally designed that way, but due to neglect, even the windows were now overgrown with nts.
All I needed were five Fell Cards.
But as soon as I got the Fell Cards, my name would shoot to the top of the rankings, and all the first-year students would know where I was.
After that, I¡¯ll be everyone¡¯s target. And I would undoubtedly be attacked.
In other words, the main goal was to ¡®survive¡¯ until I collected 5 Fell Cards and arrived at the submission location.
I needed to do it as quickly as possible, but what rank should I be?
I did some quick math and came to the conclusion that I should be able to pass while ranking first or second. That¡¯s a hell of a difficulty level.
¡®It¡¯s a test I¡¯ve yed countless times in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.¡¯
It¡¯ll be fine, it¡¯ll be fine¡ Please work out as nned¡
To get rid of my worries, I warmed up my body by lightly stretching. And soon.
Pang©¤!
In the center of the old M?rchen Academy grounds, firecrackers loudly exploded, signaling the start of the exam.
I swallowed my dry saliva and started running straight ahead, ignoring Seiran Hall right behind me.
Footnotes:- 1???, literally ¡®Fighting¡¯- used in Korean to cheer on someone and to wish someone good luck. It is used to express encouragement and to show support for a person¡¯s actions.
Chapter 38: - End-of-Semester Evaluation (2)
? End-of-Semester Evaluation (2)?
¡®Survival rules, it¡¯s been a long time¡¡¯
Her light green pigtails fluttered in the early summer breeze.
Kaya Astrean, first year second seat of the Magic Department. She was wandering around the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy, holding a wand while remaining alert.
The ¡®Fell cards¡¯ were supposed to be discovered via mana perception. However, no matter how much she wandered around, she could only sense natural mana without any abnormalities.
Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t solely focus on mana perception in a situation where she had to prepare for ambushes from other students.
During the ss cement evaluation, the mana emitted from the mana grains was easy to detect, so she had nothing to worry about, even while she was on high alert.
But the end-of-semester evaluation was different. The mana emitted by the Fell Cards was so difficult to detect that it was iparable to mana grains. However, if she only focused on detecting mana, it would be difficult for her to stay alert, so she was in a pickle.
¡®Will Sir Isaac do the same?¡¯
¡No, he wouldn¡¯t. Sir Isaac is an amazing person.
Kaya cleared her mind and concentrated on her mana perception as well as her alertness.
If she struggled in a ce like this, she would never be able to catch up with Isaac for the rest of her life. She hoped to one day be strong enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the man she admired.
¡®Focus, focus¡!¡¯
She hoped to breeze through this type of exam.
Suddenly, she heard a ¡®Clink! Clink!¡¯ sounding from the sky. It was the sound of small particles colliding against one another.
Kaya raised her head. She saw the scoreboard that Professor Fernando had mentioned before. The mana grains engraved with telekinesis magic were slowly changing their shape.
And then.
Fell
[1st ce (Red) Mateo Jordana Fell Card +1]
An unexpected name was listed on the scoreboard on the left. It was the ranking of Fell Card holders.
¡®Did he find one already? Even that man?¡¯
This hurt her pride.
Come to think of it, didn¡¯t they say that the locations of the students ranked 1st to 5th could be located?
Kaya raised her left arm and examined the bracelet around her wrist. Each bracelet was engraved with the words ¡®Fell¡¯ and ¡®Eliminations¡¯.
When she put her finger on the word ¡®Fell¡¯, the mana grains inside the bracelet oozed out and formed a map on the bracelet. Someone had stored magic with certain rules into the bracelet.
It was an awe-inspiring level of mana mastery. Professor Fernando was also an excellent telekic wizard, but the capabilities of this bracelet were far beyond his level.
There was only one person on this ind who could use this level of telekinesis magic.
¡®The magic of the Hegel Tower Master.¡¯
Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of the Hegel Magic Tower. This must be her work.
The mana grains represented the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy. Kaya diligently studied the map.
Kaya¡¯s location was indicated by a light green grain among the light yellow mana grains.
In one location, she noticed a red mana grain slowly moving. It appeared to be Mateo Jordana.
So, next to the ¡®1st ce¡¯ marker, ¡®Red¡¯ was written, meaning Mateo was being marked with a red mana grain.
¡®Mateo Jordana is here¡ Come to think of it, I can¡¯t seem to go to the outskirts or Carly Hall. I guess the entirety of the old academy grounds isn¡¯t being used for the examination site.¡¯
The iconic building of the old M?rchen Academy was, of course, ¡®Carly Hall¡¯.
At the far end of the old academy¡¯s grounds, perched on top of a high hill, was a pce-like building that overlooked the old academy grounds.
They must have thought that the range would be toorge if the building and its outskirts were used as exam sites, seeing as it didn¡¯t show up on the map.
To be fair, the massive, transparent barrier that separated the exam sites didn¡¯t cover the entirety of the old academy grounds. Even with the naked eye, it was clear that the outskirts and Carly Hall were excluded from the exam site.
Well, this was just a simple reference.
Kaya touched the ¡®Fell¡¯ part of the bracelet once more. Then, the mana grains flowed into the bracelet like sand.
¡°By the way, this¡¡±
She got a rough idea when she thought about it.
¡°If you get a Fell card in the beginning, you¡¯re at a huge disadvantage.¡±
Fell cards must be hard to find. Kaya herself, who was confident in her mana perception, felt the same way, and she could only imagine how the other students felt.
Therefore, being at the top of the rankings made you a target for many students.
In that case, the structure of this exam became clear.
The first half of the exam sets the stage for the top students. Of course, even if the opponent was a top-ranked student, there would be students who tried to attack them, but there wouldn¡¯t be too many of them. Since the victor was obvious.
And once the top students have passed their exams, those below them would fight it out.
As time went by, the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy would gradually be a battlefield for the weaker students.
In other words.
If one entered the rankings in the early stages, they were bound to be the target of many students, including the top-ranking students.
In the end, it was a mind game after all.
¡®Especially for those who are average or weak, if they¡¯re lucky enough to make it into the top rankings early on¡¡¯
They would definitely be targeted, faster than anyone else.
In conclusion, one would need to carefully consider whether to defeat Mateo and take his Fell Card or not. Even if they did defeat him and took his Fell Card, their name would stand out on the list.
Kaya, no matter how strong she was, couldn¡¯t win against a stronger opponent. She needed to think carefully and act with caution.
¡°There¡¯s a lot to consider¡¡±
She was already preupied with mana perception while she stayed on guard, but now she had to engage in this battle of wits as well.
Her head was about to explode.
Meanwhile, inside an abandoned store on the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy.
The students¡¯ were mercilessly firing elemental magic at a man.
Whirrr©¤!
Boom-!
Whiiiiiiir©¤!
¡°Tsk¡!¡±
The target was Mateo Jordana, a brown-haired man who had climbed to the top of the rankings by being the only one with a Fell Card.
¡°Hah! It¡¯s meaningless to resist in front of me!¡±
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Tristan Humphrey, the conceited blond aristocrat, shouted from the rooftop of the abandoned store, while he looked down at Mateo. The surrounding area was dominated by Tristan¡¯s wind.
The students Tristan had gathered while using his social status also took their positions and were all aiming at Mateo. There were a total of 4 students from ss B to ss C.
5 to 1. Despite the disadvantageous situation, Mateo leisurely smiled.
¡°Aren¡¯t you weaker than me, Tristan? You can¡¯t do anything unless you gang up on me.¡±
¡°Provocation won¡¯t work, Mateo Jordana. My goal is not just you! It¡¯s to get the best ranking in this semester¡¯s end-of-term assessment! To make it clear to you and even the Grade Emoner how great I am!¡±
¡°Grade Emoner? Are you talking about Isaac?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Who else can be a Grade Emoner other than him? Hah! He must be scrambling to survive right about now. Heuheu, just thinking about it brings me joy!¡±
Mateo scratched his head with an uneasy expression. Tristan usually talked like a thug or a third-rate viin, but now that he thought about it, Tristan had never actually done anything cowardly to harm others. Even to someone he despised like Isaac.
If someone pissed him off, he would say, ¡®I¡¯ll prove how great of a being I am with my grades kekeke.¡¯ And somehow, he always showed a sincere image of himself, which wasn¡¯t quite in character with a thug.
Maybe that was why Tristan was sorta likable.
¡°Is that so? Then, shall I surrender?¡±
There was a sense of yfulness in Mateo¡¯s thick voice. With a slight raise of his arms, he recreated a scene from the dueling evaluation, which caused Tristan¡¯s subordinates tough.
-Snap. A red vein appeared on Tristan¡¯s forehead. The word ¡®surrender¡¯ was nothing more than an insult to his pride.
He still trembled just thinking about the dueling evaluation¡!
¡°Oh, I¡¯ll kill you! Mateo Jordanaaa!!¡±
Tristan screamed at the top of his lungs and stretched out his arm towards Mateo, a light green magic circle appearing in front of him.
Tristan unleashed a powerful whirlwind at Mateo, and Mateo countered by creating a thick wall of rock in front of himself.
¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Whiiiiiiiiii©¤©¤!
Dddddddddddd!¡ª¡ª!
The [Rock Wall] remained steadfast even after being hit by Tristan¡¯s [Whirlwind].
¡°Tsk¡!¡±
¡¸Wind Sword (Wind Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Tristan followed up with a sharp de of wind, [Wind Sword], but the result was the same. It was a stark contrast to when he had lightly shed through Isaac¡¯s [Ice Wall] during the dueling evaluation.
Mateo¡¯s defense was rock solid. Tristan suspected that even if he used the most powerful magic spell avable to him, Mateo¡¯s defenses would be imprable.
¡®I¡¯ll have to use an elemental reaction to break through¡!¡¯
Tristan nced at his four men. If they could use [Elemental Synergy], which increased their magic power bybining different elements, it would be enough to break through Mateo¡¯s defenses.
Meanwhile, as Mateo and Tristan¡¯s group were having their showdown.
Charak Charak©¤©¤©¤
A new name began to appear on the scoreboard that was spread out in the air.
Mateo and Tristan¡¯s group looked up to confirm the name.
Eliminations
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +1]
It wasn¡¯t the scoreboard with Mateo¡¯s name on it, but the ¡®Eliminations¡¯ scoreboard next to it, where students are ranked ording to how many they¡¯ve eliminated.
The name of the first-year top seat of the Magic Department was engraved on said scoreboard.
Top seat? Mateo was the only one who had a Fell Card right now, so why did she ¡®Kill¡¯ someone?
Tristan was taken aback. The purpose of this exam was to collect ¡®Fell Cards¡¯. Did the top seat eliminate another student for no reason?
Suddenly, a question popped into Tristan¡¯s head.
¡®Come to think of it, why is there a ¡®Eliminations¡¯ ranking?¡¯
If you thought about the exam structure, there wasn¡¯t a need for such a ranking, right?
As he was thinking about it, an unbelievable sight began to unfold before his eyes.
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +2]
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +4]
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +8]
In the blink of an eye, the number of students Luce eliminated was rapidly snowballing.
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +10]
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +12]
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +15]
It didn¡¯t stop. For some reason, she was on a killing spree!
¡°The top seat, this monster¡! Has she gone mad?!¡±
A cold sweat ran down Tristan¡¯s cheeks.
Mateo and Tristan both swallowed dryly and quickly grabbed their bracelets and pressed the ¡®Eliminations¡¯ button. A map made of mana grains unfolded before their eyes.
¡®Blue¡¯. The blue grain that represented the location of Luce Eltania was reflected in their eyes.
¡The devil wasing this way, to ughter each and every one of them.
¡°Damn! Everyone, run! Lu-Luce Eltania ising this way!¡±
¡°Tsk!¡±
Tristan barked orders at his men while his eyes widened, Mateo clicked his tongue and began to flee as well.
Now was not the time for them to fight amongst themselves. For now, they had to survive.
Luce Eltania. None of the first-year students in the Magic Department stood a chance against her overwhelming strength. Especially when she was ughtering them with such ferocity.
If one came face to face with her, they would be eliminated without fail.
¡¸Geyser (Water Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
©¤©¤©¤©¤Pyuuuuuuuu!!
From Luce¡¯s position, a stream of steaming hot water wildly surged through the air, threatening to pierce the sky. It was an extremely skilled [Geyser].
The helpless screams of the students who had been blown away by the [Geyser] echoed powerlessly.
Tristan was horrified and started fleeing in terror. No matter how conceited he was, it was always better to flee in the face of a monster you could never defeat.
It was only then that he realized why there was an ¡®Eliminations¡¯ ranking.
At the prestigious M?rchen Academy, there were always some freaks of nature who were admitted. Like Dorothy Heartnova, who was called the Star Witch, or Alice Carroll, the Student Council President.
No matter how much M?rchen Academy¡¯s educational policy was said to be the ¡®Law of the Jungle¡¯, they couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch as the bnce of the exam helplessly copsed.
Therefore, there may be many reasons, but the biggest reason for the creation of the ¡®Eliminations¡¯ ranking was¡
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +18]
When a predator appears, you should flee as quickly as possible.
????
[3rd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Fell Card +1]
¡°I finally found one!¡±
The underground warehouse of Deuros Hall was cluttered with old junk.
As Kaya made her way through the junk, she could sense the faint but unusual mana.
After she searched through the box where she sensed the mana, she was able to find one ¡®Fell Card¡¯.
Kaya looked at the card and felt a rush of joy that made her heart race.
¡®Kaya, did you find the Fell card already? Your skills are improving day by day.¡¯
Kaya¡¯s expression melted as she imagined Isaac praising her cynically.
¡°Hehehehe.¡±
She giggled as she put the Fell card into the small pouch in her arms. It was a card case handed out in advance by the academy¡¯s administration.
¡®I¡¯ve got the hang of it now, Sir Isaac!¡¯
Forty minutes into the exam.
It was much harder to find a Fell Card than she had anticipated, but she managed to find one somehow. Not to mention, other students would eventually find Fell Cards as they narrowed their down their search.
However, the exam would increasingly take on the aspect of a battle royale.
¡®The top seat is the biggest problem.¡¯
Luce Eltania. She was hunting students indiscriminately, regardless of Fell Cards. The scoreboard she had seen before she entered this building showed that she had already eliminated 34 people.
She seemed to be purposely hunting down students and eliminating them. She must be sensing their mana, not their Fell Cards. Otherwise, her elimination count wouldn¡¯t have increased so dramatically.
I wondered if she was trying to eliminate all thepetition, so she could take her time searching for Fell Cards, or¡ if she was just killing for the sake of killing.
Either way, it was a chilling thought.
¡®I want to fight with all my might at least once, but¡¡¯
Kaya had always had this thought when she looked at Luce. That was always the case with being the second seat. She felt like she was barely an arm¡¯s length away from the top seat, but not being able to close the distance was frustrating.
But she needed to be realistic. Her current goal was to collect 5 Fell Cards within the time limit and achieve an excellent grade for the end-of-semester evaluation. That would be the best way to beat the top seat.
Kaya left Deuros Hall. Just in time, the engravings of the scoreboard that floated in the sky were changing.
Fell
[1st ce (Red) Mateo Jordana Fell Card +1]
[2nd ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +1]
[3rd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Fell Card +1]
[4th ce (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Fell Card +1]
Eliminations
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +44]
[2nd ce (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Eliminations +1]
Luce Eltania was still on a rampage.
Ciel Carnedas, a freshman in the Magic Department and ssmate of Kaya from ss A, seemed to have made her way up on the scoreboard while Kaya was looking for a Fell Card in the warehouse.
Tristan Humphrey appeared to have imed a card by eliminating the student who had gotten it just moments before.
Gradually, the number of students who were getting Fell Cards was increasing. Naturally, it was the top students who dominated the rankings.
¡®What is Sir Isaac up to?¡¯
However, Kaya¡¯s attention was drawn to Isaac rather than the top students.
She had no idea what he was going to do.
If he, who was widely perceived as weak, obtained one Fell Card and rose to the top of the rankings, there was no telling how chaotic the end-of-semester evaluations would be.
Chapter 39: - End-of-Semester Evaluation (3)
? End-of-Semester Evaluation (3)?
Kaya garnered her second Fell Card by eliminating a ss-B male student and as a result of this, she discovered something new about the end-of-semester evaluation.
It was that if she had a Fell Card, it would be listed as in her possession, even if she put it somewhere else.
She was able to discover this when her Fell Card telekically flew away in the wrong direction after she had eliminated the male student. In other words, as long as she made physical contact with the card, it didn¡¯t matter even if she hid elsewhere.
Of course, it didn¡¯t mean anything. If you could just defeat them, the card woulde to you anyway.
¡®In any case¡¡¯
Kaya looked up at the scoreboard floating in the sky.
¡A female student was raising her score at an rming rate.
Fell
[1st ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +4]
[2nd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Fell Card +2]
[3rd ce (Red) Mateo Jordana Fell Card +1]
[4th ce (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Fell Card +1]
[5th ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Fell Card +1]
Eliminations
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +53]
[2nd ce (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Eliminations +4]
[3rd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Eliminations +4]
[4th ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Eliminations +3]
Ciel Carnedas. After she found her first Fell Card, she found 3 more cards in a mere 30 minutes.
Her speed was unbelievable.
¡°¡¡.¡±
However, upon careful consideration, it made sense. During the ss cement evaluation, Ciel took a leisurely nap and had ate start, yet she still managed to secure third ce. She was faster than Luce and Kaya in terms of scoring speed alone.
Even though she was always sleepy eyed and slept whenever she had a chance, Ciel firmly held on to the 3rd ce rank in ss A. She didn¡¯t even realize that she was a dark horse in this semester¡¯s end-of-term evaluation.
¡®I have to do better.¡¯
She vowed to beat Luce Eltania, but what if she fell down to third ce?
Kaya continued to move her feet without rest in search of Fell Cards.
????
The sunset colors were slowly spreading across the sky. It had been two hours since the end-of-semester evaluation began.
Kaya nkly stared at the scoreboard floating in the sky, her mouth hanging open.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t understand Ciel¡¯s performance.
Fell
[1st ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +7]
[2nd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Fell Card +2]
[3rd ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Fell Card +2]
[4th ce (ck) Keridna Whiterk Fell Card +2]
[5th ce (Red) Mateo Jordana Fell Card +1]
Eliminations
[1st ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Eliminations +62]
[2nd ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Eliminations +12]
[3rd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Eliminations +8]
[4th ce (ck) Keridna Whiterk Eliminations +6]
[5th ce (Yellow) Tristan Humphrey Eliminations +5]
¡®Why 7 Fell Cards¡?¡¯
Perhaps other students were perplexed by this as well.
The end-of-semester evaluation would be over once you had collected 5 Fell Cards. Even if you collected more than 5 Fell Cards, there were no bonus points, so Professor Fernando advised against doing anything unnecessary.
Once you had collected 5 Fell Cards, the designated location for submission would automatically appear, so Ciel must have already figured out her submission location.
In other words, it was meaningless for her to scrape up that many Fell cards.
[1st ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +8]
[1st ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +9]
But it didn¡¯t stop. Ciel¡¯s Fell Card ranking was increasing at a terrifying rate.
Ciel Carnedas, was she actually a genius beyond Luce? What a ridiculous mana perception ability¡!
It was as if she were showing the students who were taking the end-of-semester evaluations, ¡°This is who I am,¡± with those high numbers.
¡°What are you thinking, Ciel Carnedas¡?¡±
Kaya took care of herplex thoughts and selected ¡®Fell¡¯ on her bracelet, looking at the map of the old M?rchen Academy grounds. The purple mana grain, which represented Ciel Carnedas, was in a ce that could be reached within 20 minutes by running from where Kaya currently was.
¡I have no choice but to go and see myself.
Kaya conjured wind magic at her feet and started moving towards the ce where Ciel was.
Whatever Ciel¡¯s intentions were, she wanted to get five Fell Cards as soon as possible, so she could turn the tables on her. Kaya¡¯s goal was to rank first in the end-of-semester evaluation.
Realistically, it was difficult for her to choose the option of ¡®simply looking for Fell Cards¡¯. In that case, it would be best for her to eliminate Ciel and take her Fell Cards. Perhaps other ss A students were thinking the same thing.
That¡¯s right. It was going to be a battle of the ss A students with Ciel at the center of it all.
¡°¡¡!¡±
Gooooooooo©¤©¤©¤
As Kaya walked past the blue rose garden, a murderous mana enveloped her entire body, triggering her survival instincts.
She swallowed a breath and came to a halt in the middle of the rose garden.
A woman with rose gold hair was slowly trudging towards Kaya.
She was a sophisticated-looking schoolgirl with a morpho butterfly-colored hair tie. The floral path embroidered with blue roses blended well with her atmosphere, as if it existed solely for her.
Above her head, water mana swirled with a clear blue light. Five blue magic circles with a diameter of about 2m were engraved in the air around it and followed her, ready to use water magic at any time to eliminate her opponent.
Ciel Carnedas had been so noticeable that she had overlooked the top student in the ¡®Eliminations¡¯ category.
She should¡¯ve been paying attention to the ughterer, the most important person in this end-of-semester evaluation¡!
Tension washed over her like a tidal wave. The strongest student in the first year of the Magic Department wasing this way.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Kaya drew her wand and prepared for battle.
Luce Eltania, the rose-gold-haired top seat, cast a nce at Kaya with her emotionless eyes. When her eyes met Kaya¡¯s, Kaya felt a chill run through her body for a moment.
First seat and second seat. Only one rank separated them.
But that one wall that stood between them was more solid than she could have imagined.
Luce also stopped in her tracks. The top seat and second seat stared at each other from a distance in a flower garden full of blue roses.
The tension was high.
Kaya materialized a light green magic circle around her, ready to fire a spell at any moment.
¡°Luce Eltania¡ Are you trying to take me down too?¡±
Luce didn¡¯t answer.
Kaya knew that reaction. It was the same expression that Isaac had shown her during the ss cement evaluation ¨C a look that said ¡®you are boring¡¯.
Sir Isaac is an amazing person, so even if he did that, you shouldn¡¯t¡!
Kaya frowned and pointed the wand in her right hand towards Luce. A light green magic circle materialized in front of the wand.
It was a magic circle for [Gale Fang], a 5-star wind magic.
¡°Let me ask you one thing. It looks like you are deliberately getting rid of students. What is the reason?¡±
Kaya asked in a tense voice.
Then Luce closed her eyes tightly and opened them again, revealing her blue eyes, reminiscent of the sea.
¡°¡Huh.¡±
Her face suddenly blushed. She seemed embarrassed to answer.
Kaya hadn¡¯t expected such an innocent reaction from her.
¡°Because of my friend. Just in case, I wanted to clean up anyone who might be dangerous¡¡±
The expression ¡®friend¡¯ had the power to make Luce appear vulnerable. Whenever that small ripple of emotion passed through her lips, she felt her whole body shudder and her face flush.
¡®A friend¡?¡¯
ss A only had 5 people. Kaya knew this because she was in the same ss as Luce.
¡®Aren¡¯t you friendless¡?¡¯
It was a very rude thought, but it was true. Luce was an outsider who treated everyone coldly and was always alone. It was natural for her to not have any friends.
Kaya suddenly remembered a rumor that had been going around among the students up until the end-of-semester¡¯s written exam.
Isaac and the top seat seemed to have an unusual rtionship, the top seat seemed to be interested in amoner from ss D. The top seat, who always treated others coldly, would only smile brightly at Isaac. The top seat seemed to be constantly trying to stay by Isaac¡¯s side.
And so on and so forth.
Rumors were just rumors. Kaya had dismissed them as ¡®probably some kind of misunderstanding.¡¯
Isaac was always a person with a deep meaning behind his actions. In the first ce, judging people based on rumors was against Kaya¡¯s beliefs.
Moreover, the other person involved in the rumor was Luce, who had a cold attitude towards everyone. Surely, it must be nothing more than a misunderstanding, Kaya thought.
¡®Could it be¡ that friend¡?¡¯
Isaac¡ Is she talking about him?
Luce, who was aloof with everyone, harbored special feelings for Isaac¡? Could it be that the rumors were true?
Today, she was reminded once again of how beautiful Luce was.
As she pictured Luce smiling brightly only at Isaac, Kaya felt a tingle in her chest for some reason.
Somehow, this fight¡. she felt as if she couldn¡¯t afford to lose here, in more ways than one.
¡°¡¡?¡±
Luce had second thoughts when she saw Kaya, who appeared to be burning with a fierce determination. Kaya¡¯s strong will could be felt in the air and on her skin.
¡®She could be a danger to Isaac, too¡ I have to take care of her.¡¯
It didn¡¯t matter. Luce would just have to get rid of her.
The blue magic circle that had materialized around Luce started glowing even brighter.
It was a showdown. The moment anyone made even the slightest movement, they would both unleash their magic on each other.
©¤It was then.
Charakcharak©¤
The mana grains engraved in the sky began to move in a frenzy. Luce and Kaya maintained theirbat stances while facing one another, then nced up to check the scoreboard.
Fell
[1st ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +9]
[2nd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Fell Card +2]
[3rd ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Fell Card +2]
[4th ce (ck) Keridna Whiterk Fell Card +2]
[5th ce (Red) Mateo Jordana Fell Card +1]
.
.
.
Fell
[1st ce (White) Isaac Fell Card +5]
[2nd ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +4]
[3rd ce (Green) Kaya Astrean Fell Card +2]
[4th ce (Blue) Luce Eltania Fell Card +2]
[5th ce (ck) Keridna Whiterk Fell Card +2]
¡°Uh, uh¡?¡±
Luce and Kaya stopped dead in their tracks. They weren¡¯t the only ones.
Within the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy, every student who was taking the end-of-semester evaluation stopped.
The students who were fighting ceasedbat.
All of the students who had been looking for their Fell Cards came to a halt, their mouths wide open.
They looked as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing.
They stared in disbelief at the Fell Card holder, who was ranked 1st.
Isaac.
He¡¯d beaten all the top students and rose to first ce in an instant.
????
Shortly after the start of the end-of-semester evaluation.
My n was simple.
I was going to find a strong person and stick to that person.
I remembered most, if not all, of the locations of the Fell Cards. It was game knowledge I had gained from countless hours of ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. I had even written my own game strategy walkthroughs and posted them in inte caf¨¦s.
Therefore, all I had to do was find a suitable trading partner, tell them where the Fell Cards were, and in exchange receive a promise of protection and my share of Fell cards. Of course, the trading partner should be someone who follows the principle of good faith and the duty of a righteous administrator.
Kaya, who followed me without question, would be the best candidate. The problem was that time was running out, and I had no idea where she could be.
However, because the carriage carrying me arrived in front of the Seiran Hall, I was able to visit one of the candidates I had in mind ahead of time. She was a sleepyhead who would be holed up in a small forest until halfway through the end-of-semester evaluation. She wasn¡¯t far from Seiran Hall.
When I arrived at a forestke with clean water and fresh air, a pretty girl with wavy blue short hair caught my eye.
She was sound asleep, her back against a tree. Her profile reflected in my eyes was absolutely gorgeous.
The scenery around theke was beautiful, with pure white sunlight filtering through the cracks in the leaves. Shepletely integrated into nature¡¯sndscape, as if she were in a painting, to the point where the title ¡°Sleeping Beauty¡± 1T/N: In Korean, ??? ??? ?? means Princess Sleeping in a Forest, which is what is widely known as Sleeping Beauty. This small line used to describe Ciel was ¡®??? ??¡¯, which is just ¡®Princess in a Forest¡¯, but that probably wouldn¡¯t make sense to most people. Just a reminder that this story will have a lot of references to fairy tales. came to mind.
¡°Kreureung¡¡±
Her distinctive snores were the only thing that disturbed her elegant atmosphere.
She was Ciel Carnedas, a freshman of the Magic Department.
[Ciel Carnedas] Lv: 92
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Water
Danger: X
Psychology: [Kreureung¡]
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, you could find Ciel Carnedas sleeping in this forest until midway through the end-of-semester evaluation.
She awakened in the second half and joined the end-of-semester evaluation. From then on, the difficulty of the test drastically spiked.
¡®If it¡¯s Ciel, she fits my n.¡¯
She was the type of person who strictly kept her promises. After all, she was the one who was trying to keep the promise that had been passed down through the Carnedas family, ¡®If you find the Child of Light, bring them to the Divine Realm.¡¯
She¡¯s trustworthy¡ right?
All right, let¡¯s go.
¡°Ciel Carnedas, I¡¯vee to make a deal!¡±
I strode up to Ciel with confidence.
At that moment.
¡¸Fireball (Fire Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Suddenly, a spherical me the size of a yoga ball formed in the air, and flew towards me at the speed of a pitcher throwing a baseball.
¡Please save me.
Footnotes:- 1T/N: In Korean, ??? ??? ?? means Princess Sleeping in a Forest, which is what is widely known as Sleeping Beauty. This small line used to describe Ciel was ¡®??? ??¡¯, which is just ¡®Princess in a Forest¡¯, but that probably wouldn¡¯t make sense to most people. Just a reminder that this story will have a lot of references to fairy tales.
Chapter 40: - End-of-Semester Evaluation (4)
? End-of-Semester Evaluation (4) ?
Waahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh©¤!
¡°Uwah!¡±
I quickly threw myself to the side and avoided Ciel¡¯s [Fireball].
The heat menacingly grazed my side. I was terrified.
¡°C-calm down! I didn¡¯te here to fight you!¡±
¡¸Fireball (Fire Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Then, another [Fireball] flew towards me.
Should I block it with [Ice Wall]? There was no way I could. Not only was I at a disadvantage in terms of elements, the skill gap between Ciel and I was far too great. Her [Fireball] would instantly melt my [Ice Wall], turning me into charred meat.
Once again, I dodged the iing attack. The [Fireball] passed me and hit the ground, then turned into orange mana before it dispersed into the wind.
¡If I hadn¡¯t trained my athletic ability, I would have already been hit. Thank you, Knight Department!
¡°Who are you¡? Who are you to disturb my sleep?¡±
Ciel spoke, her voice still hushed. Her head was lowered, and her violet eyes only turned to look in my direction. Her expression was indifferent and lifeless, as if the world disinterested her.
¡°How about sleeping in your dormitory instead of somewhere like this?¡±
¡°Are you picking a fight?¡±
Another [Fireball] the size of a yoga ball appeared next to Ciel. I quickly panicked and raised my arms.
¡°No, calm down¡! I came here to make a deal with you!¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°Are you good at sensing the Fell Cards?¡±
¡°Words are pointless.¡±
Ciel¡¯s [Fireball] gradually grew in size. It was big enough to cause damage even with my reflexes taken into ount.
Soon enough, the [Fireball] fiercely sliced through the air towards me once more.
¡°Hey, let¡¯s talk¡!¡±
There was not enough time to activate [Frost Explosion], because it took a while to condense the mana required for it.
In the end, I used the offensive spell I was most familiar with.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
I coiled icy cold mes around my hands and fired them at the [Fireball] that flew towards me.
The [Frostfire] engulfed the [Fireball], but I was struck by the aftermath.
Waaaahhhhh©¤!
¡°Kkeuhak!¡±
The high-temperature magic and the low-temperature magic collided, causing an explosion of misty steam, which lightly blew my body away.
The [Fireball] lost some momentum from the collision but was still raging onward. It pierced through the steam before it ultimately crashed into the ground. I was saved by the steam explosion.
My body rolled around on the ground several times, and my school uniform was soiled as a result. As I couldn¡¯tpletely avoid the [Fireball], parts of my uniform were burned, and I was even scratched by the sharp rocks as I rolled, tearing off pieces of my uniform and cutting my skin.
Only when I hit the rocks around me did my bodye to a halt.
¡®Wow, I almost died for real¡¡¯
I coughed and cleared my throat, as I grabbed the rocks for support to stand up. My forearm that was scratched by the rocks was bloody. I could tell because I had my sleeves rolled up. Damn it.
¡°Go away. The next one will be a four-star spell. You won¡¯t be lucky enough to avoid this one.¡±
This bitch. Would it kill you to just talk a little!
I wanted to protest, but I gave up because I was scared.
¡°Ha, I didn¡¯t intend to use this¡¡±
I grumbled and reached for the magic pouch inside my pocket.
Then, Ciel gently extended her hand towards me, perhaps feeling wary. Fire mana began to gather in front of her, and an orange magic circle appeared.
I had studied that technique and remembered it. It wasn¡¯t [Fireball]; she was going to use the 4-star spell [Sea of Fire].
[Sea of Fire] was a spell that poured mes as if they were tsunamis. It was no wonder why it had such arge area of effect, and as she said before, it¡¯d be impossible to avoid it as luckily as I had done before.
But I had a trump card up my sleeve.
Do you think I haven¡¯t figured out a single strategy for you after I¡¯d yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? countless times?
Before Ciel used [Sea of Fire].
I swallowed dryly, and took out my trump card from my magic pouch.
¡°¡¡?¡±
I saw Ciel¡¯s eyes dart around, they slightly widened in shock. She was definitely surprised.
¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Ciel.¡±
What I pulled out was a navy blue ¡®pillow¡¯ ¨C A pillow of the highest quality with an ergonomic design to ensure afortable night¡¯s sleep. It was a heroine-only item that was avable at the secret shop, which could significantly boost Ciel Carnedas¡¯ affinity. The item was dubbed ¡°The Pillow That Makes Anyone Pass Out.¡± For Ian, it was unnecessary.
Ciel examined the shape of the pillow based on her numerous naps. As a seasoned napper, she must have noticed that the pillow was of the highest quality.
Her head, which had only nced at me from the side, turnedpletely towards me and the fire mana that had gathered to activate [Sea of Fire] dispersed.
This pillow appealed to her.
She had slept against a hard tree without a pillow. Like a person without an umbre on a rainy day, it was bound to be in demand.
¡°That, that¡ Where did you get that?¡±
¡°You want it?¡±
Ciel gave an affirmative answer of silence. She was too proud to nod.
¡°Like I said before, I¡¯m here to make a deal with you. If you fulfill my request, not only will you get this pillow, but you will also recieve some additional benefits.¡±
¡°What benefits?¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t properly detected the Fell Cards yet, have you?¡±
¡°¡How do you know that?¡±
I asked her that earlier. She didn¡¯t listen to me at all.
Fell Cards were items that emitted a very weak trace of mana, so even ss-A students couldn¡¯t easily detect them. Ciel Carnedas was no exception.
Since she had already decided to take a nap, Ciel nned to find a nice spot where she could take a nap since she couldn¡¯t detect the Fell Card.
It wasn¡¯t a thoughtless action, however. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ciel awakens from her nap and joins the battle from the middle to thetter part of¡¸Act 3, Chapter 3, End of Semester Evaluation¡¹, which caused the difficulty level to spike. She decided to attack and loot students who already had Fell Cards, reasoning that it would be more efficient because she was stronger.
¡°I¡¯ll find Fell Cards for you, and give you this pillow as well.¡±
¡°I know who you are. An inferior student from ss-D with Grade-E mana. How could you possibly expect to find the Fell Cards?¡±
¡°Come and see.¡±
Ciel swept her eyes over me with suspicion.
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Suspecting you of having set a trap.]
¡°If you¡¯re really suspicious, just remember that you¡¯re always in a position to attack me. If you even have a sliver of doubt about my actions, then you can just eliminate me from thepetition.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
Ciel furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment before she got up and followed me.
Ciel¡¯s height was up to my neck. I smiled as I looked down at her. It was a capitalist smile meant to relieve my opponent¡¯s vignce.
Of course, despite my efforts, she did not reciprocate. She simply covered her mouth and yawned, with a tired expression.
¡°Hurry up.¡±
Yes, of course.
I knew where the Fell Cards were in this forest. After walking for a while, I came to a rock shaped like a roon¡¯s head.
Here it is. I squatted down and picked up a slightlyrger rock thatid next to it.
Sure enough, a Fell Card was there.
¡°How¡?¡±
Ciel appeared surprised, as evident by the widening of her sleepy eyes.
But I didn¡¯t touch the card. This was due to the fact that the person who made physical contact with the card was considered to be in possession of the card.
That¡¯s right, physical contact. Fell Cards were treated as the possession of thest person who touched them, so even if you didn¡¯t kill the opponent, you could make them your own by simply stealing the card.
But I didn¡¯t have to think that far. Because once the cards are ¡®exchanged¡¯, it would end peacefully. My in-game knowledge made this all possible.
¡°You are from ss D, right? What kind of monstrous mana perception do you have¡?¡±
¡°Think of it as a trade secret.¡±
Ciel narrowed her eyes and stared at me suspiciously.
¡°I sensed your mana level when our magic shed earlier, and there¡¯s no way someone as weak as you could have this kind of mana perception. What¡¯s going on? If you don¡¯t tell me, there will be bloodshed.¡±
I quickly pushed the pillow in front of her.
¡°¡But it¡¯s a trade secret, so it can¡¯t be helped. Everyone has secrets they want to keep. So, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?¡±
I stood up and looked at Ciel. Finally, we could finally get down to business.
¡°I¡¯ll be your guide for the Fell Cards. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to finish this test quickly and have more time to nap? Of course, I¡¯ll even give you this pillow, but on two conditions.¡±
I thumped my chest.
¡°First and foremost, you must protect me. Second, you must collect all of the Fell Cards at once and then give me five of them. So I can pass the exam.¡±
Students would be targeted if they had a Fell Card in the end-of-semester evaluation, and the holding status was ryed in real-time, as well as the holder¡¯s location.
Moreover, there were 5 Fell Cards that I needed to collect.
In other words, if a weakling like me tried to collect Fell Cards quickly, I would only be targeted by students, and easily eliminated. If lost all the cards I collected, I wouldn¡¯t be able to unlock my bracelet, and have to attend the supplementary sses. As a result, I would be unable to prepare for The Thunderbird Subjugation.
¡°¡Is that all?¡±
I nodded.
Ciel showed me her slender right palm, and I gently pped my left palm against hers.
¡°Deal done. Pillow.¡±
Ciel said calmly, held out her hand, and I handed her the pillow.
She hugged the pillow, her cheeks flushed with pleasure. Soon, her expression melted like ice cream on a midsummer day.
????
With Ciel by my side, the search for Fell Cards was a breeze.
Ciel was always impressed whenever I found a Fell card. Although she didn¡¯t show it, I could tell through [Psychological Insight].
If any students came to bother us, Ciel dealt with them on her own. All I had to do was rx and act as a guide.
When we found the 5th Fell Card, mana grains popped out of her bracelet and formed a map. One of the gleaming grains pointed to a specific location, which served as the submission point.
For reference, there were a total of 10 submission points, and when we obtain the 5th Fell Card, one of these ces would be disyed at random. I took that into ount as I guided Ciel to a ce that wasn¡¯t too far off from it.
By the way.
¡®Why is Luce rampaging like this¡?¡¯
I don¡¯t know why. I wonder what else went wrong with this scenario.
¡In any case, I couldn¡¯t stop here. My first priority was to collect the Fell Cards as quickly as possible and pass this test. I relegated Luce¡¯s rampage to a lower priority.
¡°Who are you, really?¡±
Ciel inquired when we had found the 7th Fell Card. It was the time when we had entered the honeb building that held 2 Fell Cards.
It was arge central hall. The interior of the building, which once boasted luxurious facilities, was now rusted and worn with the passage of time.
Ciel walked alongside me, clutching the pillow I had given her.
With a voice as cold as frost, Ciel asked.
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Suspects that you are a strong person hiding your skills.]
It seemed that Ciel had thought about it a lot while walking around with me. Even though she said that I was weak at first.
¡°What is your true identity?¡±, ¡°You can¡¯t have such great mana perception with only a tiny bit of mana. Mana perception is directly rted to the absolute amount of maximum mana that one possesses.¡±
Isn¡¯t that too harsh? I¡¯m level 57, a level that canpete against the top ss C students.
¡Well, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable.
From Ciel¡¯s point of view, who was talented evenpared to ss B students, the expression that my mana was at the level of a speck of dust could be seen as a reasonable statement.
¡°It¡¯s impossible to hide one¡¯s mana. But it¡¯s also impossible for you to have this level of mana perception with your mana. How can such a contradiction exist?¡±
Ciel shot me a cold re.
¡°The only way for that to be possible is if you can hide your mana. There¡¯s no way you reached the level of an Archwizard at your age, and it¡¯s impossible to bribe the proctors because of the Pact.¡±
¡°There are two Fell Cards here.¡±
I gave out the information as a way of telling her to shut up and as expected, Ciel looked puzzled.
¡°It wasn¡¯t just one¡? As I thought¡ you can sense even that¡¡±
I shook my head.
When I first entered this building, I noticed the shape of the grass in the front yard. I washed my eyes and looked around, but there was no sign of anyone having walked on it, which meant that the two cards must still be there.
¡°¡Tsk.¡±
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Feels inferior to you.]
Ciel had no interest in those weaker than herself.
But now she was starting to harbor an inferiorityplex towards me. She even clicked her tongue.
¡I¡¯m a background character, aren¡¯t I?
¡°¡Let¡¯s hurry up and find the rest.¡±
¡°You¡¯re walking faster all of a sudden¡¡±
¡°You talk too much.¡±
Ciel disregarded my words. I kept my mouth shut and quietly followed her will, even if this was a transactional rtionship, I knew there was bound to be a certain amount of power involved.
It wasn¡¯t like she wasn¡¯t going to fulfill her obligations anyway.
We found the 2 Fell Cards in the building.
[1st ce (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +9] was engraved on the scoreboard. Even Kaya, who was in second ce right now, only had two cards¡
I know it was my own work, but that was some real good aggro.
¡°I¡¯m done now,¡± Ciel said after she found the ninth Fell Card.
The ce where I found the card was a spacious hall reminiscent of a wedding hall. The overall atmosphere was elegant and full of dignity.
The walls were adorned with a beautiful gold and white design, with green vines that dotted along the walls, and on those vines bloomed brilliantly colored flowers that resembled passionflowers.
It was a ce that hadn¡¯t been maintained, and the signs of age were evident, which gave it a distinct feel.
Ciel and I stood in front of the podium, while we faced each other. Anyone who saw us would think that we were having a simple wedding. Of course, I was currently dressed in a dusty school uniform that was far from wedding attire.
¡°There¡¯s one card left, right? This card is yours.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll find the other one on my own.¡±
Perhaps it was her wounded pride. Well, it was understandable when one considered the fact that the guy she deemed to be inferior to herself showed an incredible mana perception that was iparable to her own.
Of course, that was just Ciel¡¯s spection. I didn¡¯t mention anything about having found the Fell Cards using my mana perception.
I was in a position where I couldn¡¯te up with any other reason, so I didn¡¯t deny it.
¡°For now, take this.¡±
Ciel handed me a flimsy stack of cards.
The submission location was random. Even I didn¡¯t know where my submission location would appear, though I figured it would be best to get the Fell Cards here as soon as possible and go.
I received the stack of cards and counted them.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five. Perfect.
Outside the window, I could hear the collision of mana grains. [1st ce (White) Isaac Fell Card +5] appeared on the scoreboard engraved in the sky.
Mana grains also flowed from my bracelet, and formed a map which marked my submission location.
Luckily, it was the closest one to me. A distance I could reach in less than twenty minutes if I ran.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Ciel nodded, and her face turned serious as she hugged the pillow I¡¯d given her with both arms.
It must have been because she couldn¡¯t predict what kind of mayhem would unfold from now on.
Chapter 41: - End-of-Semester Evaluation (5)
? End-of-Semester Evaluation (5)?
The two daughters of the Astrean family took different paths.
The eldest daughter followed in her father¡¯s footsteps ¨C the Sword Saint, Gerald Astrean ¨C and became a knight.
On the other hand, the second daughter admired her mother ¨C a genius wizard, Historia Astrean ¨C and chose the path of a wizard.
However, even though their paths diverged, Gerald Astrean¡¯s irond rule remained the same.
¡®Be the best wherever you are¡¯. It would be strange if they weren¡¯t the best, he reasoned. They had both inherited the talents of a swordsman and a wizard.
As a result, the sisters were admitted into M?rchen Academy, the most prestigious academy on the continent.
The eldest daughter had firmly held her top position in the Knight Department, and she had even passed the Imperial Knights entrance exam.
The second daughter entered the Magic Department as the second seat of the first-years.
She wasn¡¯t the top seat. She wasn¡¯t the best.
But she knew she had the talent, so she nodded her head and said, ¡®I¡¯ll just have to work hard,¡¯ and devoted herself to magic training and study. She believed that the fruits of her blood, sweat, and tears would surely make her the top seat.
And so, she tried hard.
But no matter how hard she tried, the gap with the top seat showed no signs of being closed.
In a flower garden full of blue roses, Luce and Kaya stared at the scoreboard for a while.
It was a situation where the existence they both cherished had overtaken the top students and achieved first ce.
Kaya¡¯s eyes lit up as she eximed, ¡®As expected of Sir Isaac!¡¯ while Luce¡¯s mouth dropped open.
Isaac, he got 5 Fell Cards and took first ce at once.
Ciel Carnedas, she dropped to second ce after she had lost 5 Fell Cards.
That didn¡¯t mean she was eliminated, however. If she had been eliminated, her name would have disappeared from the leaderboard.
The implications were clear. Isaac and Ciel Cardenas had worked together.
Luce judged with a smile that was as faint as the moonlight in the middle of the night. She whispered softly, ¡°Isaac, you had a n.¡±
The two lowered their heads with a sense of satisfaction.
But they had to return to reality. They had to fight the enemy in front of them.
¡°Whew.¡±
Thanks to Isaac, Kaya¡¯s spirit was lifted. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and coldly red at Luce.
From now on, Kaya decided to only think about herself.
Although she was momentarily excited about Isaac¡¯s situation, she couldn¡¯t get too worked up in front of such a formidable foe, as it would only exacerbate the difficulty of the fight.
She calmly adjusted her posture to an appropriate level.
¡°Luce Eltania, I¡¯ve always wanted to fight you someday.¡±
2nd ce. Ever since she came to M?rchen Academy, Kaya had never left her position as the second seat.
She wanted to catch up with the top seat. The gap between them ate away at Kaya¡¯s self-esteem like a rat in a cupboard, which only served to fuel her inferiorityplex.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t get any closer to her, only further away. She felt as if she were swimming in an endless sea.
Kaya lowered her eyes and spoke with deep sincerity, ¡°From the very beginning, I was determined to surpass you, the top seat, as the second seat.¡±
Others praised her for being the second seat, but the only thing that caught Kaya¡¯s gaze was the back of Luce¡¯s head.
¡°I will surpass you. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been working so hard. So, this fight is for me¡!¡±
¡°¡¡?¡±
Kaya¡¯s resolute voice dissipated powerlessly the moment she saw Luce¡¯s confused expression at her words.
Luce calmly tilted her head, as if she had heard her voice for the very first time.
An ominous thought shed through Kaya¡¯s mind.
Luce¡¯s following indifferent response, which seemed to indicate that she wasn¡¯t interested, had swallowed Kaya whole.
¡°I didn¡¯t know you were the second seat¡¡±
The top seat, Luce Eltania, was an existence Kaya Astrean, the second seat, wanted to catch up with. The existence that had always stood firm in front of her, and guarded her ce.
Kaya had been running diligently, while keeping the back of the top seat in her sight.
For Luce, the top seat, the second seat or whatever was of little interest.
Even during the mana evaluation, she didn¡¯t listen to Professor Fernando¡¯s announcement of mana capacity rankings. She had never even nced at the report cards posted in Orphin Hall.
She knew she would be the strongest and get the highest grades anyway. It didn¡¯t matter one bit.
Even now, all Luce wanted to do was defeat Kaya and go see Isaac.
Kaya gripped her wand tightly and channeled her mana, her mouth tightly clenched.
????
The blue rose garden was drenched as if a sudden shower had poured down.
The majestic glow of the setting sun seemed to have faded. Her throat was parched as she quietly sat in the flower bed and admired the view.
Her dark green hair and uniform, both thoroughly soaked, refused to dry.
In reality, only a short amount of time had passed. However, for Kaya, who was sitting by the blue rose garden, it felt like an eternity.
She lost.
Kaya¡¯s wind magic was far too weak to push away Luce¡¯s heavy water magic.
After exchanging several blows, Luce left indifferently. She believed Kaya was unable to fight and walked away as if she had just stepped on a bug.
Kaya couldn¡¯t even stand up as her legs gave out. She could only nkly stare at the distant sky.
It seemed that she had narrowly avoided elimination. If she had been eliminated, a signal would have appeared on her bracelet, and an exam proctor would havee to escort her away by now.
¡°Euh¡¡±
It felt as if her ribs were broken. She felt a tingling sensation in her intestines, as if something had ruptured.
¡°¡Hik.¡±
Kaya wiped the edges of her eyes with her wet cor. She was d that Luce was a water element user.
????
I have to hurry up and pass the end-of-semester evaluation so that I can prepare for the Thunderbird Subjugation.
Ciel and I made our way to the submission location where I needed to go.
Ciel walked at a jaunty pace while she cradled the pillow I had given her with both arms. I would have preferred to run, but running was like rat poison to her, so I had to be grateful for her quick steps.
Maybe it was because I was now ranked first, but the number of students who attacked me had increasedpared to before.
All of them were easily knocked out with one shot of Ciel¡¯s magic, however¡
¡°Clearly, since the ss D kid took first ce, there will be many envious people who can¡¯t stand that thought, hurriedly rushing in without knowing any better.¡±
All of them were dangerous opponents to me, but in front of Ciel, they were just another punching bag.
¡°¡ Stop.¡±
¡¸me Pir (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwaaaaarr¡ª¡ª!!
Suddenly, a pir of me menacingly rose in front of us. I would have been charred ck if Ciel hadn¡¯t reached out her arm to stop me.
The [Pir of Fire] quickly disintegrated into powder, which scattered into red light and disappeared. It seemed to be a spell to stop us in our tracks, rather than to harm us.
Ciel¡¯s eyes followed the source of the spell. I also turned my head in the direction of Ciel¡¯s gaze.
It was a time when the sky was slowly taking on a vivid sunset color. On the roof of a nearby tall abandoned building, a female student was perilously perched on the railing with her eyes peering in our direction.
Her short pink hair that fell slightly below her shoulders was fluttering in the wind. Under her school uniform skirt was the fair skin of her smooth, long legs, revealing delicate curves.
In front of her outstretched right hand, was a bright red magic circle, ready to shoot magic at any moment.
She was Keridna Whiterk, one of the top honor students of ss A.
[Keridna Whiterk] Lv: 90
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Wind
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Hoping to kill your spirit by denouncing you.]
Keridna Whiterk had a very high [Elemental Efficiency], and the higher the [Elemental Efficiency], the less mana it took to cast a single spell.
It also increased the range of magic and the sess rate of joint attacks. None of the Magic Department¡¯s first-years could contend with her in terms of [Elemental Efficiency].
As a result, Keridna was one of the most feared opponents in battle, as she could create more variables than anyone else among the first-year students.
Keridna had a menacing smile on her face. It was like a viin saying, ¡®You¡¯re done now,¡¯ and with a wicked smile on her face, she began to speak.
¡°©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡±
¡But it was inaudible.
It sounded like she was shouting at the top of her lungs, but it kept getting drowned out by the evening wind.
¡°Can you hear what she is saying?¡±
I asked Ciel and she shook her head.
¡°©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡±
Keridna passionately shouted something as she made shy gestures, like she was performing in a y.
I suppose it would be polite to respond, but no matter how hard I strained my ears, I couldn¡¯t understand what she had actually said.
I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to pointlessly waste my time.
As I thought that, Ciel and I turned our heads and started to walk away. Keridna Whiterk began to shout frantically with a bewildered look on her face. I, of course, had a hard time hearing what she was talking about.
And at that moment¡
¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
¡°¡¡!!¡±
¡A menacing whirlwind raged overhead.
After I had sensed it, I quickly stepped forward and threw my body to the side, embracing Ciel.
Whooooosh©¤©¤!!
As the whirlwind struck the ground, a fierce wind spread in all directions.
I rolled on the floor as I hugged the small-sized Ciel.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
Ciel red at me with her half-open eyes, hugging her pillow tightly.
¡°¡Move.¡±
She replied sharply, as if annoyed, but her expression remained unchanged. She acted as if she were unaffected by the earlier attack.
I helped Ciel to her feet, and we stood up together. Then, a vain blond aristocrat caught my eye. He gazed down at us from the roof of a nearby shed, a smug smile on his face.
[Tristan Humphrey] Lv: 77
Race: Human
Elements: Wind
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Wants to humiliate and eliminate you.]
¡°Ha! So that¡¯s how it is for a Grade-Emoner! Were you begging a ss-A student? You can¡¯t live without leeching off others! How ridiculous!¡±
Tristan Humphreyughed loudly, ¡®Hahahaha!¡¯, then coughed to clear his throat.
However, I had no time to worry about him. I quickly tried to move forward with Ciel.
Soon after, the earth shook, and another bolt of magic mmed into me and Ciel.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
A solid rock wall powerfully erupted from the ground to entrap Ciel and I. The rock walls reached high into the sky. It was a thick wall that exuded powerful mana.
¡°Ciel.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
I interlocked my fingers and began to condense ice mana through the gap in between my hands and at the same time, Ciel materialized three blue magic circles towards the rock wall.
©¤©¤¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹ ©¤©¤¡¸Hydro Cannon (Water Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤!
Boom, boom, boom, boom©¤©¤©¤!
My [Frost Explosion] caused a crack in the rock wall while Ciel¡¯s magic circle shot out water with the power of a cannonball.
Kwadadadadang©¤©¤!
The [Rock Wall] copsed. Shards of rock and ice scattered into the air and at the same time, a wind of moistureden dust blew in, and in it, Ciel and I assumed our battle stances.
Eventually, the dust settled.
Thendscape reflected in my eyes was a bleak situation.
Not only Tristan, but a group of about a dozen students, who I assumed to be Tristan¡¯s subordinates, surrounded us.
In addition to that, there were twin female students who came out of nowhere, a long-haired male student who was giggling with a sinister aura, and even a magic prodigy with a tiny physique. All of them were top students in ss B.
Even Keridna Whiterk, a ss A student, who was muttering something on the roof, red at us like a predator would at its prey.
And then.
¡°I likebat.¡±
In the dust that slowly settled, a husky female voice came from the front.
The owner of that voice had a wooden bat studded with topaz-colored magic stones slung over one of her shoulders.
Ciel could handle Keridna Whiterk. However, if ¡®that woman¡¯ was added to the mix, our chances of winning would really disappear.
The dust hadpletely settled now.
The image of ¡®that woman¡¯, stood in our way. I could clearly see her in my field of vision.
¡°So I¡¯ve been waiting for this battlefield to ripen, and then I was nning to smash everything to pieces,¡± said the orange-haired pretty girl holding the wooden bat.
She wore a school uniform with tight-fitting pants that entuated her wide hips and legs. Her free hand was in her pocket, and her insolent attitude made her look like a delinquent.
Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her white shirt was unbuttoned, which revealed her smooth abs and the ck bra-like tank top she wore underneath.
¡®I wanted to finish it before it got to this point.¡¯
I bit my lip. The situation had shaped up to be the worst-case scenario.
In the original ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? scenario without Luce¡¯s rampage, if I had to choose the most dangerous person in the end-of-semester evaluation, it would undoubtedly be the orange-haired female student that stood in front of me.
She took her time during the first part of the exam, and leisurely enjoyed the meat and drinks she had prepared ahead of time. Then she joined the battle during the second half of the end-of-semester evaluation.
The difficulty level, which had already increased due to Ciel¡¯s intrusion in the mid-tote half, skyrocketed to an insane level. This was because that orange-haired woman had randomly eliminated students.
The reason was simple: ¡®Combat is fun¡¯.
¡°What¡¯s up with you? Isn¡¯t it getting really fun now?! Aah?!¡±
The orange-haired girl eximed as she let out a giggle. She was Lisetta Lionheart, a ss A delinquent.
She had established herself as the final barrier.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Lv: 94
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Wonders what your identity is.]
As a member of a renowned family of knights, House Lionheart, she had been educated with an emphasis on etiquette and dignity.
However, after she entered the academy, she broke free from her family¡¯s suffocating traditions and began to live life ording to her own personality, in short, she became a reckless girl.
Lisetta Lionheart.
Cold sweat trickled down my cheeks.
Keridna Whiterk and Lisetta Lionheart from ss A, as well as the top students of ss B such as Tristan Humprey and his around a dozen subordinates, and a slew of other ss B students, had all targeted us at the same time.
These people probably didn¡¯t even consider the possibility that their actions right now could lead to the end of the world.
¡°Even if you take us down, everyone here will be your enemy, so what¡¯s the point?¡±
¡°My desire. To destroy everyone and everything.¡±
¡°¡Come on, cut us some ck. This is so unfair.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t take orders from those weaker than me. If you want to make me submit, prove you¡¯re stronger than me, fool.¡±
I tried testing Lisetta Lionheart, not expecting anything, and her reaction was as predicted. Was she intentionally doing that?
¡°If you dominate me, I¡¯ll do whatever you ask of me. Whether that be stripping off my clothes and dancing on top of you, telling me to be your lover, or fulfilling your obscene fantasies at night. I¡¯ll do anything.¡±
The male students around her started to blush. Her provocative words and actions seemed to set their hearts aze, which stirred their manhood.
Lisetta¡¯s ideal type was clear-cut. A male peer who was stronger than her. If she met such a man, she was prepared to give her heart and body. In fact, it was as if she was talking about her true desire.
¡°In the first ce, Ciel Carnedas, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the type to team up with anyone?¡± Lisetta said, her golden eyes fixed on Ciel.
¡°What the hell is that man doing to help you?¡±
Ciel took a step in front of me, and hugged the pillow I¡¯d given her tightly. She extended her right arm towards Lisetta ¨C an orange magic circle materialized in front of her right hand.
¡°You are noisy. Fight me or shut up.¡±
Ciel¡¯s intention to fight silenced the air.
Lisetta smirked, and lowered the wooden bat slung over her shoulder. She tightly grasped the handle with both her hands.
It was no ordinary bat but a magic tool modified to increase the power of rock magic. Just like Kaya¡¯s wand, it was a weapon exclusively for Lisetta.
¡°Yes, that reaction! I like it, Ciel Carnedas!¡±
Lisetta shouted with a thirst to fight, her eyes widened to cover an evenrger area of her whites. She was like a diator who let her lust for battle spill out like a volcanic eruption.
Tristan Humphrey, his subordinates, and the top students of ss B also deployed magic circles and prepared themselves for battle. The same was true of Keridna Whiterk, who had aimed at us from the building¡¯s roof earlier.
There were only students stronger than me, but I couldn¡¯t stay still. I moved to stand next to Ciel, hoping to help even just a little bit.
But she held out her arm to stop me.
¡°Don¡¯t get in the way. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to help us at all, seeing how you used such crude magic to break the [Rock Wall] earlier.¡±
Crude magic¡?
If you had taken a hit from my [Frost Explosion], you wouldn¡¯t be saying that.
¡°¡To be honest, I¡¯m still not convinced. Are you acting weak in order to get out of this situation? Or are you some kind of freak with exceptional mana perception?¡±
Surprisingly, neither answer was correct.
It¡¯s true that I am weak, and my mana perception is at a terrible level, even worse than yours. Isaac¡¯s body is just originally like that.
¡°¡Whatever I do, it¡¯s my decision.¡±
Anyway, you¡¯re not trying to run away, but you¡¯re trying to protect me in ordance with our deal.
What good am I if I can¡¯t help you?
¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡±
¡°An idiot¡ what¡?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s try to write a three-line acrostic poem with¡¡±
I identally said that out loud, and quickly tried fixing my mistake.
Ciel red at me. Nheless, it was a relief that there was no time to attack me because the situation was desperate. Although it was a little irritating not to rhyme with ¡®Ba¡¯.1T/N: ??? ¨C Idiot, which is what she called him at first. So, they would use each character from that word ? ? ?, for the poem, where ? is ¡®Ba¡¯ here.
¡Either way, I have no choice but to fight. To protect myself from those who are aiming at me, and to survive, I must fight my way through them.
To be honest, I¡¯m terrified of failing. Even for Ciel, taking them down is too much, and I¡¯m still weak.
But with a deep breath, I gathered my emotions and shook off my fears. There was no point in being scared. I steeled myself, and remembered all the battles I¡¯d fought so far.
I took an old dagger from inside my school uniform and drew it from its scabbard. In my right hand I held the Sheath of Disaster, and in my left hand. I held a normal de.
It was no different from usual.
I would leap over obstacles and y the demons.
¡°¡¡?¡±
¡What the hell? I was determined to be brave, but somehow the atmosphere was strange.
Lisetta¡¯s face, which had been so fiery just a moment ago, was now filled with wariness.
Keridna, who watched us from the top of the building, was troubled.
Even Tristan, his men, and the ss B honor students were tense.
None of their gazes lingered on me or Ciel.
¡°Isaac¡?¡±
A voice as soft as moonlight came from behind me, and as soon as I heard it, I understood the whole situation.
Ciel and I turned around, and our gazes were drawn to a graceful female student who stood a decent distance from us. Her rose gold hair, as well as the morpho butterfly-colored braids that hung down the sides of her head, reflected the sunset light.
Her face, which usually gave me a gentle smile, was cast in a deep shadow due to the backlight.
¡°¡¡!¡±
The female student with rose-gold hair swallowed a gasp. Her eyes widened as if in shock.
I could feel her blue oceanic eyes scanning me in detail.
Only then did I realize that my outward appearance was in disarray. I must have appeared to havee here after tumbling around hard somewhere. It was all Ciel¡¯s fault.
The powerful mana flowing from Luce seemed to weigh heavily on the air. The intense, murderous aura that emanated from her was enough to send chills down my spine.
¡°Who made you so¡?¡±
An icy-cold voice cut through the air.
Then, Ciel, who stood next to me, pointed in the direction of Lisetta with a brazen face. It was surprisingly audacious.
Soon, Luce¡¯s cold and cynical gaze pierced through Ciel and drove a wedge into the enemies behind her. It was an unexpected turn of events, even for me.
Footnotes:- 1T/N: ??? ¨C Idiot, which is what she called him at first. So, they would use each character from that word ? ? ?, for the poem, where ? is ¡®Ba¡¯ here.
Chapter 42: - End-of-Semester Evaluation (6)
? End-of-Semester Evaluation (6)?
To Luce Eltania, others were like a hedgehog whose entire body was covered with sharp quills. If she got too close, the quills would prick and sting.
The Candy House Witch1The ¡®Witch in the Candy House¡¯ from ¡®Hansel and Gretel¡¯. Some may also refer to Candy House as Gingerbread House. was dead.
The one who had taken in Luce ¨C who had been abandoned by her parents and had nowhere else to go. Someone who meant so much to Luce had died right in front of her in a futile manner.
Candy House Witch, you sacrificed your life for the people you wanted to protect, and were recorded in history as the infamous Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath, a name still cursed by people to this very day.
History wasn¡¯t just a relic of the past. It was also a work of art that was molded by the hands of the people who lived in the present.
As such, the ending was too grueling for Luce to endure, and a deep sense of distrust washed over her. A deep-seated disgust and hatred for humans had taken root and sprouted.
It happened when she was only 10 years old.
Luce had forgotten everything she had seen that day, but she vividly remembered the pain of that time whenever someone spoke to her.
So, she lived like a mute, and avoided others.
Eventually, she developed a knack for hiding memories she didn¡¯t want to recall deep inside her mind.
However, the painful memories lingered like an echo, and anyone¡¯s approach still felt like a needle was piercing her heart.
And then, for the first time, she made a friend.
It was very unusual for Luce, who normally felt disgusted and hateful whenever someone spoke to her.
They ate alone together, they exchanged small talk and silly jokes, and even studied together. She taught him things he struggled with, helped him train, encouraged him, and¡
They hadn¡¯t even been friends for a month, yet the time she spent with him gave Luce a sense of fulfillment that couldn¡¯t bepared to any she had experienced prior.
He was the only person she didn¡¯t hate.
After she had witnessed the Candy House Witch¡¯s death at the age of ten, Luce had closed herself off from others. But to her, this friend felt like an incredibly precious existence, he felt like the sunrise that illuminated the darkness of dawn. And unlike everyone else, this friend made her feel neither disgust nor hatred.
¡°¡¡±
Under the sky tinged with the color of sunset, Luce¡¯s eyes caught a glimpse of Isaac. A scorched school uniform that held traces of fire magic. In addition, he was covered with dust and dirt, it was as if he had rolled around somewhere.
Through the tears in his uniform, blood stains were visible. She wondered who was responsible for such injuries.
His rolled-up sleeve revealed therge bruises on his forearm. She was curious as to who had beaten him so severely.
Even a single droplet on the surface of a calm body of water could create circr ripples that spread out several times over; the appearance of Isaac, on the other hand, was like dropping a boulder into calm waters. This caused a turbulent flow within Luce¡¯s heart.
¡°¡Luce?¡±
It¡¯s a pleasant sound. That¡¯s why it hurts me so much when you call my name.
Right now, she knew that this situation was part of an exam. It was only natural to get hurt. Luce understood that in her head.
However, no matter how much she believed that, if Isaac was being targeted by dozens of enemies, and they were all trying to hurt him¡
Luce felt overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness as her anger soared and became unbearable.
Puahhhhh©¤©¤©¤!!
In an instant, her water mana converted into the water element and scattered a clear blue light that swirled overhead. It was grand enough to epass the whole area.
Her mana control was so excellent that not even a single droplet of water sshed around her. This meant that she could use even a single droplet of water to attack.
At the same time, five blue magic circles about 2m in diameter materialized around her ¨C each with a 5-star rating or higher. They were all ready to activate, so she could unleash their spells all at once.
The enemies that had targeted Isaac and Ciel all swallowed their saliva and became wary of Luce.
They were in no position to act hastily. Everyone here was within the range of Luce¡¯s magic. She was in a position where she could eliminate anyone at any time.
¡°R-run away¡! We will never win against the top seat¡!¡±
¡°If you run away, I will kill you.¡±
Tristan hurriedly ordered his men to flee, but Lisetta¡¯s murderous voice cut him off.
¡°I can¡¯t stand it when a coward tries to flee before even fighting. Shouldn¡¯t you at least cut something if you¡¯ve drawn your sword?¡±
Tristan and his men stared at Lisetta with terrified faces.
¡°Besides, if I steal the Fell Cards, you¡¯ll all be my enemies! Wouldn¡¯t it be more fun for me if there were more of you to fight against, huh?!¡±
Something was off about Lisetta. At least Tristan thought so.
Lisetta red at the top seat with a smirk. From the start, she had no intention of passing this test quickly. She was just excited about the prospect of how many enemies she could fight if she got the Fell Cards in such a chaotic situation.
In such a chaotic situation¡ for someone who loved intense battles like her, there was no way she could not be excited.
Her entire body shuddered. The always stoic top seat was enraged. She couldn¡¯t believe she was getting nervous!
Lisetta giggled and gripped the bat tightly with both hands. Soon, a light brown magic circle materialized in front of her.
¡°¡¡±
The person who sat on the roof, Keridna Whiterk, also had no intention of running away. She was simply annoyed with the top seat.
Ever since she joined ss A, Keridna had been kind to her ss A ssmates. It was clear that they were different from the rest of the students, and she intended to use them as potential connections to solidify her social foundation.
However, Luce had never even acknowledged Keridna¡¯s greetings.
Luce Eltania always had her brow furrowed and looked at Keridna as if she were looking at garbage. Luce never said anything to her, she only expressed her displeasure.
She couldn¡¯t argue with the top seat, but now she had the opportunity to unleash her rage on that arrogant face.
Although her mind was confused for a moment by the top seat¡¯s sudden appearance, she wasposed now.
Keridna broke out into a cold sweat and with a forced smile, she unleashed her light red magic circle.
¡°¡Isaac.¡±
Luce turned her gaze towards Isaac. A gentle smile hung over her face, it was a gentle smile that didn¡¯t match the eerie swirls and magic circles that formed overhead in the slightest.
¡°Go quickly.¡±
So that Isaac could pass the exam and be safe¡
¡Luce was going to help him escape.
¡°Thank you, Luce.¡±
After he judged the situation, Isaac simply nodded his head and began running in the direction of Lisetta.
¡°That Grade Emoner!¡±
Soon after Tristan had shouted, a light green whirlwind was sent towards Isaac.
The moment Luce tried to protect Isaac with a water barrier [Water Wall].
¡¸Firestorm (Fire Element, ¡ï5)¡¹ + ¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
= ¡¸Fire Dragon (Fire+Wind Element)¡¹
Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!
The raging whirlwind turned away from Isaac and began to soar through the air like an oriental dragon while wrapped in mes. Keridna¡¯s [Firestorm] was directed at Tristan¡¯s [Whirlwind], which resulted in a synergized attack.
It wasn¡¯t a predetermined n, but Keridna had anticipated what Tristan would do and used her fire magic to synergize with it. Obviously, it was not an easy feat to aplish.
Keridna waved the wand she held like a baton. The whirlwind that was spiraled in mes roamed the skies at hermand. At each passing moment, the mes became even more magnificent as it ate away at Keridna¡¯s mana.
Then, Lisetta shouted.
¡°Gahhhhhh!!!¡±
¡¸Rock Avnche (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Ddddddddddddd©¤©¤©¤!!
Kuuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤!!
Lisetta swung her bat sideways at the magic circle, triggering the magic and causing boulders of topaz to ferociously ze through the air.
The magical blunt weapon, ¡®Rock Bat¡¯. The bat, which increased the power of rock magic, increased the power of [Rock Avnche] dramatically. It was a weapon that made the use of mana more difficult, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for Lisetta, who had practiced with Rock Bat for many years.
The magic boulder, densely packed with rock mana, headed straight towards Isaac.
Isaac already held the dagger and the Sheath of Disaster with his index and middle fingers, while his remaining fingers were interlocked to condense ice mana. He was willing to use the Sheath of Disaster to unleash two consecutive [Frost Explosion]¡¯s in order to counter Lisetta¡¯s magic.
Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!
At that moment, Keridna swung her wand downwards, and as a result, the [Fire Dragon] that had grown to an impossiblyrge size plummeted towards Isaac, Luce, and Ciel. A long whirlwind with torrents of spiraled mes threatened to engulf them.
Tristan¡¯s men and the ss B top students alsounched counterattacks with various elemental spells.
¡¸Water Flow Barrier (Water Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
Then, a clear blue shield of water formed around Issac like the blue sky. It was a shield that nullified Luce¡¯s water magic.
At the same time, a magnificent blue magic circle instantly materialized on the ground.
Afterwards, a humpback whale leaped out from the magic circle.
¡¸Flying Whale (Water Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
Kuwa-aaaaaaaaaa ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The giant whale devoured all of the enemy¡¯s magic. More urately, It was a terrifyingly fierce spectacle of condensed tidal current that took the form of a whale. It surged with overwhelming force.
If they were swept into the whale¡¯s body, they would be crushed by the intense water pressure and hurled around inside the whale¡¯s body at breakneck speed.
[Flying Whale] was triggered under Isaac¡¯s feet.
Thanks to [Water Flow Barrier], he was shielded from Luce¡¯s attack. It was a magic that negated the caster¡¯s own magic.
The water-made whale destroyed half of the building that came into contact with its body.
The wreckage of the building was swept away by the whale¡¯s torrent.
The building Tristan and his men took shelter in copsed. The water-made whale seemed to have swallowed them whole and even drowned out their screams.
Soon after, [Flying Whale] and [Fire Dragon] shed. However, the [Fire Dragon] was uselessly devoured by the whale¡¯s body, only to explode into a burst of hot steam.
Lisetta¡¯s [Rock Avnche] was swept away by the torrent and swirled around inside the whale¡¯s body. It was not much different from the fate of the half-destroyed buildings.
Truly overwhelming. In front of Luce, the first-year students¡¯ magic was meaningless.
¡°It¡¯s scary, really¡¡±
Isaac unleashed the spell for [Frost Explosion] in admiration and continued to run.
The moment [Flying Whale] turned into blue powder and dispersed, Isaac caught sight of Lisetta, who had deployed a magic circle aimed right at him.
¡°I won¡¯t miss!!¡±
With her bat raised, Lisetta smashed the magic circle.
¡¸Rockfall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Isaac noticed that a shadow had been cast all around him. When he lifted his head, he saw arge topaz-coloured rock menacingly fall from the sky. It appeared to be from a light brown magic circle that was carved into the sky above.
Ciel and Luce tried to block the attack by deploying a [Water Wall]¡
¡When suddenly, an unexpected gust of wind came crashing down onto the [Rockfall].
¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
A light green whirlwind of great power, iparable to that of Tristan¡¯s magic, sliced through the air.
It swallowed the [Rockfall] that was headed towards Isaac in an instant.
That [Whirlwind] boasted a high enough mana density to blow Lisetta¡¯s [Rockfall] away.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
An unnatural wind began to flow around the area. The wind gained momentum in a matter of seconds as it ferociously ruffled the hair and uniforms of the nearby students.
And then, a girl descended from the sky, her light green pigtails fluttering around.
Whoooooooooooo©¤©¤
Shended lightly on the ground, with wind at her feet.
Kaya Astrean stepped in between Isaac and Lisetta.
¡°Kaya¡?¡±
* * *
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 96
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to help you.]
The moment I saw Kaya¡¯s back, I couldn¡¯t help but stop in my tracks. It was because I could see her clutch her rib cage in pain.
¡°Hahahaha, even the second seat is participating! Who the hell is this extra that you bitches are making such a fuss over, ang?!!¡±
Lisetta excitedly shouted as she looked from the top seat to the second, and third.
Her voice, however, did not seem to have reached Kaya.
¡°Go ahead, Sir Isaac. I don¡¯t know what you have in mind this time, but¡ I will always be on your side no matter what.¡±
Kaya¡¯s low voice had a faint tremor, as if she had just been crying.
It bothered me, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about it. Time was running out. I thanked her and started to run towards the submission location once again.
And then.
¡°You¡?¡±
¡°Luce Eltania!¡±
Kaya furiously shouted at the top of her lungs. It was the rose-gold-haired top seat who reacted to her.
Kaya¡¯s gaze snapped towards Luce. An angry side profile caught my eye.
Luce had an apathetic expression on her face as she looked at Kaya. She appeared to have judged that because Kaya protected me, she was not an enemy.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Feels a strong inferiorityplex to Luce Eltania.]
If there was someone who could put Kaya in such a state, the only person who came to mind was Luce. She appeared to have narrowly avoided elimination, but her battle with Luce seemed to have stimted something deep inside of her.
Lisetta and Keridna were stunned, as this was the first time they had ever seen the diligent Kaya raise her voice.
¡°Kaya Astrean! My name is Kaya Astrean!! I am the one who has been chasing you to the brink of death, I¡¯ve always been right behind you!! But you!! You don¡¯t even remember me¡!¡±
Kaya¡¯s sincerity echoed throughout her tearful voice.
¡°I hate you!¡±
The hand holding her wand started to tremble.
The inferiorityplex she¡¯d been harboring towards the top seat had been building up and finally erupted. Kaya was clearly shaken by her fight with Luce.
That inferiorityplex of hers wouldn¡¯t get any better in the future. The gap between Luce and Kaya would widen over time. The only thing that awaited Kaya was a deep sense of self-doubt.
¡°I¡ I can¡¯t help but think that I can only receive this kind of treatment from you, and it makes me feel pathetic¡! That I¡¯m¡ I¡¯m¡ so¡ weak¡ in your eyes!¡±
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
I created a wall of ice around Kaya, so that the other students wouldn¡¯t see her cry.
By the time I regained my senses, my feet had already moved towards Kaya.
I pulled Kaya into a hug from behind and took out a wand from the magic pouch in my arms, softly cing it in her hand. A wand made of ¡®Armana¡¯, an 8-star colossal tree that guarded the Great Forest.
It was the only wand that synergized with nt mana, and it was Kaya¡¯s final weapon that would boost her abilities to new heights.
This is my gift, from me to you.
¡°I thought I told you before.¡±
Besides her tears, Kaya¡¯s tremors had ceased, as if time had stood still.
Over the course of my countless ythroughs of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I had grown attached to the characters.
Kaya Astrean, in particr, was one of the official heroines. It goes without saying that I had a lot of affection for her.
Maybe that was why¡ the sight of Kaya¡¯s tears made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn¡¯t help but reach out to her.
¡°Your true worth will be shown in the future.¡±
¡°Sir¡ Isaac¡?¡±
Kaya had previously mistaken me for a super strong person. She even admired me.
In reality, I was just a weak man, but my current false self held tremendous influence over Kaya.
I wanted to use that to give her the bestfort I could offer. I hoped she would be able to draw strength from it.
So I whispered in her ear in a calm voice.
¡°Don¡¯t forget. You¡¯re someone I recognize.¡±
With those words, I pulled away from Kaya, released the [Ice Wall], and started to run again.
The students looked back and forth between Kaya and I with confused expressions. They seemed to be curious about what kind of short conversation had taken ce inside the [Ice Wall].
It was Kaya who was the most flustered. Her tears had long since dried up, and her eyes were fixed on the Armana Wand I had given her.
Soon, Kaya¡¯s face was flushed red, and steam began to rise from her head.
¡I had momentarily forgotten that Kaya was weak to men.
¡°Running away again, you coward!!¡±
Lisetta¡¯s boulder tried to fly towards me once more.
¡¸Wind Sword (Wind Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Kaya¡¯s wind, now stronger than ever, shot out dozens of meters like a sharp sword, easily slicing through Lisetta¡¯s boulder.
Lisetta¡¯s pupils dted.
It was a boulder that had been imbued with the power of Rock Bat. The sight of such magic being easily destroyed by wind magic shocked Lisetta to her core.
¡°¡?¡±
Kaya herself appeared to be surprised, and rightfully so. The mere act of holding the Wand of Armana had greatly boosted her elemental magic andbat power.
With this, my debt to you is settled, Kaya.
I turned my back on the battlefield, where all kinds of elemental magic and screams rang out, and ran towards the submission location.
The time for the Thunderbird Subjugation was nearly upon us.
Footnotes:- 1The ¡®Witch in the Candy House¡¯ from ¡®Hansel and Gretel¡¯. Some may also refer to Candy House as Gingerbread House.
Chapter 43: - Thunderbird Subjugation (1)
? Thunderbird Subjugation (1)?
Isaac was a bit of a celebrity within the Magic Department. In a bad way, of course.
He was in ss D with Grade E mana. In the ss cement evaluation, he tookst ce with a score that would have been difficult to achieve even if he deliberately tried, and he was ranked at the bottom of the bottom among the first-years of the Magic Department.
He was, without a doubt, the weakest student of the Magic Department.
But now, things were different. If you stopped any student and asked them if Isaac was the weakest first-year, they would shake their heads.
During the duel evaluation, he used 5-star magic, albeit at a low level. Among the first-year students of the Magic Department, there were only a handful of students who could use 5-star magic. Isaac, who was thought to be the weakest, had done it.
It was an incredible growth rate.
Even so, it didn¡¯t prove that Isaac was special. If anything, Ian Fairytale, who was also evaluated as having Grade E mana during the mana evaluation, was special. His growth rate was much faster, and he even had a constitution that allowed him to use the light element.
In addition, some students were already at a level where they could use 5-star magic at a high level.
This naturally overshadowed the fruits of Isaac¡¯s hard work, as people¡¯s attention was drawn to those who were more impressive.
However¡
¡®That man¡ Not only was he involved with the top seat and senior Dorothy, but also the second and third seats¡?¡¯
Eva Heilov couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.
She was watching arge-scale battle while she secretly hid behind a tree in [Stealth] mode. From the looks of it, it seemed that Luce Eltania was very upset over Isaac¡¯s injury.
During the battle, even Kaya Astrean, the second seat, joined in and took Isaac¡¯s side.
And to Eva¡¯s surprise, even Ciel Cardenas, who had helped Isaac find his Fell Cards, was on Isaac¡¯s side.
¡®Isaac, who the hell are you¡?¡¯
Eva wondered in fear. The thought that all the strongest students of the Magic Department were favoring Isaac was terrifying. What kind of fearsome man was he?
¡°Kyaaak!¡±
Suddenly, Luce¡¯s water magic sliced through the trees around Eva. It was something that had been misfired in the middle of therge battle.
Eva trembled, covering her head with both hands, like when someone was caught in a crossfire between two sides.
* * *
¡°Isaac. Pass.¡±
The submission location was a small passageway whose entrance was adjacent to the barrier for the exam. I was greeted by a young female professor in charge of ss C who was on standby there.
I handed the 5 Fell Cards to the female professor as I caught my breath. She checked them all, nodded, and unlocked my bracelet.
When she inserted something that looked like a key into it, it clicked and unlocked.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to beat out all those ss A students and get first ce. Hoho, you must have had some tricks up your sleeve. You seem like a guy who¡¯s good at taking the easy way out.¡±
I had already anticipated that I would be doubted over how someone like me coulde in first ce, and I had already thought about it a lot. But the female professor¡¯s meek attitude still made me discouraged.
¡°If you walk out of here and go straight ahead, you¡¯ll see a carriage. If you ride it, you can go back to your dormitory. Great job.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
I lowered my head and bowed, then walked out of the passage.
My suffering doesn¡¯t end here.
I was barely at the starting line.
The sun was still shining in the sky. As soon as the setting sun disappeared over the horizon, the Thunderbird1The Thunderbird is a legendary creature, in particr, North American indigenous peoples¡¯ history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength. would be summoned.
Until then, I have to go around the outskirts, just outside the boundary of the end-of-semester evaluation. I headed towards the building called Carly Hall, which sat high on a hill.
I took off at full speed, using the calf muscles I had worked so hard on.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹
Just as the sun was setting, Vera the Summoner rode on her familiar and flew towards the exam location like a speeding bullet.
As soon as the demon appeared, she immediately stole Thunderbird Galia from Luce, which caused her to lose all of her mana and faint.
Afterwards, Vera stormed into the exam location to kill the main character, Ian Fairytale. Because of this, the academy was forced to dere a state of emergency.
Subsequently, the old M?rchen Academy was surrounded by the barrier of the mighty Thunderbird. As a result, the academy¡¯s administration was unable to help. Anyone who approached would be electrocuted by the high-voltage current, and it would be difficult to break through the barrier.
Meanwhile, Vera the Summoner decided to go to ¡®Carly Hall¡¯ with Thunderbird Galia and Luce in order to observe the situation.
The inside of the Thunderbird¡¯s barrier was infested with the Thunderbird¡¯s minions called ¡®Lightning Harpies¡¯. These mobs would give exp when you defeated them.
Luce¡¯s unconscious body was protected by the Thunderbird¡¯s lightning shield, which made her the safest person in the Thunderbird Subjugation.
Confused by the unexpected disaster, the exam proctors, professors, and the students with strength remaining tried to locate the rest of the students, and carry out a rescue operation.
This process was carried out quickly and without any casualties. The bracelets worn on the students¡¯ wrists made it easy to locate them, and the Lightning Harpies were no match for the exam proctors and professors.
By the way, those who passed the test before the appearance of the Thunderbird were safe, since the Thunderbird¡¯s barrier was only set up to the entrance of the exam site. Even if you had stayed at the entrance, you wouldn¡¯t have to worry, since the professors would evacuate you to a safe ce immediately.
Ultimately.
The story of Act 3 Scene 4 was about the remaining students, professors, and exam proctors joining forces to defeat Vera and the Thunderbird. The leaders would inevitably be Ian and Dorothy, who are the only ones who could deliver an effective blow to the Thunderbird.
¡®So, what I need to do is¡¡¯
Go to Carly Hall in advance and hide, and wait for the optimal time to kill Vera the Summoner.
There were two important points in this mission.
First. That I shouldn¡¯t kill Vera the Summoner in advance.
The Thunderbird was consumed by destructive instincts due to the curse of the 8-star magic beast, Evil Dragon Orchis. Because of that, they couldn¡¯t control themselves, and Luce had to pour out her lightning mana every second to suppress the Thunderbird.
Vera¡¯s domination magic, on the other hand, could even consume the curse of the Evil Dragon to gainplete control. As a result, if Vera was defeated, the Thunderbird would return to normal. It was also important to note that Luce regained her original powers, which was crucial for future scenarios.
Second, Vera must be alone. Just as the Thunderbird Subjugation party was ying the Lightning Harpies and about to reach Carly Hall, the Thunderbird stops them. This meant Vera would be by herself.
¡®That¡¯s when Ie into y.¡¯
This was n A, the most likely way for our SSS-ss Master Fainter Protagonist to not die.
There was no need to worry about anyone dying in the process of defeating the Lightning Harpies as long as Dorothy was there. The problem was Thunderbird Galia.
As the subjugation party dealt with the Thunderbird, it would unleash the 7-star lightning spell [Thunderstorm Annihtion] when its HP dropped to 20%. It was a spell that poured out massive amounts of lightning, insta-killing anyone who wasn¡¯t Dorothy.
In order to stop [Thunderstorm Annihtion], all the purple magic stones on the Thunderbird¡¯s body must be struck by a single light elemental sword, which was easier said than done. That was why I have repeatedly stated that the Thunderbird Subjugation was extremely difficult.
In other words, there was no way the protagonist would be able to stop [Thunderstorm Annihtion].
Therefore, it would be safer for me to participate in the Thunderbird Subjugation battle, even at the risk of my identity being revealed.
n A, which was to quickly take down Vera the Summoner before Galia¡¯s HP dropped to 20% was the safest way. Both for preventing bad endings and for the future.
As a secondary note, defeating familiars wouldn¡¯t give experience points.
However, if I killed Vera, the subjugation party that fought against Thunderbird Galia would be treated as if they had fought Vera and would receive cooperative experience points.
Ian, in particr, must be as powerful as he needs to be to progress the story. Let¡¯s hope he gains good party exp.
¡°Gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp¡!¡±
My breathing became heavy, but I couldn¡¯t stop. Because the sky was slowly darkening.
* * *
The oue of the End-of-Semester Evaluation battle was obvious from the start. With the top, second, and third seats of the Magic Department on the same team, no one at the exam site stood a chance against them.
When the dust settled, only Luce, Kaya, and Ciel were left standing amidst the fierce battlefield. Their enemies had all been knocked out, left sprawled on the ground as the exam proctors gradually gathered them with stretchers.
¡°Sir Isaac¡¡±
The wand in Kaya¡¯s hand was the one Isaac had given her earlier. Its body, made of beautiful grayish-brown wood, was studded with magic stones that gave off a brilliant rust color.
The wand¡¯s mana sensitivity was far different from her usual wand. It felt as if clogged mana circuits had been unblocked, which allowed her to channel even more mana.
¡°Your share.¡±
Luce quietly approached Kaya and handed her two Fell Cards. Given that they had taken all the students¡¯ Fell Cards in therge-scale battle, they must have some leftovers.
As she received the cards, Kaya¡¯s mind was filled with a slew of emotions. The anguish and humiliation she¡¯d felt earlier when she realized she was nothing to Luce, as well as the thrill and relief she¡¯d felt when she heard Isaac¡¯s whispers, were all entangled in aplex web of thoughts.
But Kaya shook her head and pushed aside all these musings.
She had lost, and Luce had won, it was as simple as that. Whether the winner remembered the loser or not was up to her own discretion.
Moreover, she was someone who was acknowledged by Sir Isaac. There was no reason for her to feel down.
¡°Thank you, Luce Eltania.¡±
Kaya shed a gentle smile and took the cards from Luce.
Luce narrowed her eyes.
She imed she was the second seat. Even when she ran into the spell in the blue rose garden, and when she first appeared here, she had an expression full of anger, but now she looked strangely rxed.
What did she and Isaac talk about in that brief moment inside of the [Ice Wall] that caused her attitude to change so suddenly?
Luce¡¯s eyes turned to Kaya¡¯s hand.
Kaya¡¯s wand had changed, she had noticed it a while ago. It had to be a gift from Isaac.
¡®Was she also Isaac¡¯s friend¡?¡¯
At that moment, Luce realized something she had overlooked.
For her, Isaac was her first friend. But she couldn¡¯t have been Isaac¡¯s first friend. He must have built up countless human rtionships.
It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the girl with the light green twin tails in front of her was one of them.
¡°¡¡±
She felt her heart ache. It was a fact that subtly irritated her.
She was already dissatisfied with the amount of time she spent with Isaac, and if he had many friends as well¡. wouldn¡¯t the already insufficient amount of time be even more scarce?
As Luce came to such a conclusion, she began to feel a deep repulsion towards Kaya.
She knew it was her own selfishness and childish thinking, but she wanted to monopolize Isaac¡¯s time. He was her only friend. And being with him was really enjoyable.
¡°Tsk.¡±
Luce clicked her tongue as she handed Kaya the cards, then quickly turned around and left the scene.
As Luce walked away, Kaya stared nkly at her back.
¡®Did she just get annoyed? Why?¡¯
She honestly couldn¡¯t figure out what the top seat was thinking.
©¤©¤It was then that the demon appeared with her back to the setting sun.
[Good morning, everyone!!!]
The gazes of the students and the test proctors immediately turned to the three-meter tall woman.
The gray-skinned demon, Vera the Summoner. A creepy smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
* * *
My whole body was drenched in sweat. The school uniform I was wearing felt heavy.
However, I was able to run at full speed for quite a long time, perhaps thanks to the development of my stamina.
Throughout the run, I kept an eye on the scoreboard in the sky. It was difficult to make an urate judgment, but it seemed that about thirteen people had passed the exam. This was all while the first, second, and third seats were in the midst of a fierce battle.
My destination, Carly Hall, was located at the top of a high hill.
The red pce-like exterior still exuded a beautiful grandeur, along with the traces of the passage of time. Along with Bartos Hall, it was a building that symbolized M?rchen Academy.
A hill covered with colorful flowers appeared before my eyes. Without resting, I ran up the hill.
But as I reached the middle of the hill while running.
Kuooooohhh©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Kuwaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°¡!¡±
A deafening screech rang out. I stopped in my tracks and immediately turned my head back.
The setting sun was disappearing beyond the horizon as twilight slowly crept down.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kiaaaaaaahhhh©¤©¤©¤!!!!!]
Krrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
ng-ng-ng©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The loud cry of a bird of prey. The screech of the Thunderbird rang throughout heaven and earth, and thunder rose from all directions.
Dozens of purple lightning bolts streaked across the sky, each carving its own shape into the ultramarine blue sky.
In an instant, dark clouds covered the sky.
From a location where you could capture the panoramic view of the old M?rchen Academy with a single nce, a ck Thunderbird entwined with purple lightning and darkness mana soared into the sky.
A massive creature appeared, and despite the distance between us, it felt as if it was right in front of me.
It was the 8-star magic beast that could destroy a country, ¡®Thunderbird ¨C Galia¡¯.
[Thunderbird ¨C Galia] Lv: 175
Race: (Demon)
Elements: Lightning
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Hoping someone will stop him.] Footnotes:- 1The Thunderbird is a legendary creature, in particr, North American indigenous peoples¡¯ history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength.
Chapter 44: - Thunderbird Subjugation (2)
? Thunderbird Subjugation (2)?
Thunderbird Galia shed a red re from its eyes while wrapping purple lighting mana around its massive wings.
It was trying to cast a barrier. There was no doubt that the Thunderbird had exchanged spells with Dorothy just moments ago. Dorothy must have strategically retreated with the students.
In an instant, a thunderstorm condensed around Galia.
Then, when therge amount of lightning mana had gathered, it formed a dense mass that was incredibly small.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!]
Lightning mana erupted with the roar of the Thunderbird, and swept across the old M?rchen Academy grounds in the blink of an eye.
¡¸Thunder God¡¯s Barrier (Lightning Element, ¡ï7 )¡¹
Kaaaaaahhhhh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Pajijijijijijik©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Uwak!¡±
A violent gust of wind blew me away, which caused me to roll down the hill. For a brief moment, I felt a tingling sensation spread throughout my entire body.
Some buildings were smashed to pieces, and trees were uprooted and toppled.
Lightning strikes shed countless times. The lightning mana spread out by the Thunderbird had transformed into a wide barrier.
With a jolt, a powerful purple barrier was formed from arge amount of lightning mana. This generated arge amount of high-voltage currents.
[Thunder God¡¯s Barrier].
The stage was set for the final part of the first semester of the first year of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹.
Booom©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Booom©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Booom©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
At the same time, countless lightning bolts struck multiple ces across the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy, and the Thunderbird¡¯s minions, the ¡®Lightning Harpies¡¯, emerged from them.
A particrly intense lightning bolt struck the side of Carly Hall, and arge number of Lighting Harpies were concentrated there ¨C this was because Vera the Summoner had marked Carly Hall.
¡°Argh¡!¡±
How many times have I rolled today? Seriously.
I grumbled and quickly rose from the ground, resuming my run up the hill.
The [Thunder God¡¯s Barrier] was imprable. This was due to the effect of [Nest], a unique trait of Thunderbird Galia, which caused arge amount of lightning mana to form a dense and solid barrier.
If I had to estimate the level of the spell itself, I would say it was around level 190.
So even if all of the academy¡¯s staff, including Dorothy, fired spells at it all at once, it wouldn¡¯t produce any meaningful results. They woulde to realize thister when they tested their spells against the barrier together.
©¤©¤©¤[Kiaaaaaahhhh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
The entrance to the pce-like Carly Hall was shattered, and Lightning Harpies busted out. Lightning Harpies were winged humanoid creatures whose entire bodies wereposed of lightning mana.
[Lightning Harpy] Lv: 85
Race: (Demon)
Elements: Lightning
Danger: Medium
Psychology: [Wants to kill humans.]
I arrived at Carly Hall just in time.
¡®Thank you for opening the door, my sweet EXP!¡¯
[The demons have been recognized as enemies.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!] ¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwaaaaaaaaak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
My entire body became as light as a feather. My exhausted body went beyond being recovered and started to overflow with power. I felt as if I could shatter a building with a single punch. The flow of the mana within my mana circuit elerated and the quality of my mana fundamentally changed.
The unique trait [Hunter] had activated.
I ughtered the Lightning Harpies with a st of cold blue mes of unparalleled power as I continued briskly moving my feet.
After I entered Carly Hall, I found myself in a wide central corridor. A swarm of Lightning Harpies red at me in unison.
The top floor of this building was where Vera the Summoner would bring Luce.
Therefore, that was my destination as well.
Kiaaaaaaahhh!!!©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Yeah, mobs.¡±
I ran up the central stairs three steps at a time and burnt the Lightning Harpies with [Frostfire].
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 58!] [You have gained an additional 2 stat points!]
The Lightning Harpies were a good source of EXP. I¡¯m sorry Ian, but the Carly Hall free EXP is mine.1T/N: Originally the word was honey pot, which is used in a way to mean ¡®this is so easy¡¯ or ¡®this is so free¡¯.
¡°Phew¡¡±
I finally made it to the top floor, which was lined with statues of wizards and knights. Although they showed signs of aging, their designs were still magnificent.
At the end of a red-carpeted room stood a grand altar.
With its high ceilings, the view from the top floor of Carly Hall was magnificent, the scenery was evenparable to that of a breathtaking cathedral.
I wiped the beads of sweat that trickled down my forehead and cast a nce out the window.
The Thunderbird pped its wings in a spectacle of overwhelming power. It slowly made its way towards my location, apanied by Luce and Vera the Summoner.
They would soon destroy the top floor¡¯s roof ande in. Luckily enough, they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to look for the traces of the Lightning Harpies I killed.
I fought cautiously because I didn¡¯t want them to find any traces of magic outside Carly Hall.
¡°Eden.¡±
As light brown mana gathered in front of me, it took the form of Eden, my small golem familiar.
[Kyuuu!]
¡°Run away.¡±
[Kyuu¡?]
Vera the Summoner could steal her opponent¡¯s Familiar at will. However, I could avoid the disaster of Eden being taken away from me by getting rid of him ahead of time.
Eden tilted his head in confusion, perhaps wondering about my intentions. After I urged him to quickly leave Carly Hall, Eden nodded his head with a puzzled expression and trudged out.
This simple action ensured that Vera wouldn¡¯t be able to steal my Familiar, a fate that had befallen many because they were unaware of this tactic.
Now, I just had to hide ording to my n.
Tap, tap, tap©¤
Fortunately, I knew the perfect ce to hide. I started knocking on several ces behind the walls of the altar.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, once the Thunderbird Subjugation was over, one would be able to enter a secret location within Carly Hall. My n was to hide in that secret location.
The game depicted it as something that could be found when one knocked on a certain ce along the wall.
I must be close to it by now¡
Tap, tap, tap©¤
Thud, thud.
¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯
It sounded hollow on the inside. I checked the pattern on the wall and found the location of the handle.
I put my right hand near the handle and faintly channeled my mana through it.
Then, it slowly absorbed mana from my hand to the inside of the wall. It felt like being on the shore of a calmke.
And just like that, I was inside the wall.
The first thing I noticed inside the inner room were the luminescent stones that lined the walls, emitting a faint light.
My gaze was immediately drawn towards a cramped and run-down study. It was filled with bookshelves stacked high with books. It was a cramped, stuffy space.
At the far end of the room stood a miniature-sized desk with a dusty book on top of it.
It was nothing special, just a book with a setting from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. It contained hints rted to the Archwizards of each element. There was nothing worth reading. To begin with, I didn¡¯t even have enough time to look.
[A demon has been detected nearby.]
Huiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii©¤
[Demon Detection] had activated. Vera the Summoner was nearby.
I felt an intense aura from beyond the wall.
[Vera the Summoner] Lv: 125
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Lightning
Danger: High
Psychology: [Rejoicing at the thought of having obtained the strongest familiar.]
I put my ear against the wall to understand the situation.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Kwaaaaang©¤©¤!!
I heard the ceiling copse. The outer walls and ceiling had been shattered to amodate the Thunderbird¡¯s gigantic body.
By now, the Thunderbird Subjugation party should have been formed with Ian Fairytale, a light element wielder who could deliver a devastating blow to the Thunderbird and the strongest powerhouse of M?rchen Academy, Dorothy Heartnova, at its core.
For reference, the Thunderbird Subjugation party wasn¡¯t easy to create. The main reason for that was because the ¡®Let¡¯s wait for the academy¡¯s administration¡¯ camp and the ¡®Let¡¯s go on the offensive¡¯ camp were at odds with one another.
As a result, the first-year students stepped forward to fight, in a scene straight out of a shounen manga, and so the Thunderbird Subjugation team was formed. I remember feeling a rush of excitement as I watched that scene.
¡®If there¡¯s a variable, it¡¯s the honor students.¡¯
Originally, it was normal for the honor students to have passed the end-of-semester evaluation before the Thunderbird Subjugation took ce.
For example, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. After Kaya got her 3rd Fell Card, she managed to get a feel for mana perception, which allowed her to easily find the 2 other Fell Cards.
Since she passed her exam like that, she didn¡¯t y much of a role in the Thunderbird Subjugation. The same went for other ss A students and the ss B honor students.
But this time, it was different.
Due to Luce¡¯s rampage and me being the focus of a fierce battle, the ss A students and the top ranked honor students from ss B couldn¡¯t pass the exam before the Thunderbird appeared.
It was a fact that could be inferred by the scoreboard as one climbed up the hill.
As a result, it was highly likely that they were organised as a full-scale subjugation party. This was because the injured students joined the subjugation party after being healed by the shelter¡¯s healing wizards. However, it should be noted that only those who wanted to join the subjugation team actually participated.
At the very least, ss A¡¯s Kaya and Lisetta would participate unconditionally. Kaya had a sense of justice to protect people, and Lisetta had a courageous desire to fight against the Lightning Harpies and the Thunderbird.
¡®I guess you could say this is a favorable variable for me.¡¯
It was safe to say that the subjugation party¡¯s stability had slightly increased. The support from the helpers would be even stronger than in the original scenario.
The mission of the Thunderbird Subjugation party was simple. Defeat the Lightning Harpies and storm Carly Hall.
When the Thunderbird appeared, Dorothy focused on protecting people, while Ian focused on striking the Thunderbird with a sword attack enveloped with a light spell.
Lastly, go to Carly Hall and defeat Vera the Summoner. After that, the mission would be over.
They argued amongst themselves and said that the n was absurd. At that moment, Mateo eximed, ¡°There is no other way¡¡± and I witnessed the students¡¯ resolve grow as they said their lines one by one. This was also one of my favourite scenes.
Of course, only the main lines of the n were easy to understand, but the subjugation party still moved systematically after pre-determining their formation and route. They must have worked together to implement the strategy in a timely manner in order to minimize casualties.
¡®Dorothy is there too, so don¡¯t you dare recklessly charge in and faint, Ian.¡¯
I¡¯ll quickly get rid of the crazy bitch and put an end to this situation.
¡I should start preparing soon.
I took out the ¡®Magic Cloak of Disguise ¨C Berserker¡¯ from my magic bag and began to put it on. It was just in case I was ever in a situation where my identity could be revealed.
* * *
[Kyahoooooooooooooooo!!]
On the top floor of Carly Hall, beyond the wall where Isaac was hiding. Even though the sky was not visible due to the Thunderbird¡¯s barrier, it was a gloomy evening.
Vera the Summoner, a gray-skinned demon with a height of 3m, twirled around in circles with her arms outstretched to her sides. Despite the sloppiness of her dress, her movements were reminiscent of an actress on a stage.
[Ah, the best, the best, ah~. To have the best Familiar in my hands, I, Vera the Summoner, am very lucky. Ahhh, it¡¯s so cute, cute, cute!!!!!]
The ceiling and one of the outer walls were blown in half as the Thunderbird¡¯s huge body filled the top floor of Carly Hall.
Vera screamed with affection as she stroked Galia. Her eyes were bloodshot with bulging veins, her voice was raspy, and blood spurted from her mouth.
[Kyaaaahhhhh, so cute, so cute! My familiar is so cute, I¡¯m going crazy¡]
Afterwards, Vera the Summoner scratched her frizzy brown hair like a dog and hit the horn on her forehead.
She scratched and rubbed the Thunderbird¡¯s cheek with her nails and palms, which were covered with scraped skin and blood.
The darkness mana that coursed through Thunderbird Galia¡¯s body made it unable to resist Vera, and it merely shivered. Vera¡¯s absolute domination familiar-limited magic was so powerful that not even the powerful Thunderbird could resist.
[This ck bird belongs to me, Vera. My new son~. It¡¯s such a waste for someone like you ahhh~]
Vera the Summoner hummed her own impromptu song as she gazed up at Thunderbird Galia¡¯s original master floating above the altar.
A female student with rose gold hair was restrained in a standing position within a powerful lightning shield made of the Thunderbird¡¯s mana, she was like a stuffed doll.
She couldn¡¯t move. All of her mana was drained by the Thunderbird, and all her strength left her body.
She didn¡¯t even have the strength to open her eyes properly, and sheid limp like a corpse.
[It¡¯s a wasteeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!]
Vera the Summoner screamed with her fists clenched, then bared her sharp teeth and giggled.
[Heheheheheheheheheh!!! Oh no, the humans are on their way! They¡¯reing to save you! They¡¯reing to save you, to save you, to save you! But what can they do? My familiar, my ck bird, will kill all of your friends, keeeeekkkk!]
Within the lightning shield, no answer came out of Luce¡¯s mouth. She drifted along the far sides of consciousness and reality.
[Ah, here theye, here theye¡ª!!]
Vera the Summoner shouted as she looked out of the window.
The subjugation party was charging towards Carly Hall, while enveloped in a translucent protective shield made of colorful starlight ¨C it was a group of professors, proctors, and students in their school uniforms.
They had already begun climbing the hill that led to Carly Hall.
[They¡¯re here, they¡¯re here!! Even the Child of Light! They¡¯re already marching towards the underworld on their own!!]
Vera, who had beenughing manically while sttering blood, suddenly stopped and nced at Thunderbird Galia. There was a change in the atmosphere, as if she had a sudden change of heart.
Vera¡¯s waist bent grotesquely to the side, and then shemanded solemnly.
[Kill them all.]
Suddenly, the darkness mana that enveloped the Thunderbird surged even thicker.
The Thunderbird screamed in agony and shed his red eyes. He spread his massive wings and soared above the already copsed ceiling.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [©¤©¤©¤©¤Kiyaahhhhhhhhhhhh©¤©¤©¤!!!!!]
Booooom boom boom boom©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The lightning barrier responded to the Thunderbird¡¯s roar. With a single p of his wings, menacing purple thunderbolts struck in several directions.
The Thunderbird Subjugation party stopped in their tracks and gasped at the sight of its imposing presence. A murderous tension settled heavily in the air.
With a bolt of lightning, the Thunderbird arrived in front of the subjugation party.
The battle had begun.
[Hehehehehehe! Oh, everyone¡¯s going to die, they¡¯re going to die, die, die!]
Vera the Summonerughed with an excited voice, stretched her arms out to the sides, and began to spin around again.
[Oh, you foolish creatures, you¡¯ve made a stupid choice by trying to save that ugly woman! Kiyahhhhhhhhh!]
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaahhhhhhh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
While Vera the Summoner frantically screamed, she felt a sense of danger from behind and quickly threw her body to the side.
However, her left arm had already beenpletely blown off from a brief st of ice.
Her frozen arm brought her excruciating pain, causing her to let out a ear-piercing scream.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
At the same time, the [Ice Wall] draped over the shattered outer wall.
Vera instinctively felt danger and quickly bent her knees, then leapt over the broken outer wall with incredible speed.
Before the [Ice Wall] could be fully erected, she barelynded on top of the building.
[Owaaaahh¡!! What are youuu?!!]
The ice mass created by the [Frost Explosion] and the [Ice Wall] that failed to encapste Vera turned into light blue powder that scattered and disappeared.
A monster appeared in front of Vera¡¯s eyes as it stood before the altar. It had an unruly appearance with a navy blue hood tightly pulled over its head. The razor-sharp teeth that were tightly packed in its mouth were more menacing than those of any beast, and its skin was as pitch ck as ink.
Above the altar was a female student with rose gold hair, protected by a lightning shield. The monster turned its back on the altar and red at Vera the Summoner as if to protect the student.
¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
The ck monster was emitting a pale, chilly aura from its entire body.
Hisrge, round red eyes glowed with a murderous intent.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Gahahaahahahaha!!!]
The monster¡¯s roar shook Carly Hall.
Magic Cloak of Disguise ¨C Berserker. To others, it looked and sounded like that, regardless of the will of the one who wore it.
Heavy mana flowed like the wind and brushed against Vera¡¯s skin.
When Vera realised what was happening, she shut her loud mouth.
The mana she felt from it surpassed her very own.
[Hmm.]
Vera smiled. She had thought of something fun.
* * *
Chaeeeeeeng©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Kuwaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kiiiaaaaaahhhhh!!!]
A multicolored beam of starlight pierced through the Thunderbird¡¯s shoulder. The light exerted a gravitational force on the parts it touched, tearing off the flesh and pulling the bones, before exerting a repulsive force that crushed the Thunderbird¡¯s shoulder.
The power of starlight magic mercilessly tore apart its opponent with irregr physical force.
The Thunderbird let out a scream and unleashed a barrage of lightning. The purple magic circle carved in the sky rained down countless lightning strikes towards the subjugation party.
It was a wide-range attack that could cause fatal injuries with just a graze.
The Proctor, Dorothy Heartnova, hastily deployed a Starlight Shield to protect the subjugation party. As soon as the Thunderbirds¡¯s lightning bolt touched the shield, it was distorted and neutralized.
¡°Ah, that electric chicken!¡±
Dorothy was frustrated by her inability tounch a powerful attack at the Thunderbird. She could have used high-powered spells to her heart¡¯s content if there was no one in the barrier, but she now had to prioritize protection.
In the end, Dorothy had no choice but to quickly use Starlight Shield to protect the subjugation party.
The Thunderbird subjugation party was engaged in a fierce battle against Thunderbird Galia.
Their goal was to ¡°win while preserving everyone¡¯s lives¡±.
They were able to set such an absurd goal even with an 8-star magic beast as their enemy because there were two beings who could deal effective damage to the Thunderbird, and one of them could even create a powerful Starlight Shield.
However.
¡°When did he pass out again?! Someone wake him up!¡±
¡°Iann!!¡±
Amy Holloway, the healing wizard of the subjugation party, cried out in desperation.
Ian Fairytale, a key force capable of using light magic that could counter the Thunderbird.
At some point, he had passed out with his back leaning against a pile of rubble.
Footnotes:- 1T/N: Originally the word was honey pot, which is used in a way to mean ¡®this is so easy¡¯ or ¡®this is so free¡¯.
Chapter 45: - Thunderbird Subjugation (3)
? Thunderbird Subjugation (3) ?
¡¸Thunderbolt (Lightning Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kwagwang©¤©¤!!
I tried to chase after Vera the Summoner when suddenly, a lightning bolt struck right in front of me. It made me instinctively jump back.
[Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe.]
Vera looked at me with bloodshot eyes and let out an eerieugh. Despite the fact that she must have realized that she was much weaker than me.
This was because the true power of Vera the Summoner lied in her ability to control familiars.
Her strength or weakness wasn¡¯t determined by her own strength, but by the strength of the familiars she controlled.
Darkness mana rose like thick clouds, spreading out far and wide.
The darkness mana covered the sky like a dense fog, and countless familiars revealed themselves from within it.
Beyond the copsed ceiling.
An army of various animal-like famrs, their own elemental mana imbued with darkness mana, filled the sky.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyahahahahahahahahak©¤©¤!!!!]
An evilughter echoed throughout.
A colossal familiar,rge enough to even overwhelm the army, revealed itself within the massive pool of spherical darkness mana.
A muscr body covered in red armor. Its three pairs of wings were riddled with bizarre eyeballs, and its face which resembled that of a sea turtle bore a grotesque smile.
It was Hakil, a 7-star familiar that had be a demon.
[Hakil] Lv: 140
Race: Demon
Elements: Lightning
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to tear your limbs off.]
[Hehehehehehehehehehe!!! You cute little things, have youe to protect your mommy? Neeeee~]
Vera the Summoner climbed onto a winged pterodactyl familiar, infused with darkness mana and light green wind, and flew upwards.
She asked questions and answered them herself as she posed with exaggerated gestures, as if she was performing in a y.
The winged pterodactyl familiar pped its wings and spat out blood from its mouth with a squeaky sound.
[Splendid, splendid! Our lovely little ones! Let¡¯s subdue that bastard, chew on their entrails, and carefully separate their limbs! You got all that? Neeee~]
Upon Vera¡¯smand, the horde of familiars roared at me. It was a sorrowful roar, filled with grief.
The army of familiars, now deeply corrupted by darkness mana, had be magic beasts of darkness that could never revert back to their original state, even if Vera were to die. Their resentment spilled out through their cries.
Hakilughed wickedly and stretched his arms towards the sky. A huge purple magic circle trailed just out of reach of the Thunderbird¡¯s barrier.
At that moment, numerous magic circles of various shapes and colors dazzled in midair. They were only aimed at me with the sole purpose of taking me down. It would have been a breathtakingly beautiful sight if it wasn¡¯t a spell meant to kill me.
Kwaang©¤©¤!
The ground was ripped apart. With a single stomp, cracks appeared on the top floor of Carly Hall.
I channeled ice mana into my hands and took a battle stance.
Amidst therge-scale magic circles that covered my field of vision.
A lone light blue magic circle emitted light from within the half-destroyed building.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyahahahahahahahahaha©¤©¤!!!!]
Alongside Hakil¡¯s heartyughter.
The magic circles of the army of familiars simultaneously unleashed their spells.
Whirrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
Kwagagagagag©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Drrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ !!!!
Dozens of lightning bolts branched out. A storm of fire and ice rushed towards me, ice spears cut through the air, and rocks attempted to crush me.
The oing elemental spells rained down on me, with nowhere to hide from it.
Then, all those attacks suddenly stopped, as if time itself had frozen for a moment.
¡¸Frost Wave (Ice Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
Sweeeeeee©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
Chararararararak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
With a single powerful swing of my arm, the magic circle I created unleashed a fierce wave of cold in an instant.
The pale blue cold gale and thick snow swallowed all the elemental attacks and spread out in all directions, solidly freezing the army of familiars.
After they met their futile end, the familiars began to fall vertically.
Their bodies, frozen to the core, shattered helplessly into pieces as they hit the ground, the sound of ss shattering echoed.
[Ha-haaaaa¡?]
Vera, riding her pterodactyl familiar from far away, had a horrified expression on her face.
The 7-star familiar, Hakil, appeared to be unaffected by the [Frost Wave] I had cast from a distance. He seemed to have high elemental resistance.
I bent my knees and gave strength to my legs. Then, I kicked off the ground and leaped towards Hakil with all my might.
Kuuuuuuung©¤©¤©¤!!
My body fiercely cut through the air with the sound of a cannon firing.
For a brief moment, only the sound of my hood pping vigorously echoed through my ears.
In an instant, I reached Hakil and grabbed him by the nape of his neck.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyaaaaaack!!!!]
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Choooooooke!!!!]
Hakil¡¯s scream intersected with my Berserker¡¯s roar.
In order to shake me off, Hakil writhed his body, and engraved purple magic circles all around us.
His magic circles followed his left hand, he then aimed at me.
¡¸Thunderp (Lightning Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Fzzzzzzzz©¤©¤©¤!!
Kwakakakag©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
The magic circles aimed at me simultaneously fired spherical lightning bolts.
With a thunderous roar, dozens of purple currents branched out, which threatened to electrocute my body.
They tried to fry me with the extreme heat they generated.
Despite being struck by the powerful and destructive [Thunderp].
¡¸Ice Barrier (Ice Element, ¡ï2)¡¹
The basic elemental spell, [Ice Barrier], was enough to protect my body.
Ice created with an ice spell is unable to conduct electricity when struck by a lightning spell. Thus, one must solely rely on brute force to prate ice magic with lightning magic.
On top of that, I was wearing the ¡®Elemental Bracelet¡¯. To prepare for Act 3, Scene 4 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I had increased my lightning elemental resistance.
Furthermore, my basic elemental resistance for lightning was especially high. Not to mention, I was 18 levels higher than Hakil.
His attack felt like a slight static shock at most.
¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡± (Grrrrrrrooooo©¤!)
I channeled ice mana into my right hand and condensed it. Soon, a light blue magic circle materialized in front of me.
Hakil struggled violently, trying to shake me off, but the more he resisted, the tighter I clenched his throat with the intention to tear it out.
Just like that, I unleashed the condensed ice mana at him.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyaaaaaaack!!!!]
An explosion of ice erupted.
The explosion of mana shredded Hakil¡¯s insides, and the ice surged in an instant, freezing his battered body.
I dispersed the ice, and a massive amount of light blue powder scattered into the air.
Alhough Hakil¡¯s mangled body leaked purple blood, he still screamed and resisted.
Once more.
I condensed ice mana into my right hand again. The magic circle for [Frost Explosion] appeared before me.
I unleashed the mana towards Hakil.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyaaaaaaack©¤©¤©¤!!!!]
The light blue ice rampaged andpletely obliterated Hakil¡¯s body.
A huge ice formation extended from his body, and cut through the air. Hakil struggled to maintain his bnce and started falling straight down.
I dispersed the ice and fiercely threw my right fist towards him.
Boom©¤©¤©¤!!!
My fist, much smallerpared to Hakil, buried itself into his sea turtle-like head, and distorted his face.
The eerie sound of breaking armor and a skull being crushed was heard.
The air pressure spread out, and the sound of the punch resounded loudly. The light blue powder from the ice dissipated, and circr shock waves formed in the air.
By then, Hakil was already falling to the ground at a terrifying rate.
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤!!
Kwaaaaang©¤©¤©¤!!!
Hakil¡¯s massive body fell with a violent crash.
Plunged into the ground, he destroyed half of Carly Hall.
Dust swirled like a storm, but it couldn¡¯t hide Hakil¡¯s enormous body.
Heid there with half his head caved in, covered in blood. He could no longer muster the strength to futilely resist me.
[My children¡!! Aaaaaaaaa¡, Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!! My babies, my babiesaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!]
Vera cried out in anguish. She was heartbroken at the sight of her familiars dying so gruesomely. Her mental anguish stemmed from her possessiveness.
Now, there was nothing left to protect her.
As my body slowly fell under the influence of gravity.
I wrapped my hands in an icy me and imbued it with [ck Ice] before I directed it at Vera.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Winter Hellfire (Ice Element)¡¹
Haaaaaaaaaaaaak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The dark blue icy me spread out, and covered an arearge enough to engulf the entire academy grounds.
It dispersed on such arge scale that Vera couldn¡¯t avoid it.
Soon, between the gaps of the icy me, I saw Vera and her pterodactyl familiar fall to the ground while engulfed in mes.
I extinguished the me and let my body fall to the ground, surrendering myself to gravity.
Thud©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!
Inded on the top floor of Carly Hall, now barely recognizable as a building. In front of me, Vera and her pterodactyl familiar writhed on the ground like trampled earthworms.
Their entire bodies were frozen stiff due to the deep chill that prated their very bones. They trembled as if they were victims who wandered through a snowy mountain ravaged by a blizzard, and then copsed.
Vera the Summoner was vulnerable without her familiars.
[My babies, my babies¡ Ah, aaaaaaaah¡! Dead, deaaaaaaad, sob, deaaaaaad¡ Dead, dead¡]
Vera frantically wed at the ground and bitterly wept like a parent who had lost her child.
Now it was over. I approached Vera to finish her off.
©¤©¤At that moment.
A dense shield of lightning enveloped the demon.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!!]
¡°¡¡!!!¡±
The screech of a bird of prey.
My heart sank. I hurriedly deployed a thick[Ice Wall].
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸Chain Lightning (Lightning Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Fzzzzzzzzt©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaang©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
¡°Ugh!¡± (Gereuk!)
A sh of light.
Thick lightning struck me like a chain, it twisted and turned in order to ambush me.
The [Chain Lightning] destroyed the [Ice Wall] with sheer destructive power andpletely engulfed my body.
The intense current coursed through my entire body.
I lost consciousness for a moment as my insides burned with pain.
One second. That was how long it took for me to regain consciousness.
I smelled burnt flesh. It was my own. Smoke billowed like mist from my scorched skin.
¡°Ah, crazy.¡±
My hood and part of my mask had been burnt off by the lightning. As soon as I realized that my Berserker disguise had beenpromised, I took off the suffocating hood.
I should have been in unbearable pain, but thanks to the effect of [Hunter], my body had transcended humanity and I only felt as if I had entered a sauna.
Thanks to the [Ice Wall] that served as a barrier, it broke the momentum of the lightning.
¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I released a faint cold air to cool my body.
I caught a glimpse of the ck Thunderbird, Galia, draped in darkness mana and purple lightning mana, flying toward me.
Chararara, chararara©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Urrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Bang! Bang! Bang!©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!!
A cluster of colorful stars emitted light and protected the subjugation party from the dozens of lightning bolts that struck down from under the purple [Thunder God¡¯s Barrier]. The Thunderbird¡¯s lightning spell was meant to prevent Dorothy from finding the opportunity to perform such an attack.
In the distance, I could see the subjugation party being protected by a shining barrier. The Thunderbird¡¯s magic could attack the subjugation party from anywhere. Dorothy couldn¡¯t recklessly chase the Thunderbird.
Her best option was to protect the subjugation party with a barrier while she chased the Thunderbird down the hill.
But now, the Thunderbird was spreading its massive wings at me, blocking the sky.
[ Thunderbird-Galia ] Lv: 175
Race: Demon
Elements: Lightning
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [ I will kill you. Kill you. You. I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone else. ]
[Ahhhh, my cute¡ cute baby bird¡ Have youe to protect mommy¡?]
Vera twisted her neck grotesquely as she looked at Thunderbird Galia. The flesh of her throat was torn and blood oozed from it.
The Thunderbird¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t great either. Its body was battered and torn, and purple blood leaked from its entire body.
If I were to estimate its HP¡ around 20%? Its health was more depleted than I expected. It must be due to the excellent support from the honor students who joined the subjugation party, which helped Dorothy and Ian.
From Dorothy¡¯s perspective, it must have been more convenient to reduce the Thunderbird¡¯s HPpared to the original scenario.
I didn¡¯t know how well Ian performed, but I could see traces of light mana here and there. It seemed that he managed tond some attacks. Then, he must have passed out.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤[Kiaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!!]
The Thunderbird screeched at me, it opened its beak full of neatly arranged sharp teeth.
A giant purple magic circle was engraved around the Thunderbird. The moment I saw it, I sensed my impending doom.
An insta-kill pattern that was used once the Thunderbird was cornered, the 7-star lightning spell [Thunderstorm Annihtion]. The reason it was an instant-kill was purely due to its immense ¡®power.¡¯
To block that spell, one must use a light elemental sword attack to strike down all the purple magic stones that would protrude from the Thunderbird¡¯s body as soon as the magic circle manifested.
In other words¡ I couldn¡¯t stop that spell.
I could feel the high-density mana that Hakil couldn¡¯t even begin topare to.
It was the worst-case scenario. Truly, truly¡ the worst.
¡°¡¡.¡±
n B, n C, n D¡ All the ns I had prepared to counter various variables that would prevent a bad ending had been thrown out the window.
In my focus to ensure Ian would survive the Thunderbird¡¯s instant-kill pattern, I had failed to consider the possibility of the Thunderbird actuallying after me.
Failure. I failed.
An overwhelming amount of mana, unlike any demon I had ever faced before, weighed down on me.
The magic circle¡¯s majesty overwhelmed me.
©¤©¤©¤©¤Uuuuuu.
Despite the situation being seemingly hopeless, my fiercely pounding heart began to gradually calm down. Even as the Thunderbird screeched and its earthshaking thunder roared, I carefully assessed the situation despite [Thunderstorm Annihtion] trying to engulf me in terror.
Then I suddenly remembered a setting I had forgotten about.
The secondary effect of the passive [Ice Sovereign]. It was a setting that had nothing to do with the story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, so I had forgotten about it.
It was an effect that gave me a heart as cold as ice in the face of an utterly hopeless situation.
It was the [Frozen Soul] effect contained within [Ice Sovereign].
I tried not to be used to failure.
During the days when I studied in a 3-pyeong one-room apartment in Sillim-dong for 5 years, I piled upw books like a mountain in preparation for the bar exam.
What scared me the most was getting used to this lifestyle.
Even though I failed the bar exam every year, I tried not to get used to failure. I tried to think of that cramped space that confined me as just a temporary amodation.
So, while I studied under heavy pressure every day, I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as a reward for finishing my daily studies.
I tried to distract myself from the repeated failures and despair I faced each and every year.
They say that if a person wore a psychological mask, that mask would be their face.
Maybe the influence of those days yed a part in my ability to resist despair, even in the face of such a hopeless situation.
Well¡ it was a boring story.
¡¸Ice Sovereign (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹
¡°Cough¡!¡±
Blood regurgitated and poured out of my mouth. It was because I had unleashed the full power of [Ice Sovereign].
I felt as if every single cell in my body was being pricked by needles, but it was more than bearablepared to when [Hunter] was deactivated.
The saturation of my skin increased. My silver hair bristled, and a gentle pale blue cold air gently flowed from my body.
Instinctively, I judged that I could only endure for up to 10 seconds.
If it¡¯s 10 seconds¡
¡®It¡¯s not just enough, it¡¯s more than enough¡!¡¯
I judged that I had a chance of winning.
No, I wanted to believe in that sliver of hope. Otherwise, my feet wouldn¡¯t be able to move.
I kicked off the ground and leapt towards the Thunderbird like a spring. Eight light blue magic circles followed me from behind, and in front of the dark blue mana condensed in my right hand, the magic circle of [ck Ice Explosion] was engraved.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤[Kiaaaaaaaaa©¤!!]
In the blink of an eye.
My magic circle and the Thunderbird¡¯s emitted a brilliant light, unleashing their respective spells.
¡¸Thunderstorm Annihtion (Lightning Element, ¡ï7)¡¹ ¡¸Abyssal cier (Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Tsupapapapapat©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
Kwagagagagagang©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
A bright light engulfed everything in my sight.
As colossal bolts of lightning roared, they engraved their presence in all directions without any gaps.
The eerie blue light of the [Abyssal cier] materialized, it caught up with the speed of lightning and even froze the lightning bolts that should have disappeared in an instant.
A cold gale apanied by snow mercilesslyshed my skin with Carly Hall at its focal point.
The pale blue chill flowed from my body due to the effect of [Ice Sovereign]. It broke the momentum of the lightning strike. However, I couldn¡¯t block the sensation of currents coursing through my body.
And amidst the unstoppable collision, I mmed the dark blue ice mana I had condensed in my right hand into the Thunderbird.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Again, and again, and again.
Without rest, I condensed the dark blue mana in both hands and wildly swung my arms. I relentlessly fired [ck Ice Explosion] at the Thunderbird.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤¡
My ears rang. I couldn¡¯t hear properly.
Even so, I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than casting spells until the Thunderbird fell.
I ignored the pain that engulfed my entire body, I roared out like a beast as if my throat was about to burst.
I condensed ice mana in both my hands and exploded it again and again.
I sted [ck Ice Explosion] towards the Thunderbird.
Every time I unleashed [ck Ice Explosion], dark blue ice crystals spread through the area and crumpled into dust, only to repeat this cycle over and over again.
The subsequent explosions shattered a huge tree of frozen lightning that had grown to epass the area.
Dark blue masses of ice erupted. The ice of the afterlife scattered in all directions.
I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. I instinctively used defrost to eliminate the ice created by [Abyssal cier].
A cold wind rushed in. The eerie blue mana ran rampant as the ice of the afterlife disappeared.
At that moment,
What caught my eyes was the ck Thunderbird, twisted and trapped within the enormous piece of ice.
Vera the Summoner, who had been lying beside the ice, had half her body blown off. The rest of her body was no different from a severely injured person that was frozen and frostbitten.
It seemed to have happened when my ice mana exploded, condensed, and exploded again.
She looked at me with a distorted face before turning into ash-like dust and scattering.
When I finally regained my senses, I was amidst a snowstorm and cold gale.
I just stood there.
Standing.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Vera the Summoner (Lv 125)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 60!] You have gained 4 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?Unfazed by 7-star magic?! All elemental resistance has increased by 10 points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?Defeating the Thunderbird?! You have gained an additional 15 stat points!] You have bravely defeated the nation-destroying magic beast [Thunderbird Galia (Lv 175)] and [Vera the Summoner (Lv 125)]! The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath, who has been overseeing the world as a mediator between this world and the next, expresses her gratitude to you! [You have unlocked the achievement ?To Gretel?! You have received a gift from the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath!]
Chapter 46: - Thunderbird Subjugation (4)
? Thunderbird Subjugation (4) ?
It felt like I was nestled in a cozy cocoon.
The intense pain that had enveloped my entire body had softened. As I blinked a few times, my blurry vision cleared, and the surrounding scenery was revealed.
Then, my eyes widened.
It was a bright world. That was the only way I could describe it.
The sun that hung in the sky emanated a gentle sensation that did not dazzle the eyes.
Surrounding me were rows of trees that emitted a pale yellow light. Beyond the horizon, there was nothing but an unfamiliar light.
¡°What is this ce¡?¡±
I was invited to an unknown world. It was like the [Fictional Hell] that Leafa the Illusive had used.
However, the difference between this bright world and [Fictional Hell] was that I had never seen this ce in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. It was uncharted territory.
Despite my bewildered state, I tried to make sense of the situation.
[Are you surprised?]
¡°¡¡!!¡±
A deep voice rang in my head. I quickly turned my head in the direction of the voice.
There stood a massive ck bird that appeared out of ce in the surrounding scenery, it folded its wings and looked down at me. It was ¡®Thunderbird Galia¡¯.
My heart sank for a brief moment, but when I realized that it wasn¡¯t in abat stance, I dropped my guard.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
[It seems that we are in the ¡®Midheaven Realm¡¯. It appears that my former master invited us here.]
The Midheaven Realm. A ce where souls who were near death, or who had died but had not yet passed on, were invited in order to sort out their thoughts and eventually find sce.
It also served as a ry point for the souls who yearn to meet other souls in the afterlife. This allowed them to spend the rest of eternity together.
It was a setting in the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? guidebook. It was known as a setting prepared for the characters who had unfortunately died.
In the game¡¯s story, however, there was no reason for Ian toe to this world. The game ended with him bing a renowned Magic Knight who had established a happy family with the chosen heroine.
¡®So, here I am¡¡¯
As far as I knew, the Midheaven Realm was located on the boundary between this world and the afterlife. In this world, time passed indefinitely, and thus no time passed in reality.
There was nothing to do here. Not even magic worked here.
It seemed that the one who had invited me into this world was the previous master of the Thunderbird, the ¡®Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath¡¯. A tragic witch from Luce¡¯s past who embraced death under false usations.
¡°Where is your former master?¡±
The Thunderbird raised its head and pointed its beak towards the sun, which emanated a gentle light. Its rays softly warmed my entire body.
[The scent I longed for ising from over there.]
Did that mean that the sun was the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath?
Although I somewhat understood the situation, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little confused.
Moreover, the [To Gretel] achievement was one of the legendary achievements that were unlocked when one cleared a major scenario, but there were no separate rewards or new events. It was merely a trophy of sorts.
Who could have ever imagined that it would turn out like this?
[I want to know your name.]
The voice of the Thunderbird echoed in my head. It felt like it resonated within my head.
¡°¡Isaac.¡±
[I am ¡®Galia¡¯¡ After suffering under that curse for years¡ Thank you for saving me, child. I truly mean this from the bottom of my heart¡ Thank you.]
The deep yet gentle voice of the Thunderbird contained a subtle sob. I could only watch his figure in silence
[Adadapubu!]
Suddenly, the voice of an energetic boy came from my feet.
As I lowered my head, I saw a small famr staring at me intently. It was a roon familiar with lightning mana wrapped around its tail.
A status window did not appear. Perhaps it was because there was no physical body.
But, what is this¡?
¡°¡¡!¡±
Suddenly, numerous magic beasts with elemental mana wrapped around their bodies surrounded me. They appeared in front of me in the blink of an eye.
I was startled and hastily looked around.
These familiars were¡
¡°The ones I fought earlier¡?¡±
These were the familiars that had beenpletely corrupted by the darkness mana and met a gruesome end by my magic.
However, there were no longer any traces of darkness mana on their bodies.
[Thank you, pubu!]
¡°Huh?¡±
The purple roon familiar shouted at my feet before tightly hugging my leg.
Then, the familiars that had surrounded me started to approach me.
They gently rubbed their cheeks against my body, cuddled me, or licked my cheeks and the back of my hands with their tongues.
I felt utterly bewildered.
[Thank you, meow!]
[Kuooooh©¤! Thank you! Thank you so much!]
[Thank you for freeing me from that demon!]
[Thank you, thank you¡]
[Gratitude to the Great One!]
The voices of countless familiars gently echoed in my head like waves.
The bitter emotions they had harbored while being controlled by Vera the Summoner were seeping into me.
With each word they uttered, an erratic, lukewarm wave seemed to continuously engulf my heart, giving me a solemn feeling.
[Kyahahaha! You¡¯re strong, friend! You took a good hit!]
Hakil, the giant red magic beast, approached me with a heartyugh. His turtle head, muscr body, and the eyes on his three pairs of wings were still the same.
The famrs stopped their affectionate gestures and looked at Hakil in unison.
Hakil stopped in front of me, looked down at me gently, and bent one knee to sit down.
The eyes on Hakil¡¯s wings were all closed. His wings were slightly folded as if to show his respect towards me.
[You see, I always wanted to explore the vast world with my master.]
Hakil murmured with his eyes lowered.
[But, after being controlled by that demon¡ I ended up killing my master with my own hands. That day, I lost everything.]
A grumbling voice faintly echoed in my mind.
[Living under that demon was truly horrible¡ Even though we were once enemies, thank you for saving me¡ Really, thank you¡ I will never forget this favor¡]
Hakil couldn¡¯t hold back the tears and covered his eyes with hisrge hands.
After Hakil, the other familiars began to share their own stories. I listened in silence.
[I met that demon while eating meat with my master, meow¡ Now, I can never forget the smell of my master¡¯s blood, meow¡]
[My master always fell asleep with me in their arms. I loved being in their embrace¡ But I killed them with my own hands. As they were dying, they told me it was okay. They thanked me for traveling with them¡]
[My master picked me up when I was abandoned. I still vividly remember the sensation of piercing their heart¡]
[Adadapubu¡]
[Jerry, I was so angry being forcibly controlled by that woman! I was so mad! It was so hard! I cried every day!]
I couldn¡¯t save them. They had been so deeply corrupted by the darkness mana that they couldn¡¯t be saved, even if Vera the Summoner had died.
Even if they had been freed from Vera, they would have lived a cursed existence, unable to suppress their murderous urges. They would have continued to kill people.
That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t deserve their gratitude. I had simply killed the famrs here without hesitation to prevent a bad ending.
Yet they thought I had saved them.
They had longed for death, for an end to their suffering.
¡°Is that so¡¡±
Despite the numerous voices that echoed in my head, I understood each and every one of the familiars¡¯ stories.
So, I felt relieved.
For a while, the familiars shared the numerous stories they had umted over their life,ughing and crying as they spoke.
I nodded my head, stroked their heads, and patted their backs.
How much time had passed?
On the horizon, one or two human figures emerged in the vast expanse of light. Their numbers quickly multiplied, reaching dozens in no time.
As ifing to greet us, the individuals turned their gaze towards us.
The intensity of the light made it difficult to make out their exact appearance, yet it seemed that all the familiars recognized them.
[¡?]
The familiars froze in shock, as if time itself had stopped. Hakil¡¯s eyes also widened in disbelief.
This ce served as a ry for souls in the afterlife. It was obvious who the people in the Midheaven Realm had brought along with them.
Soon, tears began welling up in the eyes of the familiars.
They ran or flew towards those people.
In an instant.
The familiars cried as they hugged their masters. They shared how much they had missed them and how sad they had been.
The masters tightly hugged their familiars, stroked their heads, and listened to their cries with a gentle smile.
[It¡¯s been a while, Dyke.]
Hakil stood in front of his master, a muscr man, and greeted him.
As his master chuckled and extended his fist, Hakil hesitated for a moment.
[¡]
Hakil bumped fists with the muscr man. He seemed to be deep in thought as he recalled the time he had spent with his master.
Soon after, the familiars and their respective masters started walking together, towards the vast world of light, into the afterlife.
The familiars looked back at me and shouted their farewells.
[Thank you! Really, thank you!]
[Thank you, human!]
[I won¡¯t forget this favor!]
[Adadapubu!]
[I¡¯m really grateful, meow!]
[Kuooh! This mark of me! I will remember you forever!]
[I¡¯ll keep the grace of your noble deed in this body of fire even in the afterlife¡!]
[Take care! Thank you! Thank you! Really, really, thank you¡!]
The vivid light enveloped the familiars as they returned to their masters.
They disappeared beyond the horizon with excitement.
I silently watched the scene and felt an indescribable emotion.
Now, they would be together for an eternity. That would be long enough to forget the pain they had experienced.
They would embark on new adventures that they couldn¡¯tplete in this world.
The figures of the familiars disappeared from my sight.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then quietly processed my emotions.
[I can feel it.]
The voice of the Thunderbird rang in my head.
[My former master seems to be very grateful.]
Though the sun was merely warm and gentle to me, it seemed to feel different to the Thunderbird.
[Even when I lost my reason, I could still feel Gretel¡¯s heart. So I knew that you became her friend. I wanted to say thank you, child. It seems my former master is also grateful to you for the same reason.]
¡°¡¡±
Gretel. The former name of Luce.
I was deep in thought. I calmly raised my head and stared at the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath, who had been watching over the boundary between this world and the next.
In ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there remained one final mission¡ª
¡ªTo catch Luce, who was helplessly falling through the sky, her manapletely depleted. This journey would end with just that task.
But then I realized why I was in the Midheaven Realm.
I needed some time to organize my thoughts.
¡°¡I¡¯m about to die, right? And so are you.¡±
I asked as I turned my head towards the Thunderbird.
The Thunderbird bowed its head.
[It seemed like you were deliberately hiding your identity, so I intended to protect your secret, but it seems there¡¯s no need to do that now.]
A roundabout answer. It wasn¡¯t difficult to grasp what those words meant.
Ha, I knew this would happen. How could I have survived unscathed after fighting against the level 175 Thunderbird Galia?
It was a futile ending. I did all that to prevent a bad ending¡
However, there was no rush of emotions, no flicker of intensity. It felt as if even the most fleeting emotions passed by without leaving a trace.
Being able to stay calm even in the face of death must be due to the effect of [Ice Sovereign].
Someone once said, ¡®If the world were to end tomorrow, I would still nt an apple tree today.¡¯ That¡¯s exactly how I felt at this moment.
¡°Send me back.¡±
Since it¡¯se to this, there¡¯s onest thing I need to do.
¡°Luce is about to fall. There¡¯s no one else to catch her but me.¡±
If I¡¯m destined to die anyways, I might as well save someone I deeply cherish.
I adore Luce. As long as ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? is my reality, I can¡¯t bear to see her get hurt.
So, at the very least, I want to save Luce before I go.
And then it happened.
[The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath expresses her gratitude to you!] [The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath gazes into your fate and offers you with the gift she deems most necessary for you!]
A new system window appeared.
¡°Ugh!¡±
Suddenly, I felt a searing pain on my left wrist.
Startled, I looked at my wrist. A ck, magic circle-shaped seal was being engraved on it.
Once it waspletely engraved, the pain immediately stopped.
¡°What is this¡?¡±
[Congrattions! You have acquired the [8-star Familiar Contract Circle]!]
My mouth was wide open.
Magic beasts from 1-star to 4-star could be summoned with a Familiar Summoning Circle, and if their wills align, a contract could be formed.
From 5-star to 7-star, they couldn¡¯t be summoned by a Familiar Summoning Circle, but if they meet and their wills align, a contract could be formed.
On the other hand, an 8-star couldn¡¯t form a familiar contract at will, even if they had a good rtionship or understood each other well. A special seal was required. That seal, the ¡®8-star Familiar Contract Circle¡¯, could only be obtained in the veryte stages of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath had bestowed that upon me.
What kind of fate did she see to give this to someone who was about to die?
Just as I was about to ask the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath, I lost my voice.
The light emitting from the witch began to envelop my entire body.
©¤ To Gretel.
Suddenly, a young girl in a worn-out navy blue dress appeared before my eyes. Her rose-gold hair was particrly beautiful.
She wasughing at an old witch who wore a ck witch¡¯s hat with a hooked nose.
A curious 10-year-old girl. She held the witch¡¯s hand and set off on an adventure.
Time passed, and the girl in a school uniform was smiling brightly at the academy¡¯s graduation ceremony with the witch.
Time passed again, and the woman who became a wizard boasted about her achievements to the witch.
Time had passed once again, and thedy who became a Tower Master held the witch¡¯s hand and embarked on a new adventure.
Her beaming smile was no different from the innocentughter of the 10-year-old girl. The witch was so content with this scene that sheughed happily.
The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath. The events that would have unfolded had she not died of tragedy.
The fate envisioned by the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath, a reality that never came to be.
They were fragments of a lost future, a calm sce in the sea of memories.
©¤ I will always love you.
Taking in that sight for thest time, I quietly closed my eyes.
Chapter 47: - Thunderbird Subjugation (5)
? Thunderbird Subjugation (5) ?
It was a famous story.
Hansel and Gretel were born to a poor family in the woods. Their parents, who could no longer care for them, abandoned the young pair of siblings in the woods.
The young girl, Gretel, cleverly dropped several stones along the way, which helped her and Hansel find their way back home.
However, they were abandoned once again.
They didn¡¯t have any stones prepared the next time, so they left breadcrumbs to mark their path.
Unfortunately, the breadcrumbs were eaten by the forest birds, leaving them unable to find their way home.
Hunger struck. The young siblings wandered through the woods in search of food.
Unexpectedly, they discovered a house made of sweets and started hurriedly eating their fill, only to encounter the hooked-nose witch who lived inside.
The witch took in the abandoned Hansel and Gretel.
She cared for them wholeheartedly, but her true intentions were©¤
The First Episode of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Behind the Scenes ¨C Hansel and Gretel¡¹.
In the game, the original story of the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, took a twisted turn.
One day, Hansel started to fatten up. The witch checked his condition by grabbing his wrist every day.
Out of nowhere, Hansel¡¯s body began to swell abnormally.
Not just Hansel, but children from other ces had also begun to experience grotesque swelling.
It was the activation of the Evil Dragon¡¯s Sacrificial Seal.
Hansel¡¯s and Gretel¡¯s parents had allowed a high-ranking noble to sequentially engrave the Evil Dragon¡¯s Sacrificial Seal on their children, in exchange for a piece of meat.
The seal was engraved on parts of the eye and brain.
When the witch first discovered Hansel and Gretel, it was already toote to save Hansel.
Fortunately, it was just in time to save Gretel. The witch managed to rece the parts of her eye and brain where the seal had been engraved, preventing her from bing the Evil Dragon¡¯s sacrifice.
This was the setting for Gretel¡¯s sudden improvement in eyesight and her ability to remember everything she saw. It was all thanks to the Candy House Witch¡¯s research, who burned her very own body.
The witch knew that the Evil Dragon Orchis would appear and had tried to save the children in advance. She made her house from sweets to attract the children who had been victimized by the Evil Dragon.
Eventually, the sky turned red.
A massive ck dragon,posed of countless decaying human corpses, burst through the clouds.
It was the Evil Dragon Orchis, a catastrophe capable of destroying nations.
The witch summoned her 8-star familiar, Thunderbird Galia, to confront the Evil Dragon and ultimately emerged victorious¡
Unfortunately, the Curse of the Evil Dragon befell the Thunderbird.
The Candy House Witch was falsely used of using children as sacrifices to summon the Evil Dragon and was executed by the empire in front of her house.
Gretel tearfully hugged the witch in front of the numerous military forces. The witch entrusted Gretel with the Thunderbird and took herst breath.
Gretel¡¯s heart shattered at that moment.
Eventually, the truth was revealed, and the high-ranking noble who was the real culprit behind the summoning of the Evil Dragon Orchis was captured by the royal family and promptly executed. However, the country engraved the Witch of the Candy House, who should have been recognized as a hero, as an evil woman in history.
There was no better scapegoat than the Candy House Witch, who wasn¡¯t entangled in any political disputes.
She was initially used of killing many children. Although it was a false usation, the cruel experimental area that used her own body as a test subject became a fitting piece of evidence for the charge.
Thus, the Candy House Witch wasbeled as the ¡°Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath¡± by attributing all sorts of grotesque evil deeds to her, which made her an enemy of the people.
Only the Eltania family, who had received grace from the Candy House Witch, denied her infamy as the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath.
They took in Gretel as their own per the witch¡¯s request.
And gave the child, who was struggling with her past, a new name ¨C Luce Eltania.
The barrier enveloped in purple lightning turned into shining powder and scattered into the sky.
On the altar at the top floor of Carly Hall, which was so severely damaged that it no longer resembled a building.
Luce¡¯s body started falling as the barrier of the Thunderbird was released.
Thump©¤
A man caught her.
Luce couldn¡¯t muster any strength. Her mana waspletely drained by the Thunderbird, and even her energy seemed to be depleted.
Luce slowly opened her eyes, but her vision was so blurry that she couldn¡¯t make anything out.
However, she could tell that a man was holding her in a princess carry.
¡®Who¡?¡¯
No words came out of her mouth. Her mouth didn¡¯t move.
With her blurry vision, Luce could barely discern the color of the man¡¯s clothes and the outline of his shoulders.
Navy blue clothes, and broad shoulders. She felt the faint chill of ice mana.
¡®Greung¡ It must be you.¡¯
There was no one else that came to mind as a navy blue d ice element user who could have broken through the Thunderbird and the demons.
His physique looked different from what Luce knew, as if his disguise had been blown.
But this physique¡ feels oddly familiar.
©¤ ¡®Don¡¯t elementalize your mana; instead, let it flow freely for the time being. And remember this sensation.¡¯
©¤ ¡®¡I¡¯m going to release it now.¡¯
©¤ ¡®Not yet!¡¯
©¤ ¡®Puhahaha! Ahahahahahaha! Hahahahaha! Oh, that¡¯s so funny¡! My stomach hurts¡¡¯
When she had been practicing elemental flower crafts.
The memory of holding the hand of her silver-blue haired friend popped up.
Greung¡¯s touch on her arms and legs ovepped with that memory.
She wasn¡¯t certain because the fabric of the clothes was in the way. However, the size of the hand she felt was too simr to that man¡¯s.
Luce¡¯s pupils were shaking slightly.
¡®I¡saac¡?¡¯
Drained of all her mana, Luce had no strength left.
Soon, her stamina reached its limit.
Her consciousness faded into the far distance.
* * *
[Guu, guuu, guuk¡!]
As soon as I left the Midheaven Realm, I could feel how limited my body truly was.
With thest of my strength, I caught Luce as she fell from the altar. I hastily erased the traces of my magic with defrost, and knew that I would soon be unable to move.
Iid the unconscious Luce on the ground as the blue powder scattered. Then, I summoned Eden and had her lean against the altar.
I then ordered Eden to take me and run away. It was entirely possible.
Eden was able to grow in size by adding rocks to his body.
Eden, now a size that fitted his golem race, ran with me in his arms.
He urgently shouted at me with a thickened voice.
The side effects of the [Ice Sovereign] and the battle against the Thunderbird rendered my body unable to properly function. The pain was excruciating, it was as if I was struck by a hammer all over my body, tormenting me relentlessly.
However, I didn¡¯t even have the strength to wriggle or cry out in pain.
¡°Eden¡ let me down¡ here¡¡±
I didn¡¯t know where I was. My vision had be blurry, and I couldn¡¯t see anything.
I was sure we hade quite far. My senses told me that we were behind Carly Hall, at the bottom of the hill.
Perhaps just before entering the forest. It seemed like we were on the outskirts of the old M?rchen Academy grounds.
The area was filled with the vibrant scent of trees and grass. Fortunately, it seemed like we had arrived at an inconspicuous spot.
Edenid me down on the grass. His voice was full of choking sobs. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry.
When I could still see ahead, thest sight I had captured shimmered like a mirage.
Was it the beauty of thendscape? Perhaps it was because of the Thunderbird¡¯s barrier being lifted and the disappearance of the Lightning Harpies. Or maybe it was the purple powder being engraved in the night sky like starlight.
As I drifted through the memories of thatndscape, I desperately clung to my fading mind and reminded myself why I had fled.
The Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath.
She had looked into my fate and given me an 8-star contract circle as a gift, saying it was what I needed most.
In other words, I wouldn¡¯t die.
That¡¯s why I had fled, trying not to be noticed by the subjugation party.
Suddenly, I recalled everything that had happened since I came to this world. I possessed Isaac, realized the protagonist¡¯s skills were terrible, and diligently tried to prevent a bad ending during the first semester.
As I looked back on the past.
It seemed like a futile way to meet my end, dying like this.
An extra of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Isaac.
I was not the protagonist of this world, Ian Fairytale was. All the hardships in this world existed to make him a hero.
What difference does that make?
No matter what, in my position, I was the protagonist.
Even if my life seemed bleak, unsessful, and full of failure, I firmly believed that I was the protagonist of my own story.
Even if Isaac was an extra when I yed the game as Ian.
If I live in this reality as Isaac, then I am the protagonist.
Ian Fairytale. No matter what trials and tribtions came in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, he overcame them. So I, too, had been trying to ovee all the trials and tribtions that hade my way, following his example.
So, will I die meaninglessly? Will I give up so easily?
My specialty was gritting my teeth and relentlessly pursuing my goals. I would never give up.
¡°¡¡±
Only the sound of air escaping from my lungs seeped through my lips.
I was running out of strength. Slowly, my eyes closed. The anticipation of being freed from this terrible agony once I closed my eyes welled up within me.
My head was spinning. Still, I would never extinguish my will to never give up.
In my hazy vision.
Slowly, a pitch-ck darkness descended.
¡¸Tree of Radiance (nt Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
A gentle energy enveloped me. It felt as if new life was coursing through my body.
I opened my eyes. The sight of the barrier turning into a purple powder that illuminated the night sky caught my eye. My vision had returned.
I turned my head to look towards Carly Hall above the hill.
A gigantic tree, emitting a soft green glow, had casted a faint light over the old M?rchen Academy grounds. Countless fireflies spread out in all directions without any gaps.
The pain faded.
Slowly, I raised my upper body.
Eden sobbed, shrank back to his usual size, and snuggled into my arms.
[Kyu¡! Kyuuu¡!]
[Eden] Psychology: [Feeling happy and relieved that you¡¯vee back to life.]
The radiant tree stretched above Carly Hall.
I knew what that tree was. It was Kaya Astrean¡¯s nt magic, the [Tree of Radiance], which appeared in the second year of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. It indiscriminately healed all living creatures within a certain radius.
¡®Why is that already¡?¡¯
The soft green fireflies from the [Tree of Radiance] flew over and infused vitality into the nts around me.
In the midst of those fireflies, I could guess the situation and its developments.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 3, End Of Semester Evaluation¡¹ immediately led to ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹.
In other words, the variables that urred during the end of semester evaluation carried over to the Thunderbird Subjugation.
What could have been a variable worth mentioning in this end of semester evaluation?
The most significant events would have been Luce¡¯s inexplicable massacre, the great battle, and the gift I gave to Kaya.
Due to Luce, the top students¡¯ search for Fell Cards was dyed. They must have had difficulty with mana perception, exploration, and card snatching because they were too focused on escaping from the monster, Luce.
Moreover, because of therge-scale battle, the second and third seats, as well as other A ss students and the top B ss students, had to remain at the exam site until the appearance of Vera the Summoner.
As a result, most of the honor students joined the subjugation party, in contrast to the game.
It was obvious that they would have helped Dorothy and Ian chip away at the Thunderbird¡¯s HP. That must have been why the Thunderbird¡¯s HP was reduced faster than I had expected.
If they hadn¡¯t been there, I would have had to fight the Thunderbird with at least 30-40% more HP.
I wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid instant death if I lost that battle.
The same went for Kaya.
In the Thunderbird Subjugation of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Kaya couldn¡¯t join the subjugation party. She quickly passed the exam once her mana perception improved after she found her third Fell Card.
However, as Luce became a significant variable, Kaya ended up in the exam site until the appearance of Vera.
Kaya also participated in the Thunderbird Subjugation and would have felt a sense of anger as she watched the casualties umte. It was inevitable due to her personality.
She would have longed to be of help, instead of only relying on Dorothy.
The gift I gave her, the Armana Wand, was Kaya¡¯s final weapon. It was impossible to obtain this weapon in the early parts of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. It was purely a matter of money. However, I managed to acquire it early.
As a result, the Armana Wand I gifted to Kaya would have significantly increased her sensitivity to nt mana.
Kaya¡¯s desire would have been realized in the form of a tree that emitted a warm light.
¡®It¡¯s so beautiful, really¡¡¯
The [Tree of Radiance].
A spell that healed all living creatures within a certain radius. Its healing range was quite wide. It was considered one of the most powerful healing spells, as it could heal even fatal wounds in an instant.
Moreover, it was a nt spell. To use this element, one must receive the help of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, andpletely react to nt mana. It would be difficult for an ordinary person, even if they tried for a hundred years.
A gentle green light enveloped the grounds of the old M?rchen Academy. As I unexpectedly regained my health, I felt an overwhelming sense of bewilderment.
The only thing I could do wasugh.
It felt as if that tree was the result of my journey throughout the first semester of my freshman year.
An emotion that I couldn¡¯t put into words welled up inside of me.
I quietly gazed at the Tree of Radiance.
Thebination of the purple powder slowly scattered by the disappearance of the Thunderbird¡¯s barrier and the giant radiant tree that stood alone in silence was incredibly beautiful.
I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it for a while.
¡°¡¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t just be lost in admiration. I needed to take off my Magic Cloak of Disguise just in case.
¡°Hua!¡±
I took off my cloak and put it in my magic pouch. Although the Tree of Radiance fully healed my wounds, my strength hadn¡¯t recovered. Just the act of taking off my cloak was quite difficult.
I thought I needed to bask in the light of the Tree of Radiance at least until my strength had recovered enough to return to the dormitory. It was like Isaac¡¯s photosynthesis.
Eden came to my side and shook my arm. Such a cute little guy. I seated Eden on myp and hugged him.
That was when it happened.
¡°President, what are you doing here?¡±
A familiar voice echoed in my ears. For some reason, I felt an inexplicable sensation rising in my chest.
When I turned my head towards the voice, I saw a female student wearing a witch¡¯s hat. She looked at me with a questioning gaze, her hands resting on her knees.
Was it because I almost died for a moment?
I couldn¡¯t help but smile as soon as I saw her weing face. I fought back against the tears that welled up and managed to fill my face with nothing but a smile.
I took a quick, deep breath to regain myposure.
I locked eyes with the beautiful female student with purple hair that was reflected in my vision.
¡°Senior, you¡¯rete. Aren¡¯t youing to my rescue toote?¡±
I jokingly said to Dorothy Heartnova, and deliberately showed a tired expression.
¡°Seriously, a bunch of electric bird-like demonic creatures suddenly appeared¡ I barely escaped, you know.¡±
¡°Your expression seems a little too rxed for that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m looking at you, senior.¡±
¡°Nihihi, just like how my fan should be!¡±
Dorothy sat down next to me with a ¡°Ucha¡± and hugged her knees.
Then, she stared at the Tree of Radiance, scattering its glorious jade-colored mana.
¡°Everything¡¯s resolved. The giant electric chicken was healed by that tree magic and is no longer our enemy. All the lightning demonic creatures have disappeared. Your stalker friend is safe too. No one died.¡±
¡°I was wondering what was going on, but it seems like it was a pretty big deal¡¡±
¡°Yeah, it was a huge deal~ I¡¯mpletely exhausted. Trying to protect people, doing this and that¡¡±
Dorothy grumbled cheekily, then suddenly smiled and put her hand on her chest.
¡°So give me, your big sis, a chance to beforted by our president~ Consider it an honor.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s cheeky words were so cute that I inadvertently chuckled.
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, senior.¡±
¡°Oh yeah!¡±
¡°You¡¯re really strong and cool, senior.¡±
¡°Uh-huh!¡±
¡°Although, you were toote toe and save me.¡±
¡°Uh, ah¡¡±
Dorothy, with a flustered face, broke into a cold sweat.
¡°Well¡ It seems like our president had a hard time too.¡±
Dorothy sneakily nced at me, and quickly changed the subject. I responded with a cheeky attitude, just like she had moments ago.
¡°Yes, I had to take the exams, and then run away from the sudden appearance of demonic creatures¡ It was just awful. I should¡¯ve just gone straight to the dorms. Instead, I got into this mess because I wanted to tour the old building.¡±
As I felt more rxed, a flood of lies gushed out of my mouth.
However, Dorothy¡¯s eyes, which seemingly held the universe within them, revealed a meaningful expression. It was as if she knew something I didn¡¯t.
Is it just my imagination?
[Dorothy Heartnova] Psychology: [¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î]
I still couldn¡¯t read her mind with [Psychology]. So, I decided to give up on trying to read her thoughts.
¡°Yep, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±
Dorothy replied with a gentle smile and a soothing voice.
There was a moment of silence.
¡°Senior.¡±
¡°Yes, president?¡±
¡°I ran quite a lot today, and my body doesn¡¯t want to move anymore. Could you help me get to the dorms?¡±
¡°Nihihi! Leave it to your big sis!¡±
Dorothy replied as she innocentlyughed and ced her hand on her chest again.
In the first semester of my freshman year, I managed to prevent all the bad endings and survived.
I was more relieved than happy.
For a while, Dorothy and I decided to sit side by side and admire the Tree of Radiance.
It wasn¡¯t something you saw every day, so we thought we might as well enjoy it while we still had the chance.
At that moment, I was grateful that you, the one I love, was by my side.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation¡¹.
The curtain falls.
Chapter 48: - Thunderbird Subjugation - Interlude
? Thunderbird Subjugation ¨C Interlude ?
It was when Isaac and the Thunderbird were engaged in a battle at Carly Hall.
¡°It¡¯s the ck monster!¡±
As the Thunderbird subjugation party made their way to Carly Hall, they immediately recognized the adversary of the Thunderbird and the army of familiars.
An entity that appeared whenever demons emerged. If there was a being powerful enough to cast ice magic on such arge scale, it could only be the ¡®ck Monster¡¯.
Ciel, who had participated in the subjugation party, narrowed her eyes. She suddenly thought of the silver-blue haired man.
Despite having a rtively small amount of mana, he possessed a mana perception that was iparable to her own.
Mana perception was proportional to the maximum amount of mana one had.
Ciel wondered how he could have such a frightening mana perception despite being so weak, but a possibility that came to her mind tried to resolve this contradiction.
¡°Could it be¡¡±
What if the ck monster was the silver-blue haired man who had been groveling just a while ago?
A terrifying battle had taken ce in Carly Hall.
Ciel had always thought she was talented and strong, but she felt that if she had been caught in that battle, she would have faced an end that was more futile than that of a mayfly1This is referring to how Mayflies only live for up to 24 hours.
The end of an insect trampled by a passerby would have been more spectacr.
Of course¡ this was just her suspicion. She might have mistakenlybeled an innocent person as a powerful being.
¡®Well, that would be ridiculous.¡¯
Due to her disdain for running, Ciel supported the rear of the subjugation party while walking up the hill.
Eventually, her familiar, which she had secretly sent into the sky, flew back to her.
¡®Zabet¡¯, a purple bat familiar with the lightning elementnded on her shoulder. It pped its wings with a surprised look on its face.
[Ci-Ciel! You were right! It was him! The one who was with you earlier!]
Zabet had urgently descended after it confirmed the situation just before the Thunderbird and Isaac had shed. Although it had been swept up in the violent storm that followed their sh, it wasn¡¯t injured.
Ciel closed her eyes slightly as she looked at the fussing Zabet. It was the moment when her suspicion turned into certainty.
It was said that every year, extraordinarily powerful individuals would enroll into M?rchen Academy. It seemed that this year¡¯s freshmen were no exception.
Furthermore, the fact that it was not Luce Eltania, but someone who couldn¡¯t even bepared to the powerful top seat.
Only now did Ciel realize it.
After the situation had ended. Above the old M?rchen Academy.
[Boo©¤, boo©¤.]
A round, balloon-like creature was floating in the sky.
Its arms and legs were submerged into its swollen body, and its grotesque,yered face was enough to disgust anyone.
Its yellowish-brown skin had a pattern that was like cracks on a dry rice field.
All that came out of its mouth was the foolish ¡®Boo¡¯ sound.
From the end of semester evaluation to the Thunderbird Subjugation.
That powerless balloon demon watched all the scenes with its [irvoyance] ability.
The closed eyelids slowly rose. The cold, bloodshot eyes looked down at the ground.
Heinkel the Hoarder. Although he was powerless right now, he was one of the worst cmities. He watched Isaac, who was admiring the [Tree of Radiance], in silence.
[Boo©¤, boo©¤.]
Soon, Heinkel the Hoarder hid his tracks above the clouds.
* * *
The academy¡¯s staff had to go through all sorts of trouble after the appearance of a demon and the Thunderbird Subjugation. It involved on-site investigations, uncovering the truth, investigating the victims, persuading investors who had a significant share in the academy¡¯s finances, analyzing the causes of the incident, ways to improve security, etc¡ The academy was putting all its manpower into it.
This Thunderbird incident wasn¡¯t just significant, it was too significant. If it had gone wrong, it could have resulted in numerous casualties.
Ultimately, when summer vacation arrived, the imperial knights who had heard the news about the M?rchen Academy woulde. The situation would continue to escte, and the academy¡¯s staff would rack their brains to the point that it bled.
Luce attended the Truth Investigation Committee as the owner of Thunderbird Galia. However, since it was clear that the demons had forcibly summoned Thunderbird Galia against Luce¡¯s will, there was no reason to punish the innocent girl.
However, Thunderbird Galia was an 8-star magic beast. If the nation-destroying magic beast caused havoc for any reason, the academy couldn¡¯t leave it alone. They needed to ensure that the familiar was safe.
The problem was that Luce was currently in a state of mana exhaustion, which made it difficult to even use the most basic of elemental spells, let alone summoning her familiar.
No matter how much mana someone had, the speed at which mana recovered would drastically drop when mana was depleted. No, even the expression ¡®drastically¡¯ was an understatement. It would take about a week for Luce¡¯s condition to return to normal.
In the end, the academy asked for Luce¡¯s understanding and decided to ce her in quarantine until she recovered.
They also assigned someone to supervise Luce.
¡°Is this the room of the clueless junior who made me suffer~?¡±
Charles Hall, a luxurious dormitory reserved for only the top-ranking students of M?rchen Academy.
Luce, dressed in afortable one-piece, sat on her bed with a nket over her head. It was only after avender-haired woman in a witch¡¯s hat entered the room that a thick, fog-like threatening aura began to emanate from her.
Supervisor, Dorothy Heartnova. She had an atmosphere of being aloof towards Luce¡¯s childish gaze. As a result, the atmosphere between Luce and Dorothy created a distinct contrast that clearly divided the room in half.
After all, Dorothy was said to be a natural disaster. An existence that couldn¡¯t be bound by anyw or rule. Luce¡¯s murderous gaze was nothing more than a passing ant to Dorothy.
Dorothy covered her eyes with a handkerchief and wandered around Luce¡¯s room like an adventurer exploring an area that had yet to be discovered.
Luce was annoyed by her behavior.
But since she was in a state of mana exhaustion, she had no means to oppose Dorothy and just ground her teeth in silence.
¡°Nyahaha! This room perfectly reflects your personality! What¡¯s with the interior, there¡¯s not a single cute corner!¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s not even a single teddy bear! Are you poor? Do you want to borrow one of mine?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Kyaaa, what¡¯s this? It¡¯s a cursed doll used in ck magic! Our junior has a shady hobby~ Oh, can I try putting our junior¡¯s hair in it when I¡¯m bored? That¡¯s fine, right?¡±
¡°Get out if you came here to pick a fight.¡±
Luce, unable to bear it any longer, finally spoke up. They were the first words she had spoken in the 10 minutes since Dorothy arrived. She spoke her mind, regardless of whether the other person was her senior or the strongest powerhouse of the academy.
But Dorothy, as if she knew it would happen, opened her crescent-shaped eyes and approached Luce with a mischievous smile.
Dorothy sat on the edge of the bed and tilted her head at Luce. Luce intentionally avoided eye contact with Dorothy.
¡°Junior, you noticed something strange, right?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to suppress that electric chicken anymore.¡±
Luce frowned. Then she finally made eye contact with Dorothy.
Dorothy¡¯s pupils always shined like a universe embroidered with starlight. The star-shaped pupils were still there. They were as unreal as ever.
She had made a contract with the star fairy, Ste. Her eyes were uniquely altered under the fairy¡¯s influence. Luce heard that story when she was with Isaac.
At that time, Luce didn¡¯t care about the details of the conversation, she just enjoyed her time with Isaac and quietly listened.
It was clear that this unpleasant senior was a strong individual.
Luce didn¡¯t think it was strange for Dorothy to find out she had been pouring half of her total mana, which amounted to all of her lightning mana, at all times to suppress the Thunderbird.
Luce only reacted to the fact that she no longer needed to suppress the Thunderbird.
Luce, the master of Thunderbird Galia, had clearly felt that he had been freed from the chains of various curses and returned to being a docile familiar. Now it was unknown what her own condition would be once her mana had recovered.
However, one thing was certain.
Luce would now be able to use her full power.
If nothing else, it further cemented herself as the strongest first-year in the Magic Department.
¡°¡Galia is free now.¡±
¡°I know, the electric chicken is a good boy.¡±
¡°Stop calling him an electric chicken. It makes Galia feel insignificant.¡±
Luce¡¯s attitude was still cold.
Nevertheless, aside from Isaac, Dorothy was the person who had talked to Luce the most. Luce had a tendency to ignore what people said in the first ce.
It was probably because she saw Dorothy¡¯s face often.
¡°Nihihi.¡±
Dorothyughed innocently as she got off the bed and started heading towards the doorway.
¡°That¡¯s the end of this surveince.¡±
¡°Already¡? The academy said to watch me for three days¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s annoying!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s short and concise answer convinced Luce in an instant.
¡°So, junior, you have to stay here quietly, okay?¡±
Dorothy shed Luce a mischievous smile, opened the door and went out into the hallway.
As Dorothy disappeared, the room fell silent. It was a dramatic shift in atmosphere.
Finally, the nuisance was gone. Luce let out a deep sigh of relief.
Plop.
Luceid down on the bed and quietly stared at the ceiling. Now that she was alone, many thoughts began to fill her mind again.
Greung. He came to save her again. As expected, he was a man who had concealed his identity with a Magic Cloak of Disguise, and it seemed that the disguise had been undone as his cloak was damaged while fighting the demons.
At that time, her vision was so blurred that she couldn¡¯t make out his appearance properly.
However, from the size of Greung¡¯s hand that had touched her body and the outline of his shoulders, Luce could only think of one man.
¡°Isaac¡¡±
She wanted to hold Isaac¡¯s hand right away andpare it to the size and feel of Greung¡¯s hand from her memory.
Of course, if she thought about it rationally, it was obvious that the two people couldn¡¯t be the same person.
Let¡¯s assume that Isaac was a strong individual like Greung. Then how could one exin Isaac¡¯s mana capacity, magic skills, and the fact that he trained so diligently every day?
¡®But¡¡¯
Ice element. Hand size. Shoulder outline.
Luce, who could remember everything, wasn¡¯t one to rely on intuition. However, her intuition was screaming at her right now.
I want to believe that Greung¡¯s true identity is Isaac.
Maybe she had felt this way since the ss cement evaluation. The intuition she had been continuously ignoring might have tried to persuade Luce all along that Isaac was Greung.
Maybe that was why she felt so close to Isaac¡ she didn¡¯t know.
¡°¡¡±
Finally listening to her intuition, Luce quickly got off her bed and headed towards the doorway.
She had been saved twice by that mysterious man. She couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to him.
Whenever she thought of him, the sound of her heart fiercely resonated, piercing through the silence. Even for Luce, who had never built rtionships or interacted with people, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to recognize the nature of this unfamiliar emotion that she was experiencing for the first time.
Her chest was throbbing. She felt like she was going crazy. Only by finding out the identity of Greung could the turmoil inside her heart subside.
Let¡¯s quickly find out if Isaac was Greung. It was time to resolve the conflict between reason and intuition, and calm the throbbing in her chest.
Just as she was about to grab the doorknob¡
Charara©¤!
¡°Ouch!¡±
Her hand stung, and she quickly stepped back. A brief cluster of stars appeared and then faded into the doorknob.
A small note that was barely stuck under the doorknob fell to the floor due to the shock from earlier. As she picked it up, a short sentence and a drawn figure with a witch¡¯s hat came into view.
[Didn¡¯t I tell you not to go out? Get some rest! I¡¯ll bring you food!]
A shadow appeared in the corner of Luce¡¯s eyes. She clenched her fist and ruthlessly crumpled the note.
Afterward, she tried to escape through the window, but it was to no avail. Luce¡¯s frustration grew even deeper.
* * *
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 60
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 1800/1800
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C)
¨C Stamina (B-)
¨C Strength (B-)
¨C Intelligence (C+)
¨C Willpower (A-) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (B-)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B-)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B-)
Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (B-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (B-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain(B-)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (B+)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (D+)
¨C (¡ï4) Frostfire (C+)
¨C (¡ï4) Ice Wall (C+)
¨C (¡ï5) Frost Explosion (C-)
¨C (¡ï2) Snow Pellets (C)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight
¨C (¡ï5) Demon Detection
¨C (¡ï9) Ice Sovereign Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter [Potential] Stat Points: 0 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (B+): 56/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (A): 71/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (B+): 51/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (D-): 10/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D+): 16/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C+): 34/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Resistance (B-): 39/100 [UP]
¨C Rock Resistance (D): 12/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (C-): 18/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D+): 18/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX] [Familiar] Eden (Lv: 50)
Grade: ¡ï3
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Bond: 65
Synchronization: 20
Summoning Mana Consumption: 40
¨C Owned Skills
Four days had passed since the end of the Thunderbird Subjugation and Luce¡¯s quarantine.
During this time, the academy¡¯s staff gathered the students and exined in detail what had happened during the end of semester evaluation for the first-years of the Magic Department. They announced a retest, however, bonus points would be rewarded to students who had already passed the end of semester evaluation or had a Fell Card before the incident took ce.
Naturally, those who had already passed the evaluation objected, but they reluctantly epted the majority¡¯s opinion that it was a dangerous event that endangered the lives of the students. Well, that was the power of the majority.
There was a retest in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as well. It was something I had already anticipated.
In any case, the first semester grades were determined by abination of the scores from the exams and the performance evaluations taken so far. Because of this, it was a huge advantage to have bonus points while retaking the same exam.
Of course, I was the one who received the most bonus points. However, due to my surrender during the duel performance evaluation, it was difficult to expect a good grade for the first semester.
And intuitively, I felt that the ice buff [ck Ice] imbued with darkness mana did not go well with [Ice Sovereign].
In particr, it was difficult to use [ck Ice] on ice magic that was 7-star or higher. It felt like forcibly connecting and operating circuits that didn¡¯t mesh well, it was simply inefficiency.
In other words, the cost-effectiveness of increasing the power of high level magic wasn¡¯t worth it.
Moreover, the mana consumption almost tripled. In other words, unless I was in a short battle, it would be best to use [ck Ice] sparingly.
I invested 5 stat points in [Physical Training Efficiency] and 16 points in [Learning Efficiency] with the 21 new stat points I acquired.
My elemental resistance increased by 10 for each element, thanks to unlocking the achievement during the Thunderbird subjugation. The minimum requirement to reach Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe was an [Ice Element Resistance] of 60 or more. With the Elemental Bracelet, I could now surpass that threshold.
This wasrgely due to the early appearance of Leafa the Illusive, who should have appeared in the second semester. I had nned to acquire it before the end of the first year, but the condition to obtain it was met before the second semester.
In other words, I n to obtain Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, the ultimate ice elemental weapon, during this vacation. Just by holding that legendary weapon, the power of ice magic would be enhanced.
¡°Luce Eltania, are you ready?¡±
In broad daylight, on the beach.
The beach near M?rchen Academy was so beautiful that it could be called a closed tourist attraction. The fine white sand reflected the sunlight, and the view of the emerald sea swaying was dazzling.
A female student was the only one dipping her feet in the water. Her rose-gold hair fluttered in the sea breeze. It was Luce Eltania.
Under the watchful eyes of the academy¡¯s staff, Luce nodded her head at Professor Fernando¡¯s question.
The academy had brought along high-ranking wizards and Dorothy Heartnova, who was considered one of the strongest within the academy. This was to ensure the safety of the 8-star familiar, Thunderbird Galia. They needed to be prepared for any potential battles.
Currently, Luce had recovered enough mana to summon the Thunderbird. The fact that she could summon an 8-star familiar in just four days after being in a state of mana exhaustion meant that her mana recovery speed was insanely fast.
And I, hidden behind a tree near the beach, secretly watched the scene unfold.
Luce stretched her left arm out towards the sea.
Soon after, Professor Fernando instructed Luce to summon the Thunderbird Galia.
The seal on Luce¡¯s left wrist began to emit a purple light.
Whooooosh©¤©¤ Kaboooom©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
In an instant, dark clouds covered the sky, and purple thunder fiercely roared.
From the purple lightning mana cluster that began to waver in the air emerged the ck Thunderbird. ¡®Thunderbird Galia¡¯ had revealed himself.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤[Squaaaaaaawk©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
[Thunderbird Galia] Lv: 175
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [He is relieved that Luce Eltania seems to be fine.]
Thunderbird Galianded on the shallow water of the sea and locked eyes with Luce.
While everyone held their breath, Luce seemed to be the only one who showed anticipation.
Galia gently touched her cheek with the top of hisrge beak.
Then, Luce tenderly embraced Galia¡¯s head.
¡°Why¡ did youe back only now¡ Why¡?¡±
The normally blunt and cold Luce.
Had her head down and sobbed.
To Luce, Galia was the only being who shared memories of their time in the candy house. Even though Hansel died and the Witch of the Candy House also died, Galia had survived despite being cursed.
So, one of Luce¡¯s dearest wishes was to restore Galia to his original state.
That wish was now fulfilled, right here at this moment.
Galia lowered his eyes. After years of being engulfed by his destructive instincts due to the Evil Dragon¡¯s Curse, he must have felt extremely sorry for the burden he had ced on Luce.
The academy staff silently watched Luce and the Thunderbird¡¯s reunion. Luce tightly hugged Galia for a while.
Someday, she would be a high-ranking Tower Master, wielding great influence within the Empire and making history.
It was this moment, the realization of her dream to restore Galia, that marked the beginning of that journey.
¡
On a dark night, at Doris Hall, the dormitory for lower-ranked students.
I was drying my wet hair with a towel. I had just taken a shower after I finished my daily training.
When I returned to my room, all sorts of idle thoughts that hadn¡¯t crossed my mind while training suddenly surfaced.
Among them, the most prevalent thought was undoubtedly about Kaya.
I wanted to convey my gratitude to her for using [Tree of Radiance], even if indirectly.
However, Kaya seemed to be deliberately avoiding me as ofte.
Well, it wasn¡¯t in a bad way. ording to [Psychological Insight], she was always happy to see me.
She also tantly blushed and looked embarrassed whenever she saw me. It seemed like she had developed personal feelings for me as a man.
¡®It¡¯s probably because Kaya and I had experienced various things together.¡¯
I had a rough idea of when I dealt a fatal blow to Kaya¡¯s heart. It must have been when we went to the ant nest and during the end of semester evaluation.
The day we went to defeat Garzia the Hermit, we had to sleep together, which couldn¡¯t be helped.
During the fierce battle at the end of semester evaluation, I handed Kaya the Armana Wand from behind. I thought I had no choice since I was desperate at the time¡
It¡¯s true that I was careless with someone who had no immunity to men. I reflect on that.
Of course, if a girl as pretty as Kaya became my girlfriend, I¡¯d be so happy that I¡¯d strip, do a grand jete2Grand Jete refers to a dance move in ballet where the dancer does a leap in the air and kicks both legs in opposite directions of each other, resulting in a sort of mid-air split, a 360-degree headspin, and then show off an aerial somersault while shouting ¡°Hoo!¡± at the top of my lungs.
However, I was not in a situation where I couldfortably date someone. At least not until I defeated the Evil God.
Moreover, there were various tangled threads of problems with Kaya that needed to be resolved first.
In the first ce, I wasn¡¯t irresistibly attracted to Kaya. Deeply dwelling on it now would only interfere with my training. So, I would have to think about the Kaya issueter.
With that in mind, I got dressed.
¡¸Water Generation (Water Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Saash©¤©¤!
¡°¡?¡±
Suddenly, I heard the sound of water pouring from the window. It wasn¡¯t a sudden downpour. Someone had poured the water.
I walked over to the window and flung it wide open.
Outside the dormitory, under the moonlit night, a female student with rose-gold hair and a tiny floating killer whale waved at me.
I never thought that Luce woulde to see me personally¡
Although it was summer, the night was still cool. I put on a thin coat and left the dormitory.
On the roadside of M?rchen Academy¡¯s living quarters, a streetposed of glowingmps illuminated Luce, who was standing on a macadam-style street. She was wearing a one-piece dress with a cardigan.
As soon as Luce saw me, she unsummoned Bello and stood in a somewhat humble posture. Her usual faint smile adorned her lips.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 150
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [She is happy to see you.]
Luce Eltania¡¯s level had skyrocketed. The status window had recalibrated her power to be level 150.
Now that Galia had returned to his original state, she could fully preserve her inherent lightning mana.
In other words, it would be more urate to say that she had returned to her original level. Luce was naturally very strong.
By the way, as a yer leveled up, they received potential stats and took less damage from lower level enemies.
However, other characters¡¯ levels were simply based on theirbat abilities. The criteria for determining levels itself were inherently different.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Luce. Is your quarantine over?¡±
Luce nodded her head.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°I missed you, Isaac.¡±
For a moment, I took a deep breath. Sometimes, the words Luce casually uttered dealt a fatal blow to my heart.
It wasn¡¯t a statement made out of a desire to be lovers. Luce simply had a style of fully opening her heart as soon as it opened a little, so she was quite close to me. The only thing was that the barrier for entry was extremely high.
Moreover, she had built walls in her rtionship with others due to her troubled past.
So, she had no grasp of how much psychological distance to maintain as a friend, where to draw the line, and what things you shouldn¡¯t say in a friendship.
Therefore, I could understand and move past Luce¡¯s unconscious flirting.
¡°Are you okay? I heard you went through a lot. I was worried, but I couldn¡¯t visit you because you were in quarantine.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [She is happy that you were worried about her.]
¡It seemed like I needed to be more careful with my words as well.
¡°I-I¡¯m okay. Isaac, I want to ask for a favor¡ Can you listen?¡±
Luce, who always started with dull remarks, seriously asked me for a favor, which meant it was definitely an important request.
Luce must have gone through many significant emotional changes recently. She had caused unintended harm to people due to the Thunderbird Subjugation incident, and she had fulfilled her wish to return Galia to his normal state. She must have been in the process of sorting out herplicated feelings.
It was like that in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°What favor?¡±
I was ready to help Luce with whatever she had to say.
If I fulfill your request, I hope you can sort out yourplicated emotions and, as usual, give me dull remarks and talk about trivial things.
So, I will do my best to fulfill whatever request you have.
With that in mind, I paid close attention to what Luce would say next.
¡°¡Can I hold your hand?¡±
Chirp chirp©¤
The sound of insects was loud. The silence was due to me being at a loss for words.
Luce subtly extended her right hand. As if she wanted me to quickly hold it. As I took in the sight of her slender and delicate hand, I couldn¡¯t even properly open my mouth.
I looked back at Luce, who avoided my gaze with her head lowered.
¡°I want to hold hands with Isaac.¡±
On a summer night.
Her voice, as soft as the moonlight etched in the sky, tickled the air.
I was reminded of how truly beautiful Luce¡¯s voice was.
At that moment, my rationality faltered, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything.
All I could do was stare at Luce¡¯s outstretched hand for a long time.
And there we stood, beneath the streetlight.
Oh so quietly, with our heads lowered.
Footnotes:- 1This is referring to how Mayflies only live for up to 24 hours.
- 2Grand Jete refers to a dance move in ballet where the dancer does a leap in the air and kicks both legs in opposite directions of each other, resulting in a sort of mid-air split
Chapter 49: - Hand
? Hand ?
The eastern region of Eltania County epassed the stunning Allicar Coast, which was considered one of the most beautiful ces in all of the Empire.
If one sat on the rooftop of the Eltania family mansion, one could take in the entire view of Allicar Coast, which sparkled like jewels in the sunlight.
At night, one could admire the coastal scenery that shimmered like auroras; this was all thanks to the influx of blue bioluminescent nkton.
However, when Luce was young, she didn¡¯t favor the beauty of the day nor the allure of the night, but the twilight that dwelled in between.
When the edge of the setting sun gently kisses the horizon.
Even the sun, which illuminates the world equally, seems to fade away so futilely.
And moreover, what of my brother Hansel, or the Witch of the Candy House? Human life is truly fleeting.
Luce¡¯s eyes were lifeless. The thought of whether she could truly open her heart to anyone ever again was too much for the young girl to bear.
But if there ever came a day when she opened her heart to someone again.
At that time,
Don¡¯t regret being unable to cherish that precious person more.
Don¡¯t regret being unable to protect them.
Luce used to mutter to herself as she gazed at the majestic light of the setting sun.
* * *
I regained myposure.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [She suspects that you are Greung.]
[Psychological Insight] reveals a person¡¯s current mental state. The reason Luce asked to hold my hand was disyed in the status window.
Only then did I learn the reason Luce hade all this way.
When the Thunderbird Subjugation was over, I had caught Luce and held her in a princess carry. At that time, my hand had touched her arms and legs.
Luce was clearly intent onparing Greung¡¯s hand to mine.
¡®Were you conscious then?¡¯
At the time, I wasn¡¯t fully conscious and my vision was blurry, so I failed to notice. Luce wasn¡¯t unconscious¡ It was a moment when my seven years of experience ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was for naught.
The important thing was that I was still in the ¡®suspicious¡¯ phase. It was evident that Luce had regained consciousness but wasn¡¯t able to clearly observe my appearance.
I could tell by the way she eagerly tried to hold my hand to discern whether I was Greung or not.
Moreover, it seemed that Galia was doing an excellent job at keeping my secret like he said he would in Midheaven Realm. It was a bit worrying, but luckily, that guy had some tact.
¡°Why do you want to hold my hand all of a sudden?¡±
¡°Just¡¡±
¡°Luce, you should only hold hands with the person you like, not a friend of the opposite sex¡¡±
I spoke in an old-fashioned tone to dissipate the subtle atmosphere that Luce had created.
Did you know about Socrates¡¯ famous method of refutation1Socrates¡¯ famous method of refutation (also referred to as Elenchus) was a method that Socrates himself developed to put someone¡¯s social skills ¡°to the test¡±. He would use this dialectal method to reveal someone¡¯s social skills orck thereof.? When I usually pointed out something like this, Luce would argue with me by asking ¡®Why?¡¯, ¡®Why?¡¯, ¡®Why?¡¯.
For this reason, I usually refrained from pointing things out, but this time it couldn¡¯t be helped. I needed to adopt a conservative mindset to ovee this crisis.
¡°We¡¯ve already held hands before¡¡±
The moment I heard that line, I realized I didn¡¯t need to exin to Luce why male and female friends shouldn¡¯t hold hands.
She seemed to know what it meant for a man and a woman to hold hands.
¡°Don¡¯t you have someone you like?¡±
I cut off Luce¡¯s words.
¡°¡I think I do.¡±
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [She feels excited while thinking about Greung.]
It was over. Greung was confirmed to be on Luce¡¯s lover¡¯s route. Now, if it was revealed that I was Greung, I would be seriously screwed.
Moreover, Luce¡¯s lover¡¯s route was activated on the condition that the yer saved her during the ss cement evaluation.
I had perfectly nailed Luce¡¯s lover route on myself by saving her during the Thunderbird subjugation.
Luce was the kind of character who would suffer a fatal blow to her heart if she was saved, even if it was just once. Since I had saved her twice now¡ once her crush¡¯s identity was revealed, her heart would race like a runaway train.
But thanks to Luce sincerely revealing her true feelings, the situation was now in my favor.
¡°Is it me?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not you¡ maybe¡¡±
I deliberately continued talking as if I hadn¡¯t heard Luce whisper ¡®maybe¡¯,
¡°If it¡¯s not me, then¡ Well, anyways, it¡¯s something to celebrate, but then why do you want to hold hands with me so badly? And what was that ¡®just¡¯ about?¡±
I calmly pressed Luce. It was an inevitable situation.
If the fact that I was Greung was revealed, Extra Bad Ending No.13 would suddenlye crashing down like the Grim Reaper.
I couldn¡¯t just end my friendship with Luce either. It was already toote for that.
Let¡¯s try and think about it. If I hastily deny or try to overturn the fact that I¡¯m not Greung, it would only arouse Luce¡¯s suspicion.
Luce had a brain that could remember everything. In other words, if she saw any inconsistencies in my behavior, she would undoubtedly investigate, and I would inevitably be caught as Greung.
So, what should I do? Avoidance would be best.
The key was to keep Luce in a state of ambiguous doubt, wondering whether Isaac and Greung were the same person or not.
As long as she didn¡¯t gainplete certainty, I could just prevent Luce¡¯s heart from firmly directing her feelings towards me.
Slowly, very slowly. Let¡¯s gradually umte enough evidence through inductive reasoning to convince her that I wasn¡¯t Greung.
At least until I defeated the Evil God Nephid.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, if one followed Luce¡¯s lover¡¯s route and defeated the Evil God Nephid, there was an ending scene where Luce and the protagonist would have a happy family life.
Putting the happy family life with Luce aside. The important thing was that by the time one defeated the Evil God Nephid, the risk of facing Extra Bad Ending No. 13 would disappear.
¡°It isn¡¯t okay to y with the feelings of others¡¡±
As I rubbed the back of my neck and spoke in a disappointed tone, Luce raised her head and showed a troubled expression.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡¡±
There was a faint whimper in Luce¡¯s voice.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [She is worried about being hated by you.]
I felt guilty.
I¡¯m sorry for pushing you away, but my situation isn¡¯t easy¡
¡°No, I was too harsh. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°But since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s stay a little longer and chat by theke over there¡¡±
I thought I had sessfully changed the subject. I also quickly came up with a n to distract Luce with various stories.
So, as I was about to move my feet and gradually execute that n.
The moment I turned around and started to move my feet, I felt a weight in my right hand.
The smooth touch of her skin ran through my fingers.
Surprised, I stopped and looked back.
Luce was holding my hand.
¡°¡I didn¡¯t n on asking for permission. I just thought that it would be better to hold your hand¡ even if it meant being hated a little.¡±
Luce said so in a lonely tone and dug her delicate and slender fingers into the spaces between my fingers.
¡°You have calluses2calluses-a rough, thickened area of skin that appears because of repeated irritation or pressure to an area of skin.¡±
The air grew heavy.
Luce raised her head.
Only the sound of insects was loud. The light from the streetposed of glowingmps engulfed the moonlight and brightly shined upon us.
Under that bright light, Luce looked at me, her eyes shadowed by her bangs, and asked.
¡°You¡ are Greung, right?¡±
Extra Bad Ending No.13 ¡¸Bird Cage¡¹.
That ending urred when Luce¡¯s affection gauge for the protagonist broke a certain threshold.
Luce, unable to control her emotions, confined the protagonist after she kidnapped him and took care of him with utmost devotion.
She fed him every day, washed him, embraced him, and showered him with kisses.
She whispered her hidden feelings in a tender voice.
©¤¡¯I love you, ¡ö¡ö¡ö.¡¯
©¤¡¯I like you. I love you, I really love you¡¡¯
As time flowed relentlessly within Luce¡¯s love, the Evil God Nephid was resurrected, bringing about the destruction of the world.
I was someone who had saved Luce twice despite knowing about her hidden and dark tendencies.
With that in mind, I had to do whatever it took to avoid being caught as the true identity of Greung.
My rtionship with Luce was one of friendship.
Even if there were slightly strange vibes due to Luce¡¯s unfamiliarity with boundaries, it was just right for us to be able to say with certainty, ¡®We¡¯re friends.¡¯
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°I asked, are you Greung¡?¡±
¡°How do you do that?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
I immediately went into acting mode and yed dumb.
During my school days, I had aspired to be an actor and had tried a wide range of ys. I took pride in my acting skills and considered them to be top-notch.
Luce seemed puzzled by my expression, as if she didn¡¯t understand why I didn¡¯t know anything.
¡°The ck monster. You already know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±
¡°That¡? Why do you call that ¡®Greung¡¯?¡±
¡°Because he told me so¡ Are you really not Greung?¡±
¡°Idiot.¡±
Luce was taken aback, and shook her head. It seemed that the expression ¡®idiot¡¯, which she had never heard before, had provoked her.
¡°How can I be that monster? Would I be struggling every day if I was?¡±
I was just Isaac, who trained hard every day. She wouldn¡¯t be oblivious to this fact.
¡Is it just my imagination that I feel a bit sad?
¡°¡¡±
Luce stared at me with a meaningful gaze.
However, there was no way she could find even a trace of imperfection in my acting.
My facial expressions and gestures were all perfect.
¡°I see¡¡±
¡°Sorry for the misunderstanding.¡±
Luce lowered her eyes. It seemed like she had conceded.
I wasn¡¯t sure how urately she had felt the touch of my hand during the Thunderbird Subjugation.
But judging from the fact that she couldn¡¯t be sure I was Greung even after reacting to the calluses, it was safe to say that she didn¡¯t feel a distinct touch.
Besides, there was no need to seriously convince her, I just needed to remind her of the difference in mana and skill between Greung and me.
Luce would also consider that judgment to be reasonable. She wasn¡¯t an idiot who would jump to the conclusion that I had reached the realm of an Archwizard.
However, this alone wasn¡¯t enough topletely dispel her suspicion. Luce had developed feelings for Greung, so doubts lingered like embers of a me. At the slightest clue, her suspicion would re up fiercely once again.
I could never let my guard down.
¡°But it¡¯s quite novel to like such a monster. I wonder if I should say that¡¯s just like you Luce¡ I¡¯m curious about what happened. Why don¡¯t you tell me about it from over there¡¡±
¡°Isaac.¡± Luce said while suddenly interrupting me.
¡°Uh, yes?¡±
What now?
For some reason, Luce looked like a shy girl, blushing and hanging her head.
As I watched her fidget with her fingers, I had an ominous feeling.
¡®Keep calm.¡¯
There was no difference from before. No matter what challenges I had to face, I would calmly ovee them.
Soon, Luce¡¯s oceanic eyes looked straight into mine.
¡°Could you, by any chance, teach me how to be in a rtionship?¡±
This¡
¡seems like it will be quite a tough battle.
Footnotes:- 1Socrates¡¯ famous method of refutation (also referred to as Elenchus) was a method that Socrates himself developed to put someone¡¯s social skills ¡°to the test¡±. He would use this dialectal method to reveal someone¡¯s social skills orck thereof.
- 2calluses-a rough, thickened area of skin that appears because of repeated irritation or pressure to an area of skin
Chapter 50: - Summer Vacation Ceremony
? Summer Vacation Ceremony ?
¡°We shall now proceed with the summer vacation ceremony for the first year students of the Magic Department.¡±
The end-of-semester retest consisted of several elemental magic tests. It was very smallpared to the traditional end-of-semester evaluation¡¯s scale, but it was also the most intuitive.
Thus, the first semester came to a close. The total grade for the first semester was the sum of all grades from the exams and performance evaluations taken thus far.
I was ranked 230th out of 300 students. Well, it was expected. I had received very low scores for my Grade E mana at the start of the semester, and I had no choice but to surrender during the duel.
But I still had my sights set on being the top seat. Grades were an important indicator of how much stronger I had be, after all.
Under the blue sky,rge groups of fluffy clouds leisurely drifted across the scenery. Amidst the chirping of birds, the first-year students of the Magic Department btedly held their summer vacation ceremony.
In the square, students were seated in chairs that were neatly arranged beforehand.
Headmistress Elena, a beautiful woman in her 70s who retained the appearance of her 20s due to the effects of her passive [Immortality], gave a speech.
As the top seat of the first semester of the first year, Luce Eltania came forward as the student representative and read the deration.
While doing so, she discreetly nced my way and let out a gentle smile whenever she had a chance.
However, the male students around me blushed as if they had seen something pleasant, and sent envious and jealous gazes my way. I had grown used to it by now.
¡®What to do¡?¡¯
My worries surfaced again, all because of a recent dilemma I had taken on.
I asked her how she found out about Greung, and after listening to the story I already knew, I gave her some clich¨¦d rtionship advice. I was sweating internally, trying my best to hide the fact that I was Greung.
Well, Luce¡¯s story aside.
I had a lot of things to do over the break.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was a widely recognized god-tier game. Due to its vast content and story, as well as the various interactions between objects and huge open-world map that felt like one big world, it had been loved by many users for a long time.
¡®Once I go outside, there¡¯ll be plenty of content.¡¯
During the break, I heard from Amy that Ian Fairytale nned to enjoy content like the guild quests outside the academy.
The Evil God wouldn¡¯t be able to track Ian after he leaves the academy. That was why the demons couldn¡¯t be informed about the ¡®Child of Light¡¯s whereabouts. Other light element wielders like the Saintess weren¡¯t attacked by demons for simr reasons.
In the first ce, an astronomical amount of mana was consumed to send it into the abyss and awaken the demons one by one. The Evil God must be struggling with that one task alone.
So, I hope Ian enjoys his summer vacation to the fullest.
¡®I¡¯ll just go look for Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe.¡¯
Thanks to obtaining the Elemental Bracelet, my ns were pushed forward. I could now search for the ultimate ice elemental weapon, Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe.
If things went well, I might be able to get my hands on my second ultimate elemental weapon before I even became a second-year student.
¡®Awesome.¡¯
I could already feel the pressure from the intense ¡°Floating Ind¡± scenario easing.
The ¡®Floating Ind¡¯ scenario was a chapter that caused many users to feel regret because of Dorothy¡¯s death.
Although she was already cursed to die within a year, she ended up dying even sooner because the demons had elerated her curse.
It was a very heartbreaking chapter for me, as Dorothy was my favorite character.
¡®I won¡¯t let Dorothy die.¡¯
Of course, Dorothy would also be a great help in preventing bad endings in the future.
In the first ce, Dorothy was my favorite character. That reason alone was enough to save her.
Achieving my goals through gritted teeth and sheer determination was my specialty, after all. Whether it was the ¡®Floating Ind¡¯ chapter or anything else, I would definitely save my favorite character.
In order to do that, I would have to train hard during this break.
¡
On the way back from the end-of-semester ceremony.
Most students were busily preparing to return to their hometowns right away. Since the first-year students of the Magic Department had their break dyed by nine days, they must have been feeling impatient and discontent.
Come to think of it, there won¡¯t be many students around during the break. I can have the training ground all to myself. Hell yeah!
Quite a few students would be leaving tomorrow, so I had to do my training as usual today.
Starting tomorrow, it would be better to go to the training ground.
¡°¡¡.¡±
Was it because I had just finished a hectic semester and was now weing the break? I suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
I stopped and looked down at my right hand. The now familiar hand shape entered my sight.
Isaac. I had taken over this weak man with silver-blue hair, red eyes, and an otaku-like appearance. I didn¡¯t know where Isaac¡¯s hometown was, who his family was, or what kind of upbringing he had.
Is it proper etiquette to somehow find out Isaac¡¯s personal information and visit his family at least once?
¡®Now that I think about it¡¡¯
As I thought about it, a question surfaced in my mind.
¡®Isaac, why did you enroll here?¡¯
I knew why Ian had enrolled at M?rchen Academy. It was to graduate from the best academy and be a prestigious magic knight.
Ian¡¯s E-rank mana was due to an upbringing that couldn¡¯t properly awaken his talents. Nevertheless, he had thoroughly honed his swordsmanship skills in order to be a knight.
But what about Isaac, who also had E-rank mana?
¡®If bing a wizrd was his goal, why did he only focus on academics instead of magic training?¡¯
At the beginning of the first semester, during the mana evaluation, Professor Fernando said that Isaac had received excellent grades in the theoretical field.
But why?
Oveing E-rank mana wasn¡¯t that difficult. Even if he had no talent, he would have somehow surpassed the E rank if he had diligently trained his magic. Was he really aiming to be just a schr? If so, wasn¡¯t the distribution of effort too extreme?
Isaac must have passed the academy¡¯s entrance exam with only theoretical skills. It felt like he deliberately focused on the ¡®part he could do best¡¯.
It was as if¡ he hadn¡¯te to M?rchen Academy to ¡®be a sessful wizard¡¯, but had ¡®some reason to enter M?rchen Academy¡¯. There was a strange possibility.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Isaac was an undeniable extra. In other words, it¡¯s not because he was a hidden mastermind or an important figure who could influence the scenario.
¡®Something seems to be on the tip of my tongue¡ Ah.¡¯
Suddenly, a silver-haired female student came to mind. One of the NPCs with no story importance, she was a character with a mental disorder that seemed a bit sociopathic.
It somehow felt like Isaac was rted to that NPC. However, the silver-haired girl was just one of the passing NPCs, so I could not clearly recall the dialogue.
Was it just my imagination? I didn¡¯t know. I could be overthinking it because I¡¯m feeling sensitive.
While mulling over my thoughts, I headed to the Butterfly Garden.
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
On the deserted garden path, a sudden gust of green wind brushed past my skin.
Along with a familiar voice, a female student wrapped in wind magded in front of me.
Her light green twin-tails fluttered in the wind.
Ranked second in total points for the first semester, the second seat, Kaya Astrean.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 97
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt
Danger: X
Psychology: [She is happy to see your face.]
¡°Kaya?¡±
I hadn¡¯t expected her to suddenlye to me because she had recently been avoiding me.
She had acquired the nt element. Well, that was only natural.
Now that I thought about it, she didn¡¯t even ask me about the Armana Wand. I had already prepared an answer to that.
¡°I-I-I came to say thank you!¡±
She was so nervous that her voice trembled like an earthquake.
¡°Because of the wand?¡±
¡°Yes, yes¡!¡±
Although it was quitete, I never expected to receive any gratitude. If anything, I should be the one thanking her.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was something you needed, so I gave it to you.¡±
¡°Do you¡ care about me?¡±
I didn¡¯t bother to answer. It was true that I cared.
Kaya blushed, taking my silence as a positive response.
¡°Actually¡! I¡¯ll be returning to my family soon. So, I won¡¯t be able to see you during the break, and I came to say goodbye¡!¡±
¡°How did you find me?¡±
¡°Well, I saw you while I was flying in the sky.¡±
Kaya was dressed in elegant brown clothes. She must have wanted to meet me before leaving the academy.
¡°So, what I wanted to say is¡!¡±
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [She is in trouble because her mind has gone nk.]
In short, she came to see my face and express her gratitude before leaving.
I was delighted. I was genuinely grateful to Kaya.
Because of you, I¡¯m here now.
¡°So, what I was trying to say¡!¡±
Kaya stared at my face with wide open eyes.
Here, in the corner of the Butterfly Garden, the street was lined with mahogany. Befitting its name, the flower beds scattered around and the butterflies dancing in the garden were quite refreshing.
Kaya¡¯sdylike demeanor blended well with the scenery. She looked lovely.
The corners of my mouth unconsciously rose. She was the person I owed the most in the first semester, the one who saved my life with the [Tree of Radiance], after all.
Eventually, I realized that my expression was the first genuine smile I had ever shown Kaya. I suddenly noticed that I hadn¡¯t smiled at her much.
¡°Have a great break, Kaya.¡±
I approached Kaya and patted her shoulder.
As I was about to head to my usual training spot in the corner of the butterfly garden.
Chuu.
An unexpected attack hit me. Something soft touched my right cheek for a moment, making a cute sound as it passed by.
Startled, I tried to maintain myposure and looked to the side.
¡°I-I¡¡±
Kaya was trembling, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. Herplexion hadpletely changed.
Steam was rising endlessly above her head, her eyes spinning round and round.
It seemed she had btedly realized what she had done while failing to suppress her instincts.
¡°I¡¯vemitted a grave sin©¤©¤©¤!!!¡±
Dadadadada©¤!
Kaya ran away as fast as she could. It was a sprint in high heels.
She wrapped wind magic around her feet and fiercely cut through the air. Her figure somewhat resembled a bullet.
For a while, I stood still, gazing at the spot Kaya had left while touching the cheek she kissed.
I didn¡¯t expect the shy girl to be so bold.
¡°¡¡±
I must have been¡ really surprised.
* * *
Inside the luxurious carriage of the Carnedas family that was departing from the academy.
¡°Lady Ciel, is there something bothering you?¡±
The carriage was crossing the great bridge and passing near the Kalis Mountain Range.
Emma, the armor-d exclusive escort knight of the Carnedas family, asked Ciel with a doubtful expression. They were riding in the same carriage.
Ciel would usually have been napping at this time of day. However, for some reason, she was lost in deep thought, propping her chin on her hand and staring intently out of the window.
What had she experienced at the academy? A Ciel who didn¡¯t nap was no different from an unknown person to Emma.
¡°Just¡¡±
Ciel replied in her usual weak voice.
¡°I¡¯m just realizing how vast the world is.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Emma couldn¡¯t understand Ciel¡¯s response. She wasn¡¯t usually fond of the concept of ¡®appreciation¡¯.
Had the academy life full of youth and the scent of flowers changed Ciel?
Or¡ had she be so deeply troubled that even her naptime had been affected?
Feeling an unnecessary tension, Emma repeatedly swallowed her dry saliva.
Ciel¡¯s mind was on Isaac.
The boy with silver-blue hair had deceived Ciel about his mana capacity and pretended to be weak. However, wizards were not existences that could act weak just because they wanted to.
Because of mana perception, one could sense the wizard¡¯s mana circuit and roughly estimate their amount of mana when they use magic.
That was why Ciel quickly realized that Isaac was weak.
However, during the final exam, he pinpointed the locations of Fell Cards. He demonstrated an enormous mana perception ability that didn¡¯t match his mana capacity.
It was truly a contradiction.
But during the Thunderbird Subjugation, the contradiction was resolved when Isaac was revealed as a powerful being.
And the fact that such a powerful being could hide their mana meant that they had reached the realm of an archwizard at such a young age ¨C an unbelievable conclusion.
Historically, there has never been such a prodigy. In other words, if it became known that a person of Ciel¡¯s age like Isaac had reached the realm of an archwizard.
¡®The world would be turned upside down.¡¯
Putting aside the royal family, the world itself would have its eyes on Isaac. Everything in the world wouldpete to win his heart.
¡®But that guy is hiding his identity¡¡¯
It had been concluded that the ck monster that caused a stir at the academy was a demon who had betrayed its own kind.
It was because he appeared at the right time and ce whenever a demon appeared.
And because he used ice magic wrapped in darkness mana, which only demons could use.
In the first ce, he didn¡¯t even look human from the outside.
As such, Ciel had no objections to the idea that the ck monster was a unique type of demon.
However, after learning that Isaac was the monster, she could finally think of the possibility of a ¡®Magic Cloak of Disguise¡¯.
The enemy of an enemy is a friend, as they say. Even so, the academy side was not letting their guard down against the ck monster.
Before all of that, why did Isaac hide his mana?
Although she didn¡¯t know the reason, it was certain that Isaac was secretly struggling to protect the people of the academy.
In that case, it would be much better to work with the academy side to stop the demons.
But for some reason, Isaac wasn¡¯t doing that.
¡®Is it because of an informant?¡¯
During the dueling evaluation, Professor Fernando found out from the demons that there was an ¡®informant¡¯ within the academy. It was a fact that could be learned by looking at the investigation records posted by the Truth Investigation Committee on the Orphin Hall bulletin board.
In other words, that informant was involved in the academy¡¯s administration.
If Isaac was in a position where he would be in trouble if he got caught by that person, the situation before and after fit like puzzle pieces.
Behind the scenes, unknown to the academy students, including Ciel.
A dangerous confrontation between Isaac and the informant was unfolding.
Ciel didn¡¯t want to get involved in such aplicated and dangerous situation. However, the M?rchen Academy diploma was necessary for her to livefortably, so dropping out wasn¡¯t even an option. Other students must have had simr thoughts.
¡®Then¡ I should have that ss D guy protect me. But I shouldn¡¯t carelessly provoke him.¡¯
As a result, all incidents were resolved by protecting the secret that ¡®Isaac is actually strong¡¯.
And ording to the information received from the Carnedas family¡¯s informant.
Now that the Imperial Knights were getting involved in M?rchen Academy, if the informant was revealed at this time¡
¡®Will my academy life be worry-free?¡¯
An informant siding with the demons and causing harm to people.
Isaac, who was defeating demons and protecting people.
It was clear without a doubt which side to take.
Chapter 51: - Prologue (1)
? Prologue (1) ?
In the afternoon of the school¡¯s vacation ceremony, thick raindrops started to pour down heavily. The clouds that I had initially mistaken for cumulus turned out to be nimbostratus clouds.
In the end, I had to cut my training short and make my way back to Doris Hall.
After being washed by the rain, I decided to sort out my ns for the future and put them into action. Since summer vacation had arrived, I thought it was a good idea to solidify my ns.
I took a seat at my desk, spread out a sheet of paper, dipped my quill in ink, and began writing them down.
¡®First, there¡¯s the matter of next semester¡¯s tuition fees.¡¯
Each semester¡¯s tuition fee was 50,000 gel. I had the option to use external funds converted to gel, which were limited to tuition purposes, or I could pay directly with gel.
I had earned a significant amount of gel by selling the zephrim I had obtained inrge quantities from the Tantak underground cave.
However, I made a significant expenditure when I bought the Armana Wand, so my current amount of gel was a bit shortpared to the tuition fees.
Considering the cost of living during the vacation, I needed to dedicate some time to earning more gel.
I was aware of a part-time job that increased [Elemental Efficiency]. If I took that job during the vacation andbined the gel I earned with the ones I already had, I should be able to cover my tuition fees. The fact that it also helped with my training would be an added bonus.
¡®For my vacation schedule¡¡¯
Excluding the part-time job hours, my vacation schedule would be filled with continuous training. Enjoying external academy content can help me grow, but repetitive training is still the most efficient way.
If it weren¡¯t for my status window, I would have been Isaac, the weakest student,gging far behind everyone else in terms of growth speed. I needed to be stronger with maximum efficiency.
¡®So, it will be a continuous cycle of a boring part-time job and training. Then, what¡¯s left is the¡¡¯
Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, which could be considered the major highlight of this summer vacation.
During the break, I would have a chance to get my hands on the legendary weapon I wanted within my first year.
In order to obtain Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, I must pass a trial consisting of mental challenges. It would take ce in a non-reality setting, so I simply needed to ovee whatever obstacles came my way.
Since the content of the trial varied from person to person, the trial that I experienced as Ian in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? would be quite different from the one that I would encounter as Isaac.
¡®I¡¯m not sure if my game knowledge will be helpful.¡¯
I would have to stay within the cold aura emitted by the Frostscythe until the trial was over.
That was why the minimum requirement for obtaining the Frostscythe was to raise [Ice Resistance] to at least 60, as it represented ¡®the minimum threshold to withstand the cold until the trial is over¡¯.
In other words, if I couldn¡¯t pass the trial before my body reached its limits, I would die.
¡®¡Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡¯
As the time to obtain the Frostscythe drew near, the realization that I could potentially die from this endeavor hit me hard. It felt even more significant because I had already experienced how death was not a distant possibility while fighting with the Thunderbird.
Besides, I was good at hunting demons, but when it came to trials, I was just an ordinary Isaac¡
¡°Still¡ If I get this, I¡¯ll be able to power up.¡±
Risking my life had enough merit. I didn¡¯t know how to handle weapons, but simply holding Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe would amplify the power of ice magic. I could use it like a wizard uses a staff.
In other words, if I activated [Ice Sovereign] and held Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe, it would result in the birth of the strongest Isaac. The Isaac Coin would soar all the way to Mars.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t properly handle the [Ice Sovereign] skill yet. As the ultimate ice element passive skill, it would be strange if I could already use it well.
Additionally, Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe had side effects. The more the weapon was used, the more it eroded the user¡¯s body with its cold aura. However, this will gradually be less of a problem as I grow stronger.
Well, it wasn¡¯t like [Ice Sovereign], which he couldn¡¯t handle at all. So that was something.
¡°I should prepare some cold protection gear.¡±
Surprisingly, all the ultimate elemental weapons were located in M?rchen Academy.
¡®In the future, when the Evil God of the Apocalypse is resurrected, and the end of the world approaches, a brave hero will emerge to stop the Evil God.¡¯
This was a glimpse of the future seen by the archwizards of each element, collectively known as the ¡®Primordial Elemental Kings.¡¯ Naturally, the hero referred to in the prophecy was none other than the protagonist Ian Fairytale, the Child of Light.
The Primordial Elemental Kings had decided to help the hero from the distant future. However, the future was uncertain, so they could not determine which element the hero would use to stop the Evil God.
As a result, they decided to leave behind the ultimate weapons for each element. They chose M?rchen Academy, where the hero would awaken his true potential.
¡®That setting is introduced in the second semester of the second year.¡¯
In other words, Ian would obtain the ultimate weapons of each element during the second semester of his second year. Well, everything else was fine. I just hoped that he would cooperate well with Cielter and obtain the Luminous Sword safely when the time came.
Now, my task was clear. I had to find the hidden pieces scattered throughout ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, namely the ¡®Traces of the Ice Sovereign¡¯. There were a total of four such items.
After finding all four ¡®Traces of the Ice Sovereign¡¯ and cing my hand on a certain magic circle in the A Forest,
If I dered, ¡®I will face the Trial of Frost¡¯, I would automatically be transported to the trial location.
¡®As for the preparations¡¡¯
I made a list of things to prepare, such as clothes, cold protection gear, and fire element hand warmers. To endure the trial, I first needed to keep my body warm.
As I wrote, my left hand that held the parchment caught my eye.
A ck seal etched into my wrist, the ¡®8-star Familiar Contract Circle¡¯.
I lifted my left hand to examine the seal closely. It had the same shape as the 8-star Familiar Contract Circle I was familiar with. However, nothing was inscribed in it, only disying a dull ck color.
At first nce, it appeared to be just an ordinary tattoo ¨C it didn¡¯t disappear, nor did I feel anything from it.
After seeing my fate, the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath had bestowed upon me this contract circle as the most essential gift.
If the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath had foretold my involvement with an 8-star magic beast, then there could be no other creature but that one.
¡®Frost Dragon Hilde¡¡¯
The Frost Dragon guarding the Frostscythe.
An 8-star ice magic beast, ¡®Frost Dragon-Hilde¡¯.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, all the creatures guarding the ultimate weapons were 8-star magic beasts.
In theter stages of the game, obtaining an 8-star Familiar Contract Circle allowed you to form a contract with an 8-star magic beast that matched your element.
There were two conditions that must be met. First, you must have obtained the ultimate weapon. Second, you must defeat the 8-star magic beast and prove that you are stronger.
In order to make ¡®Frost Dragon Hilde¡¯ mine, I must not only pass the trial and obtain the Frostscythe, but also defeat them.
However, unlike demons, it was a pure magic beast. This meant that, I had to face it with the body of an ordinary Isaac, with the [Hunter] trait deactivated.
¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯
There was no way I could win. I had almost died fighting the 8-star familiar Thunderbird Galia, with [Hunter] trait activated. And that was when its health was already significantly reduced.
How could I, as ordinary Isaac, defeat a full-health 8-star magic beast, Frost Dragon Hilde? No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like an impossible feat.
However¡ I couldn¡¯t think of any other 8-star magic beasts besides the Frost Dragon.
¡®What did that witch see in my fate?¡¯
Could it be that she just gave me something random that was within her reach?
¡I decided to put those thoughts aside and go search for the four ¡®Traces of the Ice Sovereign¡¯ items.
With a vague recollection of where they were, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of spending the entire day scouring the academy for them.
I ced the quill pen down on the parchment where I had written my ns, stood up from the desk chair, and changed intofortable navy blue sportswear along with a raincoat.
After that, I left the room.
* * *
For a thousand years, snow had been falling and dancing in the air, even in midsummer, defying the climate of the Whiterk Duchy which covered the northern region.
The reason behind it was the swirling ice mana that enveloped the Eiffel Mountain Range, which stood at 9,000 meters.
An ice elemental archwizard called Primordial Ice Elemental King, Ice Sovereign, and Witch with the Scythe, had battled against ancient demons to protect the northern region. At that time, the summoned majestic form of the archwizard¡¯s 8-star magic beast, ¡®Frost Dragon Hilde¡¯, became the symbol of the Whiterk family, the ¡®White Dragon Emblem¡¯.
Keridna Whiterk, a pink-haired female student belonging to ss A at M?rchen Academy, returned to her mansion and greeted her parents.
In a hurry, she entered her room and locked the door.
When the maids outside the door offered to prepare a bath, she was tantly embarrassed, stuttering, ¡°Uh, um¡!¡±
¡°Hehehehehe¡¡±
After the maid left, Keridna was dripping cold sweat and startedughing like a viin. It was a habit she had developed in her childhood, believing it made her look cool.
¡°Thatmoner got served. He dared to ignore me.¡±
It was during the vacation ceremony before she left the academy to return home.
Keridna took advantage of the crowded scene to brush past Isaac, the silver-blue haired male student from ss D, and nted a spell on him.
The Whiterk bloodline ability, [Sight Synchronization]. It was a unique magic exclusive to the direct bloodline of the Whiterk family, simr to Amy Holloway¡¯s [Heart Color Discernment] magic.
By casting the spell on a specific person, one could see and store in their memory the scenes that appeared in the target¡¯s field of view, regardless of the distance between them.
Since the mana consumption increased with distance, continuously observing the target¡¯s field of vision was challenging. Keridna¡¯s sister had advised her to intermittently check the target¡¯s sight instead.
Keridna¡¯s sister, Aichel Whiterk, contributed to the power struggles of the Whiterk family by monitoring the vision of about 20 key figures, excluding royalty, using this ability. Although the consequences of being caught could be severe, potentially leading to the downfall of the Whiterk family, no incidents had urred so far.
She was a bold sister.
And she seemed to be hiding something.
Anyway, [Sight Synchronization] had never been discovered by others. Its unique characteristic of not emitting mana made it undetectable. Detecting the [Sight Synchronization] spell was only possible when targeting someone from the Whiterk family who utilized the spell.
Ultimately, [Sight Synchronization] was a major factor in the Whiterk family¡¯s rise to power as a ducal family and their sess in power struggles.
Keridna had used this kind of magic for personal purposes. She absolutely couldn¡¯t be caught, as her parents would be furious if they found out.
¡°What¡¯s so special about thatmoner that everyone¡¯s making a fuss about?¡±
The silver-blue haired ss Dmoner. During this break, she would uncover all of his secrets.
Keridna valued connections. As soon as she joined ss A, she tried to be friendly with her fellow students. It was evident that a goodwork would greatly benefit her in the future.
Although her performance during this first semester was somewhatckluster.
By taking a peek into the life of the mysterious ss Dmoner who was associated with the top students¡ªtop seat Luce Eltania, second seat Kaya Astrean, and third seat Ciel Carnedas¡ª
She might find valuable hints to create new connections.
¡®No, I didn¡¯t use [Sight Synchronization] for personal purposes. It was all to solidify my social status. Ultimately, it was for the Whiterk family!¡¯
Keridna expanded her thoughts in this manner, justifying her actions to herself.
Outside the window, the view was enveloped in darkness. In the Whiterk duchy, it snowed for 340 days a year, and today, Keridna saw a gently falling snowscape.
What could the mysterious ss D male student be doing now?
Keridna sat down at her spacious desk, closed her eyes, and focused.
A damp space. Falling water. Isaac¡¯s sight was dim.
Is he¡ taking a shower?
Suddenly, Isaac¡¯s upper body was reflected in the mirror. His body was¡ better than she had expected.
¡®Something, something¡¡¯
She felt like the sight healed her eyes. Was themoner¡¯s body really this good? It was surprising.
¡°Hu, uh, um¡¡±
Gradually, the fact that she was peeking into someone¡¯s private life in real-time started causing her to feel guilty and depraved. It was an act that deserved moral condemnation.
Then, as Isaac¡¯s gaze started moving downwards.
Keridna was taken aback, quickly opened her eyes, cutting off the [Sight Synchronization] magic. She didn¡¯t have the courage to see what came next.
¡°Heavens, this is what the spell does¡?¡±
Keridna panted. It was her first time using this bloodline magic.
To have felt such a psychological burden from just briefly looking into someone¡¯s vision¡ She thought she would die of embarrassment.
Her sister, who usually monitored 20 nobles, must have witnessed all kinds of things.
¡®Sister, what kind of battles have you been through¡?¡¯
Keridna never imagined that she would feel this kind of admiration for her sister, Aichel Whiterk.
Flinch. Keridna quickly looked around the room, making sure that there was no one around.
It was because Aichel frequently appeared out of nowhere, she needed to be extra cautious.
¡°Should I continue looking? ¡No.¡±
Keridna shook her head. The other person was in the shower. Even when using [Sight Synchronization], there were ethical and moral boundaries that had to be respected.
Despite having already invaded Isaac¡¯s privacy, Keridna attempted to alleviate her guilt with such thoughts.
Did the Whiterk family turn a blind eye to such guilt in order to maintain their power?
It was an unexpectedly thought-provoking night.
* * *
The traces of the Ice Sovereign were faintly glowing blue magic stones, divided into four pieces.
It took a full three days to find them all. It was a humbling experience, making me realize how ambitious it was to think that they could be found in just a day.
The first piece was found in a cave on the Neishin Coast.
The second piece was found inside a tree in Josena Forest, which took an entire day to locate, from morning to night, because I had the vaguest memory of it.
The third piece was found inside a book in the ancient books section of the library. Since I knew the title of the book, it didn¡¯t take long.
Thest, fourth piece was found in Changgung Park, a park on a mountain with a panoramic view of the M?rchen Academy.
Each time an item was found, a system window appeared saying something like [Congrattions! You have found [First Trace of the Ice Sovereign]!] There was no doubt that these were the traces of the Ice Sovereign.
At one point, when Luce asked, ¡°Isaac, what are you doing?¡± I casually brushed her off by saying I was exercising. She had decided to stay at the academy during the break.
©¤ ¡®Isaac, are you going home for the holidays?¡¯
©¤ ¡®No, what about you?¡¯
©¤ ¡®I was thinking of not going since you¡¯re not going.¡¯
©¤ ¡®¡???¡¯
She said there was no reason to leave, as the person she cared for was at the academy, not at the Eltania mansion.
It was a headache-inducing exnation.
In the evening.
As soon as I found the fourth magic stone, I headed straight to A Forest. It was a forest that appeared after crossing Josena Forest, which was right in front of the M?rchen Academy¡¯s main entrance, and following a long valley.
The trees entwined with ice mana, emitting a bluish-green hue, added a sense of mystery to the forest. It was because of them that A Forest was called the ¡®Ice Forest¡¯.
As I made my way through the forest, a vast in reminiscent of an icy tundra spread out before me. A sky-blue grass field faintly emitting ice mana. A subtle chill started enveloping my skin.
In the middle of the in, there was an inconspicuous magic circle. Even though the grass made it unnoticeable, it was clearly a magic circle.
¡°I¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±
This was the location of the trial. Beyond this magic circle, Frost Dragon Hilde and the Frostscythe left by the Archwizard Ice Sovereign must be sealed.
I remembered the setting where the Primordial Elemental Kings caused mana to be undetectable from the outside. That was why, until now, no one had discovered that the 8-star familiar and the ultimate weapon were hidden here.
Even if an archwizard-level person were toe, the situation would be the same.
I took out the four pieces of the ¡®Traces of the Ice Sovereign¡¯ magic stones and dropped them onto the magic circle.
Then, I began wearing all kinds of cold-weather clothing from my magic pouch.
Everything was covered except for my eyes. Due to the numerousyers of clothes, my figure had be so thick that it made extreme obesity seem insignificant.
¡®Walking is ufortable.¡¯
Still, as long as I could walk, it was enough.
I took a deep breath.
Bending one knee was difficult, so I justid down and ced my thick, gloved hand on the magic circle.
Even if I looked ridiculous, considering the fact that I was about to undergo a trial to obtain the ultimate ice elemental weapon, there was nothing I could do about it.
And finally, thest step.
¡°I will face the Trial of Frost.¡±
My vision was instantly filled with a bluish hue. A powerful light that started emanating from the magic circle enveloped me.
Suddenly feeling a floating sensation, I closed my eyes.
T/N: Changed Demonic Beast -> Magic Beast. This is to differentiate between magic beasts and demonic creatures, whereas demonic creatures are closer to demons, but magic beasts are not.
Chapter 52: - Prologue (2)
? Prologue (2) ?
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a shimmering surface. Beneath me was a magic circle emitting a calm, pale blue light.
In front of me was a panoramic view of an icy cavern. It was the trial chamber.
A ce where you could enter at will, but not leave.
The Frost Dragon¡¯s permission was required to get out of the chamber. It was the only one authorized to enter and exit this space.
¡®As expected, it¡¯s magnificent¡¡¯
Seeing it in reality waspletely different from seeing it in the game. The vast cavern had a breathtakingndscape, one that could easily be mistaken for a pce of ice.
My eyes darted around, and I gulped as I caught sight of a huge passageway.
Beyond it, a beautifully shaped icebergid in wait.
Trapped inside was a white dragon, frozen in time.
I stood up and staggered towards the white dragon, finding it difficult to walk while bundled up in my winter clothes.
Once through the passage, the sheer size of the iceberg overwhelmed me.
The ice surrounding the cave was illuminated by pale blue ice mana, causing the white dragon¡¯s jade scales to glow even more brilliantly.
Pale blue mana faintly emanated from within the iceberg. The mana seemed to circte through the ice, allowing it to maintain itself regardless of the white dragon¡¯s will.
The dragon was a symbol and legend of northern Zelver.
It was an eight-star magic beast, the Frost Dragon Hilde that was once the familiar of the Ice Sovereign.
[Frost Dragon Hilde] Lv: 180
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [It is happy to see you.]
Inside the mass of ice, the two eyes of the Frost Dragon opened ¨C awakening after a thousand years of slumber.
The sparkling pupils that resembled emeralds were directed at me, vertically slit like those of a reptile.
[O human, have youe to face the Trial of Frost?]
The Frost Dragon¡¯s archaic voice echoed in my head, sounding like an adult woman.
Indeed¡ The sight of the Frost Dragon in reality was awe-inspiring,parable in size to a small mountain. With a single step, it could effortlessly crush someone like me, ending my life as easily as a bug.
I became tense. Letting out a lungful of air, I nodded.
¡°Yes.¡±
[You have proven yourself worthy bying here. I will open the door to your trials].
Whaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
The giant ice gate behind the Frost Dragon opened its jaws, releasing an intense pale blue light. At the end of the pathway formed by the light, a distant darkness took its ce.
From within the passage, a cold wind started blowing. Despite my tightly bundled winter clothing and my elemental bracelet tuned to ice resistance, the cold pricked my skin.
From now on, I had to pass through this windswept passage.
[Cruel visions will test your spirit, while harsh cold will consume your flesh. Prove that you are qualified to ovee these trials and be the wielder of the Frostscythe].
Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard such epic lines.
Putting aside the anxiety, it brought back memories of the time I obtained the ultimate weapon during the second semester of the second year as a magical knight in M?rchen Academy. It made my heart swell.
Anyways, the game of life and death had begun. If I could ovee the trials before freezing to death, the Frostscythe would be mine.
The trials are vicious.
usible events were woven into an ordeal to eat away at the spirit of the challenger.
In the game, Ian encountered a time from his past when he endured torment and disdain. He did, however, have unwavering fortitude. Such trials could be easily ovee, all you needed to do was witness the story and defeat a few enemies.
I don¡¯t know what trials await me. Will I be lost in this body, entangled in Isaac¡¯s past?
¡®No matter the trials, there¡¯s no difference from the things I¡¯ve faced so far.¡¯
I just have to ovee them.
Especially when it came to mental strength, I was confident. Even when trapped in this feeble body, my mental fortitude remained far superior to my other stats.
In any case, today will be the day that Isaac Coin traces a steep upward curve.
I moved past the Frost Dragon and entered the pale blue passageway.
Unexpectedly, the light faded quickly, revealing a duskyndscape. It was a dark night, and the only thing I could see was a raging blizzard reminiscent of a rainstorm.
A passageway of unknown width stretched out ahead of me. At its end, a faint beam of light directed me like a lighthouse beacon. The Frostscythe must be over there.
¡°It¡¯s cold¡!¡±
¡¸Ice Shield (Ice Element, ¡ï2)¡¹
I started running at a full sprint, wrapping my cloak around me to block the frigid wind. The cold was unbearable.
Even my eyeballs seemed to freeze. I closed my eyes for three seconds as I ran, very briefly opened them to make sure that I was on track, closed them again for three seconds, and so on.
The closer I got to the beam of light, the more violent the blizzard became. The bitter cold was digging into my skin through my winter coat and chilling me to the bone.
Then,
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Face the Trial of Frost.
The voice of the woman called the Ice Sovereign echoed in my head and I lost my consciousness.
* * *
Frost Dragon Hilde was lost in thought as she sifted through her memories.
The red-eyed man who had just entered the trial, bundled up tightly to protect against the cold, was a sight to behold.
Facing the Frost Dragon herself, he showed no surprise or fear. It was as if he knew that she would be here.
Furthermore, despite appearing weak on the surface, an intense aura emanated from him, reminiscent of the long-lost emerald light that the Frost Dragon had yearned for.
The Ice Sovereign. The aura of the ancient archwizard who had oncemanded the Frost Dragon as a familiar was flowing from the weak-looking man.
To be precise, it was Isaac¡¯s nine-star passive skill [Ice Sovereign], but the Frost Dragon was unaware of that fact.
[A thousand years, how futile].
The image of a cold-hearted archwizard who had always lived in solitude about a thousand years ago shed before her eyes. For the highest-ranked magic beast, the Frost Dragon, a thousand years was nothing.
For all those years, she had been drifting in her dreams. In them, she could conquer the world alongside the Ice Sovereign.
And now, after a thousand years, the soul of the longed-for archwizard had begun its next incarnation.
There was nothing strange about it. It was simply fate.
[Have you finally been reborn, Ice Sovereign?].
He was undoubtedly the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign.
For a thousand years, the Frost Dragon had kept the Frostscythe¡¯s mana from invading M?rchen Academy.
But now, a new wielder of the Frostscythe had appeared.
And he was the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign.
It seemed that the time hade to stop living confined within her dreams.
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
¡°We shall now proceed with the summer vacation ceremony for the first year students of the Magic Department.¡±
The end-of-semester re-evaluation consisted of several elemental magic tests. It was very modestpared to the traditional end-of-semester evaluation¡¯s scale, but it was also the most intuitive.
Thus, the first semester came to a close. The scores from all previous evaluations would bebined to determine the overall score for the semester.
I came in 230th ce out of 300. That was to be expected. Anything other thanst ce.
The road ahead was long, but I was still aiming for the top seat. Grades served as an important indicator of how much I had improved.
Under the blue sky, arge cluster of fluffy clouds was driftingzily¡
¡?
¡°¡What?¡±
An intense disorientation washed over me. I snapped out of it, realizing I was experiencing a repeat of a time period I had already been through.
I nced around quickly. Rows and rows of first-year magic students sat in chairs arranged in an orderly fashion in the central za of M?rchen Academy.
The summer vacation ceremony was in full swing. If it was the vacation ceremony, it would have been only a few days ago¡.
¡°Is this¡ the trial?¡±
I assumed the trial would reveal something I didn¡¯t know about Isaac¡¯s troubled past. I might¡¯ve been able to use this opportunity to learn more about his background.
But this was¡ very different from what I had expected.
Nothing happened during the summer vacation ceremony. It was carried out peacefully and ended peacefully as well. If there was anything special about that day, it was Kaya¡¯s unexpectedly bold behavior.
In fact, it was so peaceful that it became unnerving.
As the ceremony progressed, Luce began reading the promation from the podium. I opened her status window.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 150
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [ekd]_$&())&^&(#$??#$@%%??god()(&&&!@]
The mental state was in disarray.
The [Psychological Insight] skill could not be wrong; it was a testament to the fact that this world was wed.
Sure enough, Luce was still giving me a gentle smile. But now was not the time to admire her lovely smile.
I started pondering, trying to wrap my head around this confusing situation.
What is happening today¡?
¡®For now¡ I should try acting like I did back then.¡¯
I decided to jog my memory and repeat my exact actions from that day.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the trials had pushed Ian to the brink, seemingly intent on breaking his spirit. This one would be no exception. It would be a desperate attempt to eat away at my sanity.
After the summer vacation ceremony ended, I slowly started walking towards a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
¡°Kaya?¡±
¡°I-I-I came to say thank you!¡±
As expected, Kaya came flying over. We exchanged the same conversation we had before.
Chuu.
Kaya kissed my cheek.
¡°I-I-I¡¯vemitted a grave sin©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!¡±
She took off at full speed.
I looked up at the clock tower that stood somewhere in the academy. It had been 30 minutes since the end of the ceremony.
¡°Then, what did I do next?¡±
I didn¡¯t have to wrack my brain or struggle to remember anything. Obviously, I went to train.
I was working out alone in a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
When the sky darkened, and rain began falling, I returned to my dorm.
After organizing my future ns, I went out to look for the ¡®Traces of the Ice Sovereign¡¯.
Later that night, I fell asleep in my dorm reading a study of beginner elements textbook.
It was just an ordinary daily routine.
Just an¡ insignificant daily routine.
¡®What the hell¡?¡¯
Just as I was going through the memories of the day of the summer vacation ceremony, suddenly¡
Kwaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!!!
¡°¡¡!¡±
A deafening roar echoed through the air.
Startled, I quickly turned to face the source of the sound.
A red glow broke through the clouds in the sky, enveloped by an eerie blood-red aurora.
A pce-like building with more than a dozen spires. The center of the academic administration and where the Evil God Nephid¡¯s resurrection magic circle was engraved. From the centerpiece of the M?rchen Academy, Bartos Hall, a pir of red light rose endlessly into space.
The scene from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? depicting the resurrection of the Evil God Nephid shed through my mind.
[A powerful demon has been detected!!] [There is a significant level difference with the enemy!!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!]
Beyond the system windows that popped up one after the other like warning signs, a status window appeared in front of me, targeting the red pir of light.
[Nephid, Evil God of Destruction] Lv: ¡ö¡ö¡ö
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire, Void
Danger: M¡öx¡öm¡öm
Psychology: [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö]
Five pairs of enormous ck wings spread out on both sides of the pir of light, overshadowing the world. Floating in the air as if weightless, the owner of the wings, a woman in a ck dress, emerged serenely.
The hem of her dress was long enough to cover the entirety of the Bartos Hall. The woman with unusually long legs, perhaps even tens of meters long, stood on the rooftop of the administrative building with her back to the pir of light.
My skin crawled, and every hair on my body stood on end. Even if I were to activate the [Hunter] trait, an iparable amount of mana was flowing like a flood around Bartos Hall.
¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me¡¡±
Even trials have their limits. There are degrees to be ovee.
From the pir of red light, a giant dragonposed of ck mes emerged, soaring across the sky above the academy. Its three heads roared with a grotesque howl.
[Apocalypse Dragon Azhi Dah¨¡ka] Lv: 200
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire
Danger: Maximum
Psychology: [¡ö]
Then, an army of demonic creaturesposed of ck mes burst forth with eerieughter.
[ck me] Lv: 190
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire
Danger: Maximum
Psychology: [¡ö]
Beyond the red aurora, a pair of eyes sorge they could cover the entire sky gazed upon the world.
[Angra Mainyu] Lv: 200
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire
Danger: Maximum
Psychology: [¡ö]
With each p of its wings, the Apocalypse Dragon Azhi Dah¨¡ka sent down a storm of ck mes. The mes transcended the limits of fire and began to burn buildings and everything on the ground without discrimination.
No, it wasn¡¯t burning. It was annihting.
Suddenly, disparate ck spheres formed out of thin air. Everything that came into contact with them vanished into nothingness, as if it had never existed in the first ce.
This was a secluded ind located in the eastern part of the continent. The only escape route was the bridge connecting it to the maind, but even if we were to flee now, we wouldn¡¯t be able to run away from those who hade to end this world.
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!!
Hwaaaaaaaaaaar©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!!
The Evil God Nephid stretched her arm upwards, and a ming ck sphere formed above her, growing in size until it filled the sky.
The sphere was engraved with anomalous ck streaks in all directions. There was a rift in space. That astronomical amount of mana had distorted even the fabric of space itself.
I¡ could do nothing. Nothing except for witnessing the end of this world with my own eyes.
And then, with a flick of her arm, she lowered it.
Slowly, the ming ck sphere descended upon the world.
¡¸¡ö¡ö (Darkness Element, ¡ï9)¡¹
The world was mercilessly engulfed by the ck mes.
However, the agony of my entire body burning did notst long.
The End.
The world perished.
And I vanished.
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
¡°We shall now proceed with the summer vacation ceremony for the first year students of the Magic Department.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I found myself back at the start of the vacation ceremony.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
My ears felt clogged.
I couldn¡¯t hear the ceremony host¡¯s voice or the students¡¯ muffled chatter.
¡°For real¡ Are you serious?¡±
I sighed deeply, burying my face in my hands. The students beside me gave me side nces, but I wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to pay attention to them.
I took several deep breaths. Despite the instinctive fear conveyed by the Evil God washing over me in waves, I was able to quickly gather my emotions thanks to the [Frozen Soul] effect of [Ice Sovereign].
Afterward, I thought quietly.
¡°¡Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±
I wouldn¡¯t get discouraged just because I¡¯d witnessed the Evil God¡¯s appearance.
When I thought about it calmly, it wasn¡¯t much different from what I had experienced before.
I just had to ovee any adversity that came my way.
Chapter 53: - Prologue (3)
? Prologue (3) ?
¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s about time,moner.¡±
A wickedughter, in its own way.
Keridna loved theater and was deeply in love with the role of the ¡®Viinous Daughter¡¯, so much so that she would often clumsily pretend to be a viin, designating herself as the viinous daughter.
Her currentughter was a result of that.
At the manor of the Northern Duchy of Whiterk, the white sky, where snow was slowly sprinkling down, was gradually being consumed by darkness.
Keridna Whiterk, a woman with short pink hair, sat alone at a desk in her room.
She had seen Isaac¡¯s vision through the surveince spell [Sight Synchronization], but the intense psychological strain caused her to struggle with her emotions for several days.
Now, she had steeled her heart. The time hade to spy on Isaac once again, as she had originally intended.
¡°Hehe¡ The time hase to reveal your true colors, pettymoner.¡±
Since earlier, Keridna had giggled and broken out into a cold sweat, while spouting one awkward line after another as if she were in a theatrical y.
She was as nervous as she was a few days ago, which caused her to hesitate.
But for the sake of the future, she figured it had to be done.
Finally, Keridna tightly closed her eyes and activated [Sight Synchronization]. A crackling electricity shed through her mind, and Isaac¡¯s field of vision at the M?rchen Academy grounds began to unfold before her.
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Something was¡ strange.
All she could see was pitch-ck darkness and a raging blizzard surrounding him. It wentpletely dark for three seconds, then the scenery briefly flickered before darkening again. Isaac seemed to be enduring the bitter cold to the point where it was difficult to even open his eyes.
The Duchy of Whiterk might as well be winter year-round, but everywhere else, including M?rchen Academy, was supposed to be in the midst of summer.
Has hee to the northern region? No, that can¡¯t be¡
The environment itself was unnatural. It wasn¡¯t even time for it to be pitch-ck, and there was a raging blizzard.
Yet Isaac seemed to be confidently moving forward in that mysterious and dangerous ce.
¡°Arghh¡!¡±
Suddenly, Isaac crashed into the ground, and Keridna jumped to her feet in rm.
Isaac¡¯s eyes were closed, and he seemed to have lost consciousness, which caused his vision topletely ck out.
Keridna ruffled her hair with her eyes still closed.
¡°Ugh, is something wrong¡?¡± Keridna¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Wake up¡ What are you doing, not waking up¡!¡±
Keridna felt an urgent sense of panic. Since [Sight Synchronization] could only observe physical sight, she had no way of knowing that Isaac had entered a trial.
The only thing she could see was a person dying before her very eyes.
She couldn¡¯t just stand there and do nothing. Keridna¡¯s eyes snapped open. She sprinted out of her room as soon as [Sight Synchronization] automatically released.
Her parents had gone to visit another noble family, so her only option was to seek help from her older sister, Aichel Whiterk, the acting head of the household.
¡°Aichel!! Older sis!!¡±
Aichel was wise. So if anyone could find a solution to rescue Isaac, who was in a life-threatening situation in an unknown location, it would be her.
With that thought in mind, Keridna called out Aichel¡¯s name as she rushed through the mansion¡¯s corridors.
* * *
The trial to obtain an ultimate weapon in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
By oveing said trials, one could obtain the ultimate weapon pertaining to a specific element.
Even discovering the exact meaning of ¡°oveing the trial¡± was part of the trials¡¯ content. However, my game knowledge already held the answer.
Simply put, one must fearlessly face and ovee danger while surviving.
For our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, the trial was to face a despicable nobleman who had tormented him. In the past, Ian had been beaten to a pulp by him and his men.
Ian faced death several times during the trial due to the despicable nobleman¡¯s actions crossing the line. Should that just be called the setting for a trial? It was a cancerous development, but they did provide a refreshing resolution in the end.
It also explored Ian¡¯s backstory and background, his trauma, and why he aspired to be a Magic Knight, etc¡
As of now, it seemed like a good story.
In the end, Ian overcame his past trauma, defeated the despicable nobleman, and cleared the trial.
¡®For me, what I have to ovee is the Evil God.¡¯
Although the scale of the trial didn¡¯t quite match up,menting about it would be utterly useless. It was already said and done, but the context should be the same.
In my case, ¡®Prevent the World from Ending¡¯ should be the condition for clearing the trial.
Smack-!
I roughly pped my cheeks with the palms of my hands to gather my determination.
The host of the vacation ceremony and the students all stared at me.
What are you looking at, brats?
The vacation ceremony wouldst a total of 20 minutes. Then, after 30 minutes, Nephid would be resurrected, which meant that each round was a maximum of 50 minutes.
Time flowed much faster herepared to the real world. I had already experienced this in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I didn¡¯t know the exact difference it would make, but it was easy to tell when I was dying since my character¡¯s body would be marked.
¡®How do I stop the world from ending in the first ce?¡¯
It was a fundamental question.
No matter what, it was impossible to catch up to the final boss¡¯s level, and the trick that I used in [Fictional Hell] to get stronger wouldn¡¯t work here.
¡®I don¡¯t have enough information¡ First, I need to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡¯
With that in mind, I stood up from my seat and started running. My destination was Bartos Hall, a huge pce-like administrative building at the center of M?rchen Academy, where Nephid would resurrect. I wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing the Evil God¡¯s sudden resurrection.
As soon as I looked up, I realized the answer to my question: a translucent barrier shaped like a dome or a soap bubble covered arge area of the rooftop. I gasped in disbelief.
¡°Is that how it¡¯s set up¡¡±
Unbelievable.
A translucent golden barrier was covering the rooftop. Numerous analog clock models were carved into the barrier, swirling through the space. The shapes of the rotating hour, minute, and second hands quickly caught my eye.
In the center of the rooftop, an obelisk of varying colors stood tall. The barrier originated from that obelisk.
It was the nine-star time magic, [Obelisk of Eternity]
Time elerated within the area where it was activated. I wonder if that was what caused the sudden resurrection of the Evil God that was supposed to appear in the third year.
It was amon story, but even in this world, there were forbidden domains of magic. Magic that transcended the realm of Truth and God. Time maniption was a prime example of this.
And that¡¯s exactly what was happening on the rooftop of Bartos Hall.
¡°To reach the rooftop, I have to enter the building no matter what.¡±
It was impossible to prate the barrier created by the [Obelisk of Eternity]. Time froze for anything that came into contact with its surface. No shock or impact could even touch that barrier.
It was a bonus that it was impervious to mana perception, as even the mana that emanated from it froze in time.
What about destroying Bartos Hall itself?
Not possible. Upon closer inspection, it was covered by a light yellow translucent barrier, simr to the color of the outer walls of Bartos Hall. It was probably a defensive spell from one of the minions inside Bartos Hall.
¡®If anyone is capable of all this, it¡¯s¡¡¯
In the story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, only one person fit that description¡ ¡®that woman¡¯.
¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯
My mind was spinning. First the Evil God, and now her¡
A trial was designed to be ovee if one could figure out how.
To put it another way¡
This imaginary world would create loopholes as small as a needle¡¯s eye for me to ovee my trial. This meant it would do everything it could to stop me.
I swallowed dryly and pushed open the ornate doors of Bartos Hall and climbed the stairs to the roof.
As I entered the building, I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows at the expected situation.
An eerie central hall; the walls adorned with beautiful structures, statues, and intricate patterns were scattered with stters of crimson blood.
And rows of soldiers.
Big men in white military uniforms emzoned with trump card designs stood orderly along the walls, holding spears in their hands.
Trump Soldiers wearing masks with grotesque, half-smiling designs. It was the army of minions under themand of the student body president, Alice Carroll.
[Trump Soldier ?] Lv: 130
Race: Demihuman
Elements: Water
Danger: High
Psychology: [You*](&%& Lord()!)!so(*] [Trump Soldier ?] Element: Fire [Trump Soldier ?] Element: Wind [Trump Soldier ¡ô] Element: Rock
The Trump Soldiers had seized control of Bartos Hall.
[Hello?]
An eerie voice, neither male nor female, echoed through the air. It came from my feet.
How could I not recognize this voice?
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, during the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹ battle, it was one of the powerful bosses that blocked the yer¡¯s way.
Even though I had already anticipated it, goosebumps erupted from all over my body.
I tilted my head down and saw a purple cat with a ck bowler hat on its head. Its fleshy body made it appear sluggish, but it had an expression brimming with nonchnce.
It grinned at me from ear to ear.
[Phantom Cat Cheshire] Lv: 175
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: ^%%!^&
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [You&*)(&(^%$&^ Kill)(&(*^#$#%^]
Alice Carroll¡¯s 8-star familiar, ¡®Phantom Cat Cheshire¡¯. The strength of this small cat rivaled that of Galia.
This world was out to stop me from oveing my trial.
It seemed like I was facing one of the enemiesmanded by Alice that I feared the most.
[You look cute. Just to Alice¡¯s liking. She¡¯ll go crazy for you.]
Cheshire had a temperament like a bouncing ping pong ball that didn¡¯t know where or how to bounce. One minute they would be having an engaging conversation, then killing you the next.
Or in the process of trying to kill someone, they might abruptly say, ¡®I¡¯m in a good mood because my breathing just improved¡¯ for some absurd reason and spare your life.
An utterly uncontroble personality.
However, precisely because it had a conceptless and unpredictable personality, some things became even more effective.
¡®Okay, deep breath.¡¯
As a ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? veteran, I knew exactly how to lower Cheshire¡¯s guard.
After I wiped the sweat from my brow, I ced my hand on my knee and leaned down to Cheshire.
After that, I opened my mouth.
¡°Oh, how adorable¡! I¡¯ve never seen such a cute cat before!¡±
[¡Meow?]
¡°Whose cat is it? Wow, look at the fine fur. It¡¯s awesome.¡±
[Meow?]
It was said thatpliments could even make whales dance.
Cheshire was weak topliments. Extremely weak. The context didn¡¯t matter. The cat simply enjoyed being praised, whether it was in the middle of a war zone or a murder scene.
¡°Who is your master really? I¡¯m so jealous¡ I wish I had such a beautiful and handsome cat.¡±
Cheshire is gender-neutral. It lovespliments, both male and female.
[Oh, you have a good eye, rookie. The fact that I¡¯m beautiful and handsome is as clear as day.]
Standing tall, Cheshire was full of energy.
Cheshire¡¯s head bounced up and down in delight as I continued to shower them with praise.
¡°Well done, well done, well done~!¡±
[Meo!]
At one point, Cheshire did a trick where they spun their body around like a figure skater, and I bent my waist while apuding enthusiastically.
Amidst the solemnly aligned Trump Soldiers, we felt like we were having a yful party just between the two of us.
[How¡¯s this for a showmanship trick, on a scale of one to ten?]
¡°One¡ nine points?¡±
[Meo! You mean a perfect nine out of nine!]
Cheshire happilyughed and squirmed again. It was a nerve-wracking feeling, but I had to work hard to cater to their mood.
¡°But what have you, a beautiful, handsome, and talented cat been doing all this time?¡±
[Meo! It¡¯s because the God of the End is about to resurrect to destroy the world. I was killing everyone to prevent any interference~]
¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±
¡®Interference.¡¯ Did that mean disrupting the [Obelisk of Eternity] within Bartos Hall was possible?
¡®¡It might be worth a try.¡¯
As soon as I pondered over Cheshire¡¯s words, a clue to resolving this situation quickly formed inside my mind.
In that moment.
¡¸ck Rabbit (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Swoosh©¤
¡°¡Huh?¡±
An indescribable shock pierced through my entire body. My gaze wandered against my will. I realized some kind of magic had hit me, and my body had lost the ability to function.
I couldn¡¯t even feel anything. My legs lost strength, and I copsed onto the ground.
Complete numbness. I couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. I couldn¡¯t even take a breath. It felt like even my sanity was bing paralyzed.
I was helplessly dying. I realized this fact all too clearly©¤
Click ck, click ck©¤
In my blurred field of vision, I began to see a wide central staircase with a red carpetid upon it. A tall girl dressed in a long-sleeved uniform that was adorned with a ck-and-white checkered headband and choker descended the stairs. She approached me closely after withdrawing her ashen magic circle.
¡°You, the troublemaker.¡±
Her light pink eyes stared directly at me.
A seductive voice. It was a voice that seemed to solely exist to bewitch all men.
¡®Alice Carroll¡¡¯
The darkness of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. That shadowy figure, the hidden mastermind©¤student council president, Alice Carroll.
She shed a mysterious smile.
[Ali*()(&^%Ce Car&*] Lv: 1&^*&%$
Race: &*@an
Elements: $&^%!#)
Danger: Extr*(&*4#)
Psychology: [???¡ô]
Due to Alice¡¯s unique trait [Red Queen¡¯s Paradox], her information couldn¡¯t be viewed. Her ability to cause all information, including status windows, topletely vanish from observers was no exception.
This was also why Dorothy could not see through Alice¡¯s true nature using the power of [All In The World].
Alice knelt in front of me, lowering herself and raising her chin to look at me.
Silence.
She just watched as I struggled to breathe.
My brain was losing its functionality. I couldn¡¯t delve deeply into anything.
Before long, my life quietly faded away like an ember that had exhausted its strength.
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
¡°We will now be holding the summer vacation ceremony for the first-years of the Magic Department.¡±
¡°Argh!¡±
Like holding oxygen in my lungs and then exhaling all at once, I let out a loud breath. Perhaps as a result of my earlier scream, the host of the vacation ceremony paused to stare at me, along with the rest of the students.
¡°Ugh, ugh¡ huff.¡±
I rested my hand on my chest and took a moment to catch my breath. As soon as my breathing calmed down, I immediately began to organize the situation in my head.
The host stared at me for a moment and then resumed the vacation ceremony.
The students also turned away from me. Except for the ones I knew, like Luce and Kaya. Luce¡¯s worried eyes were especially noticeable.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t be bothered by that.
¡®I think I get it.¡¯
Alice used the [Obelisk of Eternity] to hasten the resurrection of the Evil God. Thus, she was resurrected early.
In other words.
¡®Defeat Alice and stop the Evil God from resurrecting.¡¯
The methodology was straightforward. The first step was to defeat Alice.
Alice, along with Dorothy formed the greatest powers of M?rchen Academy.
By the time the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹ battle took ce, Dorothy had already lost her life. Eventually, Ian and his allies would defeat Alice¡¯s minions and face her in a climactic battle in Bartos Hall.
But in this timeline, Dorothy was alive. However, there was no way to quickly gather all of the necessary resources to defeat Alice.
In other words, the only way to get past Alice was to recruit Dorothy. There was no other option.
But¡
¡®Where¡¯s Dorothy?¡¯
Only then did I realize something.
I hadn¡¯t seen Dorothy since the day of the vacation ceremony.
Chapter 54: - Prologue (4)
? Prologue (4) ?
In the world of eternity, there existed an obelisk that governed time. Every now and then, a bluebird flew to the obelisk and grinded its beak against it. It chipped away at it until it was nothing more than a grain of sand.
When the obelisk gradually wore away after near-infinite time and finally lost its original form, one second of eternity was said to have passed.
This was a mythical tale from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, and the time-eleration spell, [Obelisk of Eternity], was a spell derived from that myth.
The [Obelisk of Eternity] was the desire of the mastermind, Alice Carroll, and if activated on the rooftop of Bartos Hall, it could shorten the time required for the resurrection of the Evil God.
The only requirement was to use the Phantasmal Clock as a catalyst, so I remembered the in-game story of Alice sending her minions to find it.
However, the Trial of Frost had apparently given her the Phantasmal Clock.
As a result, Alice¡¯s activation of the [Obelisk of Eternity] elerated time long enough to resurrect the Evil God.
The Phantasmal Clock was probably being used as a catalyst on the rooftop of Bartos Hall.
¡®The solution to the trial is pretty simple.¡¯
The solution was simple: turn the hands of the Phantasmal Clock backward. It was like a stopwatch, but with the push of a button, it would reverse itself.
Then, at the ce where the [Obelisk of Eternity] was triggered, time would reverse its course in proportion to the amount of time elerated. I would witness the absurd sight of the Evil God resurrecting and being thrown back into the abyss. It seemed like 3D sses and popcorn would be necessary.
However, there was a side effect: everything within range would also be reversed and travel back in time. Of course, I didn¡¯t need to worry about the consequences in this world.
¡®So, my n is¡¡¯
To break through Alice¡¯s defense.
Go to the rooftop of Bartos Hall and press the button on the Phantasmal Clock.
And prevent the destruction of the world.
This trial will be cleared in no time. It¡¯s quite easy, isn¡¯t it?
¡®The problem is that Dorothy is the only one who can make it happen¡¡¯
I was walking around the academy grounds, away from the vacation ceremony in the square. I needed to find Dorothy.
Perhaps this trial was designed in such a way that it could only be cleared by enlisting the aid of Dorothy. There was no other way to deal with Alice.
¡®But howe I couldn¡¯t see her on a day like this?¡¯
Where are you, Dorothy?
I wondered if she was taking some time off to enjoy the scenery or sleeping in because it was her vacation.
As I continued to think, a strong sense of unease washed over me.
¡®That¡¯s strange.¡¯
The emerging question stopped me in my tracks.
Dorothy was a character who bravely epted that she was destined to die. For this reason, she was willing toy down her life in order to protect the academy¡¯s students.
¡®It¡¯s odd that she hasn¡¯t appeared despite the Evil God being resurrected.¡¯
It didn¡¯t make sense, even if her opponent was the Evil God. Dorothy was the type of person to face the Evil God even if it meant losing her life. She was someone who saw her own life as expendable.
Even the ridiculous exnation of the Evil God appearing while Dorothy was asleep so she couldn¡¯t stop her made no sense. Dorothy¡¯s mana perception was beyondpare. She would have awakened to the enormity of the Evil God¡¯s mana.
¡®Is there a reason why Dorothy hasn¡¯t appeared¡?
First of all, it was obvious that Dorothy was on the ind. There was no way she could have gone out of the academy grounds.
Then¡ what really happened?
¡°Senior Dorothy!!! Where are you?!!!¡±
I was hoping that Dorothy would answer my call if she was nearby.
But no matter how many times I called out, she never appear. Maybe she was in her dorm.
I rushed to the academy¡¯s dorm and headed for Charles Hall, the dormitory for the top-ranked students.
It was very quiet at the dormitories of the Magic Department.
The first years were amid a bted vacation ceremony, and the rest of the students were already in the middle of vacation.
It couldn¡¯t have been a better time to sneak into Charles Hall.
¡°Eden!¡±
[Kyuu-!]
Clusters of light brown mana gathered in the air and took the form of the small golem familiar, Eden. I didn¡¯t know if this guy was real or fake, but that didn¡¯t matter right now.
I knew where Dorothy¡¯s room was. It was something I learned while ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°Eden, create a staircase for me!¡±
[Kyuu!]
¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ ¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Eden created a crude stone staircase on the exterior of the girl¡¯s wing of Charles Hall.
I built an icedder on top of it. My [Elemental Efficiency] was higher than before, so it was a more sophisticateddder.
Dorothy¡¯s room was on the third floor. Even the third floor was high up in Charles Hall due to the high ceilings on all floors.
I had no time to feel guilty about sneaking into her room. I scrambled up the crude staircase, then climbed up the icedder.
A room on the third floor. Through the window, I caught a glimpse of Dorothy¡¯s room.
It was gray, devoid of anything other than essential furniture and basic items. It seemed like the kind of space where an incredibly quiet and uninteresting person would live in.
Dorothy¡¯s room was always like that. The only adorable thing left was a teddy bear stuck inside the wardrobe, its fluffed-up fur peeking out as it stuck out its arm.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Dorothy¡¯s true feelings were never fully revealed.
However, it was clear that she was sorting through things that might make her hesitate to throw her own life away.
I only discovered this indirectly by exploring the map and searching for traces of Dorothy.
¡®She¡¯s not here¡¡¯
Anyway, Dorothy wasn¡¯t in her room. I quickly descended to the ground, unsummoned Eden, and started running again.
I searched every ce she might be, but to no avail.
In the end, the time of apocalypse arrived, and the Evil God Nephid was resurrected.
ck spheres of me crashed to the ground.
And just like that, the world met its end.
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
¡°We will now be holding the summer vacation ceremony for the first years of the Magic Department.¡±
Finding Dorothy in the vast academy ground was going to be extremely difficult.
I, on the other hand, had a time limit. Once the frigid cold of the Frostscythepletely consumed my physical body, I would die.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
What I needed now was manpower. I needed as many people as possible to help me find Dorothy.
However, when I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, alternative paths that deviated from predetermined routes to clearing the trial tended to be andmine.
This was one of the reasons why Ian felt hopeless during his trial.
¡®But this trial is different from what Ian went through.¡¯
Maybe one of the routes to clearing this trial was to get a group of people together to find Dorothy.
¡®I should give it a try.¡¯
Nodding my head, I stood up from my seat. The ceremony host and the students of the Magic Department started to stare in my direction.
Undaunted, I raised my right arm in the air and shouted.
¡°Kaya! Mateo! Luce! Amy! Follow me¡!¡±
Momentster, I gulped.
In the blink of an eye, the faces of the students and the host of the vacation ceremony had vanished.
It was like an egg ghost; their eyes, nose, and mouths werepletely invisible. Only an apricot-colored sea remained.1E/N: An egg ghost is a Korean ghost thatcks limbs and any facial features. It is said that if a person sees an egg ghost, they will die.
Their gazes were all fixed on me. Without a hint of movement, they solely focused on me.
¡°Holy shit¡!¡±
A shiver ran down my spine. It was a bizarre sight, like something straight out of a horror movie.
And then.
Kiwooooooooh©¤!
The heads of the faculty and students were split in half.
I could see a cross-section of their red bodies with numerous teeth and elongated tongues, rising like pythons before my very eyes.
I staggered backward. An anaconda-like tongue protruded from each severed head.
I was already running at full speed when I heard a chair collide with my leg, sending me tumbling backward.
¡®Ah, fuck! I shouldn¡¯t have looked¡!¡¯
It was just like what I saw in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
When I met Kaya after the vacation ceremony, her head would have probably split in half right in front of me if we hadn¡¯t had the same conversation.
I couldn¡¯t imagine how hopeless I would have been without my gaming knowledge. Seriously¡ thosendmines were even worse in person.
Damn, these trials. How ridiculous. Forget it. I¡¯ll just find her on my own then.
Like I had said before, the academy grounds were ridiculously vast, so it was crucial to quickly rack my brain and pinpoint the specific ces where Dorothy could be.
¡°Where could Dorothy be¡! Tell me!!¡±
I started pulling out every conversation and story I had shared with Dorothy up until now, trying to remember every little detail.
Senseless chatter, useless jokes, anything would do. I just needed to find a clue.
Where can Dorothy possibly be at this moment? Where is that ce?
Where are you?
Where?
©¤ President, what are you doing?
©¤ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ, ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡¯¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ. ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡¯¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ?
©¤ Your expression seems a bit too rxed for that.
©¤ ¡õ¡õ¡¯¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡¯¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ, ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ.
©¤ Nihihi, just like how my fan should be!
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
©¤ Do you like me being that?
©¤ ¡õ¡õ¡õ. ¡õ¡¯¡õ ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ, ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ, ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ.
©¤ Hmm, do you like me, President?
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
©¤ Nihihihi¡! Oh, what was that reaction? The president is cute.
©¤ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ?
©¤ The stars are so beautiful tonight, I was watching them and suddenly thought of you, so I came to see you! You¡¯re still training, huh!
¡ñ ¡ñ
©¤ Nihihi, nice to meet you.
©¤ ¡õ¡¯¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡¯¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ. ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ.
©¤ Look at the way you talk~ It¡¯s so cute! Nyahaha!
¡ñ
©¤ I was falling from the sky!
©¤ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ ¡õ¡õ¡õ?
©¤ I was watching the rain clouds gather. I especially like the moment when the rain clouds form. Should I call it aesthetically pleasing? So! I was flying around watching it when I said, ¡®I¡¯m done now,¡¯ and came down.
©¤ ¡
©¤ Nihihi.
I gazed up at the sky. The rain clouds, which I once thought were fluffy clouds, were gently floating around. Those clusters of clouds would surely pour in the afternoon.
From the west, rain clouds drifted and gathered in the direction of the Arkins Sea.
I explored this area after experiencing multiple deaths. Finally, I arrived at a cliff that stuck out near the shore.
A schoolgirl with long,vender hair and a witch¡¯s hat sat on the cliff, hugging her knees. Her gaze was fixed on the dark clouds that filled the sky above the distant sea.
¡°Huff, agh¡¡±
I ran with all my might. Barely catching my breath, I began to approach Dorothy Heartnova.
She seemed startled by my sudden footsteps, her head slightly trembling.
¡°Senior.¡±
¡°What¡¯s up, President? What brings you here?¡±
Dorothy turned her head toward me, but her face was still hidden under the witch¡¯s hat she always wore.
After sniffling once, she lifted her hat to reveal a lovely smile.
She had lived her life admiring the sky, even skipping ss for it. She wanted to take in as much of the world¡¯s beauty as possible in her heart before her inevitable death.
While hiding her true feelings behind a fake smile, she acted friendly to everyone, and always strove to shine the brightest.
That was the Dorothy I knew.
¡°President¡?¡±
I sat down next to Dorothy.
The sight of rain clouds forming¡ I should have realized the first time I heard it.
¡®What¡¯s so beautiful about that?¡¯
It¡¯s just cloudy and dark, not beautiful in the slightest.
Does Dorothy see herself when she looks into those dark rain clouds?
¡°Senior.¡±
¡°Uh, yes?¡±
The Dorothy here was bound to disappear. She was a mere replica, observing the sight of rain clouds gathering in the faraway sea during the vacation ceremony. A simple tool to clear the trial, nothing more, nothing less.
Still, the more I thought about Dorothy, the more aware I became of how many things I truly wanted to tell her. I couldn¡¯t bear it if I didn¡¯t say it now.
It would be difficult to say what I truly wanted to the real Dorothy, so I decided to take this opportunity to tell her.
I opened my mouth and decided to express the feelings I had been holding back all this time.
¡°You know, senior. I thought you were really cool back there.¡±
¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re a fan of mine?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, the way you try to shine in any situation, you just looked so cool. So I thought, ¡®Hey, I can¡¯t help but be a fan.''¡±
¡°Nihihi, is that so?¡±
¡°But, you¡¯re overdoing it, senior.¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡°You¡¯re forcing yourself to smile, and you¡¯re forcing yourself to see beauty that isn¡¯t there. It¡¯s because you want to decorate your life meaningfully and beautifully, even if it¡¯s just a little.¡±
I said bluntly.
¡°Honestly, nothing here is actually beautiful, right?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy¡¯s smile slowly faded.
But, as usual, she immediately put on a mask-like smile.
¡°What are you talking about, President? I¡¯m getting a little bored.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s smile had a tinge of wariness. One slip of the tongue and she would cast a spell on me.
In any case, I¡¯ve died a lot in this trial. Rather, if I were to die by Dorothy¡¯s hand, it would easily be considered the greatest death of my life. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if my gravestone said, ¡®Cause of Death: Fanboying Idiot¡¯.
Of course, while I was joking about death, my body was in grave danger.
When I lifted my clothes to check my abdomen, it was frozen solid. There was only so many times I could regress. Maybe¡ one or two more times.
Nevertheless.
There was something I wanted to tell Dorothy, even if it meant facing death.
As I reflected on the time I had spent with her, I began to question whether my determination to save her was misguided.
What if Dorothy desires death? What if she doesn¡¯t want me to save her at all?
I needed to see Dorothy¡¯s reaction.
¡°Senior, I will save you.¡±
I wanted to hear Dorothy¡¯s answer ¨C whether I was allowed to save her or not.
¡°So, stop living like you¡¯re on borrowed time, and instead start thinking about how you want to live after graduation.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s eyes widened. Her voice trembled.
¡°Why¡ would you say that to me?¡±
I want you to find happiness.
More than anything.
¡°Because you¡¯re a shining light to me, senior.¡±
It was for that simple reason that I loved Dorothy the most.
Dorothy flinched. There was an awkward silence, only broken by the sound of waves crashing.
¡°¡You¡¯re so boring, President.¡±
Dorothy finally replied, turning her head back to the rain clouds.
There was a hint ofughter in her voice.
¡°I actually prefer being saved by force. It¡¯s more fun that way~¡±
The gathering rain clouds were not pretty in the slightest. There was no need to pay more attention than necessary.
Dorothypletely understood what I had just said. My sincerity seemed to have reached her.
I bowed my head, closed my eyes tightly, and felt the humidity of the sea wash across my skin.
Dorothy wanted to be saved. That was enough.
I opened my eyes again and looked at Dorothy. It was time to get down to business.
¡°Senior, there¡¯s something important I need to tell you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re getting out of here, right?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡Huh?
¡°I already knew this world was fake. I can see through the essence of everything, remember?¡±
¡°Then, senior, you knew all along¡?¡±
¡°Not really. I don¡¯t know what will happen next. But I¡¯ve realized that neither I nor this world are real, so what happens doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t feel the need to give any meaning to my existence.¡±
It was then that I realized.
Dorothy hadn¡¯t fought the Evil God because she knew this world and herself were fake; there was simply no reason for her to do so.
¡°But it seems that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±
Dorothy stood up energetically, thenughed mischievously as she extended her pure white hand towards me.
¡°Nihihi. Let me help you, President! Let¡¯s tear down this world together.¡±
I swear. Her smile is as bright and refreshing as a ripened fruit. It¡¯s so cute. I can¡¯t help butugh.
¡°Yes.¡±
I took Dorothy¡¯s hand and stood up.
It¡¯s time to break through this trial.
Footnotes:- 1E/N: An egg ghost is a Korean ghost thatcks limbs and any facial features. It is said that if a person sees an egg ghost, they will die.
Chapter 55: - Prologue (5)
? Prologue (5) ?
¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡±
Help!!!
¡°Nyahahaha!!! The president is so funny!!¡±
Dorothy burst intoughter, unconcerned that I might be left behind.
Covered in starlight mana, we were weightlessly flying through the air towards Bartos Hall at high speeds.
With all my might, I desperately held onto my consciousness that felt like it would fade at any moment, and screamed at the top of my lungs.
As we flew like that, it took us 3 minutes to reach Bartos Hall from that distant cliff.
Bang¡ª!
Without hesitation, Dorothy kicked the door down with her leg covered in starlight mana.
I could finally feel the bliss of walking on the ground after basically being in a state of weightlessness.
¡°Blech¡¡±
I had to lie down on the floor and vomit.
Meanwhile, the sight of Dorothy grabbing her stomach as she burst intoughter was quite irritating.
Probably because we entered with the use of magic, the Trump Soldiers all began to assume battle stances.
Their spears came out and pointed at Dorothy in unison.
¡°Who are you pointing your spears at?¡±
Dorothy said with a smug expression as she lightly flicked her hand wrapped in starlight mana.
¡¸Mini Supernova (Starlight Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Boom¨C! Boom¨C! Boom¨C! Boom¨C! Boom¨C! Boom¨C! Boom¨C! Boom¨C!
An incredible sight unfolded before my eyes as the level 130 Trump Soldiers exploded instantly.
The explosion of starlight was very colorful and diverse. It felt like I was watching a fireworks disy.
¡°Senior, nice!¡±
¡°Nihihi!¡±
When I gave her a thumbs-up, Dorothy returned it with a wide grin.
¡°It¡¯s time to get to work, president!¡±
¡°Yes! I¡¯m counting on you, senior!¡±
¡°Okay, leave it to this big sis!¡±
Dorothy confidently answered while putting her hand on her chest.
It was so adorable. I couldn¡¯t help but giggle despite the urgent situation.
I started to run up therge red-carpeted central staircase. While running, I recalled the time from when I checked the clock tower. I had five minutes before the Evil God was resurrected.
It would take four to five minutes to reach the roof from here. Time was running out.
¡¸ck Rabbit (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹ ¡¸Dwarf Star (Starlight Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kuwaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Chararara©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Ugh!¡±
As I reached the top of the staircase.
A ck rabbit flew towards me, radiating a dark aura, but a brilliant explosion of mana repelled the rabbit.
The shockwave created by it lightly pushed me, which caused me to fly sideways and roll down the stairs.
¡°So, you were the one causing the interference?¡±
Alice Carroll, the elegant student council president with a dignified appearance and flowing golden hair, walked towards me with a bored expression as she uttered that line.
An ashen magic circle was manifesting around her.
¡°Dorothy Heartnova, I didn¡¯t expect you to be involved.¡±
Alice¡¯s rose-pink eyes turned towards Dorothy.
Dorothy, with a smile on her face, expanded her starlight magic circle as she stood guard against Alice.
¡°Nihihi. As expected, you are trash, Alice.¡±
¡°Are you disappointed?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m actually d. I hate you, but now I see nothing morally wrong with beating you up, right?¡±
The two most powerful individuals in M?rchen Academy exchanged smiles and murderous res simultaneously.
The immense amount of mana seemed topress the space around them. My legs trembled as my survival instincts kicked in. However, my passive skill [Ice Sovereign] allowed me to calm down immediately.
Throw¨C!
As I stood up and immediately started running, I pulled out the Sheath of Disaster and threw it towards Alice.
I felt the sensation of my body being connected by a small thread to the Sheath of Disaster. I tugged at the thread in my head and cast the spell.
The magic circle engraved on the Sheath of Disaster glowed in a pale blue hue. The stored spell, [Frost Explosion], had activated.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!
Cold mana erupted from the Sheath of Disaster, causing ice chunks to surge.
The gray monster Alice had summoned opened its gaping, toothy mouth. It swallowed the explosion of mana and ice chunks created by [Frost Explosion] as if it was devouring it.
¡¸Voracious Deity (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
A thick, tentacle-like gray monster with rows of eyes lining its body came out of the ashen magic circle from the ground and stood beside Alice.
Of course, I knew this would happen. My spell wouldn¡¯t be able to scratch Alice.
However, I was already running up the stairs and past Alice. The Voracious Deity followed right behind me, slithering like a snake.
Nanana, you can¡¯t catch me.
¡¸Ster Radiation (Starlight Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Chaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!!
Colorful rays of starry light sliced through the air, prating the body of the Voracious Deity before dissipating.
Alice dodged Dorothy¡¯s magic by rolling to the side. However, it seemed she was unable to prevent some of the skin on her cheek from being ripped off.
Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic dealt with physical force in aplicated way. This led to pure destructive power.
Alice must have noticed the futility of using defensive magic against Dorothy¡¯s spells. Evasion was the wiser choice.
¡°Y-You little¡¡±
Alice shed a murderous smile as she touched the wound on her cheek. A cross-shaped blood vein sprouted from her forehead, revealing her anger.
Alright, it¡¯s fine. Alice just needs to be stopped by Dorothy.
Before I knew it, Phantom Cat Cheshire appeared at Alice¡¯s side with a serious expression. With Dorothy Heartnova standing in front of it, there didn¡¯t seem to be room to spare any attention to me.
Dorothy would be no match against Alice with her eight-star familiar, Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Chaeeeee©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Kwagagagaga©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kuuuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Thus, an epic fight between Alice and Dorothy took ce.
Dorothy thought the fighting stage was too narrow, so she lured Alice out by breaking the building¡¯s exterior.
The building and the ground shook. Dust repeatedly rained down from the ceiling.
My body felt sluggish, probably due to the cold air of the Frostscythe having taken its toll on me. However, that didn¡¯t slow me down. I gritted my teeth and ran.
Suddenly, beyond the crumbling exterior walls, I could see Dorothy and Alice fighting in the sky.
It was very morous. Countless star clusters and colorful magic circles dominated the area. Rays of light poured down, followed by brilliant explosions of colorful starlight.
No one in M?rchen Academy could match Dorothy¡ªa genius blessed by the heavens and believed to be on her way to bing an Archwizard.
Kwaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Chararara©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Kwagagaga©¤©¤©¤!!
White rabbits, ck rabbits, and Trump Soldiers on white pegasi were summoned in legion-like numbers. Each and every one of them was overwhelmingly stronger than me.
However, with a single gesture, Dorothy eliminated Alice¡¯s troops with her starlight mana.
Brilliant starlight and ashen-gray filled the sky. Countless magic circles manifested and expanded one after the other.
The fight between Dorothy and Alice was escting.
Finally, I reached the top.
¡°Haa, haa¡¡±
Catching my breath, I examined the magnificent rooftop view. The luxurious design was befitting of the exterior of Bartos Hall. Beautiful structures extending from the outskirts brilliantly illuminated the mana stone I had with me.
And a giant magic circle filled the rooftop.
A bizarre form engraved with many curved lines. The magic circle emitted a vivid vermilion light. It was a sign of the resurrection of the Evil God, Nephid.
At the center of the magic circle stood a yellow rectangr obelisk that emitted a strange light yellow glow. It was the [Obelisk of Eternity]. A veil that elerated time epassed the rooftop.
Suddenly feeling like my body was floating, I looked down at my right hand.
Slowly, a crackling noise emerged. It seemed to be a phenomenon that urred when one entered the realm of the [Obelisk of Eternity].
However, my time will elerate for a moment before ceasing, because the Evil God will soon resurrect.
¡°Whew.¡±
I caught my breath and wiped away the sweat from my forehead. It was time to win.
I ran towards the [Obelisk of Eternity]. As expected, a golden glowing pocket watch was magically floating in front of the obelisk.
¡®Phantasmal Clock¡¯. The catalyst for time magic.
Now, if I could just get a hold of it¡!
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
¡°Argh!!¡±
As the magic circle intensely glowed, the [Obelisk of Eternity] unleashed.
An enormous pir of mana rose endlessly into the sky, scattering an eerie red glow.
As a result, my body was sent flying and crashed into some railing.
The pain in the back of my head was intense. I thought I might faint at any moment¡
¡°Ahhhhh¡ ugh.¡±
However, with a groan,ughter involuntarily escaped from my lips.
I had the Phantasmal Clock in my hand.
¡°It¡¯s over¡!¡±
It wasn¡¯t toote. I made it!
A red aurora soon filled the sky where Dorothy and Alice were fighting. Dorothy was surprised.
Above them, a huge eye, big enough to cover the sky, looked down on the world. Angra Mainyu. A servant of the Evil God.
Next, Apocalypse Dragon Azhi Dah¨¡ka emerged from the red pir and flew towards the sky while roaring a grotesque cry.
ck mealworms were devouring the magnificent structures that adorned the rooftop of Bartos Hall. These colossal worms took the ce of the structure they ate.
I grabbed the railing and pulled myself from where I was sitting.
¡°¡!¡±
Heavy mana silenced the atmosphere with a pressure that threatened to crush my body. Only then did I realize that the abyssal darkness had filled the entire rooftop.
In the darkness beneath my feet, numerous slumbering eyes rose up. They were eerie eyesposed of red irises and ck pupils.
As I turned my gaze towards the center of the rooftop, I saw a faint silhouette of a woman from the red pir.
The darkness that filled the rooftop was the hem of her ck dress, for her attire was darkness itself.
[A powerful demon has been detected!!] [There is a significant level difference with the enemy!!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape immediately!] [¡ù Escape imme¡] [Nephid, Evil God of Destruction] Lv: ¡ö¡ö¡ö
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire, Void
Danger: M¡öx¡öm¡öm
Psychology: [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö]
¡°Nephid¡¡±
Once I cleared the warning windows and saw the Evil God up close, my survival instinct began to kick into high gear. If it wasn¡¯t for the effect of [Ice Sovereign], my legs would have given out and I would have copsed to the ground.
I can¡¯t even imagine how strong I need to be to defeat her. I¡¯m not even sure if I can beat her in the first ce.
However, I will beat that final boss at all costs. I¡¯ll never give up, even in death.
So I was going to make up my mind right here, right now.
I took a deep breath and loudly called out a woman¡¯s name.
¡°Dorothy!!!¡±
I looked at the owner of the name. Her gaze also turned towards mine.
Before long, she had already thrown away her witch hat, her purple hair fluttering in the wind.
There was a serious expression on her face.
Against the backdrop of the apocalyptdscape, towards the shining star witch embraced by colorful starlight.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
¡°You asked me why I trained so hard!!! The world is going to be destroyed by the Evil God!!! It was to stop that!!!¡±
I possessed the weakest character in my favorite game¡¯s Hell Mode.
¡°I will prevent the destruction of the world!!!¡±
I want to survive, but the way the main character is being controlled is atrocious.
¡°I¡¯m going to save the world!!! Whether it¡¯s you, me, or anyone else, I will save them all!!!¡±
There¡¯s no other option.
¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here!!!¡±
But me.
¡°Evil God!!!¡±
I have to stop the bad ending myself.
¡°I will take you down¡!!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s stiff face broke into a smile.
She stretched her arm out towards me, spread her index and middle finger to form a V, and smiled innocently. A sign of understanding.
I couldn¡¯t help but hear her signature ¡®Nihihi¡¯ugh.
ck mes rained down upon the battlefield, and in the red pir, Nephid slowly ascended into the sky.
The hem of the Evil God¡¯s dark dress rose from the ground and swallowed me whole.
Five pairs of ck wings unfurled, causing a fierce storm to erupt.
In the red pir, a dark shadow gazed down at me.
The Evil God.
I pressed the reverse button of the Phantasmal Clock while taking in her imposing figure with my eyes.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Click.
Just for a moment, time stopped©¤
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Apanied by the rhythmic sound of clock gears turning, a golden light bathed the surroundings.
Like a video ying in reverse, the Evil God and her servant were sucked back into the magic circle. The darkness-made clothing of Nephid that was consuming me started receding like a rising tide.
I suddenly felt a sense of weightlessnesse over me. Everything within the range of the [Obelisk of Eternity], including a speck of dust, had undergone a time reversal corresponding to the elerated amount of time.
Under normal circumstances, I would have suffered the side effects as well¡ But, since the sudden resurrection of the Evil God was prevented, I had cleared the trial. Now, all I had to do was return to the cave of the trial.
I felt my senses being twisted. I couldn¡¯t think of anything anymore. Slowly, my consciousness drifted away into the distance beyond.
¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ ¡ñ
And when I opened my eyes.
I was still in the middle of the trial.
TL NOTE:
We are changing some terms
Attribute -> Element
Nephid, Evil Goddess of the Apocalypse
->
Nephid, Evil God of Destruction
Chapter 56: - Prologue (6)
? Prologue (6) ?
Once the time reversal ended, I found myself standing in a crude and narrow room.
The faint scent of wood and an earthy smell flowed through the open window. It seemed like the rain had stopped a while ago.
As I looked out of the window, I saw a panoramic view of the sky clearing away the dark clouds over the vastndscape of vegetation. A rainbow stretched across the sky.
It was a familiar sight and scent.
Even though it was my first time here, I found myself feeling more and more at home, like a person immersed in nostalgia.
Where am I?
I instinctively knew the answer.
¡®It¡¯s home, Isaac¡¯s home.¡¯
Due to the Phantasmal Clock reversing time in proportion to the time elerated, I had traveled over two years into the past.
I was dressed in a in brown shirt. As I lifted the hem, my frozen abdomen was clearly visible.
It seemed like I hadn¡¯t cleared the trial yet, considering the fact that I hadn¡¯t returned to the cavern enveloped in blizzards.
¡®Not yet.¡¯
It¡¯s not over just yet.
I suspected that this ce was where the trial would end. The eleration of time, the reversal of it, and Isaac¡¯s past. This series of events would be the answer to oveing the trial.
Preventing the resurrection of the Evil God was simply a step to reach this final rite of passage.
Suddenly, a note on the desk caught my eye. A request from someone was written on it, reading, ¡®Please don¡¯t hate your older sister¡¯.
I didn¡¯t know whose handwriting this was, but it made me feel very nostalgic.
I opened the door and went out into the hallway. In the narrow hallway, a young woman with long silver-blue hair stood leaning against the wall.
Red eyes. The same as mine.
¡°If you¡¯re ready, then go. I can¡¯t bear to see you.¡±
A hushed voice. I naturally knew who this woman was.
It was Isaac¡¯s sister.
She gently closed her eyes. After uttering those words, she rified that she would no longer speak to me.
I didn¡¯t know the full story, but I respected her wishes and began to cross the hallway on my own.
The wooden nk floor creaked with every step. This house was pretty old.
¡®I know what I am¡¡¯
A man¡¯s sobbing voice shed through my mind in a blur. At the same time, I felt drawn toward the stairs.
I walked out the door and up the wooden stairs, which had signs of being repaired once or twice.
¡®I¡¯m a worthless piece of shit, I¡¯m¡!¡¯
I grabbed my throbbing head. A familiar voice, although I had never heard of it before, rang in my head intermittently.
¡®Why would Mom be proud of scum like me?¡¯
As I reached the second floor, an attic came into view.
¡®I¡¯m an ipetent person, Mom. A useless, useless person¡ I have zero talent. I¡¯m like an extra in a y.¡¯
White silk curtains fluttered in the early autumn breeze.
In front of the curtains, on an old, tattered bed.
A middle-aged woman with silver-blue hairid still like a corpse, staring at the ceiling.
A pair of skinny arms rested on the nket that covered the body.
She was thin. There was no life or vitality in the woman¡¯s body.
¡®I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Sorry¡ That all I am is scum.¡¯
¡°Are you here, Isaac¡?¡±
My heart trembled. It wasn¡¯t my emotion, but Isaac¡¯s. The memory of intense regret that lingered in this body reacted to that singr word.
The silver-blue haired woman looked at me and mustered up a weak smile. She gestured for me toe closer. Her hands were thin, with the skin clinging to her bone.
I slowly approached her. Beside her bed was a walnut wood chair that someone had prepared for people to sit on at any time.
¡°I¡¯m sorry to call you here¡ Why don¡¯t you sit¡?¡±
The woman¡¯s voice cracked like a dry field without moisture.
I traveled back to the time when this woman called me. As I thought that, I sat down.
It wasn¡¯t hard to guess who the woman in front of me was. Silver-blue-hair and blood-red eyes. Isaac strongly resembled his mother.
Outside the window, I could see a moderately-sized maple tree. The leaves swayed in the wind, looking as if they might fall at any time.
¡°Will you hold my hand¡?¡±
I held the woman¡¯s skinny hand.
¡°I called you here because I want to tell you something¡¡±
The woman, as if a single blink was a luxury, gazed at my face and captured it in her eyes, savoring each fleeting moment.
¡°It was back when my Isaac was just 8 years old¡¡±
She was reminiscing. Her face looked like she was deeply reflecting on a precious memory.
¡°Back then, Mom made a joke. What if Mom became a great knight or powerful wizard and had to leave you to protect people¡¡±
The woman weakly grinned.
¡°Because you were a lively kid, you¡ I thought you wouldugh at me for being so absurd. But then, do you remember what you said¡?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°¡You didn¡¯t say anything. You just¡ had tears streaming down your face.¡±
The woman smiled brightly. Her face filled with happiness.
¡°At that time, I thought I was a very blessed mother¡ to have such a lovely son by my side¡¡±
Tears formed in the corners of the woman¡¯s eyes.
¡°Thank you for being born, Isaac. To me, you were my very precious son¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
The voice that echoed in my head when I walked down the creaking hallway and up the stairs resurfaced in my mind again.
It was Isaac¡¯s voice.
As he heard the woman¡¯s words just now, Isaac could only cry while belittling himself. He couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, as he told his departing mother that he wasn¡¯t worthy of being called her proud son.
In his memory, the woman stroked Isaac¡¯s head and shook her head with a smile.
No matter what Isaac said, to her, he was the son she was proud of and loved dearly.
Isaac¡¯s regret and trauma stuck to him like mud in the rain. The final test to finishing this trial was to ovee his heartbreaking regret.
Thest thing he said to his departing mother was self-deprecating.
Isaac found this unbearably pathetic.
I didn¡¯t have to think too hard about what I needed to do.
Because the words Isaac had wished he said were listed in my head, I just needed to recite them.
With a gentle smile on my face, I took her hand in mine.
My lips began to quiver slightly.
¡°Yeah, you are very blessed, Mom. You gave birth to a perfect son like me.¡±1T/N: When Isaac says perfect (??) here, the word also has a double meaning, which can mean worthless.
I gave a mischievous smile.
¡°Have I told you this? I¡¯m trying to enter the Magic Department of the most prestigious academy in our country. It¡¯s a ce only talented people can enter. I¡¯m going to study and hone my magic there, aiming to be an Archwizard that even the Empire wouldn¡¯t dare to touch.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Because you gave birth to someone like me, Mom is a truly amazing person.¡±
I smiled brightly.
¡°To me, Mom is the most loving and admirable person in the world. Thank you for giving birth to me, Mom.¡±
Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, glistening in her lifeless pupils.
Finally, she brightly smiled. The transparent tears that had been welling up smoothly slid down from her eyes to her cheeks.
She looked at peace.
The sound of an early autumn breeze, the fluttering of curtains.
Silence.
A single maple leaf naturally fell from the maple tree, carried away by the wind. That was simply how nature worked.
The fate of an unremarkable extra in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? who went unnoticed in the y may be nothing more than a falling leaf.
Unable to impress anyone or anything.
Insignificant and meaningless.
A life without the limelight.
But even those denied of their moment in the spotlight had stories of their own.
The tale of Isaac was one such story, engraved deeply in my mind.
Before his mother passed, Isaac, who had been crying and belittling himself, resolved his will and set his sights on M?rchen Academy.
Since he had no talent for magic, he delved deep into theoretical studies, aiming to excel in theory.
After making careful choices and dedicating himself, Isaac seeded in entering M?rchen Academy.
But that was merely a stroke of luck. When he entered the academy, Isaac was pushed to his limits and realized how weak he truly was. He became a mockery among the other students.
Isaac became even more frustrated when he looked at Ian¡¯s growth, even though they were both at Grade E mana.
In the end, during the academy¡¯s vacation, Isaac embarked on a long journey from which he would never return to this world, following his mother.
The reason for Isaac¡¯s disappearance midway through ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was because he had gone missing.
An extra. Isaac was just that, an extra.
But even he had a story, a story about a man named Isaac.
This moment was the prologue to a story that Isaac, a man who wanted to rise from being an extra to a main character, never got to tell.
The woman smiled and closed her eyes. I gently pressed my forehead against hers and closed my eyes as well. We remained silent, enjoying the gentle autumn breeze.
I bid farewell to the woman embarking on her final journey.
The cold wind prated through my winter clothes, freezing my entire body.
But, regardless of the pain resembling a knife slicing my skin, I moved forward.
My vision was filled with pitch-ck darkness and a raging blizzard.
I could see a beam of light. All I needed to do was move forward without hesitation.
I passed the trial by oveing Isaac¡¯s trauma. The world was falling apart, and when I closed and opened my eyes, I found myself back in reality.
My face was stiff. My lips had turned blue. My whole body was shaking, and a chill ran down my spine.
All I could manage was a breathing noise in my mouth. My feet had already gone numb, but I forced myself to continue, knowing that if I stopped here, everything woulde to an end.
The beam of light drew closer and closer. Many parts of my body were already numb, and I felt the urge to copse immediately. However, I couldn¡¯t stop since my destination grew closer and closer.
I closed my eyes while keeping my bearings. Despite being out of breath, I continued walking, taking one step at a time.
When the darkness finally cleared, I could barely lift my heavy eyelids.
Pale blue mana swirled in the center of the room, with a navy-blue scythe floating in the middle of it.
I fell forward as the sensation in my legspletely went away.
I crawled forward, scraping my hands across the icy floor. The thick gloves kept bothering me, so I threw away my gloves and continued to w my way through the floor with my pale white hands.
As I lost the feeling in my fingers, I continued to crawl by using my face and teeth to move forward.
Finally, I reached the source of the icy mana.
As a result, my body began rapidly freezing. Fortunately, my body had reached a state where I didn¡¯t need to move forward anymore.
My arms were numb. But the muscles in my forearm and shoulder should still be usable.
I barely managed to raise my arm and reach for the Frostscythe.
My arm froze. The icy cold air tore through my skin, leaving me frostbitten.
Still, I didn¡¯t stop. I kept reaching out my hand while repeating, ¡®Just a little more, just a little more.¡¯ to myself.
And then, finally, my hand¡
¡Pierced through the icy mana and made contact with the Frostscythe.
¡°I¡ got¡ it!¡±
Due to the frigid cold, I couldn¡¯t even think straight, as even my head started freezing. One side of my face had already been consumed by the cold, distorting my expression.
Just the thought of grabbing the Frostscythe¡
¡made me smile with pride.
[You have passed the Trial of Frost with strong willpower and mental strength!] [Congrattions, you have acquired the Trial Reward [Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe], [Divine Authority ¨C White Night]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe], [Divine Authority ¨C Evesting Night]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe], [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe], [Absolute Zero]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe], [sh Freeze]!] Footnotes:- 1T/N: When Isaac says perfect (??) here, the word also has a double meaning, which can mean worthless.
Chapter 57: - Ice Sovereign
? Ice Sovereign ?
The summer breeze was slowly turning colder.
Dusk was slowly settling in.
[Buu-, Buu-]
The balloon demon, Heinkel the Hoarder, floated in the sky as if he were a part of the clouds.
He was looking down at the magic circle in A Forest. The silver-blue haired man he had been keeping an eye on had entered that magic circle.
Heinkel wasn¡¯t the least bit interested in the child of light. The light element made him feel disgusted, the same way a human would feel at the sight of a cockroach.
However, the silver-blue haired man was different. He possessed a in and unremarkable ice element. His indomitable will, which gave him the courage to risk his life against the Thunderbird, was quite admirable.
[Ah¡ bloody¡ nuisance¡]
A battle to the death with the silver-blue-haired man was his. His life was also his.
Since he was a hindrance, he should just kill him. The justification was good enough. Let¡¯s leave the child of light to all the other demons. All Heinkel needed to do was engage that man in a bloody duel.
[Kehehe¡ hehe¡ bloodbath¡ mine¡ his life¡ mine¡!]
The face attached to his bloated body contorted, a grotesque grin filling every inch of the face.
His mouth was dripping with saliva, just like a dog that found a tasty treat.
[Finally¡ time¡e¡]
This puny balloon body was just a way to preserve his strength. Right now, his body was in peak condition.
Jiiiiik©¤©¤©¤©¤
Several parts of Heinkel¡¯s balloon body popped, and a murky gas began to seep out from the cracks.
As his body shrank, Heinkel transformed into a humanoid with a height of 4 meters.
The thick buffalo horns that had been hidden inside the balloon body were revealed.
He had a sturdy, muscr body. However, sagging flesh drooped from his wrist, sides, and ankles, as if forming bulges of flesh.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤!
The dense wind swirled around his body, elevating him in the air.
Heinkel began to rip off his sagging flesh. With a sound simr to that of a stack of paper being torn apart, he clenched the torn flesh in one of his hands as purple blood began to pour.
The wound healed in an instant.
The flesh quickly rotted and merged, forming a long spear. The sharp de of the spear caught the afterglow of the sun, which had yet to sink under the horizon.
With well-defined features, Heinkel¡¯s piercing eyes focused on the magic circle.
[Done.]
A solemn voice rang through the air.
Boom©¤!
He sliced through the air towards the magic circle. The sound of an explosion rang out. His speed was akin to that of a bullet.
There was only a gust of wind left behind in Heinkel¡¯s wake.
[I will face the Trial of Frost.]
The active skill, [Ears to Hear the Sound of Heaven], was a skill that allowed the user to hear anything at will, no matter the distance.
With the help of that, he recited the chant to enter the magic circle he overheard from Isaac.
Heinkel¡¯s body passed through the magic circle engraved in A Forest.
Meanwhile, inside the cave of the Trial of Frost.
The blizzard that was raging inside the trial passage subsided.
Behind the Frost Dragon, the path leading to the Frostscythe had been turned into an eerie passage that seemed to lead into the abyss.
It was because the man with red eyes had ovee the trial and imed the Frostscythe as his own.
[Wee, Ice Sovereign¡]
The Frost Dragon closed her eyes and recalled the request the Ice Sovereign had made to her a thousand years ago.
Can you suppress the Frostscythe until its new master has appeared?
The Frost Dragon happily epted the request, saying that she also wanted to y a part in the next generation of people that would change the world.
Finally, at this moment, the potent coldness of the Frostscythe that had been umted over the ages was in the hand of one man. There was no longer a need to suppress the Frostcythe¡¯s mana from invading the inds and seas above.
It was a joyous asion. For the first time in a long time, her heart was fluttering.
[¡?]
It was at that moment when Frost Dragon Hilde sensed another person at the entrance. Her reptilian eyes, glowing pale blue, turned toward the approaching intruder.
It was Heinkel, a 4-meter-tall, muscr demon wielding a ck spear.
He walked across the icy floor with hisrge, wed feet.
He scattered his dense mana while walking.
Around Heinkel¡¯s body and spear was a dark green wind, abination of colors ck and light green.
It was undeniably the darkness mana of a demon.
[Who are you?]
The voice of the Frost Dragon carried a deep sense of wariness.
[White Dragon, I want. Scales, I want. Meat, I want.]
Heinkel spoke in a monotone, emotionless voice, like that of a machine.
He lightly swung his mana-wrapped spear.
¡¸Gale Fang (Wind Element, ¡ï5)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Wind (Wind Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Wolf Fang (Wind Element)¡¹
Kwakakakkakaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
In an instant, a storm came forth.
Like a pack of wolves pouncing and biting, the smoky dark green wind attacked the mass of ice relentlessly with wless precision.
The mass of ice was cut down in an instant, and the Frost Dragon was helplessly attacked by [ck Wolf Fang].
It only left a few scratches on her pearly white scales.
[¡Big and hard.]
Heinkel used his limited vocabry to its fullest and kept his impressions short.
It was sturdy, but that was about it.
The Frost Dragon had been suppressing the mana of the Frostscythe and was dormant for thousands of years. As a result, she was currently in a weakened state.
When the mass of ice began to crumble, the Frost Dragon was released.
She didn¡¯t expect to be in this pitiful state when she was finally walking on four legs again after such a long time.
[You, stronger than me. But, you tired.]
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kurururureu¡]
The Frost Dragon bared her teeth and began showing her animalistic wariness.
Heinkel remained indifferent, taking on a battle stance. In the face of his greed, it mattered little whether his opponent was a mythological beast or a legend.
[Reason, not curious. Only meat and scales, I want.]
Heinkel leapt at the Frost Dragon with his spear wrapped in a dark-green wind spell. In an instant, the icy floor shattered and wind scattered around.
¡¸Whirlwind (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Wind (Wind Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Thread of Death (Wind Element)¡¹
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Whoooooooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The destructive power of the spear wrapped in the swirling ck winds of [Thread of Death] was at a level where it could even pierce the sturdy scales of the Frost Dragon.
The Frost Dragon had no mana left to deploy a defensive spell. She would certainly sustain deep wounds.
However, Heinkel¡¯s attack did not reach the Frost Dragon.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Winter Hellfire (Ice Element)¡¹
[¡!!]
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
The cold, dark blue mes raged onward. Its fierce momentum pushed Heinkel¡¯s body back. It was a direct hit.
He then rolled violently on the icy floor, regaining his bnce and standing up after a while. The frostbite that had spread along his body quickly healed as he exerted his mana.
At that moment, an eerie sensation coursed through his body.
Behind the Frost Dragon, a thick chill flowed out from within the darkness.
The corner of Heinkel¡¯s mouth twitched.
In the passageway, the man with silver-blue hair he had been seeking was striding out.
The man held a dark blue scythe in his right hand. Like the personification of Death itself, he emitted a chilling aura filled with murderous intent as he came out of the passage.
¡°¡¡±
Inside the icy cavern that was as beautiful as a pce, pale blue mana illuminated his figure, while the sharp de of the scythe reflected the light.
The Frost Dragon also turned her head to capture the sight with her eyes. He was dressed in light robes, having apparently discarded the cumbersome winter clothing.
Naturally, wizards were unaffected by their own magic. Therefore, the fact that he didn¡¯t feel the cold was evidence that the icy cold of the Frostscythe was entirely his own.
The man with silver-blue hair lowered his gaze. Heavy mana pressed down on Heinkel¡¯s entire body. It felt like the pressure of the deep ocean was trying to crush him.
Then, the man slowly raised his head.
Cold, blood-red eyes turned towards the demon.
¡°¡¡¯Heinkel the Hoarder¡¯, is it?¡±
[¡!!]
My name, he knows.
Heinkel felt chills run through his spine.
[My name, how did you know¡]
Heinkel¡¯s [irvoyance] allowed him to see things, no matter the distance.
With [Ears to Hear the Sound of Heaven], no matter how far away it was, he could hear it.
However, as Heinkel bore witness to the insurmountable power of the man before him¡
¡He realized that he had been drunk with power, while being under the man¡¯s thumb all along.
[Excellent¡! Excellent! I want this¡! A battle with you, a bloody battle¡!]
Heinkel shouted in excitement.
The man only gave an indifferent response, as if he were looking at a passing insect.
That demeanor, however, only fueled Heinkel¡¯s fighting spirit even more.
¡°Hilde.¡±
The man with silver-blue hair held his left hand out towards Frost Dragon Hilde. His wrist was engraved with an 8-star Familiar Contract Circle.
¡°Come to me.¡±
An emotionlessmand came out of the man¡¯s mouth. He couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to his manner of speaking, as he was adjusting to the Frostscythe¡¯s chill.
[¡!]
The Frost Dragon¡¯s eyes widened.
That cold expression and icy voice¡ reminded her of the Ice Sovereign who had been drifting through her dreams.
No matter how she looked at it, the aura emanating from him was unmistakably simr to the Ice Sovereign. It was the ¡®Authority of a Ruler¡¯ that couldn¡¯t be exined in any other way.
[Whew¡]
The Frost Dragon let out a faintugh.
[For a thousand years¡ I have been waiting for you, Ice Sovereign.]
I look forward to traveling the world with you again.
Is this the right time to use the expression ¡®it feels like a dream¡¯?
Her heart was pounding in her chest.
The Frost Dragon freed herself from the sense of duty that clung to her like skin.
She epted that man, Isaac, as her new master.
Hwaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
The 8-star Familiar Contract Circle emitted an intense pale blue light. The same hue of magic enveloped the body of the Frost Dragon.
Frost Dragon Hilde, the name of the 8-star magic beast in myths, and the symbol of the Northern Duchy of Whiterk.
At this moment, a pale blue familiar seal was engraved on that white dragon¡¯s forehead.
Swiiiiiiiiiiish©¤©¤©¤©¤
The powerful mana of her new master immediately flowed into Hilde.
Unlike a minion, a familiar formed a close rtionship through a formal master-servant contract. As long as the master was of the same element, it was possible for the familiar to receive mana from them.
Soon, Isaac stood in front of Hilde, facing Heinkel. The Frostscythe glimmered with a chilling pale blue mana.
Behind him, Hilde had begun refining her mana.
As a familiar, Hilde¡¯s magic was under the control of her master, Isaac.
This meant that the spell unleashed by Hilde would only devour her enemies.
No harm would be done to the master unless they willingly epted the effects of their familiar¡¯s spells.
A swirling icy cold air enveloped the surroundings. Hilde¡¯s unique skill, [Frostwind] had been activated. It increased the power of her master¡¯s ice magic and froze the bodies of their enemies.
It was a powerful blizzard that allowed Isaac to dominate the battlefield.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!]
Hilde¡¯s fierce roar shook the cave.
A frigid blizzard raged due to the effects of [Frostwind]. Heinkel¡¯s vision turned white.
Through the gap made by [Frostwind], the man¡¯s blood-red eyes and the dragon¡¯s pale blue eyes could be seen.
[This man, I want. White dragon, I want¡! I WANT!!]
Heinkel¡¯s smile distorted into an exaggerated grin. To counter [Frostwind], he poured out his mana.
Heinkel¡¯s wind stirred. It was imbued with his unique element.
¡¸Zephyr (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸Serpentine Venom (Poison Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Toxic Zephyr (Wind + Poison Element)¡¹
Whooooooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
The venomous violet winds engaged in a fierce battle against [Frostwind], corroding Isaac¡¯s flesh. It was a potent venom that could bring death to any living being with a single breath.
However, Isaac simply lifted the Frostscythe once and mmed it into the ground, dispersing Heinkel¡¯s [Toxic Zephyr].
¡¸Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty(Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
A cold, light blue glow spread in all directions.
[Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty], a skill that repelled all magic directed at the user. It only targeted magic that Isaac could handle, but he was already far above Heinkel in terms of power.
The peak of the ice element, the Ice Sovereign¡¯s overwhelming power flowed out of Isaac.
Heinkel felt the heat rising from his chest. Excitement! Exhration! How long had it been since he found an enemy that made his heart race?
[Kahahahaha©¤©¤©¤!! As expected, I want this man! I want©¤©¤©¤!!]
!
Kuuung©¤©¤©¤!
Heinkel used his mana to thaw his body, which had frozen by Hilde¡¯s [Frostwind], and leapt at Isaac with ferocious speed.
Just before Heinkel could stab Isaac with the spear enveloped by the dark green wind spell [Thread of Death].
Isaac¡¯s calm voice rang through the air.
¡°You¡¯re¡ easier than I thought.¡±
Isaac lowered his gaze.
Heinkel made his first in-game appearance during the second semester of the first year in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Heinkel was a demon that acted and moved on his own ord, regardless of the orders from the Evil God. He yed the role of a Joker-esque demon, appearing as a variable in several episodes.
Heinkel¡¯s power in the game was indescribable.
But in front of Isaac, who wielded the icy chill of the Frostscythe, Heinkel was nothing more than a helpless weakling.
Isaac pointed the head of the Frostscythe at Heinkel. The magic circle of [Frost Explosion] conjured before him.
The moment Heinkel¡¯s spear was about to hit Isaac.
The magic of the Frostscythe devoured him.
¡¸sh Freeze (Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Chaaraaak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!
In the blink of an eye, Heinkel¡¯s body froze. The passive skill, [sh Freeze], rapidly froze anything that came near the Frostscythe.
Cold sts of mana explosions erupted in session from the magic circle conjured in front of the scythe.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
It was a relentless onught of ice.
The cold st fiercely shattered Heinkel¡¯s already frozen organs.
The mass of ice ferociously expanded, encasing his mangled body like a disy piece.
His body that was within the ice mass had already shattered to pieces along with the ice.
Suuuuuurrrrrruuuu©¤
The massive ice mass formed by [Frost Explosion] turned into a pale blue powder before scattering into the air.
The corpse of the dead demonid on the ground. Silver mana flowed from the body, gathering in the air.
Heinkel the Hoarder turned into a gray powder and disappeared.
A concentrated aura flowed towards Isaac like a cloud of cigarette smoke.
For a moment, his right eye turned silver before returning to red again. Heinkel¡¯s unique magic [irvoyance] was now imprinted onto Isaacs¡¯s right eye.
¡°¡¡±
Isaac instinctually recalled the Frostscythe. In a process akin to thawing, he reduced it into a pale blue powder and absorbed it into his body.
It felt like a new storage cab had been created inside his body where he could retrieve and store the Frostscythe at will.
He then turned to face Hilde.
Hilde closed her eyes, bent her front legs, and lowered her head.
With tears in her eyes, she bowed to her new master.
[Ice Sovereign.]
It was an emotional moment for Hilde.
[I thank fate for allowing me to meet you again¡]
Whooooooosh©¤©¤©¤
Suddenly, Hilde transformed into pale blue mana and was forcibly unsummoned. At that moment, Hilde was confused and uttered, ¡®W-what just happened?¡¯
As soon as her physical form disappeared, the view of the cave started looking unnecessarilyrge.
Isaac appeared to be in a difficult situation, as cold sweat trickled down his face. It took a ridiculous amount of mana to keep Hilde summoned.
As soon as the unique trait [Hunter] was deactivated, Isaac sensed an immediate crisis from his rapidly depleting mana and quickly unsummoned Hilde.
¡°Oh my¡¡±
After Isaac¡¯s undignified exmation, the cave was filled with silence.
Chapter 58: - Prologue - Interlude
? Prologue ¨C Interlude ?
Right as Isaac passed the trial.
In the north, at the Whiterk family mansion.
A woman with short, pink hair, Keridna Whiterk, was screaming. Her voice rang throughout therge family mansion.
¡°Sister! Sister Aichel!! Help me, it¡¯s urgent!¡±
The life of an academy student named Isaac was at stake, and she was the only one who knew about it.
Keridna couldn¡¯t bear the thought.
Believing that Aichel might be able to save Isaac, Keridna continued to search through therge mansion with the help of the maids for over 20 minutes.
It was crazy that no one knew where Aichel was.
Where the hell is my sister hiding?
Keridna reached her office. Although she had already checked and passed by it earlier, something might have changed. Keridna knocked on the office door.
¡°Sister Aichel!! Help! Someone is about to die!!¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°Aaaah!!¡±
When a calm voice appeared from behind her, Keridna turned around to look at the owner of the voice, startled.
The woman she had been searching for stood there with a friendly smile.
It was Aichel Whiterk, a mature beauty with neatly braided pink hair wearing her dress uniform.
¡°Uh, Sis. I didn¡¯t feel your presence¡? What movement technique did you use to walk here again?¡±
¡°I just walked here normally. You were just too distracted to notice.¡±
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
Aichel opened the door, revealing a nd office furnished with only the bare essentials.
However, a White Dragon emblem behind the desk that symbolized the Whiterk family wasvishly decorated.
¡°Uhm, more importantly¡! Someone is dying right now¡! Huh? He¡¯s awake?¡±
Keridna closed her eyes to confirm that Isaac was still unconscious.
A strange scene unfolded before her as she activated [Sight Synchronization]. While it was a relief that Isaac seemed to have awoken, there was something peculiar about the situation.
¡°Uh¡?¡±
Keridna was speechless as her eyes fell upon the figure of the White Dragon. It was the unmistakable symbol of the Whiterk family, the mythical White Dragon.
Even more surprisingly, Isaac had extended his arm towards it, signing an 8-star Familiar Contract Circle.
Keridna doubted her eyes. It was an unbelievable sight.
¡¸Plunder (Neutral Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
¡°Wha!¡±
Suddenly, Aichel ced her hand on Keridna¡¯s eyelids and casted a spell. Taken back by the unexpected action, Keridna let out a startled scream.
The neutral spell that allowed the user to steal the magic another person was using, [Plunder].
It was generally impractical, as the caster had to have a deep understanding of the magic being stolen.
Aichel, being exceptionally familiar with the Whiterk family¡¯s magic, [Sight Synchronization], had a deep understanding of it. She could, as a result, steal it as effortlessly as breathing.
Aichel closed her eyes and observed Isaac¡¯s vision, which she had stolen from Keridna, with her own eyes.
¡°Uh, sister!!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Aichel extended her arm at the approaching Keridna. Seeing the serious expression on her face, Keridna had no choice but to swallow her breath and remain still.
¡°This is¡¡±
Her sister had always yfully teased others with a friendly smile in a carefree manner.
However, this was the first time Keridna had ever seen her have a serious expression.
Reflected in Aichel¡¯s vision was arge white dragon, an intimidating scythe dripping with immense mana, and a menacing demon.
Soon, [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty] was triggered, and Isaac¡¯s body glowed.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤Pop!!
¡°Argh!!¡±
With the sound of something popping, arge amount of blood started streaming from Aichel¡¯s closed eyes.
Covering her eyes, Aichel copsed with a piercing scream. It was due to the bacsh of [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty] rejecting [Sight Synchronization].
¡°Sister!!¡±
Keridna tried to catch her, but¡
Aichel once again extended her arms, blocking her sister¡¯s approach.
¡°Hu, I¡¯m fine¡ It¡¯s alright¡¡±
She covered her eyes with her free hand. Thanks to her always-active, high-leveled [Basic Protection Magic], her eyeballs had avoided popping. However, she would suffer from the aftereffects for quite some time.
Aichel spoke while trembling and breathing heavily in pain.
¡°Little sister. What¡ what absurd monster did you provoke¡?¡±
¡°S-Sister¡?¡±
Keridna¡¯s entire body trembled uncontrobly from fear.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯m¡!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not scolding you.¡±
Suddenly, the corners of Aichel¡¯s lips curved upward.
Keridna was caught off guard by that reaction.
¡°I¡¯m praising you¡¡±
Even as tears of blood streamed down her face, Aichel¡¯s eyes widened with joy.
An ear-to-ear smile stretched across her face, her eyes gleaming with a red hue.
For the first time in her life, Keridna felt that her sister was creepy.
* * *
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated [Heinkel the Hoarder (Lv 155)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 63!] [You have gained 6 stat points!] [You have obtained the loot [Heavenly Bundle]!] [The aura of [Heavenly Bundle] permeates you¡] [Congrattions! You have acquired the unique skill [irvoyance]!]
It felt like I was being bombarded by all sorts of things.
As I adjusted to the frigid chill that flowed into my body from the Frostscythe, I felt heavily dazed. My mind wasn¡¯t working properly, either.
At the same time, when Iid my eyes on Hilde, I remembered the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath who had given me the 8-star Familiar Contract Circle.
So, I casually blurted out for her to be my familiar¡ I didn¡¯t think she would actually be willing.
I even calmly dealt with Heinkel the Hoarder.
¡®Why did hee out here¡?¡¯
Only after adapting to the chill of the Frostscythe, and gradually regaining rity did I realize how confusing the current situation was.
Heinkel the Hoarder yed a pivotal role akin to a catalyst in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, during the second-semester arc of the first year.
He was a demon known for his rebellious and self-righteous attitude, acting independently while ignoring the orders of the Evil God Nephid. His unpredictable nature made him an unexpected variable in many stories.
The second semester hadn¡¯t started yet, but he had already appeared and been defeated by me.
I had also obtained the [irvoyance] skill.
Frostscythe, 8-star familiar, and even [irvoyance]¡
¡®What a fortunate turn of events.¡¯
It felt like a buy one get one free type of deal.
Moreover¡ Hilde had called me ¡®Ice Sovereign¡¯. After thinking for a bit, I could roughly guess the reason.
The 9-star passive skill I obtained from [Fictional Hell], [Ice Sovereign]. Hilde must have sensed that and mistaken me for her master from a thousand years ago.
Does she think I¡¯m the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign?
It seemed as though the Frost Dragon had a grandmotherly side and believed in reincarnation.
¡®So in the end, she misunderstood me and became my familiar?¡¯
You have truly seen my fate, oh Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath.
To be honest, I was looking forward to forming a contract with an 8-star familiar in a dramatic and grand manner.
An endgame familiar, no less.
However, I didn¡¯t think it would look like this.
¡®I¡¯m sorry, Hilde.¡¯
I am not the Ice Sovereign¡ and I am certainly not their reincarnation.
As I was about to tell her that, a heavy feeling weighed upon my heart. I couldn¡¯t fathom the magnitude of betrayal and shock she would feel. After all, she had spent a thousand years yearning for the Ice Sovereign¡¯s return.
Since I had made a familiar contract with her already, I hoped Hilde would at least assist me until we dealt with the Evil God. After that, I wouldn¡¯t mind ending the contract.
¡®Until I defeat the Evil God¡ should I pretend to be the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign?¡¯
Or maybe it was better to be honest and admit the truth.
After racking my brain for a while, I decided to take a break and think about it tomorrow. I was just too exhausted today.
I chose to abandon my winter clothespletely. They were deep within the trial¡¯s cavern, and I didn¡¯t want to explore the darkness just to find it.
cing my hand on the magic circle, I infused a small amount of mana and sessfully returned to A Forest. Now that Hilde was contracted to me, I had gained the authority to ess the trial¡¯s cave. The thought of this filled me with a sense of satisfaction and aplishment.
¡°Ah.¡±
As soon as I exited A Forest, my legs gave out, and I fell to the ground.
I felt weak. Despite the disappearance of the chill that had frozen my body after gaining control of the Frostscythe, the damage still remained.
My body still had traces of the freezing cold that almost took my life. It was so bad I couldn¡¯t even dismiss it with empty words. While I had managed to freeze all the bleeding from the cuts on my skin, the sharp pain coursing through my body was unavoidable.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I created a sheet of ice on the ground andid on it. It was painful enough without having grass touching my wounds.
I silently gazed at the night sky, the celestial garden of shimmering stars imprinting itself on my eyes. They were tranquil, gentle, and faintly radiant.
Despite theplications that arose, it was an undeniably high-risk, high-reward venture that yielded tremendous gains. Every bit of pain and every wound I suffered all felt gloriously worthwhile.
¡°Really. It hurts like hell.¡±
Iugh silently in pain.
It was an unforgettable night.
¡¡
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 63
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman
Mana: 3200/3200
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C)
¨C Stamina (B-)
¨C Strength (B-)
¨C Intelligence (C+)
¨C Willpower (A+) Potential ??Details?? [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (B-)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B-)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B-)
Elemental Series 2 (Locked) [Owned Skills] Owned Skills ??Details?? Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter [Familiars] Eden (Lv: 55)
Grade: ¡ï3
Race: Magic Beast
Element: Rock
Friendship: 70
Synchronization: 35
Summoning Mana Consumption: 50 Skill Tree ??Details?? Frost Dragon Hilde (Lv: 180)
Grade: ¡ï8
Race: Magic Beast
Element: Ice
Friendship: 5
Synchronization: 0
Summoning Mana Consumption: 20000 Skill Tree ??Details??
¡®I need to check on my progress.¡¯
After passing the Trial of Frost, I received treatment in the academy¡¯s infirmary. When asked about what happened, I vaguely mentioned getting injured during training.
When I returned to the dormitory, I fell into a deep sleep. I was so tired.
Morning. Doris Hall, Low-Ranking Dormitory.
Leaning against the window with a cool morning breeze flowing through, I gazed at my status screen while trying to organize my thoughts.
I invested my 6 newly acquired stat points into [Learning Efficiency], which improved my skill mastery and knowledge acquisition rate.
I should be able to raise my [Elemental Firepower] from B- to B grade soon. Thanks to my Grade A [Magic Training Efficiency], my growth was quite impressive.
For reference, many students in M?rchen Academy already had high potential in [Magic Training Efficiency]. It was a prestigious institution known for attracting naturally gifted individuals in magic, after all.
Moreover, those students were working hard to improve themselves.
On the other hand, I had only recently achieved Grade A [Magic Training Efficiency].
It was only due to the system feature in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? that I was able to achieve rapid growth through defeating demons.
Naturally, Igged behind other top-tier characters and Ian, who were innately talented.
Even so, as I progressed through the grades, Isaac Coin would skyrocket. In the first semester alone, I had raised my level by 43, while others might¡¯ve only raised it by a few.
Anyways.
¡®I still have a long way to go before I can use Hilde¡¡¯
Even though I made a contract with Frost Dragon Hilde.
Without [Hunter] active, Ick the necessary mana to summon her.
My maximum mana capacity was 3200. However, summoning Hilde required an astonishing 20000 mana. The difference between the two was over six times.
Even if I summoned Hilde, the amount of mana required to maintain the summoning would be staggering. It was unrealistic to summon Hilde with [Hunter] inactive.
Well, the fact that I obtained an endgame familiar like Hilde was already a remarkable achievement. It could only be acquired in theter parts of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but I managed to acquire it early on.
If there¡¯s anything I should be concerned about, it was¡
¡®I don¡¯t know how to deal with her¡¡¯
There was no way I could sit still without talking to Hilde. Moreover, she would likely be in a state of panic. She could probably sense that my mana was incredibly small.
However, I was unable to summon her now, so that was impossible¡
There was a way to decrease the necessary mana by reducing the size of the familiar and the amount of mana it could tap into. However, even with that method, I still could not summon Hilde with my current level.
In other words, it was hard for me to even talk to Hilde right now. I had to figure out a solution to this problem.
The simplification of the skill list in the status window seems to be because the number of acquired skills had increased. Now, I needed to press [Owned Skills <>] to view my skills in detail.
[Owned Skills] Active
¨C (¡ï1) Ice Generation (B-) / (¡ï5) ck Ice (B-)
¨C (¡ï2) Ice Curtain (B-)
¨C (¡ï1) Cold Divergence (B+)
¨C (¡ï1) Basic Protection Magic (D+)
¨C (¡ï4) Frostfire (C+)
¨C (¡ï4) Ice Wall (C+)
¨C (¡ï5) Frost Explosion (C-)
¨C (¡ï2) Snow Pellets (C)
¨C (¡ï7) Divine Authority ¨C White Night (E) ¨C (Locked)
¨C (¡ï7) Divine Authority ¨C Evesting Night (E) ¨C (Locked)
¨C (¡ï7) Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty (E) ¨C (Locked)
¨C (¡ï7) Absolute Zero (E) ¨C (Locked)
¨C (¡ï7) irvoyance (E)
Passive
¨C (¡ï7) Psychological Insight
¨C (¡ï5) Demon Detection
¨C (¡ï9) Ice Sovereign
¨C (¡ï7) sh Freeze ¨C (Locked)
The locked skills were conditional skills. I would be able to use them again once I summoned Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe.
This level of aplishment at the end of the first-semester was remarkable. I felt pride and excitement rushing over me at the thought that I hadpletely disregarded the conventional teachings of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°Huff¡ ugh.¡±
But my mood quickly dropped. It was because of the Frostscythe.
In conclusion, I couldn¡¯t use the Frostscythe with my current body. As soon as the [Hunter] state was released, my mana circuit overloaded from merely holding the scythe. It felt like my blood flow was elerating, causing my blood vessels to expand and burst.
Not only was I unable to use the Frostscythe¡¯s magic properly, even swinging it would cause my body to freeze.
In fact, wielding it against anything that wasn¡¯t a demon would be equivalent to suicide. It showed just how weak I was.
As expected of an ultimate weapon.
¡®Should I give [irvoyance] a try?¡¯
There was a strange mana lingering in my right eye. I let the mana flow.
¡¸irvoyance (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
I felt a peculiar sensation as if another me was created, one that was unrestricted by space and time. I could manipte this clone with my mind and move it around.
As if I had mastered teleportation, my clone moved rapidly, causing my vision to change with it swiftly. Struggling to focus my eyes caused me to feel dizzy, so I tightly closed them.
The view currently captured by my right eye was of the distant hydrangea garden. It was a weird sensation.
¡®Ooh, this is amazing. What¡¯s the limit to it?¡¯
As I continued moving quickly, my vision started darkening. After going a little further, I felt a violent pain in my right eye, with a headache attached as a bonus.
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
I released [irvoyance] and closed my right eye. It hurt like hell¡ I wondered if this was how it would feel to undergo surgery without anesthesia.
With [irvoyance] being Grade E, the name ¡®irvoyance¡¯ seemed ridiculous, as I couldn¡¯t see very far away.
Indeed, it was an undoubtedly useful and powerful skill, so I should be happy to steadily increase its proficiency over time. However, using it to monitor Alice¡ seemed to be quite challenging. I didn¡¯t want to experience the Extra Bad Ending No.11, [Sudden Death].
As the pain subsided, I took a breath and lowered the hand that held my eye. Reflected in the mirror was my right eye, which had returned from silver to its original color.
¡®I just need to keep training [irvoyance]¡ As for the second-semester scenario, hmm.¡¯
I managed to take out both Leafa the Illusive and Heinkel the Hoarder, who were supposed to appear in the second-semester, early on.
As a result, I had no idea how the second-semester would y out.
In the original scenario, during the [Four Constetions] arc in the second-semester of the first year, Amy Holloway would use her bloodline ability, [Heart Color Discernment], to see through Leafa¡¯s hidden intentions. Through her actions, Leafa was revealed as a demon, leading to the [Fictional Hell] arc¡
¡®I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen.¡¯
The Four Constetions would fight among themselves to win over Ian Fairytale, the light element prodigy, but that was none of my business.
The biggest problem was Heinkel¡¯s absence. He yed the role of the joker, creating variables in the first-year second-semester scenario. He would manipte the situation by pushing Ian into a corner or by letting him escape.
It was unknown how the story would y out from now on. However, what I needed to do wasn¡¯t much different from before, killing demons and preventing bad endings.
I might need to help Ian reach the minimum threshold to progress the scenario, but that was
a problem for after summer vacation when Ian returned.
I waved my arm to turn off my status screen and stared out the window.
Throughout the trial, I felt the Evil God¡¯s mana through my skin and realized something new.
Clearly, I needed to continue training and getting stronger to defeat her, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough.
¡®I¡¯ll end up falling behind despite trying to get stronger, so what should I do?¡¯
If I wanted to immediately defeat the servant of the Evil God, Angra Mainyu, I would need to be at least level 200 or possess the light element. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand Angra Mainyu¡¯s crimson mana, and I die.
However, it was safe to say that no human had reached level 200. In the end, the only one capable of defeating Angra Mainyu was Ian, whose light mana could block their magic.
Unfortunately, Ian Faintingtale was an SSS-ss Master Fainter with terrible control, which made it much more realistic for me to defeat Angra Mainyu by reaching level 200. Or I could somehow try to recruit a level 200panion and ask for their assistance.
But there was also the Apocalypse Dragon Azhi Dah¨¡ka and the ck me Legion that must be stopped.
Of course, gathering power was always in the back of my mind, but¡ it seemed I needed more power than I had expected.
¡®Looks like I have one more task.¡¯
It looked like I needed to attract several powerful allies that were stronger than the current Dorothy before the Evil God¡¯s resurrection.
That will also be a long-term task¡
¡°Hi!¡±
¡°Woah, you scared me!¡±
Outside the window, a female student suddenly appeared from below.
Seeing a witch hat and purple hair startled me, reminding me of a horror movie ghost. I backed away in surprise.
I thought my heart stopped there for a moment¡
¡°Nyahaha! The President is so funny!¡±
I¡¯m weak to this sort of thing¡
I took a deep breath to calm my emotions and looked at Dorothy Heartnova, floating in the air with starlight mana on her feet. ¡°Oops¡± she said, adjusting her posture and sitting on the windowsill, her legs stretched into my room.
She was dressed in casual attire that showed off her fair shoulders. It was nice to see in the morning.
¡°Senior, this is the men¡¯s dormitory. You shouldn¡¯t be here¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already have the maximum penalty! There¡¯s nothing more to lose!
She answered cheerfully while puffing air. It didn¡¯t sound like something to be proud of.
¡°What are you doing today, President? Let¡¯s hang out.¡±
¡°I have to practice magic. There¡¯s no time to y.¡±
Dorothy widened her eyes and red at me.
¡°Training Freak.¡±
¡°Are you going to scold me?¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t want me to, let me disturb you.¡±
¡°Now you openly admit that you¡¯re going to disturb me¡ You usually pretend not to.¡±
¡°President, this big sis is so sad. This so-called fan of mine doesn¡¯t even want to y with me when I want to.¡±
¡°Ugh, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t. Seriously¡¡±
¡°Ah, you¡¯re back to talking casually again.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
As a faint smile appeared on her face, I was left speechless.
¡®What is it?¡¯
Did I ever talk to her like this? There were a few times when I did, maybe subtly¡ once?
I couldn¡¯t fully remember all the conversations I had with Dorothy.
There were probably times when I naturally and effortlessly spoke my mind with her as if the words flowed like water. And, in all likelihood, I wouldn¡¯t even be conscious of it happening.
¡®Did she care about such a thing?¡¯
[Dorothy Heartnova] Psychology: [¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î]
Her psychology wasn¡¯t readable, as usual.
¡°I¡¯m just kidding. We shouldn¡¯t disturb our diligent President, of course!¡±
¡°But did you need anything? Coming to greet me in the morning and all.¡±
¡°I just felt like doing it today, for some reason.¡±
Dorothy smiled brightly. It was a meaningful smile.
¡°Nihihi, I¡¯m off for now. See youter~¡±
¡°Oh¡ sure.¡±
Dorothy wrapped herself in starlight mana and entered a state of weightlessness, floating away into the distance.
I felt strangely¡ ufortable. It felt like her words contained multiple emotions.
For a moment, I scratched my head and reflected on my conversation with her.
¡Suddenly, an absurd thought came to mind. It didn¡¯t make sense for Dorothy to have memories of the trial.
I shook my head and changed into my gym clothes before leaving the dormitory.
A cluster of fluffy clouds drifted quietly in the sky. They didn¡¯t look like rain clouds this time.
Chapter 59: - Carriage Driver (1)
? Carriage Driver (1) ?
[Does that mean the next Ice Sovereign has been chosen?]
In the northern region, the Whiterk Duchy.
The Whiterk family had several secrets that could shake the Zelver Empire to its core. The family magic [Sight Synchronization] was one such example, but even that was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Aichel Whiterk, the eldest daughter and heiress of the Whiterk Ducal family was a person of interest. She had a strong backing that solidified her position.
In reality, even her apparent position was not sufficient enough to evaluate her.
There was a roundtable conference room in the basement of the Whiterk mansion.
Despite thevishly decorated exterior, the space was dark, with only a few luminescentmps on the walls casting a faint glow.
There, Aichel stood upright at one end of the roundtable, head bowed.
One of the luxurious seats was particrly bright, illuminated by the figure of an adult man formed of lightning mana.
Noble in demeanor, he propped his elbows on the armrests and lightly rested his chin on clenched fists.
¡°Yes, Lightning Elemental King.¡±
Aichel¡¯s voice rang softly. She had an eyepatch over her right eye, which had yet to heal.
The lightning-formed figure was an Archwizard and the Elemental King of Lightning.
It belonged to the man called the ¡®Lightning Sovereign¡¯, given his position as the ¡®Lightning God¡¯. It was like a remote-controlled puppet.
The sovereigns of each element were known as the Elemental Kings, and each person was like a nation, military, andw in itself.
They have built and governed their own country, their influence so strong that it could shake the entire world through sheer military might. The Zelver Empire was no exception.
For this reason, throughout its centuries-old history, the Zelver Empire had maintained a friendly attitude whenever Elemental Kings appeared.
There had been various conflicts throughout history, but it had be a fully entrenched tradition.
[I was puzzled after seeing the letter¡ How did the other Elemental Kings react?]
¡°It appears that they consider it a mere agenda item for the next Council of Kings. They see it as nothing more than a noteworthy human with exceptional magical talent in the ice element, paying it little attention.¡±
And if it were known that the Elemental Kings gathered for a roundtable meeting every three years¡
The world beyond the Empire would be terrified. The Elemental Kings were the pinnacle of all wizard affiliations. In this world, wizards were the strongest existences, and within the Zelver Empire, Archwizards were above thew.
Among those scattered around the world, the people served by demihumans and monsters of each element naturally came to be called Elemental Kings, and ended up founding nations of their own.
Due to the immense power and potential danger associated with the Elemental Kings, they had agreed to hold periodic meetings under the pretext of fostering harmony. In reality, however, these council meetings served as a means to check and bnce each other.
Aichel, the next heiress to the Whiterk family who could stand as a neutral party, was chosen as the host.
She waspetent, had excellent support, and had a high noble status, all while being a promising candidate for the next Grand Duchess of the Empire¡¯s northern region. Above all, her love for peace had garnered the unanimous support of the Elemental Kings.
[I had the same thoughts at first, but my curiosity got the better of me. A new candidate for the ¡®Ice Sovereign¡¯, a position that has been vacant for a thousand years¡ you must know the significance of this.]
¡°Yes, I do.¡±
[Will you show me? I want to see the Ice Sovereign candidate you spoke of with my own eyes.]
Aichel meekly nodded and ced a finger on her forehead.
Mana slowly emanated from her finger. The process was akin to pulling a video out of her head.
Then, Aichel flicked her finger towards the center of the roundtable.
The memories in her head began ying in front of the Lightning Sovereign, the Elemental King of Lightning.
¡¸Sight Synchronization yback (Neutral Element, ¡ï0)¡¹
They were the memories seen through the eyes of a man via the Whiterk family¡¯s bloodline magic, [Sight Synchronization], which had been stolen from Keridna a few days ago.
In the video, the vision¡¯s owner held the Frostscythe in his hand.
The mythological white dragon, Frost Dragon Hilde, had be his familiar.
The Lightning Sovereign¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment at that scene.
Then, as the man was fighting a roughly four-meter tall demon, he activated [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty].
In a sh, the video disappeared.
Silence lingered for a while. The Lightning Sovereign stroked his chin, lost in thought, before finally opening his mouth to speak.
[Is he¡?]
¡°His name is ¡®Isaac¡¯, the next candidate for Ice Sovereign that I talked about. Amoner with silver-blue hair, red eyes, and no family name. He is currently a first-year student in the Zelver Empire¡¯s M?rchen Academy.¡±
[Hmm, a student?]
There was a hint of surprise in his dignified tone.
A mere first-year academy student.
It was obvious that Isaac was an immensely talented young man. However, his innate magic talent alone wasn¡¯t a big deal.
The most important factor was the recognition of the mythological magic beast and Frostscythe, once ruled by the Primordial Elemental King. This was a problem far beyond their expectations.
It meant that Isaac, a meremoner, was more suited to be the Ice Sovereign than anyone else.
[M?rchen Academy¡ I¡¯ve heard news of several recent demon appearances. There were even reports of an unknown monster killing them. I inevitably noticed that the Zelver Imperial Knights were mobilized. Was the kid that monster?]
¡°From the information I gathered, it¡¯s clear that he is hiding his identity.¡±
[A Magic Cloak of Disguise?]
¡°Yes, most likely.¡±
The events that had urred at M?rchen Academy surfaced after the school year ended, involving even the Imperial Knights.
The frequent demon appearances, the wizard monster ying them, and even the Child of Light, Ian Fairytale.
[Is his purpose¡ to protect the Child of Light and the people¡? Well, there is no point in specting among ourselves. Nothing is certain.]
[I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯s an interesting piece of information. That child will surely reach the realm of an Archwizard. I dare say it¡¯s beyond simply ¡®promising¡¯, he is practically guaranteed to be the next Ice Sovereign.]
As the Lightning Sovereign spoke, Aichel held back her words. He didn¡¯t miss her reaction.
[What is it, Aichel?]
¡°¡The source of the information is my younger sister, Keridna Whiterk. Based on what she has told me, the candidate for the next Ice Sovereign is infamous for having grade E mana, which is¡ the lowest level.¡±
[¡]
¡°Just before the first semester ended, he looked weak.¡±
The Lightning Sovereign immediately guessed what she was trying to say.
[Is it possible that he is suppressing mana?]
Manipting the maximum mana capacity.
It was equivalent to controlling every single cell in the body at will. As ridiculous as it is, it was possible for those at the level of an Archwizard that had transcended the limits of humanity, like the Lightning Sovereign.
And a first-year academy student named Isaac could already control his maximum mana capacity.
If anyone were asked who the greatest genius in the continent was, they would say ¡®Dorothy Heartnova¡¯.
Regarded as a prodigy blessed by the heavens, Dorothy Heartnova had even formed a contract with the Star Fairy Ste. It was anticipated that within the next ten years, she would easily reach the realm of an Archwizard. Even this level of talent was considered exceptional, near the level of the Primordial Elemental King.
But Isaac, amoner¡ was already far beyond that?
Tension filled the basement. One of the most powerful individuals in the world was silently admiring a man named ¡®Isaac¡¯, a man with talent superior to his own.
[If he were to be the Ice Sovereign, I can only imagine how powerful the Ice Empire will be. Even the Frost Dragon and Frostscythe recognized him as their master, so those ferocious monsters would likely be no exception¡]
Isaac. It was obvious to anyone in the know that he would eventually be an Archwizard and ascend to the position of the Elemental King.
There were countless ice demihumans and magic beasts that had evolved violently in the chaos that would regain order by weing a new master. They had been waiting only for a new master to lead them.
Among those, there were some they had to be particrly cautious of.
¡°You mean¡ ¡®cial Bear Barbatoma¡¯, ¡®Frost Spirit Merphil¡¯, and ¡®Icebound Crocodile Tugaros?¡¯¡±
The Lightning Sovereign nodded.
For over a thousand years, each of those beings developed their strength and joined the ranks of those who could change heaven and earth.
cial Bear, Frost Spirit, and Icebound Crocodile.
If those sinister and powerful monsters were to unite under the leadership of Isaac.
As the master of the Frost Dragon and Frostscythe, and with his overwhelming innate magic talent, the extent of Isaac¡¯s authority would be beyond imagination.
[What are your thoughts on this?]
Aichel closed her eyes to gather her thoughts before opening them and expressing her opinion.
¡°Personally, I believe that this man, Isaac, entered M?rchen Academy in anticipation of the frequent unexined demon appearances. Perhaps¡ he was born with a heroic disposition, willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others.¡±
Aichel couldn¡¯t hide her desires from revealing themselves.
¡°I am a lover of peace. If a man with a strong sense of self-sacrifice like him were to be the ruler of those natural disasters and cmities, bringing about change and order.¡±
Aichel¡¯s obsession with peace was clearly visible to the Lightning Sovereign.
¡°Then I couldn¡¯t be happier.¡±
She had no idea who Isaac was, his hobbies, ideal type, or favorite foods, and she didn¡¯t care.
Aichel only looked at the objective truth.
The fact that a man named Isaac was killing demons and saving people.
¡°If Isaac is what I expect him to be¡ It is my personal hope that he rises to the position of Ice Sovereign and stands shoulder to shoulder with the noblest Elemental Kings of old.¡±
For a thousand years, the position of Ice Sovereign had remained vacant.
So, on the day Aichel was struck by [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty], she was delighted to learn about Isaac, a promising candidate for the title of Ice Sovereign, and also a means to restrain those monsters of ice.
[¡I understand your intention.]
The Lightning Sovereign calmly answered.
[This was good information. I¡¯m d I let my curiosity get the better of me.]
Having said so, the lightning mana forming the Lightning Sovereign dispersed into the air.
Aichel bowed her head.
Meanwhile,
The Lightning Nation, ¡®Zabrok¡¯.
In the grand hall of the majestic castle, there was a luxurious purple and gold throne, colors that symbolized Zabrok.
Wearing a sleek robe, the man sitting on the throne opened his eyes. His purple hair was neatly swept back, his eyes glowing with dense lightning mana.
¡°Balkan.¡±
[Yes! Lord Lightning Sovereign!]
As the man¡¯s dignified voice rang through the air, the lightning mana in front of throne condensed, taking the form of an indigo gori. It was Balkan, a 6-star familiar with lightning mana constantly flowing from its shoulders.
Balkan bent a knee and lowered its head, saluting its master.
¡°I shall go to the Zelver Empire, to M?rchen Academy. Go through the necessary formalities immediately.
The dignified voice of the Lightning Sovereign subsided.
Isaac. He wanted to confirm with his own eyes.
The Lightning Sovereign had made a decision.
* * *
¡°Eden, will you please not call me ¡®Rider Isaac¡¯?¡±
[Kyuuu!]
I was feeling excited and tried talking nonsense with Eden, my little golem familiar. I was grateful when he responded with a smile.
Now that I had the Frostscythe, I began my part-time job as a ¡®carriage driver¡¯.
As mentioned earlier, a ¡®carriage driver¡¯ in this context referred to a profession that used mana to operate a magical carriage.
That was not to say that there weren¡¯t basic horse-drawn carriages. It was just that mana-powered carriages were favored on the grounds of the M?rchen Academy.
By the way, when the students returned home from vacation, they probably took a basic horse-drawn carriage for its reliability.
Anyways, I was wearing rugged carriage driver attire and had rented a small carriage.
Carriage driving was a job greatly affected by [Elemental Efficiency] while simultaneously improving [Elemental Efficiency] itself. It was the perfect side job for a M?rchen Academy student like me.
Of course, I had to practice driving the carriage for a few days and gain the recognition of the stablemaster in order to work as a carriage driver, so I diligently drove the carriage for the past several days. Since I was familiar with theyout of the academy grounds, finding my way around was not a problem.
¡°It¡¯s the summer vacation, so there are few people.¡±
Eden chimed in with a yful ¡®Kyuu!¡¯ sound from the side.
I was at the carriage station. It used to be bustling during the semester but it was now quiet. There were only a few carriages avable. Most of the students left the Academy during the vacation, so there was no reason for the coachmen to stay here either.
In other words, the supply of carriage services was very small.
However, with the severalmercial districts on Academy grounds and significant numbers of students remaining at the Academy, the carriages would be in demand.
But for some reason, the carriage wasn¡¯t getting any customers.
¡°Well. Eden, let¡¯s get to business.¡±
[Kyuuung!]
My worries were short-lived.
After all, business is originally something you had to work hard for.
So, I decided to make my move.
Chapter 60: - Carriage Driver (2)
? Carriage Driver (2) ?
I climbed into the front of the carriage and grabbed the stick-shaped handle. Channeling mana through it allowed me to share my senses with the carriage, serving as a link between us.
And now, by releasing mana and pushing the handle forward¡
My mana will drive the carriage onwards.
¡°This is great~¡±
The higher one¡¯s [Elemental Efficiency], the smoother the ride would be.
Additionally, I was a student of M?rchen Academy. Even if it had only been one semester, I had received a thorough education and honed my magical skills.
To be slightly boastful, my carriage would provide customers with a very steady andfortable ride.
I drove the carriage with Eden by my side, feeling refreshed by the light summer breeze brushing against my skin.
As I continued forwards, the sight of people dressed in white knightly attire became increasinglymon. They were the Imperial Knights that had been dispatched to investigate the frequent demon appearances.
While the academy had a strict rule against interference from outside forces, this incident was of such importance that the imperial family had done so regardless.
I could clearly imagine the extent of the academy staff¡¯s current suffering. It was truly pitiful.
¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll manage.¡¯
I just had to take care of my job.
Before I knew it, the carriage had arrived at themercial district. This ce had a significant amount of traffic.
The people here were citizens of the Zelver Empire, living independently within the economic system established by the academy.
With the spirit of capitalism filling me, I shouted a promotional slogan at them, smiling brightly.
¡°You will never experience a carriage like this! You won¡¯t even be able to tell if it¡¯s a bed or a carriage! I promise a smooth andfortable ride operated by a M?rchen Academy student!¡±
[Kyuu, kyuu!]
Following my promotional slogan, Eden¡¯s cry mixed in with my own voice, causing a resonant effect. It was like watching an addictive on television.
Following the mention of a carriage ride operated by a M?rchen academy student, the attention of nearby passersby was drawn to me. Their interest was also partly fueled by the rarity of someone simultaneously promoting while operating a carriage.
¡°Student! Give me a ride, please!¡±
My first customer was a cheerful-looking older woman.
She was the chatty type, expressing her disappointment that students wouldn¡¯t frequent her bakery as ofte. ying along, I engaged in a lively conversation with her.
¡°Thank you, student! Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re a M?rchen Academy student, but the ride was reallyfortable~¡±
¡°Thank you for choosing us!¡±
Being a carriage driver was a performance-based job. I would subtract the rental fee for the carriage and a percentage of the earned gel, keeping the rest for myself.
Because I had to bnce my training and part-time work, I needed to earn as much gel as possible in the shortest amount of time. That was how salesperson Isaac came into existence.
¡°You will never experience a carriage ride like this! You won¡¯t even be able to tell if it¡¯s a bed¡!¡±
¡°Student! Over here!¡±
¡°Alright!¡±
My publicity stunt had a tremendous effect. Everywhere I went, people were eager to hop on, some merely out of curiosity. It was rare for a M?rchen Academy student to be working as a carriage driver, but even I was fascinated by how much interest there was.
I was already weing my 8th customer, a mother and daughter. As we rode to our destination, the 2-year-old child¡¯s continuous crying increasingly flustered the mother.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, student. My daughter just won¡¯t stop crying¡. you have to stop, okay baby?¡±
¡°WAHHHHHHHH!!!¡±
The sound of the baby¡¯s cries echoed like a siren. It was clear she would grow up to be strong.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
¡°WAHHH¡ ah¡?¡±
As I cast [Ice Generation] in the air and immediately dispelled it, a blue powder started raining down.
Inside the moving carriage, the baby looked on in fascination as the beautiful powder floated out the window.
As it began to vanish, the baby reached both arms toward the window, her gaze filled with wonder. I continued forming more and more powder to keep the baby upied.
¡°Phew. Thank you, student.¡±
¡°It was nothing special.¡±
It was just a service. Beside me, Eden agreed with a [Kyuu!].
It seemed they had business with M?rchen academy¡¯s administrative office, as one of the staff members was the mother¡¯s younger sister. They hade to see her in person and have some tea together, as they hadn¡¯t been able to find time to meet as ofte.
Unfortunately, she likely wouldn¡¯t be able to get what she wanted. The academy¡¯s staff¡ were currently overwhelmed with a number of issues.
¡°¡¡±
After bidding farewell to the mother and daughter, I stared intensely at Bartos Hall. Memories from the Trial of Frost resurfaced, evoking mixed emotions.
Of course, I had things to worry about besides them.
¡®I want to try using [irvoyance] for surveince purposes.¡¯
I wanted to use [irvoyance] to monitor Alice as much as possible. However, directly watching Alice would be a dangerous endeavor that could lead to Extra Bad Ending #11, [Instant Death].
Her Cheshire had an exceptional ability to sense the presence of others. If I were to use [irvoyance] on Alice directly, Cheshire would immediately sense the eerie gaze directed at its master ande to kill me.
¡®She¡¯s not here right now, anyways.¡¯
Alice had returned home, so I used [irvoyance] to peep inside the student council room, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Well, it was something to think aboutter.
I began driving the carriage once more.
As night fell, I parked the carriage at the station and calcted the day¡¯s earnings, which were quite substantial. At this pace, I would only need to work for about 3 weeks to gather enough gel for both my living expenses and tuition.
After my training, I fell into a deep sleep at my dormitory.
Immediately after I awoke the next morning, I extended my left arm forward. The 8-star familiar contract circle engraved on my left wrist had turned into a summoning circle, and had been hiding its trace ever since.
Focusing on the flow of mana inside, I visualized the form of Frost Dragon Hilde.
Suddenly, the familiar summoning circle on my left arm revealed itself, emitting an azure light.
I experienced a simr sensation to when I had summoned Eden. However, as if arge barrier was blocking the path, the being within simply couldn¡¯t break though.
¡°Damn¡¡±
I lowered my arm. I was trying to summon Hilde, just in a smaller form. To do so, I was exhausting my mana to its limits every morning.
ording to the setting of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, when a familiar was unsummoned, it transformed into pure mana and entered the contractor¡¯s heart. Because of this, I knew it was possible to summon a smaller manifestation of one¡¯s familiar.
In other words, mana consumption could be reduced by decreasing the size and presence of familiars with the same element. However, this ability heavily depended on the contractor¡¯s level and [Elemental Efficiency].
Considering my current level and skill with [Elemental Efficiency], it would be impossible to summon the Frost Dragon, even in a very small form.
¡°I want to talk to her.¡±
After contemting for a while, I had already decided on what I would say to her.
I would tell her the truth about everything, and I would ask for her help.
After all, I didn¡¯t want to deceive her while exploiting her power.
While those thoughts were still endlessly being transmitted to the Frost Dragon, I couldn¡¯t speak directly to her.
For now, I should just focus on my carriage driver duties.
I resolved to try and summon Hilde again tomorrow.
Changing into my uniform, I left the dormitory.
¡¡
It was the 5th day of working as a carriage driver.
Today, the atmosphere was rather unusual. The academy staff¡¯s presence was one thing, but even the Imperial Knights seemed preupied.
I was able to quickly find the cause.
¡®The Lightning Sovereign?¡¯
He was an Archwizard dubbed the Elemental King of Lightning. It seemed he was currently visiting M?rchen Academy under the guise of an investment.
The present M?rchen academy was known to be losing investors due to the frequent appearance of demons, which meant that the coin graph of the academy¡¯s coffers was linearly declining.
However, there were rumors that high-ranking members of the nobility, such as the imperial princess, Saintess, and even the Priestess would be attending next year.
It wasn¡¯t strange for the Lightning Sovereign to discover this and attempt to invest in M?rchen Academy at their lowest point.
Even so, there was an issue.
¡®Why is heing in person?¡¯
Sending a messenger would have sufficed, so why?
There was no mention of this in the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? following the summer after freshman year.
It felt as if both the Imperial Knights and academy staff were tense, suspecting a hidden reason behind his visit.
To begin with, the Lightning Sovereign wasn¡¯t an evil or good person. Because he always remained neutral,ing in person wasn¡¯t a problem.
However, since something had changed from the original story, I couldn¡¯t take it lightly. Something had definitely gone wrong.
It wasn¡¯t the time for me to be driving around a carriage. Parking the carriage in a faraway alley, I hid it and activated [irvoyance].
¡¸irvoyance (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
I observed what was uring at the main entrance of the academy. The Imperial Knights and academy staff were lined up, bowing their heads. Only few nobles would receive such treatment, like the imperial princess of the royal family, or the Saintess, who served the Lord, Manha. Or¡ someone like the Elemental King.
An opulent, deep violet and vibrantly golden carriage passed by the academy¡¯s main entrance. It was so grand it made my own carriage feel insignificant.
That opulent carriage was apanied by guards dressed in matching purple military uniforms.
His servants opened the door, and one man stepped out from within.
The man wore a ck robe, his aura overpowering. His short, violet hair exuded elegance, and his gaze innately shimmered with static electricity.
¡®It¡¯s really the Lightning Sovereign.¡¯
Why was this guy here?
Every imperial knight present, led by vicemander Fenrir of the 4th division, saluted the Lightning Sovereign.
As themander of the imperial knights was currently in the Imperial Capital, Viyans, the vicemander was the highest-ranking knight in the area.
The Lightning Sovereign waspletely indifferent to the imperial knights¡¯ actions.
Suddenly, he gazed in my direction.
¡°¡!¡±
I immediately terminated [irvoyance].
¡®Fuck!¡¯
This is bad¡!
Feeling uneasy for some reason, I had nned to briefly observe, but I was caught instantly.
I needed toe up with an alibi immediately.
Hurriedly driving the carriage away, I summoned Eden and shouted out my usual business slogans as if I had always been operating the carriage.
¡°You will never experience a carriage ride like this! You won¡¯t even be able to tell if it¡¯s a bed or a carriage! I-I promise it won¡¯t even s-shake¡!¡±
BOOM©¤©¤©¤!
¡°Wahh!!¡±
However, he closed in like a sh of lightning.
A real lightning bolt struck down in front of me, forcing me to stop the carriage.
In the spot the lightning struck, the Lightning Sovereign appeared instantaneously.
[Jaul Dragoniac] Lv: 199
Race: Human
Elements: Lightning
Danger: ???
Psychology: [???]
Multiple sparks rippled across the air as he stared at me with aposed gaze, charged with lightning.
Cold sweat flowed down my body.
I¡¯m fucked¡
* * *
As the Zabrok carriage entered the gates of M?rchen academy, the Lightning Elemental King Jaul Dragoniac felt the presence of magic.
¡°Lord Lightning Sovereign?¡±
¡°¡Wait for a moment.¡±
Spark¨C
As an Archwizard, Jaul had the ability to transform himself into the form of elemental magic, also known as elemental transformation.
Upon witnessing him transform into the lightning element, the imperial knights were briefly filled with terror.
¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
Immediately after saying that, he flew into the sky.
Bing lightning, he quickly followed the presence of that spell and reached Isaac, who had been using [irvoyance], in a sh.
¡°Hmm?¡±
Jaul narrowed his eyes.
Possessing silver-blue and red eyes, he was the one Aichel had mentioned.
He had found the magic unusual, but to think it was him.
¡®I never thought we would meet so soon.¡¯
He could sense an aura far beyond his imagination. The boy in front of him was, without a doubt, the candidate for the next Ice Sovereign.
Why he was wearing a uniform and operating a carriage¡ he didn¡¯t know.
Still, he was someone who had predicted the frequent emergence of demons and enrolled in M?rchen Academy, secretly eliminating the threats while keeping his identity hidden.
It wasn¡¯t likely that he was operating a carriage to earn money, or because the fine mana control required would help him better control his own.
The reason Jaul wanted to see Isaac personally was because he had a discerning eye.
He wanted to see for himself. Who Isaac really was, how much power he had, and whether their values aligned.
Depending on how he viewed Isaac and what his decision turned out to be, his reason foring here would undoubtedly change.
As nned, he would speak with Isaac. The best method to do so would be utilizing the carriage Isaac was driving around.
¡°Give me a ride.¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
Jaul used amanding tone, making it clear that he wouldn¡¯t allow a refusal.
¡°Y-Yes! Wee, valued customer!¡±
Isaac responded respectfully while sweating, judging that he shouldply with the Lightning Sovereign¡¯s wishes.
¡°I-I promise you afortable ride without any shaking!¡±
Ignoring Isaac¡¯s promotional slogan, he simply got in the carriage.
The environment inside was much more cramped and far less luxurious than the Zabrok carriage Jaul had ridden in.
Well, it didn¡¯t matter to him. With his arms gathered and legs crossed, he stared at the front window, where he could see the back of Carriage Driver Isaac¡¯s head.
¡°Drive with grace. Our destination is the main entrance of the Academy.¡±
¡°Y-Yes!¡±
Isaac started driving the carriage towards the entrance.
As he did so, Jaul¡¯s eyes sparked with more static electricity as his gaze narrowed.
¡®I knew it¡¡¯
How could he not know the nature of the ethereal blue aura emanating from Isaac?
To those who had reached the pinnacle of each element, a prominent aura corresponding to their element would be emitted.
The Fire Elemental King, the Water Elemental King, and the Wind Elemental King. Isaac, who was currently in front of him, was simr to them.
If he had reached the level of an Archwizard, he might even possess the ability to see the truth of all things, simr to Dorothy Heartnova¡¯s [All In the World].
Whaty within Isaac was an immense entity adorned with countless eyes, capable of devouring anything and everything in the world.
A monster that possessed near infinite mana.
[ ¡ö¡ö¡ö. ]
Be gone.
As the monstrous entity within Isaac spoke, Jaul felt a chill run down his spine.
To think that he, one of the strongest of all lightning element wielders, had briefly felt fear. How long had it been?
However, paradoxically, the amount of mana he could sense from Isaac was disproportionately small. Jaul possessed a transcendent mana perception that could detect even unreleased mana, allowing him to gauge Isaac¡¯s maximum mana capacity.
¡®What in the world is this boy¡?¡¯
As Jaul stroked his chin, he pondered to himself.
He was the master of the Frost Dragon and Frostscythe.
He possessed an aura that could only be reached by reaching the pinnacle of the ice element.
And he had an unknown existence hidden deep within him.
Was it possible for someone who possessed that monstrous entity, whose strength was beyondpare, to have such a pathetic amount of mana? Did that even make sense?
In other words, as he had discussed with Aichel before, it was certain that Isaac had manipted his maximum mana reserves, probably to conceal his true identity. Simr to himself, he was likely at the level of an Archwizard.
It was worthing all the way to the academy just to confirm this fact.
Having learned how terrifying he was, he needed to verify something, even if it meant using force.
Was Isaac a threat or a potential ally? The answer would determine his future actions.
¡°Are you a student?¡±
¡°Huh? Y-yes.¡±
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°It¡¯s Isaac.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t seem to have ast name.¡±
¡°Y-yes, because I¡¯m amoner¡¡±
¡°What do you n to do after you graduate?¡±
¡°Ah, I want to be a wizard. That¡¯s why I joined the Department of Magic here.¡±
He felt annoyed that someone like him was pursuing such a boring career path.
Because of that, he changed the direction of his questioning.
¡°What kind of wizard do you want to be?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°There are many options as a wizard. You could be a court wizard for a noble, you could research in the Magic Tower, be a mercenary or an explorer¡ And even within these paths, you will be further divided based on your own beliefs and values. Wizards who wield magic to protect others will inevitably be divided from those who use magic for their own selfish desires. When I ask you what kind of wizard you wish to be, that is what I am asking.¡±
Following his speech, the only noise that could be heard was the sound of the carriage wheels turning.
After a brief but deep thought, Isaac responded.
¡°I haven¡¯t decided on a specific path, but I have decided on what kind of wizard I want to be. It might sound funny to you¡¡±
If Isaac were to continue existing in this world after defeating the Evil God Nephid, he would be a wizard to sustain his livelihood.
So, what kind of wizard did he wish to be? It might seem like he was putting the cart before the horse, but after the Trial of Frost, Isaac hade to aplete conclusion.
¡°I want to be a wizard that people can be proud of.¡±
He responded with a smile on his face.
During the final test within the Trial of Frost, he had recalled his mother in Korea.
His mother, who had constantly told him to stop drinking carbonated drinks because it was bad for him.
His mother, who constantly nagged him out of worry.
His mother, who constantly made side dishes for him and left them in the refrigerator.
His mother, who always prepared the foods he loved whenever he came home.
His mother, who sent him messages to tell him she loved him from time to time.
His mother, who had believed in him until the end.
She had died while he was studying for the civil service exam.
The moment his world copsed ovepped with the final test of the Trial of Frost.
At that moment, he determined that if he was going to live on, he would be someone that would make his mother feel proud.
¡°¡I see.¡±
Jaul closed his eyes.
Isaac¡¯s values and actions seemed to be in line with his reply, and there was no indication that he was lying.
Thus, he was satisfied.
Although they still had a ways to go before reaching the main entrance, it seemed it was time for him to leave.
Spark©¤©¤©¤©¤!
¡°Huh?!¡±
Jaul, taking the form of lightning once more, left through the window. Startled, Isaac instinctively cried out for his gel, but Jaul was already too far away.
Crash©¤©¤©¤!
A bolt of lightning struck down in front of the Academy¡¯s main gates. While the academy staff and imperial knights were shocked, the Zabrok escorts maintained an expression of indifference, clearly familiar with the sight.
The lightning bolt turned into elemental mana, taking the form of Jaul.
With an impassive expression, he moved to his carriage.
¡°I got what I wanted. Let¡¯s move.¡±
¡°Yes, my Lord!¡±
As soon as Jaul got on, apanied by his escorts, they began to move again.
The imperial knights and academy staff could only stare in dazed astonishment.
Inside, Jaul sat in a luxurious spot as he silently gazed at the academy¡¯s scenery. Opposite him, a female knight named Hera sat with her sword resting on herp.
¡°I¡¯m d I came here in person. It wasn¡¯t a waste.¡±
¡°Did you meet the next potential Ice Sovereign?¡±
Jaul nodded.
¡°We¡ shouldn¡¯t make him our enemy.¡±
That creature, possessing immeasurable strength akin to an endless abyss, was a secondary issue.
While he was confused by Isaac¡¯s thought process, which was no different from an ordinary student, considering his immense strength, he must have been hiding something
¡°Still, he wasn¡¯t a bad person.¡±
If, one day, he appeared in front of the other Elemental Kings as one of their own, Jaul thought that he wouldn¡¯t be against such a thing.
Chapter 61: - Carriage Driver (3)
? Carriage Driver (3) ?
In the southwest of Zelver, an unmoving mass of dark clouds hovered.
The ceaseless flickering of purple lightning brightened the color of the clouds.
Beneath the clouds was a hellishnd, the ground rapidly and relentlesslyshed by numerous thunderbolts. If observed from a distance, one could appreciate the streaks of purple lightning perpetually etched into the sky.
The cloud was a nest born of the Thunderbird¡¯s immense mana.
A long time ago, the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath had made her way through that endless thunderstorm in search of the Thunderbird. She had then proposed it to be her familiar and traverse the world alongside her. What an interesting woman, the Thunderbird had thought.
They embarked on a long journey together.
But in the end, the Thunderbird fell victim to a curse from Evil Dragon Orchis, a ck dragon formed of rotting human corpses.
To suppress the extreme destructive impulses inflicted by the curse, the Thunderbird had engaged in a fierce internal battle that felt as though his very existence was being shredded.
If it hadn¡¯t been for the constant suppression of the Thunderbird with an immense amount of lightning mana by his new master, Luce Eltania, he would not have been able to keep fighting for years.
And while the Thunderbird was able to regain his freedom thanks to Isaac, his fight¡ had not yet ended.
¡°You still can¡¯t remember your fight against Greung. Wasn¡¯t it Isaac?¡±
Within the M?rchen Academy¡¯s top dormitory, Charles Hall, a question had been repeatedly asked for weeks.
The source of said question, Luce Eltania, asked with a voice as smooth as moonlight. She was a female student with long, rose-gold hair cascading down her shoulders.
Luce was sitting in front of a mirror, adorned with a lc butterfly-shaped hair ornament. Her silky and elegant hair was well maintained, and her makeup was impable.
It was thanks to the Eltania family¡¯s maid that had been sent to assist her in the academy.
Her refusal to open her heart to others, not even her maids, had created clear boundaries in the rtionship between the two. Perhaps it could be said that she was extremely ¡®professional¡¯.
Perched on the mirror was a small crow-shaped familiar. It was her 8-star familiar, Thunderbird Galia, who was currently in apressed form.
Luce was a level 150 prodigy that possessed an exceptional innate mana capacity, so Galia was perfectly attuned to her.
After sessfully summoning Galia in front of the academy¡¯s staff and attuning herself to his senses, she was able to shrink Galia without much trial and error.
[Ahem¡]
His sweat wasn¡¯t visible to the naked eye due to his ck body, but Galia continued to perspire without pause.
After being liberated from the curse, Galia had reunited with Luce and shared untold stories about their respective journeys. Laughing together, they felt a heartwarming emotion deep in their hearts.
Galia¡¯s current dilemma was caused by their conversation, specifically, the one about Greung.
[No matter how many times you ask me¡ I can¡¯t remember.]
The deep voice of Galia repeated the same answer he had given for weeks.
There was an obvious reason for Isaac to hide his true identity, and he was his benefactor.
Thus, Galia believed it necessary to prevent any issues from arising.
Even if Lucemanded him, saying, ¡®confess everything you know¡¯, Galia nned to endure the pain that came with disobeying a direct order. It would hurt like hell, but for the one who had liberated him from that damned curse, he would endure it.
Still, she had never given Galia a direct order, only making requests or asking questions. Should he be thankful?
Truthfully, it saddened him that Luce was suffering because of the Greung incident, as she was quite a precious existence to him.
[What will you do if Isaac and Greung are one and the same?]
Galia asked her the question he had been harboring within himself.
¡°¡¡±
Luce lowered her aquamarine eyes.
Her cheeks flushed while the corners of her lips trembled slightly. It was a stark contrast to her usual poker face.
¡°I¡¯m always ready to confess. No matter how I think about it, I can only see Isaac as Greung¡ so I hope there will be convincing evidence soon.¡±
Luce¡¯s feelings for Isaac were wavering between friendship and love.
She was almost certain that he was Greung, but because it hadn¡¯t been fully proven, she forcibly suppressed the emotions welling within her.
What is friendship?
Her current emotions were so tangled andplex that she couldn¡¯t even give a proper response to that question, leaving her immensely troubled.
Galia wanted to support his master¡¯s love, and to happily watch Luce date the man she liked.
He felt like all of the emotional restraints binding her would unravel if he simply said ¡®Isaac is Greung¡¯.
However, the sense of duty to his benefactor was like a shackle gripping his ankle, refusing to let go. If Isaac had wanted to reveal his identity to Luce, he would have done so himself.
[Hmm¡]
¡°¡You really don¡¯t remember anything, right?¡±
[No matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same.]
Galia¡¯s cold sweat seemed never-ending as henguished in his deep inner conflict.
The fierce internal battle within pushed him to the brink.
With a somber expression, Luce let out a quiet sigh.
[Are you going to see Isaac?]
¡°He¡¯s been busy with his worktely, so now isn¡¯t a good time¡ I might be able to meet him at the training grounds in the evening, though.¡±
[¡]
¡°¡Should I go see him now?¡±
[Didn¡¯t you just say that now wasn¡¯t a good time?]
¡°What else am I supposed to do? I can¡¯t take it anymore, I¡¡±
As the holidays approached, Luce was d that she could spend more time with Isaac, but due to his work, their time together had noticeably diminished.
She had managed to hold on until now, but her patience was at its limits.
¡°I¡¯ve already had a taste of being his friend. So I can¡¯t turn back now¡¡±
Her manner of speaking was rather depraved, but the wholesome nature of her statement made Galia feel all the more ufortable.
* * *
The Lightning Sovereign, that damned dine and dasher, returned home after discussing investment with Principal Elena at the Bartos Hall.
I still wondered why he came in person, but because it wasn¡¯t to provide aid to the demons or hinder me, I decided not toplicate things by overthinking it.
If something unexpected urred in the future, I would withhold judgment and use this incident as a puzzle piece to deduce the cause.
On a side note, I felt more relief than anger when the Lightning Sovereign left my carriage.
From the start, he hade to find me because I had used [irvoyance], so if the payment he had skimped on was in exchange for my life, it felt like I had benefited.
¡Am I just being a pushover?
Regardless, I was d that everything went smoothly¡ If he had just flicked his finger, I would¡¯ve been on my way to the afterlife.
¡°¡?¡±
Today, I was once again working as a carriage driver.
While passing through a stone road, I noticed a girl by the roadside extending her arm towards me as if she was hitchhiking.
Was it to conceal her identity? She was covering her hair with the hood of her robe and perception-distorting sses to obscure her face, but I could clearly tell that it was Luce.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 150
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to be with you.]
It didn¡¯t take me long to guess why she hid her identity.
She knew that I was currently working as a carriage driver, as I had told her when we were chatting the other day.
So on this asion, she had wanted to spend more time with me by bing my customer.
However, she might have been worried that I would be burdened if she used the carriage and paid me, choosing to hide her identity instead.
¡®How admirable.¡¯
It was difficult for me to ignore her feelings, so I decided that I should give her a ride.
Naturally, I would still take payment. Maybe I would give her a 10% friend discount.
Parking the carriage, I invited Luce inside. Hearing my greeting, she silently nodded.
¡°Where to?¡±
¡°Anywhere¡ I can get an ocean view.¡±
I tried my best to work with her, but I wished she would havee up with a more concrete n, and not be so vague about her destination.
¡°Um, customer. You need to be more specific about which ocean you would like to see¡¡±
¡°Just anywhere I can see the ocean.¡±
¡°¡Then we¡¯ll head to the Castri coast.¡±
As she only repeated her previous answer, I responded with a location I vaguely remembered and started driving the carriage.
Luce snuck a nce at me.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Thrilled that she has sessfully hidden her identity from you.]
Due to her perception-distorting sses, her face was blurred. However, I could still catch glimpses of her mouth twitching.
Soon after, water mana condensed in the air.
[My master! You¡¯vepletely seeded in fooling Isaac!]
Bello, the little orca, cried out in joy.
But was immediately unsummoned.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Currently feeling despair for failing to hide her identity.]
¡I should have pretended that I didn¡¯t hear that.
Bello¡¯s appearance was far too obvious to continue acting unaware. As if I had only just realized her identity, I quietly called out her name.
¡°Luce?¡±
¡°¡Ugh.¡±
With a slight whimper, she took off her perception-distorting sses and pulled down her hood.
I could see Luce¡¯s rose gold-hair gracefully cascading down her shoulders. Bowing her head, she covered her face with her hands, exuding an air of despondence.
¡¡
¡°We¡¯ve arrived~¡±
We were heading to the Akins sea.
It was at the Castri coast where Luce had summoned Galia in front of the academy staff. The grains of sand and golden sea were shimmering beautifully from the setting sun.
In an attempt to cheer her up, I told her all sorts of stories.
Fortunately, she was happy just being with me, as she quickly perked up and became cheerful. We had fun talking together.
Along the way, Bello, her small orca familiar, reappeared and joined the conversation. As Eden continued responding with ¡®Kyuu¡¯, the cute familiars added to the pleasant atmosphere while I drove the carriage.
My entire body felt stiff after operating the carriage with mana all day, so I decided to rest at the shore for a while.
We hade at a good time, the setting sun was casting vermilion rays across the earth.
Luce and I, apanied by our familiars, slowly walked along the sandy beach as we enjoyed the sea breeze.
The familiars were giggling as they yed together. Somehow, it had turned into a wrestling match, and the stronger Bello was dominating Eden.
Try winning for a change, Eden.
Luce¡¯s fluttering rose-gold hair gleamed with the colors of sunset. As the sea breeze swept past, she tucked her hair behind her ears while gazing at the setting sun.
Then, she snuck a nce at me before turning away, lowering her head and smiling softly.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Extremely happy to be at the beach with you.]
A fatherly smile naturally spread across my face.
Would I feel like this if my daughter said, ¡®I¡¯m so happy to be at the beach with Dad!¡¯? Of course, I didn¡¯t have a daughter, so I couldn¡¯t be sure.
¡°I¡¯m happy. I can be with Isaac without worrying about other people.¡±
Her ticklish whisper cut through the sea breeze, stimting my ears.
¡°Do you like it that much?¡±
Luce smiled brightly as she nodded.
We continued talking about trivial things, like how cute we found the spotted cat wandering the academy grounds, or how the quality of the school food decreased during the vacation.
Sitting side by side on the sandy beach, we quietly gazed at the setting sun as it slowly fell below the horizon.
¡°Isaac, you might feel cold. Take this¡¡±
As Luce attempted to take off the robe she was wearing to cover me, I quickly stopped her by waving my hands.
It may have been summer, but it was already evening, the surroundings growing chilly from the sea breeze. She would suffer from the cold if she took off her robe.
I pulled out two nkets from my magic pouch that resembled Doraemon¡¯s 4D pocket as if it were a matter of course. They were items I had brought when exploring the underground Tantak Cave.
I draped one of the nkets over Luce¡¯s shoulders.
¡°Hehe.¡±
She wrapped herself in the nket without hesitation, smiling. Somehow, her smile seemed to have be more natural as time went on. It felt like my second favorite character was growing. The thought alone made me very happy.
We saw thest rays of the setting sun as it disappeared over the horizon.
The nkets covering our bodies provided just the right amount of warmth amidst the chilly sea breeze, creating a cozy atmosphere.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°You know, I always thought people were like hedgehogs.¡±
Luce began sharing her emotions with a calm voice.
¡°The closer I got to someone, the more it felt like I was being pricked by thorns. I hated everyone. But the closer I get to you, the better I feel.¡±
Each word she spoke lingered in my ears.
¡°Even now, I¡¯m really happy. That¡¯s how I feel.¡±
Her gentle whisper tickled my eardrums like cotton.
With the arrival of the summer holidays, I had begun spending more time with her. Perhaps that was why she seemed so excitedtely.
Using [Psychological Insight], it seemed that Luce only felt happiness or joy when she was with me. It often made me, the other party, feel a lot better. This time was no exception.
However, she still maintained a cold attitude towards other people. Whenever that happened, I would be scared speechless.
¡°I¡¯m d.¡±
I responded with a smile, as I was also happy.
Silently, we immersed ourselves in the afterglow of the setting sun.
I nced over at Luce, who was deep in thought.
By reading her thoughts, I realized she was experiencing sadness, likely due to recalling her childhood.
ording to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, after she lost the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath and Hansel, Luce would climb on the roof of the Eltania family¡¯s manor to watch the sunset almost every day.
I couldn¡¯t even imagine the heaviness of her thoughts in those moments.
Following her loss, I was likely the only person Luce, who was always alone, had opened her heart to.
After thinking that far, I realized the significance of watching the sunset alongside Luce.
She was no longer alone. Although I had initially regretted bing her friend, I still felt nothing but deep affection for her. I didn¡¯t want her to be lonely.
So, I was very happy to be by her side now.
Luce, perhaps noticing my gaze, turned to stare at me, beforeughing to the point of blushing.
I followed suit.
The sounds of Bello and Eden¡¯s cries.
The sound of the sea breeze, and the sound of crashing waves.
I thought it was a pretty romantic way to spend a midsummer day.
¡°Hey.¡±
Afterwards, Luce, seemingly recalling something, pulled out a small bundle and held it out to me.
I could hear a jingle, clearly signifying that it contained a lot of gel.
She had an embarrassed expression.
¡°Including my ride¡there¡¯s a lot of additional gel. So can I monopolize your carriage for the time being?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Feeling a strong difort, I looked between Luce and the bundle.
Is this¡?
¡°No?
¡°It¡¯s fine. Just give me what you owe me. Since you¡¯re my friend, I¡¯ll give you 10% off, but make sure you calcte properly.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Luce appeared flustered when I declined.
Even though she was paying me for a different reason, I couldn¡¯t conscientiously ept a friendship fee.
Chapter 62: - Carriage Driver - Interlude
? Carriage Driver ¨C Interlude ?
[Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (B)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B-)
Elemental Series 2 (Locked)
I wasn¡¯t Ian Fairytale. That was something I hade to terms with recently.
Initially, I had tried to make ns based on my memories of ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
But as I grew more ustomed to being Isaac and following the flow of various scenarios, my mind gradually changed. The Trial of Frost was particrly decisive for my motivation.
¡®I need to be both selective and focused.¡¯
I found myself in a position where I couldn¡¯t copy the strategies of Ian Fairytale.
To give an example, I didn¡¯t have Ian¡¯s talent in weapons. Ian had been honing his skills since childhood, allowing him to proficiently wield the various ultimate weapons of each element.
But as Isaac, I was inherently weak. The only thing I could really do was focus on magic and physical training, but even that was overwhelming me.
Realistically, I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to be sufficiently proficient before the Evil God¡¯s resurrection.
Therefore, I needed to specialize my talents in magic.
Additionally, I needed to allocate more effort towards strengthening my familiars topensate for myck of physical prowess.
In any case, I needed toe up with a n that suited ¡®Isaac¡¯.
¡®Can I do it today?¡¯
In the lower-ranked dorm of Doris Hall, the morning sun was radiating through the window.
Seated on the bed, I extended my left arm in front of me.
It was the same daily routine I undertook to summon Hilde, only to fail everytime.
However, now that my [Elemental Efficiency] had improved from B- to B, I felt a glimmer of hope that I could seed.
I began my attempt, imagining the 8-star familiar Frost Dragon Hilde in apressed form.
Hwaaaaa©¤
Hilde¡¯s summoning circle reappeared on my left wrist, emitting a pale blue light.
As usual, that barrier-like obstruction was preventing Hilde from materializing.
I just needed a small opening. If I could create even the tiniest crack in the wall, I believed I would be able to somehow pull her out.
¡®Please work¡!¡¯
I imagined myself hitting the barrier with a hammer, pouring all my focus into creating a small opening for Hilde to slip through and emerge from.
And finally¡
I felt like something was escaping, like a small hole in the concrete wall releasing air.
At that moment, I had a hunch that I had seeded in summoning Hilde.
Woong©¤
From the summoning circle, a faint bluish orb emerged. It resembled a glowing firefly.
I soon realized that this was Hilde.
[Frost Dragon Hilde] Lv: (1)
Race: Magic Beast
Element: Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Relieved to finally be able to converse with you.]
I have finally, finally done it¡!
I held up the orb with both hands, supporting Hilde. The spherical light was so weightless it reminded me of a dandelion seed.
¡°Can you hear me, Hilde?¡±
[¡I hear you.]
Hilde¡¯s elegant voice rang through my head. It resembled the voice of a female in herte teens or early twenties.
[May I ask why you have called me?]
Hilde¡¯s questions had many different implications.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
I had to convey what I wanted to say to Hilde, even if my words dealt a psychological blow to her.
¡°Before that, I have to tell you something.¡±
Reaffirming my resolve, I spoke to Hilde with a serious expression.
¡°I¡¯m not who you think I am.¡±
[¡?]
¡°You called me the Ice Sovereign. I¡¯m just someone who is only strong against demons.¡±
There was no point in speaking to Hilde about the system since she wouldn¡¯t understand.
As a result, I decided to just exin my abnormalities as a result of my [Hunter] trait.
¡°I¡¯m sorry if I disappointed you. I¡¯m not the person you want.¡±
There was no such thing as the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign. I was just Isaac, a weak and normal individual.
Hilde remained still, silently thinking. I couldn¡¯t see her facial expression due to her being an orb of light, but it was clear that she was deep in thought over my words.
I silently waited for her to speak.
[¡You are the Ice Sovereign. That I am sure of.]
Soon after, Hilde firmly refuted my statement in a confident voice.
[You are a being who possesses the soul of the Ice Sovereign. Obviously, you are not the same Ice Sovereign of 1000 years ago. One cannot treat a reincarnated individual as being identical to their previous life.]
Hilde continued speaking in a clear, unwavering tone, fully convinced of my identity.
[No matter how many times you try to deny it, I can tell. Do not underestimate my eyes.]
¡°¡I¡¯m really not.¡±
[You are.]
¡°I¡¯m not.¡±
[You are.]
¡°I¡¯m really not.¡±
[You are¡]
¡°I¡¯m no-¡±
[Holy fuck. If I say you¡¯re the Ice Sovereign, you are. Just shut up and listen.]
¡°¡!¡±
I was taken aback by the sudden shift in her tone, reminiscent of a nagging grandmother.
Ah, fuck. I said it¡¯s not me.
[Also, does thou not know my name?]
¡°T-That¡¯s¡¡±
I recalled the moment when I had called out to Hilde in the midst of the Trial of Frost.
At the time, I was struggling to adapt to the Frostscythe¡¯s chill which led to me making an irrational decision.
Where should I even begin to exin¡? How bothersome.
While I was pondering my response, Hilde swiftly moved on to a different question.
[¡That is enough. I have never heard of a trait that only strengthens one against demons. Are you normally this weak?]
¡°I am, but I wouldn¡¯t call myself weak-¡±
[In short, you are asking me to see you as your present self rather than the Ice Sovereign of a thousand years ago, correct?
Cutting me off, Hilde summarized the conversation.
It seemed that Hilde was determined to see me as the Ice Sovereign¡¯s reincarnation no matter what I said.
[I had that intention from the very beginning. Clearly, you are no longer the same as back then.]
Hilde continued on.
[Even if you were indeed not the Ice Sovereign in a previous life, I have assessed your worth and epted you as my master of my own free will. Therefore, I hope you do not have any useless concerns.]
¡°¡Is that so?¡±
I hade prepared to terminate my contract with Hilde, but it seemed she had no intention of doing something like that from the start.
For some reason, I felt a bit deted.
Whilst pondering on what more to say, I eventually settled on a nod. Since it came to this, I would speak to Hilde as ¡®Isaac¡¯.
I was happy with this oue.
¡°My name is Isaac. Thank you for forming a contract with me.¡±
[I as we- ahem. I would not mind you stroking me to your heart¡¯s content in the future if you are so grateful.]
It seemed that Hilde, as a magic beast, yearned for the touch of her master.
When I could properly summon her, I would pet her until she got sick of it.
¡¡
After making enough to pay my tuition, I quit my job as a carriage driver. I also calcted a n for my future expenses before I focused on training.
In the gym, I stripped off my shirt and lifted weights with the rest of the Knight Department who had remained over summer holiday.
At the training grounds, I practiced my magic using various elemental contraptions and improved mybat capabilities by fighting against illusionary beasts.
At the end of each exhausting day, I would return to my dorm and take a refreshing shower before sitting at my desk and reading.
Following an extensive study session, I would sleep like a rock.
As I went about my routine, time flew by, and students gradually began returning to the academy.
Four days before the end of summer vacation, an announcement I had been eagerly anticipating appeared at Orphin Hall¡¯smunity board.
[Assignment of Dormitories for 1st years, 2nd semester: Magic Department]]
.
.
.
[Isaac ¨C Briggs Hall]
.
.
.
I had been upgraded to Briggs Hall, which was considered one of four upper-level dorm at M?rchen Academy. This was based off my grades during the first semester.
Finally, I would be escaping the cramped quarters of Doris Hall!
¡°Yes!¡±
Filled with happiness, I triumphantly clenched my fist. Some students walking through the hallway stared at me strangely, but I didn¡¯t care. I walked away from Orphin Hall with light steps.
Upon reaching Doris Hall, I began gathering my belongings. Considering the room reminded me of a one-room apartment in Seoul¡ it was definitely a bit cramped.
Regardless, it felt a bit empty.
¡°¡¡±
This was my home from the day I had first transmigrated into ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Feeling a rush of emotion, I bid Doris Hall farewell.
Be well.
I then headed to Briggs Hall, my new dorm. The building itself was significantlyrger and more spacious inparison.
I check the notice on themunity board and went to go find my room.
The room was about twenty square meters in size, and there was even a refrigerator powered by an ice spell.
It felt so awesome I quickly forgot about the nostalgia associated with Doris Hall.
¡°Eden, put this over there.¡±
[Kyuu!]
After stacking my belongings in a pile, I began organizing them individually with Eden.
[I apologize for being unable to help.]
¡°It¡¯s not like you can do anything.¡±
Hilde was currently floating in the form of a small, glowing blue orb. The reason she didn¡¯t have a physical form was entirely my fault, so why was she the one apologizing?
After sessfully unpacking and organizing my belongings, I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
Despite not having the ability to sweat, Eden mimicked my actions. I didn¡¯t know why he did it, but it was cute, so I paid no mind.
¡¡
The shaded walkway was refreshing to traverse, but the humid summer air was repulsive.
However, as the second semester¡¯s first exams began, summer would turn to fall.
As summer vacation came to an end, the returning students filled the academy¡¯s streets with liveliness.
The sky was crystal clear without a single cloud in sight. At the academy¡¯s main square, the opening ceremony for the Magic Department was underway.
There were currently about 290 students in their first year within the Magic Department, 10 fewer than the previous semester. I could tell from the dorm assignment notice.
They probably failed, or perhaps dropped out willingly out of fear for their well-being, considering what had urred during the previous semester.
A little while after the opening ceremony hadpleted, I heard a voice.
¡°Move to your provisional ssrooms.¡±
Fernando Frost, a male professor I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, was giving instructions to the students.
Now that the second-semester had begun, they would conduct a new assessment in order to remeasure the mana of the students in order to ce them in an appropriate ss.
I moved to the provisional ss 2 of Orphin Hall, where students were already taking their seats.
The only people I recognized were Amy Holloway and Ciel Carnedas. I waved hello to Amy, and gazed briefly at Ciel.
Ciel was still clutching the pillow I had given to her during our end-of-semester evaluation. She seemed to really like it.
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Fond of you and wary of you.]
¡°¡?¡±
What are these conflicting emotions?
Could it be because of something that urred during our end-of-semester evaluation? For now, it seemed better to refrain from approaching Ciel. When I saw her, I could only remember being pushed around here and there.
I took a seat somewhere in the middle of the pack. Soon after, Professor Fernando entered the lecture hall. By now, Ian must have met the provisional professor of ss 4, Philip Meltron.
Professor Fernando paused in front of the podium and began his speech.
¡°I¡¯m sure you all expected this.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Simr to the previous semester, we will now evaluate your mana, the purpose being identical tost semester. After four days, we will reorganize the sses based on your level of ability. Use this opportunity to demonstrate your growth from your first semester and summer vacation.¡±
As usual, Professor Fernando spoke in a straightforward manner.
In response, each of the students formed a wide range of expressions.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the training grounds.¡±
Just like during the first mana evaluation, every first-year student of the Magic Department moved to the training grounds.
Professor Fernando¡¯s assistants began handing out mana meters that resembled grip strengtheners to the first-year students, who were standing in an orderly queue.
Marco, who was one of the professor¡¯s assistants, gave me a mana meter with a lifeless expression. Imagining just how little sleep he must have gotten over summer vacation made me pity him.
¡°Those with the five lowest numbers in each ss, step forth.¡±
With Professor Fernando¡¯smand, the mana evaluation began.
Naturally, the same individuals asst semester stood out.
¡°Ha! Will you be able to handle the dense, thick, limitless mana within this body?¡±
[Tristan Humphrey] Lv: 80
Race: Human
Elements: Wind
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to showcase his strength.]
Tristan Humphrey, Grade B mana.
[Mateo Jordana] Lv: 83
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Feels that he has gotten slightly stronger.]
Mateo Jordana, Grade B mana.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 99
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt
Danger: X
Psychology: [Pleased at the results of her extensive training over summer vacation.]
Kaya Astrean, Grade A- mana.
[Ciel Carnedas] Lv: 95
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Water
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to sleep as soon as possible.]
Ciel Carnedas, Grade B+ mana.
[Ian Fairytale] Lv: 64
Race: Human
Elements: Light, Fire
Danger: X
Psychology: [Proud to have gotten slightly stronger.]
Ian Fairytale, Grade C mana.
¡°¡¡±
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 151
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to be with you all day.]
As the results of Luce¡¯s mana evaluation appeared, Professor Fernando appeared astonished.
It was natural. Luce had already far surpassed all of the other first-year students by a wide margin.
¡°Luce Eltania¡ Your mana is immeasurable. You are at least Grade S or higher. We¡¯ll use a more precise mana meter in the future.¡±
The students were shocked at Professor Frost¡¯s words, but Luce remained as emotionless as ever. It was fascinating to see her so lost in her own thoughts despite the turmoil around her.
One¡¯s mana being immeasurable meant they were at least S rank.
Luce, who had already amazed the students with her Grade A+ during the previous semester, had made a tremendous leap to Grade S in just one semester. For the other students, who weren¡¯t aware of her circumstances, it was quite a shocking development.
When measuring mana, there were additional grades from S rank onwards. This included S-, S, S+, SS¡ and so on, until SSS+ rank. Luce was now somewhere within that range.
For reference, Dorothy Heartnova was SSS- rank, Alice Carroll was SS+ rank, the Lightning Sovereign, Jaul Dragoniac was about SSS+ rank. However, they were still only listed as S rank in the status window.
Furthermore, when one¡¯s level reached 200, they were eligible to reach EX rank, allowing them to surpass their own limits.
For all these reasons, I was able to achieve level 200 and EX grade stats in [Fictional Hell], obtaining the 9-star passive skill [Ice Sovereign].
¡°Next.¡±
It was now my turn.
Getting into a line with the other students, I held out the mana meter in front of me.
¡°Begin!¡±
With Professor Fernando¡¯s order, I began channeling mana into the device.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 68
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman Who Has Adapted To Student Life
Mana: 5200/5200
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C+)
Thanks to my increased stamina from [Physical Training Efficiency], I was able to push myself to train harder over the summer. As a result, my leveling speed increased substantially, and I managed to reached level 68.
I felt that controlling my mana was far easier than during my first semester. Although there were slight mana leaks, this much was eptable.
With a beeping noise, the mana evaluation concluded. Professor Fernando grabbed the mana meters with his telekinesis magic and began reading them out one by one.
¡°Number 26, C-. Number 27, C. Number 28, C. Number 29, C-. Number 30¡ C+.¡±
When Professor Fernando called my number, he hesitated briefly, signifying his surprise.
It was natural. He wouldn¡¯t have forgotten my Grade E ssification during the previous semester.
But now, my grade was C+.
Memories of the past semester shed through my mind.
Within the department, I was known for being the lowest of the low. I had Grade E mana, and was amoner in ss D. I was at the bottom of thedder in both magic and social status.
The cruel students of M?rchen Academy had treated me like leftover meat scraps.
¡°Is it possible to go from Grade E¡ to Grade C+ in one semester?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a mistake¡? Like maybe the mana meter is faulty. I mean, Ian is special, but Isaac is just a normal kid.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you remember when he used a 5-star spell during the first semester? He probably put in a ridiculous amount of effort. He looks different too.¡±
¡°Still, he had Grade E Mana and was in ss D¡¡±
Perhaps because I had gone through such rapid growth, surpassing my previous image as an underachieving student with Grade E mana, the way the other students looked at me was beginning to change.
Chapter 63: - Second Element
? Second Element ?
Future Duchess of the North, Aichel Whiterk. I formally request that you convey the following to your sister, Keridna Whiterk.
1. Observe Isaac from a distance. You do not have to be reckless in your observation, but if you notice something unusual, report it to me immediately.
2. Never use [Sight Synchronization] on Isaac unless you want to be blind.
3. Never mention anything regarding Isaac¡¯s affairs. He is not someone we can touch.
It was terrifying.
Aichel¡¯s solemn warning lodged into Keridna¡¯s mind like a wedge, the memory gripping her with a sense of unease.
¡®Who in the world is that man?¡¯
A female student with short pink hair was sitting in Provisional ss 3, this student was Keridna Whiterk.
She was currently lost in thought, sitting with her chin resting on her hand as she quietly tapped the desk with her fingers.
While the professor was conducting the orientation on the second semester¡¯s curriculum at the podium, Keridna couldn¡¯t bring herself to focus on the information.
Isaac had been the weakest in the Magic Department, possessing Grade E mana.
The symbol of the Whiterk Ducal family was the White Dragon, a mythological magic beast.
The image of Isaac forming a contract with that magic beast wouldn¡¯t leave her mind.
Where should she even begin to be astonished? From the fact that the mythical White Dragon was still alive? Or from when Isaac had formed a voluntary master-familiar contract with said creature? Regardless, it was quite a ridiculous tale.
¡®Of course, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s still the weakest in the department anymore.¡¯
Going into the second semester, Isaac had grown rapidly, increasing his mana capacity to C+. While he was still much weaker than her¡
It was still disorienting.
What the hell is Isaac¡¯s true identity?
As Keridna continued to ponder it, she vividly recalled blood flowing down Aichel¡¯s face, it still gave her chills.
If Aichel hadn¡¯t plundered her [Sight Synchronization], Keridna would¡¯ve been blinded. The cost of daring to spy on a monster like Isaac had been paid by her sister.
Thankfully, Aichel always had an absurd amount of [Basic Protection Magic] active. Otherwise, she really would have gone blind.
Keridna had incurred a debt that would be impossible to repay in her lifetime.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Keridna had no idea just how terrifying the secret she had tried to uncover was.
However, she knew one thing for certain.
Isaac was¡ like the embodiment of fear¡ªa monster dwelling in the dark depths of the ocean.
There were some truths in this world that were better off unknown, and Isaac¡¯s secret might have been among them.
Keridna had almost gone blind as a consequence of her curiosity.
Now, Isaac was the object of her fear.
* * *
[Congrattions! You have unlocked the second elemental slot!] [Your second element is [Rock].]
While leveling up from 63 to 68, I invested my stat points into [Magic Training Efficiency].
Thanks to that, abined 81 stat points were allocated to [Magic Training Efficiency], and it was now at A+.
I had also met with Kaya Astrean, who constantly blushed and attempted to avoid my gaze. By reading psychology, I discovered that Kaya was avoiding me because she was embarrassed about kissing me on the cheek during summer vacation.
I approached Kaya to say hello, but it seemed clear she wasn¡¯t willing to converse with me. She merely continually pleaded with me to ¡®forget her mistake during the vacation ceremony¡¯.
At the sight of her desperate state, I could only respond in agreement. Soon after, Kaya abruptly left.
It seemed clear the distance between us would remain for the time being.
Recently, our new ss cements had been determined. Since there were no demons during the ss cement evaluations, I just had to do my best.
As a result of those evaluations, I was ced in the upper level of ss C. It was hard for anyone to believe.
The vast majority of students remained in the same ss asst semester, including the ss D students.
Every time we passed by in the hallways, they red at me. By reading their psychology, I could see they felt a sense of inferiority towards me.
¡®Ha.¡¯
Look at how they¡¯re treating me nowpared tost semester.
Considering I was someone they had believed themselves to be superior to, it was quite a significant development to say the least.
Thus,¡¸Act 4, Chapter 1, Beginning of Second Semester¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? passed without any major incidents.
It was now evening. Afterpleting all my sses, I headed towards the corner of the Butterfly Garden. It was where I spent most of my time during the first semester, so whenever anything new happened, I was inclined to think about it there.
Unlike the first semester, where I focused on delving deeply into a singr element, the second semester¡¯s curriculum would force me to simultaneously train a second element.
For my own personal growth, a structured magical education was important, so it was beneficial for me to follow the curriculum.
Right on cue, I had sessfully unlocked a second element, apanied by a system notification.
¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
¡°Hmm.¡±
As I channeled mana through my right hand, small fragments of stone manifested and began floating gently, seemingly in a state of weightlessness.
I had hoped for a gas or liquid element like fire, water, lightning, or wind, but like my ice element, I had received another solid element.
Consequently, there were clear drawbacks in terms of mobility and utility.
¡®Still, there are clear advantages as well.¡¯
I could name at least three immediate advantages off the top of my head that came with my new element.
The first waspatibility. Rock magic could counter the greatest weakness of ice magic, which was fire. Still, water would¡¯ve been better.
The second was the coolness factor. If I crossed my arms while summoning boulders from the sky, along with a cool one-liner like ¡®When heaven moves, everything follows¡¯, my coolness factor would be immeasurable.
The third was my familiar, Eden.
I summoned Eden, light brown mana gathered in the air and took the form of a small golem familiar.
Edennded softly on the ground.
[Kyuu! Kyuu?]
My familiar Eden was of the rock element. In other words, I could now begin to supply him with my own rock mana.
As I channeled some rock mana towards Eden, he began to jump up and down in surprise.
¡°Eden, does my mana taste good?¡±
[Yeah!]
Eden responded, apanied by a happy pose.
What a cute fellow.
I petted Eden¡¯s head with a smile.
Providing arge amount of mana to a familiar would elerate its growth, allowing the summon to keep up with the growth of its master.
The next time I activated [Hunter] and summoned Eden, the surge in mana would be like a temporary buff, strengthening Eden greatly.
If he were able to stabilize his buffed state, Eden would likely grow at an astonishing speed.
Hehe.
The next demon I would face was an elephant demon from ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, Underground Giant¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, known as ¡°Elphelt the Evanescent¡±.
To reach him, I had to clear a considerably difficult mission from ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 2, Food Chain¡¹, so I expected one hell of a challenge in the future.
But more than that, I was worried about something. Or more specifically, someone.
¡®Kaya.¡¯
The hidden boss of ¡¸Act 4 Chapter 3: Underground Giant¡¹ was ¡®Kaya Astrean¡¯.
Yes, it was our very own Kaya Astrean. Although it would only be temporary, Kaya would be a demon, and the fight between us was unavoidable.
In the forums, the corrupted Kaya was referred to as ¡®Dark Kaya¡¯ for simplicity. Because of her difficulty, I saw many posts mocking nonexistent parents, saying things like ¡®Did someone¡¯s mother die for this level of difficulty?¡¯. Her patterns were so irregr it was difficult to find a method that worked.
Not only was Kaya much stronger now than in the original scenario, but her tactical awareness had also increased.
Ignoring the co-op EXP she had received in the Tantak Underground Cave, the fact that I had also given her the Armana Wand as a gift was the true difference maker.
While giving that gift to Kaya had saved me during the first semester, it would be a de that aimed for my neck during the second semester.
In other words, Dark Kaya¡¯s patterns would be entirely different from the ones I knew, making this fight uncharted territory.
¡®Well, I¡¯ll still win though.¡¯
The reason I had given her the Armana Wand was simple.
No matter how much her attack patterns changed, I would be much stronger than her when [Hunter] was active.
Just by levels alone, mine would be substantially higher than Dark Kaya¡¯s.
It was important to note the fact that the lower one¡¯s level was inparison to their opponent, the less damage they could inflict, but even then¡
I had the Frostscythe and Hilde with me now, so there was no way I could lose.
While I was lost in thought, I heard a familiar voice.
¡°Presideeeeent~¡±
¡°Ah!¡±
A voice rang in my ears, startling me, and forcing me to cover my ears and step away.
Wow, I thought my eardrums were about to burst.
Turning my head in the direction of the noise, I saw a female student withvender hair wearing a distinctive witch¡¯s hat.
¡°Nyahaha! You¡¯re so cute!¡±
It was Dorothy, who wasughing mischievously.
¡°Ah¡ Senior, you¡¯re here.¡±
The lingering sensation from Dorothy¡¯s whisper and breath remained from her yful antics, leaving me unable to remove my hands from my ears.
¡°So you¡¯ve awakened a second element, right?¡±
¡°Yes. It was the rock element.¡±
¡°Our President has been hitting the gym and putting on some muscle, so rock does kind of suit you.¡±
¡°What kind of logic is that¡?¡±
Tilting her head, Dorothy giggled mischievously.
¡°It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯vest been here. Lately, you¡¯ve only been going to the gym and back.¡±
¡°I wanted to organize my thoughts. I¡¯ve just unlocked a new element, and I need to think about how to best train and develop it for the future.¡±
¡°Hm, since you¡¯ve just unlocked it, you probably can¡¯t use very many spells, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, I can only cast basic spells, so I was thinking about mastering those.¡±
My [Magic Training Efficiency] and [Learning Efficiency] had drastically improved sincest semester, meaning I should be able to practice more effectively.
¡°Can this big sis help you?¡±
Dorothy began to smile slyly.
¡°Senior? Help me with what?¡±
¡°Just tell me yes or no.¡±
¡°If you¡¯ll help me, then of course I¡¯ll be grateful.¡±
¡°Then extend both of your hands.¡±
I did as Dorothy instructed and held out my hands.
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy ced my hands on top of her wrists and gently grasped my own.
With our hands and wrist pressed firmly against each other, I could distinctly feel her soft skin. I was embarrassed, to say the least.
¡°Grab my wrists.¡±
What¡¯s going on¡?
I hesitantly grabbed onto Dorothy¡¯s wrists as instructed.
Her wrists were quite slender.
At that moment, I finally realized that Dorothy, who had always been like a daughter to me, was a woman after all.
The moment I began to realize this, light brown rock mana began to flow where our wrist met.
Sssssssss©¤
Beginning from my wrists, I could sense the rock mana circuits that had been buried throughout my bodying to life.
It was the same sensation I had felt every time I increased my proficiency with ice magic.
Amazed, I stared at Dorothy in disbelief as she offered me a bright smile, tilting her head to the side.
Beneath her witch¡¯s hat, her golden earrings gleamed as they reflected thest vestiges of the sunset. As usual, her eyes seemed to contain the universe within them.
My eyes were feasting on her.
¡°I have the rock element too, wind and rock to be exact. That¡¯s why I can use my own rock mana to help you master your own. Well, it¡¯s only possible because it¡¯s me though~¡±
¡°You¡¯re the best, Senior. Really.¡±
¡°Nihihi.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile, as I hadn¡¯t expected to receive any assistance. I was lucky to meet Dorothy today.
At this rate, it felt as though I could master various rock spells far faster than I had anticipated.
Before I even realized, the flow of Dorothy¡¯s rock mana had ceased.
¡°Since this method only works when you first awaken a new element, there¡¯s nothing else I can do!¡±
This much is already plenty.
I repeatedly expressed my gratitude to Dorothy, and each time I did, she responded enthusiastically, cing a hand on her hip and brimming with confidence.
* * *
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 68
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman Who Has Adapted to Student Life
Mana: 5200/5200
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C+)
¨C Stamina (B)
¨C Strength (B)
¨C Intelligence (C+)
¨C Willpower (A+) [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (B)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B) Elemental Series 2: Rock
¨C Elemental Firepower (C)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (C)
¨C Elemental Synergy (D+) [Owned Skills] Owned Skills ??Details?? Skill Tree ??Details?? [Unique Attributes] ¨C Hunter
The warmth of summer gradually faded away, signaling the beginning of autumn.
The increase in my rock element¡¯s [Elemental Firepower] and [Elemental Efficiency] far surpassed my expectations. It was the result of me applying my A+ [Magic Training Efficiency] and Dorothy¡¯s assistance.
It had only been a short time since I had unlocked it, yet I had already reached C rank.
For the rock element, [Elemental Synergy] was useless, so I didn¡¯t bother increasing that stat.
Additionally, I learned some new spells.
To begin with, the 4-star spell [Ice Spear] was a very useful spell, boasting mana density that far exceeded anything I could form with [Ice Generation].
I couldunch it towards an enemy by willing it to do so, and the magic circle would do the firing.
Among my former offensive ice spells, I only had [Frostfire] which boasted arge area of effect butcked offensive firepower, and [Frost Explosion], which was far too powerful to be used normally. Therefore, I had chosen to learn [Ice Spear], which had a limited range but a concentrated attack power.
I also learned the 3-star rock spell [Stone Toss], which threw rocks that possessed a higher mana density than rocks formed by [Rock Generation].
The higher the mana density, the greater the power and strength of a spell. This was especially true for spells that formed solid matter.
¡°Isaac, all clear. You may proceed.¡±
Currently, I was heading towards an exam site.
Inside the cabin, the exam proctor began scanning my body to ensure I didn¡¯t have any unusual items on me. Since I hadn¡¯t brought anything abnormal, I passed the test easily.
In this exam, I was only allowed to bring magic weapons or absolute necessities.
The Sheath of Disaster was considered a magic tool instead of a magic weapon, so I had been forced to leave it at my dorm.
If I had to exin the difference between a magic tool and a magic weapon, it would be that magic weapons enhanced the power of its user in exchange for making mana maniption more difficult.
Some examples of that would include Kaya¡¯s Armana Wand, or Lisetta¡¯s Rock Bat.
Magic tools, on the other hand, referred to tools with magic applied to them. The Sheath of Disaster was treated as a magic tool since it used the spell stored within it like a magic scroll would.
After passing the inspection, I left the cabin, and heard the noise of seagulls in the distance.
It made sense, as I was on a ship owned by the academy.
The sky was a vivid blue.
I enjoyed the cool sea breeze brushing against my skin, and the humid air filling my lungs.
By looking around, I could see the vast blue sea surrounding me.
If I turned around now, I would be able to catch a glimpse of the frenzy at the dock.
But by staring straight ahead, I could see a singr ind anchored firmly in my sights, named ¡®Elt Ind¡¯. It was the location of our next exam, and it would serve as the main stage for ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 2, Food Chain¡¹ and ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, Underground Giant¡¹.
Several ships were traveling to Elt Ind, each one carrying a varying amount of Magic Department freshmen. They would dock at various prepared locations and let the students off.
Many students were wandering the deck and chatting. They werepletely unaware of the uing exam, leaving them lost.
This next exam was going to be ridiculously challenging.
Leaning against the ship¡¯s railing, I stared out into the sea, noting thest vestiges of clouds disappearing over the distant horizon.
¡®Ugh, I¡¯m so nervous.¡¯
I felt as though I was walking on a very narrow tightrope.
Even though I had managed toe up with a n, I remained nervous. I was sure that there were many variables that couldn¡¯t be ounted for.
¡°¡?¡±
As I was thinking deeply, I felt somebody¡¯s gaze lock onto me, making me turn my head towards the source.
¡°Ah.¡±
On a ship opposite mine, I gazed at a cute, green-haired girl who was holding onto her ship¡¯s railing. Her twin tails were fluttering in the sea breeze.
It was Kaya Astrean.
Blushing like a beetroot, Kaya bowed her head.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Her heart is fluttering at the thought that she made eye contact with you.]
She had a shy expression on her face, apanied by a faint smile. It felt like a scene from a teenage romance movie.
As always, she was an incredibly lovely child.
I had known for a while that Kaya had feelings for me. Unfortunately, the luxury that was a romantic rtionship was out of the question until we defeated the Evil God.
¡°¡¡±
I would have to fight Kaya in the future.
Of course, I would save that child.
Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about such childish things.
Steeling my resolve, I was determined to ovee the 4th scenario no matter how fucked up the difficulty may be.
Just like I had done up until now.
Chapter 64: - Hunting Evaluation (1)
? Hunting Evaluation (1) ?
Opportunities for education must be guaranteed.
That was why, despite the many appearances of demons this year, M?rchen Academy refused to give up on educating its students. It was safer and more in line with their survival of the fittest ideology in teaching students.
This was in spite of the situation requiring the intervention of the Imperial Knights at the academy.
That desire was the root cause of the academy allocating more of its budget to hiring additional wizards and knights.
Demons were considered natural disasters.
Theycked intelligence, were solitary, behaved unpredictably, and had indeterminable origins.
However, the fact that such creatures had made appearances multiple times at M?rchen Academy this year meant there was a special reason for it. The Imperial family was sure of it.
As a result, certain members of the 4th Imperial Knight Squadron, the Fenrir Knights, were dispatched to investigate the cause.
They wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything though.
It was only natural that they wouldn¡¯t be able to uncover the identity of the spy, where the demons came from, or the true identity of the ck Monster.
Alice had thoroughly prepared in order to not get caught, and demons were originally microorganisms that lived underground before being given form by the Evil God¡¯s mana.
Furthermore, there wasn¡¯t an individual with the ice element that possessed the mana of the ck Monster at the academy, no matter what they believed.
Because the Imperial Princess nned to enter M?rchen Academy the following year, the Imperial Knights had no choice but to intensify their search efforts.
M?rchen Academy was the pinnacle of all elite institutions on the continent.
Naturally, this was merely by reputation, but there was an actual reason for it. The true reason would be slowly revealed during my sophomore year.
With the deployment of many skilled Imperial Knights, the academy had full confidence in being able to handle any demon that appeared.
From this year onward, it became evident that M?rchen Academy would be the primary deployment site until the graduation of the Imperial Princess. This would greatly contribute to the security of the academy.
For that reason, some members of the Imperial Knights would serve as proctors.
Still, seeing it with my own two eyes was awe-inspiring.
¡°Now, I will exin the rules of your ¡®Hunting Evaluation¡¯.¡±
Elt Ind was a ce that resembled the Amazon Rainforest. However, the colors were far more vibrant inparison, as there were many nts filled with a variety of elemental mana.
Each academy ship had stopped at different docks on Elt Ind. At one of the docks, the students disembarked and stood in an orderly fashion while gazing at the professors in charge.
I was also among them.
Professor Fernando began to exin the rules of the exam. The other proctors stood in formation, exuding a tremendous amount of authority.
¡°The exam will conclude by evening, and you will stay on this ind during that time.¡±
¡°Your objective is simple. umte as many ¡®points¡¯ as possible until the exam concludes or you are eliminated. Those points will determine both your grades and the gel you will receive.¡±
How could one umte points?
¡°Points can be earned by a sessful hunt. Here on Elt Ind, we have prepared various demonic illusions and summoned familiars. Each sessful capture will grant you points based on the grade of your hunt.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°As you venture deeper towards the center of Elt Ind, your enemies will continually be stronger, but you also have the potential to receive that many more points in return. Rest assured, an inspection of Elt Ind confirmed there were no signs of natural demonic creatures.¡±
With that statement, Professor Fernando confirmed they had also found ¡®no trace of demons¡¯.
In this world, there was a clear distinction made between magic beasts and demonic creatures. Demonic creatures were also known as monsters, while magic beasts were beings strongly connected to mana.
On the other hand, demonic creatures were an upromising, evil species. However, while simr, the demons were ssified separately as a superior species due to their excessively unique presence.
¡°If you¡¯re defeated by a demonic illusion, your bracelet will ring, signaling that you have failed. The proctors wille find you, so stay where you are.¡±
All students, including me, had a non-removable bracelet equipped. Simr to the end-of-semester evaluation from the previous semester, it could be used to track the locations of the students.
¡°Points can also be used to purchase items at various shops throughout Elt Ind. However, since these points will also be used to determine your grade, it will be best if you save them as much as possible. In other words, this exam will evaluate yourbat capabilities, survival skills, wisdom, and knowledge.¡±
¡°Professor! What happens if fellow students were to fight, say, to steal each other¡¯s items¡? Will the students involved be failed?
A boy that looked like a model student raised his hand, asking a question.
Looking at that student, Professor Fernando responded.
¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
The other students appeared rather shocked.
¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself one more time. The ¡®hunting evaluation¡¯ will judge yourbat capabilities, survival skills, wisdom, and knowledge. It will test how you adapt to various opponents, how you seize an opportunity, and even how efficiently you escape. You can each be both predator and prey to one another.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°If you¡¯re scared of having your belongings stolen, fight back or run away.¡±
Professor Fernando spoke in his usual cold tone.
¡°If you wish to give up midway or undergo circumstances unrted to the exam, be sure to report to us using the bracelet, and we will take appropriate action.¡±
¡°It¡¯s currently 10 am. The exam will end at midnight, and the remaining time will be disyed on your bracelets. Make sure you survive.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°That will be all. Enter based on your previously assigned numbers.¡±
The order of the assigned numbers was based on the first semester¡¯s ss cement evaluations, and following that, the students slowly began to enter Elt Ind¡¯s forest.
I followed suit, immediately taking note of the vibrant jungle that boasted various colors ¨C frost-covered trees, flowers pulsating with electricity, and massive oak trees adorned with leavesrger than my own body.
Moving cautiously yet swiftly, I proceeded deeper into the forest.
When a blue light was emitted from my bracelet, it would signal the start of the exam.
Knowing this, I hid behind an oak tree and paid close attention to my wrist.
Soon after, the bracelet began to glow with a fierce red light before vanishing, giving way to a singr blue light.
The exam had begun.
I had two goals in mind for this exam.
The first was to reach the ¡®volcano¡¯ at the center of Elt Ind.
The second was to meet ¡®Ian Fairytale¡¯.
I was able to deduce that Ian had arrived at the dock opposite mine by observing the approximate direction in which our respective ships were heading.
Immediately before the exam began, Ian would meet Kaya, and the pair would form a team.
ording to ¡¸Act 4. Chapter 2. Food Chain¡¹, they would slowly make their way to the center of the ind to earn points.
While it normally would have been difficult to pinpoint Ian and Kaya¡¯s exact location.
¡®I have [irvoyance].¡¯
I closed my left eye and activated [irvoyance].
¡¸irvoyance (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
As my right eye turned silver, my field of vision shifted at an astonishing speed.
In an instant, my gaze moved towards the opposite end of Elt Ind, where I saw Ian. Just like the original story, Kaya had met with Ian, and the two were engaged in a conversation.
Nodding at each other, the two began to head towards the central region of Elt Ind.
I deactivated [irvoyance], and regained my original field of vision by reopening my left eye.
If I continued towards the volcano and periodically followed Ian¡¯s movements with [irvoyance], I would be able to meet up with them.
¡®They¡¯ll be heading straight for the volcano.¡¯
They might pause a few times to hunt and eat, but they would arrive within 8 hours at thetest.
The demon Elphelt the Evanescent, who appeared in ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, Underground Giant¡¹, would emerge in the volcanic region of Elt ind and devour Kaya.
Kaya would then be forced into its body, and Ian would also be eaten in order to save her.
¡®Ian won¡¯t be able to survive though.¡¯
Elphelt¡¯s body was filled to the brim with demons, almost like cockroaches. Given Ian¡¯sck of control over his own body, there was no possible way for him to survive.
Therefore, the best method was to find Ian before he went inside Elphelt¡¯s body.
As a side note, I considered leaving an anonymous letter to the academy that, ¡®A demon will appear near the center of Elt Ind¡¯.
Naturally, I decided against it as it would create too many variables. I didn¡¯t know if they would believe me and even if they did, it would be problematic.
It was likely that the evaluation would be suspended and Elt Ind would be sealed off. If that happened, nobody would be able to stop Elphelt.
I also couldn¡¯t be certain if things would go as I intended.
Above all, I hoped for there to be zero casualties. It would not only disrupt the scenario, but it could also lead to a bad ending.
I had carefully thought about how to keep Kaya out of harm¡¯s way, but I had given up on that idea.
¡®There¡¯s no other way.¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 2, Food Chain¡¹, it had been exined that a bad ending was guaranteed if Kaya didn¡¯t make it to the center.
Elphelt was attracted to the nt element, so as soon as it had awakened, it went after Kaya.
If Kaya reached the central region where the giant¡¯s head was, all Elphelt would have to do was open its mouth to swallow Kaya whole, leaving him quite satisfied.
But if Kaya didn¡¯t make it to the volcanic region by the time Elphelt woke up, fire and ¡®blood¡¯ magic would erupt throughout Elt Ind, causing massive casualties. It was a death en masse.
Therefore, finding a way to exclude Kaya from the exam entirely was far too risky.
Elphelt¡¯s skin was as tough as Galia¡¯s [Thunder God¡¯s Barrier], reaching a strength equivalent to someone who was level 190. It was a demon designed to be in solely by entering its body.
Moreover, the only viable passage to enter Elphelt¡¯s body was through its mouth. If Kaya wasn¡¯t present, there would be no reason for him to open it.
Even if I am temporarily sacrificing Kaya¡
¡In order to prevent a bad ending, this is the safest method.
¡®Let¡¯s do it.¡¯
I took a deep breath, calming myself.
This is just the beginning.
Firstly, I had to capture several demonic illusions on my way towards the central region and earn some points. Then, I should go look for an unmanned shop.
Elt Ind was quite vast, so there were quite a few unmanned shops installed throughout the ind.
¡®It¡¯s quiet.¡¯
Only the sound of grasshoppers chirping and birds tweeting could be heard. It was apletely contrasting atmospherepared to the first semester¡¯s evaluation.
This was likely due to the fact that the outer area of the ind had very few creatures present.
¡°Hilde.¡±
I summoned Frost Dragon Hilde, who appeared in the form of a small orb of light.
[Frost Dragon Hilde] Lv: (1)
Race: Magic Beast
Element: Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Enjoying the new environment.]
[Is this the exam site you mentioned?]
As Hilde¡¯s faint voice rang through my head, I nodded.
¡°Let me know if there are any people, magic beasts, or demonic creatures nearby.¡±
[dly.]
Using [irvoyance] required a substantial amount of mana, so I chose to rely on Hilde for surveince instead.
Hilde began to survey my surroundings from the air. Being a small orb of light, she would go unnoticed by any potential enemy as long as she remained vignt.
[There is nothing particrly out of the ordinary.]
I carefully stepped out from behind therge oak tree and began moving.
As I headed towards the central region of Elt Ind, Hilde continued to report any signs of demonic creatures, magic beasts, or nearby people.
Therefore, I was able to follow a rtively safe path. If the distance between Hilde and I was too far, her voice became fainter, so we needed to maintain a certain distance.
[I found a demonic creature¡ but it feels rather strange.]
[Kiiik?]
[Caw?]
¡¸Stone Toss (Rock Element ¡ï3)¡¹
Boom!
When I discovered demonic illusions that resembled ants, I quickly disposed of them by using rock magic.
The demonic illusions disappeared like ash into the wind. It was because they were simply apparitions created by a magic tool.
[W-What..?! Do demonic creatures turn into ash after they die these days¡?]
Hilde seemed greatly surprised, her tone resembling that of an old grandmother¡¯s. At the same time, her voice was so beautiful it gave off a strange sense of alienation.
¡°They¡¯re just illusory forms of demonic creatures.¡±
[I-Is there such a thing¡? It seems the world has changed in many ways while I was gone¡ It is only natural, I suppose¡]
Hilde seemed to feel the weight of the years that had passed.
The defeated demonic illusions transformed into mana grains and flowed into my bracelet.
At the same time, the number of points listed on my bracelet increased to 20. It seemed each of those ant-looking creatures was worth 10 points.
They must have been quite valuable.
I resumed my walk.
* * *
Elt Ind teau.
After Luce summoned Galia in a suitable size, she quickly flew to the top of a cliff.
There, Luce scanned the entirety of Elt Ind, noting the reddish-brown volcano at its center.
[My master is currently looking for Isaac again! A beam ising out of her eyes! Super beam!!!]
¡°¡¡±
Smack!
Luce forcefully hit Bello, her small orca familiar who had been chattering away like a child.
[Bello is shocked! Violence isn¡¯t allowed! Violence isn¡¯t allowed!]
¡°Shut up. I have to find him because he¡¯s my friend.¡±
Luce meticulously searched between the canopy of the trees, looking for even the tiniest traces of Isaac.
¡°I have to protect him.¡±
With her exceptional eyesight and keen observation skills, she was confident in finding anything rted to Isaac.
However, the dense forest made her search for Isaac considerably more difficult.
¡°Isaac, where are you¡?¡±
She wanted to hurry and find him as soon as possible.
Elt Ind was so secluded that she could spend the entire day with Isaac without anyone seeing them.
Ah¡ how wonderful would that be?
Luce began to salivate.
You can rate this serieshere.
Chapter 65: - Hunting Evaluation (2)
? Hunting Evaluation (2) ?
Elt Ind was teeming with mushrooms that caused various abnormalities.
The Po¡¯i mushroom spewed poisonous spores upon feeling threatened.
The Kulkul mushroom, which forcefully induced sleep.
The Soli mushroom, which upon receiving a heavy blow, released spores that healed any abnormalities caused by other spores.
The Xerom mushroom temporarily disrupted one¡¯s mana circuit, preventing the use of magic.
For the record, the Xerom mushroom didn¡¯t affect strong individuals such as Luce. I, on the other hand, was still vulnerable to its effects.
In any case, there was a need to be wary of all kinds of mushrooms. If I fell into an abnormal state, it would significantly hinder my progress towards the center of Elt Ind.
¡®Ian, please be safe.¡¯
Spores could catch you off guard. It was for this reason that I was worried about Ian.
Unless something unexpected happened, Kaya, who had diligently studied ecology, would cover for him.
I made my way toward the center, eliminating any illusionary monsters I saw along the way.
In the process, an unmanned shop caught my eye.
[There is no one around.]
After I heard the report of the Frost Dragon, I headed towards the unmanned shop without hesitation.
The unmanned shop was shaped like a cylindrical vending machine. Various items were disyed beyond the ss window.
Various 1-star elemental magic scrolls, drinking water, odor removers, useful ropes,ting, a camouge sheet mimicking the surrounding environment, a baby hippo-shaped doll, a portable toilet tent (expensive), and so on.
¡®Odor remover for 120 points.¡¯
The points I currently had amounted to 120.
I held my bracelet up to the unmanned shop and used all 120 points. The mana grains in my bracelet flowed into the unmanned shop as payment.
The item popped out as I pressed the button for the odor remover.
The odor remover looked like a spray bottle. After spraying it several times over my body, I put it into the magic pouch the academy had given me beforehand.
With this, the illusionary demonic creatures and familiars would be unable to distinguish my scent.
[Hide.]
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, Hilde¡¯s voice echoed. Reflexively, I hid behind a nearby tree.
[There are magic beasts flying in the sky.]
I took a quick nce at the sky through the gaps in the trees.
There were quite a few magic beasts flying around. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were the familiars of the proctors or were intentionally released by unknown students.
Well, there was no benefit to standing out anyway.
I cautiously moved on.
¡¡
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Whoosh©¤©¤!
[Keeong!]
ck wolf, an illusionary monster heard my footstep and rushed towards me.
When the ck wolf sniffed the ground, trying to track my scent.
I sent an [Ice Spear] at it, effortlessly eliminating it.
¡®So far, so good.¡¯
I could easily take down a ck Wolf, but starting with the Fang Hippo, it was gradually bing more difficult.
It would be better to avoid as many fights as possible. With Hilde as my guardian, reaching the center of Elt Ind without a fight wasn¡¯t so unrealistic.
[There¡¯s suspicious movement up above.]
My thoughts were interrupted by Hilde¡¯s report. I called her in for help.
¡°What¡¯s suspicious?¡±
[It seems like an owl magic beast has been secretly spying on you. I felt something was off from a while ago, and now I¡¯m sure.]
¡°¡?¡±
A sense of unease washed over me.
If it intended to hunt me, it would have attacked awhile ago.
So, it was monitoring me?
[¡Master, hide.]
Suddenly, Hilde urgently called out to me.
[Humans are closing in on you. It seems like you are being encircled.]
¡°What¡?¡±
I heard a rustling sound. Several students were approaching me.
They were students from ss C and D, who had arrived on the same boat as me. There were six of them in total.
Soon after, magic circles were conjured all around me.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud©¤©¤©¤!
Solid walls sprung up around me, blocking my path. It was the magic cast by the students who were rushing towards me.
¡°What the¡?¡±
It was confusing¡
I had no time to assess the situation. I ced my fingers together and gathered mana to pierce through theyered defenses. The magic circle for [Frost Explosion] was engraved into the air.
It was clear that these guys were my enemies.
Just then.
[Kkiruk!]
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiii©¤
I heard the sound of a bird¡¯s cry from above and looked up.
A sight of an owl, wrapped in wind mana, dropping two mushrooms in my direction was reflected in my eyes.
¡¸Wind Sword (Wind Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
A weak de of wind flew from the owl and sliced the falling mushrooms.
Then, green spores spewed out like smoke.
A glittering powder poured over me.
¡°Oh, shi¡!¡±
A mushroom that disrupted the mana circuit, temporarily preventing the use of magic.
They were the spores of the Xerom mushroom.
The flow of mana was messed up. I couldn¡¯t control my mana!
The magic circle for [Frost Explosion] dissipated immediately. The condensed ice mana scattered into the air.
Soon, the [Rock Wall] trapping me turned into light brown powder and disappeared.
¡°¡!¡±
¡¸Fireball (Fire Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Hwarururuk©¤!
At the same time, a sphere made of mes flew towards me.
There was nowhere to escape. I hastily tried to deploy an [Ice Wall], but as expected, nothing sprang out.
I had no other choice. I threw myself at the [Rock Wall], clinging to it in a lying position, and shielded my face with my arm.
Kuuuuung©¤©¤!
The [Fireball] mmed into the [Ice Wall] behind me, spreading mes.
The [Ice Wall] melted.
I felt a brief sh of heat in front of my nose, but that was it. However, the [Fireball] wasn¡¯t particrly powerful. Phew, that was a close call.
I quickly adjusted my posture and raised my head.
The students who were approaching me had gathered around a single female student.
The leading female student had short brown hair and wore a headband adorned with a red rose. It was a very familiar face.
¡°Hehe. Indeed, you look best when you¡¯re scraping the bottom.¡±
The girl shing me an arrogant smile was Rose Red Rivera, who had alsoe on the same boat as me.
[Rose Red Rivera] Lv: 55
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Wind
Danger: X
Psychology: [Feels inferior and envious of you.]
The memory of the first semester¡¯s practical training came to mind. At that time, Rose had been grinding her teeth at me.
Rose was demoted from ss B to ss C in the second semester, based purely on merit. So we ended up attending the same sses in the same lecture hall.
Every now and then, when our eyes met in the lecture hall, she would frown.
I could tell from her [Psychology] that she felt humiliated just by being in the same lecture hall as me.
As I had suspected, Rose was nning to screw me over.
Perhaps she had assembled members on the ship to harass me. If it was determined that there would be no issue harassing me after hearing the contents of the exam, they would proceed ording to her n.
After entering the second semester, the ss D students who harbored an inferiorityplex towards me shed through my mind. Some of them had joined Rose.
Damn¡ what idiots.
Suddenly, I was reminded of the conceited blond noble, Tristan Humphrey. At least he intended to vent his frustration through a fair duel.
Their method was utterly pathetic.
¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? That you and I ended up in the same ss. Especially considering you, who had Grade E mana untilst semester, now have a higher mana capacity than me¡ it¡¯s unbelievable, isn¡¯t it?¡±
She had a lower mana capacity than me¡ she must be Grade C then.
¡°Why are you acting so high and mighty, you Grade Emoner?¡±
Rose had low self-esteem. She had a tendency to try to restore her fallen self-esteem by any means, even if it meant belittling others.
Therefore, it seemed like Rose intended to satisfy her fallen self-esteem by harassing me, the person she had looked down upon the most, but had surpassed her in strength.
I stood up from my spot.
¡°You, you¡¯re really annoying.¡±
As I said this, I pulled out a ¡®Soli mushroom¡¯ from my pocket. A mushroom that negated the effects of all spores. I had picked it up on the way, just in case.
It was a mushroom that released spores whenever it received a strong impact. Squeezing it alone wouldn¡¯t disperse the spores well, but throwing it directly at the ground would do the trick.
At that moment.
¡¸Fire Generation (Fire Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Hwaaaaaar©¤.
¡°Ah, hot!¡±
The Soli mushroom was set on fire. I felt the heat and quickly let go of it.
The Soli mushroom, set aze, fell to the ground. The spores inside couldn¡¯t withstand the bright red me.
It was Rose¡¯s magic. An incredible reaction speed that couldn¡¯t have been possible if she hadn¡¯t anticipated my next actions. She seemed to have taken into ount the fact that I had prepared the Soli mushroom in advance.
What a bitch.
¡°Who are you to be annoyed with me? You¡¯re just amoner to begin with, aren¡¯t you? Even if this is supposed to be a ce of learning where everyone is treated equally, did you really think we were on the same level? Do you really think we are the same just because we¡¯re in the same ss?
Rose showed a twisted smile.
¡°When you leave this academy, you¡¯re nothing. You should feel honored to be trampled on by me. You¡¯re nothing but a pig. You need to know your ce.¡±
I got up, dusting the dirt off my clothes.
¡°¡What¡¯s with that arrogant look? Shall I fire another [Fireball]? This time, you won¡¯t be lucky enough to dodge it.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Ah, but if you say, ¡®Lady Rose, please step on this worthless pig with your dignified body,¡¯ I might consider sparing you a little.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Aren¡¯t you embarrassed by your own words?
It made my skin crawl just listening to it.
¡°Sigh.¡±
I let out a deep breath. There wasn¡¯t much to say.
Well, it was about time now.
The sound of something parting the bushes reached my ears. It would have been better if it hade a little sooner.
I turned my head in the direction of the sound.
¡°Eden, you¡¯re here.¡±
[Kyuu!]
What appeared was Eden, my small golem familiar.
Rose and herckeys widened their eyes in surprise. Their looks asked what was going on. I had not summoned the familiar, nor given him any orders.
As soon as Eden revealed himself, he threw the blue mushroom he was holding at me. It was a Soli mushroom.
The Soli mushroom that hit my body began to quickly spew out spores.
Whoosh, I took a deep breath. My tangled mana began to flow smoothly again.
¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Thud©¤©¤©¤!
¡°¡!!¡±
I immediately created a wall of ice around Rose and her group.
A thick [Ice Wall], more advanced than the one Rose¡¯sckey had used, rose up.
Rose and her group were trapped in the [Ice Wall], just as I had been, with only one side open towards me.
It was time to pay back those wretched bastards.
¡°How impudent¡!¡±
Before she couldprehend the current situation, Rose stretched out her arm towards me to counterattack. The magic circle of [Fire Pir] was engraved in front of her hand.
Another student also tried to cast an offensive spell.
It was a foolish decision.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwaaaaaaar©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Ahhhh!¡±
I had already casted an offensive spell. They should have used a defensive one.
The icy blue me engulfed Rose and herckeys.
With their rear and sides blocked by [Ice Wall], they had to endure the full brunt of [Frostfire].
Of course, I had reduced the power. It would be a shame if they went down in one hit.
When the [Frostfire] faded, Rose and her group were seen lying on the ground.
Frostbite and chilins appeared all over their bodies.1Editor¡¯s Note: A chilin is a patch of swollen skin or blisters that appear on the skin due to prolonged exposure to cold air. They mainly appear on the hands and feet.
They were shivering fiercely from the bitter cold. It was an unsightly oue.
¡°Ah, ahhh¡¡±
Rose groaned, her eyes bulging and her head bowed in agony. She seemed to be in pain.
I walked toward her withrge strides.
Hwaaaar©¤©¤©¤!
When one male student tried to counterattack, I casuallyunched a [Frostfire] at him.
By the time the second cold me had subsided, he hadpletely copsed. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up anymore. He just shivered from the cold and pain.
I stopped in front of Rose and looked down at her.
Rose¡¯s frostbitten face turned towards me. Her teeth chattered at a rapid pace, and her body shivered violently.
[Rose Red Rivera] Psychology: [She is terrified of you.]
¡°What, what, how, did¡?¡±
From the start of the exam, I had instructed Eden to be on stand by whenever I found a Soli mushroom, in case I identally fell victim to spores.
Whenever I found a new Soli mushroom closer to the center, I would summon Eden and repeat the standbymand.
I had previously instructed Hilde, ¡®If I get hit by spores, bring Eden to me immediately and have him throw a Soli mushroom at me.¡¯
For example, if I fell victim to the Kulkul mushroom spores that forces one into a deep sleep, I would have fallen asleep defenseless without being able to use the Soli mushroom I had prepared. It was necessary to prevent such misfortune in advance.
So when I fell into Rose¡¯s trap, Hilde called Eden right away.
¡°Don¡¯t look down on me¡ A Grade E,moner, like you¡ don¡¯t look down on me¡!¡±
I sent another [Frostfire] her way. Of course, I adjusted the power to only cause moderate amounts of pain.
¡°Arghhhhhh!¡±
Rose screamed as she was engulfed in the cold mes. Thanks to the [Basic Protection Magic] she had applied to her skin, she wouldn¡¯t suffer a lot of damage, but it seemed she couldn¡¯t escape the pain.
As the cold me subsided,
Rose, lying on the ground, began to wriggle and whimper.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡ it hurts too much¡ Please, spare¡ spare me¡¡±
When I gazed down at her without responding, Rose grabbed the hem of my clothes and began to plead.
This should be enough.
I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time.
I turned around and began to move towards the center of Elt Ind again.
Then, Rose¡¯s face contorted and slowly she started to regain her smile.
¡°Ah, ah¡ Yes, indeed¡ you¡¯re just like that¡ You¡¯re scared because I¡¯m a noble, right¡? Hehehe¡! You, you made a mistake¡! Once I graduate from the academy¡ I¡¯ll make you live in hell for the rest of your life¡!¡±
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Wiiiiiii, crash©¤!
¡°Ugh!¡±
I dropped the block of ice I had previously frozen in mid-air.
Rose screamed once as the block of ice hit her on the head, and then she passed out.
Beep©¤
A sound indicating an exam failure came from Rose¡¯s bracelet.
Even the most arrogant nobles do not dare to say things like ¡®Wait until I graduate from the academy.¡¯
It¡¯s a disgrace that tarnishes the name of the family.
There was also an unwritten rule that what happened in the academy should be resolved within the academy.
To ignore even that, what a character.
I really don¡¯t have any affection for Rose.
¡°¡¡±
I quickened my steps with a stoic expression.
T/N: A couple term changes. Attribute -> Element, Evil Goddess of the Apocalypse -> Evil God of Destruction. There are other smaller changes as well.
You can rate this serieshere.
Footnotes:- 1Editor¡¯s Note: A chilin is a patch of swollen skin or blisters that appear on the skin due to prolonged exposure to cold air. They mainly appear on the hands and feet.
Chapter 66: - Hunting Evaluation (3)
? Hunting Evaluation (3) ?
The sky bathed in the hues of sunset as darkness descended upon Elt Ind. I had to reach the heart of the ind before the shadows settled.
Once night fell, it would provide a favorable environment for demonic illusions and summoned familiars and increase the risk of being affected by mushroom spores, making it difficult to discern your surroundings.
¡¸irvoyance (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
¡®You¡¯re doing great, Ian!¡¯
I used [irvoyance] from time to time to check up on Ian and Kaya. Fortunately, the two of them were moving toward the center of Elt Ind without issue.
That¡¯s the spirit. Stay strong, Ian!
¡¯¡I¡¯m the one who needs to stay strong.¡¯
When Hilde had reported she ended up finding a fanged hippopotamus, I gave up on fighting.
From this point on, I was concerned about bing prey. I wanted to follow the n and recruit apanion, but I couldn¡¯t find a suitable candidate.
As I approached the center, the demonic illusions of Elt Ind began to take notice and constantly targeted me at every opportunity.
To prepare for any crisis, I draped a camouge cloak I had purchased from an unmanned shop over my shoulders. When the situation demanded, I would immediately raise it, covering my entire body.
The camouge cloak would change its design to match the surrounding environment.
¡®It looks as cheap as a beggar¡¯s rag.¡¯
The incident triggered memories of my time in military service, and I suddenly recalled the annoying sergeant who tormented me during my enlisted days. I felt like punching that jerk.
¡°Ugh!!! I¡¯m starving©¤!!!¡±
¡°Huh, what the hell?!¡±
Suddenly, a female student came running, shrieking, and frantically shouting. Her voice was husky.
She had an orange ponytail and golden eyes. She wore a modified school uniform, with pants instead of a skirt. Her white shirt waspletely unbuttoned, fluttering like a g.
As she sprinted towards me, she effortlessly swung a bat embedded with mana stones, amplifying the power of her rock magic to crush the demonic illusions with ease.
She was Lisetta Lionheart, a first-year ss A student of the Magic Department.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Lv: 98
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Irritated because she is hungry.]
Lisetta had not unlocked her second element. It was a choice that came from her desire to specialize solely in rock magic.
By the way, where has she been hiding until now¡? I remember her being in the same boat as me.
¡°What¡¯s with all the weird stuff to eat around here!!! Argh!!!! I¡¯m hungry!!!!¡±
My guess was that she must have fallen asleep after eating some kind of strange mushroom.
It would be nice if I could get her to be apanion, but her overwhelming aura made me hesitant to approach her.
¡®Well, I guess I don¡¯t really need her as apanion.¡¯
After all, Lisetta was charging straight toward the center, obliterating all the demonic illusions and summoned familiars that stood in her path.
All I had to do was follow in her wake. After all, we were headed in the same direction.
¡®Amazing.¡¯
All aboard the Lisetta Express!
How convenient it is to have enemies annihted for you!
¡°Get out of the way, you wretches!!!!¡±
It felt relieving to be hard-carried.
* * * * *
The abyssal blue darkness had descended. Fortunately, I was able to follow Lisetta to the center of the ind, near the volcano.
There was an artificially constructed 3-meter-tall door at the volcano. It was the entrance to the volcano¡¯s cave.
I put as much distance between Lisetta and me as possible and activated [irvoyance]. She might be able to sense my magic.
I scanned the other side with [irvoyance]. Ian and Kaya were currently facing the gatekeeper on the other side. The atmosphere indicated that they were about to engage in battle.
The situation on my side was simr. I released [irvoyance] and watched the confrontation between Lisetta and the gatekeeper.
¡°Hey, let me ask you a question.¡±
With Rock Bat slung over her shoulder, Lisetta asked the nearly 6-meter-tall magic beast without hesitation. It was a blue-skinned giant familiar with sharp tentacles as its head. mes flowed like des from its elbows.
¡°Behind you, in the doorway, you got anything to eat?¡±
[Kuoooooo©¤©¤!]
¡°Damn it! There¡¯s no one I canmunicate with!¡±
¡¸me Fist (Fire Element, ¡ï3)¡¹ ¡¸Rock Avnche (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
As the gatekeeper swung a massive fist wreathed in mes, Lisetta swung Rock Bat horizontally toward the magic circle she had manifested in the air, casting her rock magic.
Fourrge rock pirs shot up from the ground, slicing through the air and crashing into the gatekeeper.
Crash! Crash! Kwaang!
[Kuooooooooo¡!]
A thunderous crash resounded. In quick session, Lisetta unleashed a flurry of strikes with her rock magic.
Thud! Kwaang! Kwaang! Thud! Thud! Kwaang!
[Rock Avnche], [Rock Avnche], [Rock Avnche]
The gatekeeper eventually lost consciousness and copsed under Lisetta¡¯s relentless series of attacks.
¡°How boring.¡±
The Lisetta Express emerged victorious! Apud!
Lisetta clicked her tongue and walked towards the volcano¡¯s cave entrance, and with one hand, she pushed the door open. The door slid open with such ease that she could hardly believe her eyes.
She smirked in disbelief and stepped inside.
¡®The ride on the Lisetta Express is amazing.¡¯
Ah, this must be the taste of a sweet victory.
Inside the volcanic cave, the final boss lurked. I should wait for Lisetta to take him down.
By the way, the volcano¡¯s cave wasn¡¯t very deep, as it was built around a volcano. Lisetta would soon encounter the final boss.
I used [irvoyance] again to check on Ian and Kaya. They had also managed to defeat the gatekeeper.
Things were going well. A smile naturally formed on my face.
¡±¡¡±
¡Things are going too smoothly.
It felt awkward. For some reason, something always seemed to go wrong at times like these¡
Nope. Sometimes things did go smoothly, just as I envisioned them after all.
¡®Let¡¯s think positively.¡¯
Today is a lucky day when everything works out well. Let¡¯s think of it that way.
There was the variable of Rose, but overall, everything has been manageable. I even taught her a lesson.
I forced a smile, hid behind a tree, and held my breath.
Time passed.
ording to my [irvoyance], Lisetta had ventured into the depths of the volcanic cave and defeated the final boss, a giant fire lizard.
I looked over to Ian and Kaya, and they were just about to face the final boss.
In¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, Underground Giant¡¹of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Lisetta did not appear at all, which meant that she had most likely left the volcanic cave after defeating the Fire Lizard.
¡®I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait until shees out¡¡¯
I used my [irvoyance] to look in Lisetta¡¯s direction again.
And I swallowed a sigh of frustration.
The giant, unconscious lizard. And above it¡ a schoolgirl with an orange ponytail sitting with her legs spread open.
She had her Rock Bat rested lightly on her shoulder as if she were waiting for someone.
It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess the situation. Despite me trying to follow her from a distance, it seemed that Lisetta had sensed my pursuit with her feral instincts.
It was clear she expected me to follow, and she was waiting.
¡®Oh, no.¡¯
Strangely enough, my lucky day had taken a turn for the worse¡ The biggest variable had blocked my path at such a crucial moment!
During the end-of-semester evaluation, I had the help of Luce, Kaya, and Ciel. But now, I was on my own¡
It wouldn¡¯t be long before the Elphelt appeared. If I wanted to make it in time, I had to get to where Lisetta was right now.
Ian and Kaya would defeat the final boss, and he would emerge. If I followed the path, I should be able to reach them in 20 minutes.
¡°Haa, what a mess¡¡±
I let out a deep sigh and released [irvoyance], resting my head against the tree.
Lisetta had a strong fighting spirit. If she came face to face with me, a battle was inevitable.
It would be impossible for me to defeat her. But¡
¡®There¡¯s no other choice.¡¯
The fate of the world was at stake. There was no time to whine. I had to face her head-on.
I stepped towards the entrance of the volcano¡¯s cave.
I entered the cave after opening the door. The air was humid. The cave¡¯s walls were a harmoniousbination of white stripes on a y-colored surface. The interior was surprisingly bright for the time of night, thanks to the luminescentmps installed on the walls.
As I moved forward, the area of the cave grewrger, and not long after, I reached a spacious area where the final boss of the Hunting Evaluation appeared.
¡°You¡¯vee.¡±
From the top of the giant, motionless fire lizard¡
¡Lisetta Lionheart looked down at me with a mischievous smile.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Feels wary of you.]
¡°Ah, it¡¯s you. The extra bastard someone mentioned! Kehehe!¡±
¡±¡¡±
¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t recognize you, huh?¡±
Lisettaughed, then suddenly hardened her expression.
Her rock mana flowed like the wind, skimming over my entire body. It was an overwhelming aura that made me keenly aware that this was an opponent I could never defeat.
Lisetta leapt off the fire lizard andnded on the ground, slinging Rock Bat over her shoulder. With her remaining hand, she reached into her pants pocket.
Beneath her undone shirt, a form-fitting tank top entuated her well-trained physique.
¡®I took the wrong bus¡¡¯
I didn¡¯t realize this bus was heading for the cliffs¡
¡°Why were you following me?¡±
I didn¡¯t bother answering. I knew the conclusion would be the same whether I answered honestly or made up a lie.
I chose not to answer.
¡°Ha! You¡¯re not even going to respond? What¡¯s your name, then?¡±
¡±¡Isaac.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Lisetta Lionheart! I was personally interested in you!¡±
Lisetta¡¯s distinctive booming voice and her usual burning desire to win reminded me of a valiant diator.
¡°I was wondering why the top-seat, the second-seat, and the third-seat were all tangled up with an extra brat like you? Especially the top-seat, that bitch was so smitten with you she couldn¡¯t even think straight!¡±
With a smile on her face, Lisetta tilted her head to the side
¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I wanted to confirm it myself anyway.¡±
Then, a swirling magic circle of rock magic conjured around Lisetta.
Indeed, this flow again¡ Lisetta watched me closely, and I could feel the tension rising. A cold sweat trickled down my cheek as I looked at her battle-hardened form.
Well, I didn¡¯te here without a n.
My n was simple. I intended to throw a Xerom mushroom, which temporarily disrupted the mana circuits, and then observe the result. However, I knew that the effect of the Xerome mushroom wouldn¡¯t be as dramatic for Lisetta as it was for me. She was strong, after all. It might just make her spellcasting a little ufortable, but I had to try.
Focus.
I held my breath and conjured a pale blue magic circle, preparing for battle. Using magic to divert attention, I would take the opportunity to throw the Xerome mushroom.
The air grew heavy, and a sense of impending doom weighed down on me.
.
And then.
¡±¡That¡¯s enough.¡±
Suddenly, Lisetta withdrew her magic circle, an expression of boredom on her face.
¡°That amount of mana¡ makes me want to die of boredom.¡±
What the hell¡?
¡°Just by looking at it, there¡¯s no way those first-rate bitches would be interested in your mediocrebat skills¡ Was it for another reason? I got my hopes up for nothing. Next time, bring somepanions. You alone won¡¯t make a difference.¡±
Lisetta scratched my pride mercilessly. My forehead felt like it was pulsating, burning with heat¡
¡°Ah! Do you have anything to eat? I¡¯m starving to death.¡±
¡±¡¡±
¡°You got anything? Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±
¡±¡Yes, I do.¡±
¡To prevent a bad ending, I have no choice but to do whatever it takes.
Since Lisetta might change her mind, I had to take the lead for now.
¡°Oh, really? Give it to me!¡±
Lisetta seemed delighted at the good news as a wide smile adorned her face.
I let out a sigh.
Then, as Lisetta said, ¡°Did you sigh?¡± and frowned, I hastily pulled out a bundle from my pocket.
¡°Here you go.¡±
I presented the bundle to Lisetta, who eagerly received it and examined its contents. It was a ¡®Frostbloom flower¡¯ that I had picked along the way, an edible flower that constantly emitted ice elemental mana. The round petals had been pre-cooked by burning them with a 1-star fire magic scroll I had purchased from an unattended shop.
¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? You try it first.¡±
Lisetta took out a Frostbloom flower petal that resembled candy and forcefully put it into my mouth.
¡It couldn¡¯t be helped. I chewed on the petal, feeling its soft and slightly salty texture, like eating a pickled vegetable dish. It was definitely edible.
Lisetta was relieved to see that. She took out a Frostbloom petal and popped it into her mouth.
¡°It¡¯s not particrly delicious, but it¡¯s good enough to eat¡¡±
Just then.
Rumbleee©¤©¤©¤©¤!
¡°Ugh!!!¡±
The ground began to shake! Dirt and dust fell from the ceiling, and the luminescentmps were doused with rainwater, causing the cave to sumb to darkness.
The Underground Giant. It was a precursor phenomenon that urred before the appearance of the Elphelt. That bastard was about to appear!
I shouted urgently, ¡°Lisetta, run!¡±
¡°Huh, what?¡±
¡°I told you to run, you idiot!¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
Lisetta looked at me with a perplexed expression.
There was no time to exin. I had to get to Ian as soon as possible!
I started running towards the inner passage of the cave. If I continued on this path, I would reach Ian and Kaya.
I checked the situation with my [irvoyance]. Ian and Kaya were looking around in panic.
If I exerted my muscles for ten minutes and ran at full speed, would I be able to reach them within ten minutes? I wasn¡¯t sure¡ Either way, I had to run at full speed!
¡°Hey!!! What¡¯s going on?!!¡±
No, why is Lisetta chasing after me?!
¡°You! Do you even know what an earthquake is?!!¡±
¡°I told you to run!¡±
You¡¯re just getting in the way!
¡°What?! Why do you keep giving orders on trivial matters, huh? Do you want to die?!¡±
There was no time to convince Lisetta to turn back. Any moment now, the giant¡¯s gaping maw would swallow Kaya, and Ian would jump into it.
Lisetta and I ran toward Ian¡¯s location.
I wasn¡¯t sure if she would follow me until the end, but I hoped she wouldn¡¯t. Otherwise, I would have to show her how I fought against demons.
Thest thing I needed was more people ¨C who weren¡¯t even close to me ¨C to know my identity.
¡Come to think of it, she was the type of girl who wouldn¡¯t take any orders from someone weaker than her.
¡®Ugh.¡¯
My head throbbed.
You can rate this serieshere.
Chapter 67: - The Underground Giant (1)
? The Underground Giant (1) ?
¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, The Underground Giant¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
When Ian and Kaya defeated the final boss of ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 2, Food Chain¡¹, the giant demon manifested from beneath the earth, exchanging the surrounding terrain for its body. It looked like it was buried alive.
The giant¡¯s skin itself was level 190.
Reflecting on my gamey memories, it seemed as though the demon was designed in such a way that one couldn¡¯t beat him unless they engaged him from within his own body.
By delving deep into the giant¡¯s inner structure, one could confront Elphelt¡¯s main body, which was level 145.
Inparison to the challenges faced in the first semester, it did not pose an exceptionally high difficulty level. The patterns were monotonous at best, and the fight itself felt more like a build-up to Dark Kaya, which was truly excruciating.
Well, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me, considering I was stronger. Nevertheless, if Ian were to die today, this world would unconditionally meet a bad ending.
Kuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Not again!¡±
The ground shook once again. For a moment, I almost fell, but I quickly steadied myself and continued running through the eerie darkness of the passage.
¡®A second earthquake already¡!¡¯
The second earthquake signaled the beginning of ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, The Underground Giant¡¹, and by now, the giant¡¯s gaping maw must have burst through the surface, devouring Kaya in a single gulp!
For the record, the underground giant was a deformed creature with a disproportionately small head and an obscenelyrge body. Of course, a giant was still a giant, no matter the size of its head. Its head alone would have a diameter of approximately five meters.
¡¸irvoyance (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
I used [irvoyance] to observe the situation with Ian and Kaya and as expected, a massive sinkhole had opened up on the ground.
Fortunately, Ian managed to avoid the sinkhole¡¯s range, but it seemed Kaya had already fallen into its depths.
At this point, Kaya¡¯s body would start to resonate with Elphelt¡¯s blood mana, straining her body in the process. Her blood would boil, her blood cirction would elerate, her body temperature would rapidly rise, and she would eventually lose consciousness. This was the process of bing a blood wizard, a practitioner of blood element magic.
Moreover, Elphelt¡¯s minions would then capture Kaya and take her to their master.
The mana radiating from the underground giant¡¯s skin distorted had the characteristic of distorting mana of the outside world. The performance of that bastard¡¯s skin was extraordinary. It was likely that it was now rendering the entire Elt Indmunicationwork practically severed.
In the end, Ian wiped away his cold sweat and steeled his resolve with a determined expression.
¡®No! Wait!¡¯
My desperate plea couldn¡¯t reach Ian.
He fearlessly plunged into the sinkhole, behaving like a damn protagonist!
¡°This is insane!¡±
I screamed, running forward with all my might.
Surely, Elphelt¡¯s minions would be lurking within the giant¡¯s body. There was no way Ian could survive!
¡°Hey! Answer me! What the hell is going on?!!¡±
Will you just shut the hell up?
After about ten minutes, Lisetta and I finally reached the enormous sinkhole.
The red mouth of the hole caught my eye. This was the underground giant¡¯s maw. Soon, the giant would close its mouth.
¡®Ugh!¡¯
Ten minutes. I was ten minuteste. I need to catch up to Ian quickly! I didn¡¯t even have time to put on the camouge disguise I bought at the unmanned shop. It was a garment that couldpletely conceal my identity whenbined with the camouge cloak.
Lisetta was gasping for air beside me. It seemed she was struggling to keep up with my pace.
¡°Ha, you asshole¡ you¡¯re damn fast¡¡±
I ignored Lisetta¡¯sment and jumped straight into the giant¡¯s mouth.
Ssshhh©¤
My body began to slide downward along what appeared to be a tongue, continuing through the passage that was most likely the throat.
The slimy touch was extremely unpleasant. If I had to give aparison, it felt like going down a waterslide that could break me down into simple sugars.
Thanks to the poncho raincoat-like camouge cloak, my backside didn¡¯te into contact with the giant¡¯s filthy saliva.
As I continued to descend down the throat, surrendering my body to gravity, the slope gradually became more gentle. It was because the giant was lying in a tortoise-like position with its head protruding upward.
Finally, I passed through the throat.
¡°Ugh.¡±
Inded lightly, my feet touching the t, reddish surface. It felt unpleasant, sinking into the ground as if it were a mat, despite the fact that I was wearing shoes.
The red walls of the giant¡¯s interior shimmered as red mana floated into the air, glowing like fireflies.
The colors were beautiful. Even the different forms of mana were sparkling like jewels mixed with golden threads.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the inside of the underground giant had a perfect blend of beauty and grotesqueness. The vivid realism brought out its eerie beauty even more distinctly.
By the way, the underground giant had no disguise. So, what was the true identity of this giant?
To use an analogy, imagine the underground giant as a colossal robot, and Elphelt as its pilot. The twist here was that this giant was actually Elphelt¡¯s own body, and that bastard was the core of this giant.
From my perspective, every inch of it fulfilled the conditions to trigger [Hunter]. However, if I went on to cause a rampage within it, a protective barrier would be cast over Elphelt. It was a defense mechanism of sorts.
With each additionalyer of the barrier, the giant¡¯s defensive power would increase dramatically.
In other words, using the wide-range attack [Frostfire] or indiscriminately casting magic in all directions would be nothing short of hastening a bad ending.
¡®Anyways, I made it inside¡!¡¯
Though it was dyed, I seeded in entering the giant¡¯s body!
Now, I had to chase after Ian quickly!
And just as I was about to move my feet with those thoughts in mind¡
¡°Yuck!!! It¡¯s dirty-!!¡±
A grumbling voice began to resonate from the back of the giant¡¯s neck and slide down its throat.
Kwoong!!
¡°Uwah!¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
Lisetta¡¯s body suddenly slid out, and like a bowling ball hitting the pins, it forcefully collided with my body.
I instinctively clung to Lisetta for a moment as a sense of pain and dizziness washed over me. We both rolled and writhed on the squishy, reddish surface, groaning in difort.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
¡°Ah!¡±
For a moment, I genuinely thought my back had snapped.
Argh, it hurts so much¡
¡°Where are we?!¡±
Lisetta jerked her head up towards the red ceiling in terror before quickly straightening her upper body.
¡°Heh, unbelievable¡¡±
In the end, that girl chased after me¡
I let out an irritated sigh and stood up, starting to run inside the space.
¡°You asshole, where do you think you¡¯re going?!!¡±
Lisetta chased after me, shouting threateningly. I had expected as much.
As I ran, a vast space greeted me. Arge amount of of red mana grains floated around the interior of the giant¡¯s body.
Red flesh stretched like chewing gum, connecting the ceiling to the floor. There was a path that branched out into different directions.
Where are you, Ian?
I activated [irvoyance] and quickly scanned the area.
¡®Found you!¡¯
Oh, Jesus Christ!
Surprisingly, Ian was holding his own! He was narrowly defeating Elphelt¡¯s minions using their weakness, the light elemental sword!
¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯
You¡¯re growing as well, Ian!
I breathed a deep sigh of relief¡
¡®No, ugh¡!¡¯
Eventually.
Ian, caught off guard, sumbed to the magic of Elphelt¡¯s minion and fell unconscious, blood pouring from his head.
Damn it¡!
¡°Hey!!¡±
Lisetta was chasing after me as expected. Still, it was a relief that she didn¡¯t use magic to stop me.
I read her thoughts with [Psychological Insight], I instinctively realized that she knew about the situation and was acting ordingly. She wasn¡¯t brainless.
Lisetta and I quickly reached the space where Ian was. Ian was slumped unconscious against the wall made of the giant¡¯s flesh.
¡®It¡¯s not toote!¡¯
Phew, you idiot protagonist. I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe¡ I thought my heart would stop!
[Boooong, boong©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?]
In front of Ian, a bizarre-looking demon was humming and stomping its feet with a strange rhythm.
It was a slender, elongated pink elephant that stood on two legs. It seemed to be about three meters tall. Its head, made of pink skin, scattered red mana powder intermittently. Its mouth was torn to extend to its ear with a clown-like smile.
[Buoh?]
The elephant demon turned its head towards me and Lisetta. Its eyes, pitch-ck andrge enough to resemble aliens, sent chills down my spine.
[Fall] Lv: 90
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire, Blood
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to dance with your guts.]
Elphelt¡¯s minion, Fall.
Inside of the underground giant¡¯s body were these elephant demons spread out here and there.
The creature danced, wriggling its body. Its thick feet, contrasting with its slender body, wiggled like worms.
[Dance, buo-o-ok©¤©¤©¤?]
The bastard asked with a dull voice. It was a proposal to dance together to a single song.
By the way, it wasn¡¯t a proposal directed at me. The creature was referring to my guts.
It would rip out my internal organs, cover its entire body with them, and then dance.
¡°What the¡¡±
At the sight of that grotesque figure, Lisetta shook her head in confusion. Her mind couldn¡¯t keep up with the iprehensible situation.
Zzingg- With a buzzing sound, a crimson magic circle conjured in the air, aimed at us. Fall¡¯s magic had set its sights on us.
In an instant, the magic that flowed from it caressed my skin and passed by.
¡°¡Hey, move aside. That¡¯s not an elephant you can handle.¡±
Lisetta must have realized the danger posed by Fall. She tightly gripped the studded rod-shaped magic weapon, Rock Bat, in both hands.
When she tried to step forward in front of me, I extended my arm to block her.
¡°What are you¡?¡±
I have to kill Elphelt quickly, save Kaya, and get the hell out of here.
Lisetta would only get in the way.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
My body became as light as a feather. I could feel the surge of mana that would allow me to castrge-scale spell at a moment¡¯s notice.
First, I had to save Ian and get the situation under control. I could deal with the aftermath of revealing my identity to Lisettater.
I reached out my right arm towards Fall and conjured a pale blue magic circle in the air. It was the magic circle for [Ice Spear].
I formed a moderately sized [Ice Spear]. However, it contained an extremely dense and potent concentration of mana. The dense, pale blue mana swirled around the center of the [Ice Spear].
My aim was precise.
Just as Fall raised its elongated trunk to cast its spell¡
I unleashed the [Ice Spear].
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Pshhhhh©¤©¤©¤!!
Hwaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
[Buooooooh©¤©¤©¤!!!]
It happened in an instant.
The [Ice Spear] cut through the air like a bullet, piercing Fall in the blink of an eye.
The spot where the [Ice Spear] passed was engraved in the air as its traces of coldness took the form of mes. The wind pressure followed and spread out in the aftermath.
Fall¡¯s upper body was hollowed out, as if a cannonball had sted through it rather than a spear.
Just like that, it was over.
And Fall¡. helplessly fell to the ground, a thud echoing through the space.
[On the shell¡ dancing¡?]
Soon, Fall¡¯s figure uttered a faint voice before turning to ash and disappearing.
The [Hunter] trait was released and my body felt heavy again. The concentration of my mana drastically decreased.
It was strange, but I still couldn¡¯t get used to it whenever the [Hunter] trait was released¡
¡°You¡ Your mana just now¡ What happened¡?¡±
Lisetta¡¯s voice trembled with astonishment.
I turned my gaze towards Lisetta. She stared at me with an expression of disbelief, clearly confused.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Can feel your mana and is confused by it.]
It was the expected reaction. I had grown tired of it.
Once we entered the giant¡¯s body, we couldn¡¯t escape until I defeated Elphelt. This ce was not a safe haven by any means, as I didn¡¯t know where and how enemies ranging from level 85 to 100 would emerge.
Even if Lisetta was level 98, she was still in danger of dying if she kept fighting simrly leveled enemies.
In other words, she was safest by my side.
¡°Lisetta.¡±
¡°Huh, what¡?!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t get away from me. Unless you want to die.¡±
The curious look on Lisetta¡¯s face was gone. She remained tense, showing only a guarded expression.
She isn¡¯t replying. People can be so indecisive.
¡°Eden.¡±
I summoned my small golem familiar, Eden.
¡°Lift him up. We¡¯re moving.¡±
Eden raised his right arm and responded with a booming sound, then began to increase in size.
Boulders formed from thin air and clung to his body. Then, Eden transformed into a two-meter-tall golem and began to emit a masculine voice.
[Kyu, kyu©¤!]
Eden lifted the unconscious Ian in a princess carry.
I started to move along with him.
¡°Hey¡ Wait! Exin yourself!! Who the hell are you?!¡±
Lisetta followed after me.
She persistently questioned me for a while, but I remained silent. I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say in response after all.
Chapter 68: - The Underground Giant (2)
? The Underground Giant (2) ?
Before we knew it, we arrived at a vast square formed from the giant¡¯s bones. This was the ce to form your party and gain EXP before confronting Elphelt the Evanescent.
Lisetta furrowed her brows at the sight before her.
Energetic elephants, adorned in vibrant shades of pink or red, danced and swayed joyfully. These were demons, their ears torn and their faces twisted into eerie grins, humming tunes through their trunks.
A drumming elephant, slender and rhythmic, pounded drums made of flesh with their elongated noses and created beats.
A guitarist elephant yed magical bone-made instruments with quick, tapping rhythms.
A singer elephant performed in an unknownnguage, melodically weaving strange songs.
A chorus of elephants, arranged in a line, harmonized and sang together.
It was full of dissonance.
The elephant demons were utterly delighted by their peculiar music that they were dancing in circles when¡
[Buoooo©¤©¤©¤?]
¡The elephant demons, the Fall, noticed our approach and halted their dance. Their big, round, ck eyes turned toward us in unison.
?¡
The music ceased, leaving nothing but silence.
[Dance, buooh?]
The leading elephant stepped forward and made a proposition to me.
After a brief pause, the rest of the elephants erupted withughter, their torn mouths splitting wide open.
[Bukyakyakyakyakyakyak!! Bukyakyakyakak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
[Buoooh©¤©¤©¤©¤! Baaaastarddd, Bakyayayayakak©¤©¤!]
[Bukyakyakyakya©¤©¤! Buhak! Bukyakyakyakyakyakyakya©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
[Boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!]
The elephants held their bellies while they rolled on the floor,ughing hysterically. With their thick feet, they merrily apuded, revealing toothless, ck mouths as they chuckled andughed.
Perhaps I can make use of Eden here.
¡°Eden, put Ian down.¡±
I gave amand to Eden, and he responded with a ¡°Kyuu¡± and gently ced Ian, whom he had been carrying, on the ground.
This was the Music Square. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was safe to run wild in this ce. The bones forming the ground softened the impacts transmitted to the giant¡¯s body.
[¡Kyuu?!]
As soon as [Hunter] was activated, dense rock mana flowed towards Eden.
Eden was stunned.
His body began to growrger andrger. One after another, t boulders were created from thin air andyered themselves on his body.
His piercing eyes glowed as he transformed into a solid 4-meter-tall golem. It was his transformation into his humanoid form.
[Eden] Lv: (130)
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Amazed at his overflowing power.]
¡°Take them down.¡±
[Kyuuuaaahh©¤©¤©¤!]
With a roar, Eden leaped forward in a straight line at incredible speed, creating a gust of wind in his wake. His massive rock fist mmed into one of the Fall.
Pow©¤©¤!
An explosion-like sound resonated as one of the elephant¡¯s body violently traversed the air. It only came to a halt when it collided with an enormous bone fragment.
It fell to the ground, lifeless.
The startled Fall hastily deployed their blood magic circle, unleashing a barrage of blood-red magic spells.
However, it couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on Eden¡¯s rock-hard body.
[Kyuuoooooh©¤©¤©¤!]
Eden soared upwards, and arge number of yellowish rocks appeared out of thin air, clinging to his fists as if they were mas.
He smashed the ground with his colossal fists.
Kwaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤!!!
The bones that made up the ground shattered, and the Fall were all crushed without exception.
It was an extermination ¨C a disy of overwhelming power.
¡®Hmmm.¡¯
My heart swelled with awe as I realized it was the little golem Eden I knew.
¡°Argh¡ Kaya¡ I must save Kaya¡¡±
Just then, Ian, who had been lying on the ground, regained consciousness. He groaned and held his head as he slowly raised his upper body.
I quickly lifted the camouge disguise over my shoulders to cover my head.
Whooooosh- Pow©¤!
¡°Ugh!¡±
At that moment, a blunt piece of bone flew in a parabolic arc and struck Ian directly in the head. It was due to Eden¡¯s attack that the ground shattered into pieces.
Ian let out a pained scream, then copsed backward onto his back, unconscious once again. Fresh blood trickled from where the bone fragment had struck.
It was a ridiculous situation¡ At least I didn¡¯t need to cover my head with the disguise now.
[Bugyak¡.]
The Fall hoard were crushed beyond recognition, letting out a distinctive groan as they turned to ashen dust and vanished.
Silence settled in.
Edennded on the ground with a thud. The rocks that had covered his body instantly dissipated into a light brown powder. His body shrank to 2 meters, the size it was before the battle.
[Kyuu, Kyuu©¤!]
[Eden] Psychology: [Surprised by the fact that he was momentarily stronger.]
So, level 130 was his limit for now.
If he continues to level up and gradually bes stronger, one day he¡¯ll be as good as a high-level familiar.
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 69!] [You have gained 2 stat points!]
I leveled up. Yesss.
¡°Come on, Eden. Pick up Ian again.¡±
[Kyuu!]
I called out again, and Eden rushed over and lifted Ian back into a princess carry, followed by Lisetta and me.
¡°¡¡±
Come to think of it, when did Lisetta be so quiet?
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Feels inferior, doubtful, and fearful in your presence.]
¡Well, the reason was obvious. I decided to ignore her for now.
As we passed through the wide doorway-like passage, an overly spacious dome-shaped room emerged and overwhelmed us.
We had reached the bulging abdomen of the Underground Giant.
¡°Where are we¡!?¡±
A startled Lisetta gasped in shock, but I quickly mped my hand over her mouth.
¡°Quiet.¡±
¡°¡¡±
She nodded, and I lowered my hand. We continued to move forward.
The mana, scattering bright crimson light, served as illumination.
The walls bubbled with blood, and the malformed ceiling emitted a crimson glow around the ribs¡¯ gloomy hue.
Below, darkness took hold beyond the cliff.
A line of flesh-like legs led straight to the center of the room. At the end, the torso of a giant red elephant, its head resembling a brain, stood tall.
It was the main body of Elphelt the Evanescent.
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
For some reason, the creature hung limply, its head bowed and lifeless. Just like a corpse. Shouldn¡¯t it have been doing a bizarre dance and greeting us with vigor by now?
¡And then, it happened.
Crack©¤
In the middle of the giant elephant¡¯s head, someone raised their upper body, revealing their figure.
Her long, flowing hair and white school shirt were drenched in the elephant¡¯s blood, staining them a deep scarlet. Crimson blood flowed down her fair skin. After a moment of hesitation, she swallowed and wiped the blood from her lips.
Her usual emerald eyes turned into a chilling, lifeless red, and gazed upon us. They were vacant eyes devoid of the faintest glimmer of life.
Then, as soon as she caught sight of us, her cheeks flushed, a mysterious smile creeping onto her lips.
¡°Isn¡¯t that¡ the second seat¡?¡±
Lisetta¡¯s voice was filled with rm.
Above the head of the gigantic elephant demon, a light green-haired female student peered down upon us. She was Kaya Astrean, the boss who had awakened as both a blood wizard and a demon.
[Kaya the Ravenous] Lv: (160)
Race: (Demon)
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt, Blood
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [Hopes you can stop her insatiable desire for ughter.]
¡®Why is Kaya showing up already¡?¡¯
Even more surprising was that she was ten levels higher than the original scenario.
For a brief moment, I was taken aback, but I quickly regainedposure and quickly came to a decision.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, The Underground Giant¡¹, Kaya the Ravenous was a hidden boss who appeared right after the yer defeated Elphelt.
She emerged from within a whirlpool of crimson blood, formed by piercing through a membrane of crimson mana as an iplete blood wizard awakening.
Now, Elphelt had forsaken its own elephant body and all of its functions, including intelligence, and had be a parasite with Kaya as its host. All that remained were instincts akin to bloodlust.
However, the current scenario¡¯s Kaya seemed to have sessfully awakened early. That was why Elphelt must have transformed into a parasite and already attached himself onto Kaya.
Though not visible here, there used to be a red earring-like object dangling from Kaya¡¯s right earlobe. It was Elphelt who had transferred itself to her.
Kaya would be unable to suppress her murderous intentions towards humans in her presence. She had no choice but to submit to Elphelt¡¯s will.
I¡¯m sure that her current smile was born from Elphelt¡¯s delight at finally being able to devour humans.
¡®She¡¯s still a long ways away from bing a full-fledged demon¡¡¯
If I were to be defeated by Kaya the Ravenous, I would face the bad ending¡¸Gluttony ¡¹. ording to that scenario, it would take Kaya half a day to transform into a full-fledged demon. There was still time to reverse the situation.
Kaya was most likely ten levels higher than in the original scenario because she had awakened as aplete blood wizard.
By the way, using blood mana had its own side effects. Although harmless to the body, Kaya would have to live with those side effects once this part was over. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, these side effects served as a part of Kaya¡¯s charm.
By the way, why did Kaya awaken as a blood mage so quickly?
¡®¡Perhaps it¡¯s the fact that she resonated with nt mana earlier than expected.¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Elphelt was aware that nt mana harmonized well with blood mana. That was why he had tried to control Kaya.
Kaya couldn¡¯t use nt magic at the time, so her awakening as a blood wizard was iplete. In contrast, the current Kaya was fully attuned to nt mana and could even use nt magic.
There was no doubt that the nt mana had instantly fused with the blood mana. It was something I hadn¡¯t anticipated.
However, that wouldn¡¯t stop me from saving Kaya. After all, the fact that I was stronger remained unchanged.
If I inflicted a fatal blow on Kaya, Elphelt would protect her for his own survival and attempt to flee while in a weakened state. In that moment of weakness, I would seize the opportunity to kill him. Kaya would then revert back to her human form.
[¡]
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹ + ¡¸Flower of Evil (Blood Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
= ¡¸Carnage (Wind + Blood)¡¹
Whoosh©¤!
A gust of reddish-green wind blew Kaya the Ravenous away from Elphelt¡¯s grasp. The fierce wind swept the blood off her body like an airpressor, but it couldn¡¯t clean the already crimson-drenched uniform.
Through the gale that dominated the space, Kaya gazed down upon me.
I could see the crimson floral tattoo that ran down from her right cheek to her neck. It was the [Flower of Evil] that appeared whenever she activated her blood mana.
Her lips twisted into an enigmatic expression¡ªseemingly smiling and crying at the same time¡ªmaking it impossible to discern her emotions.
However, the icy red glint in her eyes were directed squarely at me.
¡¸Ice Barrier (Ice Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
I cast an [Ice Barrier] on Lisetta, Ian, and Eden to neutralize my ice magic.
¡°Are you going to fight?¡±
I nodded at Lisetta¡¯s question.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [The level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [The skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
As I steeled myself to confront Kaya the Ravenous, my unique trait [Hunter] activated.
Once again, I channeled rock mana to Eden and issued amand.
¡°Eden, watch over Lisetta and Ian.¡±
[Kyuu!]
Eden nodded, as if to assure me he would safeguard them. He would shield them from the aftermath of the fight between me and Kaya.
Kaya the Ravenous constantly enveloped herself with an abundance of mana, enabling her to soar through the air like a breeze. I recalled the inconvenience Ian faced at his inability to fly in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as he had to spend arge amount of mana to keep wind around him at all times.
I, on the other hand, was capable of aerialbat.
Besides, if I stayed with Lisetta and Ian on this narrow bridge, we would all be her targets.
I bent both knees and leaped toward the ceiling like a spring.
Whoosh©¤!
Breaking through the reddish-green wind, I reached a height that even skyscrapers could barely reach.
¡°Are you even human?!¡±
Lisetta eximed, but I simply ignored her.
¡°Come forth, Hilde.¡±
I held my left arm out in front of me and activated my 8-star familiar summoning circle.
A pale blue summoning circle appeared on my left wrist. In response, condensed white jade mana gathered in the air, transforming into the colossal form of a white dragon.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤!]
[Frost Dragon Hilde] Lv: 180
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Delighted to fight alongside you.]
The 8-star magic beast, Frost Dragon Hilde roared.
I jumped onto the back of that white dragon.
Chapter 69: - The Underground Giant (3)
? The Underground Giant (3) ?
¡°Why did I do that, seriously¡¡±
Located in the Duchy of Astrean.
The vast expanse of shrubbery in the Astrean Manor boasted an eye-catching panoramic view that seemed toe straight from a watercolor painting. This was thanks to the subtle flow of mana from the Emerald Fairy, Sylphia.
The wide paved path stretched ahead without obstruction, which was one reason why the Duchy of Astrean was referred to as the center ofmerce.
It was summer vacation, and Kaya Astrean had returned to the Astrean Manor.
Unlike when she left for the M?rchen Academy in high spirits, upon returning to the mansion, she showed a devastated appearance which startled the household staff.
The reason was that she had contemted her mistake during the carriage ride.
For a while, Kaya had no appetite and would hardly touch her meals. Her walking was sluggish, and she would bury her face in the pillow on her bed at night, sighing deeply.
She couldn¡¯t help it. She felt like she was going crazy.
During the vacation ceremony, she couldn¡¯t control her soaring emotions and impulsively kissed Isaac on the cheek.
He must have felt burdened by that, right? Of course, he must have. There¡¯s no doubt about it.
How many times had she repeated the phrase, ¡°Why did I do that?¡± since that day? She had been drowning in the swamp of regret for days now.
She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to talk about it.
If word got out in the manor that Kaya was in love with someone, her father, Gerald Astrean, would definitely be furious.
He was an upright and conservative man. He had strictly forbidden Kaya to have romantic feelings, let alone a rtionship until she graduated from the academy and met someone befitting of her ducal title.
The only friend she could confide in, Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, had somehow managed to disappear within the forest.
¡Kaya was going crazy.
Night. Time to sleep.
In the dark room, Kaya was tossing and turning in bed.
¡°Why did I¡ why did I do that. Ugh.¡±
Kaya sobbed, clutching her Armana Wand, the magic weapon Isaac had given her during the end-of-semester evaluation.
For several days, she had repeated this pattern before falling asleep.
¡°¡¡±
Of course, the regretful memory of the vacation ceremony wasn¡¯t the only one that lingered.
Moonlight was streaming through the window. Kaya turned her head to gaze outside.
A bright, crescent moon.
A simr crescent moon hung in the sky on the day they went to Tantak Underground Cave on M?rchen Academy grounds. It had been so memorable to Kaya that she could even remember the shape of the moon.
It was the day she went camping with Isaac. She remembered that day vividly, her heart pounded so that she felt like it might burst with tension, and even now, that memory was fresh in her mind.
He had wrapped his nket over her, and told her she was beautiful.
The smooth feel of the wand in her hand brought back memories of her end-of-semester evaluation.
He was adamant that I was someone he approved of. He has no idea how happy I am every time I think about those words.
¡°¡I miss you, Sir Isaac.¡±
She felt it all over again.
Before she knew it, Isaac¡¯s presence had seeped into Kaya¡¯s life like moonlight.
* * *
[Master, could it be that this child¡ is the Kaya you have telling me about?]
¡°Don¡¯t mind her.¡±
When asked by Frost Dragon Hilde, I replied normally as I threw off the bothersome cloak of camouge. No matter how twisted the scenario became, the only way to save Kaya was to defeat her.
Elphelt, who had be a parasite in the form of an earring, shared his blood with Kaya. In that parasitic state, he had the highest level of elemental resistance.
Just as a giant¡¯s outer shell distorted external mana, Elphelt had the power to neutralize at least one spell.
So, if I could inflict fatal damage on both Kaya and Elphelt at the same time, Elphelt would unconditionally endure my attack and exert all its strength to restore its host, Kaya.
There was no other suitable host after all, and as expected, someone sharing blood with a corpse would just end up dying.
Then, he would have ten minutes where he would be weakened and vulnerable to my attacks. Of course, I had no intention of allowing him to escape during that time.
With the giant red elephant as its center of gravity, Hilde flew in circles inside the giant¡¯s overly wide body.
In the center, Kaya Astrean, floating in midair on a reddish-green wind, stretched out her arms toward me.
With an expression of longing on her face, she seemed to find me appetizing. Although my muscles were quite developed and made me appear quite appealing, I had no intention of being eaten.
Next, a multitude of magic circles materialized in the air. The colors green and crimson blended together to form eight of them.
Behind her, grotesque chunks of flesh sprouted like tentacles, intertwining and forming shapes resembling crimson tree trunks. Leavesposed of human appendages densely bloomed all around.
The result was the emergence of a grotesque tree that radiated a brilliant crimson glow.
¡¸Tree of Radiance (nt Element, ¡ï7)¡¹ + ¡¸Flower of Evil (Blood Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
= ¡¸Tree of Blood (nt + Blood)¡¹
I remember being intrigued by that spell, created bybining the nt and blood elements, in the guidebook. I wondered if it was going to be released in the future as a DLC since it didn¡¯t appear in the game.
This tree provided swift and dramatic recovery by offering blood and flesh to allies. It was a higher-level version of [Tree of Radiance]. It was explicitly stated to be an unbnced skill.
It was even said that if Kaya had summoned this tree in ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, The Underground Giant¡¹, there was no way to defeat her.
The only strategy was to render the tree unusable with a single attack.
[Buooooooooh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
[Bururuk, Bururuk, Bururuk©¤©¤!]
[Bbbuuuuiiiiiiiiik©¤©¤!!!]
[Bugyagyagyagyagyagyagyak©¤©¤!!!!]
[Ppugyaaak©¤©¤!!!!]
The wall made of the giant¡¯s flesh began to spew out winged, crimson elephant demons. Each one was nothing less than a member of Elphelt¡¯s body.
They swarmed like an army of ants, each holding a spear of bones in their hands.
With eerie cries, they flew towards me.
Hilde stopped gliding through the air and pped her wings, gazing at Kaya. The white dragon¡¯s massive wings shimmered and scattered pure white cold mana as they swept through the air.
¡®Frostscythe.¡¯
I extended my right arm to the side and instinctually summoned the Frostscythe. Pale blue mana gathered in the air and took the form of a chilling, dark blue scythe. The Frostscythe heeded my call.
As I grasped it, additional ice mana flowed into me as if I had opened an energy tank.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: (169)
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman Who Has Adapted to Student Life
Mana: (155000) / (119000) + (250000)
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (S)
Every time Hilde cast a spell, it took a nasty chunk of mana out of my summon upkeep.
It wouldn¡¯t hinder me as much, though, as arge amount of bonus mana that Frostscythe provided would be consumed first.
¡°ughter them.¡±
Imanded, pointing the Frostscythe¡¯s head at Kaya.
Above my head, a magnificent pale blue arc of magic traced a path. It was Hilde¡¯s magic circle.
Hilde¡¯s mana glowed with brilliance, spreading out as an all-epassing force.
Soon, the magic circles set up by Kaya responded, and they all released their magic at once, aiming at Hilde.
¡¸Song of the Mountain Goat (Wind Element, ¡ï7)¡¹+ ¡¸Blood Siphon (Blood Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Baphoment¡¯s Hymn (Wind + Blood)¡¹
A reddish-green typhoon surged with the sharpness of a thousand des.
Without distinction, the entire army of crimson elephant demons were ruthlessly shredded by the des of wind.
One of Kaya¡¯s official patterns, [Baphomet¡¯s Hymn].
This wind spell gradually increased in power as it absorbed the blood of in creatures.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!]
In defiance, Hilde unleashed a spell with a fierce roar.
¡¸Hell of the Crimson Lotus (Ice Element, ¡ï8)¡¹
In an instant, shimmering silver lines appeared in the air.
Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
With a thunderous noise, the lines transformed into a massive beam of light, pouring out extreme coldness.
[Hell of the Crimson Lotus] devoured [Baphomet¡¯s Hymn] and annihted the elephant-like demon horde that had approached me.
The world was bathed in a pristine white, and the surroundings were covered in a white frost.
For a moment, even time itself felt frozen.
I remained calm, quietly blinking my eyes.
A frozen army of elephant demons came into view. Hilde¡¯s cold beam hadn¡¯t directly hit them.
This isn¡¯t a stroke of luck.
Crackle©¤©¤
Crackle©¤©¤©¤
Hilde¡¯s cold beams burrowed into the bodies of the elephant demons and went on a rampage.
Soon, like a flower bud bursting into a full bloom, their flesh began to tear in all directions.
Whoooooosh©¤©¤©¤
An eerie crimsonndscape amidst the white world.
[Hell of the Crimson Lotus]. One of the eight great cold hells, and a spell that freezes and bursts one¡¯s entire body with intense cold, transforming it into something akin to a crimson lotus flower.
True to its name, everything that came at me had transformed into falling crimson lotuses, plunging into the darkness beyond the cliff.
After defending Kaya with all its might, the [Tree of Blood] grew into a humming mass of flesh. Its trunk splintered into many branches as Hilde¡¯s cold beams churned within it, turning it into crimson dust before vanishing.
It was a futile end.
¡°What the¡¡±
Lisetta, protected by my [Ice Barrier], eximed in a shaky voice.
The surroundingndscape regained its warmth as the giant¡¯s blood flowed, turning red again.
[¡]
Kaya¡¯s face hardened. She began to fly away sideways.
One after another, masses of crimson venus flytraps bloomed on the wall made of the giant¡¯s flesh. The hellish carnivorous nts had mouths with rows of neatly aligned white teeth.
¡¸Parasitic Ensnarement (nt Element, ¡ï5)¡¹ + ¡¸Vampirism (Blood Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
= ¡¸Field of ughter (nt + Blood)¡¹
[Keekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekee©¤©¤!!!]
[Keekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekee©¤©¤!!!]
[Keekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekee©¤©¤!!!]
[Keekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekee©¤©¤!!!]
[Keekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekeekee©¤©¤!!!]
Young, eerieughter echoed from the carnivorous flower horde, [Field of ughter]. It was a spell that would drain me of my blood.
I felt a sensation inside my body as if the flow of blood was being twisted. If I stayed still, the blood coursing through my body would pierce my skin, float through the air, and fall prey to the [Field of ughter].
With that many, not a drop of my blood would remain.
That wasn¡¯t the end of it. A huge, grotesque flower bloomed, filling the entire wall. Its petals, like those of a clockwork flower, pulsed with a brilliantly colored bloodstream.
In the center of the flower, a round mouth gaped open, revealing a multitude of sharp thorns akin to a snail¡¯s mouth. It was like a passage that led to another dimension.
The giant flower with a gaping mouth. It was the [Apocalypse].
¡¸Hell Flower (nt Element, ¡ï8)¡¹ + ¡¸Flower of Evil (Blood Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
= ¡¸Apocalypse (nt + Blood)¡¹
[Apocalypse]. The setting stated that no living thing could survive where this flower bloomed, and the area around it would inevitably perish.
Kaya, hovering in the air with her back to the [Apocalypse], red at me.
She seemed to have decided to go all out after being attacked by Hilde.
¡°Hilde, charge.¡±
[Understood].
Hilde began to fly towards Kaya.
¡¸Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty (Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
A brilliant pale blue light emitted from my body. It was [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty]. a spell that repelled all iing attacks.
The [Field of ughter] stopped itsughter, and each one gushed out copious amounts of blood from their mouths, withering away.
Then, the radiance that had been emanating from me faded.
The horde from the [Field of ughter] that had withered helplessly bowed their heads in silence.
Soon, [Apocalypse] unleashed a magic circle where luminous iridescence and vivid crimson colors harmoniously intertwined, aiming at me. Its size was impossible to gauge at a nce.
¡°Kaya, please endure it.¡±
As I flew through the air, I leaped upward, kicking off Hilde¡¯s back. I did this to get a good swing of the Frostscythe.
The pping hem of my uniform fluttered as I firmly gripped the Frostscyth with both hands.
A pale blue, me-like mana, intensely surged around the Frostscythe. As I swung it horizontally, shimmering pale blue lines appeared along the path of the Frostscythe, cutting through Kaya¡¯s abdomen and the form of [Apocalypse]. The lines then expanded rapidly, devouring everything the scythe touched.
¡¸Absolute Zero (Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Chaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Frostscythe¡¯s unique active skill, [Absolute Zero].
It was a spell that indiscriminately cut and froze through everything in its path without regard for spatial limitations.
[Apocalypse] and the giant¡¯s wall of flesh were frozen and split in half due to the chilling beam that had prated deeply through them. Even the spot where the Frostscythe had sliced was frozen solid.
Suddenly, vividly colored blood spurted from Kaya¡¯s earlobe and enveloped her entire body.
The blood that had restored Kaya from the brink of death clumped into a single mass, taking the form of a small elephant.
It kicked off Kaya¡¯s body and leaped against the wall to escape. I opened the status window to identify the small elephant.
[Elphelt the Evanescent] Lv: 145
Race: Demon
Elements: Darkness, Fire, Blood
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to live.]
Yeah, no.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I quickly conjured a huge iceberg in mid-air to sustain my leap. With a burst of speed, I dashed through the air like a bullet towards the fleeing Elphelt.
Kwaaang©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The pressure built as I thrust the iceberg, recreating the sound of cannon fire.
The Frostscythe turned into pale blue dust. I had put it there intentionally. Instead, my hands were now filled with a dense mass of ice mana.
[Ppukeuh?!]
As I approached the Elphelt the Evanescent floating in the air, I detonated the concentrated mana in my hands.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
The ice exploded, engulfing Elphelt in a flood of ice. Weakened by defending Kaya for his own survival, his body was shredded to pieces by the force of an instantaneous explosion. He was trapped inside a massive iceberg that had formed in a matter of seconds.
Kaya lost consciousness and began to fall. Hilde swooped down and caught Kaya in her mouth. Hilde turned to me and started carrying me on her back.
Finally, Hilde flew to a fleshy leg and gently ced Kaya on the ground.
I also descended from her back with a perfectnding.
Kuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤©¤!
The giant ice chunknded with overwhelming force. I gently extended my hand toward the giant ice chunk.
Shlk©¤©¤
The ice melted away. The massive iceberg instantly turned into a light blue powder and disappeared.
[Ppukeuk¡!]
Elphelt, who had been pouring out blood, let out a pitiful cry before turning to ash and scattering in the wind.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Elphelt the Evanescent (Level 145)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 72!] [You¡¯ve gained 6 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?Dance on a Shell??! You have gained an additional 10 stat points!]
My body rapidly grew heavier as the [Hunter] trait was deactivated.
Rewards could be savoredter. The loot would be left with Kaya, so I could check it out afterwards.
I quickly hoisted Kaya onto my back.
[Whew, we won. I am d we fought together, Master©¤©¤]
The mana cost of maintaining the summon was extremely high, so I immediately unsummoned Hilde.
¡®Maast-¡¯
She tried saying in a confused voice, before disappearing in a blur of light blue mana.
I¡¯m sorry, Hilde, me your weak master.
With Kaya on my back, I began to run.
I urgently shouted at Lisetta, who had been staring at me in admiration up til now.
¡°Lisetta! Run!¡±
¡°Huh, what?!¡±
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡ª
The earthquake began, and Lisetta was startled.
Upon the defeat of Elphelt, the giant¡¯s body would slowly turn to ash, starting from its core. In its wake, soil, seawater, and other things that were originally there, would begin to return to the area where the giant once stood.
Touching them would instantly trigger the bad ending, [Live Burial].
In other words, we had to run full speed to the giant¡¯s mouth. It was the final mission of ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 3, The Underground Giant¡¹.
From the center, eerie crimson mana began to surge. The mana transformed into masses of sand and the ground.
The blood-colored mana gradually spread like a suffocating force.
¡®Huh, shit!¡¯
It¡¯s actually scarier in person!
¡°Run, run!¡±
I let out a yell that bordered on a scream, and ran at full speed alongside Eden, who was carrying an unconscious Ian, and Lisetta.
Chapter 70: - The Underground Giant (4)
? Underground Giant (4) ?
¡°What now?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s copsing!¡±
¡°What for?!¡±
¡°Because the main body is gone!¡±
¡°Was that elephant the main body?!¡±
I took the lead and rushed ahead. As I continuously searched for the way back with [irvoyance], despite feeling dizzy, I was able to move forward without hindrance.
If I looked back even for a moment, I could see the blood-colored mana chasing after us with the terrifying momentum of a tsunami. Touching it meant certain death.
Kaya was slumped against my back, unconscious.
Kaya¡¯s usual faint body odor was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was reced with the smell of blood and guts.
¡°But what are you running for?! Your golem could have carried you! It was so big and fast! Don¡¯t you think?!¡±
I barely resisted the urge to shout back.
I couldn¡¯t leave Kaya to Eden, who was carrying Ian while running. He had his own limits too, of course. Despite his level increasing and bing faster, he was showing signs of exhaustion from being drained of concentrated rock mana twice. If I had entrusted Kaya to him, our running speed would surely slow down.
¡°And what¡¯s with you? You¡¯re not even within human standards to begin with!!¡±
¡°Argh! Shut up! Summon your familiar or something! You¡¯re not even helpful, so whyin?!¡±
¡°Ah?!! You¡¯ve said enough¡!¡±
Lisetta red at me, seemingly realizing she had almost slipped up.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Afraid of you.]
Lisetta was a woman whose fighting spirit ignited when she was faced with strong opponents. Her fear of me seemed to stem from the overwhelming sense of powerlessness she had experienced.
¡°Damn it¡!¡±
Lisetta summoned Jeff, her rock-armored lion familiar.
[Heh! You¡¯re going to drench me in the dreadlocks of a new battle again, master!]
As soon as he was summoned, Jeff roared with a valiant voice.
However, after hearing themotion, he turned around and was so startled that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
[Eek!!! What¡¯s going on?!!]
¡°Enough with the small talk! Just carry Kaya on your back!¡±
Man, both the master and familiar are noisy.
Nevertheless, Lisetta had some sense. She could see that I intended to protect Kaya.
I had to run ahead of her. No matter how strong I was, if I ran at full speed with Kaya on my back, I was bound to slow down. Lisetta must have realized that.
I carefully moved Kaya from my back onto Jeff¡¯s. The process stopped me in my tracks for about two seconds to adjust. Fortunately, I still had some leeway since I had been running even before the giant¡¯s body started to copse.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I immediately froze Kaya in ce on Jeff¡¯s back. We picked up the pace, my body feeling much lighter now.
Lisetta admired my ability to find a path without obstacles, saying, ¡°You¡¯re a good navigator!¡± She seemed unaware of the existence of [irvoyance].
Soon, we reached the giant¡¯s throat.
¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I created a stone staircase leading up the wide opening. It didn¡¯t reach the top, but it didn¡¯t matter since Lisetta and I alternated in building a staircase.
We started running up the rock stairs.
¡°Oof!¡±
¡°Jeez, don¡¯t you have any strength in your legs? If you don¡¯t want to die, don¡¯t fall!¡±
¡°Do you think it¡¯s something I can control, you brat?!¡±
The tremors made Lisetta stumble, but I caught her wrist and pulled her up. After I let go of her wrist, I continued climbing up the throat with her.
From the base of the throat,yers of the ground were piled up, making it feel like a burial site.
Just a little further! We¡¯re almost there!
¡°Phew!¡±
Atst, we seeded in getting out and made our way into the mouth!
I then made a trail of rocks in the mouth and stepped on it.
The smell of the giant¡¯s mouth, the sticky saliva, and even the suffocating atmosphere were all repulsive. It was a thoroughly unpleasant space.
¡°The ceiling¡!¡±
The teeth formed a tightly sealed ceiling. I could make it out because the reddish-blood mana that flowed around it acted as a light.
Well, it didn¡¯t matter. We were safe here.
¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±
¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s alright?!¡±
Before we knew it, the blood-red tsunami, now forming solid ground, was almost upon us. Startled, Lisetta screamed, covering her face with her arms.
The crimson mana engulfed everything, reaching the giant¡¯s mouth before it turned into dust and disappeared.
Only a massive sinkhole remained where the giant¡¯s mouth used to be¡ªThis sinkhole was made by the giant sticking its head out of the ground to create an opening, so it remained unreced by the ground.
Suddenly, I felt a floating sensation. Underneath my feet was the center of a dark abyss.
¡°What is this?¡±
We began to fall in unison.
As far as I could remember, this sinkhole wasn¡¯t that deep. Still, falling directly into it would mean certain death.
¡°It¡¯s not that high, so quickly make some rocks!¡±
¡°What? Ah!¡±
Lisetta used [Rock Generation] to form arge boulder.
Drrrrr©¤©¤©¤!
Thending point was higher than expected. Thanks to that, we were able to smoothlynd on the boulder Lisetta created.
¡°Huff, huff¡! We almost died!¡±
Lisetta eximed as she caught her breath while sitting on the rock. I felt the same¡
We really almost died.
¡®It¡¯s over¡¡¯
I sat down like her, deeply relieved.
The male lion familiar, Jeff, chimed in with a fascinated tone, ¡®I¡¯ve never encountered a crisis like this before¡
And with that, we sat there for a while, breathing hard and collecting our emotions.
¡®Are Kaya and Ian okay?¡¯
As soon as my breathing calmed down, I turned to Jeff, the lion familiar.
I nced at Kaya on his back.
She¡¯s sleeping peacefully.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: (140)
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt, Blood
Danger: X
Psychology: [ ]
The [Flower of Evil] that had been crawling from her neck down to her cheeks had long since vanished.
I¡¯m d she¡¯s okay, but¡
¡®Temporary level 140¡¡¯
The side effect of awakening as a blood wizard.
There was a setting that the blood element created a new personality.
This meant that the personality of ¡®Kaya the Ravenous¡¯, who uses blood magic, was still present within Kaya.
The temporary level 140 disyed was probably because the status window measured the humanized Kaya the Ravenous at that level. She was 10 levels higher than the original scenario, most likely due to her fully awakening as a blood wizard.
In addition, the humanized Kaya was safe. She no longer had the murderous or demonic instincts that Elphelt the Evanescent had instilled in her.
To be clear, her entire personality hadn¡¯t changed. There was just a dramatic shift in her character but ultimately, Kaya was still Kaya.
Except that in order to wield blood magic, she had to be the personality of her ravenous form.
¡®What about Ian?¡¯
Next, I looked at Ian Fairytale, who was being held by Eden.
The blood on his forehead had dried up. He should be fully healed by now. He had the light element constitution, so his resilience was excellent.
If he woke up along the way, I nned to use [ck Ice] to conceal my appearance. That way, I could buy enough time to hide my true identity. The real question was whether Lisetta could keep her mouth shut.
[Notification from the Academy]
Just then, the voice of Professor Fernando came through from the bracelet.
It seemed that themunication magic had finally activated, now that the interference from the giant¡¯s shell was gone.
[The Hunting Evaluation has been urgently terminated. We are currently conducting rescue operations, so please remain in ce and report any unusual urrences immediately¡ Re-transmitting¡]
¡°Hey.¡±
Lisetta called out, sitting up in a pseudo-slouch as she rubbed her sore shoulder.
¡°Can I say something?¡±
¡°Since when did you need my permission to speak?¡±
Lizetta furrowed her brow with irritation, but she didn¡¯tsh out at me. She took a deep breath to calm her emotions.
It surprised me that Lisetta managed to control her temper. Perhaps that was the power of logic.
¡°I won¡¯t ask for details. If it¡¯s something that someone like you can¡¯t reveal, it must be something big. A demon must have brainwashed the second seat. It¡¯s all so strange.¡±
¡±¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re the ck monster, aren¡¯t you? You must be hiding your identity on purpose.¡±
I nodded in agreement.
¡°I have reasons. I¡¯ll reveal everything when the timees, so keep it a secret for now.¡±
¡°Then what are you going to tell the academy? It¡¯s ridiculous to brag that we¡¯ve defeated a demon of this magnitude all on our own. They¡¯re probably tracking our location in real-time, and the second seat is covered in blood, so they¡¯re bound to realize that we¡¯ve been involved with a demon.¡±
¡°What else can we do? We¡¯ll just say the ck monster appeared.¡±
¡±¡¡±
With a determined expression, Lisetta her eyes and then, grasping onto a rock, stood up from her spot.
Soon, she opened her eyes again.
¡°For now, let¡¯s organize our thoughts and actions. I know which side you¡¯re on.¡±
Her demeanor had changed.
¡°But tell me one thing. Why are demons appearing so frequently? Is there some hidden secret within this academy?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t tell you that either.¡±
It was a fact that I had kept to myself, fearing theplications it might bring.
Especially when it came to Kaya, with whom I felt a sense of camaraderie with. I didn¡¯t want to burden her with this knowledge, much less Lisetta.
¡°¡Do you always bear this weight on your own? Ha, how amusing. Even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be able to help, fool. Even such an absurdly strong bastard like you has been struggling. So, what could I do?¡±
Sheughed softly before sighing.
I didn¡¯t have anything to say, so I didn¡¯t bother answering.
¡°People like you¡ I wish I hadn¡¯t known. It would have been better.¡±
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Feels a strong sense of inferiority towards you.]
It was a clich¨¦ for someone who thought of themselves as a genius to be frustrated in the face of a true genius.
I wasn¡¯t a genius, so I couldn¡¯t fully understand, but right now, Lisetta might be feeling something simr.
¡®I don¡¯t care.¡¯
Of course, her feelings are none of my business.
¡°Let¡¯s go back, now,¡± I said, rising to my feet.
If I used elemental magic to create stairs anddders leading from here to the sinkhole above, we would easily escape to the outside.
Lisetta, along with Eden and Jeff carrying Ian and Kaya respectively, followed me wordlessly.
***
The situation outside the sinkhole was quite dire. The earthquake had caused the cave to copse, blocking the path.
The effects of the giant¡¯s outer shell must have left the wizards powerless.
The Imperial Knights would have had a hard time clearing away the rubble. They hadn¡¯t yet dispatched anyone who could easily clear such rocks.
However, now that the giant had vanished, everyone would be able to easily use magic to deal with things such as rocks and debris.
Lisetta and I made our way towards the exit while we cleared debris with elemental magic.
We were safely rescued by an exam proctor who was rushing over from the other side.
The academy¡¯s staff was fully engaged in rescue operations, using wind magic and makeshift carriages to transport the students. We boarded a makeshift carriage and headed towards the dock.
The students gathered at the dock were speechless as they saw Lisetta, Ian, Kaya, and me. The awkward silence hung in the air for a moment.
¡°Isaac¡!¡±
Suddenly, a female student with long, rose-golden hair rushed toward me. Herplexion was as pale as a corpse, and she looked utterly terrified.
It was Luce Eltania.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Deeply relieved that you are safe.]
Luce stopped in front of me and Lisetta, and immediately turned her head. It seemed as though she was assessing the surrounding situation, other than only me.
There was Ian, unconscious with blood flowing from his head.
Kaya was also unconscious, and her school uniform was drenched in red.
The normally feisty Lisetta looked exhausted.
As for me, there were traces of damage on my school uniform from Rose¡¯s attack during the day.
While the healers rush to help Ian and Kaya onto a stretcher, Luce chewed her lip with a stern expression on her face.
¡°Top seat?¡±
¡±¡¡±
Her azure eyes, as deep as the ocean, turned to Lisetta when she called out to her.
After seemingly organizing the thoughts in her mind, Luce suddenly bowed deeply to Lisetta, expressing her gratitude.
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡±¡!¡±
Lisetta was taken aback. All the onlookers were equally bewildered.
The top seat had always been suspicious of anyone who approached her, and had always shown a cynical attitude to everyone other than Isaac. She never cared about anyone else. So this sincere expression of gratitude surprised the onlookers.
¡°You protected Isaac, didn¡¯t you? Thank you so much¡¡±
Lisetta was supposed to go along with my story.
Though Lisetta must not have been expecting this situation since she was the one who had been protected. However, she managed to remain silent while breaking out in cold sweat.
Thank you for keeping your promise.
Then, Luce raised her head and approached me. No, she ran towards me.
¡°Lu¡¡±
Hug.
Suddenly, she hugged me tightly, burying her face in my chest and feeling my warmth.
She wrapped her arms around my waist, refusing to let go. It was as if she never wanted to be separated from me ever again.
¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay, Isaac. I¡¯m so, so¡ d.¡±
Her voice, as soft as the moonlight, sounded as though she was on the verge of tears. I could feel her struggling to keep them from falling.
My heart tightened. The sight of someone genuinely caring about me to shed tears for me was both precious and beautiful.
I gently held her shoulders, pulled her away from my embrace, and looked into her eyes with a soft smile.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Luce.¡±
After a while, Luce locked eyes with me before giving me a wry smile as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
¡°Isaac, stay with me from now on. Don¡¯t leave my side, okay?¡±
¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡±
¡°Well, put this on then.¡±
Suddenly, as if she had prepared it in advance, Luce pulled out something resembling handcuffs.
What is this?
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°These are handcuffs. I bought it at an unmanned shop.¡±
Wait, seriously? They¡¯re actually handcuffs?
¡°Here, let¡¯s put this on our wrists. Then, we can stay close to each other.¡±
¡±¡¡±
¡°I can¡¯t help it. It might get dangerous again¡ You need to stay close to me, Isaac.¡±
Her expression showed sincere concern. I knew she was genuinely worried about me¡
However, Luce¡¯s judgment, stemming from her emotions, was twisted in a rather wrong direction.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Feeling a strong instinct to protect you.]
¡°I¡¯ll protect you, Isaac. So, from now on, you¡¯ll be safe by my side¡ Ah! Isaac?!¡±
I instinctively backed away from Luce, fleeing for my life.
Chapter 71: - Hunting Evaluation Interlude (1)
? Hunting Evaluation Interlude (1) ?
¡°So, when will you start dating the top seat?¡±
Inside the ship back to the academy, Lisetta and I sat across from each other, with a table between us. We were the only two in the room.
By the way, Ian and Kaya were resting in their respective cabins, each serving as their own private hospital room.
Just like in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the Truth Investigation Committee had hastily assembled on the ship.
If there was any indication that the situation had yet to end, it was necessary to respond as quickly as possible.
Afterward, amodations were given to the people involved in the incident to allow them to rest their minds and bodies as much as possible.
Lisetta and I were interrogated first.
Ian and Kaya would be called in after they were awake and well-rested. By then, we would have already arrived at the academy.
They would call us in again if there were any discrepancies between my statement and Lisetta¡¯s.
However, there shouldn¡¯t be any discrepancies. We had already prepared our statements in advance, and she matched my words well.
As for how we aligned our stories. - I stumbled upon Lisetta and followed her to the central region, where I could earn a lot of evaluation points.
This was the truth. At this point, my location was being tracked by the bracelet, so I couldn¡¯t afford to lie. - After seeing Lisetta enter the volcanic cave, I followed her shortly after. However, I ended up running into her and then an earthquake urred.
This was where the bullshit began. After the exam bracelet had lost its location-tracking function from the underground giant¡¯s mana neutralization ability. - The earthquake had copsed and blocked the way back, so Lisetta and I started looking for another way out. That was when I fell into a sinkhole.
- She jumped in to save me, but since we couldn¡¯t go back the way we came, we were forced to explore the insides of the giant demon¡¯s body to find another exit.
- We came across the unconscious Ian and Kaya on the way, and had our familiars carry them along.
- Suddenly, the ck Monster appeared. Acting as if a Deus Ex Machina, it ughtered all the demons.
- We made a skillful getaway.
The end.
The Truth Investigation Committee¡¯s official list of members included the student council president, Alice Carroll. Hence, it would be better to avoid having our statements investigated after arriving at the academy.
By the way, Lisetta, you bastard, you¡¯re talking nonsense.
She was slouching in her chair. Exhausted, she seemed to be spouting off whatever came to mind.
¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±
¡°Oh, were you already dating? You¡¯re doing great, asshole.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Luce was currently traveling on a different ship.
When I ran away from the dock, Luce showed signs of summoning Galia, so I immediately made a U-turn. I didn¡¯t expect her to summon an 8-star familiar just to chase me.
I made a stupid excuse like, ¡°I thought I left the exam bracelet somewhere else, but it was on my wrist, haha.¡±
Then she awkwardly giggled and said, ¡°Of course it is.¡± When I read her psychology, she thought I was trying to make herugh by cracking a joke.
As if I would do something like that, you idiot.
Afterwards, I exined that I had to go on a separate ship to cooperate with the investigation of the incident.
Although this was before the professor had instructed me to do so, I wasn¡¯t wrong ording to the scenario.
Luce shot me a suspicious re.
Thankfully, Professor Fernando¡¯s voice called out from the bracelet just in time, calling for Lisetta.
©¤Can I not follow you?
©¤From what I was told, no.
After a final exchange of words, Luce walked away with a wistful expression.
¡®I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d do that to a friend.¡¯
I liked Luce, but her tendency to cause an Extra Bad Ending was terrifying.
I thought I would be fine as long as she didn¡¯t find out I was Greung¡ That was a mistake.
Sooner orter, I would have to firmly lecture her as if teaching a child. I would tell her, ¡®Luce, no matter how worried you are, it¡¯s wrong to physically restrict a person¡¯s freedom.¡¯
In response, Luce would likely refuse with logic, but I had a card up my sleeve called throwing a tantrum based on strong moral principles. With it, I could somehow break through her logic.
Soon, the door opened, and a female healer came in.
¡°You two said you would be Kaya Astrean¡¯s guardians, right? You maye in now.¡±
After she spoke, Lisetta and I stood up and started moving.
While it wasn¡¯t arge one, an entire room was being used as Kaya¡¯s private hospital room.
The healers must have examined her condition and found nothing wrong with her body.
As a result, they must have felt the need to prioritize the stability of her mind rather than her body.
Preferably, the guardian would be someone close to the victim so that they could put her heart at ease.
In the corner of the room was a female healer, reading a book while waiting.
Kaya was silently sleeping under the bed¡¯s covers, dressed in light-brown robes that the female healers had changed her into.
By the way, the loot had been taken in advance while we were returning to the dock from the volcanic cave. It was a by-product in the form of earrings on Kaya¡¯s earlobe.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 140
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt Blood
Danger: X
Psychology: [ ]
¡®Ravenous or not, you¡¯re still the same as ever.¡¯
I visited Kaya for three reasons.
First, to match statements with her.
Kaya would regain consciousness before the ship arrived at the academy.
This was my only chance to talk with her, as the Truth Investigation Committee would immediately call for her.
With the healer in the corner of the room, it would be difficult tomunicate verbally.
After Lisetta and I were rescued by the proctors, we were then escorted to the dock in a carriage.
I wrote my message down on a piece of parchment I had purchased from an unmanned shop, nning to pass it to Kaya.
Second, I¡¯m worried about Kaya.
I had a fondness for Kaya. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about her.
I sat in the guardian¡¯s seat next to her bed.
¡°You¡¯re not going to that light element guy from earlier?¡±
¡°He has Amy and Mateo, so he¡¯ll be fine.¡±
That was why I decided I could be Kaya¡¯s guardian.
As expected, the two of them volunteered to be Ian¡¯s guardians by asking the professor.
They were currently having a conversation with him in his hospital room after he regained consciousness. I knew from using [irvoyance] earlier.
By the way, I didn¡¯t have to match statements with Ian. He had fainted and was out cold the entire time.
¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t care whether either of them drops dead or not. I¡¯ll just go rest. I¡¯m tired.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
Lisetta left the hospital room.
Before she closed the door, she snuck a nce at Kaya.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Worried about Kaya Astrean¡¯s physical condition.]
There seemed to be a sense of camaraderie as members of the same ss.
¡®I¡¯ll have to give her a little hint that Kaya¡¯s okayter.¡¯
Silence fell after Lisetta closed the door.
I quietly looked at Kaya. Her long straight hair, different from her usual twin tails, suited her quite well.
I stroked her pale cheek with my fingers. It felt soft to the touch. She was adorable, like a puppy.
She was a girl who liked me as a man. Although there were twists and turns, it was fortunate that things ended safely.
From now on, I would have to face the dual personalities of Kaya. No matter which personality, the fact remained that it was Kaya herself.
¡Just as I was thinking that.
Chuu¨C
¡°¡!!¡±
Suddenly, she nibbled my finger. It happened faster than I could react.
I felt a soft and moist sensation. Startled, I reflexively pulled my hand away.
Kaya opened her eyes and looked at me.
It was¡ very bewildering.
¡°Kaya?¡±
Flushed red cheeks. A flirtatious smile.
Eyes that were clearly different from her usual emerald green. Rather, they were a distinct and unfamiliar crimson hue.
¡°Sir Isaac, why were you caressing my face like that? Did you want to touch me that badly~?¡±
There was a hint of slyness in her cute voice.
I already knew that Dark Kaya¡¯s personality was overflowing with confidence to the point where she actively made moves on the yer.
It was a total mismatch from her usual shyness when seeing me, which left me speechless.
Kaya¡¯s eyes drifted to the hand that had been stroking her cheek.
¡°You can touch me more if you¡¯d like¡¡±
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Loves you as a person of the opposite sex.]
She bore an expression full of longing. So damn cute¡
¡°Hmm.¡±
At the corner of the room, the healer who had been sneakily ncing in our direction cleared her throat, deliberately trying to be heard. Kaya¡¯s behavior seemed to be making things awkward.
Keep it together first. Calm down.
¡°How are you feeling?¡±
I calmly asked. Then, Kaya jerked her body upright.
¡°I¡¯m fine. My body is just a little stiff.¡±
¡°Aaah¡¡±
She moaned and stretched.
Then, Kaya intently stared at me. Her red eyes, glistening vividly with the color of blood, held a radiance that was far different from my own. It was mysterious, to say the least.
¡°What? Do you have something to say?¡±
I asked because it felt awkward to silently make eye contact.
An unexpected question came out of her mouth.
¡°Can I kiss you?¡±
Pfff¨C!
The healer, who had been drinking juice in the corner of the room for quite some time, spat it out and coughed.
Her reaction echoed my own.
¡°¡Pardon?¡±
Unconsciously, I let polite speech slip out.
Chapter 72: - Hunting Evaluation - Interlude (2)
? Hunting Evaluation ¨C Interlude (2) ?
¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡±
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Whirl¡ª¨C!
¡°¡?!¡±
Suddenly, Kaya used wind magic to send the nket that had been covering her flying upward.
She then raised her hand to my face and began to lean in.
It was an incredibly unexpected situation.
Whoosh©¤
As Kaya¡¯s wind subsided, the nket floating above descended and enveloped the two of us.
Within that stuffy nket, our breaths began to intermingle.
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
Kaya suddenly stopped right in front of my face, and began to whisper in a serious voice.
¡°I will give my full thanks to youter. Please quickly finish the task at hand.¡±
Despite the healer shouting angrily at the sight of us covered under the nket, Kaya remained resolute.
¡®Wow¡¡¯
For a moment, I thought the usually passive Kaya would actually kiss me, causing my heart to race. Despite having just awoken, weren¡¯t her actions a little too bold¡?
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Kaya actively showed her affection for Ian in her ¡®Ravenous¡¯ form. So, this was how it felt firsthand¡
I finally understood why Ian was so taken aback by Kaya¡¯s actions in-game.
Regardless, it seemed Kaya was quick to grasp the fact that we needed to secretlymunicate.
Kaya was well aware that I had to hide my identity.
¡°You¡¯re quick on the uptake.¡±
Relieved, I softly uttered apliment.
I pulled out a piece of rolled-up parchment and discreetly passed it to Kaya.
The parchment contained instructions for Kaya that I had thought of in advance.
Rustle©¤!
¡°What do the two of you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±
The healer swiftly lifted the nket covering me and Kaya.
¡°E-Even if you¡¯re dating¡ there¡¯s a time and ce for that! Isn¡¯t that right?!¡±
The healer scolded us with an angry expression.
Suddenly distancing herself from me, Kaya calmly apologized to the healer.
After ring back and forth between the two of us, the healer angrily returned to her office.
As I watched the healer leave, I suddenly felt an itchy sensation on my thigh.
¡°¡!¡±
The cause was Kaya running her finger up and down my thigh.
She was writing something out with her finger.
©¤Did your heart race?
Our gazes met. She ced her other hand on her lips as she tilted her head towards me. Her luscious emerald-green hair cascaded down her shoulders.
A mischievous yet confident smile adorned her face, apanied by an overwhelmingly seductive sensation.
Just looking at her made my mouth go dry.
That smile was meant for me, and me alone.
Soon after, she began tracing out words on my thigh again.
©¤My heart raced.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Wants to kiss you.]
She continually expressed her affection for me without hesitation, openly enticing me to see her as a woman.
This feels a little¡
¡®Surprising.¡¯
It felt as though all my energy was being drained¡
***
Late at night.
Other than Dark Kaya¡¯s attempts at seduction, there were no unusual incidents throughout the rest of our cruise.
Once the ships docked at the academy¡¯s port, all students were let off. By now, the bracelets for the hunting evaluation had already been removed.
Afterwards, the Imperial Knights and academy¡¯s staff began working together to investigate the incident on Elt Ind.
Kaya and Ian were moved to the infirmary. As previously mentioned, they would rest there until they were called by the investigativemittee.
Lisetta and I were also informed they may call on us to testify as well before sending us back to our dorms.
However, on the way to my dorm, I was apanied by Luce, who was waiting for me. It was truly a relief that she didn¡¯t bring out those ominous handcuffs again.
I was now back in Briggs Hall.
Immediately after I arrived back in my room, a sense of relief washed over me. Naturally, all the energy in my body disappeared.
I didn¡¯t even have the energy left to take a shower, so I opted to simply lie on the bed instead.
¡®At least I got this.¡¯
I took out a red earring from a hidden pocket in my uniform.
This loot was called ¡®Blood of the Evanescent¡¯. I had taken it from Kaya¡¯s ear.
If one swallowed this, even if they were on the brink of death, they would be restored to perfect health in an instant.
Even if they had lost a part of their body.
Note that since this was a single-use item, there would be no effect if one melted and consumed it bit by bit.
¡®I have to use this carefully.¡¯
I was nning on saving it for Ian if needed, since I was worried that he might die.
It might be obvious, but the world was set to hell mode. Even the most seasoned of yers would barely be able to clear it.
I couldn¡¯t fault Ian for constantly fainting. That was why I had onlyined internally.
To be honest, I was just grateful that Ian was still alive.
If he just acquired the Luminous Sword and used [Expelled from Paradise] at the right moment, I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more.
¡®Next¡ I have to think about how to allocate my stat points.¡¯
I opened my status window.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 72
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman Who Has Adapted to Student Life
Mana: 7000/7000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (C+)
¨C Stamina (B)
¨C Strength (B)
¨C Intelligence (C+)
¨C Willpower (A+)
Ever since I reached level 51, I could feel a rapid increase in my mana.
It would continue to increase at an even greater pace after I reached level 101.
I was also sure that my [Mana Recovery Speed] would likely increase in rank within a few days.
[Potential] Stat Points: 18 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (B+): 56/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (A+): 81/100 [UP]
¨C Learning Efficiency (B+): 57/100 [UP] ? Elemental Resistance ¨C Fire Resistance (D-): 10/100 [UP]
¨C Water Resistance (D+): 16/100 [UP]
¨C Ice Resistance (C+): 34/100 [UP]
¨C Lightning Resistance (B-): 39/100 [UP]
¨C Rock Resistance (D): 12/100 [UP]
¨C Wind Resistance (C-): 23/100 [UP]
¨C Neutral Magic Resistance (D+): 18/100 [UP] ? vs. Race Combat Power ¨C vs. Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
¨C vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¡®Now, I should be able to reach S rank in [Magic Training Efficiency].¡¯
I invested 5 stat points in [Physical Training Efficiency], 10 stat points in [Magic Training Efficiency], and 3 stat points in [Learning Efficiency].
[Your potential in [Physical Training Efficiency] has increased from B+ rank to A- rank!] [Your potential in [Magic Training Efficiency] has increased from A+ rank to S rank!]
Now, my [Elemental Firepower], [Elemental Efficiency], and [Elemental Synergy] would increase at a faster rate than any other freshman.
Perhaps by my sophomore year, I would be able to reach the upper ranks of B ss.
¡°¡¡±
Sleep swallowed me like the tide.
I groggily closed my eyes, and soon fell into a deep slumber.
***
The stifling summer breeze was reced by a cool autumn wind.
The trees surrounding Orphin Hall adorned themselves with red and yellow, creating a subtle yet enchanting atmosphere.
While Lisetta and I had been called due to the ongoing Elt Ind investigation, we weren¡¯t called before the investigativemittee.
We were simply asked to provide a description of what the interior of the giant demon looked like.
Imperial Knights were rtively sparse within the academy, as many of them had been dispatched to Elt Ind.
¡®Let¡¯s think about what¡¯s happened so far.¡¯
In the early morning hours, I was lost in thought as I walked through the garden of Orphin Hall alone.
It would be better to be thorough about the scenarios.
¡®Firstly, the Elt Ind incident.¡¯
The appearance of the giant demon had tarnished the reputations of both the academy and Imperial Knights.
The first issue was that the bracelet created to protect the students, failed to fulfill its intended function.
Not only were the students potentially endangered, there was a significant period of time where they couldn¡¯t determine their whereabouts, and they couldn¡¯t even establishmunications.
Even if there were no reported casualties, it was still a serious issue. Criticism about the academy¡¯s inadequate response began to spread.
As a result, M?rchen Academy would lose a significant portion of its investors.
¡®Demons with the power to nullify mana no longer exist, but only I know that.¡¯
From the academy¡¯s point of view¡
¡Is there any guarantee that such a being wouldn¡¯t appear again?
Of course not. Therefore, they had no choice but to prepare for that possibility.
By now, they were probably dealing with a horrible headache, but with the support of the Imperial Knights, it would probably be resolved.
The second issue was that the Imperial Knights, despite being present at the examination site, were unable to stop the demon.
Still, this would likely distract some people from criticism of the Academy.
Consequently, this disgrace would lead to them dispatching higher skilled individuals to M?rchen Academy as support. Kaya¡¯s sister, who was also a member of the Imperial Knights, would likelye.
¡®Regardless.¡¯
The scenario was over, and everything flowed smoothly. However, two problems remained on my end.
The first was that the academy had discussed the possibility of me being the ck Monster. I found this out by using [Psychological Insight]. They based it on the fact that I also use the ice element.
However, they quickly concluded that I was too weak to be the ck Monster.
¡®The one suffering right now is Alice.¡¯
With the existence of an ¡®informant within the Academy¡¯s Administration¡¯ revealed, Alice Caroll was left unable to act freely.
Without substantial evidence, she couldn¡¯t harm anyone based solely on her suspicions.
The second problem was Dark Kaya.
¡®What on earth am I going to do about her?¡¯
I had predicted it, but her expressions of affection were overly aggressive, leaving me unsure of how to proceed.
Until I defeated the Evil God, I didn¡¯t want to focus on anything except getting stronger. This was especially true for any kind of rtionship.
¡°Huh?¡±
As if on cue, Kaya was walking towards me.
Come to think of it, ss A had reserved the training grounds during the previous time slot.
Kaya¡¯s green hair was tied in her usual twintails. Her pupils had also returned back to their usual emerald.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 100
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt, Blood
Danger: X
Psychology: [Currently feeling embarrassed towards you.]
Upon seeing me, Kaya froze in ce and began to shake.
It was as though a young deer was quivering in fear aftering face to face with a predator.
As our eyes met, both of us remained still.
¡°S-s-s-s¨Cs-s-sir Isaac¡!¡±
Isn¡¯t her voice shaking a little too much?
¡°T-The weather is very nice¡! Looking at how beautiful the trees are, it¡¯s totally autumn now! A-Are your sses going well? W-Well, for someone as great as Sir Isaac, your sses probably don¡¯t mean much to you¡!¡±
Whilst sweating profusely, Kaya rambled on nervously.
Judging from her psychology, it was clear she vividly remembered what she had done on the ship.
Now that we had met, it would be a good opportunity to discuss whether she had followed the instructions I had given her, or if something had happened.
¡°S-So I think I should express my gratitude to you! Haha, hahahaha! W-where are you heading? The training grounds? Well, for someone like Sir Isaac, such a ce is trivial¡¡±
¡°Kaya, you know what happened on the ship-¡±
¡°AH!!! AHHHHH!!!¡±
Pleadingly, Kaya covered her reddened face with her hands and cried out in distress, as if begging me not to say those words.
Even her ears were flushed red.
That surprised me¡
¡°AHHHHHH!!!¡±
Unable to bear it any longer, Kaya turned and began sprinting away at full speed, her screams echoing in every direction.
I was so bewildered, that I just stood there in shock.
Chapter 73: - Gift
? Gift ?
The wind grew increasingly chilly as I traversed the road adorned with colorful fallen leaves.
Lately, more and more students were wearing cape shawls over their school uniforms, me included.
With the incident on Elt Inding to a close, discussions about demons had bemonce between the students.
©¤ Is there a person among us who can control demons? Maybe someone like a hidden mastermind.
©¤ That¡¯s a little much¡
©¤ Yeah, let¡¯s stop with the conspiracy theories.
©¤ If there was someone like that, wouldn¡¯t their mana capacity be visibly massive?
©¤ Could it be Luce? She has an S rank mana capacity.
©¤ It can¡¯t be. If it were her, there¡¯s no way she would have been attacked by demonsst semester.
©¤ It¡¯s probably not the Star Witch either, since she fought against the demons.
©¤ Then it¡¯s almost certain that the demons are after one of us?
©¤ Probably.
By now, most students at M?rchen Academy had realized that the cause of the frequent demon appearances was highly likely to be one of the students.
Otherwise, there would be no exnation for their dormancy while the students were on vacation.
It was a logical conclusion.
From my perspective, the constant appearance of demons was like having a meal at lunch break.
It was simply thew of the academy genre.
The evening was filled with a calm atmosphere.
Within Josena Forest, located near the Academy¡¯s entrance, there was ake densely flowing with mana.
At night, it would be even more vibrant.
I was currently seated on a stump nearby.
On the day I walked to Orphin Hall, Kaya had given me a note.
There was nothing abnormal about her.
Inside, she had written that she would like to meet me ¡®here¡¯, to properly thank me.
In addition to the note, there was also a cute drawing of the destination, ¡®Norhan Lake¡¯.
I wasn¡¯t seeking any sort of repayment, but I had agreed to meet, because we had a lot to talk about.
I had decided to fully exin myself to Kaya today.
¡®Did Ie too early?¡¯
I hurried here immediately after sses had ended, but I probably could have taken my time.
While holding a mana meter, I continually circted mana through my hand, using the spare time to train my [Elemental Efficiency].
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew behind me.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Whoosh¨C
I could feel the flow of mana along with the wind spell.
Startled, I turned to see a female student approaching from a distance.
A calm smile apanied her twin emerald braids and mysterious crimson eyes.
¡®She¡¯s changed personalities again.¡¯
It was Kaya the Ravenous.
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: (140)
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt, Blood
Danger: X
Psychology: [Happy to see you.]
¡°You¡¯re already here. Sorry for beingte, I thought I would get here quick enough.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright, but what¡¯s that in your hand?¡±
Kaya was holding onto a long object wrapped in a bundle, making it difficult to discern what it was.
¡°Huhu, it¡¯s a secret.¡±
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Excited to see your reaction to her gift.]
She had mentioned wanting to thank me further, so it seemed she had brought along a gift.
Brushing it off, I casually made an affirmative noise before turning my attention to theke.
Kaya sat next to me on the stump, tightening her grip on the gift.
¡°I testified as you instructed me to the Truth Investigation Committee. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.¡±
As she had gone through the same thing as Ian, it was easy for her to fabricate her statement.
She had her guard down and was knocked unconscious by a demon, before Lisetta healed her.
That was how she exined the situation to the Truth Investigation Committee.
If nothing significant urred during the investigation, the Truth Investigation Committee would have no reason to look further than Kaya¡¯s testimony.
¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±
¡°Did anything happen on your end? You rescued me, so I¡¯m sure they asked you a few questions as well.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t anything important, especially since they think I¡¯m also a victim. By the way, how much do you remember?¡±
Squinting into the sky, Kaya startedbing through her memories.
¡°When I was taken by the demon¡ I remember the blood in my body elerating. My body felt really hot¡ the pressure made me feel as if my arteries would burst.¡±
Extending one of her arms, Kaya looked at the back of her hand before replying.
The sun was gradually setting.
¡°Then, I lost consciousness. It felt like I was drowning in a deep pool of blood¡? I don¡¯t remember anything else besides that.¡±
She seemed to be recalling her fight with me and her awakening as a blood wizard and demon. Those memories were likely lost when she returned to being human.
¡°When I came to, I was on your back.¡±
I already knew from the original story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
She would have lost consciousness soon after.
¡°I¡ was really happy that Sir Isaac came to save me.¡±
Kaya smiled brightly at me.
¡°The next time I woke up, I was lying on a bed when Sir Isaac lewdly stroked my cheek. To think that you¡¯d take advantage of me like that, you had quite the evil intentions~¡±
¡°¡I didn¡¯t intend for anything like that.¡±
¡°What do you mean ¡®like that¡¯? I want you to be more specific.¡±
Kaya tilted her head yfully, shing a mischievous smile that resembled Dorothy¡¯s. However, her smile was a little bit more inappropriate.
¡®She sure knows how to confuse me¡.¡¯
I should hurry and change the subject.
¡°You know you¡¯ve changed, right?¡±
¡°Yes¡ I can feel it quite often, including right now. It¡¯s probably because I was being controlled by a demon, right?¡±
Kaya mentioned that she felt exhrated whenever she transformed into Dark Kaya.
She would feel inexplicably confident, and there would be no trace of her usual embarrassment.
Her head would buzz constantly, as if she were traversing a detailed dream.
Afterwards, Kaya would ignore any logic or memories, acting solely on her emotions, and bing a different version of herself.
As a result, she bes overly honest with her feelings, unreservedly expressing her affection for me.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not all that bad. I can wield new magic, and Sir Isaac is even cooler to me now.¡±
While blushing, Kaya stared at me intently. Her gaze was burdensome and filled with desire, something that should be aimed towards one¡¯s beloved.
Intentionally avoiding her gaze, I silently stared at theke. The sparkling blue light scattered across the water grew increasingly vivid as the forest turned darker.
¡°Today, I wanted to exin something.¡±
¡°Exin something¡?¡±
When I lightly spoke in my usual manner, Kaya seemed to feel a sense of incongruity. I¡¯ve been speaking like that since earlier.
I had tried to avoid speaking kindly to Kaya.
It was mainly because I didn¡¯t know what would happen if my true identity was revealed.
By pretending to be strong, on top of acting like I had middle school syndrome, I had intended to keep my distance from her.
But I didn¡¯t want to anymore.
I knew how Kaya felt, and her alternate self was expressing that affection without hesitation.
If I were to continue acting like this even while knowing how she felt, it would be like trampling on her feelings.
Since we had the opportunity to be alone, I wanted to be honest with her.
¡°I¡¯ve been acting a bit mean to you, but to be honest, it was quite ufortable for me. Was it strange for you too?¡±
I was cringing inwardly.
¡°¡??¡±
Kaya didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was saying.
¡°Sorry that I¡¯ve been a bit guarded. From now on, I¡¯ll be more rxed with you, so please understand.¡±
It should be fine to loosen my grip on our rtionship.
I wasn¡¯t prepared to dismantle Kaya¡¯s misconception that I was strong yet, as that would destroy our rtionship. I didn¡¯t have any idea how I would exin that, anyway.
¡°I have a goal I need to aplish by our third year. Until then, I can¡¯t think about anything else.¡±
Even if Dorothy, my favorite character, were to confess, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept her feelings right now.
Back when I was a student focusing on my exams, dating problems were an obvious enemy of exam-taking. It had the power to violently shake a person¡¯s heart.
In particr, magical training required a great deal of concentration, as it was closely linked to the theory. Here, romance would be especially disruptive.
Hence, I decided to prevent and postpone any romantic developments in advance, until I defeated the Evil God.
By revealing a small part of my secret, I nned on making it clear to Kaya that I wouldn¡¯t be returning her feelings.
¡®You¡¯re ridiculously beautiful, but my current situation won¡¯t let me return your feelings.¡¯
That was how I nned on handling the situation.
I continued to speak.
¡°So I hope you¡¯ll understand¡ª¡±
Suddenly, Kaya stood up.
Chu©¤!
¡°¡!¡±
I felt a moist sensation on my cheek, along with an adorable sound.
Recalling what happened during the summer vacation, I turned to face Kaya.
She had already made her way to me, leaning in my direction with a casual smile.
Even the enchanting blue light of theke was unable to conceal the vivid crimson in her eyes.
¡°I¡¯ve wondered about this before.¡±
While pressing down on my shoulders with both hands, Kaya ced her knee between my legs.
She stared at me.
There was no escape.
¡°Why would someone like Sir Isaace to the Academy?¡±
I could smell a subtle yet alluring scent, apanied by the feel of her warm breath on my forehead.
¡°It¡¯s probably because of the demons. But why would someone like you have a ¡®goal¡¯? Is it a goal so ambitious that you can¡¯t even ¡®spare a moment to pay attention to someone else¡¯?¡±
Kaya giggled.
¡°By any chance, Sir Isaac, will a powerful demon emerge during our third year? Have you been nning all this time to defeat that demon? That¡¯s the reason you entered the academy¡ Or something like that?¡±
Kaya¡¯s urate deduction stopped me in my tracks.
¡°¡You have quite the imagination.¡±
I calmly replied, making sure not to reveal even the slightest reaction.
¡°What kind of reason would that be? If a strong demon was going to appear in our third year, I would have told someone else about it.¡±
¡°You knew nobody else would believe it, and only you realized. Your abilities are far beyond my imagination.¡±
The resurrection of the Evil God.
It wasn¡¯t entirely incorrect to say that only I knew.
However, my knowledge was limited to what was written in the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
There was no way a weakling like me could recognize that the Evil God would be resurrected.
As I tried to exin myself, Kaya giggled before interrupting me.
¡°What you¡¯re saying is that you have no ns of ¡®dating¡¯ until youplete your ¡®goal¡¯, right?¡±
A sense of unease traveled down my spine.
It was the same feeling I had every time Luce acted suspiciously.
I hurriedly read Kaya¡¯s current thoughts by using [Psychological Insight].
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Attempting to seduce you without holding back.]
¡®Huh¡?¡¯
Her thoughts were very different from what I expected¡?
I had anticipated her acting like she was in a drama, asking, ¡®If I still feel the same way during our third year, will you ept my feelings then?¡¯
I had even expected her to exim angrily, asking me, ¡®Do you just not have feelings for me? I¡¯d rather you be honest, I hate this¡!¡¯ Or something along those lines.
¡®Did I just loosen Kaya¡¯s restraints¡?¡¯
Regardless, Isaac was not in a position to date anyone.
So, she could continually seduce him until he liked her.
Ultimately, when he decided to pursue a rtionship, she would make him hers.
This was likely how Kaya had arrived at her current conclusion.
¡°¡I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand me.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I understoodpletely.¡±
After Kaya giggled to herself, she grabbed the long object that had been left at the base of the stump.
¡°Sir Isaac, did you know about this?¡±
Kaya began gently caressing the wrapped object as she spoke.
¡°In the Masop Forest, the Rompa tribe has a tradition of offering choices when giving gifts to their tribemates, allowing them to choose the gift they prefer. Whether it¡¯s a rock or the skin of an animal¡¡±
After staring in my direction, Kaya smiled brightly.
¡°Thank you for saving me. If Sir Isaac wasn¡¯t there, I probably wouldn¡¯t be alive. Huhu, I prepared two gifts, so please choose one.¡±
It was a wooden staff.
The gemstone at its tip had a blend of deep blue and sunset hues. It was an awe-inspiring sight.
Kaya passed the object to me with both hands.
¡°¡®Zhonya¡¯s Staff¡¯ is a magical weapon that we¡¯ve kept in our safe. You don¡¯t have to worry about it being valuable, since I use it myself. I brought it because I was nning on using a staff¡but I think it suits Sir Isaac much better.
My mouth started watering, but I quickly suppressed my urges.
A magical weapon was quite tempting.
A suitable magical weapon would require a significant amount of gel to purchase, and the Frostscythe I currently had in my possession couldn¡¯t even be used properly¡So a magical weapon was perfect.
Not to mention, it was Zhonya¡¯s Staff¡! I couldn¡¯t remember if it was a tier 2 or 3 weapon, but it was definitely a rare item worthy of being guarded in the Astrean family¡¯s coffers.
¡®I wasn¡¯t nning on receiving a gift in return¡¡¯
At this point, my thoughts shifted. Her sincerity was impossible to ignore, leaving me no choice but to ept the gift.
My hand naturally moved towards the staff that Kaya was offering.
Suddenly, she withdrew it behind her.
¡°There is another choice.¡±
Kaya held onto the staff with one hand, while simultaneously lifting her skirt slightly with the other.
Her wless skin shone, showcasing her beautiful features as she smiled mischievously.
¡°The second choice is me.¡±
I stopped.
¡°Which do you want more, Sir Isaac?¡±
With a voice full of charm, Kaya mischievously asked.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Hopes that you will return her feelings.]
The humid air of Norhan Lake filled my lungs as the cool night air started sneaking underneath my clothes.
For a long time, we stared into each other¡¯s eyes.
¡°Haa.¡±
Letting out a sigh, I approached Kaya.
As I was seemingly about to embrace her,
¡°Ah!?¡±
I took Zhonya¡¯s Staff from her arms and moved away.
¡°I¡¯ll use it well. Thanks.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Shadows covered Kaya¡¯s eyes as she red at me for the first time today, her face contorted in disappointment.
Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t desperate enough for romance to sumb to her pitiful advances.
Chapter 74: - Back Story - Hunting Evaluation (2.5)
? Back Story ¨C Hunting Evaluation (2.5) ?
¡ù This takes ce after the events of Part (2) and before Part (3) of the Hunting Evaluation.
Elt Ind.
In the midst of the Hunting Evaluation, I was about halfway through after I defeated Rose Red Rivera
Before long, I found myself within the marsnds. Crossing it would be a daunting task due to the watery mire that formed argeke.
I could build a bridge with ice or rock magic.
However, the marsnds were likely to harbor demonic illusions and enemy familiars. I could use elemental magic to get across somehow, but if these creatures were to ambush me mid-way through, I¡¯d be at a significant disadvantage.
¡®I might be better off turning back.¡¯
I shifted my foot to the side, contemting an alternative route.
And then it happened.
Puuuuuuuu¡ª!
¡°Whoa!¡±
Without warning, the swamp surged up!
Sailing through the air amidst the sttering mud was a reptilian magic beast, its size akin to that of two grown menbined. Cloaked in water mana, it was the swamp-dwelling crocodile familiar, Dove.
[Dove] Lv: 60
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Water
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Wants to defeat you and earn praise from its master.]
It opened its mouth, baring its menacingly sharp teeth.
[Gahhhhh!]
Deploying a blue magic circle, the crocodile magic beast tried to leap toward me. Perhaps hidden within the swamp, it had gone unnoticed by Hilde.
I hastily sped my fingers together and condensed ice mana. The magic circle of [Frost Explosion] conjured in front of my hands.
¡¸Cascade (Water Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
As the crocodile beast unleashed arge amount of water with its magic circle, I detonated the condensed ice mana toward him.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kwaaaahhhh¡ª!!
The powerful shock from the explosion of frost engulfed both the crocodile and his [Cascade] spell.
In an instant, the spreading frost enveloped the crocodile magic beast, swallowing him and causing him to soar onto the trees.
Kuuuuu©¤©¤!
The elongated ice chunks that had frozen the crocodile familiar fell into the marsnd and transformed into a robust bridge-like structure. The solid block of ice, condensed by mana, didn¡¯t crack in the slightest.
It was significantly longerpared to the one I had created during the first semester. Clearly, my mastery over [Frost Explosion] had greatly improved.
I resisted the urge to cross immediately. As I said before, if enemies swooped down on me while I was crossing the ice bridge, I¡¯d be doomed.
[Master, another magic beast is approaching.]
[Kyuuuuuu¡ª]
Drrrrrrrrrr¡ª
A magic beast covered in rock-like armor rolled toward me with a crouched posture. It was an armadillo familiar with a body that could easily measure around 2 meters when stretched out in its rolled form.
It must have heard the sound of magic being cast and the sound of ice chunks falling into the marsnd.
[Arivori] Lv: 56
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Wants to defeat you and be petted by its master.] ¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Gently extending my arm upwards, I conjured an [Ice Spear] above my head.
I aimed it at Arivori, the armadillo familiar that was rolling towards me. The moment I was about to fire the [Ice Spear] ¡ª
¡¸Thunderbolt (Lightning Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kwaaang©¤!!
¡°¡!¡±
A bolt of purple lightning pierced through the gaps in the foliage and struck Arivori. The powerful thunderbolt paralyzed its entire body, and its rock armor was lightly shattered.
Arivori didn¡¯t have time to scream before it lost consciousness, its four legs sprawled out. Only its feet twitch intermittently.
Purple electricity began to crackle in the aftermath of the [Thunderbolt].
¡®What is this, another¡?¡¯
[Master, something dangerous ising!]
Upon Hilde¡¯s urgent warning, I felt a sinking feeling spread through my chest.
Why, why? What¡¯s going on again?!
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ [Kiaaaaaah!]
Suddenly, the familiar screech of a bird of prey echoed throughout the jungle.
¡°Ugh!¡±
Through the trees, a ck bird enveloped in purple lightning swooped down andnded in front of Arivori, the armadillo familiar. Electric currents and gusts of wind spread in all directions.
Well, that certainly caught me off guard¡
¡°Galia¡?¡±
Before me stood a ck grouse, ¡®Thunderbird Galia¡¯. He was smaller than usual
[Thunderbird Galia] Lv: (100)
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [Delighted to see you.]
¡°Isaac, I found you.¡±
A rose-golden-haired female student was perched on Galia¡¯s back. She was Luce Eltania, the first year top seat of the Magic Department.
¡°Luce?¡±
Galia hunched his head down to the ground, and Luce slid down his nape and onto the ground.
A gentle smile adorned her face.
Thank goodness¡ I was scared when that [Thunderbolt] struck.
A sense of relief washed over me. If it was Luce, she would definitely be on my side.
¡°Hey, how did you manage to find me? That¡¯s amazing¡!¡±
I intended to approach Luce with a smiling face and greet her, but I stopped abruptly.
Somehow, her condition seemed off.
Flushed cheeks. Breath so hot and ragged that it produced visible puffs of air. A seductive smile.
Almost as if¡ she was excited.
A chill ran down my spine. It reminded me of the Luce from Extra Bad Ending N.13, ¡¸The Birdcage¡¹, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 151
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: ?
Psychology: [Wants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with youWants to be with you¡]
A shiver ran down my spine, and I quickly closed Luce¡¯s status window.
¡®What¡¯s this? What¡¯s¡?¡¯
What¡¯s with this sudden emotional outburst?
When I saw her at the academy¡¯s dock, she wasn¡¯t any different from her usual self¡?
¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±
Luce steadied her breath and began to slowly approach me.
¡°Whenever I saw someone use ice magic, I¡¯d go and check it out. I finally found you.¡±
Only when we were closer could I make out a faint emerald-green powder faintly drift from Luce¡¯s head.
¡®Oh my god¡¡¯
How could I not recognize what that was?
It was a substance that oozed from those who had been struck by the spores of the ¡®Choro Mushroom¡¯.
From what I remembered, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the choro mushroom was primarily found in the hignds.
When a creature approached, it released spores that amplified the emotions the person harbored.
For example, if you hate someone, you wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee the urge to harm them.
And if you harbor even a slight crush towards another, it could turn into passionate love.
I remember it being described in themunity as ¡®bing an easy woman¡¯.
After a certain period of time, those affected by the spores would fall into a forced slumber.
In the process ofpletely detoxifying the effect, the person would sleep as if they were dead. They would bepletely defenseless and would lose all memories associated with the effects of the choro mushroom.
This meant that if you came across one, you had to run away as fast as possible.
¡®How much of the spores did Luce inhale?¡¯
She had most likely inhaled a significant amount of the mushroom¡¯s spores.
For the record, the fumes wafting out were a natural part of the detoxification process and weren¡¯t toxic.
Anyway,
As I pondered over what Luce had said, I inferred how she had ended up in this state.
She must have climbed to the hignds to find me. And with her keen eyesight, she must have searched for my whereabouts from the cliff.
Even if the forest was filled with trees, Luce¡¯s vision was monstrous enough to track my movements through the gaps in the leaves.
During this time, the mushrooms clustered on the hignds would have begun releasing their spores, causing Luce to inhale a considerable amount of the spore.
Gradually, her emotions intensified, turning her into an easy woman.
Luce approached me as if she was about to embrace me and looked at me with a smile one would use for their lover.
¡°I missed you, Isaac.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Her voice, as soft as moonlight, gently caressed my eardrums. Combined with her warm breath, it transformed into a bewitching melody that had the power to paralyze my senses.
A sensation of intense pleasure.
I froze like ice under its influence.
¡°This ce is dangerous¡. I¡¯ll protect you from getting hurt, so stay by my side, Isaac.¡±
No amount of ASMR could beat the sound of Luce¡¯s voice. It felt as if all my clothes had been stripped away and feathers were lightly caressing my entire body¡ªit was a shivering ecstasy.
No, snap out of it.
I barely managed to regain myposure and began to think.
¡®If I had Luce, it¡¯d feel like I¡¯ve got an entire army on my side.¡¯
With Luce as an ally, the difficulty of ¡¸Act 4, Chapter 2, Food Chain¡¹would drastically drop. It would be a great advantage for me.
I had originally nned to recruit an ally at this point, as I knew I¡¯d be facing tougher enemies going forward.
However, I was afraid of Luce¡¯s habits as an easy woman.
Perhaps due to the fact that I was lost in thought without offering her a response, Luce¡¯s expression grew cold.
¡°Do you¡ do you dislike being around me?¡±
Luce discreetly moved her right hand behind her back.
I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s reaching for, but a strong sense of unease is hitting me like a battering ram.
In a panic, I hastily summoned my inner actor, the seasoned Isaac. I put on my best acting face, shed a natural smile, and reassured Luce.
¡°I was just overwhelmed with joy for a moment. Why would I, hate being around you, does that even make sense?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Luce stared at me with seemingly emotionless eyes, unable to brush off her suspicion.
¡°Thank you foring, Luce. You¡¯re my anchor.¡±
As soon as I added a warmment, Luce¡¯s expression began to soften.
Brush-
Luce discreetly slid something into her skirt¡¯s waistband. Though she muffled the sound as much as she could, I could still hear it distinctly from being so close.
I had a strong feeling that the ¡®easy woman¡¯ Luce was a double-edged sword due to her strong inclination to keep people she cherished by her side and protect them.
She had been burdened by the guilt of being unable to protect the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath and Hansel, shaping her current self.
However, when wielded skillfully, a double-edged sword could cut through anything.
¡°Isaac, where were you going?¡±
¡°To the center. I heard it¡¯s a sweet spot, so I wanted to check it out. Can you take me there on the Thunderbird?¡±
Luce nodded with a smile.
I tried to read Luce¡¯s psychology again, out of habit, but quickly shut it down, feeling a shiver.
¡®Well, that¡¯s enough of that.¡¯
Preventing a bad ending is my top priority.
I forced a smile and turned to walk with the double-edged easy woman.
And then it happened.
¡°¡!¡±
Luce suddenly embraced me.
¡®What the heck!¡¯
I could feel the soft sensation and warmth of her chest against my own.
The smell of Luce¡¯s erotic body odor and the faint grassy smell of the fumes from the choro mushroom detoxification assaulted my sense of smell.
I looked down at Luce in surprise.
¡°Haah, haah¡¡±
She struggled to cling to my clothes. Her breath wasbored, as if she was suffering from a severe flu.
It seemed like the side effects of inhaling too many choro mushroom spores had kicked in.
Her earlier moans and blushing were partly due to her deteriorated physical state.
¡°Isaac¡ I¡¯m having a bit of trouble maintaining my bnce¡ I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t increase Galia¡¯s size either¡ I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t give you a ride¡¡±
¡°¡What are you apologizing for? You should rest here for a bit.¡±
Currently, it seemed impossible for Luce to increase Galia¡¯s size with her current mana control. There wasn¡¯t enough space on Galia for both me and Luce to ride¡
Anyway, the fact that I was trying to rely on someone like her for help made me feel guilty.
I held onto Luce¡¯s shoulders and guided her to sit against a nearby tree. Galia, even after being reduced to level 100 and shrunken, would be able to protect Luce, allowing me to leave her behind without concern.
And the side effects of the choro mushroom would disappear after a good night¡¯s sleep.
Shove.
But Luce pushed my arm away and shook her head.
¡°Stay with me, Isaac¡ I want to be with you. If I just catch my breath for a moment, I¡¯ll be fine again¡ And if I¡¯m not, we can ride around on the Galia¡¡±
Luce gently stroked my sleeve, the same area that had been charred by Rose¡¯s magic earlier.
¡°I¡¯ll protect you, Isaac¡ So pleasee see me more often. Don¡¯t get hurt like this¡¡±
Luce sped my wrist with the same slender hand that had been stroking my sleeve.
¡°If you get hurt¡ It hurts me so much¡¡± Her voice contained a hint of tears.
The effect of choro mushroom was to amplify the emotions harbored by the affected person.
Seeing Luce openly express her inner feelings as well as her vulnerability, I froze in ce. I felt as if a heavy iron weight was being pressed down on my heart.
¡®Is this a friend or a lover?¡¯
Hidden beneath Luce¡¯s usualnguage and nd remarks, there was something that unexpectedly ambushed me to stop me in my tracks, as if it were trying to freeze time.
I sighed and gently let go of Luce, startling her. I turned my back and sat down, bending one knee and stretching my arms back.
¡°Get on.¡±
I said as I slightly turned my head.
Luce looked puzzled, her face showing that she didn¡¯t understand what I meant.
¡°You said you wereing with me, right? I¡¯ll carry you.¡±
How can my heart not melt from all the concern she¡¯s showing me?
If anything, I wanted Luce to stay by my side. After all, I couldn¡¯t hate her.
Plus, with her by my side, Galia could fight morefortably.
¡°Hehe.¡±
Luce giggled yfully, and clung to my back without hesitation.
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and I grabbed onto her legs and stood up.
¡°It¡¯s not ufortable, is it?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Isaac. You won¡¯t get tired, will you?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m strong.¡±
Luce smirked.
¡°Galia, I¡¯m going to take a shortcut, so back me up.¡±
[Leave it to me.]
Galia¡¯s deep masculine voice echoed in my mind.
With that, I picked up Luce and set off. I trudged across the marsnd, stepping over the icebergs I had created.
I knew that since we had Galia, we would be safe.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
As soon as Luce¡¯s voice rang in my ear, a shiver ran down my spine. Her tone was like a sweet and seductive tactical weapon.
¡°What?¡± I replied emotionlessly.
¡°Your hands¡ are quite lewd,¡± Luce said with a faint smile.
She seemed to be referring to my hands that were supporting her legs.
¡Come to think of it, that was true. It had been so long since I had carried someone that I didn¡¯t realize I didn¡¯t need to grasp her thigh. Somehow, the sensation felt enchanting. It was making me blush.
I slid my arms further under her knees. Luce giggled at the sight, finding it amusing.
Thanks to Luce and Galia joining me, I didn¡¯t have to do much. They would take care of any demonic illusions or hostile familiars that might attack.
¡®Thank goodness, really.¡¯
If I were alone, this would have been a challenging section where I could be eliminated at any moment.
¡°Sniff. By the way, you don¡¯t smell like Isaac today¡?¡±
¡°That¡¯s because I used an odor remover.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±
There might be enemies who could track me by scent.
I masked my body odor with an odor remover I had purchased at an unmanned shop.
¡°But Isaac, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about¡¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Can you give me some¡ rtionship advice today as well?¡±
Luce¡¯s voice started to fade as she began to doze off.
Rtionship advice. I¡¯d been giving her nothing but stereotypical advice.
At first, when Luce first asked me to teach her how to be in a rtionship, I was stumped, but now it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. Humans are adaptable creatures, after all.
¡°What is it? Tell me.¡± I asked absentmindedly.
¡°If I had a crush on someone, and they were carrying me¡ what should I say?¡±
I stopped in my tracks. I involuntarily froze.
My head started to spin at her words.
Am I supposed to interpret this as her confessing that she likes me? But that wouldn¡¯t make sense, right?
¡°You¡ you like Greung, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡Ah.¡±
I realized I had misspoken.
Maybe it was just because of the situation where I was carrying her that such a question came to mind.
Asking, ¡®You like Greung, don¡¯t you?¡¯ here could easily be interpreted as, ¡®Are you confessing your feelings to me right now?¡¯ There was plenty of room for that interpretation.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡¡±
¡°I misunderstood. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
I moved on again.
¡°Is there something Isaac needs to apologize for¡?¡±
Luce buried her face in my shoulder. I could feel a feverish heat through the fabric.
Even if the side effects of the choro mushroom would improve with some sleep, I was deeply concerned about Luce¡¯s condition right now.
I kept a close eye on Luce to make sure nothing was wrong with her.
¡°Then, Isaac. I have a favor to ask¡ Can you please tell me something?¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
Kwagwang©¤©¤!
A demonic illusion popped out, but Galia killed it with a single thunderbolt.
I quickened my pace along that path.
Luce breathed heavily for a moment, then managed to calm herself and continued speaking.
¡°Tell me that Isaac is Greung¡ Please just say that¡¡±
I expected it.
Sorry, but that¡¯s not going to work.
To be honest, I don¡¯t trust Luce. At least until I defeat the Evil God, I intend to keep her from obtaining as much confirmation as possible.
If she found out, it would increase the potential for a bad ending. It was already hard enough to get stronger and focus on killing demons.
So when I defeat the Evil God and no longer have to worry about preventing bad endings¡
¡At that moment, I will reveal everything.
Well, surely she won¡¯t resort to torture by demanding, ¡®Say you¡¯re Greung.¡¯
¡Huh? She actually didn¡¯t?
¡°You¡¯re so stubborn, seriously. Of course, I¡¯m not. For you to do all of this just means you must like me or something, right?¡±
I intentionally used a casual tone to block Luce¡¯s line of questioning.
From Luce¡¯s perspective, she couldn¡¯t be fully certain unless she found definite proof that I was Greung.
This psychological distance was just right.
Luce wasn¡¯t in a position to freely pour out her emotions.
However, her next response was so unexpected, I found myself at a loss for words.
¡°Maybe I do¡¡±
Luce shed a faint smile.
Her soft whisper resonated in my mind like a distant echo.
¡°Luce¡?¡±
¡°¡¡±
After that, Luce didn¡¯t utter another word. I called her name repeatedly, but to no avail.
Her body went limp. Soft breaths followed one after another, gently seeping into my ear.
¡°Are you asleep?¡±
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips.
In the end, it seemed like Luce¡¯s body had fallen into a state of forced slumber to detoxify the effects of the choro mushroom.
Beep©¤©¤
Luce¡¯s bracelet signaled her elimination.
The exam bracelet continuously monitored the wearer¡¯s physical condition and signaled elimination when they became incapacitated. Luce¡¯s was no different.
I leaned Luce against a nearby tree. Galia, who had been providing support, settled down next to me.
Luce was sound asleep. Her head was tilted to the side, and her silky rose-gold hair dripped with rainwater.
When she wakes up, she¡¯ll have lost her memory.
¡°Galia, you¡¯ve done well. The proctor wille to take her away soon. You¡¯re eliminated along with your master, so just follow along.¡±
[What are you going to do?]
¡°I¡¯ll go where I¡¯m going. Thanks.¡±
I stretched my stiff shoulders, which had be sore from carrying Luce.
¡°I¡¯m off.¡±
[I have something to tell you, though.]
Galia gazed at me with his eyes crackling with lightning.
[When do you n to reveal your secret to this child?]
It was a natural question considering that Galia viewed Luce as if she were his own daughter.
¡°¡By the way, thank you for keeping the secret. I¡¯ll reveal it when the time is right.¡±
[Please don¡¯t bete. This child, she really likes you a lot, you know.]
¡±¡¡±
[I also want to meet my grandchildren soon¡]
¡°I¡¯m in a hurry, so I¡¯ll go. See you next time.¡±
I quickened my pace as if running away, interrupting Galia¡¯s unfiltered words.
As if to warn me to be careful, Galia spread one of his wings and waved at me. I waved my arm in return.
¡®Cheer up.¡¯
I took a deep breath topose myself. From now on, challenging moments awaited. I needed to avoidbat as much as possible to reach the center.
Let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll prevent a bad ending, just like I¡¯ve done until now.
I pushed through the dense forest toward the center.
¨C [Back Story ¨C Hunting Evaluation (2.5)] End.
Chapter 75: - Social Gathering (1)
? Social Gathering (1) ?
¡°Sir Issac, are you an idiot?¡±
Kaya assaulted me with a displeased expression on her face.
She even suggested that if I chose her, Zhonya¡¯s Staff would follow.
I couldn¡¯t choose Kaya even as a joke. It would seem like I was taking her feelings lightly.
Fortunately, Kaya¡¯s expression quickly eased as if she were treating it as a joke.
After some casual conversation, we parted ways.
Lastly, Kaya said, ¡°You¡¯ll probably think of me a lot before going to sleep tonight,¡± and sent me off with a sinister smile.
¡®This is awkward.¡¯
As I walked back to my dorm, I became engrossed in thought.
Kaya¡¯s affection was bing overly aggressive, causing me problems.
I felt the need to establish a clear stance on how to treat her¡ in the future.
As I expected, Kaya¡¯s demeanor returned to normal the following day.
¡°I-I apologize for acting so presumptuous yesterdayyyy¡ª-!¡±
As soon as Kaya saw me, her face flushed red, as if she were remembering what had urred yesterday, and screamed out an apology as she ran away.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel uncertain about when I would be able to have a proper conversation with her.
It was now evening, and the hue of the setting sun was prevalent in the sky.
After sses, I headed for the butterfly garden. Putting the issue of Kaya aside, I wanted to test out Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
It had been a while since Ist visited the butterfly garden, and the atmosphere was quite tranquil.
Only the sound of grass being swept in the autumn breeze could be heard.
It was a stark contrast to the bustling training grounds where many students had gathered to train. I could feel a sense of rxation wash over me.
¡°Oh¡¡±
When I caught sight of a female student leaning against a zelkova tree, I couldn¡¯t help but make an exmation of admiration.
Her long, violet hair cascaded down her shoulders from beneath her navy blue hat.
With both legs stretched out in front of her, she silently gazed into the evening sky.
She was a second year student and my senior, Dorothy Heartnova.
[Dorothy Heartnova] Level: 181
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Rock, Starlight
Danger: X
Psychology:[¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î]
¡®Keogh.¡¯
Is there an image more beautiful than this? No, Dorothy is just that beautiful. Ahh big sis is so beautiful and good to me, I¡¯m gonna die.
I was currently discussing what had urred on Elt Ind with her, assuring my story matched the one I had given to the Truth Investigation Committee.
Dorothy advised me to refrain from such dangerous actions, but didn¡¯t forget to express her relief that I was safe. She still had her moments of being a respectable senior.
Anyways, as I was admiring her goddess-like appearance, Dorothy¡¯s gaze focused on me.
Soon after, a bright smile blossomed on her face, akin to a flower in full bloom.
¡°President!¡±
¡°Senior.¡±
We exchanged identical smiles as we responded to each other.
Dorothy suddenly got up, hopping towards me before leaning closer to my face.
¡°Have you eaten¨C¡±
¡°Be my partner!¡±
Cutting off my words, Dorothy suddenly shouted a request at me.
¡®Her partner? Oh, she¡¯s talking about the social gathering.¡¯
The scenario was currently moving towards ¡¸Act 5 Scene 1: The Four Constetions¡¹.
To exin, excluding the student council, the four factions that were involved in the Academy¡¯s administrative policies were dubbed as the Four Constetions. Each of them were named after a constetion that existed in this world¡¯s night sky.
Act 5 focused on our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, entering one of the four factions, the ¡®Blue Wolf¡¯, where he found himself confused about everything.
Originally, the final boss of this act should have been Heinkel the Hoarder, but because I had already killed him, I couldn¡¯t predict how the story would unfold.
The four factions would gradually begin to recruit their members amongst the freshmen.
But before that, they would host a social gathering, arge-scale party that had be part of a tradition at the M?rchen Academy.
At the social gathering, students interested in romance would attend in pairs. It evoked simr romantic emotions to that of a cherry blossom viewing event or a festival.
While attendance was open to anyone, to enter the party¡¯s central area, one must receive a separate ¡®invitation¡¯ from one of the four factions. There, you could meet the key representatives of each faction.
¡®Having a partner would be nice.¡¯
In the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the events afterward would unfold differently depending on which heroine you chose as your partner. I remembered it as a very enjoyable Act.
It seemed Dorothy wanted to take me to the party as her partner.
¡°You¡¯re talking about the social gathering, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°I¡¯m touched.¡±
With shining eyes, I replied sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.
Dorothy had opened her heart to me, expressing her wish to take me to the gathering as her partner.
If I were to express my current emotions with bodynguage, not even a backflip would be enough.
As if my response satisfied her, she giggled.
¡°Nihihihi, as expected of my fan, you¡¯re so straightforward!¡±
¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to go.¡±
¡°But why?!¡±
Dorothy responded immediately, looking clearly discontent. Her expression hurt my heart.
¡°Because I have to train.¡±
I responded whilst shrugging, giving off the impression of someone who chose to study in the library alone in the midst of a festival.
My desire to have fun with Dorothy was higher than even the Tower of Babel. I also thought that it wouldn¡¯t hurt if I were to take the asional break.
However, going with her would attract a lot of attention.
I had already attracted the attention of other 1st year students by hanging out with Luce.
Moreover, this particr social gathering was a ce where students from all grades attended.
If I were to go with Dorothy, who was hailed as the Academy¡¯s greatest talent and someone who had received the blessings of Manha¡
The eyes of every student in the Academy would gather upon me,
What was worse, the student council president, Alice Carroll, would also be in attendance.
Therefore, it became necessary for me to avoid bing Dorothy¡¯s partner and attending the social gathering.
Dorothy squinted her eyes, giving me an intense stare before letting out a sigh. It was clear that she was annoyed by my response.
¡°Training fanatic. You¡¯re no fun.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Never mind that, where¡¯d you get that thing?¡±
Dorothy snuck a nce at the Zhonya¡¯s Staff I was holding in my left hand.
¡°I received it as a gift. For the time being, I n on practicing with it.¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡±
Dorothy didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in knowing who gave me the gift. Maybe she thought it wasn¡¯t an important detail.
Turning her back on me, she began walking toward the zelkova tree.
¡°I changed my mind. I don¡¯t want to go to the gathering either.¡±
¡°Senior?¡±
¡°As a training fanatic, you¡¯re no fun at all, President, but going to the gathering without you would be even less fun.¡±
Letting out a grunt, Dorothy leaned against the zelkova tree as she pulled a book out of her witch¡¯s hat.
¡®Who keeps something like that in their hat?¡¯
Regardless, I had to continue with what I had nned.
Before practicing with Zhonya¡¯s Staff, I decided to work on my rock magic as I felt I could unlock a new skill today.
As I channeled my elemental mana, a rock spell began to take form.
Time passed.
[Rock Elemental Spell [Rock Wall (¡ï4)] has been unlocked!] [Rock Elemental Spell [Rock Avnche (¡ï4)] has been unlocked!!]
The small golem familiar I had summoned earlier, Eden, was celebrating as he watched me use [Rock Avnche].
Perhaps due to devouring high-quality rock mana on Elt Ind, his growth elerated, as he had already reached level 85.
When I checked Eden¡¯s status window, it now noted him as a ¡®¡ï4 familiar. I was quite satisfied with his progress.
¡®Ah, what¡¯s his [Synchronization]?¡¯
While avoiding Dorothy¡¯s gaze, I cautiously scrolled through the status window.
[Familiars] Eden (Level: 85)
Grade: ¡ï4
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Friendship: 90
Synchronization: 75
Mana Consumption for Summoning: 350
¡°Oh, it went up a lot.¡±
If one¡¯s [Synchronization] with their familiar was high, they would be able to use some of their familiar¡¯s abilities.
It was like a partial summoning. For example, a high synchronization with an avian type familiar, would make one able to manifest its wings on their body.
In the case of someone like Eden¡ it would allow me to make a rock fist. Eden¡¯s skill of attaching and detaching rocks from himself would likelye into y.
Something like a rock armor might be useful, but it seemed to be difficult to raise my mana maniption to achieve something like that, so I elected to move on.
Compared to just encasing one¡¯s fist with rocks, making sure each individual te of armor fit one¡¯s body exactly without affecting their mobility would significantly increase the difficulty of mana maniption.
¡®Next¡¡¯
I was now focused on my primary goal for today. I picked up Kaya¡¯s gift, which I had left aside for the moment, Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
The sensation of gripping the staff was rather satisfying.
[Zhonya¡¯s Staff] A rare magic weapon crafted from the Philosopher¡¯s Tree. Adorned with a gemstone infused with the natural essence of dawn. It works especially well with the elements of water, ice, wind, and rock.
Rank: Tier 2
I gazed at the staff quietly, its outward appearance suiting me perfectly.
Let¡¯s try it.
Extending the gemstone part of Zhonya¡¯s Staff forward, I began to channel my mana.
¡®Now, I¡¯ll cast magic¡ huh?¡¯
For some reason, the mana I channeled into the staff seemed to be stuck, bing tangled like threads.
Magical weapons increased the power of one¡¯s spells, but control over one¡¯s mana became increasingly difficult, which was why many students struggled to use them.
I was now experiencing why.
This is harder than I thought¡
¡°Ugh¡¡±
[Kyuu?]
Grinding my teeth, I attempted to cast a spell using Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
I barely managed to manifest the spell at the tip of the staff.
¡¸Fr?t?fire (Ice Element, ¡ï4?)¡¹
Hwaaa©¤!
But all that appeared was a weak cold ember.
Turning on a gas stove would have been far more spectacr than this.
¡°Nyaha!!¡±
Behind me, I could hear a peculiarughter.
As I turned, I could see Dorothy, who was still leaning against the zelkova tree.
¡°Nyahahahaha-! Was that supposed to be a fart?¡±
Grabbing her belly, Dorothy continued to giggle gleefully.
While a wave of shame washed over me, I couldn¡¯t help but admit to myself how beautiful herughing face was.
¡°Ah, what should I do with you. President, you¡¯re so cute¡¡±
Tears began to well up in Dorothy¡¯s eyes, clearly greatly amused by the sight.
I couldn¡¯t help but admit that it really did look like a fart.
¡°I feel more motivated. Thank you for making fun of me, Senior.¡±
¡°Nihihihi, I¡¯ll make fun of you as much as you want.¡±
[Kyuu!]
Eden also seemed prepared to make fun of me whenever I needed it.
¡°Well¡ What happened just now couldn¡¯t be helped since I just started practicing with the staff. Even if it¡¯s as feeble as a fart right now, the end result will be magnificent.¡±
¡°I wonder how long it¡¯ll take before it bes magnificent. Nihihi.¡±
Eden raised one arm in agreement with my words.
Truly, the only one on my side was Eden.
***
¡®I feel like I¡¯m losing it¡¡¯
It was a pitch-ck night.
Navigating the ground using Zhonya¡¯s Staff, I headed toward Briggs Hall, a middle-tier dorm.
In order to properly wield a magic weapon, you were required to go through an intricate mana control process, which was quite taxing mentally.
If I had topare it to studying, it would be like reading a textbook with hundreds of problems written in tiny characters, each requiring a precise answer.
¡°Hmm?¡±
As I was about to enter Briggs Hall, I noticed the mana stone in my mailbox emitting a faint blue light.
The fact that it was glowing meant something was inside my mailbox.
¡®Did I have anything I should be receiving?¡¯
There shouldn¡¯t be anything though.
When I opened the mailbox and saw a letter addressed to me, I pulled it out and held it up.
¡°¡?¡±
My mind, already exhausted from wielding a magic weapon, became even more confused.
On the bright red envelope, a red elephant, the symbol of one of the Four Constetions that represented the ¡®Red Elephant¡¯ was engraved onto it.
¡®Why am I receiving this?¡¯
This letter was an official invitation to the social gathering hosted by the Four Constetions. This gave me the right to enter the central area of the party.
It could also grant me the right to join the Red Elephant constetion.
¡¸Act 5, Chapter 1, The Four Constetions¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? began with Ian Fairytale receiving an invitation.
These invitations were primarily sent to exceptional students or special individuals like Ian, who possessed the light element.
This was all to increase the influence of their respective faction.
In other words, this invitation wasn¡¯t meant for someone like me.
¡°¡¡±
My intuition began to scream at me.
It felt like Act 5, which I had brushed off without much thought, was entangling me in something very bad.
You can rate this serieshere.
Chapter 76: - Social Gathering (2)
? Social Gathering (2) ?
¡°Isaac¡ He must absolutely be recruited.¡±
Within M?rchen Academy, there were a total of five factions that could influence how the Magic Department ran. Excluding the student council, the remaining four were known as the Four Constetions, each of which were fittingly named after a constetion.
The ck Tiger.
The Blue Wolf.
The Golden Eagle.
The Red Elephant.
The bnce of power between the Four Constetions shifted based on the results of the student council elections. Depending on which faction the president originated from, the influence of that constetion would grow.
For example, the student council president Alice Carroll was affiliated with the Golden Eagle constetion, meaning they currently possessed the greatest authority among the Four Constetions. Some members of the Golden Eagle were also a part of the student council.
Since the constetion affiliated with the student council president tended to monopolize power, the academy also granted a certain level of authority to the other constetions. This allowed the other constetions to keep the student council in check.
As a member of the student council, one could wield immense authority at M?rchen Academy. Moreover, it granted a tremendous amount of recognition following one¡¯s graduation from the academy.
To understand why Isaac received an invitation from the Four Constetions, we have to go back a few days after the conclusion of the Hunting Evaluation.
¡®Elephas Hall¡¯ upied a corner of M?rchen Academy. In front of the courtyard, the sight of the spinning water wheel apanied by the blooming trees created andscape reminiscent of an eastern nation.
In that ce stood a towering wooden building. It served as the headquarters of the Red Elephant constetion.
A red elephant that symbolized the organization was engraved on the office walls.
Seated behind a desk in that office was a muscr man, apanied by a pair of female secretaries with lifeless eyes.
With his dark red hair and intimidating aura, it was hard to believe that the man seated behind the desk was a student.
That man was the leader of the Red Elephant Constetion, ¡®Malrog¡¯.
A female student with sses stood in front of him and stuttered as she spoke.
¡°W-we absolutely must recruit him before the other constetions¡!¡±
Eva Hielov, who gathered information for the Red Elephant faction, appeared visibly tense.
It was a result of the pressure being evoked by Malrog, enhancing her fear that stemmed from the first semester.
Soon, the Four Constetions would be able to recruit first year students as members of their respective factions, causing an all-out war to acquire new talent.
In the first semester, Eva had rmended individuals to be recruited based on the information she had gathered, but she wasn¡¯t able to utter his name.
¡ª Keep what you¡¯ve learned between us if possible. Otherwise, who knows what Dorothy might do.
The words of Dorothy¡¯s white cat famiiar, E, echoed in her head, her intuition recognizing it as a threat.
However, Eva had already made up her mind over the vacation.
¡°Isaac? Who is that?¡±
Malrog questioned in amanding voice.
It was clear to an outside observer that he was looking down on her.
It wasn¡¯t strange that Malrog had never heard Isaac¡¯s name before.
Isaac was only the subject of rumors amongst the first years.
Very few amongst the second and third years had even heard of his name.
¡°He¡ is an irregr existence.¡±
Amoner that didn¡¯t even have ast name. A man considered to be the weakest of the weak.
However, he was no mere underachiever.
Luce Eltania, the overwhelming freshman top seat who was cold to everyone she faced, showed favoritism to Isaac alone.
Furthermore, the second seat Kaya Astrean and third seat Ciel Carnedas also sided with Isaac during the end-of-semester evaluation.
But the most surprising of all was that Dorothy Heartnova, the strongest powerhouse within M?rchen Academy, also had a close rtionship with Isaac.
Additionally, his growth was astonishing. Within just half a year, he had risen from Grade E mana to Grade C+. It was an aplishment nobody would be able to deny. Now, nobody would be able to predict how much he would grow.
For that reason, Eva confessed everything she knew to Malrog.
¡°¡¡±
As Malrog listened to Eva¡¯s confession, his eyebrows furrowed.
It was clear he was intrigued.
* * *
¡°This is unexpected.¡±
[What do you mean?]
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 5, Chapter 1, Four Constetions¡¹ would begin with Ian Fairytale receiving an invitation.
In [Act 5, Chapter 1], Ian would attend the social gathering.
In [Act 5, Chapter 2], he would befriend the disguised Leafa.
In [Act 5, Chapter 3], he would confront the Red Elephant faction as a member of the Blue Wolf faction.
In [Act 5, Chapter 4], Heinkel the Hoarder would infiltrate the gathering and fight against Ian.
Currently, [Act 5, Chapter 1] was about to begin.
Ian, alongside the yer¡¯s chosen heroine, would spend a romantic evening at the social gathering, and face off against the Four Constetions for the first time.
Each respective faction would then engage in psychological warfare in an attempt to recruit Ian, who possessed the rare light element as their own.
¡®Although, where Ian goes has already been decided.¡¯
Following the original scenario, he would choose the Blue Wolf faction.
This was because the leader of the Blue Wolf faction, ¡®Ray Rasmorgan¡¯, was an all-rounder gifted in both swordsmanship and magic. Ian¡¯s ideal.
Anyways.
At the central area of the social gathering, the Four Constetions would host an event for the students who had received invitations.
Whenever the time came, they would roll a ball filled with treasure. As students channeled their mana, the ball would roll in the direction where the greatest concentration of mana could be felt.
It wasn¡¯t that the treasure-containing ball had a will of its own. It merely moved towards the student whose mana resonated best with the treasure inside the ball.
From there, Ian would receive another treasure known as ¡®Cherubim¡¯s Ne.¡¯, which amplified the power of his light magic.
The reason such an overpowered item was given as a reward at a mere social gathering was simple.
While it may have seemed like nothing but a pretty trinket to others, its true value had not yet been recognized.
This was because the light element had not appeared within the academy until now, preventing others from grasping the true radiance of the item.
If worn by a demon, it would transform into a ¡®Fallen Angel¡¯s Ne¡¯, amplifying the demon¡¯s abilities instead. Consequently, some clever demons attempted to steal the ne during the second semester.
Well, Cherubim¡¯s Ne was nothing more than a trinket for me, but Ian absolutely needed this item. Therefore, I had to find a way to smoothly give him the ne without any variables arising.
It was night. I was currently at Briggs Hall viewing the contents of the invitation sent to me by the Red Elephant faction, noting the fancy decorations attached.
As Imented on the strange situation, Hilde questioned me about it.
She had transformed from a small orb of light to something that resembled a flickering me. Within its form, I could see her pale blue eyes glisten.
Her transformation was likely due to my increase in mana.
¡°It seems like Eva Hielov sold me out.¡±
[You must be talking about the Four Constetions you spoke ofst time.]
The contents of the letter were filled to the brim with information on ¡®Isaac¡¯.
You are a promising individual whose Mana Grade has risen from Grade E to Grade C+ in only one semester. As well as someone who sessfully cast 5-star magic as a first year student.
To you, who has reached such heights in this short period of time, I offer you my respect¡
¡®What a load of nonsense.¡¯
The Red Elephant faction only pursued their own interests. Even though my rate of growth might be much faster than the other students, that alone wasn¡¯t a reason for them to send me an invitation.
¡®I¡¯m sure it was Eva who convinced them to recruit me.¡¯
I knew each person responsible for gathering information amongst the Four Constetions. For the Red Elephant faction, it was Eva Hielov.
¡®The reason they sent me an invitation is probably because of Luce.¡¯
While there had been some rumors circting about Luce and I having a certain rtionship, it was nothing more than baseless gossip amongst the first years.
Perhaps the Red Elephant faction believed that if they recruited me, Luce would follow. Eva¡¯s persuasion likely yed a key role in that.
¡®¡Maybe she really would.¡¯
The more I thought about it, the more I could imagine Luce following me¡
In the original story, Luce didn¡¯t join any faction, as it would restrict her freedom.
She truly was exceptional.
¡°¡¡±
I leaned back in my chair and deeply pondered the situation.
I had made a strong effort to keep a low profile, and I even nned to skip the social gathering to focus on training. I just wanted to make sure Ian had received Cherubim¡¯s Ne using [irvoyance].
There shouldn¡¯t be any demons or variables during this part of the game.
Still, there was also no guarantee that the story would follow the original¡
¡®I¡¯m being toocent.¡¯
My goal was to prevent any and all bad endings, meaning I always had to be focused on the progression of the main story.
Based on my knowledge of the game, I considered all possible variables and potential oues.
From there, I thought about my potential courses of action. I had to be as cautious as possible, yet also assume that the worst-case scenario would happen.
Just when I hade up with a n, Hilde asked me another question.
[What are you nning to do now? I was under the impression that you wanted to avoid drawing attention from the Four Constetions?]
I had informed Hilde of many things regarding the academy. Although I hadn¡¯t expressly stated my ultimate goal of defeating the Evil God, Hilde already knew many things about me.
¡°To start, I have to investigate to see if anything concerning is happening. Since I have [irvoyance], I should easily be able to discover anything significant, like their stronghold.¡±
I needed to see if Eva Hielov had stopped at just spreading my information, or if any dangerous variables arose with the disappearances of Heinkel the Hoarder and Leafa the Illusive.
I need to investigate as much as possible before the start of the social gathering.
¡°I have to go borrow some formal clothing since they¡¯ll be out of stock if I wait too long.¡±
[The formal wear of this age¡! Ahem, I want to wear it too.]
¡°¡Sorry, I¡¯ll get you some when you can actually manifest your true form.¡±
[¡!]
[Frost Dragon Hilde] Psychology: [Excited for the day when she can wear a beautiful dress.]
Despite her current form resembling a flickering me, I could see her two eyes sparkling with excitement.
I didn¡¯t understand why she was so excited over a dress, since her true form should be that of a dragon.
Nheless, I decided to understand her feelings. After all, she was still a girl. Later on, when she bes a baby dragon, I should get her an improved version of the dress.
Before the social gathering began, my investigation of the Four Constetions waspleted.
Naturally, I found out that the original story had already been significantly distorted.
Chapter 77: - Social Gathering (3)
? Social Gathering (3) ?
¡°Gahhh!! You¡¯re weak!!¡±
No matter howte it was, Lisetta Lionheart felt unable to leave the training grounds.
As she wielded her gem-studded Rock Bat, Lisetta continually cast rock magic against demonic illusions. She had already defeated several high-level illusions but remained unsatisfied.
Lisetta didn¡¯t know how long she had been fighting for.
Drenched in sweat, she exhaled, giving her a brief moment of respite.
Suddenly, she cried out to herself, repeatedly ming her own weakness.
¡°One more time!!¡±
The demonic illusions reappeared, taking the form of 5 minotaurs. However, after a brief skirmish, all the illusions had been defeated.
Still, she wasn¡¯t satisfied.
The rock magic that so many had praised her for until now, was a source of great pride for her.
However, her magic now felt incredibly dull.
It was all because Isaac, who had apanied her inside the body of the underground giant, felt so much greater inparison.
As Lisetta sank in the mud, she reflected on the strong sense of dejection she had felt, apanied by a sense of inferiority.
¡°Ha, I don¡¯t feel better at all.¡±
Within the spacious dome-shaped arena, only Lisetta¡¯smentation could be heard.
Her ideal man was someone her own age who was stronger than her. That was one of the reasons why she had chosen to attend M?rchen Academy.
While it may seem that she had finally found such a man, he was far beyond her.
All she wanted was a man who could defeat her after a long and fierce fight.
The difference in strength between her and Isaac was sorge that she felt it could pierce the heavens.
It was as though he was from apletely different world.
Rather than curiosity, excitement, admiration, or affection, Lisetta only felt fear and helplessness.
That line of thought inevitably led her to feel shame about her past. Had she really been so full of herself? Did she really think she was that strong? Was it so wrong for her to only look for potentially strong partners?
¡°Maybe it would¡¯ve been better if I had never met him.¡±
Lisetta closed her eyes and sighed.
This was something she had repeatedly thought about over the course of the past few days.
In the pitch-ck evening, Lisetta left the training grounds, noting how eerily quiet the academy was.
As she lowered her head, she gazed at her own trembling hands.
Even if she continually trained for hundreds, even thousands of hours, could she eventually reach Isaac?
Isaac, who effortlessly manipted high-ranking familiars that transcended her imagination and effortlessly cast powerful spells.
There was a long way to go, but she had no idea where to begin to ovee this inferiorityplex.
Lisetta walked forward, clenching her trembling hands into fists.
***
Even a weekter, the quiet autumn night remained vibrant.
It was now the eve of the social gathering hosted by the Four Constetions.
The gathering would be hosted at ¡®Pce Hall¡¯.
Consisting of four separate buildings and arge tower, Pce Hall was a venue reserved for special asions andrge-scale academic events.
With three of the buildings surrounding the fourth, it formed a unique configuration.
The building in the center was the main party area where only students who had received invitations to the Four Constetions could enter.
The party space in each building was magnificent in its own way, and there was enough space to amodate potentially every student in M?rchen Academy.
The orchestra yed the strings of the vielle and rebec, and performed on a long tromba marina. The sound of the plucked strings from a convex medium-sized organ blended into the performance. Various instruments filled the party atmosphere with a refreshing melody that was just right for the asion.
The students present were enjoying the food and music as they danced, elegantly dressed in formal attire.
¡°Ha! Truly, this is a fitting asion for me!¡±
At the luxurious heart of Pce Hall, dubbed A Hall, many of the top students from various departments within the department were gathered.
This included the Magic Department, Knight Department, and Alchemy Department.
Amongst the students was a vain noble noted for his blond hair, Tristan Humphrey. He leaned on the railing of the second floor, raised his wine ss, and cried out joyfully.
Heughed alongside the other top ss B students and toasted to each other. They had also received an invitation from the Four Constetions.
Nearby, Mateo Jordana, a male student with light brown hair briefly nced at them before returning his focus to his food.
As amoner, it was rare for him to enjoy such luxurious food. It would be a waste not to eat it.
Sat near him was a ck-haired male student named Ian Fairytale, who was engaged in a conversation while enjoying his meal.
Tristan¡¯s vain ramblings had be a part of their daily lives.
¡°Oh¡¡±
¡°Lady Kaya, I¡¯ve heard of you, but I never imagined you¡¯d be so beautiful¡¡±
Suddenly, Mateo heard the admiring voices of his fellow students. By looking around, he could see that the focus of their admiration was a female student of the Magic Department.
The one attracting their attention was a lovely freshman girl with emerald green hair.
It was Kaya Astrean, the second seat of the Magic Department.
With her charming appearance and grace befitting a member of the Astrean family, many of the male students continually looked on in awe.
¡®Sir Isaac, I want to see you¡¡¯
Unfazed by their gazes, Kaya licked her lips.
Vibrant red eyes. She had taken on her dark personality.
¡®I put so much effort into my outfit too.¡¯
Kaya was dressed in a striking dark green dress, intentionally choosing a short skirt that entuated her legs.
She had intentionally chosen this revealing attire, determined to seduce Isaac during this gathering.
Instead of her usual twin-tails, her hair was intricately braided in an updo style.
Kaya also wore various luxurious essories, which added to her noble appearance.
Elsewhere, a beautiful girl was devouring a tomahawk steak in a way unbefitting of her noble appearance.
She was wearing a yellow dress, and her orange hair was styled in a ponytail.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
¡®Is that bastard noting?¡¯
Even though she was devouring her favorite meat, Lisetta¡¯s mind was elsewhere.
More specifically, she was thinking about Isaac. He, who was undoubtedly stronger than anyone present, hadn¡¯t revealed himself.
Well, he had his reasons for pretending to be weak, so it was possible he hadn¡¯t been invited. After all, he was a monster capable of hiding his mana.
Lisetta thought to herself, chewing on her meat.
¡°Huhu. It¡¯s nothingpared to the texture of a hundred-year-old pork that has been frozen in the north, but it¡¯s delicious enough.¡±
A girl with short pink hair, Keridna Whiterk, wasughing softly as she answered the question of her ssmates on whether she liked the food or not.
However, she didn¡¯t let her true thoughts show.
When she first entered the social gathering, she worried that she might run into Isaac.
However, it seemed he had failed to receive an invitation to A Hall. Otherwise, he would already be here.
That thought brought a sense of peace to Keridna.
Because Isaac is terrifying¡!
¡°Is the top seat noting?¡±
Her interest shifted to the top seat within the Magic Department, Luce Eltania. She was someone who definitely received an invitation from the Four Constetions, yet she was nowhere to be found.
Although it was difficult for Keridna to have positive feelings regarding Luce, she knew having a good rtionship with her would be beneficial for the future.
Despite being close to a sociopath and refusing to interact with anyone but Isaac, Luce was an exceptional individual.
With the party being so lighthearted, today should have been the perfect opportunity¡ but it seemed Luce had no interest in the gathering at all.
Such a shame.
Soon afterwards, the elegant arched doorway of the venue opened.
As Keridna reflexively looked over to the entrance, her face turned pale.
The person who entered was a male student with tousled silver-blue hair.
It was Isaac.
As Isaac entered, his bangs were curled upwards, and his white suit perfectlyplimented his well-toned physique. Additionally, his friendly demeanor seemed quite genuine.
The students of the Magic Department were taken quite aback, as they didn¡¯t understand how he was able to attend without being kicked out at the entrance.
Students from other departments also snuck nces at Isaac, with the female students taking sight of his charm.
Lisetta red, Keridna¡¯s eyes shook in fear, and Kaya¡¯s eyes widened in awe.
¡°¡!¡±
THUMP!
Kaya¡¯s heart almost stopped, the sensation making her want to vomit blood.
The sight of the silver-blue-haired student passing through the doorway wasn¡¯t something Kaya could mentally handle, but she did her best to endure it as she bit down on her lip.
¡®Ah, Sir Isaac¡ have you decided to kill me¡!? H-how can you be so cooooool¡!?¡¯
Kaya couldn¡¯t help but blush at Isaac¡¯s appearance. She turned her head to the side as she covered her cheeks with a sinisterugh.
He¡¯s so handsome¡!
In reality, there were several people in the room as handsome as Isaac, but in Kaya¡¯s eyes, he was the most handsome of all.
In Kaya¡¯s eyes, he was exuding charm from head to toe.
The urge to wrap herself in wind magic and fly straight into Isaac¡¯s arms was overwhelming. However, she couldn¡¯t do as she pleased.
¡®Since Sir Isaac said to pretend not to know him¡.¡¯
She had to restrain herself like how they had agreed upon before.
She wasn¡¯t allowed to interfere with his actions.
¡°You. How did you get in here?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
At that moment, Tristan Humphrey approached Isaac with a displeased expression.
It was clear he was unhappy at the fact that Isaac had been allowed into the same A Hall as him.
¡°This isn¡¯t a ce for the likes of you. With your level of skill, you shouldn¡¯t have received an invitation from the Four Constetions.¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes darkened as she expressionlessly began walking towards Tristan.
The sight of Tristan raising his voice at Sir Isaac was disgusting.
¡°No matter how strong you may have gotten, your mana is still pathetic. How could you, who doesn¡¯t have any remarkable abilities, have received an invita-¡±
As Kaya contemted sending Tristan flying with her wind magic, someone ced their hand on his shoulder.
Tristan wore a confused expression as he turned to see who had restrained him, but quickly gulped in terror.
It was Lisetta Lionheart.
¡°I don¡¯t usually meddle in these matters.¡±
Lisetta approached Tristan and quietly whispered into his ear.
¡°But shut up and go away if you want to live.¡±
A single bead of sweat appeared on Lisetta¡¯s forehead as she issued her warning.
Lisetta felt a growing sense of foreboding as she watched Tristan taunt Isaac, she was unable to remain still. Saying such things to him was suicidal.
If an aspiring knight challenged theirmander, their fellow knights might feel a simr emotion.
It felt as though Lisetta was watching a simr situation unfold before her.
The only difference was that Isaac was a true monster.
Lisetta believed it was her duty to save a fellow human, no matter how little she cared about that person.
It was a reasonable decision considering Lisetta was unaware of what Tristan had done to Isaac up until now.
¡°I¡¯m off¡!¡±
Lisetta swiftly separated herself from Tristan and ran off. She didn¡¯t want to be near Isaac any longer.
¡®What was that¡?¡¯
Tristan¡¯s mind became muddled.
Lisetta Lionheart, what that feisty woman had essentially said was to stop immediately if he didn¡¯t want to die.
Why in the world was she taking Isaac¡¯s side?
Suddenly, Tristan recalled the ss cement evaluation during the first semester. Kaya Astrean, who was currently present, had also taken Isaac¡¯s side.
Even during the end-of-semester evaluation, Luce Eltania had protected Isaac.
¡°¡¡±
He didn¡¯t know the reason.
However, one thing was for certain. A student from ss A who was far stronger than him was siding with Isaac.
He was trying to catch a fish, but that fish was surrounded by predators such as sharks and killers whales protecting it.
Tristan was engulfed with a sense of danger.
¡°I don¡¯t know what Lisetta told you.¡±
Suddenly, Isaac began conversing with Tristan.
¡°But it¡¯s been a while. Good to see you.¡±
After lightly tapping Tristan¡¯s shoulder, he walked past him.
Tristan was left speechless.
Chapter 78: - Social Gathering (4)
? Social Gathering (4) ?
¡®Senior Dorothy, please be my partner.¡¯
In the Pce Hall where the social gathering was taking ce.
At the party venue of the third building, a certain female student was sitting alone against the wall while sipping wine.
She had flowing purple hair and was dressed in an elegant purple dress. Thanks to her asking her maid for assistance, her makeup was more intricate than usual.
In the ce where her usual witch hat sat, a pretty flower-shaped hairpin was ced.
The girl was Dorothy Heartnova, the sophomore top seat of the Magic Department.
She was spending her time in boredom.
All this while, she had been greeting her ssmates, juniors and seniors, while turning down invitations from male students with a smile on her face.
While Dorothy sat there, sipping on sour wine for no apparent reason, the students cast a curious side nce at her.
The dress Dorothy was currently wearing was something she had already prepared for the social gathering since the vacation. She was looking forward to attending the gathering with Isaac.
Though he ended up rejecting her invitation, she thought that there was no need to feel bothered by it.
She thought that it was alright. As long as she was with him, it would be okay. She would still be happy. It wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t understand his reasons. Her chest just felt a little numb.
But the evening before, Isaac asked Dorothy to be his partner, and she was overjoyed by it.
©¤ Ah?! Did you change your mind?
©¤ Yes. I¡¯m sorry for changing my mind, Senior.
©¤ Don¡¯t be, don¡¯t be! Nihihi. President~ It was hard refusing this big sis¡¯ offer after all~?
©¤ Of course. I¡¯m your biggest fan.
©¤ But what should I do? The shock of being rejected once hasn¡¯tpletely subsided yet~ If the President doesn¡¯t escort me sincerely, I don¡¯t think the shock will go away~
©¤ I¡¯ll escort you, even if it costs my life.
©¤ I like your sense of duty! I love it!
©¤ But senior, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you.
©¤ ¡?
However, it seemed Isaac couldn¡¯t fully enjoy the gathering.
©¤ Can you wait for me until 9 pm?
©¤ Huh? Why? 9 pm iste, isn¡¯t it? You can¡¯t enjoy the party much by then¡
©¤ I have a situation, and to be honest, I¡¯m embarrassed to ask you to be my partner.¡¯
©¤ President?
©¤ But, if I were to go to the gathering anyway, I want to enjoy it with you, Senior.
Isaac was an interesting man.
Because he always showed his affection.
Pure unconditional affection. His feelings made her feel warm just by seeing them.
However, asionally, he would show a sense of concern towards her. The emotion he disyed yesterday was a prime example.
¡°The President is so shameless. He just does whatever he wants.¡±
Dorothy grumbled with a pouty look, putting both her hands on her chin.
Slowly, she got a bit drunk, with her cheeks getting red.
¡°If you say that, how can I not wait¡¡±
Even if Dorothy was hailed as the strongest powerhouse in M?rchen Academy.
To Isaac, she was a woman that he worried about.
That thought slightly pricked Dorothy¡¯s pride, but she didn¡¯t hate it.
* * *
[A demon has been detected nearby.]
It took me a week to change my mind.
The thought of being able to predict the flow of the story and prevent bad endings from the shadows was merely arrogance.
Unless I crossed that line, I had to be prepared for some noticeable risk.
¡®Because the scenario is already a mess.¡¯
Heinkel the Hoarder and Leafa the Illusive, who were supposed to appear in the second semester, died early.
The effect of their death brought an unexpected entity.
That was the ¡®demon¡¯ in this gathering.
They were one of the beings that I didn¡¯t want to meet early on.
¡®Ugh, I¡¯m getting nervous.¡¯
As my body trembled violently, I regted my breath to calm myself down.
The effect of the passive skill of [Ice Sovereign] had helped me a lot in that regard.
Now, calm down and get a grip. You can do this. Let¡¯s do this.
Soon enough, the students diverted their attention away from me and Tristan and went back to enjoying the gathering. It seemed they were not interested in the trivial troubles of students they didn¡¯t know about.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Afraid of you.]
I thought about thanking her, but Lisetta quickly looked away from me. Based on her psychology, it would be best not to approach her now.
As we had discussed, Kaya acted as if she didn¡¯t know me. As a result, the other boys who had been staring at me began to lose interest in me.
¡®Ugh, boys.¡¯
As I remembered from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it seemed girls like Kaya were getting a lot of attention from boys.
Although I could understand why they kept ring at me, it wasn¡¯t pleasant to be so wary all the time.
¡®If Luce were here, it would have been even more chaotic.¡¯
Luce and Kaya. The presence of these two heroines must have driven the male students crazy because of how beautiful they were. it wasn¡¯t hard to see why they became my favorite characters.
However, Luce didn¡¯t attend the gathering.
©¤ Isaac, are you going to the social gathering?
©¤ I¡¯m thinking about it~ What about you?¡¯
©¤ It might be difficult for me. I want to be with Isaac regardless of it¡ but I have an important appointment to attend.
A few days ago, I had a conversation with Luce under a tree in the corner of the garden. My goal was to check on the scenario.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, during a conversation with Luce.
If the yer didn¡¯t choose the cheesy option, ¡®Be my partner. I want to attend the party with you,¡¯ she won¡¯t go to the social gathering.
Today, she made an appointment with Eldork Magic Tower through M?rchen Academy. It was a benefit only the absolute top-ranked students could get.
There were no magic towers that didn¡¯t covet an exceptional talent like Luce, so such an appointment would happen asionally in the future.
Even with her aversion towards humans, she should still be able to handle the official conversations with the Magic Tower somehow.
Someday, Luce would be an exalted Tower Master and carve her name into history. I admired her for pursuing her goal.
Even Eva Hielov, the information broker, caught my attention.
Since it was recruitment time for the Four Constetions, there was no need for information gatherers to hide their identities. Besides, no one in A Hall would dislike a broker who could help them secure a position in the Four Constetions.
Eventually, the orchestra stopped ying.
When telekic magic was cast on some of the glowingmps, the party venue became dim.
Not long after, only the glowingmp on the stage, hidden behind a curtain, started to emit bright light.
It was starting. The students fell silent and turned their gaze toward the glowing stage.
Soon, jazz-like music began to y, and the curtains were lifted.
A well-dressed male student revealed himself on the stage.
He brushed his bangs back, but he couldn¡¯t hide his cheerful expression.
He was holding a small microphone. It was the host of the party.
¡°Greetings, my juniors who are here by the invitation of the Four Constetions. I am Luigi Camare, the host of the A Hall party!¡±
The host, Luigi Camare, bowed his head with a smile and the students apuded.
¡°I won¡¯t talk for long. As you all know, the Four Constetions, who organized this event, are a powerful organization with influence over the administration of M?rchen Academy! It is also a qualification to join in the student council election, and simply being part of the Four Constetions is considered a great honor.¡±
Luigi continued.
¡°Especially for you, who are some of the most promising talents amongst the first year students, the Four Constetions will be the wings that help you soar higher than ever before!
Now, let¡¯s wee the heads of the Four Constetions. Please give them a round of apuse!¡±
The orchestra changed to y a majestic tune.
The glowingmps began to illuminate the third-floor balcony.
From the passage, students who held power higher than the student council began to walk out.
¡®As expected.¡¯
The faces that I anticipated appeared before my eyes.
¡°Head of the ck Tiger Constetion. ¡®Erica Hellraud¡¯!
Head of the Blue Wolf Constetion. ¡®Ray Rasmorgan¡¯!
Head of the Golden Eagle Constetion. ¡®Brown Falkborough¡¯!
Head of the Red Elephant Constetion¡!¡±
¡®Malrog the Envious¡¯
[Malrog the Envious] Lv: 155
Race: (Human)
Elements: Dark, Rock
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Wants to steal the Cherubim¡¯s Ne and kill everyone present.]
Red sports hair and a stocky build, a fierce-looking man.
It was said that he became the new leader after a vote that was held recently.
His preparation was so sloppy that it wouldn¡¯t take long before his identity was revealed.
Luigi introduced him as ¡®Malrog Bryer¡¯, but hisst name was just a pseudonym.
Malrog the Envious.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, he was a viin who appeared in the first year of the second semester. He was the sworn brother to Leafa the Illusive, and simrly, could turn himself into a human.
Leafa had told Malrog not to reveal his true form because it would interfere with his ns.
However, due to Leafa being defeated during the first semester, Malrog appeared early.
¡®The demon who wishes to be human¡¡¯
The two demons, Leafa and Malrog had simr abilities, but there were stark differences between them.
That was Malrog¡¯s desire to be human.
Because of that, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Malrog tried to steal the Cherubim¡¯s Ne from Ian.
With it, the demon¡¯s power would be amplified, and his ability to transform into a human would beplete.
When Cherubim¡¯s Ne appeared, Malrog¡¯s eyes would light up.
Furthermore, he hated humans with promising futures. It was a mentality that stemmed from the demons¡¯ inherent bloodlust and simple jealousy.
Not only were they born into the human life he had desired, but they even thrived among them, which enraged him.
In the scenario, Malrog revealed his true form in front of a gathering of top students.
Perhaps he wanted to use me to lure Luce in, or he simply wanted to kill her.
In other words, Malrog would go on a rampage here, where Cherubim¡¯s Ne and the top students were gathered.
My goal was to stop him.
¡®The problem is that he isn¡¯t ssified as a demon¡¡¯
The reason why he was one of the demons I didn¡¯t want to meet early on was because, as long as he remained in his human form, he would be ssified as a human.
This meant that until he showed his true form, the condition to activate [Hunter] wouldn¡¯t be fulfilled.
¡®If only Dorothy could use her powers.¡¯
Dorothy¡¯s body was still bound by the curse.
Malrog was a natural-born demon. Dorothy¡¯s presence here or her use of magic against him, would only elerate the curse.
I shouldn¡¯t let her fight natural born demons until she safely passed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 6, Floating Ind¡¹, the act where she was supposed to lose her life.
Luigi gave a brief exnation of the heads of the Four Constetions. Since I already knew them all, I didn¡¯t need to hear it.
The four heads sat on their pre-nned seats.
After that, Luigi moved on to the next topic.
¡°And! I¡¯m sure many of you have been waiting for this moment~ Today, right here! I would like to share with you the treasury owned by the Four Constetions in the M?rchen Academy treasure vault.¡±
M?rchen Academy Treasure Vault. It was buried in a confidential area only known to the headmistress Elena, and a very select few academy staff.
The wagon containing those treasures was also secretly moved here.
¡°The treasure will choose the one who resonates with its mana as their master. I will present the treasure to those they deem worthy!¡±
On the stage, next to Luigi, a man appeared pushing a luxurious wagon. On it was filled with treasures that were neatly organized.
Next to them, there were transparent round cases with gold rims, neatly arranged like egg trays.
However, the student¡¯s eyes were fixed on the man who pulled the wagon, not the wagon itself.
In contrast with the luxurious stage, he appeared out of ce.
Tall. His body, elongated like a stretch dough, gave him an eerie appearance.
His body was as limp as a jellyfish, and his skin was as pitch ck as the night.
His spiky white hair was a stark contrast to his skin color.
His dark purple gaze turned towards the host, Luigi, clearly revealing his nonhuman appearance.
¡°Wh- what¡¯s¡ that¡?¡±
A student pointed at the monster that was pulling the wagon. His voice and fingers were trembling.
The crowd was filled with confusion and fear about the monster¡¯s existence.
Somehow, Luigi continued speaking as if he was oblivious and didn¡¯t notice anything.
¡°We will hold the treasured event throughout the party, so please enjoy them¡!
¡¸Hydro Cannon (Water Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Bang©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
In an instant, a blue magic circle was deployed, shooting out a high-pressure water ball.
The spot where the host, Luigi, was standing was instantly engulfed by it. Luigi was swept away by the spell, hit a wall, and fell to the floor.
Hey on the floor, trembling and coughing out blood.
The orchestra, taken aback, stopped ying.
Silence filled the air. Not even a breath could be heard from anyone.
The situation was so sudden that the students struggled to wrap their heads around it.
The creature that had sent Luigi flying now turned his head towards the audience.
The man had a creepy smile that stretched from ear to ear.
His next words were¡
[Hello?]
It was a very familiar voice.
Chapter 79: - A Game of Chicken (1)
? A Game of Chicken (1) ?
The first demon I ever defeated, Trevion the Evil.
That bastard appeared.
¡°Kyaaah!¡±
¡°De-demons?!¡±
¡°Prepare for battle, now!¡±
Suddenly, a panic-struck female student let out a scream.
A cold sweat broke out among all the students as they roused their mana and unsheathed their swords from their waist.
In response to this, a group of Trevion¡¯s appeared from behind the stage. As they lined up on the stage, their expressions exuded grotesque smirks.
While the students appeared terrified, they showed no signs of backing down or running away. As expected of top-ranking students, they were prepared to fight.
The students from the Magic Department started first, preparing their long-distance elemental spells to attack.
¡¸Water Wall (Water Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Water (Water Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Abyssal Wall (Water Element)¡¹
Fwoosh¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
The ck water created by the mob of Trevion¡¯s whirled violently as itpletely neutralized the students¡¯ attacks.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[HelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHello?]]]]]]]]]]]]]
The Trevion mob continuously squirmed in a rapid manner as they repeated their creepy greetings.
Their greetings rang in the students¡¯ eardrums with no intention of ending. It was enough to make anyone go mad.
¡°There is another demon!!¡±
¡°Block it!!¡±
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Ice (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Ice Spear (Ice Element)¡¹
Schwook-!
Schwook-!
Schwook-!
In a sh, a demon in a royal blue outfit, ¡®Pernicus the Contemtive¡¯, jumped out from behind the curtain and began throwing an onught of ck spears at the students.
[Hm©¤, Hm©¤, Hm©¤, Hm©¤, Hm©¤, Hm©¤.]
Pernicus breathed out sighs from his nostrils, the rhythm resembling a song that no one in their right mind would ever want to hear.
The studentsbined their strength to block the numerous [ck Ice Spear]¡¯s with defensive spells.
However, because their defensive spells were easily neutralized, they had to continue to expend their mana without rest, casting one spell after the other.
[Shaaaa©¤©¤!]
[Ssseuuu©¤©¤!]
¡¸Tidal Wave (Water Element, ¡ï6)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Water (Water Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Wave (Water Element)¡¹
Fwoooo©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
From out of absolutely nowhere, the shark demon, ¡®Orpheus the Submerged¡¯, proceeded to drench the students with its water magic.
Kwaang¡ª-!!
Crash¡ª-!
Kkeeuuu¡ª¡ª!!
A huge demon in the form of a humanoid queen ant, ¡®Garzia the Hermit¡¯, broke through the outer wall and seemingly posed with threatening splendor.
None of the students were impressed by this disy. Instead, their pale faces reflected fear as they trembled in its wake. Even as they shook and trembled, they continued to cast one defensive spell after the other.
[Buong, Buong, Buong©¤©¤©¤?]
[Buuu, Oong©¤©¤©¤? Buong©¤©¤©¤?]
Past the half-broken outer wall, thorn trees illuminated with a deep-red sky could be seen.
In that glimpse behind, something stomped into the walls.
A herd of pink elephants walked on their hind legs in single file as if they were carriages connected to a train.
They sang in an unknownnguage while dancing to their own beat. As if they were some dance troupe, their weird choreography had no ws and only perfect synchronicity.
Kwaaaang¡ª¡ª!
[Buooooong©¤©¤©¤©¤?]
Behind the disgustingly blinding performance of the elephant herd, an even bigger red elephant followed.
The behemoth stood 10 meters tall, and the wall that was already broken by Garzia waspletely demolished by its entrance. Behind the demon, the thorn trees and hell-like surroundings were further entuated like a sea of fire.
The head of the huge elephant was shaped like a red brain, its hips swayed to the rhythm of samba. It was ¡®Elphelt the Evanescent.¡¯
All of this happened simultaneously within a short amount of time.
Before I knew it, Ian had fainted as if it was a given. His head has blood spurting out but I currently couldn¡¯t care less.
¡°This is one hell of a party¡¡±
All the demons I had defeated in the past joined up like some sort of tea party for a princess, creating a scene of chaos like no other.
The dark elemental magic of ¡®Malrog the Envious¡¯, [Mad Banquet].
It was an illusion spell that affected the minds of those within a certain radius, causing previously encountered demons to emerge and gradually consume the target¡¯s psyche. If multiple subjects were simultaneously affected by the magic, they would all share the same illusion.
As a result, demons that manifested outside of the radius of the magic, such as Vera the Summoner, Leafa the Illusive, and Heinkel the Hoarder were not present in the illusion.
Anyway, since Elphelt joined the party, it was the end of this nightmare regiment.
In these illusions, one was projected identically as themselves. The students using elemental magic was enough evidence of this. Additionally, just like when I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the [Vs. Demon Combat Power] buff was also amply applied.
Basically, all of this boiled down to one important detail for me.
¡®I¡¯m the Demon-Limited Hunter.¡¯ [The demons have been recognized as enemies.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
I swung my hand nonchntly as I activated my rock magic. My target? Towards the students that were struggling against the demons.
¡¸Stone Barrier (Rock Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
The students all looked confused as light brown shields formed around them. Like [Frost Barrier], this spell solely focused on protecting the students while ignoring any other magic including my own.
As if they acknowledged the power of my spell, both the students and demons were speechless as they looked towards me in unison.
¡°What is this? How is a spell like this possible¡?¡±
¡°Isaac, you¡?¡±
The exceedingly vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey. Even he was speechless, as his two eyes lost focus and his jaw dropped. He also seemed to have realized the true meaning of my spell and was rightfully stunned.
Simrly, Amy Holloway and all the other students present could not hide their astonishment.
¡°Sir Isaac¡?¡±
Kaya seemed surprised that I outed myself so willingly.
Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter anyway.
As soon as Malrog the Envious was taken care of, the memories that urred under the illusion spell would all be altered.
For reference, all the memories altered would randomly reflect the subject¡¯s mind so who knows how much chaos would result from this. However, it shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous to anyone.
¡®Of course, if I escape this illusion first, it won¡¯t affect me anyway.¡¯
I¡¯m going to escape this illusion.
And if I seed in hunting Malrog, everyone aside from me wouldn¡¯t remember a thing..
But even so¡
¡®I don¡¯t want to leave them in the middle of hell¡¯
With a demon horde that huge, even Dark Kaya would be unable topletely annihte them. As such, the students would all die miserably and this ce would turn into a hellhole.
Even if they lost their memories, the scars of trauma would remain. Therefore, I didn¡¯t want to let these children go through such a tragedy.
All the demons readied themselves as if it wasn¡¯t time to care about any other students.
It was a natural reaction considering I was the most dangerous enemy right now.
¡®Let¡¯s end this quickly.¡¯
I raised my right hand as I let my rock mana flow.
In the majestic A Hall filled with demons, a light brown magic circle covered the entirety of the vast ceiling.
With wary faces, the demons looked up at my ominous mana.
I unleashed my magic onto them.
¡¸Meteor Shower (Rock Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
Rumbleeee©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
It was a relentless bombardment.
The spell I casted hurled light brown meteors and bombarded the demons with astonishing speed.
No cracks could be seen in the onught of gold light. High-density mana created a flood of meteors so strong that it obstructed everything. It was as if the mana created a machine gun that shot endless meteors.
For the demons, there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
The meteors that approached the students were immediately absorbed by the [Stone Barrier], thus making it ineffective.
The demons became an indescribable mess, every inch of their bodies were destroyed beyond recognition by the deadly rocks.
With that, I stopped the shower of meteors.
[Hughh¡ª-¡.]
[Shaaa¡ª-¡]
[Sseeu¡]
[Kkkieeuuu¡]
[Kyaak¡]
The venue was drenched in the blood of demons.
The demons turned into grey dust, scattering through the air as the venue remained its clean color. The destroyed surroundings such as the outer wall, however, remained the same.
¡°What is this¡?¡±
¡°There was such a monster among us¡?¡±
The students¡¯ voices trembled as they let out their admiration.
Honestly, it was a bit burdensome to see them stare at me with their jaws on the floor.
¡®I think it¡¯s about time now.¡¯
When I checked [Psychological Insight] earlier, the goal of Malrog was, ¡®obtaining Cherubim¡¯s Ne and killing every student present¡¯.
I didn¡¯t know whether he would run away or cause a massacre after achieving his goal, but that wasn¡¯t important.
¡®I need to deal with him no matter what.¡¯
Cherubim¡¯s Ne was the only item capable of fulfilling Malrog¡¯s wish. He would try to obtain it even if it meant risking his life.
As such, there was a high probability that he was going to the stage to snatch Cherubim¡¯s ne while everyone was under the illusion.
He would not ughter the students before getting the ne. This was because everyone under the influence of his illusion was connected to his nervous system.
If he killed someone, he would only suffer unnecessarily. Therefore, before he tries to kill us, he would definitely release his illusion spell first. He did this in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as well.
In essence, my n was to crucially time when I escaped this illusory world.
If I release myself too soon and I¡¯m too close to Malrog, I might immediately get subdued.
If I escape toote and he obtains the ne, all our lives are forfeit.
When his goal was achieved, it was obvious that he would ughter everyone here without hesitation.
[Hel¡? Lo¡?]
I intentionally left one Trevion alive. Of course, half of its body waspletely annihted from the [Meteor Shower] anyway.
The only demon left now was that bastard. To maintain [Hunter], I needed to have the intention to destroy it in my next attack, Of course, that was my n in the first ce.
At the same time, I nned to use magic to break this illusion.
As I reached my right arm to the side, I instinctively grasped the magical weapon deep within my body.
¡®Frostscythe.¡¯
As pale blue mana clumped together, a deep blue outline of a scythe appeared in my hands.
I surrendered my body to the chill of the Frostscythe.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
I created a huge icicle above the Trevion that was desperately crawling away.
At the same time, I raised Frostscythe and let it impale the floor.
The Frostscythe¡¯s active skill was activated.
¡¸Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty (Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Hwaaaaaak¡ª¡ª!
[Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty], a magic that repels any magic used on the caster.
My body glowed with a pale blue light as it burst outpletely.
Hwooooo¡ª!
Kkung¡ª!!
The icicle made by [Ice Generation] fell on the Trevion and impaled it.
And in the glow that filled my view,
I closed my eyes in silence.
* * *
A ck magic circle big enough to engulf the entirety of A Hall was present. It was because of the dark element spell, [Mad Banquet].
A ck maze covered the entirety of the hall from the chandelier hanging from a beautiful ceiling to the wide walls.
[Mad Banquet] was a spell that created a new ¡®Illusory World¡¯.
It was simr to [Fictional Hell] used by Leafa.
Outside the illusory world, mana could not even be perceived, so no one knew what was going on.
The students stood like mannequins with lifeless eyes.
With a sporty red haircut, Malrog the Envious practically salivated as he headed towards the stage.
Luigi, the host, and the ordinary male students who brought the luxurious carts were all unconscious.
Malrog began to examine the treasures exhibited on these carts.
There, he found a ne with an oval-shaped coin. Subtle magic was engraved on the mysterious white gem embedded into the ne. It was Cherubim¡¯s Ne.
Malrog let out a wide smile as he reached out towards it.
It was then.
¡ª¡ª¡ªRip.
¡°Kkeuk!¡±
From his right eye, a sharp pain was paired with an eerie sound. Malrog hurriedly pressed his right eye as he groaned in pain.
Blood dropped like tears.
Each target of the illusory magic was connected to various nerves all around his entire body.
Therefore, this meant that someone was able to escape the [Mad Banquet]. As if they couldn¡¯t be bound by mere illusion magic, the spellpletely bounced off this existence.
¡®How?!¡¯
How is this possible?
Malrog wasn¡¯t given enough time to contemte this dilemma.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Crack¡ª!
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly a [Rock Wall] shot up onto the stage and blew the cart away as various treasures flew into the air.
[Kyuu!]
Suddenly, a small golem familiar, Eden, appeared out of nowhere and leapt towards Malrog.
Malrog was stunned.
Before he could react, Eden snatched the ne while quickly putting distance between him and Malrog. He then threw the ne to someone in one swift motion.
As the Cherubim¡¯s Ne traveled across the air, it curved beforending in a man¡¯s hand.
¡¸Rock Prison (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kudududu¡ª!
Malrog hastily casted [Stone Prison] in an attempt to capture Eden.
At that moment, Eden was unsummoned as he disappeared in an outline of rock mana.
Intense killing intent oozed from Malrog. Wondering who would dare interrupt him, he turned his gaze towards the man holding the ne. A deep sense of rage seethed within him.
In a dark corner where no light shone from anymps.
A man with tousled silver-blue hair red at him with his sharp eyes. It was a stark contrast to the mild impression he had when he first appeared.
Inparison, Malrog shone in the spotlight on top of the stage.
He red at the silver-blue-haired man as if he killed his entire family.
¡°Who the fuck are you, you bastard?¡±
It was a deep and resonant voice that suited his huge physique.
The silver-blue-haired man, Isaac, didn¡¯t answer. He simply lifted the arm that was holding the Cherubim¡¯s Ne.
Clink¡ª.
The Cherubim¡¯s Ne appeared from under Isaac¡¯s hand.
Next to it, a light brown magic circle was conjured. It was rock magic.
Malrog squinted his eyes.
¡°If you so much as breathe wrong, I¡¯m going to destroy this, understand?¡±
An icy voice echoed, slicing the air like a guillotine.
Chapter 80: - A Game of Chicken (2)
? A Game of Chicken (2) ?
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? second year, first semester
Suddenly, a man named Malrog made his appearance as the head of the Red Elephant, one of the Four Constetions.
The guy woulde into direct conflict with Ian Fairytale. Someone ying the game for the first time would only think that he was an ¡®evil senior with a shitty personality.¡¯
Then, they¡¯d be puzzled after watching the members of the Red Elephant turning into emotionless puppets. I¡¯d been perplexed too. They had all been affected by Malrog¡¯s illusion magic.
Eventually, Malrog would reveal his identity with the use of [Mad Banquet].
Then, Ian would invade the space that Malrog created and wage a bloody battle with his life on the line. This very space, where both the ceiling and the walls had be a part of aplex ckbyrinth, was Malrog¡¯s aforementioned space.
Incidentally, invading Malrog¡¯s space was easy. It was like Leafa the Illusive¡¯s [Fictional Hell]¡ªyou could enter freely, but it was difficult to leave.
Moreover, since Divine Power, an ability of the light element, was able to dispel the dark element, Ian¡¯s swordsmanship was able to reveal Malrog¡¯s true form.
Malrog the Envious was able to take on a human form, but he was unable to be fully human.
Ultimately, his true form was that of a demon. He would inadvertently release his human transfiguration from time to time if he dropped his guard.
Malrog¡¯s wish was to be fully human. He wanted to integrate into human society and share all kinds of emotions with other people.
He wished for this because he was lonely. This was also why he had decided to be the sworn brother of Leafa.
He believed that ying house with humans while asionally murdering them or eating them for his pleasure would bringfort to his empty and lonely life.
His human transformation could be nearly perfect if he had the Cherubim¡¯s Ne. Then, his transformation would almost never be undone.
It would make him no different than any other human.
¡°¡¡±
The bloodlust in Malrog¡¯s eyes was as cold as ice.
Rock fragments had conjured around him and began to float about.
Malrog¡¯s mana gushed over me like a gale and pressed against my skin. It was utterly menacing.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down my cheek.
I¡¯d gone ahead and set the mood to threaten him, but now I was frantically trying to survive.
Malrog was currently ssified as a human. Yet, his level was 155.
This meant that I wasn¡¯t able to trigger the activation condition for [Hunter].
Malrog would be forced to reveal his true form if he was hit by a light element attack because it had the power to dispel the dark element, unfortunately, Ian was currently lost in an illusion.
That was why I was trying to steal what Malrog wanted so I could stand on a more equal ground against him, even if it was by a small amount
I would lose my life by even the slightest mistake.
My heart began racing like crazy, but it quickly calmed down once the effects of my passive skill, [Frozen Soul], kicked in.
¡°I don¡¯t know how you were able to escape my spell¡ but that belongs to me. Hand it over.¡±
Malrog held out his hand.
His tone of voice wasmanding and riddled with the prickly thorns of malice.
There was blood oozing out from his right eye.
I was certain that his magic circuit for illusion magic had been destroyed when [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty] had deflected his spell.
Meaning, he could no longer cast illusion spells.
¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±
I continued our war of nerves without backing down.
¡°You¡¯re going to fight me with the measly amount of mana you have?¡±
¡°My measly amount of mana is still more than enough to destroy a single ne.¡±
¡°You hopeless fool.¡±
Malrog spat out with a sigh in his voice.
Whoosh©¤.
A light brown magic circle glowing with a ckish light started to form above Malrog¡¯s head.
Then, rocks began floating above his outstretched hand.
¡°Know your ce.¡±
[Malrog the Envious] Psychology: [Believes that if he tortures you, you will surrender obediently.]
Wait, what the fuck?
¡°If this is how things are going to end up anyway!!¡±
I freaked out as soon as I read Malrog¡¯s psychology and raised my voice.
My voice mored all across the venue.
¡°Then I might as well screw you over before I die.¡±
Privately, I became the veteran actor Isaac.
¡®I¡¯m clearly about to die anyway, so I¡¯d rather make things harder for you before I do¡¯¡ªthe resolve was fake, but I pretended that it was real.
My voice would have been trembling if my passive skill, [Frozen Soul] hadn¡¯t been cooling down my emotions.
¡°¡¡±
I guess it worked since Malrog¡¯s magic circle began to grow dimmer.
[Malrog the Envious] Psychology: [Nervous because he thinks you¡¯re capable of breaking the Cherubim¡¯s Ne.]
¡°Tch,¡±
Malrog clicked his tongue in irritation.
He was probably thinking that he couldn¡¯t risk the chance of the Cherubim¡¯s Ne being destroyed because a human like me interfered.
After all, the ne was the one and only item that could grant his greatest wish.
¡°¡What do you want?¡±
¡°Do you finally feel like taking?¡±
Malrog¡¯s thick eyebrows arched as he glowered. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t too keen on my response.
Then again, I was the weakest of the weak as far as he was concerned. He was probably furious that someone weak like me had managed to get under his skin.
The air was unbearably heavy and a sense of tension engulfed the surroundings.
I didn¡¯t take my eyes off Malrog as I continued,
¡°Leave this ce immediately without touching anyone here. If you do that, I won¡¯t break this ne for now.¡±
Obviously, there was no way that he would ever ept anything that I brought to the negotiation table, but all I had to do was stall for time.
Malrog squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again while heaving a sigh.
¡°That¡¯s not even worth considering.¡±
He narrowed his eyes before continuing,
¡°If you don¡¯t hand over the ne right now¡¡±
He extended an arm and pointed not at me but in a different direction. The magic circle deployed over his head followed suit and also changed directions.
He was pointing in the direction of a crowd of students who were standing as still as mannequins.
¡°I¡¯m going to kill them all.¡±
Is that supposed to be a threat? You¡¯re nning to kill everyone anyway.
On the surface, I probably looked like I wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit afraid of Malrog. But the truth was that I was absolutely terrified.
In any event, I probably didn¡¯t look scared, so Malrog had likely concluded that he simply had to provoke my guilty conscience instead.
This was a game of chicken.
We would continue racing toward one another until we finally crashed. Both of us would suffer a lot of damage as a result.
Malrog had decided to continue advancing upon me even after taking the risk that I might break the Cherubim¡¯s Ne into consideration.
¡°Everyone will die, all because of you.¡±
More importantly, Malrog probably couldn¡¯t tolerate the idea of backing down. His pride wouldn¡¯t allow that.
I dryly gulped. The negotiation table had been flipped over far too quickly.
I was cornered. I had nowhere to run.
Let¡¯s say that Malrog really did kill someone just to test me.
What would happen if I held tight to the Cherubim¡¯s Ne and continued to wage my war of nerves against him? Then, he would ughter the students one after another in order to put pressure on me.
And, though it likely wouldn¡¯te to this, what if I decided to destroy the Cherubim¡¯s Ne?
Then, Malrog would immediately kill me and go on a rampage in a fit of rage.
¡°Phew¡¡±
I took a deep breath.
I never took my eyes off of Malrog. The bastard would probably notice my ns the moment my eyes strayed from him.
¡®Please¡ please.¡¯
I could no longer afford to continue this war of nerves.
This was a battlefield.
Isn¡¯t it about time¡?!
[Master, I have seeded.]
An elegant and beautiful female voice resounded in my head just then.
It was Hilde.
¡®Finally!¡¯
A grin spread over my mouth.
I believed in you~.
¡°What are youughing at¡?¡±
¡¸Radiant Wing sh (Light Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Swooooooosh¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
Just then, a pure-white sword aura pierced through the air.
Malrog saw the sword auraing from the side and quickly tried to dodge, but¡ª
ng¡ª¡ª!!
The sword aura shed through his leg and scattered a rainbow-colored refraction.
Malrog¡¯s expression twisted. Light element attacks were the weakness of demons. That would have probably been a fatal blow if it hit his body.
Malrog fell on his ass after losing an entire leg.
He looked rmed as he turned around and stared at the ck-haired man who had sent the light element sword aura at him.
¡°I¡ found¡ you¡!¡±
Ian Fairytale. The main character of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Ian was holding his sword, wrapped in light mana, tightly as he red back at Malrog. His eyes, however, showed no signs of life.
Well, that was probably because he was still trapped in Malrog¡¯s illusion. He had simply located the version of Malrog inside his illusion.
¡°How did you even¡? Huh?¡±
Malrog¡¯s jaw dropped. He had spotted the ne that was tinkling around Ian¡¯s, the Child of Light¡¯s, neck.
As if it had found its rightful master, the Cherubim¡¯s Ne emitted a white holy light from the magic circle engraved on it.
Ian had fainted during the [Mad Banquet], but the Cherubim¡¯s Ne had awakened and amplified his Divine Power.
The fight against Malrog the Envious during the first semester of the second year of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
The bastard was capable of using illusion magic freely. And Ian had fought him and won all the same.
How had that been possible? It had all been thanks to Divine Power.
Though Ian probably would¡¯ve been helpless against the [Mad Banquet], a dark element illusion spell, had he been alone.
But Ian had been equipped with the Cherubim¡¯s Ne.
It was thanks to the ne that his Divine Power had been amplified, which in turn had allowed him to resist the world of the dark elemental illusion. Not only did that make the world of the illusion begin to fade, but it also allowed him to discern the image of the caster outside of it.
As such, Ian was able to move his arms and legs.
And he could face Malrog the Envious while straddling the line between reality and illusion.
¡®Sorry, I pulled aggro to show you this.¡¯
Was this seriously the Cherubim¡¯s Ne¡¯s buff?
So, how was the Cherubim¡¯s Ne hanging around Ian¡¯s neck you ask? It was there because, fortunately, my n had worked.
I was standing in a location where there were nomps. And I had purposefully stretched my arm back as I held out the ne.
All so that Malrog would never figure out my strategy.
In conclusion, the ne I was holding was not the Cherubim¡¯s Ne.
It was just a counterfeit that I had prepared in advance.
¡®I¡¯m d it worked out¡¡¯
I gently squeezed the counterfeit ne I was holding again and shrugged.
A few days before the gathering.
I¡¯d sought out Eva Hielov, who had sold my information and grilled her.
After all, I had [Psychology Insight], so it was a simple matter for me to read her deepest secrets and put some pressure on her.
To add insult to injury, Eva had sold my information to the Red Elephant, and she was terrified of the bacsh. It was easy to make sure she wouldn¡¯t say anything.
¡®Eva the Lurker¡¯ was a small-fry mob that appeared in [Act 5, Chapter 3, Blue Wolf v.s. Red Elephant] of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Eva used the [Stealth] spell. [Stealth] made it so that only a minuscule amount of the caster¡¯s mana leaked. That was why it was difficult to sense Eva when she was using [Stealth] if you didn¡¯t have a very high mana perception.
¡®Moreover, Eva is a character whose entire identity revolves around [Stealth].¡¯
Eva was unrivaled in sneakiness at M?rchen Academy
She wasn¡¯t that hard to deal with as a mob because she¡¯d still get caught in AoE spells anyway, but she had been incredibly useful in my n.
I had told Eva beforehand to go out to the hallway as soon as the A Hall gathering had started and await further instructions from Hilde.
Then, once she was in the hallway, Hilde would ckmail her using the script that I had prepared.
Hilde had probably also told her that it was safe to enter Malrog¡¯s space in order to convince her more effectively.
As a result, Eva had entered Malrog¡¯s space, approached me in secret while I was unconscious, and had been secretly waiting on standby.
Then, once I¡¯d broken free of Malrog¡¯s illusion magic and taken out the counterfeit ne¡
Eden would take the real Cherubim¡¯s Ne and sneakily hand it over to Eva, who was waiting behind me.
Eva¡¯s [Stealth] made it impossible to perceive any objects that were touching her body. This could be proved by how her sses and the clothes she was wearing also turned invisible.
The spell was limited in that it couldn¡¯t conceal other living beings that she was touching, but that didn¡¯t really matter.
The Cherubim¡¯s Ne had immediately turned invisible as soon as Eva touched it.
Then, she had snuck her way to where Ian Fairytale was. From there, she had hung the Cherubim¡¯s Ne around his neck just as I had instructed.
That was the reason why Ian had been able to resist Malrog¡¯s illusion magic.
On top of the stage. Beneath the spotlight.
Malrog was utterly baffled.
¡°What just¡? A-argh¡!¡±
Divine power was the ability to cast light upon the darkness. It forced Malrog to revert to his original form.
Malrog¡¯s eyes turned crimson. ck wings jetted out from his head.
His head quickly swelled up in size. His muscr body was swallowed by his head. He looked like some kind of bizarre rock.
The host and the normal male students who had been pulling the wagon were pushed off the stage.
One after another, dozens of human heads pierced through his skin and began grinding their teeth.
[Crunch, crunch¡ª.]
His eyelids audibly ripped open.
His crimson eyes grew to about 3 meters in diameter.
His useless ck wings fluttered haplessly over his head.
His mouth had torn open all the way down to his chin, and a neat array of teeth was barred for all to see. The bastard was grinding his teeth without pause.
Crunch crunch, it echoed gruesomely. He was the demon who always ground his teeth in envy and seethed in his inferiorityplex¡ª¡®Malrog the Envious¡¯.
He had finally shown his true form.
[Malrog the Envious] Lv: 160
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Rock
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [Wantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyouwantstokillyou..]
[You¡¯re just a weakling.
Crunch
You¡¯re just a weak little bug!!
Crunch
And yet¡
Crunch
You¡¯ve angered me, you bastard.]
Crunch¡ª. Crunch¡ª.
[I¡¯ll kill you.
Crunch
More painfully than anyone else.
Crunch
I¡¯ll kill you¡ª.]
Crunch¡ª. Crunch¡ª.
[I¡¯ll stab skewers through your mouth,
Crunch
And I¡¯ll use rocks
Crunch
to grind up your limbs.
Crunch
And even if you shudder with regret
Crunch
I will still kill you
More painfully than anyone else¡ª.]
Crunch¡ª. Crunch¡ª.
Malrog conjured a gigantic magic circle.
This is the first time I¡¯ve felt happy to see a demon¡¯s hideous form¡
¡°Hic!¡±
Eva, who was still under the effects of the [Stealth] spell, began hupping from fright. Oh, so that¡¯s where she was hiding.
Anyway, it seemed like Malrog was displeased about the fact that someone as weak as me had gotten under his skin.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
¡®Finally.¡¯
Well, I guess it¡¯s time to show him the difference in our respective strengths.
I began to slowly walk up to Malrog as ice and rock mana began flowing out from me.
Chapter 81: - A Game of Chicken (3)
? A Game of Chicken (3) ?
A pebble on the side of the road.
That was what Eva Hielov, a low-ranking student of ss D, thought of herself.
Although her talent for magic was above average in the Zelver Empire.
Her skills were miserable whenpared to all the talents gathered in M?rchen Academy.
That was why, when the Red Elephant of the Four Constetions had invited her to be their information gatherer¡
She had resolved to offer the Red Elephant everything she had. She had believed that this was the only way for her to prove her worth inside M?rchen Academy.
Unfortunately¡ it looked like she had made a terrible mistake.
Eva had a very low mana perception, but she could still feel it clearly.
The man named Isaac was overflowing with mana beyond her imagination¡!
¡®I won¡¯t overlook the fact that you sold information about me, Eva.¡¯
She recalled how he had spoken to her so solemnly.
Just who had she just provoked? Who had she just offended?
¡®I¡¯ll live quietly from now on without getting ahead of myself¡¡¯
She was ovee with terror and hopelessness. She wanted to cry.
Eva¡¯s resolve to offer her everything to the Red Elephant had crumbled long ago.
Now, even the crumbs of that shattered resolve were breaking away piece by piece.
* * *
[What did you do? Crunch. Why is your mana suddenly¡?!]
Malrog¡¯s massive eyes widened, growing evenrger.
It was only natural for him to be surprised. Malrog may be strong, but I still had significantly more mana than him.
I looked out of the corner of my eye. Ian was gathering light mana on the de of his sword.
A pure-white magic circle was conjuring around him. Was he nning on using [Apostle of Light]?
Casting [Apostle of Light] in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¯s hell difficulty originally required an extremely high level of control.
This was because the spell took a very long time to cast. The timing was ambiguous, so you needed to be able to calcte it well.
In return, however, its performance was guaranteed.
¡®Good.¡¯
[Apostle of Light] was basically a prerequisite toplete [Chapter 6, Floating Ind] of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I would have no way to save Dorothy if Ian didn¡¯t use [Apostle of Light] at the center of Floating Ind.
So I wanted to take this opportunity to confirm with my own two eyes that Ian was actually capable of properly casting this spell.
¡¸Rock Avnche (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Rock (Rock Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸ck Rock Hammer (Rock Element)¡¹
Rumbleeee¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
A giant ck rock protruded out from Malrog¡¯s magic circle like a hammer.
The [ck Rock Hammer]. It was trying to crush me, Ian, and the rest of the other students.
¡®I won¡¯t be defeated so easily.¡¯
I raised my index finger and began casting a joint elemental spell.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
= ¡¸Fossilized Ice (Rock + Ice Element)¡¹
Craaaack¡ª¡ª!!
Craaash¡ª¡ª!!
A saturated wall of ice fell upon Malrog and encased him as I moved my finger.
A thick wall of ice that was gleaming with veins of light brown rock mana¡ª[Fossilized Ice].
It was the most powerful defensive spell that I could currently use.
Malrog¡¯s [ck Rock Hammer] collided against my [Fossilized Ice], but it couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on the sturdy wall of ice.
[Crunch. Shit!!]
Before long, Ian had finally finished prepping to cast [Apostle of Light].
I dispelled the [Fossilized Ice] I had cast in order to defend against Malrog¡¯s [Block Rock Hammer]. Pale blue and light brown specks of light floated down from the air.
Then, I shot out another [Fossilized Ice] to erupt where Malrog lingered.
Rumbleeee¡ª¡ª¡ª!
[Ughhh!]
Malrog¡¯s frame was thrust upwards by my [Fossilized Ice] but stopped ascending partway through.
[Fossilized Ice] spread out around him like a wall. I had purposefully left the side where Ian was facing open.
And now, the stage is set.
Ian raised his sword, which was imbued with light mana, above his head.
Then, in one swift motion, he brought it down.
His sword drew a streak of pure-white light through the air.
White mes rose from the sword, piercing through the ground and racing toward Malrog.
Swooooosh¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
A pure white dove bursted out from the swing of Ian¡¯s sword, and dozens of rays of light were unleashed from his magic circle.
All of his attacks fell upon Malrog as one.
¡¸Apostle of Light (Light Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
aaang¡ª¡ª!!
aaaash¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
Rainbow-colored light red, and a storm of pure-white fire enclosed Malrog and in a blinding sh of light, his body burned.
[Fossilized Ice] was preventing [Apostle of Light] from dispersing, so the spell burned Malrog and Malrog alone.
Malrog gritted his teeth to endure the agony.
There might be arge difference in level between Ian and Malrog, but Divine Power was still a demon¡¯s weakness.
Moreover, Ian was a weapon that made it possible to face demons with arge level difference. He was pretty effective.
Best of all, [Apostle of Light] came with a very useful effect.
[Crunch. Ugh¡ My mana¡!]
The mes of [Apostle of Light] dwindled.
Malrog was scorched all over, and he was unable to use magic.
[Apostle of Light] temporarily tangled up the target¡¯s mana circuit.
Malrog could probably still use simple spells like [Rock Avnche].
But it would be difficult for him to use spells like [Rock Rampage], which required a high degree of mana control.
[Rock Rampage] was one of the most dangerous skills in Malrog¡¯s attack pattern.
It was arge-scale spell that created indiscriminate eruptions of rock. There would be a lot of casualties if that bastard used such a spell.
Originally, if you wanted to neutralize Malrog before he had the chance to cast [Rock Rampage], you had to use a light element sword aura to attack only the glowing heads from among the many heads that were attached all over his body.
¡®But how the hell would Ian manage that?¡¯
Well, there was nothing I could do about that. And so, the next best alternative was to have him cast [Apostle of Light] on Malrog with my support.
Anyway, that was a good show. I won¡¯t need to worry about the power of [Apostle of Light].
I defrosted [Fossilized Ice] as I walked towards Malrog. He ended up floating in midair when the [Fossilized Ice] that had been holding up his body disappeared.
Just before he began plummeting down to the stage due to the effects of gravity¡
His two gigantic eyes met mine.
[Malrog the Envious] Psychology: [Terrified of you.]
[Crunch crunch. How, how?!!]
Malrog cried in a trembling voice.
[Crunch. Your mana was unmistakably crunch
No better than that of an insect¡¯s!!]
I stood under the shining spotlight and extended my right hand toward Malrog.
Ice and rock mana flowed out from my right hand and two colossal magic circles that were pale blue and light brown in color formed atop the stage and over Malrog¡¯s head.
¡°I¡¡±
A faint smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
¡°¡Just so happen to be a bit overpowered when hunting bastards like you.¡±
Then, I clenched my right hand into a fist and casted my spell.
¡¸Sink Hole (Rock Element, ¡ï6)¡¹ + ¡¸Frost Wave (Ice Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
= ¡¸Permafrost (Rock + Ice Element)¡¹
Crack¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
Crackleeeeee¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
The magic circles above and below Malrog spat out cold rocks, clumps of dirt, and gushes of frigid, cold air.
A deathly cold rock quickly bursted up from the stage.
Malrog¡¯s body immediately became frostbitten as soon as the rock touched him.
And then he was crushed haplessly by the soil and rock that was raining down from above.
Rumbleeee¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
The two boulders crushed him from above and below.
Malrog¡¯s body was trapped inside the pale blue soil of the [Permafrost], unable to escape
Hsssssst¡ª¡ª!!
The two rocks swallowed Malrog and began emitting a steam-like chill that was riddled with ice crystals.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ + ¡¸ck Rock (Rock Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
= ¡¸Indestructible Iron Body (Rock Element)¡¹
[Permafrost] was a spell that trapped its target inside itself and crushed them to death. Malrog, however, had avoided instant death by casting [Indestructible Iron Body] at maximum output.
Unfortunately for him, it was to no avail.
Crack¡ª.
[Permafrost] would continue to crush anything in its range regardless of how durable it was. The pressure it generated was not something that the likes of Malrog¡¯s [Indestructible Iron Body] could handle.
The bastard¡¯s [Indestructible Iron Body] was ravaged.
At longst. [Permafrost] was dispelled and the rocks emitting frigid, pale blue chill ceased their activity. It turned into specks of pale blue and light brown light as it disappeared.
The spell began to reveal a haplessly crushed-up ck rock.
Inside the ck rock was Malrog, whose body was smashed up and covered in frozen blood. His body was so ruined that it was hard to recognize his previous appearance.
[Cr¡ unch¡]
Malrog began to fall under the influence of gravity.
He grinded his teeth onest time before hitting the stage.
[So¡ lonely¡]
Malrog¡¯sst words quietly faded into the distance.
And he turned into an ashen powder before scattering into the air.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Malrog the Envious (Lv 160)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 76!] [You have gained 2 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?The Qualification to be Human?! You have gained an additional 15 stat points!]
My body became extremely heavy and my mana rapidly decreased as soon as my unique trait [Hunter] was deactivated.
The ckbyrinth that had filled the ceiling and walls slowly faded away. Soon enough, the rest of the students would wake up from their illusions, and their memories would be substituted with fake ones.
Ian was no exception.
In the game, he was supposed to have brokenpletely free of the illusion and fought against Malrog.
This time, however, he was still under the illusion spell. So, his memories would probably be altered as well.
But more importantly.
Pop, pop©¤.
Malrog the Envious vanishedpletely, leaving behind a lone key that bounced before settling on the stage..
I climbed up to the stage and picked up the key. It was old and silver.
[You have obtained the loot [Key to Mysteries]!]
¡®I¡¯ll take this.¡¯
I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get this so soon¡
I pocketed the ¡®Key to Mysteries¡¯, hopped down from the stage, and quickly walked over to where Eva was.
She was standing in the directions where hups could be heard.
¡°Eva.¡±
¡°Y-yes¡?¡±
Eva responded after deactivating [Stealth].
[Eva Heilov] Psychology: [Extremely terrified of you.]
¡°I-I-I did everything I¡ was told¡!¡±
She began crying even though all I did was call her name.
She already knew that I was the ¡®ck Monster¡¯. She¡¯d probably confirmed it after sensing my mana just now.
I felt kind of bad doing it, but putting a lot of pressure on Eva was the best way to persuade (intimidate) her.
I was nning to protect everyone in the academy, including Eva, but I needed to keep my identity hidden in order to achieve that. The less that the academy¡¯s staff heard about me, the better. I had circumstances, after all.
If you end up meeting a demon in A Hall, keep everything you saw that day a secret. Many people will either be saved or be condemned to death ording to your choice.
Eva was not only a coward but she was also someone with a normal and sensible personality, so words worked quite well on her.
She had pointlessly mustered the courage to sell information about me to others, but right now she was ovee with plenty of regret and fear. I had confirmed this by using [Psychology Insight] on her for the past several days.
Someone who was practically a big bundle of regret and fear wouldn¡¯t do the same thing twice.
¡°Keep everything you saw a secret. The only thing you did today was enjoy the gathering.¡±
Eva was quivering head to toe as she vigorously nodded back.
We¡¯d already had this conversation before. Since there was nothing more to say, I resumed walking.
Eventually, the space that had been created by [Mad Banquet] hadpletely disappeared.
Life began returning to the students¡¯ eyes. Everyone had been freed from the world of illusion.
I had already slipped out of A Hall by the time that an awkward silence had fallen upon everyone.
¡°¡¡±
I paused for a moment as I closed the doors to A Hall behind me and stepped out into the hallway.
I took a deep breath.
And let out a prolonged sigh of relief as I sank to the floor.
¡°Whew¡¡±
I almost lost¡
Technically speaking, I would have lost if Malrog had decided to attack me.
It had been a while since I¡¯ve seen the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath. I¡¯m sure she would have said hello before I went on to the afterlife.
I quietly gathered my breath, briefly reveling in the fact that I was still alive.
I heard something noisy on the other side of the doors. It was the sound of ordinary chatting and music. Everyone¡¯s memories had been rewritten without incident.
But at this point, I had already left.
I wanted to hurry up and see Dorothy, whom I¡¯d promised to meet.
Today has been kind of exhausting.
Chapter 82: - Social Gathering (5)
? Social Gathering (5) ?
The party was in full swing.
I made my way over to our meeting ce. The party venue in the third building of Pce Hall.
Inside the fancy party venue, nicely dressed students were slightly intoxicated as they chatted pleasantly with each other.
There was where Dorothy was supposed to be.
¡®Where¡¯s Dorothy?¡¯
I quickly scanned the venue in search of her.
After resolving to attend the social gathering at A Hall, I changed my mind and decided to ept Dorothy¡¯s proposal to be her partner.
Would I stand out if I was with Dorothy? Well, it wasn¡¯t like I needed to hide myself like a mole burrowing underground after all.
Alice couldn¡¯t act rashly right now because the academy¡¯s staff knew about the informant.
Moreover, there were plenty of other students with the ice element who were far stronger than me, so it was unlikely for her to identify me as the ck Monster.
The scenario itself had be twisted.
Even Dorothy was on my side.
And even the groundless rumors about me and Luce being in a rtionship hadn¡¯t really done any harm.
¡®In that case¡¡¯
It was better to show off my friendship with Dorothy than it was to go out of my way to avoid attention.
This way, even if Alice ended up taking an interest in me, she wouldn¡¯t be able to harass me if the fact that I was under Dorothy¡¯s protection became widely known.
I only need to hold out until the Alice subjugation anyway.
Naturally, I was only going to emphasize the fact that I was close with Dorothy at the gathering today. I had no intention of clinging to her and using her in the future.
¡But all this was just an excuse.
¡®I just felt a little tired.¡¯
To be honest, I wanted to take a short break. I was human too, so I couldn¡¯t keep running like a madman forever.
I needed to take breaks every now and then, just like back when I was studying full-time.
I expected to be exhausted after dealing with Malrog.
And just as I had expected, my energy was rapidly grained as soon as my nerves rxed. The war of nerves I had waged against Malrog left me really fatigued.
I had expected this, so that¡¯s why I¡¯d decided to spend a day off with Dorothy, who had asked me to be her partner.
But, for some reason¡ I couldn¡¯t find Dorothy anywhere. I couldn¡¯t find her no matter where I looked.
¡®I am a bit early¡¡¯
Is she not here yet because I got here early?
I was lost in thought when I suddenly heard a familiar voice next to me.
¡°What a coincidence. You¡¯re attending the gathering too, I see.¡±
The voice exuded an elegance that was befitting of a youngdy but also had the sharpness of a de as well.
I turned around to see who it was.
The owner of the voice was wearing a crimson rose hair clip in her brown bob and a crimson dress. It was Rose Red Rivera.
Next to her was a handsome young man wearing a stylish suit.
His hair was the same brown as Rose¡¯s and a crimson rose was pinned to his chest.
It looked like he was a student from the Knight Department, judging by his muscr physique and the sword at his waist.
¡®I think I¡¯ve seen him in the game. He¡¯s probably¡¡¯
Ah, right, Rose¡¯s older brother. A senior.
He was about a head taller than me. I was around 175 cm, so he was pretty tall.
¡°Oh, good to see you.¡±
In any event, I greeted them with a smile.
Rose and I couldn¡¯t be said to be on good terms even with empty words, but let¡¯s let bygones be bygones.
Surely she wasn¡¯t about to pick a fight with me in the middle of a party, right?
¡And yet, Rose was scowling in displeasure.
¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have a partner¡ Then again, who¡¯d want to be partners with someone like you?¡±
I knew it was too good to be true.
Wait a minute, didn¡¯t you drag your brother here with you because you don¡¯t have a partner either?
¡°Who¡¯s this brat, Rose?¡±
¡°Remember, Lord Brother Razel? He¡¯s the asshole I told you about before.¡±
Rose crossed her arms.
There was tant malice in herughter-filled speech. It looked like she was spewing hot air because she had her reliable older brother with her.
Razel, Rose¡¯s older brother, frowned and looked back at me mockingly.
¡°He¡¯s a very lousy and cocky man¡ He also hurt me before, and he¡¯s the same pig who screwed me over.¡±
She was suddenly reminding me of the saying about throwing people under the bus.
After all, Rose had always been the instigator of our little feud.
¡°Isn¡¯t that all in the past? Besides, you were always the one who started¡¡±
Smack¡ª!
I felt a sudden impact against my cheek as my head whipped to one side. It had happened out of nowhere.
¡®What the hell¡?¡¯
My cheek was throbbing. Razel, Rose¡¯s older brother, had punched me in the face.
¡°You didn¡¯t copse. You¡¯re better than I expected.¡±
Razel had taken out a handkerchief and was wiping off his fist. He was acting like he had touched something dirty.
The atmosphere inside the party venue cooled rapidly. Even with the music still ying, it was ringly obvious because everyone had suddenly stopped talking.
Everyone had turned to look at us, wondering what was going on.
¡°That was for hurting Rose, my beloved little sister, and making her upset. You need to be put in your ce.¡±
[Razel Red Rivera] Lv: 78
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Lightning
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Feels humiliated by you.]
My mood cooled.
This asshole is pissing me off even more because he sounds well-educated and high-ss.
His nder had been said with decorum, but it was filled with his disdain for me nheless.
¡°Even after all the things you have done to my sister, you have the audacity to say, ¡®Good to see you¡¯¡? You have neither shame nor sense, I see. Don¡¯t you think your greeting was improper?¡±
Razel finished wiping down his fist and put his handkerchief back in his pocket.
It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d gotten blood or filth on his hand. He hadn¡¯t actually wiped away anything. Except for the dust on my skin, perhaps.
¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because you haven¡¯t been properly educated. You must be from a poormoner family. Let me take the chance to spell things out for you right here and right now. This might be the academy, but you should never forget your origins. You need to know yourself better.¡±
¡°¡Oh yeah?¡±
¡°Be respectful when you talk to me.¡±
Razel¡¯s elegant and aristocratic speech seemed to fill up with frost.
¡°Don¡¯t you know that juniors are supposed to show respect to their seniors? How dare you speak so casually with me?¡±
After some reflection, I realized that Razel had a point. It was certainly true that I had greeted Rose improperly.
¡°You¡¯re right. I apologize, Senior. Please let me give my greetings again.¡±
This was the proper way to greet her.
I held up my right hand and flipped the bird at Rose and Razel.
¡°A pleasure to meet you here, you fucking imbeciles.¡±
Rose started freaking out. I guess she really liked my greeting.
[Razel Red Rivera] Psychology: [Feels insulted and enraged at you.]
Just as I had expected, the emotions vanished from Razel¡¯s face as he began swinging his fist again.
Well, whatever. This will actually help me relieve some stress. Let¡¯s throw some hands, shall we?
¡°¡!¡±
Just then, a bunch of colorful stars appeared on top of Razel¡¯s head.
Sparkle¡ª.
Swoooosh¡ª¡ª!!
¡°Ack!!¡±
Razel, who had just been about to punch me, suddenly vanished from my field of vision as if he had been teleported.
His body was being pulled somewhere at an incredible speed.
He was being pulled toward the doors. Rose and I turned around to look, startled.
Thud¡ª!
Sparkle¡ª¡ª!
¡°A-argh!¡±
In front of the doors.
A woman withvender hair thatplemented her refined violet dress was holding Razel by the head with her outstretched hand. In an instant, there was a sudden gush of wind, and clusters of stars were dispersed.
Razel kneeled on the floor as he struggled, but the woman didn¡¯t budge. It was as if she was an iron wall.
Stars of every color were floating around them.
Starlight magic dealt with all kinds of forces. A powerful,pulsive force had pulled Razel all the way to the woman¡¯s hand.
The woman was employing gravity too as she grabbed Razel¡¯s head with so much force I was afraid it might explode.
She had even cast the highest level of [Basic Protection Magic]. There was no way that Razel would be able to put a single scratch on the woman no matter how hard he struggled.
¡°¡¡±
Emotionless.
The woman¡¯s eyes, which seemed to contain the universe within them, turned to Razel.
Heavy mana weighed heavily on the air. I could even feel her bloodlust, which involuntarily sent a shiver down my spine.
The other students who were watching the spectacle fared no better.
The orchestra stopped ying. The musicians were also flustered and broke out into a cold sweat as they watched the woman withvender hair.
The only sound that filled the venue was Razel¡¯s desperate screaming.
¡°G-aah¡! My head, my head¡!! Argh!! S-save me¡!!¡±
Razel had been overflowing with dignity just mere moments ago, but it waspletely gone now. All I could see was an ordinary animal struggling desperately for survival.
It reminded me that regardless of status, all were equal before death.
The woman withvender hair stood still as she held Razel by the head.
She was the second year top seat of the Magic Department and the strongest powerhouse at M?rchen Academy, Dorothy Heartnova.
¡°S-shouldn¡¯t someone stop her¡?¡±
¡°Dorothy, it¡¯s Dorothy¡! Who¡¯s even capable of stopping her¡? Ack!¡±
Swish¡ª!
Crash¡ª¡ª!
Dorothy tossed Razel off to the side, bringing him crashing down with the gravitational pull generated by her starlight magic.
The floor cracked and formed a crater as Razel¡¯s body was crushed against it.
In the midst of the cluster of stars, he coughed up blood before passing out.
A suffocating silence filled the venue.
¡°L-Lord Brother¡? Eek!¡±
Then, Dorothy began walking over to where Rose was.
¡°W-why are youing this way¡?!¡±
I felt a dense bloodlust. The cluster of stars that twinkled in and out of view around Dorothy were very intimidating.
Rose stepped back in terror, but then she tripped over her own dress and fell over backward.
Dorothy¡¯s face was frigid as she looked down at Rose. Rose was trembling as if she was inflected by the gue.
She probably felt like she was walking on eggshells. Even I could feel her terror just by standing next to her.
¡°I-I-I¡ I didn¡¯t d-do anything¡!¡±
And then.
A delicate smile graced Dorothy¡¯s frigid features.
¡°Sorry, but he¡¯ll being with me. He¡¯s my partner, you see.¡±
Every single attendee could hear her voice loud and clear because the venue was in absolute silence.
Dorothy retracted her stars, grabbed my wrist, and turned around.
¡°What?¡±
Rose looked utterly baffled.
The other students shared her sentiment. I could hear them saying things like, ¡°Dorothy¡¯s partner?¡± and, ¡°Him?¡±
Dorothy was the strongest powerhouse at M?rchen Academy. As expected, the fact that I was her partner garnered a lot of attention on me.
¡°Let¡¯s go, President~.¡±
¡°Senior?¡±
Dorothy dragged me by the wrist as she quickly began walking away.
Her pull was weak because she wasn¡¯t using any magic, but I let her pull me along anyway.
¡°Oh, I forgot.¡±
Dorothy snapped her fingers as if she remembered something.
Suddenly, a faint cluster of stars appeared around Rose¡¯s head.
Swoosh¡ª!
Pow!
¡°Gaah!¡±
Gravity suddenly pulled from every direction at once, and Rose¡¯s head suddenly toppled sideways and mmed into the floor.
Roseid on the floor as she groaned.
That was thest thing I saw as Dorothy and I left the venue.
Chapter 83: - The Battle for Isaac (1)
? The Battle for Isaac (1) ?
¡°Did I ruin the mood? Sorry about that.¡±
Dorothy and I left Pce Hall and sat down on a bench. The night air was on the chillier side.
The shimmering streetlights illuminated the hall around us.
The flowerbeds surrounding us unted the many colors of mana.
¡°Pfft! Puhehehe¡¡±
Although I felt bad aboutughing while Dorothy was depressed, I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and let out a strangeugh.
Watching Razel getting shut down had been so satisfying and funny.
¡°President? Why are youughing?¡±
¡°You put that bastard right where he belonged. Wow, you¡¯re seriously the best, Senior¡!¡±
Dorothy flinched.
She turned her gaze to me and stared holes into me for a bit before she turned aroundpletely and smiled slyly.
¡°¡Hmph. You find that funny? That¡¯s harsh~.¡±
Her tone was yful.
Dorothy¡¯s previously depressed expression was nowhere to be seen, probably thanks to my reaction.
¡®Oh?¡¯
I¡¯d noticed it before too, but seeing Dorothy up close made me realize just how much effort she had put into dressing up today.
My favorite character¡¯s absolutely radiant today. You¡¯re killing me here, big sis.
In any case, Dorothy had gotten mad on my behalf.
The fact that my favorite character had gotten angry on my behalf, just like how Luce had during the end-of-semester evaluation, gave me a great sense of pride.
I was incredibly excited. Doesn¡¯t this show just how important Dorothy has be to me?
My life as a die-hard Dorothy fan¡ªI don¡¯t regret it at all.
¡®Hmm?¡¯
Dorothy was smiling. Her cheeks were flushed with a scarlet hue. She also smelled faintly of alcohol.
¡°Did you drink a lot, Senior?¡±
¡°Not a lot, just a little while I was waiting for you, President¡ I think? This big sis is a bit tipsy!¡±
¡°And you¡¯re a bit tongue-tied too.¡±
I could hear it when I listened carefully. Her voice rang with the cutesy charm of a drunk woman.
¡°Well, anyway, what should we do now? It¡¯ll be hard to go back to building 3 because of the mood. Building 1 is¡ hmm. Building 2 seemed prettier, so why don¡¯t we go there?¡±
Room 1 was where Alice, the Student Council President, would show up to enjoy the gathering. I didn¡¯t particrly want to go there.
¡°That sounds good too, but¡¡±
Dorothy looked up and pointed at the spire of Pce Hall.
¡°How about over there?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a part of the venue, though?¡±
¡°That¡¯s okay. Besides, the wind is refreshing there~.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
How can this be?
Is she saying that we should spend some alone time together?
¡°Let¡¯s go right now.¡±
¡°Nihihi, okay!¡±
Sparkle¡ª.
A cluster of stars formed around me. Warm star mana enveloped my body.
My body slowly started feeling lighter.
Then, Dorothy and I started floating. It was as if we had be weightless.
A glistening cluster of stars formed beautifully around us.
¡°Senior.¡±
I extended my right hand to Dorothy from within the colorful cluster of stars.
I intended to escort her, just as I had promised. I had already been protected by her, but I figured that I should at least keep up the pretense.
Dorothy stared nkly at my hand. Then, she beamed brightly once she realized why I had extended it to her.
She gently ced her hand on top of mine.
Her hand was supple, soft, and pretty. Dorothy was grinning as she only ced her hand on top of mine instead of holding it.
We stayed just like that as the star mana brought us up to the spire of Pce Hall.
On top of the spire. There were a lot more ces to walk here than I had originally thought.
Moreover, the mana stones embedded within the structures were sparkling with a beautiful array of colors.
All around us were the glistening colors of M?rchen Academy. It¡¯s beautiful, but I¡¯ll probably kick the bucket if I fall from here.
We could clearly hear the music from Pce Hall seeping outside. The mood here was pretty nice.
¡°This kind of thing is new to you, right?¡±
Dorothy and I sat down against the banister and enjoyed the view of the academy.
Even if one of us carelessly fell off, we¡¯d still be safe thanks to her starlight magic.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. It¡¯s nice.¡±
¡°It¡¯s pretty romantic here, no? I came alonest year, but I¡¯m here with you today.¡±
¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±
I didn¡¯t know for sure because I didn¡¯t have a mirror on me, but my expression was most likely very rxed right now.
¡°President.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You¡¯re always working yourself to the bone. This is your first day off, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve even put down your usual training obsession.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m resting of my own free will.¡±
¡°Nihihi, this big sis of yours will do anything I can for you today, within reason of course! I¡¯ll cheer you on with everything that I have, President!¡±
Your existence alone already cheers me on.
But actually saying that would feel too forward, so I settled for saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± instead.
¡°What do you want me to do for you first?¡±
With perfect timing, the musicing from Pce Hall suddenly turned sweet and mellow. It was the song that yed in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? when the yer danced with their chosen heroine.
The ball had probably started inside the hall.
¡°Shall we dance?¡±
¡°Okay! Let¡¯s dance!¡±
We stood up and faced each other as we got ready to dance.
I¡¯d said the first thing that came to mind, but the thought that we were actually about to hold a private outdoor ball for just the two of us on this moonlit night was starting to make me squirm.
But I immediately felt better after I wrapped an arm around Dorothy¡¯s slender waist, gently took her hand, and started dancing.
The music was loud enough that it didn¡¯t feel awkward.
The moonlit night and the scenery around us were overflowing with aesthetic sensibility. I felt like I was getting absorbed by the mood.
¡°I think I¡¯m getting a little excited~.¡±
It looked like Dorothy shared the same sentiment.
Her steps were light, like the fluttering of a butterfly, as she danced to the melody.
Dorothy smiled timidly as she continued,
¡°President, there¡¯s something I wanna try.¡±
¡°¡What is it?¡±
¡°Once you no longer have to train so hard¡¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Well, I heard that Regell¡¯s Croissants are really famous for being tasty. Let¡¯s go and eat some together.¡±
¡°Sure. That sounds great.¡±
¡°Oh, and did you know? Lake Frey in the Astrea Duchy is supposed to be really pretty. I saw it in a book. Let¡¯s go see that too.¡±
¡°Certainly. I¡¯ll pack the snacks.¡±
¡°They say the moss forest inside the Vantus Woods in Medellnook is super pretty too.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go see it together someday.¡±
¡°Nihihi, and¡¡±
Dorothy continued listing out all the things that she wanted to do for some time. The sparkles in her eyes as she spoke made her seem like an innocent little girl.
I knew that Dorothy had been slowly going through everything she owned.
That was why I could keenly feel just how heavy her ns for the future weighed, even though she was saying them so nonchntly.
Was this Dorothy¡¯s true feelings, which had nevere up even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen??
Was she speaking so candidly right now because she was drunk and she was with someone to whom she had opened up her heart to?
Dorothy hadn¡¯t been a very important character in the game because she wasn¡¯t one of the heroines. That was why I had no way to know for sure what she was really feeling.
The only thing I could do for her right now was to respond ordingly and etch everything she wanted to do inside my brain.
¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll still continue meeting with me like this even after I graduate, President.¡±
Dorothy had stopped dancing and was looking back at me from point-nk, and I serenely replied,
¡°That was my n from the very beginning.¡±
¡°¡I guess you¡¯re right. You¡¯re a fan of mine, after all.¡±
Dorothy grinned.
¡°I guess I was worried for no reason.¡±
Dorothy stepped back into my arms and resumed dancing with me.
* * *
It was very bizarre.
Kaya¡¯s consciousness grew fuzzy whenever she fully expressed her feelings for Isaac, and this happened quite often. She felt strange every time it happened, it was as if someone else took over and piloted her body.
Then, one day, she suddenly stopped feeling like she was dreaming while sleepwalking.
And she started hearing a cute and charming voice in her mind.
¡ª¡®Sir Isaac¡¯s so cool.¡¯
¡ª[Sir Isaac¡¯s so cool.]
¡ª¡®¡Huh?¡¯
She had thought that she was hallucinating at first, but she knew exactly what that voice was now.
It was Kaya¡¯s other personality. It had a concrete form now, and it was capable of conversing with Kaya directly. In other words, it had formed its own ego.
Perhaps it had simply been adapting until now.
Kaya¡¯s two personalities shared their memories. They shared their feelings and senses too. Her original personality had merely been split into two.
Kaya felt a profound yet mysterious sense of unity with it, like it was both someone else while also being herself. It had been scary at first, but she had quickly gotten used to it.
Now, she was actually grateful it was there.
Unlike herself, her other personality was overflowing with confidence and was capable of assertively expressing their feelings for Isaac.
That was why Kaya became friends with her other personality in no time at all.
¡°Fuaaah¡¡±
A Hall, the heart of Pce Hall. The Four Constetion¡¯s event was suspended due to an unexpected ident, and the venue had brightened up again
.
Besides, tonight¡¯s event had basically been called off for good because one of the Four Constetion¡¯s heads, Malrog Bryer, had disappeared.
Even still, the mood inside A Hall was amicable to promote friendships between the top-ranking students who had gathered there, so the gathering continued anyway.
The only strange part was that the students¡¯ conversations all centered around a certain man.
¡°Seriously¡ Has Isaac lost his mind? How could he suddenly kiss Lady Kaya on the cheek like that¡? Look how flustered she is¡!¡±
¡°For real? I didn¡¯t even see it happening. D-does he not value his life¡?¡±
¡°Wait, what are you guys talking about? I saw the bastard holding hands with Lady Lisetta¡ªwhat¡¯s this about Lady Kaya?¡±
¡°W-wait, what?¡±
¡°The hell are you all on about? The bastard was pestering our goddess, Lady Keridna, wasn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±
For some reason¡ none of the students¡¯ memories were lining up.
Meanwhile, Kaya, who was standing right in the middle of the hall, could hear neither the music nor a single word of what the other students were saying.
Kaya had been standing around with her hands sped over her cheeks, letting out gasp after gasp.
Her elevated body temperature showed no signs of cooling down anytime soon. And her eyes were spinning in circles.
Her eyes were jade green. This was the original Kaya. She was looking down because she needed some time to pull herself back together.
[Happy, aren¡¯t we?]
It felt like someone was directly hugging her from behind and whispering into her ear. This was her Dark personality.
[I never imagined that Sir Isaac would say, ¡®You¡¯re prettier than everyone else here,¡¯ to me. Aha, what am I supposed to do with myself? I¡¯m so happy.]
¡®S-stop it. I¡¯m going to die of embarrassment.¡¯
Kaya was so embarrassed she thought she would lose her mind.
Who would have thought¡? As soon as the party at A Hall had started and the lights had dimmed¡
¡That Isaac would whisper such sweet words into her ear?
It had truly happened out of nowhere. Dark Kaya had looked into Isaac¡¯s crimson eyes for a bit before smiling shrewdly and summoning the normal Kaya.
Kaya¡¯s eyes had returned to their normal jade green. She swallowed a gasp and covered her mouth with both hands.
Then, Isaac had said that he had something to do and headed toward the exit.
Kaya had staggered like she was about to pass out. Her body temperature had elevated, and she had been rooted to the spot.
All of this was actually just a fake memory created after Malrog had been dealt with to rece her memories of the illusions she had seen.
But to Kaya¡ the fake memory remained vivid in her mind.
[Teehee, Sir Isaac was interested in us. It was worth dressing up.]
¡®Fuwaaaaa¡¡¯
[Let¡¯s go and give him a kiss.]
¡®Huh?!¡¯
The ravenous darkness whetted her appetite.
[Our feelings aren¡¯t one-sided anymore; they¡¯re mutual. We need to take the opportunity to stamp our mark on his lips.]
¡®Well, that¡¯s¡ I mean, but still, I¡? To Sir Isaac?¡¯
[Don¡¯t you want to?]
It was like the devil was whispering in her ear.
[Because I do.]
Both her thoughts and her actions were bold. Kaya had no idea how she had created a personality like her.
¡®¡¡¯
Isaac was her first love. She had lost count of how many times she had imagined kissing him.
Kaya could not bring herself to deny her dark side¡¯s question no matter how embarrassed she was.
She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. Her eyes instantly changed into the bright color of blood.
¡°The other me is so bad at being honest.¡±
There was a treacherous smile on Dark Kaya¡¯s lips as she left the venue.
Meanwhile. There was a female student leaning against the wall of Pce Hall.
She was wearing a lovely blue dress. Her prettily braided rose-gold hair was beautifully adorned with a morpho butterfly bow and hairpins shaped like jeweled blue flowers.
Every student who passed her had their gazes drawn to her. The female student with the rose-gold hair¡¯s appearance had the power to turn anyone¡¯s head.
She was Luce Eltania, the top seat of the Magic Department¡¯s first years.
Her interview with the Eldork Magic Tower had been incredibly useful. After all, she had been able to hear firsthand detailed stories about real-world matters that she could not learn from the academy at the moment.
After the interview, Luce had returned to Charles Hall, the highest-ranking dorm, and had made her way to As Hall as soon as the maids had dressed her up.
Originally, her interview with the Eldork Magic Tower was supposed to havested longer.
But Luce had desperately wanted to attend the gathering and have fun with Isaac no matter what¡!
That was why she had ended the interview early after taking only the key pieces of information that she needed from the Eldork Magic Tower.
[We¡¯re back, Luce.]
[Bello, returning like the wind!]
Two magic beasts¡ªa ck grouse as small as a raven and a small orca wrapped in water mana¡ªflew toward Luce. They were Galia and Bello.
Galianded on Luce¡¯s extended wrist, and Bello swam around her.
Luce had ordered them to find Isaac, and they hade back from surveying the various venues.
[It looked like Isaac went to Building 3. ording to what I overheard the other students saying, it sounded like he had a partner. They apparently went outside together.]
Luce hadn¡¯t known that Isaac had a partner.
She didn¡¯t have the chance to ask him if he had one because of her interview with the magic tower.
Even still, she could not avoid the mental shock.
¡°A partner¡ So he had one after all. Isaac has many friends other than me¡¡±
Luce¡¯s quiet voice resounded through the night air.
Her only friend was Isaac, but Isaac had many friends.
Luce quickly clicked her tongue and lowered her eyes as she recalled this unpleasant truth once again.
If only there was no one else around Isaac.
If only she was the only person by Isaac¡¯s side, just like how she only had Isaac.
Then, she would be able to monopolize his time¡ monopolize his heart.
Luce¡¯s regrets suddenly billowed up from within her.
[But I also heard that Isaac got punched by a guy called Razel before he went outside¡]
Galia swallowed a gasp and was unable to continue.
This was because Luce¡¯s emotionless eyes had turned to him with terrifying speed.
¡°What did you say?¡±
Her voice was quiet and restrained. Yet, there was ice-cold bloodlust condensed inside it.
Isaac was Luce¡¯s weakness. He was the one and only man to whom she, who could not open her heart to anyone, had opened up her heart to.
That was why Luce could not withstand her own wrath whenever someone so much as touched Isaac.
Galia harbored goodwill for Isaac too, but it came nothing close to what Luce felt.
Had he said something wrong? Galia began breaking out in cold sweat.
[Bello went and heard all about how much of a yboy Isaac is!]
¡°¡?¡±
Bello butted in just then.
Galia was grateful for the interjection itself in the midst of the intense situation, however, it was not as grateful about the contents of what Bello had said.
¡°Huh?¡±
This time, Luce, who had heard something shocking once again, turned to Bello in bewilderment.
[ording to what the other students were saying! He kissed Kaya on the cheek, held Lisetta¡¯s hand, and pestered Keridna! Not that I know who any of them are!]
¡°¡¡±
[And then he immediately left the party! He¡¯s pretty good, that Isaac! I, Bello, the Brave Orca, saw you yet again, you rascal! Wahaha!]
Bello exined everything he had heard in a cheerful voice like that of a young boy.
He was a magic beat orca who had gotten all excited without being able to read the room.
Luce began emitting a dark and chilling bloodlust. The bloodlust only grew denser with every word Bello said.
Galia gulped. There was¡ a dark shadow over Luce¡¯s eyes.
The students probably hadn¡¯t been saying stuff like that about Isaac for no reason.
And, while Luce didn¡¯t think that Isaac was the type of guy to randomly go around and hit on girls.
The truth remained that something had happened to make it look like he was.
[What are you nning to do, Luce?]
Galia asked anxiously.
¡°I need to find Isaac.¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes swept across Pce Hall.
Just what on earth had Isaac done here while she was gone, and what happened to him?
He had been punched by Razel, and he was apparently a yboy¡ Luce could not simply ignore this.
This became the catalyst, and ultimately, it made Luce determined to use herst resort.
Swish.
The magic tool that she had prepared in advance shot out from under her sleeve.
It was a small rod. Once activated, mana would flow out from it and tie up its target.
It was a powerful restraining device that used Luce¡¯s mana to great effect. It was something that the Eltania Family had prepared.
¡°I think I need to be by Isaac¡¯s side right now.¡±
Luce did not intend to harm any healthy rtionships that Isaac had. After all, doing so would go against both thew and her own morals.
But if he was getting punched like what Galia had said or was hitting on any woman at random like what Bello had said¡
Then Luce wanted to make it so that he would have to stick with her, even if she had to use a little force to make it happen.
Her protective instinct, her possessiveness, the affection she felt for her one and only friend¡ All of these emotions began tangling endlessly together like a spider¡¯s web. The feelings that Luce had for Isaac were anything but simple.
[Isaac has a partner right now¡ Are you going to ignore that fact and bring him over anyway?]
¡°Yes.¡±
Galia¡¯s head flinched ever so slightly when it heard Luce¡¯s firm reply.
¡°Both Isaac and his partner probably have other people whom they can substitute each other with. They probably won¡¯t care too much if just one of the many people around them disappears. But that¡¯s not the case for me.¡±
Luce didn¡¯t care if this made her selfish.
She wanted to see Isaac so badly, and she wanted to be with him.
¡°I only have Isaac.¡±
Her face was icy as she began walking away.
For now, she had decided to get rid of one person before going to see Isaac.
Chapter 84: - The Battle for Isaac (2)
? The Battle for Isaac (2) ?
¡°Kreung¡ Hm?¡±
Blue bobbed hair that curled like a wave gently shook as Ciel Carnedas slowly opened her eyes.
During the first semester, the pillow she got from Isaac was truly of the highest quality, even certified nap experts would attest to its profound quality. No matter where she was, her body rxed and sleep would consume her.
Ciel slowly got up.
Due to it being the day of the social gathering, Ciel was dressed in an elegant blue dress by the maids of Charles Hall.
However, it appeared as if she was apathetic about whether she looked good or if the outfit matched the atmosphere. Instead, she wrapped herself in a thick overcoat as if she were a sushi roll.
The cool autumn air blew into her face. It was the middle of the night.
Where is this ce? It seems a bit high¡
As Ciel rubbed her eyes, she tried to remember what happened before she fell asleep.
¡°Spire¡¡±
This was the spire of Pce Hall. When the party began, she must¡¯ve made her bat familiar, Zabet, bigger in order to fly to the top of the spire.
It was nice to have the railing around the perimeter to protect me from the cold autumn wind.
Ciel quietly yawned while listening to a luby-like song ying from Pce Hall.
The music soothed her into a state of sleepiness, but it seemed like it was time to get up and work again. After all, sleeping outside at night was not something she should do.
As Ciel raised her small body, she looked towards the academyndscape beyond the railings.
¡°Huh?¡±
On the opposite spire, she saw a woman and man gracefully dancing. It was a woman withvender hair and a man with silver-blue hair.
Ciel folded her arms and rested her chin on the railing, as she watched them perform their little dance with half-closed eyes. It looked like quite a romantic sight to her.
However¡ the man¡¯s appearance seemed a bit too familiar.
¡°¡!¡±
Ciel¡¯s sleepiness disappeared in an instant.
The man dancing was Isaac, the monster who had given Ciel her cherished pillow.
The memories of the end-of-semester evaluation passed through her mind.
The images of Luce getting angry for Isaac and protecting him passed through her mind. Not only that, but even Kaya did the same.
She thought if Isaac were to date anyone, it would be one of those two.
¡®But why is he dancing alone with a girl I have never seen before?¡¯
Although it had nothing to do with her, when she imagined Luce chasing her with a knife, chills ran down Ciel¡¯s back.
Luce¡¯s anger was so great at the end-of-semester evaluation that it wouldn¡¯t have been weird if she went on a killing spree.
¡®Wait, they¡¯re going down¡ What is that?¡¯
As if they finished enjoying their time at the spire, Isaac and thevender-haired girl began their descent.
With a cluster of colorful stars circling around their bodies, they took their time descending.
It was only at that moment that Ciel recognized the woman with Isaac.
¡°That magic¡ is that Dorothy Heartnova?¡±
Dorothy¡¯s reputation was well-known in the academy.
She was the continent¡¯s greatest prodigy who was expected to reach the level of an Archwizard within a mere decade.
Somehow, Isaac seemed to have a talent for attracting beautiful and capable girls.
¡®Is it that the strong recognizes the strong?¡¯
Since Ciel was not able to recognize Isaac¡¯s strength at first, she automatically assumed herself to be on the weaker side.
Even if she was the freshman third seat of the Magic Department in the continent¡¯s most prestigious academy, if people like Isaac hid their power, did her position even mean anything?
Ciel let out a forcedugh as she watched Isaac and Dorothy.
In a moment, however, she witnessed a shivering scene.
* * *
¡°Senior, are you sober now?¡±
¡°Nihihi, you think so?¡±
Dorothy and I came down to the surface in a beautiful cluster of stars. It was to hang out in the garden.
As wended in a deserted spot, we bashfully smiled at each other.
¡°I¡¯m going to take a quick trip to the restroom then.¡±
¡°Come back soon!¡±
¡°Yup!¡±
Before I could take a walk with Dorothy, I had to address nature¡¯s call first.
After talking with Dorothy, I hurried to the restroom inside Pce Hall. Then, I relieved myself with a powerful jet of urine into the bronze urinal.
¡®I¡¯m happy.¡¯
Is this what life as a sessful fan feels like?
When I was young, I sometimes imagined hanging out with my favorite celebrity. Is this how it feels when imagination bes reality?
Even though I only danced with Dorothy for a short while, I felt like I was still flying in the night sky.
Maybe this feeling was simr to the one I would get when I yed games during exam season. After a grueling day of defeating another demon, this night of rxation with Dorothy brought me a profound sense of liberation.
¡®I¡¯m gonna enjoy this as much as I can before I leave.¡¯
While trying to hold back my smile, I left Pce Hall.
In that moment, from behind.
A hand reached out and grabbed my sleeve.
¡°Isaac, I found you.¡±
A beautiful voice that seemed to have been made with the sole intention of enchanting people assaulted my ears.
For a moment, my whole body was simultaneously bombarded with ecstatic pleasure and goosebumps, creating a weird dissonance.
I turned my head around. There, a girl with rose-gold hair stared at me intensely.
The woman just stood there in a sophisticated blue dress, her hair decorated with a hairpin in the shape of a morpho butterflies and blue flowers.
¡°Luce?¡±
A beautiful appearance that shone as bright as the moon in the night sky.
It was Luce Eltania.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 152
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: ??
Psychology: [Wants to spend the entire night with you.]
Why is she here? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be having an interview at the Magic Tower¡?
More importantly, Luce¡¯s ¡®Danger¡¯ panel rang rm bells in my head.
¡®What the fuck is that Danger Level?¡¯
Luce¡¯s strong obsessive tendencies were not new to me at all.
However, the ¡®??¡¯ beside her Danger Level seemed quite worrisome¡
The level of danger was officially determined by measuring the product of theirbat power and killing intent.
So if one has no killing intent, there would be no danger whatsoever.
Sometimes, in exceptional cases, the ¡®potential to harm¡¯ was also considered when measuring the Danger Level.
For reference, the Danger Level of Luce¡¯s in Extra Bad Ending No. 13 was ¡®?¡ö?¡¯.
If this ever shows, consider yourself screwed.
Anyway, I decided to react as naturally as possible.
¡°What in the world, what happened to the interview?¡±
¡°I finished it quickly and came to see you. Isaac, just stay with me from now on.¡±
Luce had her usual gentle smile. As expected of one of my favorite characters, she was exceptionally beautiful.
However¡
¡¯She finished the interview this quickly?¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, unless the yer chose her as a partner, she never went to the social gatherings.
¡Whatever. It was pointless to use the original game as evidence now. In the first ce, predicting Luce¡¯s behavior had be futile after befriending her.
Luce probably ended her interview early to enjoy the gathering with me.
But s, I was currently partnered with Dorothy.
Even if I wanted to y with Luce today, it would be difficult. It would be better if I rejected her firmly.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a partner today. It¡¯ll be a bit difficult to hang out wi-¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t asking.¡±
Luce¡¯s swift reply left me dumbfounded.
¡°Even if it¡¯s from now on, stay by my side.¡±
Luce¡¯s sweet voice was distracting me.
She seemed a bit off for some reason.
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Wishes to monopolize your affection so you don¡¯t flirt with any other woman.]
I was flustered when I read Luce¡¯s psychology.
Me? Flirting with any and every girl? What kind of worry is that? Why would I want anyone else when my partner is Dorothy?
I swear I have never shown signs of flirting with anyone.
However, Luce was the type to consider everything carefully. She didn¡¯t look like she was sick and had her mental capacities stunted, nor did she seem drunk.
Thus, there must be a good enough reason for this strange misunderstanding.
I racked my brain quickly. If a lie was made up as if it was the truth, then¡
¡®¡it¡¯s the fabricated memories.¡¯
When Marlog the Envious was killed, the memories of the students at A Hall would have been altered.
Were those memories changed into crazy stories about me?
When Luce arrived at the party, she must have been looking for me, whether she searched on her own or summoned her familiars.
During her search, what if she heard those types of stories about me at A Hall? Then, Luce¡¯s current thought pattern madeplete sense.
I let out a low sigh and rxed my expression. It couldn¡¯t be helped then.
I turned towards Luce and calmly told her my story.
¡°Luce, I¡¯ll say this again. I have already promised to hang out with someone today. Honestly, it isn¡¯t right to betray their trust like thi-¡±
Chieek¡ª
¡°¡?¡±
On the wrist that Luce was holding, mana coiled around in the form of a ring.
As if they were handcuffs put on by the police, the mana rings intertwined my wrist with Luce¡¯s. The two rings were joined together.
Only then did she let go of my sleeve. It seemed like she was more rxed after safely(?) tying me up.
¡°Luce, what is this¡?¡±
The question was meaningless, since as long as one had half a brain, anyone could easily deduce this situation.
They were restraints. Not only that, they were high-quality restraints¡ made of mana.
I thought she wouldn¡¯t take out something like this after the hunting evaluation, but she brought an improved version instead¡?
¡®I thought you couldn¡¯t bring anything in during the middle of the semester?¡±
No way, did she prepare this in advance¡?
When I thought of this, I had goosebumps all over my body.
Unbeknownst to me, Luce had already made preparations to meet Greung.
¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Even if it¡¯s a bit ufortable, please understand.¡±
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Doesn¡¯t want anyone else to have you.]
¡°Isaac¡ needs to stay by my side.¡±
Is she trying to cuff me by force so that I can¡¯t flirt with any woman?
Still, isn¡¯t this a bit too much?
I stood my ground and deliberately frowned. With a stern tone, I decided to confront her.
¡°Are you insane? I told you this before. I hate things like th-¡±
It was at that moment.
¡¸Wind Sword (Wind Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Ssaak©¤©¤!
¡®What¡¯s happening?!¡¯
Suddenly, a light green de of wind flew from the sky and cut off the mana handcuffs tying me to Luce!
Holy crap, that surprised me¡!
Highly dense mana. It was wind magic from a skilled expert.
Just like me, Luce was startled, her eyes unable to maintain focus.
Whooooooosh¡ª¡ª¡ª!
For a moment, the light green wind raged on, ruffling my hair and Luce¡¯s dress.
Soon after, something fell from the sky and wrapped itself around my shoulder.
I felt a soft feeling brush the back of my head.
Kiss¡ª.
A soft touch apanied by a cute sound found my cheek.
¡°How could you leave me all on my own~, Sir Isaac?¡±
A voice naturally mixed with excessive affection.
As she wrapped us in the light green wind, the woman hugged me from behind and whispered into my ear.
As I turned my head to the side, I saw a pretty girl closely staring at me with her head on my shoulder.
A deep green dress with light green hair.
Red eyes. Ascivious smile.
It was Dark Kaya.
[Kaya Astrea] Lv: (140)
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice, nt, Blood
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to aggressively make out with you.]
And.
Whooooo¡ª¡ª¡ª!
¡°Oowah!¡±
A wind so concentrated with mana rendered me incapable of movement as it flew me into the air.
My body rapidly soared into the sky with Kaya hugging onto my back.
The figure of Luce reaching out towards me became smaller and smaller as we flew upwards.
¡®Kyaaaaaak!!!!¡¯
I¡¯m about to go crazy!!!!
¡°I can¡¯t lose Sir Isaac to a bitch like that!¡±
¡°K-kaya?!¡±
Kaya and I finally stopped after reaching a dizzying height. With our bodies carried by her wind, it felt unstablepared to Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic.
Kaya finally released her back hug and flew in front of me, taking both my hands.
How bewildering¡
¡°I¡¯ll be clear this time.¡±
Kaya blushed and shed aforting smile.
Somehow, a strange atmosphere permeated the air.
¡¯Her memories should have been changed as well.¡¯
I could not possibly know how Kaya¡¯s memory was altered.
However, if it was at the level where she wanted to proactively make out with me¡
Without even needing to hear anything from her, I could easily infer that it turned into a very embarrassing memory.
It seems I need to quickly exin the situation to her.
¡°As of today¡¡±
Before I could even open my mouth Kaya leaned her face close to me.
Without hesitation, she slowly closed her eyes.
¡°¡I am yours, Sir Isaac.¡±
Kaya pushed her lips close to me.
In that moment,
¡¸Hydro Cannon (Water Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Booom¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
From where Luce was, a shining blue magic circle fired a fierce [Hydro Cannon] straight at us!
In an instant, a flower-shaped tattoo bloomed from Kaya¡¯s right cheek and down towards her neck.
It was the floral tattoo that appeared whenever she activated her blood magic, [Flower of Evil].
Dark Kaya, who was trying to kiss me, stopped and stared at the [Hydro Cannon] with frightening eyes.
In session, the light green and brilliant red magic circles produced their respective spells beforebining into a spell more radiant and powerful than the sum of its parts. Such a spell drew a trajectory towards its target.
Mana was poured out.
¡¸Song of the Mountain Goat (Wind Element, ¡ï6)¡¹ + ¡¸Flower of Evil (Blood Element, ¡ï6)¡¹
= ¡¸Baphomet¡¯s Hymn (Wind + Blood Element)¡¹
Kwaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!
Like a red-green typhoon, [Baphomet¡¯s Hymn] struck violently and quickly scattered the [Hydro Cannon]
The water mana that formed the [Hydro Cannon] sshed in every direction.
It was Luce¡¯s offensive magic, so Kaya must have judged that she could not stop it unless she poured out powerful magic herself.
¡°That bitch is getting in the way.¡±
Kaya¡¯s furious voice echoed in the air.
After [Baphomet¡¯s Hymn] neutralized [Hydro Cannon], it disappeared as if all its strength was lost.
In quick session, Luce began to pour out water spells.
Boom¡ª¡ª-!!
Fwaaah¡ª¡ª-!!!
Kaya dodged Luce¡¯s offensive spells with grace, hovering in the air as she did so.
At this point, I really might die¡!
¡°Let¡¯s run away!¡±
Suddenly, Kaya grabbed my hand and proceeded to fly elsewhere!
¡®Ahhhh!!!¡¯
Strong winds aggressively whipped my face. My mouth and skin shook against this merciless assault.
Suddenly, Kaya turned to look at me and smiled brightly.
As if time slowed to a crawl, her soft smile imprinted itself into my mind.
¡°Sir Isaac, if we seed in running away¡¡±
Kaya raised a finger to her lips and smiled lewdly. Her expression was sensual, to say the least.
¡°Tonight, Sir Isaac can do whatever he wants with me. Please use me as much as you desire.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Sir Isaac¡¯s after all!¡± Kaya added with a dreamy expression on her face.
¡I didn¡¯t know what kind of misunderstanding there was. However, the fact that she didn¡¯t hesitate to say such indecent things was a bit concerning. As soon as we seed in running away, it would probably be a good idea to exin the incident with Malrog.
For now, I was unable to speak. The wind resistance was too strong for my voice to make it through.
I was amazed at how Kaya could speak so well in this kind of situation.
[Kyaaaaaa¡ª¡ª!]
The cry of a bird of prey rang in the air.
Covered in purple lightning, a huge ck grouse ascended with splendor!
¡®Ah hell nah, what the fuck is this?!¡±
Luce rode on Galia, her fierce eyes practically dripping with venom as she began to chase after us at a frightening pace!
¡°Wow, this is a big problem¡¡±
Kaya¡¯s expression was one of bewilderment. To be fair, she couldn¡¯t have possibly known that Luce would summon a familiar capable of destroying an entire country just to capture me.
Suddenly I felt a buzz as my head started resonating with a certain creature. Kaya seemed to have felt a simr sensation.
This¡ is the resonance that is felt before Galia starts to speak.
[Hand over the seed of my grandchildren right now!!]
I get it now! Galia, no, this sorry excuse of a father was the biggest problem.
Chapter 85: - The Battle for Isaac (3)
? The Battle for Isaac (3) ?
A Hall, before Luce summoned the Thunderbird.
Eva Hielov, a four-eyed female student, was sitting on a chair. She was utterly baffled about what was going on in A Hall.
Everyone¡¯s memories were different and altered. More so, strange rumors about Isaac were afloat.
He¡¯s a slob? He tries to flirt with any girl he can get his hands on? That¡¯s ridiculous.
¡®He took on a demon! A demons I tell you!¡¯
How does nobody know what he did?
Whatever. In the first ce, talented and skilled wizards were known for theirck ofmon sense. Trying to understand them was like trying to cover the entire ocean with a single human palm. Basically impossible.
She repeatedly nced at the women Isaac had supposedly touched. However, Kaya Astrea¡ was nowhere to be seen.
Keridna Whiterk, the girl with a pink bobcut, was asking people around her.
¡®Isaac came onto me¡? Why am I only finding out about this now? Show me what you have seen now.¡¯
It seemed she didn¡¯t know anything either. As to why she seemed so urgent¡ this was indeed a mystery.
Additionally, Lisetta Lionheart with her orange ponytail was still devouring and ripping apart the meat in front of her. As expected, she doesn¡¯t seem to know anything either. More importantly, how much was she going to eat?!
Her whole body trembled in disbelief.
Isaac¡ has he been protecting people like this all along?
¡®I touched someone I shouldn¡¯t have.¡¯
Realizing this, Eva stuffed her face into her hands and started to mess up her hair, despite the many eyes around her. She wanted to die.
[What¡¯s wrong?]
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, a familiardy¡¯s voice rang in Eva¡¯s ear.
As if she heard something she wasn¡¯t supposed to, Eva stiffened uppletely.
A white cat with a pink ribbon hanging on her tail, E. Dorothy Heartnova¡¯s familiar. It was a voice that she could never forget.
[Long time no see, my friend?]
¡°Ah, ah¡¡±
[Do you remember what I said before? I told you to keep what you found out a secret.]
¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sor-!¡±
E used Dorothy¡¯s mana to stop Eva, who was instinctively getting out of her seat and trying to escape.
Kkeuuu¡ª
¡°Heuk!¡±
[Can you stay still for a second?]
A strong force was pressing down on Eva¡¯s thighs. She couldn¡¯t move an inch.
Eva looked at the white cat standing next to her in fear.
[It looks like something strange happened right? Everyone has different stories. However, you¡ You lookpletely fine.]
¡°Pl, pl, please don¡¯t hurt me¡¡±
The strength that gripped her thighs felt like an unassable wall. It was as if something impossibly heavy had its entire weight on just her legs.
Eva swallowed her tears and started pleading with E.
[Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mean any harm. More importantly, there¡¯s something Dorothy is curious about.]
¡°I can¡¯t say anything¡¡±
[What?]
E came here because Dorothy wanted to make sure Isaac¡¯s information was not spread.
From what the students were saying, E assumed that Isaac hade to A Hall.
Out of all of the students, the only one who looked fine was Eva which was why she approached her.
While all the other students seemed like they were babbling as if their memories were fabricated, Eva looked terrified while sitting quietly in her chair.
Because of this, Eva, who was wrought with fear, paradoxically seemed the most normal.
From inferring the situation at hand, it seemed like a mysterious phenomenon had urred in A Hall. Isaac seemed to have a hand in it.
Judging by the way he also forced Eva¡¯s silence, it seemed like it was Isaac¡¯s intention to not reveal what actually happened.
[On the contrary¡ Isaac knew his information was going to be sold and he used it to his own advantage¡]
E¡¯s monologue was muffled so that Eva couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying.
It may seem unbelievable, but Dorothy said that Isaac, who looked mild and weak, was much stronger than she was.
Dorothy was someone who could see through the essence of everything with the power of [All In the World]. There wasn¡¯t a possibility of her eyes being wrong.
Therefore, it would not be weird at all if a man who has risen to higher heights than Dorothy were to y with the lives of ordinary people.
The force that weighed on Eva¡¯s legs disappeared.
Eva was relieved with a tear-stricken face, but as soon as she heard E¡¯s voice, she reflexively held her breath.
[I don¡¯t want to disturb Isaac, so I¡¯ll just let it go.]
¡°Ah¡¡±
[Still, my friend, let¡¯s not act out of line shall we?]
E took the form of mana before she disappeared.
Eva was unable to control her trembling body for quite some time.
* * *
¡®Let¡¯s get this straight.¡¯
What a messy night.
I wonder if this is how a pilot feels when his fighter jet has no cockpit window. While enjoying the wind in my face, I was lost in thought.
In the skies above the academy, I was currently holding hands with Dark Kaya as we flew at high speeds with the power of wind magic.
Behind us, Galia and Luce chased us as if they were dogs ying fetch.
Kaya¡¯s memories were altered when Marlog was defeated. I assumed that perhaps in Kaya¡¯s memory, I made an embarrassing show of affection toward her.
That was probably why she took me from Luce and attempted to seduce me.
¡®It¡¯s true I managed to escape captivity thanks to her.¡¯
If it weren¡¯t for Kaya, my wrists would¡¯ve probably still been shackled to Luce.
Even so, it wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal. All I would¡¯ve needed to do was y with Luce for a bit and I would¡¯ve been free in no time. That was why I didn¡¯t really take her handcuffs seriously.
Of course, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m into restraints. That¡¯s not my kink at all.
After the Elt Ind incident, I taught Luce a lesson on ethics regarding how ¡®It¡¯s wrong to suppress the freedom of others¡¯. As a wise teacher, I kindly taught my cherished student Luce, yet it seemed like my lesson had gone in one ear and out the other.
¡®Should I teach her with actions instead of words?¡¯
I should probably teach Luce the meaning of putting yourself in other people¡¯s shoes sometime soon. If I tie up Luce, wouldn¡¯t she understand my feelings in the end?
¡®¡Maybe that¡¯s a bit too much.¡¯
Well, I don¡¯t need to go that far I guess.
Luce was not in an extreme enough state to be considering Extra Bad Ending No. 13 [Bird Cage} and even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, she didn¡¯t keep the yer captive after the ending¡
¡I¡¯ll choose to believe that there will be plenty of time for reeducation.
¡®Anyway.¡¯
Back to the current situation.
When it came down to it, it honestly wasn¡¯t that bad.
Both Kaya and Luce were overreacting because they were drunk on their feelings.
So for now, let¡¯s get out of this mess and create an opportunity to talk to these two calmly.
¡®I should clear up Kaya¡¯s misunderstanding first.¡¯
We reached a tall clock tower surrounded by numerous buildings.
Right after we passed the clock tower, we were briefly obscured from Galia¡¯s field of view.
¡®It¡¯s time to fall.¡¯
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
While trying to time my fall perfectly, I stretched my remaining hand down and made a handle-shaped block of ice. I held onto it tightly.
From there, a mass of ice was added to the handle, creating a heavy block of ice.
This should be enough.
¡°Ahhk!¡±
Kaya let out a scream. Due to the weight of the ice cube I was holding, Kaya and I started to fall instantly.
Levitating your body with wind magic required a fine level of mana control.
So, hypothetically speaking, let¡¯s say that a heavy weight was suddenly added while maintaining such difficult wind magic.
Kaya, who was ustomed to considering weight when using wind magic, lost all her mana control.
After we started falling, I immediately got rid of the ice cube and stretched my arms upwards, releasing icy blue mes with immense force.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Fwaaaah¡ª¡ª!!
¡°Sir Isaaaaaaaaac?!¡±
Since [Frostfire] could double as a booster, I used this method many times in the past to elerate or decelerate myself.
As a result, Kaya and I fell to the ground at a frightening speed.
It¡¯s cute when she gets so flustered. I unintentionally took my revenge with this.
It¡¯s certainly true that it feels better to drag someone around than to be dragged around.
¡°¡!¡±
When we suddenly disappeared, Luce and Galia were stunned. Galia stopped in the air, creating a strong gust of wind with a p of its wings.
If one looked around for about 2 to 3 seconds, one could see us falling vertically.
However, there were too many buildings located around the clock tower. There was no space for Galia to squeeze his massive body between the buildings, and there was no way they would make the extreme choice of demolishing the buildings.
During the time Luce unsummoned Galia, I was going to take Kaya and run into the clock tower.
¡°Kaya, I¡¯ll trust you with thending!¡±
¡°Oh, yes!¡±
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Fwooooo¡ª¡ª!
Immediately, I extinguished [Frostfire] and trusted ournding to Kaya¡¯s wind magic. We slowly approached the ground and finallynded safely.
¡°I was so surprised¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s it. Follow me!¡±
¡°What? Oh!¡±
Luce wasnding vertically while riding Galia.
Seeing that she was still chasing after us, I grabbed Kaya by the wrist and ran into the clock tower.
All I wanted was enough time to have a conversation with Kaya. I needed to clear up the misunderstanding with her before I could talk to Luce.
¡®Ah.¡¯
I forgot because I was in such a hurry. I was pretty strong and could also run fast. If I clenched Kaya¡¯s wrist this tightly while running, I probably caused her a lot of pain.
I rxed the grip slightly and turned back to look at Kaya.
¡°Sorry, Kaya! Are you okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not okay, I¡¯m happy!¡±
¡°What?!¡±
[Kaya Astrea] Psychology: [The thought of getting forcefully dragged by you is making her very excited.]
I swear I¡¯m going to lose my fucking mind.
Chapter 86: - The Battle for Isaac (4)
? The Battle for Isaac (4) ?
¡°Ah¡¡±
Moonlight scattered through the stained ss ceiling and shimmered off the walls.
The inside of the clock tower had a spiral staircase along the wall and in every corner, there was a small space to hide inside.
I went into one of these cramped spaces with Dark Kaya and practically stered myself onto the walls.
I kept the story short and to the point. The demon, Malrog the Envious, had created fabricated memories.
At first, Kaya couldn¡¯t believe it.
¡°You¡¯re lying right¡.? Aren¡¯t you just making everything up out of shame?¡±
She continued to be in denial, but when she saw how serious I was, she began to break out into a cold sweat.
Predictably, she was left with a deep sense of skepticism.
¡°Sir Isaac¡¯s words¡ They were all fake¡¡±
I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong, but I still felt kinda guilty.
How was I supposed to know the memories would be altered this way¡?
For the record, I asked Kaya to pretend she didn¡¯t know me during the party to reduce as many variables as possible.
ording to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, all the heroines monopolized the interest of men. Among them, there were plenty of cliched bastards who would make unwanted advances.
The more unexpected variables I could avoid, the better. I had to fully focus on defeating Marlog and that of itself was already full of uncertainties.
Because of this, I didn¡¯t tell Kaya anything¡
I do have some regrets. Maybe I should¡¯ve at least told her about the demons.
It was all in the past so I couldn¡¯t do anything anyway but¡
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like this.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re actually sorry, you should reenact it in reality for me.¡±
Kaya spoke with a pouty face.
No matter how sorry I was, I honestly didn¡¯t want to say any of the embarrassing things I presumably said in her memories.
¡°¡Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to do it anyway. But it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m satisfied just by being in this heart-pounding situation with you, Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to go out now. I need to talk to Lu-¡±
¡°Just a little more.¡±
Kaya gently grasped the wall next to my head as if telling me not to leave.
Since our bodies were already in close contact, goosebumps appeared on my body as all the soft parts of Kaya rubbed against me. I pressed my body against the wall as much as I possibly could, trying to avoid contact at all costs¡
Kaya stuck her face towards me, seemingly ignoring my dilemma. Darkness. The faint moonlight dimmed her face. As expected, there was a sly smile that shadowed her entire expression.
¡°Let¡¯s stay like this for a little longer, Sir Isaac.¡±
[Kaya Astrea] Psychology: [Excited to be so close to you]
It wasn¡¯t like I hated it either. Moreover, after our cute Kaya took on her dark personality, she was getting used to these expressions and gestures of affection.
I¡¯ll be honest.
¡®I can¡¯t refuse one of my favorite characters¡¡¯
I¡¯m about to lose my mind because of how cute she is¡
Click¡ª.
Just then, the sound of heels echoed as someone stepped up the stairs. Anyone could guess that it was the sound of Luce¡¯s footsteps.
Just as nned, I managed to solve the misunderstanding with Kaya. Now, all I needed to do was pacify Luce.
Click¡ª, ck¡ª.
The sound of footsteps drew closer.
I pushed Kaya¡¯s arms out of the way of my exit. She resisted, but when I exerted more force and stared at her sternly, she blushed and eventually gave in.
After escaping from such a cramped space, I stood on the stairs and looked down.
At the bottom, a girl with rose-gold hair saw me and stopped climbing the stairs as she shimmered in the moonlight.
It was obviously, Luce.
¡°Isaac¡!¡±
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Happy to see you.]
Luce¡¯s expression brightened for a moment, but then she took a quiet breath to calm her emotions.
¡°She¡¯s behind you, isn¡¯t she?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Before I could even answer, Kaya popped out next to me.
Luce frowned for a moment, but eventually cleared her throat and continued.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I did something bad to her. However¡ I didn¡¯t have a choice. To be honest, she was out of line.¡±
¡°I wonder who did something that Sir Isaac wouldn¡¯t like though? I¡¯m the one who helped Sir Isaac instead. Luce Eltania, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too selfish and overbearing?¡±
¡°Isaac. You were surprised when she tried to kiss you out of nowhere right? She even dragged you somewhere without consent.¡±
What a mess¡ They¡¯re both saying whatever they want without listening to the other.
No, it was a little different. Luce only looked and talked to me. She didn¡¯t even give Kaya a single nce.
It was a natural response since Luce never opened up her heart to others.
Kaya frowned. She seemed to be displeased at Luce¡¯s dismissive attitude towards her.
¡°You should look at me when you talk. Are you ignoring me right now?¡±
¡°¡¡±
As if she couldn¡¯t hear anything, Luce continued to ignore Kaya.
I felt like I was going to get squashed between the auras of the two women. I had to step up and stop their argument.
When Kaya tried to get another word in, I slipped my arm out in front of her and stopped her.
¡°Sir Isaac?¡±
¡°Luce, Kaya. Thank you for cherishing me, but I have a partn-Ahhhk!¡±
Chla¡ª.
Colorful starlight mana swirled around me. I was dragged straight to the top of the clock tower without being able to finish my statement.
Hweeeeeee¡ª¡ª!
It felt like a neww of physics were established exclusively for me, as if gravity was operating ording to someone¡¯s will. I was not able to regain control until I reached the end of the spiral staircase, thest floor with arge clock.
There was no need to be surprised. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out who dragged me up here.
Luce and Kaya¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. They leaned their heads out of the railing to look up at me.
Far more mana than anyone else in this room stroked my skin like the wind.
What appeared was a resplendent being surrounded by a cluster of brilliant stars.
Lavender hair fluttered as she appeared in front of everyone¡¯s sight.
¡°I was thinking it was taking too long for you to do your business. Why were you getting yourself kidnapped while big sis wasn¡¯t looking, President~?¡±
¡°Senior¡¡±
Dorothy Heartnova asked with a smile.
When Luce summoned Galia, I already expected Dorothy to follow us.
Actually experiencing it, however, made it feel like it was Deus Ex Machina.
¡°I know right¡¡±
I let out a bitterugh. I didn¡¯t understand how things got to this point either¡
By the way, Luce¡¯s eyes were frightening.
No matter how friendly Dorothy was to others, she wasn¡¯t exempt from Luce¡¯s anti-social disorder.
¡°Senior Dorothy Heartnova¡?¡±
Kaya, who was standing next to me, seemed to have figured out who the woman with thevender hair standing next to me was. As long as you were a student at M?rchen Academy, it would be harder to not recognize Dorothy after seeing starlight magic.
¡°Let¡¯s stop the silly pranks, girls. It¡¯s quite rude to snatch someone else¡¯s partner, right?¡±
Kaya and Luce started to frown. The fact that I had a partner, and that partner was Dorothy, seemed to have pissed them off.
Kaya and Luce were precious to me too. They were certainly people I wanted to be with. However, Dorothy was my partner for today and I had promised to hang out with her alone.
It wasmon decency to never go back on any promises you¡¯ve made.
¡®¡What¡¯s with this atmosphere?¡¯
The air turned heavy. No one seemed to be willing to let me go without a fight.
The pressure was sending shivers down my spine.
What the hell should I do about this situation¡
More importantly, the fact that I am the center of this war of nerves made it incredibly burdensome. Nevertheless, it was impossible for me to run away from these three women.
¡®What do I do?¡¯
Seriously, what am I supposed to do¡
Right when I was racking my brain for a solution.
¡°¡!¡±
Another strong type of mana washed over my body. Due to of powerful mana emanating from Dorothy, my perception was dyed.
Dorothy and I quickly turned around to see who it was.
¡°Why don¡¯t you stop now?¡±
A graceful woman stood with her back against the moonlit clock.
A beautiful gold dress draped over her, matching exceptionally well with her eloquently tied pale gold hair.
All her essories were ck and white, providing a stark contrast to the gold of her dress. A flower hairpin with ck and white checkers, ck and white earrings, and a ck and white choker adorned her body.
Next to her, a fat purple cat with a small fedora tilted its head to look at us.
The number one person I didn¡¯t want to encounter¡
The Shadow of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
She let out a distinct seductive voice. Even in the moonlit night, her eyes glowed a mesmerizing pale pink.
¡°After all, we¡¯ll have to work overtime if you continue.¡±
One after another, students riding various familiars entered near the clock as they stood behind the woman with pale gold hair.
Outfits suited for a formal event adorned all of them. However, the silver brooch in the shape of a sword and grimoire differentiated them from others. It was painfully obvious which organization they belonged to.
The organization wielding the greatest administrative power in M?rchen Academy: The Student Council.
And the woman with pale gold hair was the one who had the greatest authority among all of them. She was the Student Council President.
[A*()(&^%#( &$&] Lv: 1&^*&%$
Race: &*@man
Elements: $&^%!#)
Danger: $*(&*4#
Psychology: [???¡ô .]
A woman whose information I could not read because of her unique trait [Red Queen¡¯s Paradox], thus making her an even more pronounced existence.
It was the Student Council President, Alice Carroll.
Chapter 87: - The Battle for Isaac (5)
? The Battle for Isaac (5) ?
The Student Council President, Alice Carroll. Nicknamed, ¡®Heart Queen Alice.¡¯
In Wondend, she decapitated the Queen of Hearts and managed to seize all her power and military assets.
Like several of the characters in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Alice was inspired by the well-known fairy tale, ¡®Alice in Wondend.¡¯
Alice was the Shadow of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, as well as the final boss of the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹ act.
She was a character that drew immediate interest and joy from all users, while also being the very reason why I must hide my identity.
Alice was a strong advocate of evil. Therefore, Ian Fairytale, the holder of the light attribute that poses the greatest threat to the Evil God, would be nothing but an eyesore to her.
However, she couldn¡¯t easily touch Ian because he was part of the Fairytale Household. This was because of [Fairy¡¯s Protection] that all Fairytale household members have.
On the other hand, I was merely a humblemoner. I was an underdog who couldn¡¯t offer much more than feeble resistance against the behemoth with a level in the 170s that was Alice.
¡®I can¡¯t believe it turned out like this.¡¯
Honestly, I expected the situation to result like this ever since it started growing out of control.
Especially since Dorothy was involved, it wasn¡¯t strange at all for a powerful existence such as Alice to appear.
¡°What¡¯s up, Alice?¡±
¡°I¡¯m here to clean up this mess.¡±
Dorothy asked with a bitter smile as Alice answered nonchntly.
Alice approached me and Dorothy, staring at me with her cherry-blossom-colored eyes.
While pretending to be slightly nervous, I tried to be as natural as possible when we made eye contact. Honestly though, I didn¡¯t even need to pretend. I was actually very tense.
For reference, Alice doesn¡¯t have a power like Dorothy¡¯s [All In the World]. Even if she stared at me with the intention to pierce through my head, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything suspicious about me.
Anyway¡ I can¡¯t believe that a female student who looks so cute and kind can kill me whenever she desires.
¡®Please let this situation go by without a hitch¡¡¯
I begged desperately in my mind.
After a while, Alice nodded nonchntly.
¡°I understand now.¡±
Huh? What are you understanding?
¡°Understand what?¡±
Dorothy asked for me as if she read my thoughts.
¡°I understand why you guys are fawning over this guy. He¡¯s kinda cute.¡±
¡°Nihihihi, truly¡ Your habit of talking recklessly remains the same.¡±
Dorothy sneaked between me and Alice while smirking.
I agreed that Isaac looked decently attractive. Of course, there were a lot of better-looking guys, but Isaac¡¯s looks were not something to bepletely unacknowledged.
Furthermore, during the Trial of Frost, I discovered through the Cheshire that I was Alice¡¯s cup of tea. It was only natural that she looked upon my appearance favorably.
¡°Enough of that for now.¡±
Alice nced at Dorothy for a moment, then shifted her foot and looked down at Luce and Kaya, who were seen below the railing.
¡°All right, since everyone¡¯s here, I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡±
Alice straightened her back and put her hands behind her hips with a peculiarly kind smile on her face.
Compared to her seductive voice, her smile was very warm.
¡°By the authority of the Student Council President. Dorothy Heartnova, Luce Eltania, Kaya Astrea, and one other. All of you, please apany me to our student council.¡±
Alice gave orders in a friendly tone, mixing both honorifics and informalnguage.
¡°Let¡¯s end this fuss here.¡±
The order of the Student Council President put an end to the midnightmotion.
* * *
Blue bobbed hair curled like waves. A petite build. She was Ciel Carnedas, the ss A third seat.
To her, Isaac was an unknown powerhouse.
She didn¡¯t know whether he was a monster wearing human skin or a next-generation Archwizard brimming with tremendous talent.
However, since it seemed obvious that he was protecting the academy, Ciel wanted to be on his good side.
That was the only way she could safely graduate from M?rchen Academy. Thest thing she needed was for the academy to be destroyed by something akin to a natural disaster.
Therefore, Isaac¡¯s actions were one of Ciel¡¯s few interests in life.
Even if it was just listening to rumors and news about him.
It was safe to say that it was a big deal when she, who was usually disinterested in her surroundings, consumed a lot of energy to pay attention to him.
Since Ciel was that kind of person¡ It was very unusual for her to be interested in a man and even chase after him.
¡®This is¡¡¯
During the end-of-semester evaluation, Ciel witnessed the top seat and the second seat defend Isaac.
And today, the confrontation between the two women over Isaac piqued Ciel¡¯s interest.
Luce, who tried to capture Isaac.
Kaya, who took Isaac from Luce.
Luce, who stopped Kaya when she tried to kiss Isaac.
Kaya, who ran away with Isaac.
Luce, who even summoned the Thunderbird to chase Kaya and Isaac¡
¡®Oh my God, this is so much fun¡!¡¯
How could anyone not want to watch this situation until its conclusion?! It was like a K-Drama that came to life!
Ciel transformed her lightning bat familiar, Zabet, to its original size, and secretly chased Isaac, Luce, and Kaya on his back.
She watched their chase from start to finish.
She also witnessed the appearance of the famous second year senior, Dorothy Heartnova, who had danced with Isaac earlier.
What a spectacr three-way confrontation between the strong women who arepeting for the mighty Isaac! Ciel was so captivated that she couldn¡¯t bear it. As expected, superior females are attracted to superior males.
When she saw the student council entering the clock tower, she inferred that the situation had blown out of proportion.
For a while, Ciel could not take her eyes off the clock tower.
Clearly¡ She found a new interest to pursue.
***
¡°Dorothy Heartnova, Kaya Astrea, Luce Eltania, and Isaac. All statements that werepiled for any relevant information have been concluded. There seems to be no contradiction. Additionally, Dorothy Heartnova and Rose Red Rivera will be referred to the disciplinarymittee tomorrow afternoon.¡±
¡°Okay, you did a great job.¡±
Bartos Hall, a pce-shaped building located in the heart of M?rchen Academy.
It was the ce where the academy¡¯s central administration was located, as well as the student council room.
Moonlight shone through the curtains and dimly litmps, covered by shades, softly illuminated the luxurious and elegant student council room.
In the seat reserved for the Student Council President, there was a woman with pale gold hair. She received a bundle of reports from Erin, the Student Council Vice President standing beside her.
They came to Bartos Hall in the middle of a party, so they were still dressed up.
¡°In the end, Dorothy caused an incident on the day of the social gathering.¡±
¡°It was an excessive reaction, but it¡¯ll be written as a normal one, correct?¡±
¡°As far as Razel is concerned. Rose Red Rivera was also at fault so we¡¯ll see how it turns out.¡±
In truth, Alice Carroll was already convinced that Dorothy would get off with a p on the wrist.
Dorothy¡¯s business value for M?rchen Academy paired with the fact that she reacted in self-defense to protect others would probably be taken into ount.
Dorothy, a rare genius who was blessed by the Lord Manha, was expected to reach the level of an Archwizard within a decade. If one considers the fact that she would receive a degree from M?rchen Academy, it wasn¡¯t a far stretch to say that it was in the academy¡¯s best interest to be lenient with her even if it seemed unfair.
After all, the benefits of Dorothy merely existing in the academy were enormous.
Thus, if Dorothy were ever to be severely punished, her image at the M?rchen Academy would be damaged in corrtion. It would likely lead to an immediate loss of investors.
It wasn¡¯t something that the academy¡¯s staff would ever want.
¡°More importantly, the problem is with Razel Red Rivera.¡±
Erin also reported on Razel Red Rivera. Currently, he was being treated, but somehow he continued to shake with fear. He was unable to give a testimony, it was as if he had been muzzled.
ording to eyewitness ounts, he was fine even after he regained consciousness from getting beaten by Dorothy¡ Now, it seemed that some kind of trauma had settled within him.
¡°Perhaps there was additional damage from someone else¡¡±
It was unclear whether anyone other than Dorothy had been involved, but perhaps she was right. Furthermore, it was highly likely that Luce Eltania was responsible for such additional damage. Perhaps it was a personal vendetta.
Nevertheless, Alice did not care about such trivialities. It was her creed to not dig up anything that wasn¡¯t revealed on the surface.
¡°He was beaten by Dorothy, so I guess the trauma just hit himter. Honestly, doesn¡¯t it make less sense that he was fine at first?¡±
¡°I guess so?¡±
Alice took a sip of her tea and answered in a friendly tone.
Besides this, they also talked about the rest of the case regarding Isaac, Luce, and Kaya. The Student Council released them immediately after checking the facts. This was because there was no reason to hold them captive.
¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±
¡°You did great. Even with an event happening, you worked diligently.¡±
After seeing Alice¡¯s smile, Erin¡¯s heart melted. Even in the middle of the night, Alice was as radiant as a goddess.
She was admired by all the students. Her voice was elegant, her smile as warm as the sun. Her beauty was out of this world and to top it all off, even her personality was excellent. She was utterly perfect. Even the way she handled her work was wless, making her almost inhuman despite being the definition of human perfection.
Every time Erin saw Alice, she could not help but worship her.
¡°It¡¯s nothing. The president has also worked hard. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now, have a wonderful night¡±
Erin smiled brightly while blushing and bowed to Alice before leaving the student council room.
Silence now filled the room.
Guooo¡ª¡ª.
Shortly thereafter, there was a flicker of ashen-colored mana, and a purple cat appeared on the reception table.
[Not a very fun ending, was it?]
It was a fat cat with a fedora, the Phantom Cat Cheshire. Heid sideways on the table, vigorously scratching his behind.
¡°What was?¡±
Alice asked without taking her eyes off the papers in front of her.
[You know, about Dorothy. Don¡¯t you think she only followed us peacefully just because she was worried that other people would get harmed? That wasme. Wasn¡¯t it, Alice?]
¡°If Dorothy truly resists, no one can stop her. We should be grateful.¡±
Alice held up a teacup containing steaming ck tea without giving the Phantom Cat a single nce.
For a while, the Phantom Cat stared at Alice and brought up another topic.
[¡Alice. What do you think of the kid named Isaac?]
Alice¡¯s hands stopped for a very brief moment as she sipped her tea.
[He was the one that the great Dorothy opened up to. Isn¡¯t that interesting? Also, that boy called out ¡®Ice Element¡¯.]
¡°¡You¡¯re suspecting him aren¡¯t you?¡±
[Alice, I feel like everything is going ording to the ns of the ¡®disruptor¡¯. You should suspect everything, even if it seems like nothing. Don¡¯t you think so?]
¡°Because of the report about an informant, the academy¡¯s staff is wary. It¡¯s best to not act rashly when even the Imperial Knights obtained such information.¡±
Alice replied nonchntly.
¡°And¡ I don¡¯t think that the disruptor, who seems threatening even if I were to summon every Pdin I had, would be such a weak man who is guarded and swayed by others.¡±
ording to a testimony given by Professor Fernando Frost in the first semester, the ck Monster was an archwizard who could use nine-star spells.
So even if Alice summoned all the powerful Trump Pdins under hermand, it remained to be seen whether she would be able to beat a monster of such caliber.
On the other hand, how about Isaac, the silver-blue-haired man she saw in the clock tower?
Beaten by Razel, protected by Dorothy, and swayed by women¡ He was too weak for Alice to think her enemy, the overwhelmingly powerful ck Monster, would be rted to him in any way.
¡°In the first ce, it¡¯s wrong to use mere rtionships as a way to determine his identity. He looks like he¡¯s fun to y with anyway. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Dorothy went into heat for him for that reason. There¡¯s nothing strange about it.¡±
Alice continued with a calm expression and drank her tea again. Alice¡¯s voice had her unique kindness, maturity, and calmness, but the content was far from it.
The Phantom Cat raised himself as if he had heard something funny. The corners of his mouth nted into a unique grotesque grin.
[Now that you mention it. Alice, don¡¯t you want to try being in love?]
The Phantom Cat lived for entertainment.
In fact, he followed Alice¡¯s ambitions to end the world simply because it seemed fun.
If he was able to see his master, who seemed sweet, but was pitch ck on the inside, in a rtionship, it would be the best entertainment for the Phantom Cat.
[As long as Dorothy is enjoying her youth, Alice shouldn¡¯t be left behind right?]
The Phantom Cat taunted Alice, desiring an entertaining reaction.
¡°¡You¡¯re saying some funny things.¡±
However, Alice answered without even taking her eyes off the papers as if it wasn¡¯t even worth thinking about.
Instead, she sipped some steaming ck tea again.
[You¡¯re some¡]
With a look of boredom, the Phantom Cat drooped on the table, dejected by Alice¡¯s reaction.
Chapter 88: - Social Gathering Interlude
? Social Gathering Interlude ?
©¤¡®Senior, are you okay?¡¯
©¤¡®It¡¯s a bit disappointing. I feel like I stepped in shit.¡¯
I wrapped a coat around me and lit a [Frostfire] on my right hand for some simple practice.
Even though the sun was bright in the sky, a slightly chilly wind blew over me.
Lunchtime, corner of the butterfly garden.
I was sitting on the ground, recalling Dorothy¡¯s words.
Dorothy was ced on probation for 14 days by the decision of the disciplinarymittee. It was a surprisingly light punishment.
It was possible because of the loopholes in the disciplinary system at M?rchen Academy.
Depending on the severity of the case, paying a certain amount of fines gave the one punished an opportunity to lower the level of disciplinary action. Luckily, Dorothy was given this option. The rationale was that the act of protecting me was justified.
Although she must have been fined a fair amount, it would have been chump change for her.
¡®I knew this would happen.¡¯
The power of capitalism transcends all bounds, even when ites to the decisions of the disciplinarymittee.
It was obvious once one considered the mutual dependency between Dorothy and the academy. If they showcased a transcendental genius unlike any other attending their school as a marketing tactic, it was basically a way to print infinite money. On the other hand, if she was severely punished? The public image of M?rchen Academy would suffer in proportion to the severity of the punishment.
Investors were already pulling out because of the emergence of demons and Headmistress Elena already had her knees worn out from endlessly begging for their continued sponsorships of gel.
Given the abnormality of this situation, the academy had no choice but to take a more passive attitude when imposing disciplinary action on Dorothy. Dorothy¡¯s punishment was already set in stone due to these factors.
¡®It¡¯s honestly such a relief.¡¯
Until the very end, Dorothy gave an energetic farewell, ¡°See you next time. I had a st!¡± as she headed to the dorm with the academy¡¯s staff. It was a heartbreaking sight to see.
Even if it was a mere p of the wrist, disciplinary action was still disciplinary action. My heart clenched in guilt.
I couldn¡¯t possibly show my face in front of her without repaying this favor. When Dorothy¡¯s probation was over, I decided to give her a present as a token of gratitude.
The problem was that Dorothy wasn¡¯t an official heroine. So there was no heroine-specific item for her.
I need to think about what gift I should get for her before she¡¯s released.
By the way¡
¡®It really is frustrating.¡¯
I can¡¯t believe my n to hang out with Dorothy ended in disaster¡ I¡¯m so disappointed.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t like I hated the situation. Pretty girls fighting over me? It was heaven on earth.
However, I really wanted to y with Dorothy deep into the night¡
¡°Ugh, whatever.¡±
There was no point inmenting the past. They all did it out of affection for me, so it was hard to hate either one of them. I should just think about Dorothy¡¯s present instead.
And to my relief, there was never another encounter with Alice.
It would be an oversight to think that she had lost interest in me. However, for now, she didn¡¯t seem to think of me as the disruptor.
¡®To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t think so either if I was her.¡¯
If one solely considered that situation, I was nothing but a weakling who got dragged around by morepetent girls.
I was way toocking to ever be considered as the disruptor.
Either way, since I met Alice face to face, It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious.
¡®I think everything else has been resolved nicely.¡¯
In the morning, I visited Mateo Jordana to talk to him. It was to maintain as much of the distorted scenario as possible.
Ian, who had regained consciousness, did not know why the Cherubim¡¯s Ne was hanging around his neck, so he tried to return it to the Four Constetions.
However, after some discussion, the Four Constetions said that ¡®the treasure had found its owner and they were going to distribute it anyways, so there was no need to return it.¡¯
Ian was still skeptical about why the Cherubim¡¯s Ne chose him, but I asked Mateo to gaslight him appropriately for me.
Next, I visited Eva Hielov, the one who sold my information to the Red Elephant Constetion.
Among the Four Constetions, the members of the Red Elephant were victims of Marlog¡¯s illusion magic, thus influencing their minds to ept him within their midst.
In other words, since Marlog was eliminated, the memories of the Red Elephant members must have been altered. I wanted to see how their memory changed.
¡®Hieeek!!¡¯
As soon as Eva saw me, she jerked backward in horror,nding on her behind while screaming. The dolphin-like scream continued to ring in my eardrums.
Have I ever been this feared by someone? Usually, no one would be afraid of a model citizen like me. It was certainly a new feeling.
Anyway, from what Eva told me, the members of the Red Elephant Constetion didn¡¯t lose their memories about Malrog being their head.
Instead, it was said that a parchment paper stating that he was ¡®stepping down¡¯ was written in Marlog¡¯s handwriting and left in their base of operations. However, no one seemed to know where this parchment was.
¡®Scarlett As has safely returned.¡¯
Scarlett As was the previous head of the Red Elephant. It seemed that she reimed her former position.
For reference, she was originally the middle boss of ¡¸Act 5, Chapter 3, Blue Wolf V.S. Red Elephant¡¹ in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
How should I put it? Sometimes, there were extras who suddenly had a backstory while fighting the main character. It was sort of like that. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll face Ian sooner orter.
¡®The rumor has spread nicely as well.¡¯
The rumors had spread among the students just like I had hoped. It was all thanks to Dorothy, who destroyed Razel for me and dered me as her partner.
This would create the perception that ¡®Dorothy was on Isaac¡¯s side, and those who touched Isaac will not be able to escape her wrath.¡¯
¡®My favorite character couldn¡¯t be more reliable than this.¡¯
In addition, the perception that ¡®Isaac was weak enough to need protection¡¯ spread at the same time, making me seempletely unrted to the ck Monster.
Instead of being worried that unwanted rumors about me would spread, I decided to take the initiative and spread them myself. Dorothy was a great help in achieving my purpose.
Dorothy is a god and now, I am invincible!
Additionally, strange rumors also began to circte about me being the incarnation of lust and flirting with any woman I could get my hands on. It was the fault of the altered memories.
I decided not to worry about it because it was a one-off topic anyway.
Ironically, it wasn¡¯t even a lie. I like harem. They were correct to call me the incarnation of lust, so I had no intention of denying it unless it adversely affected me.
I was just suppressing my desires until I got rid of the Evil God.
¡®Anyway, I¡¯m d that everything else worked out just fine.¡¯
I had onest thing to ponder.
¡®When should I use this?¡¯
I tossed up an old silver key in my left hand and caught it as it fell.
It was the ¡®Key to Mysteries¡¯. The loot I had I acquired by killing Marlog the Envious.
[Key to Mysteries] A key embued with mysterious magic. It is used to open the doors to a certain underground area. It can be used anywhere.
Rank: Tier 1
[¡ùCaution: Numerous deadly threats will target you upon use.]
Although the words ¡®underground area¡¯ were used, it would be a mistake to think of it as your average bunker.
¡®Since that underground is actually the Nether.¡±
¡®The Nether¡¯.
It was obvious from the name, but it needs to be said¡
¡The Nether is a fuuuuuuuuucking dangerous ce.
However, it was also a ce where you can achieve tremendous growth if utilized properly.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, after Ian used this key to fall into the Nether, he practically threw an EXP grind party, killing all the enemies who were aiming for his life.
If the yer went whenever he wanted while being unprepared, he was likely to experience a game over, and even if he managed to survive, the growth efficiency would be low.
Upon use, the key would send you to the very edge of the Nether. It was the most insignificant corner on the map.
I remembered the map and the situation because everything was just so damn enjoyable. I had a lot of fun ying in the Nether during my gaming days.
Additionally, after using the key, it disappeared after a certain period of time.
If the user mimed the motion of inserting the key into a keyhole in the air and turned it before actually using it, the power of the key would cause the user that traveled to the Nether to return to their original ce. Only then, would the key turn into powder and disappear.
In other words, it was a consumable teleport scroll that only had the form of a key.
As mentioned previously, since it moved the user to the edge of the Nether, there would be virtually no chance of encountering horribly strong creatures such as the ¡®Nether King¡¯ or the ¡®Magic Beasts of Incarceration¡¯ who were refused salvation from both life and death.
¡®If I ran into them, I would be done for.¡¯
¡®Anyway, if I use this now, I¡¯ll only die a dog¡¯s death.¡¯
After I get stronger, I¡¯ll go on my own grind for EXP. I don¡¯t need it yet.
Let¡¯s call it a day. I should start doing some lunchtime training.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 76
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Freshman Who Has Adapted to Student Life
Mana: 9000/9000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B)
¨C Stamina (B+)
¨C Strength (B+)
¨C Intelligence (B-)
¨C Willpower (A+) [Potential] Stat Points:0 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (A-): 70/100 [UP]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¨C Learning Efficiency (B+): 60/100 [UP] Owned Skills ??Details?? [Unique Traits] ¨C Hunter ¨C Weapon Master
Last night, 9 of the 18 stat points I earned from killing Marlog the Envious were invested in [Magic Training Efficiency]. Thanks to this, [Magic Training Efficiency] reached the highest level, and the unique trait [Weapon Master] was born.
[Weapon Master] was a unique trait that helped to easily increase the usage proficiency of magic weapons and even increase the power of magic weapons.
There was a restriction where it had no effect on ultimate elemental weapons such as Frostscythe, but it was still very effective when wielding Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
The remaining 9 stat points were invested into [Physical Training Efficiency].
As mentioned previously, a strong body lends tremendous influence when wielding ultimate elemental weapons such as the Frostscythe. This was because the body had to be able to withstand the power of an ultimate weapon.
In addition, when both [Magic Training Efficiency] and [Physical Training Efficiency] reach the highest level, certain unique traits could be obtained. One of these effects was the ability to apply the unique trait [Weapon Master] to ultimate weapons.
Besides this, there were moments when exceptional physical abilities were needed within the scenario.
I had to be prepared in advance.
I clenched my fist and snuffed out the [Frostfire], as I picked up Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
The lights of both sunrise and sunset harmonized as they lit up the mana stone, while the staff made from the wood of a Sage¡¯s Tree glistened. As expected, the quality of Zhonya¡¯s Staff was exceptional.
Immediately, I got up from my seat, held out Zhonya¡¯s Staff, and let my mana flow.
¡°As expected¡¡±
I felt itst night and even this morning.
The flow of mana, which could not find its ce within Zhonya¡¯s Staff just a week ago, became noticeably smoother.
This was the effect of the unique trait, [Weapon Master]. The beauty of it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Now, it¡¯s time for some elemental magic.
I pointed the head of Zhonya¡¯s Staff forward to activate the spell [Frostfire].
As such, an icy cold fire roared out.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª!
A fairly chilly fire bursted out. Kheuuu, I could only give praise every time I saw its performance.
I was worried about when I could handle such a high-quality magic weapon¡
I started to feel ecstatic. I began to use even more elemental magic with Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
Every time I used magic, I automatically let out a ¡°Wow¡±. I could clearly feel that my [Elemental Firepower] and [Element Efficiency] improved greatly!
¡°Wow¡¡±
For a while, I was immersed in the lingering power of Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
This is better than seggs.1TL Note: Author used ¡®sex¡¯ but as Korean ng so we went with seggs.
* * *
The vast sky was very clear with high tides rolling along the sea.
On the West Sea of the Zelver Empire, sturdy fishermen suddenly noticed their shadows gradually lengthening.
¡°Uh, what? Suddenly, there¡¯s a shadow¡?¡±
¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡±
¡°What is it, big brother? Why do you look so stiff all of a sud¡ de¡¡±
The fishermen¡¯s eyes were all drawn to one ce.
They dropped theirs and harpoons, stunned at the sight before their very eyes. Their jaws dropped.
Above the horizon, a mysterious ind floated.
Under the vast sky, an unimaginably huge object floated in ce, engraving its figure into the minds of anyone who saw it.
¡°What¡ is that¡?¡±
It was a fortress. It was an ind. It was the harbinger of destruction. It was both heaven and hell.
Once upon a time, in the distant past, it suddenly appeared in the sky, destroying a country and its surroundingnds.
It soon disappeared, leaving its mark in the Zelver Empire¡¯s history as an ¡®unknown mystery¡¯.
Now, It had finally reappeared as it imprinted its presence on the wide sky, covering the vast sea.
Flooooo©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.
As if someone was ying a woodwind instrument, a strange sound filled the world. It was akin to a cry that proudly announced its existence.
The Floating Ind.
It had reappeared in this world once again.
Footnotes:- 1TL Note: Author used ¡®sex¡¯ but as Korean ng so we went with seggs.
Chapter 89: - Oh Luce... (1)
? Oh Luce¡ (1) ?
Knock Knock¡ª
[Breaking and entering! Trespassing! My master¡¯s ability to abide by thew is nowhere to be found!]
¡°¡¡±
Ppak¡ª!
[Bello, attacked! No violence! No violence!]
It was the weekend, and the morning sun shined brightly on the trees.
It was quiet outside of the lower-middle-ranked student dorm, Briggs Hall, and had no students roaming around.
A female student in a one-piece dress rode herrger than usual killer whale familiar, Bello, as she peered into a specific window of Briggs Hall.
Bello wrapped himself with translucent water mana as he swam in the air. He was a familiar who could fly with a passenger as long as he was big enough.
Luce Eltania, who was riding on top of Bello, whacked the noisy familiar and peered through the window.
No one was there.
The window that was slightly opened for venttion had no soundsing out of it. The owner of the room was probably not in the bathroom or shower either.
¡®I already checked that Isaac left to train earlier.¡¯
In truth, she already knew that the room would be empty. However, she double-checked just in case.
Creak.
Luce opened the window without hesitation and stepped inside the room. She put the window back to its original slightly opened state.
¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so damp¡¡±
Due to Bello¡¯s water mana, her entire lower half was soaked, including her underwear. If only she rode on Galia, she wouldn¡¯t have been in this state.
On the day of the social gathering, after getting dragged away by the Student Council, she was asked to avoid summoning Thunderbird Galia.
Although it was acknowledged that Galia was now docile enough to be deemed safe, many students still had trauma from the terrifying performance it showed in the end-of-semester evaluation.
As a result, she tested out riding Bello, but the drenched texture of her dress and underwear only gave her difort. As expected, she was never going to ride Bello again.
[My master seeds in breaking and entering! Crime perfe¡!]
Luce unsummoned Bello. As Bello¡¯s voice faded away, a suffocating silence filled the room.
In her hands were a small paper bag filled with cookies. It was elegantly packaged with a letter taped to the bag saying,
I¡¯m sorry aboutst time
¨C Luce
The letter even had a little drawing of a trendy character that she drew after much effort. She wanted to emphasize the smiling face.
¡®I don¡¯t know if this will make Isaac feel better¡¡¯
She read from a book that an apology gift was best given when one sneakily leaves the gift inside the recipient¡¯s private space.
Luce decided to follow the book to the letter. The problem, however, was that her methodcked bothmon sense and a willingness to follow thew.
On the day of the social gathering, her n was to forcefully restrain Isaac. In the end, however, she achieved absolutely nothing. Fast forwarding to the present, she was regretful of the risk she took since the current state of her rtionship with Isaac was in hot waters.
She had no guilt over her actions. After all, in her eyes, holding Isaac captive was inevitable.
However, Isaac was her only friend, a person who was precious beyond all measure. As such, she would rather die than be hated by him.
¡®It would probably have a greater effect if I put it somewhere easy to find, right¡?¡¯
The best location was probably the desk.
Luce¡¯s n was surprisingly meticulous. - Leave the cookies in Isaac¡¯s room.
- After a long and exhausting workout, Isaac, who barely managed to drag himself into his room, would see the cookies with a note and be touched.
- After deliciously eating the cookies, he¡¯ll want to see Luce so badly that he will forgive her and, as a result, be even closer to her.
Now, all she had to do was leave the cookies and make her grand escape. After she gave Isaac enough alone time to be touched by her gesture, he woulde to the conclusion that he should ¡®forgive Luce and hang out with her more.¡¯ It was indeed a very meticulous n.
¡°¡?¡±
When she ced the bag of cookies on the desk, Luce noticed an abundance of books and scrolls on the bookshelf. To be specific, the scrolls were behind the books as if they were meant to be hidden.
The books were not a problem, but the hidden scrolls were plenty suspicious. Why is he storing so many?
These scrolls were meticulously written ns that Isaac had organized ever since he first possessed his current body. They also contained information about the future.
Every n and every single piece of information needed to defeat the Evil God of Destruction, Nephid, were stated in these scrolls.
The reason why Isaac had not disposed of these parchments was because there was no guarantee that his memories would be maintained until the very end.
The journey to defeat the Evil God was like a marathon. Without ying the game for years at a time, it was fully possible for Isaac¡¯s memory to slowly blur and turn inurate.
As such, Isaac kept these scrolls and hid them behind the bookshelf. However, it could not escape Luce¡¯s sharp eyes.
¡°Isaac¡¯s secret¡¡±
She was sure that it was a pretty big secret.
Luce often saw Isaac catching glimpses of her. In conclusion, if he had a healthy libido, the scrolls had to be¡
¡®It¡¯s porn isn¡¯t it?¡¯
Luce smirked softly. He truly was a cute but perverted friend.
Honestly, she was curious as to what Isaac¡¯s kinks and sexual preferences were. As such, Luce took out the books that guarded the scrolls and reached out to grab one of them from the back of the bookshelf.
She untied the knot and opened the scroll to see what was written inside.
With a single nonchnt action, Luce uncovered Isaac¡¯s deepest secret.
¡°¡What is this?¡±
Needless to say, it was not porn. More importantly, she didn¡¯t even know what it said in the first ce.
Were these letters? Anguage that she had never seen before was written neatly. It was organized and concise.
Even Luce, who read a lot of linguistic books, could not read a single letter on the parchment.
¡®Is this simr to an ancientnguage¡? How does Isaac know an ancientnguage?¡¯
Hangul.1Editor¡¯s Note: TL went with ¡®Korean¡± but I¡¯m changing it to ¡®Hangul¡¯ because it is in written form. Hangul is basically just written Korean
It would be impossible for a person from this world, such as Luce, to know thisnguage.
At that moment.
Stomp¡ª.
Outside the door, footsteps could be heard.
Luce was so startled that she acted out of reflex, sealing the scroll and cing it back in its original ce. Her expression was utterly calm as her hands moved at blinding speeds.
She could hear the footsteps in the hallway. It was incredibly close.
These footsteps were¡
¡®Isaac¡!¡¯
Isaac, the owner of this very room.
The reason why Luce could deduce this instantly was elementary.
It was because of the ¡®stride¡¯ of the footsteps.
Luce had already memorized the rhythm and sound of Isaac¡¯s footsteps.
Not only that, simple things such as his body odor, the shape of his irises, the traces of his palm line, the color of his skin, and the thickness of his hair were obviously memorized as well. As such, recognizing the sounds of his footsteps was child¡¯s y.
It was already toote to summon Bello and escape through the window.
If she was caught here, Luce¡¯s wless n would be in shambles.
Additionally, her rtionship with Isaac was already shaky. Rather than meeting him in person, she would rather secretly give him the cookies so that he would feel better on his own.
Was there anywhere to hide? There was no space under the bed. Why was it designed this way?
She continuously med the innocent designer as she scanned the room.
Isaac was almost in front of the door. There was no time to waste.
There were only three ces she could hide in with the time she had left: the closet, the shower, or the bathroom.
Luce broke out into a cold sweat as she ran into the bathroom while holding the bag of cookies.
* * *
I really need to shit.
Before going out to train, I decided that it was a better idea to take care of my business in the morning.
Even though there were public bathrooms, it was a lot morefortable to use my own.
Click.
I opened the door and went into my room.
¡°¡?¡±
How do I put it¡ It seems the same as how I left it but at the same time, it also feels out of ce somehow.
It was as if someone came and left¡ My brain was ringing rm bells.
¡°Eh?¡±
It didn¡¯t take me long to find the source of my difort.
The floor in front of the window was slightly damp.
There was no reason for any water to be there. It hadn¡¯t evaporated yet so it was recent. Therefore, someone hade into my room.
Since I was not gone for long, the intruder was probably hiding somewhere in here. I was sure that they were just waiting for me to leave.
If we were close with each other, there was no reason to break into my room. In the first ce, one of my acquaintances wouldn¡¯t have hidden either.
Then who could it be?
¡°¡!!¡±
Suddenly, I felt chills run down my spine as goosebumps arose.
Alice Carroll, the Student Council President, came to mind.
Not only have I recently met her face to face, but there was also a widespread rumor that I was under the protection of Dorothy.
As such, it was possible that Alice hade to investigate me.
¡®If it¡¯s Alice, wouldn¡¯t she have sent one of her subordinates?¡¯
I didn¡¯t know why there was water on the floor, but I couldn¡¯t think of any other reason besides that.
When I opened the window to ventte, I wedged a transparent piece of paper between the windshields. However, it had all but disappeared.
This meant that someone had intentionally left the window ajar, just like its original state.
There was no chance of Aliceing personally since her presence emitted grandiosity that wascking at this moment.
Thus, if Alice sent one of her subordinates to investigate me, it was clear that they came to collect evidence that I was the disruptor.
¡®They¡ had no choice but to hide when they heard me approaching.¡¯
The pieces of the puzzle started to match together perfectly.
Right now¡ Alice¡¯s subordinate was in this room.
I slowed my breath and tensed my body.
I took out the Sheath of Disaster while condensing my mana.
Concentrated ice mana swirled in my right hand, as I formed the magic circle for [Frost Explosion].
I held the Sheath of Disaster in my left hand and prepared myself so that I could immediately activate its effect on the intruder.
I determined that fighting was better than running away. There were three reasons for this.
One: Alice wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me so abruptly.
Two: I had more than enough justification to attack a trespasser.
Three: I was able to prove that I was significantly weaker than the disruptor who was known as the ck Monster. Alice would hear this and remove me from her list of potential disruptors.
In addition, if it worked out well, I had an opportunity to target Alice using the academy itself.
As long as I stayed alive, I could reap the benefits of this unexpected situation.
¡®Now, where are you?¡¯
Alice made a big mistake. She never would have been able to guess that I woulde back early because of an urgent shit.
I checked everywhere just in case they were hiding under the desk or attached to the ceiling like a cockroach. However, they were nowhere to be found.
I muted my footsteps and slowly approached the closet.
Creaaaak¡ª.
There¡¯s no one there.
The shower room is next.
Creaaaak¡ª.
They weren¡¯t there either.
If so¡ the bathroom is next.
I tried to swallow to moisten my dry throat. Behind this bathroom door, Alice¡¯s subordinateid in wait.
The opponent was certainly¡ not a demon. Therefore, I have to fight in my normal Isaac state.
¡°Hoo.¡±
I was ready to send two [Frost Explosions] with condensed ice mana in my right hand and the Sheath of Disaster anytime I needed.
The first one to attack was the one to win.
I inhaled deeply and yanked open the door
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡For a moment, I thought my eyes saw incorrectly.
I was so confused that the condensed ice mana in my right hand melted away.
On the toilet, a student with rose-gold hair stiffly sat. As soon as the door opened, she froze in surprise as her eyes trembled.
¡°¡What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Um so¡ I came to give this¡¡±
The girl sitting on the toilet was Luce as she meekly handed me a small paper bag tied with a red ribbon.
When I took it and untied the ribbon, I saw that it contained asymmetrically shaped cookies. It was obvious that it was made with utmost sincerity.
¡°Oh, thanks. But, what are you doing here¡?¡±
Luce dropped her head and chewed on her lips as if it was tooplicated to exin.
At that moment, I saw that Luce¡¯s lower half waspletely drenched.
I may¡ have made a mistake.
¡°Never mind, I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
I closed the bathroom door quietly and stood there without letting go of the handle.
Behind the door, the silence was so pronounced that it felt suffocating.
I don¡¯t know what happened¡ But there are some taboos in life that are better off being left unknown.
I think I witnessed one of those taboos¡
Footnotes:- 1Editor¡¯s Note: TL went with ¡®Korean¡± but I¡¯m changing it to ¡®Hangul¡¯ because it is in written form. Hangul is basically just written Korean
Chapter 90: - Oh Luce... (2)
? Oh Luce¡ (2) ?
I lent Luce some of my clothes.
She took off her wet one-piece and underwear as she changed.
All of this happened so naturally that it seemed nned.
I didn¡¯t question her about what happened since I believed that it was the right thing to do as a moral human.
Time passed as we reached the current circumstances.
Luce sat on my bed and quietly surveyed my room.
After handing the trespasser a teacup filled with ck tea, I held my own cup and sat on my desk chair.
She was currently in a white uniform shirt and pants, which I had lent her.
Because it was for males, the sleeves were so long that it covered her hands.
¡°This is my first time in Isaac¡¯s room. It¡¯s a lot cleaner than I thought it would be.¡±
As if she was waiting for an opportunity to speak, Luce¡¯s beautiful voice rang out.
How natural of her. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would¡¯ve thought she was an actual guest who was properly invited into my room.
I squinted hard at her with stern eyes.
¡°You know you aren¡¯t supposed toe in here right?¡±
¡°Um so, I had my own n of action when I was preparing toe here¡¡±
I would have just called it a surprise.
From the paper bag, Luce gave me earlier, a letter was also given. The words, [I¡¯m sorry aboutst time ¨C Luce] were written on it so I could infer why she sneaked into my room.
¡°But more than anything, I wanted to apologize to you.¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes shone with determination.
As expected, this was her goal.
Obviously, I understood her determination. Ever since she closed her heart from others, she had never properly apologized to anyone.
What¡¯s more, this was the first time she approached me with the intention to apologize. She must have prepared a lot in her own way.
I took a sip of the ck tea.
¡°Is this because of the fiasco during the social gathering?¡±
I recalled Luce cing handcuffs on my wrists.
¡°Yes¡ I did the very thing you told me you hated.¡±
¡°At least you remember. Well, go ahead.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if this will make you feel better but¡¡±
Although I replied coldly, I couldn¡¯t wait to happily talk with Luce again.
Even so, I couldn¡¯t treat Luce kindly just in case she determined that there was no reason to apologize anymore.
I didn¡¯t want to disregard her determination. As such, I maintained my cold attitude.
I¡¯ll receive her apology graciously. In reality, I¡¯m older than her, and as a more mature person, I should calmly and serenely ept her with a heart as warm as the sun.
And as we finish this conversation withughter¡
¡®I should ask her to spar with me.¡¯
I wanted to put Zhonya¡¯s Staff to the test.
Although Luce was an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, I needed someone like her to measure my progression. I was sure that the spar would also help me improve myself.
I sipped some ck tea as I quietly lent an ear to what she was saying.
¡°Do you want to touch my breasts?¡±
Puhuk¡ª-!
I spat out my ck tea.
Is she crazy¡?
¡°Is your mental state okay¡?¡±
I coughed as I asked her carefully.
There was no way I heard it wrong. Luce¡¯s voice had this mystical ability where even the softest of whispers drew the focus of others on her. It was to the point where every single word that she spoke was stuffed down one¡¯s ears, rendering them incapable of focusing on anything else.
Even if Luce didn¡¯t know where to draw the line between friends, she should¡¯ve at least had adequate sex education.
Luce¡¯s head drooped and her cheeks turned red. She knew what she said. She knew what exactly it implied. There was absolutely no doubt about that.
¡°But the book said guys love it if I said this¡ Nevermind. I¡¯m sorry. Forget about it please.¡±
¡°How could I for¡?¡±
¡°Forget about it!¡±
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Currently extremely embarrassed.]
Her voice was so delicate that even her shouting sounded like scattering moonlight.
¡®Oh, Luce¡¡¯
My hand automatically pped my forehead.
I have never seen such a disordered Luce. I could see without a doubt that she was anxious on the off chance I actually hated her.
To confess, I have often shot nces at Luce¡¯s chest. It can¡¯t be helped, just look at that sinful voluptuousness. As a man, her cleavage rightfully deserved my absolute worship.
Luce probably knew about my nces since she had already called me out as a pervert before.
¡®Even so, how could you say that without any hesitation¡¡¯
Even though Luce immediately regretted what she said¡
This isn¡¯t going to work. It¡¯s more efficient for me to step up right now
¡°Anyway, you¡¯re trying to apologize to me, right?¡±
Luce nodded her head.
¡°Then let¡¯s spar. That will be enough for me to forgive you. Is that okay?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Luce¡¯s ocean-blue eyes came back to life. She nodded furiously.
It would¡¯ve been so much easier to do it like this from the start.
***
The academy¡¯s streets were quiet during the weekend morning. The majority of students were honing their skills in various facilities across the campus.
As usual, no one was in the corner of the butterfly garden.
Kwang¡ª-!
Fuaah¡ª-!
For hours, Luce and I exchanged elemental spells.
Even with Zhonya¡¯s Staff, the power of my spells couldn¡¯t bepared to Luce¡¯s.
Unless I used every scheme and strategy I had, there was no way to resist Luce¡¯s overwhelming might.
Afterward, we decided to rest and eat lunch together. We sat together underneath the shade of a tree as we cooled ourselves and quietly collected our breaths.
¡°You¡¯re amazing Isaac. You can already handle the staff. It hasn¡¯t even been that long since you started to wield it.¡±
Luceplimented me as if she were reciting a dictionary. Of course, I knew she was being sincere with a simple use of [Psychological Insight]. Even this could be considered an improvementpared to the first semester as her tone became more natural.
I had to put in a considerable amount of time and effort in order to properly use a staff like this. However, thanks to my unique trait [Weapon Master], I was able to easily wield Zhonya¡¯s Staff. Since I had already told Luce the difficulties of utilizing Zhonya¡¯s Staff, wouldn¡¯t she think of my progress as brilliant talent?
¡°Isaac must work really hard to improve this quickly.¡±
¡°How am Ipared to the first semester?¡±
¡°If you were an ant then, now you are¡ closer to a mouse?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Isn¡¯t she being way too honest¡
Even though it was noon, the wind was chilly. I thought it would be warm because of the sunlight shining down.
¡°You look cold.¡±
I wrapped the coat I was wearing around Luce who only had a thin uniform shirt on. She stared at me intensely.
¡°I¡¯m wearing a bunch of Isaac¡¯s clothes today. My body is going to smell like Isaac.¡±
Luce must¡¯ve been happy because she couldn¡¯t stop smiling and giggling.
She¡¯s he cute.
¡°Hey, Isaac.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°When I physically restrain you, do you hate it that much?¡±
I thought we were already done with this conversation.
¡°I¡¯ve already told you how much I do¡±
¡°Then¡¡±
Luce extended her arms towards me.
¡°Do you want to try tying me up instead?¡±
¡Pardon?
¡°It¡¯s like¡ revenge for you. I was also curious as to why Isaac hated it so much. Also, I feel like this problem can bepletely resolved if we do this¡¡±
Was this what she was contemting about during our spare? It was obvious that she suggested this after careful consideration.
I didn¡¯t think much of it¡ But Luce must have assumed that I was still bitter about the restraints.
For me, if this action can ease Luce¡¯s mind, I¡¯m obviously all for it. In the first ce, I was already nning to teach her to put herself in other people¡¯s shoes.
¡°¡I¡¯m really going to do it okay?¡±
¡°Sure, you can do it as much as you want.¡±
There was no need for hesitation. I rose from my seat and sat down on one knee in front of her.
I grabbed Luce¡¯s wrists and yanked them up her head.
Even with such slender arms, Luce did not reject my grip.
¡°Ah.¡±
Due to the close proximity of our faces, I could see Luce gulp. She seemed inwardly nervous.
¡°I don¡¯t have any rope to tie you with, so I¡¯m just going to use elemental magic okay?¡±
Luce nodded carefully.
After bringing her wrists together, I let my mana flow.
¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Koong¨C.
I handcuffed Luce¡¯s wrists with my rock magic.
Koong¨C.
I also cuffed Luce¡¯s ankles together in a simr manner.
Even though Luce could have easily freed herself with her water magic, she did not show any resistance.
She just stared deeply into my face with an indiscernible expression.
I ced Luce¡¯s cuffed arms behind her head and looked down at her from a close distance.
This pose¡ is more dangerous and seductive than I expected.
With that thought in mind, I solely focused on her face.
Her delicate features were lovely. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to enjoy the beauty of one of my favorite characters.
¡°Isaac, your face is too close.¡±
Luce suddenly blushed with a soft smile. Like before, I adopted a rxed attitude, but this time, I was not going to get embarrassed and move away.
¡°Luce.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
¡°You can¡¯t move as you want right? This is what you did to me. This is what I hate.¡±
Like a teacher lecturing a student, I spoke clearly with a kind voice.
However, I put on a slight frown and donned a serious expression. I was confident it would have an effect on Luce, who couldn¡¯t stand being hated by me.
¡°Do you understand what it¡¯s like to not be able to move your body as you please? What it¡¯s like for another person to control your body?¡±
Luce pursed her lips and contemted quietly.
After a moment, she gently licked her lips in preparation for what she had decided to say.
¡°¡Honesty, it¡¯s not too bad.¡±
As if she found a new toy, she seemed joyful with a childish glint shining in her eyes
With a gentle smile that she only reserved for me, Luce softly whispered.
¡°If I do this, will Isaac take care of me every day?¡±
Her voice tickled my ears as its destructive beauty bordered on abuse.
¡°Something like that¡ doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡±
[Luce Eltania] Psychology: [Wants you all to herself.]
¡®Huh?¡¯
An ominous feeling settled within me as she appeared to learn a very different lessonpared to my original intentions.
I felt a sense of danger as soon as I realized this new kink of hers was about tobine with her numerous questionable habits that already existed.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down my cheek.
Chapter 91: - Dorothys Return
? Dorothy¡¯s Return ?
¡°President! Big sis is back!¡±
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! YEEEEEEEAHHHH BABBBBYYYYY! THAT¡¯S WHAT I¡¯VE BEEN WAITIN¡¯ FOR, THAT¡¯S WHAT IT¡¯S ALL ABOUT!! LETS FUCKING GOOOOO!!!
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Senior Dorothy.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I saw Dorothy return from probation. As expected of my number one favorite character, her beauty practically radiated with starlight.
A lot of things have happened over the past few days.
On the day I tied up Luce, I witnessed her shady habits start tobine with her newly found interest in real-time. As it began to develop into a terrifying hybrid of kinks and hobbies, I quickly released the restraints and tried to distract her with lunch. Afterward, the topic of bondage never came up again, however, I continued to remain vignt.
A few days ago, ¡¸Act 5, Chapter 3, Blue Wolf V.S. Red Elephant¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was sessfully concluded. I was able to confirm this through the use of [irvoyance].
Just like how I remembered it, a Red Elephant member picked a fight with a Blue Wolf member, pummeled him, and a conflict broke out between the two Constetions as a result.
This was because the head of the Red Elephant, Scarlett As, used this opportunity to add fuel to the mes, iming superiority over Blue Wolf.
As a result, all Blue Wolf members, including Ian, broke into the Red Elephant¡¯s base and engaged inbat. They eliminated their enemies as they climbed up floor after floor.
As expected of that PVP fanatic, Ian didn¡¯t faint when he fought against students. That was a relief. In the end, even the head of Red Elephant, Scarlett As, was eliminated, leading to the end of the [Act 5, Chapter 3]. Chapter 4, where Heinkel the Hoarder appears, was omitted.
Sometime soon, I need to prevent the extra bad ending No.8 ¡¸Frog¡¹ that urred in the joint practical evaluation. Compared to the difficulties I had experienced up til¡¯ now, I should be able to resolve it with my eyes closed.
In the middle of Josena Forest, the autumn sky was clear and the surrounding trees were colored with red maple leaves.
Dorothy came to my hideout using the invitation I had given her. It was the ce I brought Amy to during the childhood friend kidnapping case.
¡°Nihihi, President. I came with high expectations today okay? Now then, quickly satisfy this big sis of yours~!¡±
Dorothy ced her hand on her chest while huffing in excitement. It was painfully obvious she was giddy with joy.
Today, I prepared presents to celebrate Dorothy¡¯s return. Let¡¯s start with the first one.
I approached Dorothy and tucked a purple flower into her witch hat. It was a flower that never withers thanks to the enchantment imbued into it.
¡°A flower? Huh?¡±
As I drew closer, she let out a surprised expression.
¡°Oooh, what is this? Did you get taller?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve always been growing. You must¡¯ve only noticed because you haven¡¯t seen me in a while.¡±
¡°Hehe. President, are you going through puberty?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t I a bit past that age already¡¡±
I replied in a tone of disbelief as Dorothy covered her lips with her mouth and smiled teasingly.
As Dorothy said, I was growing quickly like a teenager going through puberty, maybe thanks to [Physical Training Efficiency]. It was ate growth spurt.
For reference, I was 170cm during the first semester and now I am approaching 180cm. My growth would probably stop once Isaac reached his maximum height.
I stepped away from Dorothy and nced at her face. The purple flower matched quite well with her witch hat.
¡°It looks good on you.¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust the President¡¯s taste. Thanks!¡±
Dorothy smiled brightly.
¡°What¡¯s next?¡±
I sat Dorothy on an outdoor table and brought out a croissant from a pic basket.
Dorothy tilted her head and looked at me with a questioning gaze.
¡°When I worked as a carriage driver, there was a bakery near themercial district. I became friendly with thedy working there.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Apparently, she is from Regel.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
She must have realized my intention as a slight smile adorned her face.
¡°Just think of it as a light snack.¡±
Every little thing that Dorothy said she wanted to do with me was stored in my head. One of those was going to Regel and eating their famous croissants.
I poured some warm coffee I prepared beforehand into a cup and gave it to Dorothy.
Dorothy giggled as she took the cup I gave her.
The croissant crumbled as I stabbed it with a fork and brought a piece towards her. With a cute ¡®Ahh¡¯, she was happily fed by me.
¡°How is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s delicious but not as special as I thought it would be. As expected, we should travel to Regel, dip one in chocte, and feed me another.¡±
¡°Here you go.¡±
¡°Hap. It¡¯s delishus~.¡±
After finishing the croissant, we went inside my hideout.
¡°Oooh!¡±
Within the hideout, there was an areavishly decorated for a party. Its small size only made it look more gorgeous.
On the wall, there was even a banner that said,
Congrats to Dorothy for Her Return!
It was my masterpiece that I poured my heart and soul into.
The present that I gave Dorothy was a ¡®home party¡¯. I decided that the present didn¡¯t necessarily need to be materialistic.
By the way, I didn¡¯t decorate all this by myself. I gasli-, I mean convinced Mateo Jordana to help. In front of him, I pettily thought ¡®Now that I think about it, I saved your ass during the first semester¡ Have you paid me back yet?¡¯ I then requested him to decorate the hideout with hisckeys.
To my relief, Mateo must have felt guilty for repaying his life debt with something so trivial and was happy to help.
¡°Teehee, I¡¯m a bit touched!¡±
¡°I¡¯m relieved that you like it so much.¡±
¡°It feels like a continuation of the social gathering that I missed.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a bitckingparatively though.¡±
Dorothy tilted her head as she smiled sheepishly at me with flushed cheeks.
¡°No, I like this better. I like everything about it.¡±
A sense of relief flooded into me as I saw her happy smile. I guess it was worth it to enve Mateo and work him to the bone.
Afterward, we continued our small celebration.
We popped confetti as Dorothy used a gentle breeze to strike a stunning pose.
We ate cake while sharing fun stories.
We yed simple games.
We even used magic instruments to y songs and we sang along excitedly as if we were doing karaoke. Since I didn¡¯t know the songs of this world that well, I could only hum and dance to the music.
Dorothy¡¯s wind magic blew the shining confetti into the air and a cluster of beautiful starspleted the decorated space.
Dorothy continued to let loose in this joyful atmosphere. I also got carried away and started to perform a rain dance. Dorothy, seeing this, burst into so muchughter that she was practically in tears.
¡°¡¡±
While all of this was happening, I secretly lit [Frostfire] on my finger repeatedly. It was a technique to train my mana mastery.
Even if my aim today was to make Dorothy have fun, I could not bezy with my training. Honestly, even in this joyful atmosphere, there was a small nagging feeling of impatience in the back of my mind.
¡®There isn¡¯t much time left.¡¯
Heinkel the Hoarder was supposed to fight Ian in ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 2, Decisive Battle¡¹, but I had already eliminated him.
Leafa the Illusive, who was supposed to backstab Ian as the final boss of ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 3, Fictional Hell¡¹, was also defeated by yours truly.
That only left the Floating Ind. Within two months, that bastard would arrive.
I heard the news that it first appeared in the West Sea of the Zelver Empire. Apparently, when the empire tried to send an expedition against it, it suddenly disappeared.
¡®It¡¯s about time for it to start to show itself.¡¯
The Floating Ind. The entire ind flying overhead was but a singr demon.
It was the one responsible for cursing Dorothy and it had a base level of 190. In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t a demon meant to be beaten. Act 6, Chapters 1 and 2 were the only main stages withbat.
Moreover, Dorothy would be absorbed by that bastard. Her curse would elerate and she would be incapacitated.
I won¡¯t be able to expect her assistance at all.
In [Act 6, Chapter 1], the Floating Ind created a huge magic circle. After the time limit expired, the magic circle would be casted, vaporizing a part of the sea and a tenth of the imperial territory. This included the ind where the academy was located.
To prevent this, Dorothy sacrificed her life to activate the ultimate starlight magic [Last Light of a Dying Star], resulting in the Floating Ind apanying her in death. With thisst act, Dorothy¡¯s smile glowed like stars in the night sky before losing her light.
I had seen it countless times.
While everyone called that heartbreaking scene a so-called masterpiece, I fucking hated it.
After letting go of her life¡¯sst lingering attachments and saving everyone with her sacrifice, Dorothy died a hero as a content smile lingered on her face.
In my eyes, however, she was a truly pitiful person who had her heart utterly broken throughout her entire life.
There wasn¡¯t a way to save Dorothy in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? even if the yer wanted to. If she didn¡¯t sacrifice herself, there was no one else that was capable of defeating the Floating Ind.
Dorothy¡¯s death was already set in stone.
©¤¡®President, there¡¯s something I wanna try.¡¯
And I am going to be the one to crush that very stone into a fine powder.
Compared to the difficulty of my dream, the life-threatening danger I experienced when fighting Galia was virtually negligible. However, I was determined to seed.
If ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was truly my reality now, I can¡¯t lose Dorothy. She¡¯s someone who holds immeasurable worth to me.
¡°President, Why did you suddenly get quiet?¡±
I unintentionally fell into deep contemtion.
Dorothy approached and stuck her face close to me while asking. With her witch hat off, her stunning face filled my sight.
Her teasing smirk and voice remained unchanged.
I was startled for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t hard to regain myposure. I answered slyly while pointing at my ear.
¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I was just entranced by your enchanting voice and lost my train of thought for a moment.
¡°Nyahaha, ttery huh? I wasn¡¯t asking you to tell me something so obvious.¡±
The floating confetti scattered onto the floor and the cluster of stars died down.
¡°I was curious because you looked like you were suffering by yourself.¡±
Dorothy gave me a meaningful smile.
¡°You don¡¯t have to suffer alone, you know?¡±
Her voice was subdued as she stepped away from me.
What kind of weird things is she saying? I can¡¯t understand the meaning behind her words¡
I just assumed that she was willing to listen to my troubles, so I asked Dorothy.
¡°¡Should I share my worries with you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay as long as it¡¯s the President. Ah, rtionship problems are difficult though. This big sis has never dated someone after all!¡±
I didn¡¯t think it was something to be so proud of to the point of giving me a thumbs-up.
¡°I¡¯m just worried about my future career.¡±
¡°Nevermind then, that¡¯s boring so let¡¯s skip that.¡±
She killed the mood in an instant.
Fakeughter naturally flowed out of me. It was just like Dorothy to say something like that.
¡°Whatever, never mind that. Senior, how was today?¡±
¡°Reaaally satisfying. It was worth getting the punishment, Nihihi.¡±
Dorothy stroked my hair.
¡°I¡¯m so proud. As expected, I made the right choice when I chose you as my fan. Thank you, President.¡±
I couldn¡¯t read Dorothy¡¯s true thoughts because her starlight mana blocked [Psychological Insight].
However, I could easily tell that her smile was sincere even without using it.
Just like this, we fully enjoyed our party of two.
It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
* * *
Dear Eve Rophenheim,
How are you, Eve? It¡¯s your soulmate, Alicia!
As I¡¯ve told you before, the Academy has been swamped with incident after incident while you were away!
This time, a demon appeared on Elt Ind. Isn¡¯t that crazy? I don¡¯t feelfortable even with the protection of the Imperial Knights. I don¡¯t know what the academy is thinking. Ah, the demon in Elt Ind was killed by the ck Monster so don¡¯t worry~.
Also¡ There are quite a few people dropping outtely. Even though it was hard to get enrolled, if I¡¯m being honest, the situation is pretty scary these days. I understand why they would want to drop out. But whatever. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all going to work out, right? I mean, even the imperial family has stepped in.
Anyway, that¡¯s enough doom and gloom!
I have some fun news!
Dorothy Heartnova brought a partner to the social gathering! But Razel, that unlucky idiot, tried to harm Dorothy¡¯s partner! He was utterly destroyed by Dorothy. Honestly, you should have seen it. It was scary but funny at the same time.
But you know, Dorothy¡¯s partner looks really simr to you! At least the hair color and eyes do. It¡¯s not like your looks aremon either.
Do you actually have a hidden younger brother?
Hehe, I¡¯m just kidding! I guess you¡¯ll be back soon. I have a lot of stories to tell you, so stop by to see me as soon as you get here!
Bye then!
-Sincerely, Alicia Armint.
There was a specific system for second and third years at M?rchen Academy.
After taking a leave of absence from the academy, they joined various organizations such as the Academy Support Guild or the Magic Tower for a while to experience practical work. It was simr to an internship system. Thepetition was fierce as it was a rare opportunity to gain practical experience under experts as an academy student.
Today marked the return of several students who had left the academy to gather half a year¡¯s worth of practical experience
One carriage arrived at the academy¡¯s main gate.
From the carriage, a female student grabbed her bags and carefully stepped off.
A catlike face with pale skin as white as a sheet of snow. The sunlight made her pretty features shine as she supported herself with her magic staff.
The autumn wind lifted her long silver-blue hair as the silver earring on one of her ears shook.
Eve Rophenheim tied up her bothersome hair with a white snowke hairpin as her red eyes nced at M?rchen Academy.
Contrary to the many unfortunate incidents that swept up this ce, it looked quite peaceful.
¡°Devon, let¡¯s move our luggage.¡±
Near Eve, pale blue mana clumped together into an ice element white tiger familiar as Devon¡¯s form manifested.
©¤Do you actually have a hidden younger brother?
Eve recalled the letter that her friend, Alicia Armint, sent.
Younger brother. Just hearing those words made her memories pass by like a panorama, despite wanting to forget them. These memories contained slivers of a silver-blue-haired boy.
They were memories of a six-year-old child smiling innocently while showering Eve with pure affection.
©¤¡®Sis, what are you doing?¡¯
©¤¡®Look at this, sis. I drew our family!¡¯
©¤¡®Sis¡ It hurts, heung!¡¯
©¤¡¯You¡¯re so cool, Sisl! How are you so good at magic?!¡¯
©¤¡®Sis is the prettiest in the world after our mom!¡¯
©¤¡®Sis, I¡¯m scared of thunder¡ Let¡¯s sleep together¡¡¯
©¤¡®Sis is a god and I am invincible!¡¯
©¤¡¯Mommy, I want to be like my sis when I grow up!¡¯
©¤¡¯This bread is mine! I can¡¯t give it to you even if you¡¯re sis¡! I¡¯ll give you half.¡¯
©¤¡®If I work hard, can I use magic as good as sis?¡¯
¡°There¡¯s no way¡¡±
Eve murmured in a low voice as she hastened her steps.
The joint practical evaluation was rapidly approaching.
Chapter 92: - Joint Practical Evaluation (1)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (1) ?
¡°You defeated Helga the Two-Headed Dog? Even during that unexpected situation?¡±
¡°I mean~, the guild members helped a lot. All I did was throw a few [Ice Spears] when that mutt was stunned.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t be judged by the standards of a student anymore! That¡¯s incredible¡!¡±
Eve Rophenheim loved it when people put her on a pedestal.
It was daytime. Eve was listening to Alicia excitedlyplimenting her while they sat on the terrace of Hailey¡¯s Bakery, a location on M?rchen Academy¡¯s grounds.
Eve acted like it was nothing for her as she smirked and added more to her story.
¡°It really was nothing much. If you were in the same situation as me, you would¡¯ve done just as well, you know?¡±
¡°That¡¯s impossible. It was only possible because it¡¯s Eve.¡±
That¡¯s exactly right.
Eve looked at Alicia with sharp eyes, as she inwardly agreed.
¡°By the way, what did you do with the two-headed dog? Aren¡¯t her horns worth a lot of money? You definitely sold it right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ a secret, but just between us, it became my familiar.¡±
¡°Ehhhh?! Isn¡¯t that crazy?!¡±
¡°Shush.¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. But, how¡?¡±
¡°She wanted to follow me. I must have left a deep impression on her when we fought.¡±
Eve shrugged her shoulders as if it were no big deal.
¡°Oh my god! Could you try summoning it?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s a bit difficult. She¡¯s still hard to control. And the amount of mana required is crazy¡¡±
¡°Since it¡¯s a magic beast, that makes sense. But, for you to have a two-headed dog. That¡¯s so cool¡!¡±
¡°No, I still have a long way to go. I need to work harder. Later, the guild said that they may even scout me¡¡±
¡°To even get scouted¡That¡¯s crazy!¡±
Alica had a dumb but innocent smile. She didn¡¯t doubt a single word that Eve said.
¡°You¡¯re so cool, Eve¡ I want to be like you someday.¡±
A look of worship filled her eyes. Alicia¡¯s words gave Eve an ecstasy beyond all materialistic pleasure.
***
The middle to top-ranked students¡¯ dormitory of the girls¡¯ wing, Elma Hall. The night was pitch-ck.
A brightmp on a desk illuminated the room.
A book opened for studying was shoved into the corner of a desk where Eve sat as she hummed and drew on a piece of parchment.
Helga the Two-Headed Dog. Eve Rophenheim, the silver-blue-haired beauty, who fought with her colleagues to take down this demon.
Inbat, she was the greatest driving force.
And in the end, Helga the Two-Headed dog, bowed before her and begged for her permission to follow her.
It was what the picture she drew looked like.
And all of it was nothing more than a fantasy that never came to pass.
Although she told Alicia that the demon ambushed them, in reality, she didn¡¯t even see any demons or demonic creatures. It was just a made-up story.
In the first ce, what kind of guild would take a student to dangerous remote areas when their purpose was merely practical experience?
Alicia was a naive girl. She was perfect as a tool meant to boost Eve¡¯s mood and ego while attending the academy.
Besides Alicia, there were plenty of second year students who sucked up to Eve. They admired andplimented her beauty, skill, and experience.
They only knew as much as their eyes could see.
Anything they didn¡¯t see personally was up to Eve¡¯s vivid imagination. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was true or not. Her idealized version of herself in a made-up story would be the truth.
Ever since she entered M?rchen Academy, Eve had survived in this strong eat-the-weak environment by lying to make herself look better than she actually was.
As the students¡¯ admiring eyes gave Eve increasing pleasure, the purpose of her lies gradually changed.
It came to the point where even her childhood was filled with lies.
However, it wasn¡¯t like Eve¡¯s true self was unknown by everyone.
¨C¡®Do you actually have a hidden younger brother?¡¯
Eve¡¯s hand stopped while she was drawing.
Younger brother. She did have one once.
Eve moved her hand again as she drew a boy¡¯s face. It was a boy with tousled hair and a cute look on his face.
¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯s here.¡¯
That unskilled younger brother without any talent whatsoever couldn¡¯t have possibly been epted into M?rchen Academy. There was no point in even trying to confirm whether it was true or not.
Well, no matter how much effort he put into getting epted, it would be like a sheep walking into a lion¡¯s den. This dog-eat-dog academy would eat him alive.
Eve let out a bitterugh.
***
¡®Why is he here?¡¯
Eve was as pale as a corpse.
Right in front of her eyes, her younger brother stood before her.
***
¡°The joint practical evaluation will now begin.¡±
M?rchen Academy used an entire ind as its campus, thus the utilization of its terrain was endless.
Like this canyon, for example.
It was a sunny day. The first and second years of the Magic Department stood in an orderly fashion as they looked towards Professor Fernando holding a loudspeaker in front of them. As with anyrge-scale exam, behind the students were a group of proctors, professors, assistants, and imperial knights.
The ce where I stood was the huge canyon, ¡°Machea Ravine¡±. Just like how it was portrayed in the game, it was a ce that boasted a majestic grandeur. The joint practical evaluation was scheduled to be conducted here.
The first and second years were divided into three groups and sent to different starting lines while listening to the professor¡¯s exnation regarding the exam. I couldn¡¯t see Luce and Dorothy, so they seemed to be in a different starting location from me.
I could see Kaya, however, judging by her jade eyes, she hadn¡¯t taken on her dark personality. Oh, there was also Lisetta. Now that I looked closely, there were actually many people that I recognized.
¡°The joint practical evaluation will be taken by first and second-years at the same time. The test is simple. Clear each gate and reach the destination to pass. Also, 30 minutes after the start of the test, it is possible to gather teammates. When the bracelets simultaneously touch each other, you will be recognized as teammates. For reference, each party can beposed of up to four people, but there are no limits to the number of ss D students that can be within a group.¡±
The joint practical evaluation was designed to be difficult to clear as a solo unless one was at the level of Dark Kaya or Luce. Most students would need to form a party if they intended to pass the exam.
The reason why ss D students weren¡¯t included in the member restriction was that no one would ept them if they were a part of the limit. However, if a ss D student was merely an extra, there was no reason to refuse them.
¡°There are other restrictions as well. If you summon a magical beast or familiar when you are not clearing a gate, you will be disqualified. Keep that in mind.¡±
Familiars or magical beasts were convenient means of transportation. Thus, using them took away from the essence of the race, which was meant to be a joint practical evaluation.
¡°Additionally, there are fake demonic creatures made of puppet magic. Unlike demonic illusions, these are capable of actually harming you. There is no need to worry as there are outstanding healers on standby. However, keep in mind that you will be eliminated if you suffer a fatal injury or it is impossible for you to continue the test. That is all.¡±
Professor Fernando raised his right arm up and formed a bullet of elemental mana on his index finger.
¡°Ready, set.¡±
Utter silence. All the students got in a ready position as they prepared to run. The tension in the air was heavy.
I slung Zhonya¡¯s Staff over my shoulder and got into afortable position to run.
Tang¨C!
Professor Fernando shot the bullet and as it flew into the sky, it exploded with elemental magic.
Boom¡ª!
¡°Start.¡±
Ice crystals embroidered the sky.
The sound of fireworks boomed as Professor Fernando¡¯s voice fell on us.
Zooooom¨C! The students started to furiously run.
¡°LET¡¯S GOOOO!¡±
¡°Move!¡±
¡°Dude, are you cheating already?!¡±
¡°Here we go!¡±
¡®What a mess.¡¯
It was an expected scene. If PVP had been enabled, the chaos would¡¯ve been historical.
The sub-scenario ¡¸Joint Practical Evaluation¡¹.
The difference between the main scenario and a sub-scenario was that no matter what kind of result urred, it wouldn¡¯t confirm a bad ending. There was no real need to y this for game progression, however, as someone whose reality was the game itself, there was no skip button for me.
Besides, I needed toplete this sub-scenario anyway. It was to prevent the Extra Bad Ending No.8 ¡¸Frog¡¹.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the ¡®Frog Demon¡¯ appeared during the second semester of the first year. It was a demon based on the fairy tale ¡¸The Frog Prince¡¹.
It was a demon so weak that it couldn¡¯t even bepared to the demons that have appeared so far.
¡®It¡¯s just a bit of a hassle to eliminate though.¡¯
In a hard-to-find location within the vast academy grounds, the Frog Demon would suddenly appear. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, each new ythrough would have a different location. Thus, it was very inefficient to go around looking for him.
The only certainty was that during the joint practical evaluation, the frog demon would appear after clearing the fourth gate in Machea Ravine.
Unlike the demons so far who had appeared five minutes before all hell broke loose, the frog demon was harmless for now.
However, if I don¡¯t eliminate the frog demon before the end of the semester, the conditions of some bullshit magic would trigger, allowing that bastard to turn a person into a frog in exchange for their body.
So what would happen then? That bastard would take Ian Fairytale¡¯s body and turn him into a frog.
As a result, the frog demon would have a grand time in school wearing Ian¡¯s body.
Ian would continue to be a mere frog until the credits roll for the Extra Bad Ending N.8 ¡¸Frog¡¹.
¡°Ha!¡±
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Hoooooo¡ª.
The energeticugh of Tristan Humphrey, a vain blonde nobleman, rang out among the students. It was bordered on a shout.
I turned my gaze towards Tristan. The guy was wrapped in wind mana as he levitated above the other students.
¡°I will be the first to go!!¡±
Kuhahaha!! Heughed as he quickly flew ahead of everyone, but suddenly started to cough as if he choked on something.
With his example, all students with the wind element wrapped themselves with wind mana and started to fly in the air as well.
¡®That isn¡¯t a good idea.¡¯
Due to the immense mana consumption, it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to run out.
Whoong¡ª!
¡°What the?! Uaak!¡±
Suddenly, a female student with light green pigtails flew with great speed and flew past Tristan. It was a speedparable to a jet. The gust of wind that followed in her wake pushed Tristan aside.
The Magic Department freshman second seat, Kaya Astrea. A preliminary boost of wind would only be worth it if one was at her level.
Everyone here knew that using wind magic to fly was not an efficient use of mana. In the end, however, people would follow by example.
The students became anxious as they rushed to start.
* * *
¡®How are you here¡?¡¯
After the joint practical evaluation started, Eve Rophenheim ran among the students as well. She thought to herself while gazing at Isaac from behind.
He¡¯s someone with no skill, talent, or ability. It¡¯s impossible for him to be in a ce like this!
However, it was unmistakable. When she saw his face earlier, it really was Isaac.
¡®Something about him¡ changed.¡¯
He was taller than before and his physique had also be more defined. In the past, he was only a small and cute boy, but now, he exuded a manly charm.
And the staff in his hands. It was clearly difficult to wield so the fact that he was holding it meant that¡
He can use that staff? That Isaac?
Eve squeezed the staff in her hands. Her mind was scrambled with disbelief.
Chapter 93: - Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (2) ?
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸Wind Wall (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸me Wall (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹ ¡¸Ice Wall (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Dudeuuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Hooooo©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Hwareuuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°What?!¡±
¡°This crazy bastard!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this cheating>!¡±
¡°Yeah, no~.¡±
PvP wasn¡¯t allowed in the joint practical evaluation. As such, in the beginning, students chose to impede the progress of others by using nonbat elemental spells.
Although the students used a variety of spells to break the elemental walls, every time they did so, a new wall formed in front of them.
¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯
I stopped in my tracks and ced one of my hands on the ground.
Light brown mana flowed out of my palm.
¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Dureureuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!
A stone pir erupted out of the ground with terrifying speed, pushing my body upwards.
The stone pir drew an arc over all the other elemental walls on the surface as I anchored my hands and feet onto the stone pir.
There was a limit to how far I could extend the pir so I formed a new one to jump on and repeated this action while being carried through the air.
After passing by all the bothersome elemental walls, I easilynded back on the ground with a loud thud.
¡°What was that?¡±
¡°Is he really a part of the Magic Department? What kind of physical ability is that¡?¡±
Rather than my magic, the students were amazed at my athleticism.
Dudeuuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!
Students with solid elements like rock and ice began to follow my lead. However.
¡°Ahhh! Get me down from here!¡±
¡°Scary!!¡±
There were a number of people who couldn¡¯t execute it properly. It was because they tried to imitate me without having the proper skills to do so. Not to mention, they couldn¡¯t even control their own fear.
Without precise mana control and athletic ability, they could never copy the method I just showed. They were practically digging their own graves at this point.
¡®What are they doing.¡¯
It was a pitiful sight to see.
Shortly thereafter, the first intersection appeared.
After running through the water-filled canyon, I reached a fork in the road. It was clearly distinguishable thanks to the milestones that were ced.
It was a question of whether one continues to go through the canyon and enter a cave or go up the stairs to the top of the canyon.
Here, students were also separated into two categories: students who choose a path without hesitation and students who be indecisive. Obviously, I was of the former.
¡®It was this way.¡¯
My choice was towards the stairs. I could only find the frog demon if I went this way.
If one looked up from below, there was a terrifying bridge on the path up the canyon, so few students chose this treacherous path.
¡®It¡¯s a relief that I don¡¯t have a fear of heights.¡¯
It didn¡¯t mean much for me to cross a creaky bridge high up in the air. At most, it was a thrilling ride to enjoy.
A few brave souls also chose the stairs. I blended into their ranks as I began to run up the stairs.
The frog demon will leave its ce after 4 p.m. I need to reach it before that. I don¡¯t have much time left.
Dudududu©¤©¤!!
After going up a couple of stairs, I made a stone tform on the cliff and proceeded to jump onto it.
After Inded, the rock began to stretch upwards and pushed me over the precipice.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, even if you were only a littlete, you would witness a cursed scene where some aggro bastard shattered your leg. If that happened, you would have no choice but to choose a different path.
As I ran on top of the canyon, I saw arge bridge connecting to another canyon. The view was absolutely stunning, just as I had expected it to be.
Without hesitation, I started to cross the bridge.
Creak, creak¨C!
¡®Ahhk!¡¯
Unexpectedly, I found myself on an amusement park ride.
Because of the strong winds hitting the bridge like a tidal wave; it was constantly rocking back and forth.
I thought it would only shake a bit¡ What was I expected to do if it was also osciting up and down?
The natural wind mana in the surroundings must have flowed very aggressively for such a phenomenon to ur.
I grabbed the railing and adjusted my bnce. If I was careless, my body would fly away.
¡°Ahhhk!¡±
¡°What the hell is this!¡±
¡°Someone save me!!¡±
I could hear the cries of despair from the students that followed behind me.
If they were gonna be like this, why did they evene here¡
¡°Oh!¡±
It was hard to continue. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Although it may help the bastards behind me, it was more important for me to get off this bridge ASAP.
I stretched my arm and spilled ice mana downwards. I casted a buffed [Ice Generation] thanks to Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Chararak©¤©¤.
The ice spread thinly and widely. As a result, the bridge froze into a magnificent ice sculpture.
Done. Finally, my legs wouldn¡¯t squirm like an eel any longer.
¡°This guy!¡±
¡°Oop! That¡¯s slippery!¡±
¡°But it¡¯s shaking less! Thank you, my friend!¡±
Since there was a gentleman who expressed his gratitude, I lifted my arm to the side and gave him a thumbs-up.
¡®[Rock Generation].¡¯
I had only my heels touch the bridge as I used [Rock Generation] to make sharp spikes on the soles of my shoes. It was to reduce the area of contact while also allowing me to slide easily across.
As I extended my right arm backward, I condensed ice mana and ignited it to produce immense force and an icy fire.
¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kwaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
It was a booster.
¡°Oh!!¡±
Using [Frostfire] as the driving force, I exploded forward and quickly traversed the ice bridge.
It was a refreshing speed. My silver-blue hair pped wildly in the wind. A startled sound escaped from me unintentionally.
It was an application of [Frostfire] that required a tremendous amount of mana control and skill.
Although I couldn¡¯t fly like Iron Man yet, at the very least, it was a possibility to use [Frostfire] as a booster.
However, because I needed to condense mana and let out immense pressure, the required mana was too high and the efficiency had much to be desired. I wouldn¡¯t be able to overuse it until I became skillful enough in handling it.
In an instant, my body slid across the bridge and reached the canyon on the other side.
I removed the stone spikes on my shoes and defrosted the ice from the bridge. My elemental mana shone brightly as it scattered like powder before disappearing.
The bridge started to chaotically shake again. The students let out screams of terror.
¡°No?! What kind of bastard would give help and then take it away?!¡±
¡°Ahhk! Does anyone have the ice element?! Hurry and try to freeze it again!¡±
¡°Ugh! It¡¯s difficult! How is it possible to have that much mana control in this condition?!¡±
Did someone say something? Must just be me.
I secured Zhonya¡¯s Staff onto my back with a belt that was wrapped diagonally around my upper body as I continued to run.
Beep, Beep¨C.
While crossing through the canyon, a maple forest appeared. The surroundings were filled with bright red maple leaves.
At the same time, the bracelet on my left wrist lit up and sounded an rm.
I reached the first gate.
Pellets of mana flowed out of the bracelet to form letters in the air.
¡®First gate, find the Bead of Nebirus¡¯.
The Bead of Nebirus was a magic orb that emitted small traces of mana. While the name implied a spherical nature, in reality, the shape was a cube. It was slightly smaller than the size of a ping-pong ball.
Additionally, if one knew the form, one could find the source of the mana even faster. It was an official setting in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but I didn¡¯t know the principle behind it.
Of course, I had no need for such specific and tedious information.
¡°Easy clear.¡±
Since I already knew the location, the need for delicate mana perception and a detailed understanding of the shape were meaningless.
Ring©¤?
After finding the Bead of Nebirus in the ground near a certain tree, the bracelet let out a green light with a satisfying chime.
Mana pellets appeared and formed letters again. Under the words ¡®Gate Clear¡¯, there was an arrow that pointed me to the direction of the next path.
I set off in that direction.
¡®Oh, by the way.¡¯
This person won¡¯t stop stalking me¡
I could feel wind mana coiling from a distance, so it didn¡¯t take me long to realize that¡ someone was definitely following me.
I took out a small hand mirror from the spatial magic in my uniform¡¯s inner pocket and started to repeatedly sneak nces behind me with squinted eyes.
Silver-blue hair tied to the side. Catlike features with sharp eyes. The wooden staff embraced in her arms.
©¤¡®If you¡¯re ready, then go. I can¡¯t bear to see you.¡¯
The subdued voice of the woman I met during the Trial of Frost passed through my mind. It was Isaac¡¯s older sister.
I already knew she was a student of M?rchen Academy.
¡®I remember now.¡¯
I put the small hand mirror back into my pocket space.
A female student NPC in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? who was thought to be rted to Isaac. When I saw her silver-blue hair chasing me, I remembered her clearly.
It was painfully obvious that she had Ripley Syndrome1TL Note: Ripley syndrome is the term for antisocial personality disorder that denies one¡¯s reality and believes that the fictional world they imagine is real. A Ripley syndrome patient repeats false words and actions.; no one stayed by her side and she wandered around like a loner¡ She seemed like an NPC with a tragic backstory.
The female student chasing after me was that very girl: Isaac¡¯s mentally ill older sister.
I didn¡¯t have all of Isaac¡¯s memories. Only a part of his story remained in my head.
That was why I didn¡¯t know who that person was and what business she had with me, nor did I care.
¡®Just don¡¯t get in my way.¡¯
At the moment, my primary goal was to take care of the frog demon. As such, the only thing I could hope for was for her to stay out of my way.
I continued to run towards the next gate.
* * *
Eve Rophenheim¡¯s eyes were filled with shock.
¡®H-how did he do that¡?¡¯
Eve herself could not currently detect the mana from the Bead of Nebirus¡ However, Is found it in an instant.
How extraordinary was his mana perception?
In addition, after the joint practical evaluation began, Isaac, who nonchntly threw around ice and rock elemental spells, was an impossible sight to see. How did that guy, who didn¡¯t even have an ounce of mana, be like this¡?
Even his skill level was high. Although the staff certainly helped improve his abilities, the fact of the matter was that having the ability to wield such a weapon was a testament to his skill.
¡®Since when¡ did he improve that much?¡¯
Thest time she saw Isaac was just over two years ago. It was the day their mother passed away. Even when she saw him then, Isaac was someone so useless that he didn¡¯t even require a second nce.
It was simply inconceivable to improve this much in just two years. The rate of growth was simply way too fast.
Eve assumed that Isaac was hiding something that even she did not know about. She wanted to identify what it was.
¡°Oops.¡±
Isaac was already far ahead of Eve. If she was any slower, she¡¯dpletely lose him.
Unable to keep her mouth shut, Eve chewed her lips as she continued to chase after Isaac.
Footnotes:- 1TL Note: Ripley syndrome is the term for antisocial personality disorder that denies one¡¯s reality and believes that the fictional world they imagine is real. A Ripley syndrome patient repeats false words and actions.
Chapter 94: - Joint Practical Evaluation (3)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (3) ?
The second gate was also cleared smoothly.
It was a test where you first examine the mana circuit engraved on a huge magic pir. You needed to find a ce on the circuit where mana flowed the most smoothly. To pass the test, you would pour magic into the specific area you found and the pir would start to shine in a blinding light.
As stated before, I was one of the OGs to y ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. I didn¡¯t even need to scrutinize the mana circuit since all I needed to do was look at the pattern on the pirs to easily pass the test.
The third gate was a battle with demonic creatures. Eliminating any 10 demonic creatures was enough to pass the gate.
I was still inside the forest.
Now was the time to recruit some allies. No matter what, they had to be good atbat.
To get to the frog demon, I needed to pass the fourth gate. And to pass the fourth gate, I needed to win inbat against a gatekeeper that would positioned there.
Most students would be eliminated at the fourth gate. Even I couldn¡¯t defeat the gatekeeper alone.
¡®If things went as nned, I should get there pretty easily.¡¯
If n A worked, there was no need for any allies.
However, because of an unexpected variable, I needed to turn to n B which required actual teammates.
Oh, by the way, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the main characters were different for every ythrough, so I had no idea who I would end up meeting on my way to the fourth gate.
¡¸Rock Avnche (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Roar©¤©¤©¤!! Kwang! Kwang!!
[Gueghh!!]
¡°Stop whining so much.¡±
Right on time, a noisy rock spell paired with a husky voice could be heard. I had a feeling that she would choose the same path as me.
With orange hair tied into a ponytail, a female student with gold eyes appeared. It was Lisetta Lionheart. Before the Joint Practical Evaluation started, she was on the same starting line as me.
For once, she had all her uniform shirt buttons fastened, but her jacket was tied around her waist. Now that I think about it, I have never seen her wear her uniform normally.
Lisetta looked down at the Fang Hippo that she was pummeling with rock magic, slinging her Rock Bat over her shoulder.
¡®Target spotted.¡¯
Looks like I found my first prey.
I was teammates with Lisetta during the hunting evaluation as well. The connection I formed back then looked like it was going to pay off now.
[Gueghh!!]
At that moment, a ferocious purple hippo with long fangs began to charge towards me.
This bastard must have also seen me as prey.
It was the demonic creature, Fang Hippo. Despite it standing on four legs, it was still taller than me.
¡°¡?¡±
After hearing the Fang Hippo¡¯s roar, Lisetta turned her face towards me.
Her two eyes opened widely, almost bulging out of her face.
¡°You asshole, why are you here¡?¡±
Before saying hello, I should probably get rid of the Fang Hippo first.
I raised Zhonya¡¯s Staff and pointed its head in the direction of the Fang Hippo.
Next, I poured ice mana into it.
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Stab©¤©¤!
[Guegh¡]
A spear of ice materialized above my head and cut through the air,pletely prating the Fang Hippo like a kebab.
One blow was enough to destroy the bastard.
During the hunting evaluation, I had to be cautious around such a monster¡ However, I could now kill it with ease.
¡®Less go.¡¯
The Fang Hippo pierced by [Ice Spear] convulsed a bit before transforming into a rough outline of a puppet.
Beep¨C.
The bracelet had the number ¡®1¡¯ written on it. In the third gate, the number would increase by 1 for every demonic creature I eliminated, and once that number reached 10 I would clear the gate.
Only then did I turn to look at Lisetta. She twitched as her shoulders trembled.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Nervous because of her fear of you.]
A rtionship based on fear was not suitable for being teammates. Even if it was a one-time thing.
If so, I should probably try my best to reassure her right?
¡°Long time no see. Have you been well?¡±
I pretended to wear a gentlemanly smile.
I approached Lisetta and greeted her in a friendly manner.
¡°W-why are you acting all friendly?! It¡¯s giving me goosebumps¡!¡±
Lisetta broke out in a cold sweat as she nervously backed away. During the hunting evaluation, she treated me like herckey, a far cry from what was shown now.
I tried my best to appear gentle so I was kind of sad that she reacted like this.
Whatever. Let¡¯s go back to the topic at hand.
¡°You. Join my crew.¡±
¡°Stop spouting bullshit.¡±
It was supposed to be a universal rule to be allies if I hit her with that pickup line though¡ Lisetta had no hesitation in shutting it down instantly.
Well, I should have expected it.
¡°Lisetta.¡±
I stuck close to Lisetta and slung an arm over her shoulder. It was a move to express my friendliness.
Lisetta¡¯s face slightly trembled for a moment. She tried to act tough, but she couldn¡¯t even control the slight tremors in her body. Her golden eyes were filled with subtle fear.
Judging by her inability to fling my arm away, it looked like she had no courage to resist me in the first ce.
I didn¡¯t know she was this scared of me¡ I should hurry and relieve her anxiety.
¡°This is just my thoughts, but I think the fourth gate will be pretty hard to clear. Let¡¯s help each other. If I¡¯m one of the members of your party, isn¡¯t it also beneficial for you? We even exchanged secrets together, remember?¡±
¡°Um, uh, how do you know that the fourth gate was difficult? Did you find out with that Archwizard-level mana perception bullshit of yours? This asshole¡¡±
¡°Are you going to join me or not?¡±
I cut off her bullshit straight away.
¡°¡Why do you need to go this far? Didn¡¯t you want to take it easy for the exams?¡±
¡°There¡¯s something important I need to do.¡±
I decided to stop talking secretively. I whispered in a serious voice.
Lisetta¡¯s eyes squinted. Her gold eyes met mine.
¡°Is a dangerous bastard popping out this time as well?¡±
¡°Not as dangerous asst time.¡±
¡°Ha, fuck¡ Not again.¡±
Lisetta grabbed her head as she let out a deep sigh.
Shortly thereafter, she continued in a sharp voice.
¡°¡I don¡¯t like you.¡±
¡°Oh really? I like you because you¡¯re like a friend to me though.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Thanks for helping me out during the social gathering.¡±
I was being sincere. She was annoying when I fought Elphelt the Evanescent at Elt Ind, but I was touched when she supported me during the social gathering.
I mean, wasn¡¯t it normal to be friends by stacking up both positive and negative affection? That Rose bitch was an exception, of course.
¡°It wasn¡¯t for you so don¡¯t misunderstand since it makes me feel like shit if you do.¡±
Lisetta grumbled with annoyance as she lifted the bracelet on her left wrist.
¡°¡Fine, only until the fourth gate.¡±
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Doesn¡¯t want anything dangerous to happen to the students.]
I saw it often in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Although she seemed belligerent and rude, she secretly cared about and tried to protect others. She was the sterotypical bully tsundere. That was who Lisetta was.
¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±
I smirked as I ced my bracelet over hers.
Ding©¤?
A tiny blue light started to glow on our bracelets. It signified that we were now in the same party.
¡®Yes!¡¯
I obtained a dependable force!
¡°Hah! Let us go, Lisetta!¡±
¡°Ahk! Don¡¯t pat my head, it¡¯s gross!¡±
I happily stroked the hair on her head, however, Lisetta quickly put distance between us, acting as if she was startled by some pest.
What kind of treatment is this?
Whatever, I don¡¯t care anyway. It was enough for me to recruit a reliable ally.
Crash©¤©¤©¤!
Crack©¤©¤!
Lisetta and I easily destroyed the demonic creatures and, after filling the quota, we passed the third gate.
Once again, mana pellets flowed out of the bracelet to form many different directional markers, each of which led to the next gate. Additionally, some of these were further marked with deep red mana pellets in a ¡®triangle¡¯ shape. This meant that another student had already reached this location.
I started to walk towards one of these triangle markers.
¡°Hello, did you forget what that shape stood for?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine so just follow me.¡±
I already manipted the situation so that no other student would choose this path.
As I left the forest, bright sunlight poured down on me. I shaded my eyes with my hands. Far beyond, a palm-sized blue sky could be seen.
We were still on top of the canyon. I turned my head to the side and saw a cliff.
There were steep limestone cliffs right in front of us, the stairs to the top were jagged. If we reached the top, we would be able to proceed with the fourth gate.
¡°I shouldn¡¯t have chosen this path¡¡±
Lisetta¡¯s inner monologue held deep regret.
I mean, how bad could the stairs be? Even if it was a little high, the cliff was in such an open space. I could probably climb up the stairs with my eyes closed.
I turned my back towards Lisetta and kneeled down with one leg.
¡°Get on.¡±
¡°Are you fucking crazy? You¡¯re better off telling me to hop up the cliff like a rabbit.¡±
¡°Hooo, I knew you would be like this.¡±
¡°¡Eh? W-what are you trying to do? W-wait! Ahhh!¡±
It was enough to express my considerate nature just once. We were on a time limit after all.
I approached Lisetta, and forcefully lifted her into a princess-carry.
Although Lisetta, in her own way, had a pretty good physique from exercising, there was noparison to me whose pure strength was so overwhelming that I could manhandle her with ease.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Currently very flustered because of you.]
¡°You! Wh-wh-what is the meaning of this¡?!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±
I responded in a firm voice and sent rock mana beneath my feet.
¡¸Rock Generation (Rock Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Dudeuuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°AHHHHH!¡±
In an instant, a rock pir erupted beneath my feet, our bodies rose upward as the pir grew in size.
Just like before, whenever a stone pir reached its limits, I made a new one from the cliff.
After switching to the new pir, I continued to shoot up, repeating these actions continuously.
It was a method that required execptional mana mastery, a sense of bnce, and athletic ability. It was full of risk and danger, but it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal for me.
¡°Ar-ar, are you crazy?!¡±
¡°This is so much faster, right?¡±
¡°Ugh, this bastardr¡!¡±
With that, Lisetta didn¡¯t say anything else and only sighed deeply.
Dudeuuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
After a while, the pir that we rode finally reached the top of the cliff, allowing me to lightly jump off andnd safely.
Right in the middle of the t ground surrounded by maple trees, there was a small entrance to an underground cave.
¡°Lisetta, are you okay?¡±
¡°Sigh¡¡±
Lisetta sagged with deepmentation. Looks like she lost her soul on the way up.
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
As if she was waiting, a girl in green pigtails was leaning against the maple tree. She started running towards me as she squealed in delight.
It was the freshmen second seat of the Magic Department, Kaya Astrea.
Her eyes were a jade hue. It was her original self.
¡°Second seat?¡±
Lisetta was flustered when Kaya popped out of nowhere.
¡°I was waiting for y-!¡±
Suddenly, Kaya froze. It was as if time had stopped for her alone.
Immediately, aplicated emotion flooded into her trembling pupils.
[Kaya Astrea] Psychology: [Currently filled with envy and jealousy towards Lisetta Lionheart who is being princess-carried in your arms.]
For now¡
This isn¡¯t a very good situation.
Chapter 95: - Joint Practical Evaluation (4)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (4) ?
Before the start of the joint practical evaluation.
Near the canyon, I secretly told Kaya toe behind a boulder so that I could exin the situation.
I told her that there were people with considerable mana waiting throughout the exam site and that a demon would also appear at some point.
Just in case, I requested her to finish the evaluation as quickly as possible so that she could wait in advance at the location where the demon would appear.
Without a single ounce of hesitation, Kaya told me she would do it.
¡°Also, I think we¡¯ll need the power of your dark persona.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir Isaac. But¡¡±
A variable had appeared.
Apparently, Dark Kaya had hidden herself deep inside Kaya¡¯s heart with no intention ofing out.
Thest words Dark Kaya left before she hid herself were for Kaya to do her best on her own so that she could be acknowledged by Sir Isaac.
¡®Why is this happening?¡¯
I thought that Dark Kaya would help for sure¡ Did she leave for OG Kaya¡¯s growth?
I don¡¯t recall anything like this happening in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? though?
It was an ominous sign. Any change in Dark Kaya would also reflect on Kaya. I examined her body all over for any issues.
Although Kaya¡¯s face turned red and stiffened in embarrassment while I was examining her deeply, I had no time to be concerned about that.
¡°Kaya, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary with your bodytely?¡±
¡°N-n-n-n-no, I haven¡¯t! Ah, I have had a pretty big appetite these days¡ It feels like I can digest anything I eat.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡Um, have certain parts of my body be¡ generous? Is that why you asked¡?¡±
¡°I was just checking if you had any problems with your body.¡±
In the first ce, Kaya and her dark persona shared memories, emotions, and even senses. They were both the same person regardless of their personalities.
As such, the fact that Kaya did not know why her dark persona had hidden herself was a big worry.
¡Nothing would change even if I worried about it. The joint practical evaluation was about to start. For now, I should put aside any unsolvable worries and focus on the things that I could solve in the present.
Clearing the fourth gate with only the original Kaya was difficult. I had no choice but to recruit an ally but¡
¡®The atmosphere is tense¡¯
In the present.
On top of the limestone cliff where the fourth gate was located, Kaya was squinting at Lisetta with clear disdain.
I had already exined why I had held Lisetta in a princess carry. I told her it was because I had no choice but to do so since I needed to get up the cliff quickly. However, Kaya remained unconvinced.
Suddenly, Kaya turned her eyes away from Lisetta to stare at me. Her usual puppy-like eyes were now filled with sorrow.
[Kaya Astrea] Psychology: [Wants to be princess-carried by you.]
¡I should do it for her as soon as I have the chance.
¡°Hey.¡±
Suddenly, Lisetta cupped her hands around my ears and whispered.
Kaya¡¯s face flushed red as she got flustered. She started waving both her hands to dissuade us while saying, ¡°E-excuse me! That¡¯s too close!¡±
Even though she was anxiously fidgeting, she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to interject for fear of bing a bother to me. She just grumbled with a cute expression
Lisetta ignored her and continued talking.
¡°Aren¡¯t you dating the first seat?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not, you dumbass.¡±
¡°I really want to beat the shit out of you when you talk like that¡ So what is it then? Is the rumor about you trying to seduce every girl true? Now that I think about it, how did I end up in the middle of it all?¡±
¡°Do you really think I would do something like that¡¡±
¡°You asshole. Why do I have to get looked at by the second seat like that? Her re is intense¡!¡±
What could I even do when Kaya kept insisting on liking me¡
Lisetta let out a sigh as she moved away from me.
¡°Thisdy-killing asshole¡¡±
¡°Did you say something?¡±
¡°Nope, nothing much.¡±
When Kaya pouted with a re, Lisetta automatically replied like a machine.
¡°Let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t waste any more time here.¡±
¡°Ah, yes!¡±
I took Kaya and Lisetta to the cave entrance.
The only light source were themps installed on the walls. Inside the cave, I could see stairs that led downward. They had been carved out by the academy.
We started to traverse down the stairs.
¡°By the way.¡±
Lisetta¡¯s husky voice echoed in the cave.
¡°Let¡¯s put me aside for now. What exactly is at the fourth gate? How is it so difficult to clear, even with the second seat? This is just an exam, right? If the second seat finds it hard to clear, what are we even supposed to do?
Kaya looked at me with her puppy eyes as if to say that she was curious too.
For reference, I already told Kaya before that Lisetta knew my secret. As such, Kaya did not question Lisetta¡¯s doubts and concerns.
¡°That¡¯s because there is someone stronger than both of you at the bottom of the cave.¡±
¡°What?¡±
The fourth gate of the joint practical evaluation was to open the door that was guarded by the gatekeeper.
And the gatekeeper was a ¡®Professor¡¯.
In reality, there was no need to actually take down the gatekeeper. If the student gained the acknowledgment of the gatekeeper, they usually passed regardless of the result. Even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, as long as you held on for a set amount of time, you could pass the fourth gate.
However, the professor we were going to face was different.
Professor of ss A, Phillip Meltron. He was a stingy bastard.
Even in the game, unless you took down Professor Phillip, you had no chance of eliminating the frog demon. This was why it was a necessity to form a powerful team.
¡®He¡¯s an inflexible bastard.¡¯
¡®No one will have any mercy when facing me inbat¡¯. That was the philosophy of Professor Phillip Meltron.
Even if it was against a favored noble or a rookie student, as long as it was an enemy inbat, he always fought to win. In truth, for the student, this path was nothing more than a dead end.
¡®If this were actualbat, you would be a dead man. Be grateful that you were only disqualified.¡¯ I suddenly remembered seeing those words on the game screen as he ruthlessly eliminated Ian.
This was a¡ Professor? Nah, he¡¯s totally a petty douchebag.
A man who abandoned his willingness topromise out of a strong desire to win. A man who did not tolerate defeat in any match. That was Professor Phillip.
¡°Kaya, Lisetta. Listen carefully.¡±
I coordinated ourbat strategy with them.
The stairs descended in a spiral. Soon after, as we reached the end of the stairs and passed through a narrow passage, we could see the high ceiling and an open area inside of the cave.
Arge arena was in the middle and on the opposite side, a steel door in the shape of an arch was present. I felt like a diator as I entered a dome-like structure simr to the Colosseum.
And in the middle of the open area, with a spotlight shining from the ceiling, a familiar face could be seen. A middle-aged man with red hair arrogantly sat with his legs crossed as he peered in our direction.
Kaya and Lisetta¡¯s eyes trembled in shock.
¡°So you¡¯re finally here.¡±
One of the referees from the duel evaluation of the first semester.
ss A¡¯s professor, as well as a bigot who despisesmoners.
It was Professor Phillip.
[Philip Meltron] Lv: 112
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Displeased that amoner like you is within the midst of ss A students.]
¡°Professor Phillip¡?¡±
I could fully understand Kaya and Lisetta¡¯s shocked expressions.
They probably would have never imagined that they would fight against their own ss professor.
p©¤.
At that moment, in the corner of the cave ceiling, a round magic tool that acted as a messenger pped its wings as it flew toward us.
[Wee, students! I will exin the fourth gate to you.]
I could hear the voice of a bright boy from the messenger.
[The passing conditions of the fourth gate are simple. Open the door on the opposite side and go through. However, the academy professors are gatekeepers that will obstruct your path. Take down the professor to proceed. If you do, you shall pass the fourth gate!]
Eliminate the professor. Unless it was Luce or Dark Kaya who had outstanding power, it was an insurmountable task.
All they expected of the students was to ¡®have the determination to eliminate a professor and to give it your all.¡¯
However, when fighting against Professor Phillip, it was required to take the task quite literally. As previously mentioned, he did not allow a challenger to easily pass.
[We will give a handicap to the gatekeeper. Firstly, only one element is allowed. Secondly, only a maximum of 4-star magic is allowed. That¡¯s all! Try your best!]
The messenger gave itsst exnation and flew somewhere else. As expected, the handicap was the same as how I remembered. If I recall correctly, Professor Phillip would use the fire element.
We stared down Professor Phillip.
As the messenger disappeared, Professor Phillip spoke in a calm voice.
¡°Kaya Astrea, Lisetta Lionheart. Both of you are talents worthy of pioneering the future of the empire. However¡ I do not understand why an impurity like you is standing between them.¡±
Professor Phillip got up from his seat as he shot me a re.
An impurity you say¡ Honestly, it was one of the more elegant insults that I have heard so far.
Professor Phillips¡¯s level was 112. He had a higher level than everyone else here.
I¡¯m confident¡ Confident that I¡¯ll be one-shotted into oblivion.
Therefore, I had no choice but to fight with the information I had on Professor Phillip¡¯s personality and habits, something I know deeply from ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°I remember you clearly. You surrendered immediately during the first semester duel evaluation,pletely disregarding the value of feedback¡ A truly foolish and inferior existence. I could not find fighting spirit nor the will to continue within you. However, I understand why. As expected, it is because you are a meremoner.¡±
He was talking about my duel with Tristan.
Do you think I had a choice? I had to go destroy Leafa the Illusive!
¡°Eh, the opponent was strong after all.¡±
I casually shrugged my shoulders. It wasn¡¯t even that big of a deal.
LOL, look at the veins popping out of his forehead. He must have despised my attitude.
Professor Phillip let out a short breath in anger.
¡°Do you think you¡¯re someone important because you are withpetent students? Kaya Astrea, Lisetta Lionheart. You need to develop an eye for choosing your teamma-¡±
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Hoooo©¤©¤!
A fierce light green wind swirled around as it swallowed Professor Phillip¡¯s words.
¡°Now.¡±
Kaya walked steadily in front of me to ascend the arena. After whipping out her Armana Wand, she stopped a distance away from Professor Phillip.
Her emerald puppy-like eyes turned into cold jade. Kaya¡¯s light green pigtails, cape shawl, and skirt blew around furiously because of her wind.
¡°Who do you dare to insult in my presence?¡±
It was a lively wind.
¡°Me personally, I don¡¯t really have a problem with you cursing but¡¡±
Next, Lisetta readied her Rock Bat in both hands as she stood next to Kaya.
Lisetta roused her fighting spirit and red at Professor Phillip with her golden eyes.
¡°We¡¯re going to fight anyway so what¡¯s the point of talking so much?¡±
These kids¡
They¡¯re so dependable¡!
¡°That is an incredible fighting spirit. However, the reason for your anger is clearly distorted.¡±
Professor Phillip looked at Kaya and Lisetta with pitiful eyes, as he took out a brown wand.
¡°It looks like both of you need to be taught a lesson.¡±
Professor Phillip¡¯s gentle voice rang out.
A heavy anxiety crushed my chest as a drop of cold sweat ran down my cheek.
I also ascended the arena while honing my fighting spirit.
¡°Kaya, I¡¯ll trust you with defense.¡±
You know, since I¡¯m still a bit of a weakling
¡°Yes, Sir Isaac.¡±
Kaya¡¯s voice rang loudly as she answered.
I took out Zhonya¡¯s Staff which was tied to my back and got into abat-ready pose.
A heavy silence fell.
The fourth gate, VS. Professor, had begun.
* * *
Eve Ropenheim quickly killed 10 demonic creatures to clear the third gate.
From watching afar, she confirmed that Isaac had left after bing teammates with an orange ponytailed girl.
¡°That wuss who couldn¡¯t even look in a woman¡¯s direction¡?¡±
Eve couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut.
With the exception of her and their mother, he had always been a timid guy who was shy with women. As such, it was shocking for her to see that shy boy suddenly wrapping his arms around the shoulders of a beautiful girl while talking slyly.
©¤¡®Sis, Sis, hug me please.¡¯
©¤¡®Okay, sure.¡¯
©¤¡®Sis, Sis, hug me.¡¯
©¤¡®Here, hug.¡¯
©¤ ¡®Let¡¯s hug while sleeping, Sis¡ The thunder is scary¡¡¯
©¤¡®Yawn¡ Okay,e here.¡¯
She recalled a younger Isaac begging for a hug whenever he had the chance.
He was a guy who didn¡¯t know what a girl even was besides Eve. At one point, he was even called a sis-con by our hometown¡
Is that really the loser Isaac that I know?
His skill in magic, manly charm, and friendly attitude to female students¡ All of this was different from the Isaac that Eve knew. It was like he was apletely different person.
Eve went in the direction Isaac had left. She wrapped wind mana around her body to quickly climb the limestone cliff, but in the middle, she ran out of mana and had to walk up the stairs.
¡°Heuk, Heuk¡.¡±
Even with the chilly wind, Eve¡¯s body was drenched in sweat. If she hadn¡¯t skipped to the halfway point with wind magic, she would¡¯ve fainted from climbing up the steps.
As she gasped for breath, Eve got closer to the top of the cliff.
She held onto her two knees as she tried to gather her breath.
¡°A cave¡?¡±
She saw a cave entrance leading underground. Isaac¡¯s team probably went into that cave.
After she caught her breath, Eve entered the cave and began to carefully climb down the steps.
Chapter 96: - Joint Practical Evaluation (5)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (5) ?
A bigot againstmoners.
He was already well aware that he was called such names.
However, Phillip Meltron would never back down from his belief that one¡¯s worth was determined by their background.
After all, amoner was inferior in every aspect, including their attitude and intelligence. Meanwhile, nobles were thoroughly educated and exuded an air of elegance befitting of their prestigious position.
During his academy days, he was ostracized, ridiculed, and cursed by thesemoners.
Even when he worked as an assistant professor, they were thieves who stole anything that they could get their grubby little hands on.
They were even degenerates who abused their own loved ones. All of these examples were done by dirtymoners.
He firmly believed that this country had a caste system for a suitable reason. As themoners were a far cry from the dignified and honorable nobles.
Even if there was a small chance of an exception, this universal rule remained set in stone.
This was the truth that Phillip knew.
¡¸Fire Generation (Fire Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Kwaaaah¡ª¡ª!
Professor Phillip let loose furious mes in every direction.
The mes spread across the ground, dominating the entirety of the cave.
However.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Hooooooo¡ª¡ª!
Kaya¡¯s wind gathered with greater intensity as it slowly pushed away Professor Philip¡¯s mes.
Seeing this, Professor Phillip raised the wand in his hand and conjured a bright red magic circle.
The mes battled against Kaya¡¯s wind, raging and flowing across the arena. Wave after wave of red relentlessly charged against green.
¡¸Sea of Fire (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kwaaaah¡ª¡ª!
Kaya¡¯s wind quickly got pushed away. However, she had no intention of backing down. She dragged out an enormous amount of mana to fight back.
¡¸Zephyr (Wind Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hooooooo¡ª¡ª!
The fierce gust of wind shed against an ocean of mes as they continued to fight for supremacy. Kaya and Phillip¡¯s hair scattered violently in the resulting pressure.
They pointed their respective wands at each other as they let loose their spells. The mes were spread widely, blocking their vision.
¡°As expected of the second seat, your ability is worthy of admiration. However, if this is all you can muster, I will be quite disappointed.¡±
He could feel it. The second seat, Kaya Astrea, was pouring out her entire mana reserves to resist.
It was wind magic so powerful that it was hard to believe it was from a freshman. One day, she would surely surpass Phillip himself.
However, no matter how strong she was, she was currently only a first year student.
Phillip let his mana flow with greater intensity.
Kaya squinted her eyes. The hand that held her wand shook as she tried to resist. Unfortunately, her wind was voraciously eaten by Phillip¡¯s mes.
At that moment.
¡°¡?¡±
Isaac and his 2m tall golem familiar, Eden, stood on Kaya¡¯s right.
Lisetta stood on Kaya¡¯s left with her rock armor lion familiar Jeff, whose mane rippled in the wind.
Philip¡¯s eyes shook greatly. They must have been trying to distract him with this disy.
¡°Lisetta!¡±
In conjunction with Isaac¡¯s shout, a light brown magic circle lit up Lisetta¡¯s surroundings.
¡¸Rock Avnche (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Kuooooo¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
Boulders exploded from the ground like a beanstalk, extending towards Phillip from both sides. It was a size and speed that could easily crush a person.
It was an admirable attempt. The sight of it made Phillip scoff in exasperation.
¡°That is not enough. Block it, Stego.¡±
Mana gathered around Phillip as a white outline the size of him converged into the form of a golem.
Stego, the 5-star rock element familiar. His body made of rocks was simr to a human, with two green eyes glowing on his face.
[Dureuk!!]
Stego let out a scratchy cry and extended both his arms, erupting a giant mass of rock from the ground.
¡¸Rock Wall (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Crash¡ª¡ª¡ª!
Isaac and Lisetta crashed into the obstacle made by Stego.
Lisetta¡¯s [Rock Avnche] broke through Stego¡¯s [Rock Wall]. However, at the same time, her rocks turned into chunks as they flew in the air.
The scattered pieces of rock were easily burned away in a whirlwind of fire.
¡¸Fire Ball (Fire Element, ¡ï3)¡¹
Hwareuk! Crash! Crash! Crash!
Phillip counterattacked. His [Fireballs] were 3m in diameter as they fell on Isaac and Lisetta like ballistic missiles.
Isaac blocked them with a rock barrier formed by Eden, while Lisetta dodged the bombardment on her lion familiar, Jeff.
Phillip casually floated in the sky, not having moved an inch. After all, he effortlessly blocked thebined attacks of Isaac, Kaya, and Lisetta.
Hoooo!!!
¡°Hm?¡±
Kaya¡¯s wind grew in intensity. The squirrel familiar on her shoulderbined its wind magic with hers. She was clearly not to be underestimated.
To match Kaya¡¯s wind, Philip raised the intensity of his mes as well.
¡°Ugh!¡±
His attacks were heavy with power. Kaya gritted her teeth. She wouldn¡¯t be able tost long in this tug-of-war with Phillip¡¯s mes.
The suffocating heat in the cave gradually spread.
The bright green wind that was wrapped around the mes wavered.
It was hard to see due to the maelstrom of various spells. The fierce mes slowly cornered Isaac¡¯s party.
Crack¡ª! Boom¡ª!
Even the messenger hiding in the corner was assaulted by mes. The round magic tool fell to the ground as it crumpled into ashes.
Phillip blinked his eyes calmly.
It would be difficult to break through such arge storm of mes.
Phillip lightly waved his wand like a conductor as he spread the mes even further. He aimed at Isaac and Lisetta who were looking for a chance to counterattack.
¡°¡What in the world?¡±
However, the mana of the weakest person here was felt in a different ce.
On top.
Phillip raised his head while squinting his eyes.
Beyond the fierce tempest of mes, a boy looked down on Phillip with his feet ced firmly in ice. He hung from the ceiling like a bat.
Concentrated ice mana formed in his right hand as aplex pale blue magic circle formed in front of him.
How did he get up there? It wasn¡¯t hard to think of the answer. The golem familiar, Eden, probably flung him up with pure strength.
The staff that he held since earlier was given to Eden as if it was too bothersome to carry.
From examining the magic, there was no doubt that Isaac was nning to use the 5-star spell [Frost Explosion].
The ice that held Isaac to the ceiling was defrosted and Isaac sumbed to gravity as he rapidly fell towards Phillip.
¡®Is he trying to pierce through these mes?¡¯
The mes were still roaring in every direction. Unless he was nning on bing a charred corpse, there was no way he would foolishly decide to brave the fire.
Therefore, it was impossible to harm Phillip
Contrary to Phillip¡¯s thoughts, Isaac¡¯s target was, in fact, not Phillip.
¡°¡!¡±
Isaac reached his arms out towards the firestorm.
The collection of ice mana in his right hand emitted a brilliant pale blue glow as it exploded forth in every direction.
¡¸Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ¡ï5)¡¹
Kuaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª!
An immense explosion of ice created gigantic masses of ice that crashed into the heat of the mes, pushing it back briefly.
An enormous amount of water vapor was released into the air.
¡°Ugh!¡±
The explosion of vapor flung Isaac backward as Eden jumped up to catch him.
¡°Huh?¡±
Suddenly, Kaya¡¯s wind disappeared like a phantom.
Phillip¡¯s mes fell upon Kaya, however, Kaya lifted her body with wind mana and quickly flew away into a corner.
The tip of her light green hair was slightly singed as she got away. It was an inevitable sacrifice.
¡¸Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ¡ï2)¡¹
Crackle¡ª¡ª¡ª!
Isaac used that opening to take back Zhonya¡¯s Staff from Eden and proceeded to spread out a fog of cold air with [Cold Divergence].
[Cold Divergence]. It was amonly used spell by ice element wizards to block vision.
Phillip could not see anything because of the thick fog above his head.
Crash¡ª¡ª!
The giant ice masses that were not melted by the mes crashed onto the ground as they broke into smithereens.
¡®Something¡¯s off¡¡¯
rm bells were ringing in Phillip¡¯s mind as the flow of battle was suspicious.
It felt like Isaac was purposefully blocking his vision. Additionally, Kaya seemed to time her escape simultaneously.
¡®Were they already preparing their next atta-¡¯
He was given no time to think.
¡ª¡ªKuooooooo!!
As his mes pushed away the cold air, Phillip saw a gigantic object filling his vision.
A huge chunk of ice pierced through the air with a threatening loud noise.
Kaya had used her wind mana to collect the white cold air.
Through this, she wrapped the cold air around the huge chunk of ice and shot it in the direction of Phillip.
In the corner of the cave, Isaac was sending waves of ice mana with Zhonya¡¯s staff. He must have used the vapor to synergize the elements together, thus creating this huge chunk of ice.
If the aim of the vapor was to make this, it was worthy of praise¡
¡For amoner, that is.
The reason why cold air was used to wrap around the chunk of ice was to ensure that it did not melt.
Of course, Kaya was the one who was truly exceptional.
To control a mass of ice of that size would require an immense amount of mana, as well as exceptional mana control. It was a talent worthy of the second seat.
After focusing back on the fight, he realized that the only mana he could perceive was from Kaya and Isaac. Even now, he could not feel Lisetta using any spell. It meant that she was looking for an opening.
Thus, thatet of ice was abination of purely Isaac¡¯s ice and Kaya¡¯s wind.
Phillipughed leisurely as he poured out even more mana.
He had the fire element. As such, this kind of attack was merely a waste of mana.
They weren¡¯t gonna win against him anyway. He was certain of it.
He was going to y along for a while until the time was ripe to subdue them. Then, he would torture themoner bastard a bit before¡
¡He eliminated all of them.
Kuahhhhhh¡ª¡ª¡ª!
It was right in front of him now.
At the most opportune moment, when it was almost impossible for him to dodge. It was truly a blink in the fabric of time.
During this moment, he didn¡¯t question the situation too hard. As such, he made a decision based solely on instinct. It was based on the logic that fire would always melt ice.
That logic paired with Phillip¡¯s insanepetitiveness decided his next actions.
Phillip waved his wand towards the white ice wrapped in cold air. His wand glowed with light red mana.
¡¸Napalm Bomb (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Crash!!
Massive mes exploded out of the magic circle as the resulting shockwave shattered parts of the ice chunk.
¡¸Firestorm (Fire Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwarereuk¡ª¡ª!
At the same time, a storm of fire erupted.
The mes surged with greater strength, swallowing the entire chunk of ice while releasing massive waves of heat.
A second tug-of-war started against Kaya¡¯s wind. While pushing away theet, the mes quickly melted the ice.
¡®I shall lightly cook all of you.¡¯
Suddenly, Phillip saw Isaac let out a small smirk as if he was waiting for just this moment. That¡¯s when Phillip realized.
¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤!!¡±
The ice melting off the meteor made it morepact. As such, Kaya was able to use this new size more aerodynamically.
As a result, it expertly prated [Firestorm], scattering the mes as it continued to shoot toward Phillip.
The speed and size of it were not decreasing at all.
Only at that moment was Phillip able to see what was hidden inside the ice.
It was a golden boulder.
¡°Ste¡!¡±
It was already toote.
1-star Ice Element Spell, [Ice Generation].
2-star Ice Element Spell, [Cold Divergence].
4-star Wind Element Spell, [Zephyr].
And finally, 3-star Rock Element Spell, [Falling Boulder]
Theet made of various spells did not give Phillip a single chance to escape before copsing on top of him.
¡¸Frostfall Comet of the End (Rock + Ice + Wind Element)¡¹
Boom¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
The collision of fire and ice let out even more vapor.
Additionally, the collision of the boulder with the ground let out an immense boom as dust and mes scattered everywhere.
The huge chunk of ice paired with the skillful control of [Zephyr] produced this triple joint spell, [Frostfall Comet of the End].
And within it, Lisetta¡¯s hidden boulder made of highly dense manapleted the spell.
Isaac, Kaya, and Lisetta covered their faces with their arms due to the resulting explosion.
The wide cave was filled with white smoke until it gradually faded away.
[Frostfall Comet of the End] disintegrated into powder as a rainbow of colors started to float in the air.
[Dureuk. Dudureuk¡]
In the thick silence, Stego¡¯s dull cries echoed. His green eyes faded and his body came to a stop. It seemed as if he had fainted.
Next to him, Phillipid on the ground bleeding.
Thanks to his [Basic Protection Magic] he always had activated, the resulting shockwave must have lessened. However, the state of his body was nothing short of a wreck. It was understandable as he was hit with Lisetta¡¯s boulder that was elerated by Kaya¡¯s wind.
¡°Kuheuk¡¡±
Phillip groaned out in pain.
He only understood what happened after it was all over.
[Frostfall Comet of the End].
While Kaya and Phillip were focused on their tug-of-war, Lisetta must have used [Falling Boulder] to create a boulder infused with a highly dense rock mana. Kaya probably used her wind to support it in the air.
Isaac and Lisetta¡¯s rock element spells were probably distractions that made it hard for him to detect the mana that was used.
Isaac must have used the exploding vapor as a smokescreen to quickly freeze the boulder. During that moment, [Elemental Synergy] urred to make the ice thicker than normal.
Finally, Kaya¡¯s wind gave this hugeet the momentum it needed.
The [Cold Divergence] used in [Frostfall Comet of the End] also had a clear goal. The white fog resulting from the cold air hid what was actually within the ice, making it difficult to react until the inevitable moment of defeat.
¡®Were they nning this¡ From the very beginning¡?¡±
Phillip chewed on his lips. His trembling hands grabbed the ground for support. He could have never imagined that he would be in such a miserable state instantaneously.
It was as if he was dancing on someone¡¯s palms from the very beginning.
Step¡ª.
He heard footsteps right in front of him as a shadow loomed over.
Phillip raised his head and looked at the student.
That silver-blue-hairedmoner, Isaac, was looking down on him.
He was definitelyughing. It was as if he knew it would be like this since before the fight even started¡
¡®Do you mean to say that this was all ording to your n¡?¡¯
His anger surged.
How dare a student, much less amoner, y him like a fiddle and look down on him?
Phillip was so furious, he couldn¡¯t stand it.
From the depths of his mind, intense denial rose likeva.
¡°Professor.¡±
Isaac kneeled down and looked at Phillip. His expression was one of assured confidence. Confidence that the situation would y out his way.
Truthfully, Isaac had a lot of different strategies and tricks to take down Phillip. His expression only reflected his happiness in defeating Phillip on his first attempt.
It was only for that reason that he smiled. Honestly, Isaac didn¡¯t have the time to be satisfied with just this trivial matter.
¡®Why do I¡ need to look up¡ to thismoner bastard?¡¯
As shame and anger swirled within Phillip, Isaac started talking.
¡°We won.¡±
¡°¡You¡¯re just amoner! How dare you say such sphemy¡!¡±
Themoner bastard dared look down on him? He didn¡¯t want to ept that he was defeated by a nobody like him.
Phillip exploded in rage.
¡°How dare you!!¡±
A light brown magic circle appeared between Phillip and Isaac.
A 5-star rock spell. As huge stone projectiles shot out of the ground and walls to attack Isaac¡ª.
¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤!!¡±
From underneath Professor Phillip, a ck dagger sheath glowed.
Kwaaaa¡ª¡ª¡ª!!
The sheath shot out ice explosively. In an instant, a sharp ball of ice formed, and the cave was filled with waves of cold air.
The cold explosion flung Phillip into the air and his body was instantly imprisoned in ice. His surprised expression seemed frozen in time.
¡°Let¡¯s consider this as self-defense, okay?¡±
Isaac spoke while picking up his fallen possession. The Sheath of Disaster let out a white vapor from the aftermath of its [Ice Explosion]. The message he shamelessly conveyed was that he had no choice but to attack.
Earlier, he squatted down to secretly put the Sheath of Disaster under Philip. Isaac was cautious of Philip¡¯spetitiveness which could result in a sudden attack against him.
The cave, which had once been filled with the heat of Philip¡¯s mes, was now filled with cold air produced by Isaac¡¯s spell.
Isaac sighed and let his white breath flow like smoke from a cigarette.
Soon thereafter, his ice was defrosted. The sharp ball of ice split and became blue powder that scattered in the cold wind.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Copse.
Phillip¡¯s body copsed back on the ground.
With his body bloodied beyond recognition, he finally passed the hell out.
Chapter 97: - Joint Practical Evaluation (6)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (6) ?
Fourth gate cleared.
I slung Zhonya¡¯s Staff on my back. Everyone had already unsummoned their familiars.
We passed by an unconscious Professor Phillip as we stepped towards the arch-shaped door.
¡°As expected, the n worked out just as Sir Isaac said. This is the power of actual experience!¡±
¡°We were just lucky.¡±
It had been a long time since I saw Kaya¡¯s eye sparkle in excitement.
I responded dryly since we only beat a professor who was heavily handicapped due to the evaluation.
If we fought him at his full power, most of my ns would have been meaningless.
Even so.
¡®Yesss~.¡¯
All that mattered in the end was the fact that we had passed~.
Either way, we would never need to fight Professor Phillip again. I think. I hope.
¡°So humble! You¡¯re so cool, Sir Isaac!¡±
¡°Am I now?¡±
Too much worship was burdensome, but I grinned like an idiot because Kaya was way too cute. I pretended to scratch my cheek to hide my smile.
¡°It was more boring than I thought. It would be more fun to fight a full-powered Professor Phillip. Or maybe people like Aria or Headmistress Elena would be okay too.¡±
Lisetta continued to spout bullshit.
Setting aside an unrestrained Professor Phillip, we would get demolished if we faced Hegel Magic Tower¡¯s Tower Master Aria or M?rchen Academy¡¯s Headmistress Elena. We¡¯d be dead before we could evennd a single hit on them.
Even so, I didn¡¯t want to destroy Lisetta¡¯s naivety so I let it slide.
After passing the fourth gate, we were led deep into a dark forest. Only dim lights frommps were scattered here and there. As such, the forest emanated an eerie atmosphere.
After a certain point, an engraving on one of themps fastened to the wall caught my eye.
This was the ce.
I stopped in ce and blocked Kaya with my arms so that she could not go any further.
¡°Lisetta, you¡¯re free to leave since you¡¯ve done your part.¡±
We now had to face the frog demon.
Lisetta only promised to help us until the fourth gate, so it was time to send her off.
¡°I was going to leave even if you didn¡¯t say anything. You do you bro.¡±
After saying this, Lisetta walked away from us into the distance. How nonchnt of her.
[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Doesn¡¯t want to get in your way.]
Sike, I take it back. Her kind psychology was always such a shock to see because of the contrasting nature between her actions and her psychology. What a tsundere. I mean, I guess it was good for me at least.
I tapped the ground with my foot. This ce should be good enough.
I stretched my right arm to the ground and sent my rock mana. On top of my head, a light brown magic circle engraved itself into the air.
We¡¯re going to go underground. Get ready fornding.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Also, from now on, just ignore whatever you see.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
As said before, the frog demon wasn¡¯t that difficult to defeat, but the process was sooooo tedious.
In the first ce, as could be seen in the UI and cut scenes, the concept behind ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was violent fairy tales. Perhaps because of this, all the demons were grotesque.
Even that useless demon, whose sole purpose was to be defeated in order to prevent an Extra Bad Ending, was disgustingly detailed. It seemed like this horror genre was practically a natural setting of the game.
I warned Kaya in advance. However, she eximed that she wanted to go with me regardless. She said she wanted to directly experience my hardships for herself.
¡®Oh well, as the saying goes, seeing it once is more impactful than hearing it a hundred times.¡¯
¡¸Rock Avnche (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Crash¡ª!
A thick stone pir extended from the ceiling as it demolished the ground.
The ground sank beneath us with a rumble.
Kaya and I felt weightless as we fell deep underground.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï)¡¹
Hoooooo¡ª!
Kaya brought forth a light green gale that densely swirled around our bodies.
As if we were on an invisible elevator, we slowly glided into the underground.
¡°Uh, uh¡?¡±
An endlessly vast expanse ofndy within this underground chamber.
It was like we journeyed to the center of the earth and ended up in an entirely new world. It was hard to believe that this unbelievable view was actually a cave.
Ssak¨C.
Within this underground cave, there were countless guillotines organized in rows.
Numerous des from these machines sliced through the air as it fell.
Shortly after, an indecipherable power tugged the des back up.
The blood on the des was purple as it dried like a rusty scab. Every time the guillotines fell and were pulled back up, fresh blood could be seen sttering the wooden tforms.
[Ribbit¨C.]
[Ribbit¡.]
[Ribbit! Ribbit¨C!]
Tied to the guillotine was a human-shaped figure with arms and legs. However, instead of making any discernible human noises, it was ribbiting like a frog.
The skin was a pale green. The head seemed to be forcefully stretched apartterally. The face was swollen and the lips were torn apart so widely that it matched the length of its hair.
It was bent over naked, with only the head tied to the guillotine. It seemed to be groaning in pain.
Squirm.
The guillotine easily decapitated the frog creature. Every time it did so, the body that was firmly restrained on the guillotine squirmed.
The head flew away as itnded on the ground to join itsrades.
When this happened, the stump, which used to house a head, started to wriggle like a worm as something popped out. The head grew back, once again ready for the inevitable conclusion.
Shortly thereafter, the des of the guillotine mercilessly fell as it cut off the head once again.
¡°What is this¡¡±
Kaya covered her lips in shock. Her eyes were trembling.
See, I told you she would be like this.
A sloppy sound echoed as we stepped on the ground. This was obviously the case. After all, the ground was littered with the heads of a grotesque frog creature.
And in between every head, purple-colored blood flowed like a river.
It was a bit grotesque, but as one of the OG try-hards of the game, it didn¡¯t impact me that much. I already knew it would be like this from seeing it multiple times in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡Yeah, but I had to admit, it¡¯s still pretty disgusting.
¡°Are you o-?¡±
Right when I turned towards Kaya to reassure her, I flinched at the sight of her expression.
As she slowly let her hands fall from her mouth, I was able to clearly see her face. A transparent liquid ran down the corners of her mouth.
She was drooling.
She looked like a person who had found a bountiful feast after starving to death from hunger. As if mesmerized, she continued to unblinkingly stare at the heads flying off the monsters¡¯ bodies.
An ominous chill ran down my body.
¡®Why is she like this?¡¯
Is she okay? Did you eat something wrong? What¡¯s wrong with her? Heh?
¡°Kaya?¡±
¡°Ah, yes, Sir Isaac. Slurp.¡±
As if she regained her sanity from hearing my voice, she quickly slurped back the drool around her mouth.
¡°I apologize for showing such an embarrassing sight. The drool just starteding out so suddenly¡¡±
Okay, this was not normal.
Is this reaction a result of Dark Kaya hiding deep inside her heart?
¡°¡Let¡¯s just go.¡±
For now, killing the frog demon was my top priority. I¡¯d have to think about Kaya¡¯s situation at ater date.
¡°Y-yes¡!¡±
I started walking together with Kaya. Every time we took a step, the floor of heads squished with a disgusting texture.
In our ears, we heard continuous squishes as each slice decapitated another head.
Short screams simr to the ribbiting of frogs echoed throughout the chamber.
I ignored this and continued to march forward.
This was the unique magic of the frog demon. Usually, the frog demon appeared in different locations every day, However, at least for the day of the joint practical evaluation, he seemed to want to mark its territory while enjoying the torture of his own subordinates.
The area was unable to be magically perceived simr to the illusion magic that Leafa the Illusive and Marlog the Envious used. However, the amount of mana contained was far less.
How tedious. This demon was so weak that I shouldn¡¯t have even needed to bother with him. Besides the Extra Bad Ending that he caused, his existence meant absolutely nothing. The game developers probably put him in just to farm content¡ I mean, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Even the uing conflicts with the Floating Ind, Pir Demons, and the Abyssal Monster don¡¯t cause Extra Bad Endings! Why was this bastard lucky enough to get one?
Whatever. Let¡¯s just move on. Oh, by the way, it seemed like the frog demon finally noticed that there were intruders.
On this vast tform made of heads, the bastard¡¯s subordinates finally regained control of their bodies after having their heads continuously blown off. Individually, they were weak, so they must be trying to gang up on us as a group.
For reference, these subordinates were fake existences made of mana, so they did not provide any EXP. As such, I only need to eliminate the frog demon, ¡®Milo the Yearner¡¯.
¡°Sir Isaac, is it¡ that?¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
As we walked past the guillotines, we finally saw an amphibian that was draped in elegant garments.
Standing at a height of 2m, his face was stretched wide to the sides and his arms and legs were identical to a frog. He was naturally bipedal, just like a human.
His skin color was a green so dark that it was closer to ck. A little crown was on his head and the red cape on his shoulders blew in the wind.
His attire did not suit the surrounding environment of blood, heads, and guillotines.
The bastard stopped in ce and looked at us with pupilless eyes.
[Milo the Yearner] Lv: 100
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Water
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to be off with your head.]
¡®As expected, I found him quickly.¡¯
It was the frog demon, Milo the Yearner.
[RIBIIIIIIIIIIIT!!]
Milo the Yearner opened his huge mouth and let out an explosive cry.
Does he want to burst his vocal cords or something? If you want to hurt yourself that badly, do it when on you¡¯re own time. My ears hurt, you bastard.
Whatever, forget it. All I needed to do now was eliminate him and I wouldplete my goal.
Click©¤.
Click©¤.
Click©¤.
After Milo the Yearner¡¯s cry, the restrained frog creatures were released from their guillotines.
[RIBIIIIIIIT!!!]
The frog demon Milo opened his mouth even wider to let out a sound simr to a gargle. It was a signal to attack.
His subordinates started to charge towards us,bining blue and ck magic circles to create joint spells.
Is this all they got? I could beat them in my sleep.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
The only thing this useless demon could do anyway was dirty up the mood with his ugly face.
Eh, I¡¯ll just quickly deal with this clown, so that I can go back home. I don¡¯t even need Zhonya¡¯s Staff to put him in his ce.
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Pshook! Kwaaah¡ª!
The pale blue magic circle above my head sted a thick ice spear toward the frog demon.
Pale blue cold air left after images in the form of mes.
[Ice Spear] instantaneously approached Milo¡¯s body before he could even blink.
Boom¡ª!
A sound simr to a bomb exploding reverberated.
As the shockwave spread, a huge hole could be seen in Milo¡¯s torso. It was the ce that was pierced by [Ice Spear].
Milo fell down after letting out a [Ribbit¡].
I absolutely fodderized him.
¡°¡Hm?¡±
¡What¡¯s that?
Before Milo turned to dust.
As he twitched while awaiting death, a pool of blood suddenly appeared underneath his body.
Gururururu¡ª.
Blood magic was healing Milo. However, it was only to the point of preventing death.
It was the magic of Dark Kaya.
I looked towards Kaya. Her eyes were bright red. Dark Kaya had switched into her body.
As if she was in a fever dream, she swallowed her drool as she stared hungrily at Milo.
¡°Ka-?¡±
¡°Hah.¡±
A sticky breath was released from her both.
Both of Kaya¡¯s cheeks burned red, as she excitedly gushed out breath after breath.
And then.
Kuaaaahk¡ª.
A skull made of blood burst out of the puddle underneath Milo the Yearner and swallowed himpletely. His existence disappeared without a trace.
Booom¡ª!
Shortly after, waves of blood exploded out from the ground like a geyser.
¡°The fuck? What¡¯s happening?!¡¯
The magic condensed the blood, creating numerous skull-shaped figures.
¡°Hap.¡±
Fuoooooooo¡ª!
When Kaya opened her mouth, the blood skulls copied her action and began to swallow the frog creatures.
Like a tsunami, blood spread widely and roughly devoured the decapitated heads scattered on the ground.
Her intense blood-colored magic feasted on everything, from the ceiling and floor to the guillotines that remained.
The grotesque surroundings disappeared as an empty cave was all that was left behind.
Kaya suddenly started chewing something in her mouth, while letting out both crunches and squishy sounds. As if she was eating delicious food, she continued to savor the taste until finally swallowing it down her throat.
¡°Fuah¡¡±
Kaya rubbed her flushed cheeks as she let out a satisfied smile.
Her expression was reminiscent of a starving individual who was finally able to fill their stomach.
Chapter 98: - Joint Practical Evaluation (7)
? Joint Practical Evaluation (7) ?
In a cave covered in ice and a frigid chill.
Second year student, Eve Ropenheim, could not believe what she had just witnessed.
Two female students far stronger than Eve skillfully worked together with Isaac to fight against Professor Phiillip.
Isaac even used 5-star spells nonchntly and earned aplete victory, allowing him to clear the fourth gate with ease.
Now¡ it reached a point where she questioned whether that was actually her younger brother.
Eve stealthily chased after Isaac¡¯s group.
Since the messenger was destroyed, there was no one watching her currently, even if staff members were approaching this location.
Kwang!
She was startled at the sound of someone breaking apart the earth from far away.
She steeled her heart as she slowly walked out of the cave.
¡°¡!¡±
Eve froze in her tracks.
It was because a magic that was strong enough to give her goosebumps brushed past her skin.
As she walked farther, she found a hole that led deep underground.
Before she was able to examine it.
¡°Heuk¡!¡±
Eve saw something squirming from inside as it engulfed the inside of the hole.
Kwarereuk¡ª!
A spell colored in a shade of red wine shined as beautifully as a ruby
For Eve, however, its beauty only struck fear in her.
¡°Keuk!¡±
Eve jumped back in surprise as shended on her butt.
She blocked her mouth with both hands in fear of letting out a sound.
What¡ What exactly is going on down there?
The spell suddenly calmed.
Eve carefully looked into the hole. As she looked down, she only saw a very normal-looking underground cave.
Cold sweat ran down her face as Eve swallowed dry spit.
Below the hole in the silent cave¡ something dangerous awaited.
* * *
As my unique trait [Hunter] deactivated, my body became heavy and my mana considerably decreased.
How do I put it¡ It was as if a healthy young man became old and weak in a heartbeat.
Ring©¤?
I waved away the ¡®Level Up¡¯ system message that appeared. Since I made the biggest contribution in eliminating the frog demon, I should have gotten a considerable amount of experience from it.
Additionally, Isaac¡¯s elder sister would not have been able to follow me here. Unless she had also cleared the fourth gate, the messenger would have blocked her way.
Therefore, I only needed to focus on one thing.
¡®This girl is the only problem left.¡¯
Dark Kaya¡¯s vicious appetite.
The Kaya in front of me was in her dark persona. I was starting to understand why Kaya the Ravenous decided to hide deep within Kaya¡¯s heart.
In the main story of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Dark Kaya was never able to taste any demons, so her appetite never changed drastically.
However, in the Bad Ending ¡¸Demon Queen¡¹, Kaya clearly showcased her ravenous appetite.
True to her name, Kaya the Ravenous ate anything and everything that she could get her hands on. As she grew in power, she became the most heinous demon.
¡®The Kaya right now has already eaten Elphelt the Evanescent as well.¡¯
Just like how a domestic animal, such as a puppy, instinctually became more wild and feral after tasting blood.
There was no doubt that after getting a taste of a demon, Kaya also started to reveal her gluttonous nature as her appetite for demons grew.
Therefore.
¡®Was the reason for Dark Kaya hiding in the depths of Kaya¡¯s heart because of her increase of appetite?¡¯
Perhaps Dark Kaya instinctively felt the danger.
It made total sense if this was the reason why Kaya had been so hungrytely while never being able to feelpletely satisfied.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°I apologize for not being able to tell you, Sir Isaac.¡±
She had an apologetic look on her face.
¡°I wasn¡¯t too certain even until yesterday¡ but now I understand clearly. I guess I have these sorts of bodily needs now. At least I finally satisfied them for a bit.¡±
She must have had a lot of concerns and doubts about her body after feasting on all those demons.
As such, I could understand why she looked so disturbed.
¡°¡Is that so.¡±
¡°Huh? That¡¯s it¡?¡±
Kaya seemed to have been surprised since I replied without much of a reaction.
¡°Since we¡¯re done, let¡¯s go back.¡±
¡°Sir Isaac. I said I ate dem-¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I turned around and started walking. She stood there, dazed for a moment. Her face looked like she couldn¡¯t fullyprehend why I was being so casual about it.
I mean, there wasn¡¯t much to say anyway. I had already processed everything.
¡®Yoooo demon eating power-up? That¡¯s a win-win.¡¯
What¡¯s wrong with eating demons? She ate it with magic anyway so why would I get disgusted?
Anyway, if Kaya could get even stronger and fight the final boss with me, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better situation than this.
I guess there could be a problem after defeating the Evil God Nephid. Actually, that wasn¡¯t really the case either.
All she would need to do was eat meat with a high density of mana. The Astrea household should also have an easy time obtaining it as well. I didn¡¯t really see a problem with this arrangement.
Although this was embarrassing to say, she could even use the semen of a man with powerful mana to satisfy her hunger. Drinking it from either one of her lips would do the trick.
¡®After all, this setting was hinted at during the gamey of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.¡¯
As such, there was no need to be concerned about the demonic appetite that her ravenous side possessed.
¡°Uh, do you not feel disgusted hearing that?¡±
¡°Why would I be disgusted?¡±
¡°I ate demons just n-¡±
¡°And? I¡¯m not disgusted or concerned so don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Kaya tilted her head as she seemed to ponder deeply about something. In the next moment, she brightened up with a smile as she giggled.
It seemed like she was deeply relieved that her concerns were unfounded and quickly resolved.
As she walked beside me, Kaya nced up mischievously.
¡°Then, Sir Isaac, since I helped you kill a demon, can I have a reward?¡±
¡°What kind of reward?¡±
¡°Holding my hand, kissing me on the cheek, wrapping me in your arms¡! And much more if you so desire¡¡±
Whispering in a sly tone, Kaya softly touched her lower lips with her slender index finger.
Her unique cutesy voice was the same as always.
¡°Restrain yourself.¡±
¡°¡You¡¯re so mean.¡±
She seemed to be disappointed at my emotionless reaction as her lips started pouting.
Like that, Kaya stared at me for a while.
Then, she suddenly tilted her head towards me and let out a satisfied smile.
¡°I love you even when you act like this.¡±
[Kaya Astrea] Psychology: [in love with you.]
Every time I used [Psychological Insight] on Kaya, I always flinched in surprise.
I couldn¡¯t possibly hate it when one of my favorite characters liked me this much.
¡°She¡¯s soooooooooo damn cute¡¡±
I carefully hid my grin to appear casual on the outside.
However, on the inside, my mind was in turmoil and I was singing the national anthem to try and calm my racing heart.
¡°¡Sir Isaac!¡±
Right when I was enjoying the moment, I suddenly felt magic rushing us.
¡¸Ice Spear (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Pshook¡ª!
¡°¡!¡±
A spear formed from ice flew towards Kaya from above!
It was such a sudden and unexpected event.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Whooooosh¡ª!
Kaya channeled wind through her body as she quickly dodged.
[Ice Spear] prated the ground. Judging by the angle, it was aimed a bit away from where Kaya previously was.
Thankfully, it looked like it wasn¡¯t meant to make a Kaya kebab.
¡°Isaac!¡±
At that moment, I could see silver-blue hair flowing in the air.
From the ceiling, a uniformed female student had wind wrapped around herself as she glided down. When shended, she quickly stood between me and Kaya.
Silver-blue ponytail tied to the side. Deep red eyes.
¡®Elder sister?¡¯
Isaac¡¯s older sister appeared out of nowhere.
[Eve Ropenheim] Lv: 87
Race: Human
Elements: Ice, Wind
Danger: X
Psychology: [Intends to protect you from Kaya Astrea.]
Eve had her back faced towards me as she cautiously analyzed Kaya.
¡°Isaac, are you okay?!¡±
Okay or not, who do you think you are to even ask me that¡?
¡®What happened to the messenger? How did she chase me all the way here?¡¯
Judging from the timing, there was no doubt that Eve hade here without even clearing the fourth gate.
But the messenger should have blocked her¡ Wasn¡¯t it impossible for her to be here?
¡®¡No way, did it get destroyed in our fight with Professor Phillip?¡¯
It could be possible since the tug-of-war between Professor Phillip and Kaya was extensive and powerful.
Why was it made so flimsy?
¡°I can¡¯t believe an existence with such sinister power¡ was hidden in the academy.¡±
¡°Uh, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±
¡°N-no, what do you think you¡¯re doing¡!?¡±
It felt bizarre to me.
I could not understand why she suddenly appeared now of all times when she had been stalking me since forever ago.
Kaya¡¯s eyes started to fill with killing intent. However, Eve squashed her rising fear and maintained eye contact with Kaya.
¡°S-someone like you doesn¡¯t scare me at all okay?! Do you know Helga the Two-Headed Dog? That ferocious magic beast is my familiar! Also, I-i have 7-star protection on me, you know? If youy a hand on me, uh, my subordinates hidden in the academy will know who you are! I also have reflection magic on me! I¡¯m dangerous, okay?! If you attack me, you¡¯re dead!¡±
Her way of speaking was so childish¡!
It was so obvious that everything she said was a lie.
Unfortunately, Eve¡¯s voice was trembling as much as her legs were so she sounded extremely unconvincing.
Whoooosh¡ª.
Kaya¡¯s light green wind started to aggressively stir the surrounding area.
It was magic so intense that its mere pressure felt like it would be enough to squash her. Eve must have felt terrified since her body started trembling even more violently.
¡°¡You seem to keep talking about me as if I¡¯m a bad person.¡±
¡°Y-you! Fuah! Y-you are just my junior! How dare you! Why don¡¯t you hide that ominous magic first? I felt enormous amounts of it earlier. I sensed an aura of a demon and it¡¯s obvious that your mana is reminiscent of a demon as well. It doesn¡¯t take much to put two and two together. You¡¯re a demon, right? Right, the ck Monster is also considered a demon¡! You¡¯re the ck Monster, aren¡¯t you?!¡±
Hearing Eve theorize conspiracy after conspiracy made my head pound. My hand automatically rose to face-palm myself.
Eve Ropenheim.
A silver-blue ponytail tied to the side and crimson eyes. From my memories, she was an NPC that everyone hated due to her pathological lies and delusional nature.
Her two eyes were always lifeless and she never appeared sane.
When she mentioned Helga the Two-Headed Dog, I recalled a cringe-worthy scene where she proudly showed a doll with two heads and proceeded to make it growl with her own voice.
Obviously, no one remained within her vicinity. She always was, is, and will be a loner.
¡®Isn¡¯t her condition way better than what was shown in the game though?¡¯
The lies she was spouting right now could be considered cute. She looked nothing like the version of her in-game self, who was a pitiful person with her sanity already in shambles.
She pointed the staff in her hand towards Kaya.
Actually, because her hand was shaking too much, she had to grasp it with both hands.
Although her body was drenched in fear, her two eyes remained resolute. It looked like she had no intention of backing off.
¡°Do you think I would ever trust a demon?! I don¡¯t know what kind of nasty plot you¡¯re nning, but if you touch my younger brother¡ I will never forgive you.¡±
¡®¡Eh?¡¯
What is this?
I fell into deep confusion.
She won¡¯t forgive anyone whoid a hand on me? It clearly meant that she was on my side.
¡®Weren¡¯t we on bad terms though?¡¯
Isaac hated his older sister. I didn¡¯t know the exact situation, but the emotions I felt during the Trial of Frost could not be mistaken.
Is there¡ some kind of misunderstanding?
Let¡¯s think about thatter. At the very least, I had already deciphered the current situation.
I should probably fix this first.
¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but¡ I can¡¯t ept that you attacked me out of nowhere and tried to take Sir Isaac away from me. No matter what reasoning you bring forth, you are the one crossing the line right n-¡±
¡°This person is my elder sister.¡±
I put a hand on Eve¡¯s shoulder and spoke clearly.
¡°Heuk?¡±
Eve let out a shocked exmation as she looked towards my face in embarrassment. She must have been startled when I touched her.
¡°¡Pardon?¡±
Kaya replied with a puzzled look on her face as if she failed toprehend the situation.
For a while, her head rotated as she looked at both me and Eve alternatively. After noticing that we had simr features, her jaw dropped.
Soon thereafter, her expression morphed into one of horror.
As if she had sinned greatly, herplexion turned utterly pale.
Chapter 99: - Joint Practical Evaluation Interlude
? Joint Practical Evaluation Interlude ?
Thanks to the Trial of Frost, I was able to decipher Isaac¡¯s fragmented memories that remained in my mind.
Isaac and his elder sister, Eve Ropenheim, had different biological fathers.
Isaac¡¯s mother fell in love with Baron Ropenheim, having been swooned by his romantic courtship, and even had a baby with him.
However, she and her child were abandoned by Baron Ropenheim, the sole reason being that her pregnancy was unsightly. Basically, he didn¡¯t like how she got fat because of the child in her womb.
As such, she was exiled to a shabby house in the countryside and subsequently gave birth to their daughter, Eve.
For Isaac¡¯s mother, who was lost in sorrow and the futility of her situation, Eve was her sole reason to continue living.
Then, she met amoner, which led to the birth of Isaac. As a result, Isaac¡¯s mother found another reason to live.
I could remember the backstory of Isaac¡¯s birth, but anything specific about the past, such as his childhood, waspletely nk.
I couldn¡¯t remember where Isaac¡¯s father disappeared to, nor how Eve Ropenheim reunited with her biological father, Baron Ropenhem¡
Of course, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not a very happy story to hear.
¡®Anyway.¡¯
No matter how trashy Baron Ropenheim was, what kind of mental trauma Isaac¡¯s mother endured, and who Eve really was, that was an Isaac problem, not a me problem.
My problemid in the present. So let¡¯s try to summarize the current situation.
As mentioned before, given Eve¡¯s safe arrival here, the messenger from the fourth gate must have lost its ability to properly function.
Therefore, the academy staff would being to this cave to rece both the messenger and the professor.
In conclusion, there was no time to rx here and y around.
¡°Y-yeah! That¡¯s right! I¡¯m his elder sister!¡±
Eve¡¯s arrogant shout came out awkwardly.
Before Kaya could say something, she broke out into a cold sweat¡
I slipped my index finger to my lips, signaling her to remain silent.
Kaya, who was still in shock, managed to regain her reason.
It seemed as if my silent instruction to stay quiet had been delivered properly,
¡®First of all, if I correctly deduced what this elder sister said earlier, then¡¡¯
Eve did not know the specific circumstances of what Kaya and I did.
Moreover, she did not see the frog demon¡¯s territory but was able to see Kaya¡¯s blood magic. It meant that she was most likely quite a distance away from Milo the Yearner.
That meant¡
¡®She must have been outside the hole that I made earlier.¡¯
The mana of Dark Kaya was at a level where even Eve could urately sense it.
As such, I should just gaslight her into thinking that she was mistaken because of Kaya¡¯s immense magical prowess. It would be ideal to gloss over this matter using this as an excuse.
¡°And also, who do you think you¡¯re treating as a demon right now?¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
I put on a calm expression and looked down at Eve from a close distance.
By the way, this elder sister is he nervous.
¡°Kaya has a rare and strong element. Earlier, she saved me by destroying a trap that I was almost caught in. I appreciate the reason you stepped up to help me, but don¡¯t use or insult Kaya. Now, go back. You haven¡¯t even cleared the fourth gate yet.¡±
¡°That, how did you know¡?¡±
¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice that you were tailing me?¡±
Eve huped in shock.
¡°The timing doesn¡¯t match after all. It doesn¡¯t make any sense that you were able to clear the fourth gate so quickly while reaching all the way here as well. Why did you even follow me?¡±
¡°W-well¡ It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ Uh, um¡ I was just trying to help! Yeah, I was helping you! If you fell in danger in a ce like this, if I didn¡¯t step forward and help, you would be in big trouble! After all, you¡¯re w¡ e¡ ak¡?¡±
I don¡¯t think I¡¯m weak enough to be protected by a level 87 though¡
Eve¡¯s voice slowly died out. She probably spat those words out and realized soon after that ¡®That ain¡¯t it Chief¡¯.
Anyway, it wasn¡¯t too hard to notice that she was genuinely concerned about my well-being, even among the careless and argumentative words she used.
¡®She seems nice on the outside though.¡¯
I wonder why her rtionship with Isaac became so twisted.
For now, I should quickly finish the current conversation.
I brushed past Eve without answering, pretending to have nothing more to say.
¡°Kaya, let¡¯s go.¡±
At this, Kaya followed beside me.
¡°Sir Isaac, could you please give me a chance to make up for my wrongdoings with your elder sister¡¡±
She pleaded with a whisper. Her desperate expression was mournful.
Unfortunately, however, I could not afford to listen to her plea at the current moment.
As wind magic lifted us up, we left Eve behind and went up the hole.
As we did so, I nced sideways at Eve.
I was met by a pair of sunken eyes.
[Eve Ropenheim] Psychology: [Feels a sense of guilt towards you.]
¡I¡¯ll figure this outter.
I briefly considered having a conversation with Eve while pretending I had partial memory loss.
¡®There probably isn¡¯t a need for that.¡¯
Isaac¡¯s life story started as someone born into an average family ofmoners and ended as someone who took his own life. Wherever Eve was in that story, it was certain that she did not y a good role in it.
¡°Isaac!¡±
At that moment, Eve called out to me.
¡°After Mom passed away¡ what happened to you in those two years?¡±
She must have had many questions after following me today.
¡®That¡¯s pretty understandable.¡¯
Isaac was someone who was the weakest, even in his childhood, but he suddenly showed up in the most prestigious academy on the continent and even showed skill that was far above average among his peers.
Well, the answer wasn¡¯t that difficult. I didn¡¯t even need to think about it.
¡°Nothing happened.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Isaac studied to death in order to be acknowledged for his theoretical excellence. As a result, it allowed him to enter M?rchen Academy and major in Magic Theory.
As such, he probably only studied in the two years he hadn¡¯t met Eve. He would have isted himself from the world and only lived by burying himself in books.
And next to him, during his darkest moments, Eve wasn¡¯t there.
At the end of that short conversation, Kaya and I started to ascend up the hole once again.
We started to head towards the fifth gate when Kaya started pleading with me with a pitiful expression.
¡°Sir Isaac, could you please turn back time just once¡? If it¡¯s Sir Isaac, wouldn¡¯t it be easy to do so¡?¡±
[Kaya Astrea] Psychology: [Depressed because she ruined her first encounter with her sister-inw.]
¡Sorry, that would be difficult to do.
* * *
¡°Sigh¡¡±
The reunion with my younger brother was absolutely dreadful.
Eve was alone and lost her thoughts.
She was certain now. It may seem unbelievable but Isaac¡¯s mind, body, and ability to handle magic were all different from before.
He was just acking boy who was bullied by the children in his hometown for being useless in magic.
The Isaac who had always been weak to his very bones was nowhere to be seen.
Now, only a reliable and talented young man could be clearly reflected in Eve¡¯s eyes.
¡®Perhaps¡¡¯
He must have endured all kinds of sorrow and managed to mature, using his heartache as a stepping stone.
After their mother had passed away, Isaac abandoned his shabby house and disappeared to live alone.
As such, Eve was only able to reunite with him today because both of them were academy students taking the same evaluation.
Eve couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how much blood, sweat, and tears it took for him to change so drastically.
Her heart squeezed painfully and her throat choked with tears. To Isaac, Eve was someone who couldn¡¯t even y the role of an older sister properly,
While Isaac improved himself alone through so much grief, Eve had done nothing for him.
Instead, all she did was put a nail in her younger brother¡¯s heart, hurting him even greater in his time of suffering.
Eve let out a deep sigh.
¡°But¡¡±
While feeling despondent, Eve looked up at the hole, It was high up from the ground where she stood.
¡°How do I get out of here¡?¡±
The cold reality drew Eve out of her thoughts.
She had overused her wind magic while chasing after Isaac and had even attacked Kaya, so her mana was already depleted.
She should¡¯ve bore the shame and asked Isaac to carry her out too. Eve regretted it already.
* * *
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 82
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Eager First Year
Mana: 12000/12000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B)
Autumn had begun to show. The streets of the academy were filled with students wearing uniforms that were gradually bing thicker.
The cold season was already creeping closer. It was not long before the Floating Ind would appear.
Before that, I wanted to be strong enough to ensure that I could sessfully solve the problems regarding the Floating Ind.
If nothing happened any time soon, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the bad ending, so I could train in peace.
¡°Hooo.¡±
Boom¡ª!
Crash¨C!
The academy training grounds.
I was eliminating demonic illusions with elemental magic.
Now that I have outgrown the title of the weakest, no student tried to have a useless quarrel with me over my skills.
On the contrary, more students seemed to admire me while I was training. It seemed like my performance with Zhonya¡¯s Staff was quite the spectacle to see. It honestly made me feel vain as my shoulders stiffened with pride.
The results of the joint practical evaluationnded me in 30th ce, thus passing the exam. Considering the time it took me to kill the frog demon, my performance was a lot better than I expected.
¡®Though I did use some tricks.¡¯
Of course, my game knowledge yed a big role.
If I had taken the evaluation purely based on my own skill and without any game knowledge, I would have ced in the middle of the pack or, at best, in the middle high.
I felt sorry for Kaya. I was sure she wanted to beat Luce.
However, she just smiled and let the matter go, saying that her desire to win couldn¡¯t bepared to the peace of the academy.
The one drawback was that Eve Ropenheim got a bad impression of her because of their brief conflict.
Whenever there was talk about Eve, I could see tears glistening around Kaya¡¯s eyes.
She said it was the first time in her life that she wanted to turn back time so badly.
Incidentally, she asked me if I was hiding my identity from my family as well, so I vaguely confirmed her suspicions.
She must have been surprised that my elder sister, Eve Ropenheim, was so unexpectedly ordinary.
Kaya¡¯s parents were a swordmaster and a genius wizard so I guess she was looking forward to seeing how extraordinary my family would also be.
In addition.
¡®How long is Isaac¡¯s elder sister going to follow me around?¡¯
After the joint practical evaluation, Eve hadn¡¯t spoken a word to me.
However, when I asionally checked my surroundings with [irvoyance], I could easily witness her stalking me. I didn¡¯t think she was currently at the training ground though.
I was pretty sure that we would have a conversation sometime in the near future.
¡®It bothers me¡¡±
On the day my journey to defeat the Evil Godes to an end¡
It was not known if I would return to my original world or remain in this world.
Of course, I was only human so there were certainly times when I missed my family back in my original world.
Therefore, I had a selfish desire to get closer to Eve, the only blood rtion I had in this world.
¡®I guess I don¡¯t need to try to that extent though.¡¯
I don¡¯t even know Isaac¡¯s childhood at all.
What kind of rtionships Isaac had, the specifics behind how he got along with Eve, and what memories he had¡
However, that didn¡¯t mean that I wanted to start digging into Isaac¡¯s past.
It wasn¡¯t toote to worry about such things after I took down the Evil God.
For now, in order to defeat the Floating Ind, I needed to focus on my training with several times the efficiency I usually had.
And so, I trained every day.
Even when I got a nosebleed, I did not stop practicing my magic,
I asked Dorothy to use buff magic on me so that I could forcefully recover my condition and train again and again.
I applied what I learned in sses and books into repetitive practical training.
I even rationed my sleep time and as I trained like crazy¡.
Ten dayster, the umted fatigue ovepped.
Copse.
In a moment, I suddenly lost consciousness.
Chapter 100: - The Door
? The Door ?
I felt numb.
If I recall my vague memories correctly, I probably copsed while training.
It seemed like I was too overconfident in my body, so I had trained to my very limit. My stamina must have worn out.
¡®Where am I right now?¡¯
Deja vu hit me. I felt a soft sensation on the back of my head. It seemed like I wasid in a ce that gave me nothing butfort.
I remembered the time when I had Eden attack me to test the Elemental Bracelet.
When the damage umted and I fainted, I woke up in Luce¡¯s room.
This time as well, it seemed as if someone dragged my unconscious body elsewhere. Was it Isaac¡¯s elder sister who had been stalking me these days?
¡®¡Nah, there¡¯s no way.¡¯
Before I fainted, I remember scanning the area with [irvoyance]. Isaac¡¯s sister was nowhere to be seen.
In other words, it was someone else.
By the way, the pillow on my head was so smooth and soft. Wait, I thought it was a pillow but¡
¡What¡ is this?
My brain was still unable to function at maximum capacity because I had just regained consciousness.
I slowly opened my eyes. I thought I would see an unfamiliar ceiling.
Instead, I almost went blind from the brilliant radiance that greeted me.
¡°Are you awake, President?¡±
Beyond the vast valleys of her chest, a smile as bright as starlight shone in my eyes.
Lavender hair flowed while an entire universe shone in her eyes which were adorned with her signature star-shaped pupils.
It was Dorothy¡¯s face full of smiles.
In a corner of the butterfly garden, under a zelkova tree with the light of the sunset falling from the heavens above.
The location where Dorothy woulde to sit and talk while I was training.
In this ce, I appeared to be lying on Dorothy¡¯sp.
¡®Oh what, it was Dorothy.¡¯
Yep, I¡¯m never getting up.
I closed my eyes again and turned to the side. The skin of my favorite waifu caressed my cheek.
¡°Nihihi, Presideeeent~. Aren¡¯t you being a little too obvious?¡±
Dorothy grinned widely at the sight of my actions.
¡°This big sis will get slightly embarrassed, you know?¡±
¡°This is not an opportunity thates often so I must enjoy it as much as possible. It¡¯s fan service, right?¡±
¡°Sure. How is it? Are you happy?¡±
Of fucking course I am.
¡°What happened to bring about this sudden event? It¡¯s unexpected for you to give me ap pillow after all.¡±
¡°¡These days, I feel like the President is pushing himself too hard. Both your mind and your body.¡±
It seemed like it was impossible to hide my emotions from Dorothy.
She must have noticed my sense of urgency.
¡°How did you know?¡±
¡°Hmph, this big sis knows everything you know?¡±
Dorothy answered triumphantly as she ced a hand over her heart.
¡°That¡¯s why this big sis wanted toe bother you a bit as a way to lift your spirits! I found the President unconscious right on time. You did well fainting!¡±
So I lost consciousness at a good time. Noice.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t enjoy this happy moment forever.
I was blessed to have even had this brief moment of bliss.
Since my stamina should have been supplemented by me fainting, I should start training once again.
¡°Thank you so much, Senior. Now I should¡¡±
¡°President.¡±
When I tried to raise my upper body, Dorothy grabbed my shoulders and pressed me back onto herp.
As if to tell me not to get up.
¡°Rest, at least for now. Stay with me.¡±
I hesitated since I didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡°Good boy.¡±
Dorothy whispered in a soothing voice as she stroked my hair like I was a beloved doll.
As if she was roleying a mother, a faint smile adorned her face.
Her voice and smile made me feel at ease.
¡°¡¡±
Take a rest, you say¡
In the hell difficulty of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I had been racing ahead without rest to defeat the Evil God.
The only time that I had some form of leisure was on the night of the social gathering, after eliminating Marlog the Envious.
To be honest, this was a bit of an obvious thing to say but¡
It¡¯s tough.
If I was going to transmigrate into this game¡
I wanted to be in the normal difficulty. I wanted to enjoy dating without any fear of the future and steadily defeat enemies without needing to rush. It would have been so nice to just take it easy and enjoy my time¡
¡I must be really tired huh?
My body went ck with exhaustion.
Even if the fainting helped me regain a bit of stamina, I could still clearly feel that my body was heavily fatigued. I also felt the mana in my body flowing roughly instead of the smooth current it would normally have been.
It seemed as if every cell in my body was on strike.
Maybe I couldn¡¯t be an ironman just yet.
¡°¡Okay then.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s touch was so gently and pleasant that my bodynguidly slouched into her.
I quietly closed my eyes.
¡°I¡¯m going to rest just for a bit.¡±
For the efficiency of my training, I decided to take a break for now.
¡°Yay! Okay!¡±
Dorothy grinned broadly.
I fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
Isaac had fallen asleep.
Dorothy could not contain her smile as she looked at him sleeping peacefully with his head on herp.
Feeling that the slight wind in the air turned cooler, Dorothy took off her cape shawl and covered Isaac with it to keep him warm.
With that, she started to repeatedly stroke his head gently, using this chance to administer healing magic to him.
¡°I really can¡¯t figure you out after all.¡±
Dorothy was well aware that she was revered as a rare genius who received the Lord Manha¡¯s blessing.
But this man lying on herp was overwhelmingly stronger than Dorothy herself.
It was an undeniable fact that only someone like Dorothy, who had the power of [All In the World], could know.
In the first ce, Dorothy became interested in Isaac because of his hidden strength.
However, it seemed as if his power was only avable when certain conditions were met.
Dorothy deduced that training also affected his original strength, which was why he was so desperate to work diligently.
Even so¡ Isaac was overdoing it.
¡°Even if you¡¯re working hard, there should still be a certain limit to it.¡±
Dorothy could feel how hard he worked from sensing Isaac¡¯s twisted mana circuits.
There must have been a lot of fatigue and pain, to the point where his body would¡¯ve screamed at him to stop.
And yet, he had been recklessly pouring out mana for the sake of training¡
Dorothy fondly rubbed Isaac¡¯s cheek with her index finger.
He tilted his head towards Dorothy¡¯s finger. He was so cute since he acted like a puppy.
¡°Nihihi.¡±
Although Dorothy maintained a seemingly friendly attitude on the outside, in reality, she always drew a line between herself and others.
Since she was destined to die soon, she hadn¡¯t let anyone enter her heart.
It was so that she didn¡¯t have any lingering feelings about this life.
However, whenever she examined Isaac¡¯s mind with [Emotional Insight], he always showed infinite affection towards her.
At first, she came looking for Isaac out of curiosity. However, when she continued to feel such warm endearment from him, as a human being, her heart couldn¡¯t help but be put at ease when she was with him.
The sky was slowly losing its light as it dimmed.
Dorothy stared at Isaac while putting her hand on the middle of his firm chest.
The twisted mana circuit needed to be untangled. When Isaac woke up earlier, her work was stopped. So now, she had to continue once again.
Dorothy closed her eyes firmly and allowed her mana to flow.
She began to heal Isaac¡¯s mana circuit, which had been twisted from excessive training.
Since it was Dorothy¡¯s starlight mana, it was fully possible to reach deeply into Isaac¡¯s mana circuit and restore itpletely, starting from the source itself.
As Dorothy¡¯s mana delved deeper into Isaac¡¯s mana circuit¡
¡°¡!¡±
A scenery of somewhere empty and ck filled Dorothy¡¯s sight.
A huge ck door letting out a blue chill was lying in the middle of a ck field.
A chill ran down Dorothy¡¯s spine at the sight of its overwhelming majesty.
Her eyes flew open as she breathed roughly.
¡°What was that¡?¡±
A drop of cold sweat ran down her face.
Compared to the mysterious Isaac that she knew of thanks to [All In the World], apletely different existence was firmly established in the source of Isaac¡¯s mana circuit.
In addition, dense amounts of mana flowed around the huge door.
The mana was so powerful, that it was practically on a whole other ne of existence. This could only be the case after reaching the very highest level of the ice element. This was the type of mana that was emanating from the door.
During the first semester, he used otherworldly magic that was on the level of an apocalypse¡
¡Is that not even his full strength?
¡°President¡ how much power are you really hiding¡?¡±
It was obvious to Dorothy that Isaac was overwhelmingly stronger than her.
Even so¡ wasn¡¯t this too much? It was too overpowering of a level to even begin toprehend.
Isaac was already an existence that could not be contained within this small and weak world.
Now, she felt a feeling far beyond curiosity¡ It was simply sheer wonder at this point.
For a while, Dorothy stared at Isaac with aplex expression. He was sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.
***
I deeply apologize forst time!
-Kaya Astrea
¡°What is this¡?¡±
Dorm for mid-high level students, Elma Hall.
Out in the hallways, Eve Ropenheim stood dumbfounded.
Next to the entrance of her room, there was a bouquet of flowers the size of a door, various magic tools, an expensive set of snacks, and even essories.
So many things were given that¡ Eve could not even begin toprehend the amount thatid strewn alongside her door.
These days, a female student with pale green pigtails, Kaya Astrea, often approached Eve.
From insisting on rubbing her shoulders with the excuse that her shoulders were too stiff to calling her beautiful every chance she got, Kaya continued to ask Eve if there was anything she needed.
She had often heard of Kaya Astrea, the freshman second seat of the Magic Department, because of her immense reputation. She had the blood of a swordmaster, Duke Gerald Astrea, and a genius wizard, Historia. What¡¯s more, even her skill was well-acknowledged¡.
¡®Why is such a noble existence doing this¡?¡±
How did her younger brother manage to woo such an important figure?
Although she felt a bit proud, she fully realized that Kaya was trying to get in her good graces because of her identity as Isaac¡¯s elder sister.
As such, she could not treat Kaya carelessly. After all, if she made a mistake, she¡¯d be done for.
Eve felt increasingly burdensome as she walked into her dorm.
Chapter 101: - Territorial Fight (1)
? Territorial Fight (1) ?
Afterpleting her sses at the Magic Department¡¯s Orphin Hall, it had somehow be Eve¡¯s routine to go searching for Isaac¡¯s whereabouts.
Whenever she saw him, she couldn¡¯t help but think¡
¡®This guy really doesn¡¯t do anything other than training¡¡¯
Isaac trained during every waking moment. No, really. Literally, all he did was train the entire day. He genuinely didn¡¯t do anything else.
Even among the highly ambitious students of the esteemed M?rchen Academy, he stood out ringly due to this excessive diligence.
While secretly tailing her younger brother, Eve frequently overheard conversations about him among the students.
It seemed as if her brother had gained quite a considerable reputation among the freshmen.
However, it was more on the negative side.
¨C¡®Hasn¡¯t Isaac been insely?¡¯
¨C¡®How did he, who was barely a Grade E in the first semester, manage to wield a magic weapon already?¡¯
¨C¡®His skills are beyond the standards of ss C. And that guy was at the bottom of ss D justst semester.¡¯
¨C¡®Was he actually a genius all along? Like one of those prodigies that gain enlightenment and experience rapid growth?¡¯
¡®Isaac was a Grade E¡?¡¯
She could never have imagined for this to be the case.
Grade E were people with mana lower than the average person.
The knowledge that Isaac was only at Grade Est semester caused a huge contradiction with Eve¡¯s memories.
The abilities Isaac demonstrated during the joint practical evaluation were, at the very least, on the level of ss B.
¡®How could someone like that only be a Grade Est semester¡?¡¯
From a Grade E, he progressed with an almost frightening growth speed to reach a mana grade of C+ in only one semester.
She was beyond bewildered as her brain jumbled while trying to process this new information.
¡®Not two years¡ but he became that strong in just half a year?¡¯
Is that even possible?
It had taken Eve two years to wield the wooden staff she was currently holding. And even then, she struggled to handle it at times.
However, Isaac¡¯s staff seemed much harder to use than hers. As such, it probably required a significant level of mana control.
It was all but certain that he had reached a level where he could utilize magic weapons in merely half a year.
¡®Could he actually be a genius¡?¡¯
There was no way. Eve shook her head in disbelief.
Isaac was certainly not a genius. He was clearly a weakling born with naturally low mana.
As such, there was definitely some other exnation for this phenomenon. Something else had undoubtedly facilitated his rapid growth.
Eve was determined to uncover the nature of this existence and what exactly it entailed.
Dinnertime, Training Grounds.
Eve sat on the second-floor stands that surrounded the dome-shaped training ground.
She was there to see if Isaac woulde today as well.
¡°Sir Tristan, you were truly impressive during ss!¡±
Voices echoed from the stands nearby.
Suddenly, the chatter of her first year juniors caught Eve¡¯s attention.
¡°To think even the professor was astonished! It was truly a remarkable sight!¡±
¡°Hah! Of course, it is! Just that much is nothing to me, okay? It was such basic knowledge that it was positively yawn-inducing!¡±
¡°Ugh, I wish I could be in ss B with Sir Tristan. It¡¯s honestly such a shame that we can¡¯t witness your impressive demonstrations during our ss¡!¡±
Two male students and one female student were excessively praising a vain blond noble.
Eve wasn¡¯t particrly interested. M?rchen Academy had always been filled with people overflowing with arrogance.
Even she was no different. Of course, in her case, it was just bullshit from a liar.
Shortly afterward, a man entered the first-floor training grounds where students were practicing.
¡®He¡¯s here!¡¯
It was Isaac. Today, as well, he had Zhonya¡¯s staff slung over his back.
He began pouring mana into various magic circles and proceeded to engage in battles with demonic illusions.
Today, Eve intended to decipher the secret behind Isaac¡¯s newfound strength once and for all.
¡®I¡¯m not here because I want to see Isaac. I just want to know how he became so powerful¡¡±
That¡¯s right. She hadn¡¯te to catch a glimpse of Isaac. Surely not.
¡°Sir Tristan, that guy¡¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that Isaac?¡±
The blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, leaned against the railing, turning to look at Isaac.
¡®He recognized him immediately, huh?¡±
Well, it was true that Isaac was infamous. Eve thought that it wasn¡¯t too big of a surprise that he knew who Isaac was.
However, when Tristan squinted over at Isaac, a deep frown covered his face.
His expression was a stark contrast to his usual arrogant smirks when bragging about his aplishments.
¡°Thatmoner bastard¡ he dares to tantly train in a ce where I can see him. How audacious of him.¡±
¡°Could I give a brief suggestion? How about using this fine chance to fuck up thatmoner bastard that Sir Tristan hates?¡±
Eve¡¯s face shook a little.
¡°Looking at that magic weapon, it¡¯s all filler on the inside and only shiny on the outside. A bastard who was only Grade E being able to handle a magic weapon? Hah! What a joke.¡±
¡°I¡¯m disgusted just by looking at him, ugh.¡±
¡°It makes more than enough sense that Sir Tristan hates him. He seems to have grown confident just because his skills improved a little. Look at him trying to boast with that worthless staff of his.¡±
The students who were ttering Tristan aimed their fangs at Isaac. It seemed as if their goal was to give off a good impression on Tristan by insulting the person that he hated.
Eve began channeling mana into her wooden staff that had been leaning on her shoulder.
During her childhood¡
Isaac had been so weak that thebel of ¡®The Worst of the Worst¡¯ suited him. Because of this, he was often ignored and bullied by meaner kids.
Whenever that happened, Eve would always step forward and protect Isaac. After all, she was somewhat talented in magic unlike him.
¨C¡®Sis¡¡¯
¨C¡®It¡¯s okay now, Isaac. It¡¯s okay now.¡¯
¨C¡®I was so scared¡¡¯
¨C¡¯Just stay by my side. Sis will protect Isaac for the rest of your life, okay?¡¯
The bastards who dared toy a hand on her little brother made her heart burn with anger. She couldn¡¯t stand it.
After all, Isaac, her little brother, was very cute.
If it wasn¡¯t for her promise with Baron Ropenheim, Eve would have dly preached to the world just how adorable and lovable Isaac truly was.
¡®These brats who don¡¯t even understand Intermediate Element Theory dare to say such things¡¡¯
Her rationality was cast aside.
If they dared toy so much as a finger on Isaac, Eve was determined to make these juniors experience the full extent of her wrath, even if it led to disciplinary action.
Eve¡¯s furious gaze shifted towards Tristan¡¯s group.
And, at that moment, Tristan nced at his subordinates and clicked his tongue.
¡°What nonsense are you spouting, you imbeciles?¡±
¡®Huh?¡¯
For some reason¡ His reaction was different from what she had anticipated.
Tristan¡¯s dismissive words towards hisckeys left them bewildered and speechless.
¡°Fuck him up? How dare you bber such nonsensical vulgarity in my presence?¡±
¡°S-sir Tristan¡?¡±
¡°Engaging in such disgraceful behavior would imply that I think of myself as weaker than him. I am superior to that bastard in every facet and ability. Additionally, If there is no fair way to prove that I am superior to him, I refuse to even consider using underhanded tricks. Do not tarnish my reputation. Or else.¡±
Tristan berated them with a voice evident of irritation.
¡°And as for that weapon, at the very least, it¡¯s a Tier 2 or 3 magic weapon. How can you not even recognize something as simple as that? Regardless of how arrogant thatmoner may be, the skill needed to wield it is undeniable. Don¡¯t deny what¡¯s right in front of you.¡±
¡°But, Sir Tristan¡¡±
¡°Hah! My enthusiasm has waned. Join me in my training, you ipetent fools!¡±
¡°Ah, uh! Yes!¡±
The hell? What¡¯s wrong with him?
The sight of Tristan, who seemed to have a twisted yet sane mind, triggered a strong sense of unease in Eve.
Until just now, weren¡¯t they trying to torment Isaac¡?
¡®He seems like an asshole but he appears unexpectedly sincere¡¡¯
Eve regained herposure. There was no need to get angry after all.
Like this, Tristan was brushing past his subordinates when suddenly¡
Crash¡ª-!
A deafening noise echoed from where Isaac was training, sending shockwaves to their ears.
Eve jolted, her lips parting in surprise. Tristan, too, halted in his tracks, while casting a cold, piercing gaze towards Isaac.
The atmosphere grew tense. The students stopped their training, as their attention diverted towards Isaac.
A tall, muscr figure stood facing him.
The atmosphere felt as if a fight could erupt at any moment.
Given the nature of the sound that echoed previously, it was apparent that it resulted from a boulder shattering against the force of a punch. As such, it was easy to search the surroundings and pinpoint where exactly it came from.
¡®V-verga?¡¯
Eve sprang to her feet, her pupils trembling uncontrobly.
An elite member of the ck Tiger, a faction within the Four Constetions.
His dark green hair was slicked back, and a two-handed axe was slung over his shoulders.
It was a second year student from the Knight Department, well-known for his ferocity. It was Verga Rayphelt.
* * *
¡®This feels like the ultimate high.¡¯
Thanks to Dorothy¡¯s healing, I felt invincible.
My condition was beyond exceptional as mana surged within me. It seemed that due to Dorothy untangling my mana circuit, the flow of my mana had vastly improved.
However, this recovery method ced a significant strain on my body.
From the second time onward, there was a chance that it would weaken my mana circuit, so I would not be able to rely on it again.
At the moment, I was running a marathon to eliminate the Evil God.
While it was true that I must defeat the Floating Ind, it was not my ultimate goal.
Therefore, proper control of my health and condition was an absolute necessity.
I finally reached the training ground.
The elemental formations were partitioned by transparent barriers, and students were engrossed in their own training within their respective areas.
¡®Sweet. Good spot secured.¡¯
Out of the elemental formations, there was a vacant space that looked perfect.
As I headed over, the surrounding students looked surprised. The reason was easy to deduce.
¡®That¡¯s because a sub-event is triggered here.¡¯
This specific spot was associated with an event that provided EXP.
I should obviously collect as much EXP as possible, shouldn¡¯t I?
Ignoring the students¡¯ stares, I retrieved Zhonya¡¯s Staff and hummed while readying for battle.
Just like that, I started beating the ever-living hell out of the demonic illusions.
¡°¡?¡±
As one wave of illusions was eliminated, I suddenly noticed a shadow looming over me. A man with arge build stood behind me.
When I turned around, I was met with a tower of dark green hair.
A double-handed axe was slung over his back. He was a physically fit student who wasparable to the human version of Marlog the Envious.
I recognized him from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
An elite member of the Four Constetion¡¯s ck Tiger faction. He was the one I had been waiting for.
[Verga Rayphelt] Lv: 94
Race: Human
Elements: Rock, Ice
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Resentful towards you for taking his training spot.]
¡°¡Who do you think you are?¡±
His voice was apanied by heavy beast-like breaths.
I remained silent and continued to gaze nkly at him as his fist swung, striking a nearby boulder.
Crash¨C!
The rock shattered with a resounding boom as it copsed into smithereens.
The aftermath of the brief tempest mercilessly blew at my silver-blue hair.
¡®Ooooo¡¡¯
Dust and dirt flew into the air. It was the same scene as the event that I knew.
After seeing it in reality though, he certainly does pack a punch¡
¡°Are those two going to fight?¡±
¡°He broke a boulder with his fist? Is that even possible?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that guy Verga? One of the elite members of ck Tiger¡!¡±
¡°I honestly expected things to turn out this way¡ Should I have given him a heads-up? Will he be okay?¡±
Whispers from the students echoed around me.
¡°Nevermind, I¡¯m not curious about that. I¡¯m more interested in why a bastard like you is. Using. My. Spot.¡±
Verga growled in a low voice.
A sub-event in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? that unfolded during the second semester of the first year, ¡¸Territorial Fight¡¹.
Starting a week after the conclusion of the joint practical evaluation, if one trained in the spot that I was currently upying during dinnertime, Verga Rayphelt appeared to im it as his own.
Then, in the game, Ian Fairytale would counter with the argument that ¡®monopolizing a spot is unfair¡¯.
As a result, Verga would challenge Ian to a duel, however, the rules of the duel were far from ordinary.
It was a disy of masculinity where they took turns attacking each other. Whoever lost consciousness first was dered the loser.
Verga, as the senior, would grant Ian the initiative to attack because he was confident of his basic protection magic and his own resilience.
If Ian defeated Verga in a single hit, the yer would win.
However, if he fails, Verga¡¯s following attack would crush him and Ian would wake up in the infirmary. This event could be repeated until the yer finally won.
A victory would not only yield EXP, but would also pave the way for advantages in future events.
¡®So, the response I should give is¡¡¯
With a slightly cheeky expression, I replied nonchntly.
¡°There¡¯s no reservation system for spots here. So, why should this exclusively be Senior¡¯s spot?¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
¡°Senior, it¡¯s not right to monopolize a public training ground.¡±
The surrounding students appeared horrified at my reply.
The shock was palpable as the sound of gasps reverberated throughout the training ground..
¡°Is he insane?¡±
¡°Did he lose brain cells? No, does he even have a brain in the first ce?¡±
¡°Oh no, his opponent is an elite member of ck Tiger¡!¡±
¡°Is he looking to die? Is this a new form of suicide?¡±
In retrospect, if I was in their shoes, I would also lose my mind if I saw a freshman like Isaac boldly provoking an elite member of ck Tiger.
¡°¡Arrogant brat. Are you picking a fight?¡±
Verga¡¯s eyes glinted with murderous intent.
As for me, a faint smirk curled upon my lips.
Chapter 102: - Territorial Fight (2)
? Territorial Fight (2) ?
¡°I wasn¡¯t really picking a fight.¡±
The veins on Verga Rayphelt¡¯s forehead pulsed in anger.
Verga threw a handkerchief in my direction.
It was a handkerchief with the emblem of M?rchen Academy, it was a symbol of a grimoire, and sword sewn on.
The purpose behind his throw was clear. ¡®Come and Face me¡¯.
I caught the handkerchief that fluttered towards me.
¡°I challenge you to a duel. Fight me like a man, boy.¡±
Fighting and brawling within the academy could lead to disciplinary action.
However, dueling in the designated arena was legal. Not only that, it was actually encouraged.
The reason was obvious.
¡®Duels help enhance the practical skills that were needed in an actual fight.¡±
Just like any other academy, this ce was no different in its teaching philosophy.
Verga¡¯s voice growled like a wild tiger. His demeanor looked entirely like a wild beast.
If a situation like this happened in Korea over a study room seat, I might¡¯ve said something like ¡®Why is this your seat?¡¯ and proceeded to get into an argument.
However, since my purpose here was the sub-event, there was no real need to engage in a verbal bout.
¡°If I win, you won¡¯t talk shitter, right?¡±
The students around were further bewildered, with many letting out exmations of shock. Their reactions honestly deserved an Oscar for Best Performance.
¡°Hmph! Your spirit is to my liking, boy. I enjoy educating juniors like you who arecking in respect.¡±
Verga lowered his voice with a fierce expression on his face.
¡°Hey, you.¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
Verga¡¯s gaze shifted to a male student in an adjacent area.
Seeing as a red brooch hung from his tie, it seemed like he was a student in the same year as me. He seemed startled by Verga¡¯s call.
¡°Be the referee.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, yes!¡±
He was threatened with a re that dared him to refuse.
My fellow schoolmate had no choice but to ept with a fearful expression.
At least three people were needed for a duel: two duel participants and one referee who would mediate.
¡°Follow me.¡±
With that, Verga and I headed towards the arena.
For some reason¡ Many students began to follow us as if they were bewitched by some mob mentality.
¡®I¡¯m not some kind of Pied Piper, you know¡¡¯
We gradually arrived at our destination. It was close to the training ground, so it didn¡¯t even take that long.
The arena had three sections in total. Among them, we were going to Duke Hall, the dedicated arena for Magic Department freshmen.
Inside the grand building itself, it was further divided into four quarters. In one of these quarters was an arena where Verga and I stood facing each other from a distance.
Just like ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, spectators for this Verga sub-event were interspersed among the second-floor stands.
I estimated there were around 30 of them.
Although it was far from filling the entire stands, considering the fact that there were usually very few people at the arena, it was a decentlyrge number of spectators.
Presumably, this was because my opponent was an elite member of a faction within the Four Constetions.
Watching others fight was already entertaining enough, but it was much more exciting when one of the duelists was a well-known individual as well.
¡®Oh, Tristan and Isaac¡¯s older sister are here too.¡¯
I noticed Tristan Humphrey and Eve Ropenheim as I scanned the stands.
Were they at the training grounds as well¡? Whatever, it¡¯s not something I should concern myself with, anyway.
¡®Let¡¯s forget about that for now and pay attention to the current situation¡ It seems as if some rumors may spread after this.¡¯
Whether I won or lost against Verga, it was likely that the news of our showdown would spread among the students.
Eh, it should be okay. Alice won¡¯t get suspicious over something as trivial as this anyway.
¡°Your name?¡±
¡°It¡¯s Isaac. I don¡¯t have ast name.¡±
¡°I am Verga Rayphelt. Since this is a hassle, let¡¯s do this in a manly manner.¡±
¡°A manly manner?¡±
I already knew what it meant, however, I had to pretend I was unaware of his conditions.
¡°We take turns exchanging one blow each. The one who loses consciousness first loses. A normal duel is also fine, but wouldn¡¯t it be too pitiful for you if you¡¯re knocked out without a fight?¡±
Of course, it would, my good sir.
After all, I couldn¡¯t easily defeat Verga in a fair duel.
¡®Although, if I have to fight him in one, I should be able to use my wits to resist him a bit.¡¯
Verga boasted a strength befitting his physique and a speed unexpected from someone of his size. The probability of me losing was fairly high in a normal fight.
However, with Verga¡¯s specialized rules of engagement, I had a chance to urately strike him with all my might for my first blow.
¡®With my current abilities, it¡¯s worth giving it a try.¡¯
I put strength into my right index finger and wiggled it to rx my tense muscles.
There was also something I wanted to experiment with. Verga would make a great punchi- test subject.
¡°Alright, who goes first?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give you the initiative. If you can¡¯t knock me down with a single hit, you will definitely regret it.¡±
¡Let¡¯s avoid the conclusion where I wake up in the infirmary at all costs.
¡°Referee! Announce the start of the duel!¡±
¡°Ugh! Y-yes! V-verga Rayphelt versus Isaac! Begin duel!¡±
My fellow ssmate raised his right arm to dere the start of the duel.
Verga red at me as his bulging muscles twitched with anticipation. He adjusted his posture and prepared to take my attack.
His strength was his formidable defense, a shocking culmination of strong basic protection magic, high elemental resistance, and a sturdy physique.
To clear this sub-event, I had tond a decisive blow that would be able to pierce through all of these defenses at once.
¡®I can¡¯t just grab him by the balls or strike his throat.¡¯
Vulnerable spots such as these were a trap.
This was because Verga¡¯s basic protection magic was the strongest around such areas.
During my first ythrough of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I naturally went for any man¡¯s weakness, his groin. However, it was impossible to deal damage to those balls of steel.
At the same time, however, some areas were rtively less protected by his basic protection magic.
And out of those areas, one of them also happened to be one of his weaknesses.
¡®But that¡¯s just because the damage can be dealt more deeplypared to other areas.¡¯
Of course, if one had not surpassed a certain standard, striking this weakness would still be ineffective.
Additionally, considering Verga¡¯s high elemental resistance, it would not be a good idea for someone of my level to cast an elemental spell, even at max power.
So then, how did our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, defeat him?
He possessed an outstanding ability that was rare among the Magic Department students. With that, he defeated Verga.
It was the one thing that a Magic Department student should never use to directlypete against a Knight Department student.
¡®Physical prowess.¡¯
The strategy for this sub-event was to powerfully strike at Verga¡¯s weakness.
In other words, to achieve victory against Verga, it was necessary topletely overturnmon sense.
Do not ever aim for the weak spots.
Even as a Magic Department student, win against a Knight Department student using pure physical strength.
As such, I prepared a spell that would increase my physical prowess. Although there would be a reduction in power due to Verga¡¯s elemental resistance, it would still be better than hitting him with just my normal strength.
I ced Zhonya¡¯s Staff on the ground and muttered solemnly.
¡°Eden, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±
* * *
¡°A meremonerpeting for supremacy with an elite member of ck Tiger? Hah! What aughable situation!¡±
Tristan Humphrey, a conceited and vain blond noble, sat with his legs crossed in the stands, as he observed the confrontation between Isaac and Verga.
His surrounding subordinates responded in agreement to Tristan¡¯s words.
¡°Is there even a point in watching? Isaac is going to get thrashed anyway!¡±
¡°Senior Verga Rayphelt of the Four Constetion¡¯s ck Tiger¡ I heard that every single Magic Department student who dueled with him was defeated. His innate elemental resistance is so high that most elemental spells are meaningless¡ As a result, since dueling with Magic Department students was boring, Senior Verga personally created the rule of striking in turns.¡±
¡°He dares to boast without knowing his ce in front of such a person¡ How pathetic, Isaac.¡±
Tristan chuckled as his subordinates chattered excitedly around him.
¡°It¡¯ll be quite the spectacle. Hurry and give me some entertainment with your pitiful appearance,moner.¡±
Tristan¡¯s tone was arrogant as he chuckled to himself.
Considering the humiliation he had suffered against Isaac until now, it would be an amusing and satisfying sight to see him get demolished by Senior Verga.
¡®Isaac¡¡¯
Eve Ropenheim, who sat in the nearby seats, clenched her lips tightly.
She never expected Isaac to actually ept Verga¡¯s challenge.
He could have just refused¡ He could have just given away the spot¡
¡®He had too much unnecessary pride¡ That person¡¯s strength is too much for Isaac.¡¯
She chewed on her thumbnail anxiously. Eve was fervently praying for Isaac¡¯s safety.
Before long, the referee dered the start of the duel.
However, for some reason, Isaac ced Zhonya¡¯s Staff on the arena floor.
He discarded his weapon!? Was he at least trying to surrender before it was toote?
¡®No, the look on his eyes¡?¡¯
He was not nning on surrendering. Isaac¡¯s usual gentle expression had turned incredibly cold with determination.
In a split second.
Whoosh¡ª!
¡°¡!¡±
With tremendous speed, Isaac leaped forward as if bouncing off a spring.
It was a movement that was unbelievably agile for a Magic Department student.
His athletic capability was far beyond anyone¡¯s expectations. Naturally, Verga was also caught off guard.
Isaac elerated towards Verga.
All of a sudden, a circr ring of rocks was partially conjured. A portion of it floated behind Isaac¡¯s back.
¡¸Rock Armor (Rock Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Rock skin formed in the air as it attached itself to his right arm.
[Synchronization] with Eden was at its max. This allowed him to ess some of Eden¡¯s traits.
It¡¯s a partial summon.
A gauntlet made of rock formed on Isaac¡¯s right arm as it glowed a shade of light brown.
On the gauntlet, lines of golden rock mana glowed as it flowed like blood in veins.
[Rock Armor].
The partially summoned power of Eden was perfectly synchronized with Isaac¡¯s strength. Thus, since it was equipment made from his own mana, he barely felt its weight at all.
It was only meant to add solidity and power to Isaac¡¯s punch.
¡®He¡¯s in the Magic Department, yet he¡¯s nning to win with brute strength¡? Is he out of his damn mind?¡¯
Typically, a wizard would keep the farthest possible distance from their enemy and unleash spells from afar.
The closer the wizard was to the enemy, the higher their probability of losing would grow. As such, a wizard was greatly vulnerable when it came to closebat.
Because of this, when Verga usually dealt with Magic Department students, they usually scrambled to bombard him with long-ranged spells.
Verga showed mercy by allowing him to take the initiative to pour out a full-powered spell.
However, Isaac, despite being a Magic Department student, was rushing at high speeds towards a Knight Department student like him.
Seeing as he equipped [Rock Armor] on his right arm, he must have intended to settle the battle through physical strength.
It was unthinkable, yet¡
¡®Foolish.¡¯
In the end, Isaac was just a student from the Magic Department.
Choosing to fight with brute strength instead of unleashing magic was akin to discarding a sword and attacking with a wooden stick.
¡°Try me, you dumbass!¡±
Verga¡¯s basic protection magic and endurance were top-notch. His muscles rippled as he prepared himself.
Isaac¡¯s rock fist forcefully mmed itself into Verga¡¯s upper body.
Boom¡ª!
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
A shockwave spread. The noise from the impact was reminiscent of a firing cannon.
The fist struck Verga¡¯s left rib directly and caved inwards.
Verga¡¯s heavy body momentarily flew in the air.
Blood flowed from his esophagus as it spurted out of his mouth.
Compared to Isaac¡¯s current punch, even a heavy boulder shot from a catapult would have felt like a small pebble hitting him softly.
The shock was that intense.
¡°Ughh¡¡±
Verga groaned in pain as he clutched his abdomen with both arms. In the end, he copsed while kneeling down.
Isaac stood still as he looked down at Verga.
His gaze was cold as he observed Verga writhing in agony.
Before, everyone had collectively imagined another scene. A scene where Verga stood over and terrifyingly red at a destroyed Isaac after absorbing attacks like it was nothing.
However, the scene unfolding in the arena was theplete opposite of what everyone had imagined.
The arena was silent.
The students stared in astonishment with frozen expressions.
Copse¨C.
Verga was drenched in cold sweat while struggling to maintain consciousness. However, he eventually lost in the end as he fell unconscious on the ground.
Only then did Isaac close his eyes and dismiss the partial summon of Eden, [Rock Armor]. Only then did the floating ring of rocks behind him fade away.
¡®How¡?¡¯
Eve¡¯s eyes were trembling in shock. Tristan and the other students were in a simr state as well.
Isaac looked towards the referee.
The referee, who had been looking at the unconscious Verga with disbelief, eximed in surprise before raising his left arm.
¡°D-duel concluded! Isaac wins!¡±
No one cheered for him. Only heavy silence permeated throughout the arena.
A system window that only Isaac could see appeared before his eyes.
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 83!] [You have gained 2 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?One Punch Man?! You have gained an additional 15 stat points!]
Isaac lightly dismissed the system window with a flick of his wrists.
His eyes once again turned gentle as he looked down at Verga and bowed slightly.
¡°Thank you for the duel, senior.¡±
The phrase ¡®EXP¡¯ was conspicuously missing from the system message.
Soon after, Isaac quietly left the arena.
The unexpected result overturned everyone¡¯s predictions.
The fact that an elite member of the Four Constetion¡¯s ck Tiger had been defeated by a Magic Department freshman who wasn¡¯t even in ss A was an iprehensible shock to the students sitting in the stands.
Chapter 103: - Uh Hey, Uh Luce...? (1)
? Uh Hey, Uh Luce¡? (1) ?
The strategy for the sub-event ¡¸Territorial Fight¡¹ was more simple than one might expect.
All one needed to do was hit Verga¡¯s left rib. That was his weak point.
A while ago, he was critically struck at that exact spot when he fought against Erica Hellraud, the leader of the Four Constetion¡¯s ck Tiger.
Not to toot my own horn, but ever since his defeat to Erica, Verga had been putting immense effort into his training.
Either way, I gained some valuable EXP.
¡®I could partial summon with Eden as well.¡¯
A few days ago, I reached maximum [Synchronization] with Eden, my golem familiar.
Thanks to that, I was able to practice partial summoning a few times during training, but this was the first time I had actually used it inbat.
¡®I certainly felt like the power of my punch had increased.¡¯
Partial summoning allowed me to emte my familiar¡¯s abilities, thus expanding my tactical options.
The utility of it was a matter of personal preference, but I remembered it being quite versatile in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
The biggest advantage was that it consumed only half the manapared to fully summoning the familiar.
¡°I want to master partial summoning with Hilde by the end of the second semester.¡±
The mana consumption of summoning Hilde was quite burdensome.
If I could use partial summoning, I could use Hilde¡¯s power much more efficiently.
With that thought in mind, I arrived at the Magic Department¡¯s ssrooms after my morning walk.
While stepping through the hallway, I released mana through a magic tool resembling a handgrip.
¡°I heard Verga Rayphelt was absolutely demolished!¡±
I suddenly heard the excited voices of my seniors.
¡°I heard he was beaten by a freshman. A ss C student at that.¡±
¡°I saw it yesterday! The freshman had rock magic covering his arm, and he knocked Verga out with a single punch!¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a normal duel. If they just fought, wouldn¡¯t it be obvious that Verga would win?¡±
¡°You idiot, were you not listening? It was said that a student from the Magic Department defeated Verga with his fists! Does that even sound possible to you?¡±
I could understand their exaggerated reactions.
Among the elite members of the Four Constetions, Verga was well-known for his strength.
The fact that the Knight Department¡¯s Verga Rayphelt lost to me, a ss C student from the Magic Department, was shocking and sparked gossip among the students.
Well, it would die down soon enough. At least, that was how it was like in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
As I entered the ss C ssroom, I felt the students¡¯ curious gazes. The reason was probably rted to the gossip I had overheard on my way here.
I took a seat right in the middle as I usually did.
¡°Look at him, strutting around as if he aplished something.¡±
Brown short hair and a red rose hairpin.
Rose Red Rivera, a fellow ss C student, nced at me along with a group of male students simping for her.
She spoke with a slightly amused tone as if intentionally letting me hear. She was probably trying to discredit my duel with Verga.
She must have really hated me to grasp at straws like this. I couldn¡¯t help but admire her persistent determination to consistently put me down.
Still, she didn¡¯t confront me directly, which probably meant that all the times I had destroyed her made her take more of a passive attitude in front of me.
¡®It¡¯s a bit hard to react to her even if I wanted to¡¡¯
It honestly would¡¯ve been better if she dissed me to my face because it would¡¯ve been less childish than this.
Even so, I now looked forward to the question of, ¡®What kind of insults will shee up with today?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe I got this point. It seems like every day, we stray further from God.
¡°Senior Verga simply received that man¡¯s full-power attack, face-on without any trickery. Isn¡¯t it too much to act all high and mighty after winning like that? What an embarrasement.¡±
Surprisingly, I was my usual self today.
However, because of Rose¡¯s low self-esteem, it seemed like I had be cocky in her point of view.
¡°If it was just a regr duel, that guy would have been crushed like a bug. Senior Verga is not an opponent he could ever beat fairly. Clearl-¡°
¡°Isaac.¡±
At that moment, a graceful girl with rose-gold hair walked into ss C.
She brushed past Rose and headed towards me.
Rose¡¯s two eyes started shaking, as the girl¡¯s elegant presence caused the chattering voices of the students to quickly subside.
Anyone would be captivated to the point of awe by her beauty.
She had a bright smile on her face as she called my name. Her charming voice sounded like scattered moonlight.
¡°Hey. Good weather today, right?¡±
She greeted me with her usual dull greeting.
It was a ss A student, Luce Eltania.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 154
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: X
Psychology: [Delighted to see you.]
As Luce casually took a seat next to me, Rose froze up like an ice statue.
¡°Luce? Is your training at the Magic Tower finished?¡±
I already knew the answer, but I asked out of courtesy.
Luce serenely nodded.
¡°You worked hard. But why are you here all of a sudden?¡±
¡°Because I missed you.¡±
As always, Luce dismissed any emotional, social, and psychological barriers with her dramatic manner of speaking.
The students flinched in surprise. To others, our conversation might have sounded like that of lovers, and it was understandable to be startled when hearing it.
The rumors about the special rtionship between the top seat and me were pretty tantly talked about in public amongst the freshmen of the Magic Department. As such, it wasn¡¯t anything new for me either.
Of course, we should avoid bing the center of attention regardless of such rumors.
After Luce already saw that our every action was too noticeable, she stopped caring entirely.
¡°I was busy these days, remember?¡±
After the joint practical evaluation, Luce was stuck at Hegel Magic Tower because of her short-term probation.
A few days ago, I saw her figure from afar, wearing round sses and a Hegel Magic Tower robe.
Even while walking, I saw her studying the papers in her hands. Seeing this, I realized how much work ethic and passion someone needed to be a Tower Master.
¡°Lady Luce hase to ss C¡!¡±
¡°How could a person be so beautiful¡?¡±
¡°What¡¯s so good about that bastard that Lady Luce¡!¡±
Their gazes stung.
The way ss C kept their distance from Luce Eltania was simr to how humans from the earth worship a goddess from heaven.
She was not only the top seat of the Magic Department but also incredibly beautiful, making her presence unmistakable and constantly profound.
Rose¡¯s mocking voice and contempt hadpletely died down. She seemed like a loser in front of the majesty of the top student.
As the whispers of the students grew louder, Luce lowered her upper body, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered into my ear.
¡°It¡¯s okay that I came, right?¡±
¡°Heuk.¡±
¡°Yes¡?¡±
Fuck. Her voice.
I couldn¡¯t help but let out a pant as goosebumps rose all over my body.
I was taken aback so I hurriedly turned my head, covering my ears. The sensation was too intense.
Luce tilted her head like a squirrel, her expression sly.
Unless one recorded their own voice, they could never know what it actually sounded like. It seemed that this girl was the same as she didn¡¯t know how much power her voice truly held.
¡°Try not to whisper straight into my ears.¡±
¡°Isaac, your face got red. Is that your erogenous zone?¡±
Luce seemed to be having fun as she smiled mischievously. She had a yful tone.
¡®Erogenous zone¡¡¯
Isn¡¯t her choice of words way too embarrassing?
¡°Did you have breakfast?¡±
Luce changed the subject with another mundane question, her voice gentle and full of smiles.
¡°Yeah, I did.¡±
¡°What did you ea-?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go outside and talk.¡±
I was so burdened with the weight of the students¡¯ stares that I couldn¡¯t stay there any longer.
We still had some time before morning sses. I got up from my seat and continued to channel mana through the magic tool resembling a handgrip.
Luce and I left the ssroom together, with the students¡¯ envious and resentful res following us.
We entered the empty rest area and stood side by side in front of the window.
The cheerful sunlight streaming through the window added to the radiance of Luce¡¯s smile. It was evident that she was beyond delighted to see me.
As I saw this, I couldn¡¯t help but smile goofily, like a father who was a fool for his daughter.
¡°Is your probationpletely over?¡±
¡°Not yet. It¡¯s only a short probation, so I helped a bit with some research and came right away. I think it¡¯ll continue until after the end-of-term evaluation.¡±
Luce replied calmly, with a mixture of whispers andughter in her clear voice.
The research she mentioned was one that the Magic Tower had been banging its head against the wall for over ten years, looking for clues until Luce took the lead. I had heard about it, as it was a story from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Soon enough, her contributions would spread like wildfire among the Magic Towers.
Luce was already a standout figure, being the top seat of the Magic Department among the freshmen. Countless scout requests were sure to flood in even before she even reached her third year.
Afterward, we chatted for a while. Luce must have also eavesdropped on some gossip as she brought up the topic of Verga.
However, it seemed that she didn¡¯t know who Verga was, and she didn¡¯t seem that interested either. Even if I had defeated such a person, it wouldn¡¯t have meant much to her either way.
¡°Isaac, you¡¯ve been training without rest.¡±
Luce¡¯s gaze was fixed on the magic tool I held in my hand while we were chatting.
Even while talking to her, I didn¡¯t stop channeling mana through the magic tool.
¡°I¡¯m always training. The grind never stops. Also, this is quite helpful.¡±
¡°¡Do you want me to help?¡±
Huh?
¡°How?¡±
Suddenly, Luce gently wrapped her hand around mine, which was holding the magic tool.
I could feel the smooth texture and warmth of her hand.
Why¡¯s she like this?
Right when I was about to ask why she was holding my hand¡
¡°Eh?¡±
As Luce¡¯s mana flowed in, it became iparably harder for me to put mana into the magic tool.
This device was a magic tool that helped train my mana mastery. It had a simr function to putting strength into a handgrip where you squeeze it to improve the muscles in your forearm.
It felt like widening a narrow passage forcefully with mana, struggling to break free.
¡®Wow, ugh fuck, it became so difficu-¡¯
¡I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting excited because the training got harder¡
Is this how a gym rat feels when they work out? Have I gotten addicted to training my magic?
I must be one crazy motherfucker.
¡°Isaac, does this help?¡±
¡®AHHHHH¡!¡¯
I was internally screaming, so I couldn¡¯t immediately respond.
Luce¡¯s mana that she casually sent in was way too powerful¡
¡°Isaac, your face is red again. Is this also your erogenous zone?¡±
¡°I¡¯m like this because I feel like I¡¯m getting ran through¡ Wow, the sensation is getting stronger. This is insane.¡±
¡°How is it?¡±
¡°It helps. A lot.¡±
¡°Then, let¡¯s do this every time you use this magic tool, Isaac.¡±
Huh?
¡®Wait a moment.¡¯
This situation¡ From an outside perspective, doesn¡¯t it look too much like a couple holding hands in a quiet ce?
I mean, I weed anything that helps with training, but wasn¡¯t this a bit too romantic¡?
¡°¡Are we going to stay like this all day today?¡±
¡°My hands are sweaty.¡±
¡°Hehe.¡±
Thinking it was a joke, I answered roughly, but Luce actually responded with a bashful smile.
¡°Isaac, do you know?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Surprisingly, I still have one more hand. I have two of them.¡±
It was truly a surprising fact. Wow. I was beyond astonished. TWO HANDS? That¡¯s crazy!
¡°Do you want to hold it?¡±
She briefly showed her remaining hand and yfully wiggled her fingers.
Her smile was more mischievous than usual. It seemed like she was excited to see me after a long time.
Luce wasn¡¯t even sure if she liked me or not.
Also, she was the one to teach me not to hold hands easily with someone unless they like each other¡
When I gave her a skeptical look, Luce said, ¡°Just kidding,¡± and withdrew her remaining hand.
As we spent time like that, Luce closed her mouth and stared at me intently.
Then, she leaned her head against the window and a faint smile adorned her lips.
Her lips moved slightly in a whisper.
¡°Isaac, I missed you.¡±
¡When I silently looked at her, she looked just like a girl in love.
As if she doesn¡¯t want to take her gaze away from me for even a moment, her oceanic eyes remain fixed on me.
I understood why.
Luce, who had lived alone while enduring loneliness all this time¡
With my existence, she might have found a sense of social fulfillment by being with me.
¡°Is that so.¡±
Of course, I missed you too. Do you even know how much I care for you¡
¡°Isaac, I¡¯ll help you with training today so let¡¯s stay together.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to request, actually. I¡¯d be grateful if you would do that for me.¡±
Of course, it¡¯s fucking wee. It¡¯s so wee that I am about to throw a celebration to wee you.
Having Luce¡¯s help would be a big help in getting used to the feel of realbat after all.
¡°So, we¡¯ll be together all day?¡±
¡°Yes, as long as you help with training.¡±
Since I nned to trainte into the night anyway, it was a weed development.
Luce smiled brightly as if she were pleased.
* * *
¡°Woah.¡±
As she passed through the open door of the rest area, she let out a gasp when she saw the couple inside, holding hands and whispering sweet words to one another.
For Ciel Carnedas, the petite girl with short blue hair, it was a shocking sight.
They were Isaac and Luce Eltania, the top seat.
Isaac¡¯s rtionships with other girls were something very enjoyable for her to watch. Ciel hugged the pillow in her arms even tighter as she watched.
What else could it mean when a boy and a girl held hands and gazed at each other in an empty rest area?
¡®Those two¡ are already at the stage of dating, huh?¡¯
Kaya Astrean. The brilliant genius, Senior Dorothy Heartnova.
Does this mean that the top seat had surpassed all herpetitors and had seemingly won the battle for Isaac¡?
¡®¡No, it¡¯s not over yet.¡¯
Ciel suddenly remembered that until just yesterday, she would asionally see Kaya in the ss A lecture room, lost in thought and looking distressed, as if she was going insane at the mere thought of Isaac.
Yes. That was right. The battle wasn¡¯t over yet. After all, Isaac was a guy famous for being an elusive target for the girls.
It didn¡¯t matter if they were just holding hands; it didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were in a rtionship.
However, the top seat¡¯s approach was quite bold.
The gentle moonlight-like smile she showed only to Isaac was different from her usual demeanor.
She usually seemed so uninterested in other people¡¯s feelings. Could it be that Isaac was an exception?
ss A Lecture Room.
Ciel approached Kaya, who was quietly preparing for morning ss.
Lisetta Lionheart and Keridna Whiterk, who were also in ss A, looked at Ciel with puzzled eyes.
They had never seen Ciel, who always seemed uninterested in the world, approach someone like this before.
¡°Yes? Ms. Ciel?¡±
Kaya looked towards Ciel with her jade eyes.
¡°Um? What are you doing right now?¡±
¡°Huh? Just preparing for ss¡¡±
How could this be? Ciel pped her forehead in disbelief. Herpetitors were already on the prowl since early in the morning!
This was a fierce battle being waged among the three women over Isaac. Ciel knew that someone like her had no room to meddle. After all, useless intervention would only cause trouble.
But even so, there was one thing she had to say.
¡°Get your act together.¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡°If you keep acting like this, someone will snatch him away from you.¡±
Phew, that was all she could do for now. She felt relieved after letting those words out.
After saying that, Ciel went to her seat at the back of the ssroom.
And as she sat down, she red at Kaya, who was at a loss for words. Kaya didn¡¯t know what it meant, but there was a strong determination in Ciel¡¯s eyes to keep a close watch until Kaya improved herself.
¡°¡?¡±
Kaya was just bewildered beyond belief.
Chapter 104: - Uh Hey, Uh Luce...? (2)
? Uh Hey, Uh Luce¡? (2) ?
The position of an elite member among the Four Constetions could only be upied by the best of the best.
Therefore, it was obvious that the skill of Verga Rayphelt, an elite member of the ck Tiger Constetion, was held in high regard.
It was rare to find anyone who didn¡¯t know of his capability. As such, his defeat had spread raging wildfire.
¡°Keheuheuheu¡¡±
ck Tiger Headquarters. In an opulent lounge, the refinedughter of a female student echoed.
Even the male student, who wasfortably seated in a spacious chair, couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle.
The cause of thisughter was none other than the entrance of Verga Rayphelt, in all his dark green hair and muscled glory.
¡°Don¡¯tugh.¡±
Even Verga¡¯s low, growling voice couldn¡¯t suppress theughter of the two students.
¡°Are you kidding me? How could an elite member of the Constetions get destroyed by a Magic Department freshman? And a kid from ss C at that? To even make such a ridiculous rule¡ Was dueling always so boring for you?¡±
¡°Next time, there won¡¯t be any problems. If I have a proper match, I¡¯ll definitely wi-!¡±
¡°Wow! You¡¯re such a sore loser! Uahaha!¡±
As Verga raised his fist, the male student stoppedughing.
¡°I always knew something like this would happen.¡±
While leaning against the window, a second-year student from the Knight Department spoke up as he casually curled a dumbbell that any normal person would find absurdly heavy. His toned bicep elongated and then shortened in a rhythmic pattern.
¡°Take it easy, Verga. You¡¯re seriously addicted to duels.¡±
¡°Hmph! That¡¯s nonsense. Prove whether your words are right or wrong with your strength. Let us duel right now!¡±
The male student by the window didn¡¯t stop curling the dumbbell as he let out a deep sigh.
After all, Verga was upromising and had a severe duel addiction. He didn¡¯t expect much from his response in the first ce.
¡°Hey, Senior. What are you going to do then, huh? Are you going to throw away your own rules and ask, ¡®Oh why don¡¯t we have a proper duel this time?¡¯ Is that what you call a proposal? Moreover, an elite member of ck Tiger would challenge some Magic Department ss C freshman kid? Isn¡¯t that quite ridiculous?¡±
The female student sitting on the couch criticized Verga with a teasing tone.
¡°It tarnishes the honor of ck Tiger~.¡±
¡°How arrogant. Do you want a scolding, Janie?¡±
¡°Heheh.¡±
Janie, who had been sipping her tea, defused the situation with her usual aegyo; a tactic she had developed whenever she had nothing more to say.
¡°¡Nevertheless, she does make good points. Of course, your manners to a senior are aplete and utter mess though.¡±
Verga stared at his clenched fist.
¡°However, if I ever get a chance to fight that guy again, at that time¡ I¡¯ll make sure he feels the difference in our strengths.¡±
Due to the shock he received in the duelst night, his abdominal muscles still ached.
He had let his guard down. After all, the amount of mana he felt from that Magic Department junior was so minuscule that he didn¡¯t think he had anything to be worried about.
However, he could have never imagined that the bastard would hold that much physical power.
Didn¡¯t they call a wizard with immense physical strength a ¡®Martial Mage¡¯? That guy must have been one of those individuals.
If he ever had the chance to fight Isaac again, he would not let his guard down like he did yesterday.
He would definitely repay this humiliation.
¡°Are you nning to humiliate ck Tiger again?¡±
¡°Janie¡¡±
¡°Heheh.¡±
¡°¡¡±
***
It was a season that brought a cold breeze and the sky gradually darkened earlier than usual.
In a corner of the butterfly garden, Isaac and Luce stood facing each other, setting quite a distance between them for their duel.
Isaac didn¡¯t want other people to know about this training spot, so the two chose toe here in secret.
¡°Luce.¡±
Isaac had aposed expression as he pressed his knees firmly to stretch. Zhonya¡¯s Staff was on the ground beside him.
¡°I¡¯m going to be in your care for the entire day. I¡¯m going to train seriously. It can¡¯t bepared tost time. Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay.¡±
She didn¡¯t voice it, but Luce was thinking, ¡®I actually prefer it that way¡¯.
¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll make it up to youter.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s really okay.¡±
While tilting her head, Luce smiled brightly. As always, her genuine smile was reserved exclusively for Isaac.
The difference in the amount of mana between Isaac and Luce was likeparing a deep sea to a shallow pool.
Basically, Luce was wasting her time whenever she indulged Isaac.
But of course, Luce always wanted to be with Isaac.
And, as always, Isaac knew what she was truly thinking thanks to [Psychological Insight].
However, that didn¡¯t mean he intended to take advantage of her feelings. After all, she was someone he truly cared for.
As such, if Luce was willing to assist him in his training, he was certainly nning to repay her ordingly.
After finishing his stretches, Isaac picked up Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
He twirled it lightly, as if it were a spear or a rod, and proceeded to ready himself forbat.
Afortable grip. Smooth mana flow. His previous training with the staff had been a significant help in enhancing his mana mastery.
His crimson eyes solely focused on Luce. A strong determination was clearly visible on his face, almost as if to say, ¡®Today, I will definitelynd a blow on Luce¡¯.
¡°Do you think you cannd a blow on me today?¡±
¡°No matter what, I will.¡±
Due to the countless attacks he had poured at her during their previous duels, Luce knew about Isaac¡¯s tenacious dedication better than anyone else.
Today, Isaac was nning to relentlessly attack until he copsed from exhaustion.
And right at that moment, Isaac rushed in.
Fuaaah¡ª!
Zzzeuk¨C! Kwang!
It was a futile endeavor to try to freeze Luce¡¯s water magic with his ice magic.
If he summoned the small golem familiar, Eden, andbined their powers to use rock magic, the torrent would instantly destroy it.
The high-density mana forming the water magic created an intense current. Isaac¡¯s magic was nowhere near enough to resist it.
And even if he tried to use his athleticism to dodge it, he was still swept away by the insane AoE of her attacks.
Even so, the fiery determination in his eyes never faded in the slightest.
He had always been like this. In order to reach Luce, he would grit his teeth and charge like his life depended on it.
However, it wasn¡¯t rash stubbornness that fueled him. He had always used Luce as an experiment to try unique approaches, and if those didn¡¯t work, he would even try new methods.
His ability to apply the knowledge he gained in ss directly to his battle tactics was no longer surprising.
To onlookers, this duel could appear futile and meaningless.
However, to Luce, who had shed with Isaac, she could keenly feel his steady growth with every duel that they had.
¡®His mana amount, mana mastery, elemental resistance, and his reflexes have all noticeably improved.¡¯
Whenpared to the first semester, his growth was almost terrifying.
¡®You¡¯re incredible, Isaac¡¡¯
Involuntarily, she found herself uttering words of amazement in her head. And not too long after, a smile curled up her lips.
For Luce, witnessing Isaac¡¯s growth in person was a source of immense pride.
* * *
The vast night sky stretched across the field.
While gasping for breath, Iid on the grass. I was so soaked that I resembled a drowned rat.
¡®I¡¯m so tired I¡¯m about to die¡¡¯
After hours of sparring with Luce, I waspletely exhausted.
My body refused to move; my stamina waspletely drained.
¡®Well, it was obvious it would turn out this way¡¡¯
While training with Luce greatly improved mybat senses and abilities, it had a fatal w; I got rapidly fatigued and it even affected my condition for the next day.
However, there was not much time left until the Floating Ind part.
Now was the time to focus on rapidly improving mybat abilities, even if it meant clenching my teeth and enduring the necessary hardships.
That was why I boldly charged at Luce, but as expected, I ended up in this sorry state.
It was impossible tond even a single effective hit on her.
And this was considering the fact that she probably only used a fraction of her full power¡
¡Oh well. For now, I should just focus on improving my stats.
¡°Isaac, are you okay?¡±
Luce, who had suddenly appeared before me, looked down and bent her upper body forward.
Even the simple action of pushing back her flowing rose-gold hair exuded an elegant and noble grace.
¡°If I¡¯m beingpletely honest, I can¡¯t move at all. I think I¡¯m dying¡¡±
¡°Mmm.¡±
I was expecting her to extend her hand while asking, ¡®Do you want to get up?¡¯ but¡
¡°Isaac looks defenseless right now. Can I kidnap him like this?¡±
An unexpectedly fucked up question popped up.
¡°¡Seriously?¡±
¡°Just kidding.¡±
Luceughed faintly.
Is this a horror movie? Don¡¯t say such things while you¡¯re blushing, okay? It freaks me out.
Shortly after, Luce unfolded a fire magic scroll and ced it next to me. mes akin to a bonfire emerged and provided just the right amount of warmth.
It seemed like she had predicted that I would be soaked by her water magic, so she prepared it in advance.
Afterward, Luce sat down with her butt ced on my abdomen.
As if it was always meant to turn out like this, her actions were so natural that even I was nearly fooled.
With that, she ced her hand on my chest and began casting a simple healing spell; my pain gradually subsided.
¡°¡I¡¯m grateful and all, but I¡¯m not a chair.¡±
¡°Isaac, I have something I want to ask you.¡±
Huh, she¡¯s utterly ignoring me.
As time passed, it seemed that Luce had developed a sense of how much teasing was eptable.
ording to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Luce originally had a mischievous personality. The evidence of this could be shown in the increasing frequency of her jokes and pranks.
It was good to see her gradually be brighter and happier.
Anyway, I focused on what Luce was trying to ask.
¡°Why are you trying so hard, Isaac? It was already pretty bad, but today, it seems even worse than usual.¡±
Luce¡¯s ability to read people was at an inhuman level. If I pushed myself even a little, she would immediately notice.
Although it didn¡¯t seem like a question one should ask while sitting on me, I decided to give a brief and simple answer.
¡°This is the only way I can be more skilled. I have to be strong like you in order to swagger around, you know?¡±
Half of my reply was a truth, regarding how I wanted to improve quickly, and the other half was a lie, regarding how I wanted to act cool. Hearing that, Luce briefly bursted intoughter.
Even the sound of herugh was elegant. It was astonishing how a voice could be so refined.
¡°You want to be like me?¡±
¡°You¡¯re the top seat after all.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. With your high ambition, it¡¯s only natural.¡±
After stretching both of her legs out, Luce grasped my thigh and chest while looking up at the night sky.
Her expression was clearly in deep contemtion.
¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped then. I can¡¯t say anything even if you overdo it.¡±
Since I didn¡¯t really have anything to say, I didn¡¯t reply.
Then, right as Luce¡¯s healing magic finished¡
She climbed off my body andid down right beside me.
¡°Huh?¡±
With that, Luce suddenly pulled my head into her chest.
¡°¡!¡±
An indescribable softness spread around my head.
And a pleasant fragrance gently wafted into my nose.
Although no words of interjection came out, my two eyes were already spinning in shock.
It was incredibly¡ bewildering.
¡°Uh hey, uh Luce¡?¡±
¡°Even so, it¡¯s okay to lean and depend on me sometimes.¡±
Luce¡¯s gentle voice came close, softly enveloping my ears.
It was an enthralling voice that seemed to tickle my eardrums like a feather.
¡°Feel free to push yourself as much as you want, but if it gets too tough,e to me. That¡¯s okay with you, right?¡±
I widened my eyes and looked at Luce.
Thanks to the fire magic scroll beside us, her youthful smile shone brightly in my eyes.
Come to think of it, Luce had always shown a great deal of concern over my well-being.
She always seemed like someone who couldn¡¯t stand seeing me in danger and wanted to protect me at all costs.
I understood that right now¡ I was the most precious existence to Luce.
Her sensitivity to my well-being was probably due to her trauma of losing precious people in the past.
When something bad happened to me, she would get angry, sad, or would even cry for me. Luce was just that kind of person.
¡®I¡¯m so proud of her.¡¯
Hoo, this is making me feel like a proud dad.
¡°So this is not embarrassing for you?¡±
Last time when she asked, ¡®Do you want to touch my breasts?¡¯, she immediately withdrew her words in embarrassment. But it seemed like a hug was within her eptable range.
¡°Eut, Isaac¡ your breath tickles a little.¡±
Herughter-tinted voice echoed mysteriously. How embarrassing¡
Enough. I needed to get up before I got even more embarrassed.
It seemed like the healing magic Luce had casted on me had already spread throughout my whole body, so I recovered a decent amount of strength. Based on my experience, I should be able to resume training in a few minutes.
¡°Isaac?¡±
I pushed myself away from Luce and lifted up my torso.
I couldn¡¯t remain drunk on such ecstasy when my stamina was already returning.
Luce also followed suit, as she lifted herself up.
¡°Can I really count on you for things like this?¡±
When I yfully asked, Luce tilted her head slightly with a sly smile.
¡°The limit is hugs.¡±
¡°¡I wasn¡¯t thinking of asking for more.¡±
¡°Liar.¡±
I decided not to argue any further.
With Luce¡¯s extraordinary memory and keen observation, she was likely aware of the exact amount of times I had nced at her chest. There was no credibility in my denials.
It was best to move on from such topics.
¡°¡Why aren¡¯t you denying it more?¡±
As an awkward silence hung in the air, Luce slightly avoided my gaze. Both of her cheeks had a subtle hint of redness.
You weren¡¯t gonna believe me anyway¡
The mes conjured by the fire magic scroll crackled like a bonfire.
Although it was just an area for training, lighting a fire with a magic scroll seemed to change the entire atmosphere, almost as if it was an actual campsite.
I chatted briefly with Luce for a while, and when my body was fully recovered, I jumped up from my spot.
¡°Let¡¯s start again.¡±
As she fumbled around, Luce said, ¡°Okay.¡± while taking my wrist and getting up as well.
That day, Luce helped me in my training until dawn.
* * *
West, towards Arkins Sea.
As she listened to the waves crashing against the cliffs; she stared into the endlessly dark sea. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep sense of futility.
While firmly pressing down on her witch hat to prevent it from flying away in the sea breeze¡
¡Dorothy Heartnova sat at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the distant horizon.
Underneath the hat that covered the moonlight, there was not a hint of her usual smile on her dry and wheathered face.
It was because she had started to faintly sense an oddly familiar mana in the sea breeze.
At first, she thought there might be something in the ordinary sky, but upon closer inspection, there was nothing there.
Nevertheless, a foreboding feeling gnawed at her.
She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that, above that sea, there was an impending cmity possessing terrifying mana, that even she could not stop.
She would die from a curse.
Before she did, there was a being that she needed to send to the afterlife.
She didn¡¯t even know that the very being she needed to send into the afterlife was about to appear.
Dorothy was someone who had formed a contract with Ste, the Fairy of Stars, allowing her to observe all worlds where starlight shone.
However, due to hercking abilities, she couldn¡¯t see everything and what she could see was rather unclear¡
But thanks to this metaphysical and transcendental ability, Dorothy knew how powerful the colossal entity that cursed her was.
It was almost as if the architect of this world made it an existence that shouldn¡¯t be defeated.
Therefore, Dorothy had no choice but to calmly ept death.
©¤¡®I will save Senior.¡¯
As she observed another world, memories emerged from her other self and began to resonate with her own.
It was the deration made by a boy with silver-blue hair on this very cliff.
In the fog of memories, his words were the only echoes that were clearly etched in her mind. Her heart fluttered and her lips twitched involuntarily.
Dorothy silently held her breath as she watched the raging waves.
Not long after¡
As if boasting its dominating presence, a massive ind appeared in the sky over the Arkins Sea.
Its size, which seemed to cover the entire sea, was nothing short of its own little world.
Chapter 105: - Subjugation of the Floating Island (1)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (1) ?
The first snow had arrived.
Thete afternoon¡¯s hazy sky was sprinkled with dainty snowkes.
M?rchen Academy proudly disyed its white beauty, all covered in snow and frost.
As the end-of-semester evaluation for the second semester approached, most students, while focusing on their studies and training, couldn¡¯t help but get briefly lost in the beauty of the first snowfall.
Luce Eltania listened to the lectures with a cold expression, but would smile broadly as she sought out Isaac during break; she yed pranks, studied with him, and even helped him with magic training.
In Isaac¡¯spany, she exhibited such liveliness that her nickname as the Ice Princess seemed ill-fitting.
It was said that love had the power to change a person.
And at a nce, there was no doubt that she had an unwavering desire for Issac and no one else.
Meanwhile, Kaya Astrea was determined to surpass Luce in this semester¡¯s end-of-semester evaluation.
However, even while doing so, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly fret over Luce and Isaac constantly being together.
In the midst of it all, Dark Kaya got so frustrated that she would take over, asionally cuddling Isaac from behind in an attempt to seduce him or feed him snacks.
Of course, Ciel Carnedas didn¡¯t care whether there was an end-of-semester evaluation or not, as she decided to just sleep and see where life took her.
Lisetta Lionheart¡¯s tough nature remained, but there were unbelievable rumors circting among the Magic Department freshmen that she had be more humble.
Surprisingly, it was true.
She had let go of her preconceived notion that she was strong and had resolved to refine herself to be a true powerhouse. She tirelessly trained with Rock Bat, her magic weapon, while honing her skills to their very limits.
Tristan Humphrey was determined to prove his superiority in this end-of-semester evaluation as well. He pushed himself beyond what he would normally do and shed blood, sweat, and tears as a result.
He felt a subtle sense of urgency, as he did not want to be outpaced by the rapidly growingmoner, Isaac. Witnessing Isaac defeat Verga was shocking to him. Even Tristan, in his own way, was feeling a bit impatient and unsatisfied with his current level of skill.
Mateo Jordana studied in the library and trained his magic alongside the protagonist of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ian Fairytale, and his rumored lover, Amy Holloway.
Despite being amoner, he was determined to prove that he could exhibit skillsparable to nobles.
All of them wore the same uniform and lived in the same confined space of the academy.
They each harbored their own circumstances and diligently walked their own paths.
As such, time at M?rchen Academy continued to flow.
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.]
Suddenly, like a flying stone shattering a ss window, it appeared.
Evening, above the Arkins Sea.
As if to announce its very presence, an eerie wailing, akin to a woodwind instrument, echoed widely throughout the Zelver Empire.
As the sound waves shook the outer walls of the buildings, students looked towards the west with surprised expressions.
Despite being incredibly far away, it covered the sea; it was sorge that it couldn¡¯t be fully captured in their vision.
While enveloped in a huge advection fog, a massive ind floated silently in the sky without any movement.
The grand scale left the students in awe with their mouths agape.
¡°What¡ is that?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡±
¡°How did something like that just pop up?¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t there nothing there just a moment ago?
¡°No way¡ Could it be¡ the Floating Ind?¡±
The eerie and alien enigma that the ind emanated aroused primal fear in humans.
A formidable mana, akin to physical force, surged like a raging tide.
Zelver Empire¡¯s Number 1 Target for Punitive Expeditions: The Floating Ind.
Historical records stated that whenever that ind appeared out of nowhere, the surrounding areas turned into a wastnd.
A brave knight, who had reached the ind and barely managed to survive, had recorded it as both paradise and hell.
The Floating Ind, only seen in books, had suddenly appeared before the students.
It was an unbelievable sight for anyone.
* * *
The Floating Ind, Cavallion the Earthshaker
During the first year of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it revealed itself above the Arkins Sea on the day of the first snowfall.
I had already arrived on the coastline near the Arkins Sea.
A demonndmass of grand scale floated in the sky above the sea, shrouded in dense advection fog.
Finally, the long-awaitedst demon of the first year second semester had appeared before my very eyes.
[Cavallion the Earthshaker] Lv: 190
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Earth
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.]
¡®Are you fucking kidding me? It¡¯s fuckin¡¯ huge¡¡¯
As expected, there was a stark difference between seeing it in a game and seeing it in reality.
Seriously¡ it was fucking massive. Even Hilde would be the size of adybugpared to this demon.
Moreover, due to the thick fog, it looked extraordinarily mystical; it was to the point that it seemed like an illusion.
If I recall correctly, the academy staff should be in a state of emergency by now.
Hegel Magic Tower¡¯s Tower Master, Aria, would have detected the eerie and aggressive mana and ryed the danger throughmunication magic to Headmistress Elena.
Receiving this, Headmistress Elena would have ordered the academy¡¯s staff and the Student Council to evacuate the students and had likely requested the Imperial Knights¡¯ cooperation.
Additionally, academy researchers and Hegel Magic Tower would be working together to quickly analyze the structure of the Floating Ind in order to formte countermeasures.
For reference, the scene where people be surprised when finding out that the Floating Ind was not a mere physical ind, but a demon, would be revealed approximately two hours from now.
Woooooooong©¤©¤©¤.
Soon,rge-scale magic circles were etched all over the body of the Floating Ind. It was getting ready forbat.
Earth magic circles. They were a deeper shade of crimson than rock magic circles.
The rock element was nothing more than a derivation of the earth element. As such, the earth element could be considered the true fundamental element.
¡®Anyway, since it¡¯s pretty simr to the rock element¡¡¯
I recalled that about 70 percent of the earth element¡¯s calcted damage was counted as the rock element.
I had set the Elemental Bracelet on my left wrist to the rock element. As such, my [Rock Elemental Resistance] was increased by 40.
Due to the colossal size of the Floating Ind, even the grand scale of each magic circle appeared rtively small.
However, the vast ck and brown magic circle slowly being drawn beneath the Floating Ind was iparable in its scale.
As it was a magic circle constructed with astronomical amounts of mana, the process of engraving its form into the air was painstakingly slow.
ording to the calctions of Hegel Magic Tower¡¯s Tower Master, Aria, that magic circle would assume itsplete form approximately four hours from the current time; this information would have already been widespread within the academy¡¯s staff.
If that vast magic circle was to unleash an attack towards Arkins Sea¡
A portion of the Arkins Sea would utterly evaporate and at least a tenth of the vast Zelver Empire¡¯s territory would undoubtedly be eviscerated.
And, of course, the ind where M?rchen Academy was located would be easily obliterated.
This was the content of the Bad Ending.
¡°S-Sir Isaac¡ Is that really¡ a¡ demon¡? That entire ind?¡±
On the sandy beach.
Beside me, a girl with light green hair, Kaya Astrea, asked in a trembling voice. Her eyes were emerald-colored; it was the original Kaya.
I had given her the same ck hooded robe as me, which inhibited recognition from others.
I had given her information about the Floating Ind¡¯s appearance in advance to ask for her help. After all, with her, I could secretly and quickly fly to the Floating Ind.
As expected, Kaya had fervently epted saying, ¡®If it¡¯s to protect the peace of the academy!¡¯, and had helped me get all the way here.
However, now that she was actually seeing the enemy with her own eyes, her emotions took a new turn. Both of her hands were trembling as she tightly held on to the Armana Wand.
Despite her fierce determination, it seemed like its colossal size and terrifying mana hadpletely overwhelmed her.
¡°We¡ have to defeat that thing, right? We¡ Ah, Sir Isaac?¡±
I kept my gaze fixed on the Floating Ind while gently stroking Kaya¡¯s head in an effort to soothe her.
¡°It¡¯ll be okay. If it feels dangerous, just stick close to me.¡±
¡Why do I feel scorching heat on my hand? Also, why is there smokeing out of her head?
Without me noticing, Kaya¡¯s face had suddenly turned bright red. Her body had stiffened and she couldn¡¯t even move.
¡°Huaaaaah¡¡±
A strange sound came from Kaya¡¯s mouth, almost as if she was a deting balloon.
Anyway, she didn¡¯t look scared anymore.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
Kaya lowered her gaze and her flushed cheeks were slightly covered with a strand of hair akin to a tail.
She nodded her head slightly and responded with a shy voice.
Just like how Leafa the Illusive had the unique magic [Prative Vision], the Floating Ind Cavallion the Earthshaker had the ability to teleport as its own unique magic. It wasmonly referred to as Warp.
In the world of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, teleportation magic was incredibly rare.
¡®There¡¯s nothing more to say; even Dorothy and the Council of Kings can¡¯t use it.¡¯
Once the Floating Ind teleported its huge body, it couldn¡¯t use it again for at least a day.
For reference, the Empire couldn¡¯t find it anywhere in this world because it had always hidden itself deep beneath the sea.
Usually, the Floating Ind would warp Dorothy Heartnova, the person it cursed, and Ian Fairytale, the light element user it needed to kill, to itself. Because it was a unique magic that designated its target, it couldn¡¯t be stopped.
Dorothy would be absorbed into its core at the center of its body and her curse would rapidly progress, thus rendering her incapable of controlling her own body. Basically, she would bepletely helpless.
On the other hand, Ian would only be warped to somece on the Floating Ind.
Afterward, due to its constraints, the Floating Ind would not be able to use warp magic until the end of Act 6 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡®Therefore, the first thing I need to do is¡¡¯
Support Ian.
Until the subjugation team from M?rchen Academy arrived and joined Ian, I needed to protect him.
As expected of the protagonist, Ian was born with the temperament of a Hero. He would quickly assess the situation and determine that he needed to stop the Floating Ind.
Then, he would defeat the Floating Ind¡¯s minions and head towards the center of the ind.
Ian must unleash [Apostle of Light] onto the core of the Floating Ind.
Only then would the Floating Ind¡¯s powerful protection magic be nullified, allowing effective damage to be dealt.
¡®And that¡¯s my cue.¡¯
My ultimate goal was to unload firepower at the level of Dorothy¡¯s ultimate starlight elemental skill, [Last Light of a Dying Star], on the Floating Ind itself.
Therefore, since I couldn¡¯t afford to waste mana, Kaya¡¯s role would be crucial in many ways.
The Floating Ind was both a paradise and a hell. It boasted a beautiful exterior and sparkling mes but was also filled with white mushrooms that sprayed poisonous spores, as well as jewels that would cause necrosis of the skin upon contact.
Still, Kaya¡¯s nt elemental healing abilities were unparalleled, so she should be able to cover me in case of an unexpected emergency.
By the way, the subjugation team would be able to find Ian easily, thanks to the pin on his necktie. It was a present from the obsessive Amy; it was a magic tool that functioned as a location tracker.
Kaya and I put on our hoods. It was time to depart.
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤.
Light green wind made of highly dense mana wrapped around me and Kaya and floated our bodies upward.
With that, we began to ride the wind while flying towards the Floating Ind.
Infiltrating the Floating Ind was incredibly simple¡ You just had to get there.
It didn¡¯t stop any infiltrators at all.
This was because the corpses within its body would act as nutrients; a characteristic of the earth element.
This was also why the subjugation team from M?rchen Academy could easily reach the Floating Ind.
As such, there was no need to worry about being attacked while Kaya and I flew towards it.
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
As we crossed the sea and pushed through the mist, Kaya called out to me.
She was tantly staring at me with puppy-like eyes, but then quickly turned her head to face forward when our eyes met.
Underneath the hood, a rosy tint was visible on Kaya¡¯s usually porcin cheek.
¡°I¡¯m saying that because it feels like this is an opportunity for me¡ and it¡¯s kind of my personal whim, so you don¡¯t really have to listen to it, and also it might be disrespectful to you, but¡ well¡ uh, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s a bit scarier than I thought, an-and, of course, you don¡¯t have to do it, but¡!¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
Why are you beating around the bush so much¡?
Although Kaya turned her head to where I could only see the back of it, she slightly lowered her gaze while subtly extending her hand towards me¡
¡With a bright red face.
¡°Is it okay¡ to just hold hands while we go¡?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Come to think of it, she had seen me hang out with Luce a lottely.
Whenever Luce helped me with my magic training tool, it didn¡¯t look much different from a couple holding hands when seen at a distance.
I could tell Kaya was pretty envious of this thanks to [Psychological Insight].
I had a lot of things to be grateful for in regards to Kaya.
Even if I just considered today, if she wasn¡¯t on my side, the circumstances and my chances would¡¯ve been abysmally different.
Therefore, if I refused something as easy as hand-holding, it would make me feel like I was belittling her efforts.
¡®This much should be okay.¡¯
When I calmly grabbed the hand that Kaya extended, both of her eyes shook and her shoulders flinched.
¡°Ah, Heuahhh¡!¡±
Kaya stared at her own hand as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.
Her face and hand turned bright red to the point of basically changing her skin color. Thest time she had been this way was long ago, back when we defeated Garzia the Hermit together and camped outside.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Absolutely thrilled to hold hands with you.]
¡°Focus. Don¡¯t let your mana scatter.¡¯
¡°Y-yes, Sir Isaac¡¡±
She responded with a voice that was both cutesy and flirtatious, almost as if she was a lover who just started a fresh romance.
Even under the hood, her head was practically fuming with smoke.
Her resistance towards males still seemed quite weak, but this much progress was significant. It could be due to the influence of Dark Kaya.
As I faced forward again, the enormous ind, akin to a small nation, was now within my sight. I felt like I would get devoured just from its overwhelmingly imposing aura.
Even so¡
¡®I won¡¯t let Dorothy die.¡¯
If, until now, I had been working towards my goal by carefully progressing through the scenario while minimizing variables¡
Today, I intended topletely overturn the entire scenario.
After all, I had grinded through this world, not only to defeat the Evil God, but also for today.
As always¡
¡Let¡¯s do it.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 86
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Eager First Year
Mana: 14000/14000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B+)
Chapter 106: - Subjugation of the Floating Island (2)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (2) ?
¡¸irvoyance (Neutral Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Thanks to my days as a ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? sweat, I could roughly track Ian¡¯s whereabouts. I used [irvoyance] to roughly scan the area where I thought he would be.
A ce lined with old temple columns¡
In the center of it all, a ck-haired boy, Ian Fairytale, stood on a yellow brick road.
A vivid rainbow stretched above the Floating Ind.
In the center of the Floating Ind, a dazzling scene was proudly disyed by an emerald-colored pce.
Above it, a statue of a sun radiated brilliantly, hovering weightlessly while spinning around.
Ian summoned a Tyrannosaurus-like dinosaur familiar, Rex, and drew the sword sheathed at his waist.
He held his breath, gripped the sword with both hands, and assumed abat stance, as a drop of cold sweat trickled down his face.
As someone with excellent senses, he would quickly realize that there were enemies all around him.
Soon enough, various white wolves and raven-like monsters erupted from the ground. Their eyes emitted a red light as they opened theirrge mouths and revealed sharp teeth.
At the center, a white witch-like monster that wore a pointed hat sprang out of the ground.
Her head was torn apart to form the shape of a mouth. But because it couldn¡¯t bepletely ripped away, the flesh connecting to the upper and lower lips stretched like cheese.
¡®Minions of the Floating Ind¡¡¯
They were all magical beasts created by the earth mana of the Floating Ind.
When the witch demon pointed at Ian with her staff and gave themand to attack, the horde of wolves and raven demons charged toward him.
At the same time, Cherubim¡¯s Ne, which was hung around Ian¡¯s neck, began to radiate light.
One swing.
Ian swung the sword imbued with divine power horizontally, cutting down all the minions of the Floating Ind with a de made of light.
¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡¯
Keuhhhh. How beautiful.
Is this really the same Ian Faintingtale from before? The Master Fainter?
Obtaining Cherubim¡¯ Ne certainly had a significant effect. After all, the item has dramatically enhanced Ian¡¯sbat power.
Ian¡¯s familiar, Rex, transformed into arger form of a Tyrannosaurus.
And with it, streams of mes elongated like wings on both sides of its mouth.
Ian rode on Rex¡¯s back and began to rush towards the center of the Floating Ind.
He probably noticed that the Floating Ind was trying to use a spell that was at the level of destroying an entire country. As such, he decided to prevent it by going towards the center where the most potent magic power could be felt: the Emerald Pce.
The mana emanating from the Floating Ind belonged to a demon. Ian, who possessed the light element, could probably feel its eerie mana and must have judged that only he could deal a significant blow to this demon.
¡°Heuh¡¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Hearing a queer sound, I release [irvoyance] and turned my head towards the noise.
A girl with light-green pigtails was still blushing in embarrassment, just as she was before.
She was biting her lips, almost as if she didn¡¯t know what to do with herself. Holding hands with me seemed to be more stimting for her than the formidable enemies before us.
¡Well, It was understandable. The emotions that came with holding hands with your crush for the first time were indescribable after all.
¡®Still, isn¡¯t she way too embarrassed¡¡¯
I thought about saying something but decided not to. Honestly, this was better than being overwhelmed by the majesty of the Floating Ind.
Kaya and I were still on our way to the Floating Ind while riding a light green wind over the sea.
If I looked back, the vast ind where M?rchen Academy was located seemed tiny beyond the fog.
For reference, Kaya and I would not be detected from M?rchen Academy because of the dense advection fog and the massive mana of the Floating Ind.
Even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the academy staff couldn¡¯t stop Mateo from flying straight to the Floating Ind due to this exact reason.
Oh, by the way, they only knew he left thanks to Amy¡¯s report
The transparent barrier deployed on the grounds of M?rchen Academy was used to detect external intrusions. However, because it was entirely absorbing the mana of the Floating Ind, it would likely be rendered useless.
Therefore, the academy¡¯s staff were probably overwhelmed with student control and countermeasure preparations against the Floating Ind.
Step¨C.
Kaya and I reached the edge of the Floating Ind¡¯s cliff andnded.
As I let go of her hand, Kaya sighed, ¡°Eut, ahh¡¡±, as if she was a kid who had lost her favorite toy.
¡°Kaya, we¡¯re here.¡±
My words snapped Kaya back to her senses.
She turned her head towards the front.
¡°Sir Isaac, this is¡¡±
Only then, did Kaya see the magnificent view, as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
A vivid rainbow, the Emerald Pce, and the sun statue floating weightlessly whilst spinning around.
The mysterious fog reflected beautiful colors.
A yellow brick road crosses a poppy field.
At first nce, it resembled a fairy talendscape that stimted the spirit of adventure. In stark contrast, right behind us was a perilous cliff that would plunge us into a raging sea.
It felt like we were stepping on the boundary between a fairy tale and reality.
¡°I thought it would be a mundane scene, but it strangely beautif-¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Ah! Y-yes!¡±
Simr to how a poisonous mushroom looked pretty, this fantasticalnd was as dangerous as it was beautiful.
We were once again carried by the wind, quickly following along the yellow brick road.
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, white dwarf monsters with pointed hats popped out from the yellow brick road and poppy field. Seeing this, I came to a screeching halt, as if mming the brakes of a car.
All the dwarves were dressed in blue robes.
[Phantasmal Munchkin] Lv: 95
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Earth
Danger: Medium
Psychology: [Wants to eat away at your sanity.]
[Kekek¡ Wee to the country of Munchkins¡!]
Before the bastard in the middle of the dwarf demons, A.K.A. Phantasmal Munchkins could finish his greetings¡
I sent ice mana into my right hand and released ice crystals and pale blue mana akin to cigarette smoke.
Chrrrrak©¤©¤.
As I prepared to fight, my unique characteristic [Hunter] activated.
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!] ¡¸Frostfire (Ice Element, ¡ï4)¡¹
Hwarereuk©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
I deployed a magic circle and waved my hand lightly, unleashing a cold light blue me.
The frigid mes spread widely, incinerating everything in its path, including the Munchkin horde and the entire surroundingndscape.
The vast poppy field, which had been swaying aimlessly in the wind, instantly froze.
And the horde of Phantasmal Munchkins, who were no longer a match for me, were reduced to dust in a truly demonic fashion.
As I waved my arms to dissipate the cold mes, my unique characteristic [Hunter] was deactivated. My body became significantly heavier and my surging mana subsided.
Thendscape before me had changed from a fantasticalnd to a freezing wastnd.
¡°Y-you¡¯re incredible, Sir Isaac¡!¡±
As I casually swept away the ice crystals that had formed around me, Kaya gazed at me, practically beaming starlight from her eyes.
As expected, that reaction is way too burdensome¡
For reference, the amount of [Frostfire] I released just now was nothing when considering my [Hunter] state.
In my [Hunter] state, my mana recovery speed was exceptionally high. In this ce, demons would continuously pop out, so the mana I spent on [Frostfire] would be quickly replenished.
¡°But what was that just now?¡±
¡°Demons. They¡¯re minions of this ind. Don¡¯t ever talk with them.¡±
¡°Huh¡?¡±
If someone talked to the minions of the Floating Ind, this ce would be a true fantasy world that deluded that person¡¯s mind.
The mental attacks of demons had no effect on Ian, who had the light element, and I had strong mental resistance, so I could somehow break free.
However, for Kaya, it could be a serious issue.
Even if she managed to regain her senses somehow, at that point, the curse of the Floating Ind would have already taken effect.
When someone fell into the Fantasy World, the appearance and speech of the Floating Ind¡¯s minions changed exclusively for that person.
And in order to return home, they would have to go on a heart-pounding journey to find the great wizard Oz, who granted any wish. It was something that Dorothy had experienced in her childhood.
Finally, when they reach the center of the floating Ind and find the great wizard Oz, they would have their own happy ending, but¡
¡®Their real self dies.¡¯
By the time they reached Oz, the curse of the Floating Ind would have already eaten away their life force, causing them to lose their life.
That¡¯s right. This piece of shitnd was a sentient life form withplete intelligence and it was a demon who yed with humans as if they were dolls.
¡°Let¡¯s depart again.¡±
¡°Y-yes¡!¡±
¡¸Wind Generation (Wind Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Whoooosh©¤©¤©¤!
Riding the light green wind, Kaya and I took flight towards Ian once again. As expected, it was significantly faster than just running.
Of course, flying with the wind imposed a considerable burden on the caster¡¯s mana. However, if Kaya¡¯s mana ran low, she could always switch with Dark Kaya and utilize blood mana to replenish if necessary.
Anyway¡
¡®By now, they¡¯ve probably figured out that I¡¯m here.¡¯
In my current [Hunter] state, I was stronger than the rare genius Dorothy herself.
Even if the academy¡¯s staff was having a difficult time detecting other mana because of the Floating Ind¡¯s overwhelming presence¡
There was no way that they wouldn¡¯t notice my immense mana, which practically rivaled that of the Floating Ind.
¡®They are probably in a frenzy, saying that the ¡®ck Monster¡¯ has appeared.¡¯
It didn¡¯t matter that much though, since I had already reached the Floating Ind.
Additionally, during my [Hunter] state, my mana fluctuated very briefly, so it would be difficult to track my location anyway.
The only thing I was worried about was them discovering how I had flown to the Floating Ind with Kaya.
In an emergency like this, if two students were spotted leaving the academy, the academy¡¯s staff would undoubtedly try to bring us back.
Ugh, just thinking about it gave me a headache.
Anyway¡
¡®Ian, hang in there buddy.¡¯
I checked on Ian using [irvoyance]. He was riding on Rex while dashing down the yellow brick road and defeating enemies with his sword of light and fire.
I¡¯m so proud of you, Ian Fairytale. Go forth! Wipe out the demons with your own hands.
¡®I¡¯ll try to support you in whatever way I can.¡¯
And in the end¡
¡I¡¯ll fuck up this overgrown mound of dirt
Since I had already dealt with Heinkel the Hoarder, who would have blocked Ian¡¯s way, there should be no problems for him.
As such, I just had to eliminate the Floating Ind¡¯s minions.
And if Ian reached the Emerald Pce and sent [Apostle of Light] flying towards the Floating Ind¡¯s core, ¡®Oz¡¯¡
¡®Objective 1 would be aplished.¡¯
[Kekek¡ Wee to the country of Munchk-]
Hwarereuk©¤©¤©¤!
After casually bodying the Munchkin with [Frostfire], Kaya and I continued heading towards Ian.
Chapter 107: Subjugation of the Floating Island (3)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (3) ?
M?rchen Academy Administrative Center, Bartos Hall.
In the central conference room, all key academy staff, with the exception of Headmistress Elena Woodline, and the Hegel Magic Tower Master were seated around arge round table.
In the very center of the table, a levitating ind-shaped structure emitted a mysterious light, rotating slowly in ce.
This structure was intricatelyposed of mana grains tightly clustered together¡
And it was ultimately a creation of the Hegel Magic Tower Master; Aria Lilias, the master of Elemental Magic.
Aria had received real-time information on the Floating Ind from the wizards of the Hegel Magic Tower; with this, she replicated its form and constructed it in empty space.
For a brief moment, a pale blue sh urred at a certain point on the Floating Ind. It was a tremendous amount of mana,parable to that of the Floating Ind itself.
All key personnel who had gathered in this room were well aware of this mana¡¯s origin.
¡°Hegel Magic Tower Master, was that¡?¡±
The Vice Headmaster noticed the identity of the vanished pale blue light in an instant and widened his eyes.
¡°ck Monster. Appearance.¡±
Aria Lilias, a petite woman with reddish-brown hair spread to one side, responded in an emotionless voice.
The ck Monster. An unidentified menace that suddenly appeared one day, annihted demons, and disappearing just as abruptly.
With the news of its appearance, all the key academy staff present in the room were taken aback
¡°As expected, it appeared¡¡±
¡°Whenever demons appear, it always shows up.¡±
¡°Damn it, are we supposed to trust it¡?¡±
In M?rchen Academy, their views on the ck Monster were tinged with ¡®fear¡¯.
It was undoubtedly a figure who had reached the level of an Archwizard.
ording to Professor Fernando¡¯s testimony, during the first semester, it effortlessly used apocalyptic levels of magic and defeated the moon demon that ruled over an entire world like a god.
In other words, the ck Monster was not something the academy could handle; it had already surpassed the capabilities of the entire Empire.
Of course, the fact that the ck Monster continued to protect the academy was well acknowledged by the academy staff as well.
However, without knowing its true identity or intentions, they weren¡¯t prudent enough to hastily extend favor to it.
¡°ck Monster. Our. Side.¡±
At that moment, Aria¡¯s one statement descended upon the conference room.
¡°If too difficult to trust in the ck Monster, trust me instead.¡±
The pir who supported Hegel Magic Tower, Tower Master Ariaa Lilias.
The woman whose insight remained unparalleled despite appearing clumsy and confused, M?rchen Academy Headmistress Elena Woodline.
Both of these women somehow held a remarkably favorable attitude toward the ck Monster.
The reason that M?rchen Academy had not been able to investigate the identity of the ck Monster was alsorgely due to the influence of these two women.
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, a sinister mana swept in like the wind and brushed against their skin, raising chilling goosebumps throughout everyone¡¯s bodies.
A heavy silence filled the central conference room. Everyone present felt the eerie mana that had flowed through the air just a minute ago.
Aria furrowed her brows and turned her head towards the window.
Something wasing.
¡°Enemies, from the ground¡!¡±
On the grounds of M?rchen Academy, white demons began to sporadically emerge from the dirt.
From animalistic forms to forms of dwarves and witches; they were all minionis created by the Floating Ind.
While limping with creaking joints, they gleefullyughed ¡®Nihihi¡¯. The demon collectively began to target M?rchen Academy.
To them, human bodies were nothing more than beautiful ingredients that could be used to cook up something for the Floating Ind.
[Nihihi!]
Fuoooooo©¤©¤©¤©¤!
[Nyahaha!]
Kwakakang©¤©¤©¤!!
[Nehehe!]
Sseuk©¤©¤©¤!
However, this was the greatest academy on the continent. Not only the academy staff but also the students were overflowing with exceptional abilities.
Both the staff and the students joined forces to resist the demons. Magic shed with magic and sword des sparked as it cut down the demons.
Thus, the academy waged a siege battle.
The academy allocated manpower to defend the institution and assembled an elite force to subjugate the Floating Ind,
The subjugation force rode on familiars capable of flight and charged towards the Floating Ind.
This expedition totaled a hundred members, consisting ofbat-specialized professors, Imperial Knights, security forces, and some extremely powerful students.
However, in front of the Floating Ind, which wasparable in size to a small country, the scale of the subjugation force seemed infinitely small, akin to dust in a room.
The goal of the subjugation force was to safely secure Ian Fairytale and Mateo Jordana, who had left on their own to the Floating Ind. They also aimed to eliminate the demons controlling the Floating Ind and survive.
This was before it was revealed that the Floating Ind itself was a demon.
If the n failed and the dark brown magic circle unfolding beneath the Floating Ind took itsplete form, everyone would lose their lives.
As such, the pressure on the subjugation force to perform was immense as they reached the Floating Ind.
And as time passed¨C.
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.]
The sound of woodwind instruments shook the air. The wailing of the Floating Ind echoed through the sky and the sea.
Towards M?rchen Academy, a threat iparable to the summoned army of minions over the Arkins Sea loomed.
Numerous magic circles already deployed on the body of the Floating Ind strongly emitted a reddish-brown light.
It was an indicator that it was about to unleash its magic.
The target was the ind where the most prestigious institution on the continent was located ¨C M?rchen Academy. It was right to say that it was a ce where high-level mana was densely concentrated.
In other words, the academy itself was already a formidable adversary for the Floating IInd.
And soon thereafter, the Floating Ind vomited out its magic towards M?rchen Academy.
¡¸Seismic Wave (Earth Element, ¡ï8)¡¹
Kwaaaaang©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!!
Reddish-brown magic circles simultaneously unleashed a massive beam toward the sea and the ind where M?rchen Academy was located.
In its wake, the waves roared mercilessly, violently shaking the ind and the sea.
¡°Kyaaak!¡±
¡°Everyone, take cover!!¡±
In an instant, as if breaking a cracker, diagonal lines were carved into a part of the ind, gradually forming tall cliffs.
The wizards among the staffbined their strength to cast powerful protection magic in order to prevent the copse of buildings while repelling the beam attacks.
However, the Floating Inds [Seismic Wave] had only just begun.
Kuuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
A fierce wave, imbued with reddish-brown mana, surged onward.
It seemed as if a single wall that was traversing the entire world had appeared. The height of the wave was immense, as if it was trying to reach space itself.
The pressure of the giant wave, filled with high-density earth mana, went beyond merely mming against massive rocks orndmasses.
It effortlessly destroyed anything in its path as it broke solid chunks of earth as if they were fragile clumps of soil and caused seismic shafts.
The mere protection magic casted by the academy¡¯s wizards could never withstand it.
This was the level of the country-destroying magic, [Seismic Wave].
¡°What is this madness¡¡±
At the top of Bartos Hall.
A woman in a white robe was watching the colossal wave approaching the academy with an expression of despair.
Neatly tied back hair. An appearance maintained in her twenties thanks to the Blessing of Eternal Youth. It was the rosy-haired beauty, Headmistress Elena Woodline.
Why was she facing such crises one after another once she took office as the Headmistress of M?rchen Academy?
Suddenly feeling a deep self-doubt settled, Elena was on the verge of tears while letting out a choked sound.
¡°I should¡¯ve retired just a year earlier¡¡±
She was already more than old enough for retirement.
If not for the Blessing of Eternal Youth, she would have been a wrinkled andpletely gray-haired elderly woman in her seventies.
However, her regret was only momentary.
Soon, she looked at the Floating Ind with teary eyes.
Gripping her wand, she poured the entirety of her mana flowing in her body.
¡°Fine. Come at me, asshole.¡±
As Headmistress Elenaa brandished her wand and poured out her mana, a subtle petal-shaped mana began to float and a sturdy barrier spread across the entire instituion.
Koooooong©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
[Seismic Wave] and Elena¡¯s barrier shed. A pink me had burst out with a deafening roar, as it rapidly covered the waves filled with earth mana.
Soon after, a dull thud, akin to giant steel colliding with rocks, echoed. It wasn¡¯t a sound that one would expect from waves.
Jjejejeok©¤©¤.
[Seismic Wave] exerted all its force to shatter the barrier, then sank into the sea.
In its aftermath, another strong current emerged and fierce seawater attempted to engulf M?rchen Academy from all directions.
Elena poured out her remaining mana to restore the barrier.
No matter how powerful the waves were, ordinary seawater could never break Elena¡¯s barrier.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Elena¡¯s mana was almost depleted because of the recent defense.
She leaned against a pir, feeling a strong sense of dizziness when¡
Kwaaaaaaang©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
¡°¡!¡±
Once again, beams filled with earth mana traversed the sea and a reddish-brown wave began to approach.
Her mana had beenpletely depleted after blocking just one such attack.
As such, facing a second country-destroying magic was excessive even for someone like her.
Nevertheless, she could not retreat. She had to protect the students no matter what.
Elena squeezed out thest iota of her mana. Although weaker than before, she had to pour out all of it in order to somehow maintain the barrier.
Can she resist with just this?
Elena furrowed her brow and bit her lips. It was probably¡ difficult, but¡
¡°I have to do it.¡±
With the determination to squeeze out every drop og mana she had, Elena shut her eyes and focused her mind.
That was when it happened.
[Kyaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!]
At the thunderous roar of the approaching deadly torrent, Headmistress Elena abruptly opened her eyes.
Kreunggg©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Kwakang©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Thunderclouds glowed purple and lightning fiercely cut through the air, apanied by thunderous sounds reminiscent of the wrath of gods.
A giant ck grouse soared, spreading its wings wide, and scattered a tremendous surge of lightning magic.
Headmistress Elena gazed at Thunderbird Galia in astonishment.
Underneath the Thunderbird, a female student stood on a cliff, exceeding her right arm forward as she let out a massive amount of lightning mana.
Purple shes of lightning only added to her elegant beauty.
¡°¡¡±
At M?rchen Academy, students with heaven-blessed talent were admitted every year.
For example,pared to geniuses like Dorothy Heartnova or Alice Caroll, even the prowess of the academy staff seemed trivial.
Among these geniuses, there was Luce Eltania, the top seat of the Magic Department freshmen.
Violet thunderbolts extended around her as if forming chains in every direction. Her rose-gold hair, cape shawl, and school uniform fluttered wildly in the aftermath.
Her ocean-blue eyes reminiscent of the deep sea were directed towards the Floating Ind.
Empowered by the Thunderbird¡¯s might, Luce¡¯s mana merged with the magic circle cast by Elena, as it spread across the entire ind.
Crackle©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
¡¸Thunder God¡¯s Barrier¡¹
The powerful lightning barrier of the Thunderbird, which had shown itself on the grounds of M?rchen Academy during the first semester¡¯s end-of-semester evaluation,bined with the barrier cast by Headmistress Elena Woodline.
This perfect fusion of magic was possible due to Luce¡¯s overwhelming level of [Elemental Efficiency].
Crackle©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kooongggg©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!!
Countless lightning bolts scattered, dispersing the mana imprinted on the towering waves.
The Thunderbird was a legendary magical beast that had thrived for centuries in the Thundercloud located southwest of Zelver. It now boasted immensely high defensive capability as it generated the lightning barrier.
Although the waves infused with earth element mana engulfed the barrier¡
The [Thunder God¡¯s Barrer] remained intact, only echoing with the sound of discharges and the dull thud of collisions.
Even the subsequent aggressive waves were rendered useless, as the [Thunder God¡¯s Barrier] held firm, protecting M?rchen Academy.
Wooooong¨C.
The aura of the ominous reddish-brown magic circle engraved on the Floating Ind¡¯s body had now diminished.
It seemed like it was taking its time to regather itself before unleashing the next attack.
At the top of Bartos Hall, Headmistress Elenna sighed deeply with relief as she sat down.
[Luce.]
The calm voice of the Thunderbird echoed in Luce¡¯s mind.
She raised her head abruptly and gazed at the colossal Thunderbird soaring in the air.
Every time the magic beast pped its wings, aggressive wind and violet thunderstorms erupted.
[What are you going to do now?]
¡°I¡¯m going to that ind.¡±
While the violent current crackled and echoed in the air¡
Luce fiercely looked at the Floating Ind and responded with a cold tone.
¡°After all, Greung must be there.¡±
The ck Monster, Greung, was always present whenever demons appeared. As such, he would have definitely appeared on that massive ind.
Luce was already nearly convinced that Isaac was the ck Monster.
Until now, she wasted a considerable amount of time searching for Isaac when the Floating Ind emerged.
If Isaac had reached the giant ind as the ck Monster, it would sufficiently exin why he couldn¡¯t be found by Luce.
She wished to kick away all the lingering doubts she had by confirming it with her own two eyes.
The confirmation that Isaac was Greung.
¡°Take me there.¡±
Luce gave a chillymand to the Thunderbird.
However, the Thunderbird simply tilted its head.
[¡It might be wise to reconsider.]
¡°¡?¡±
The Thunderbird was a legendary magical beast that was much stronger than Luce.
With its tremendous mana perception, it had already sensed the enormous mana emanating from someone on the Floating Ind.
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
In the distance, a silver wind tinged with frost began to swirl.
The wind swept widely, converting more than half of the Floating Ind. It was such a fierce storm that the sound even reached this distant ce.
And someone was controlling the existence beyond the wind, as if handling a familiar.
The person¡¯s formidable ice mana then exploded above the Floating Ind.
¡°¡?¡±
At that moment, there was a group evacuating from the Floating Ind. Using her excellent vision, Luce identified them as the subjugation team that had set out towards the Floating Ind earlier.
Among them, Mateo Jordana could be seen carrying an unconscious Ian Fairytale on his familiar.
Second seat Kaya Astrea was also there. Even as she left the Floating Ind, Kaya looked back with a worried expression.
¡°¡!¡±
And in the sky, hundreds of massive magic circles filled the heavens.
Due to the vast silver wind from an unknown source, the colors of the magic circles were indistinguishable. However, it was easy to surmise that they wereposed of at least 7-star magic.
[Even if we go up to that ind, we can¡¯t do anything except die.]
In the purple currents, Luce and the Thunderbird held their breath and silently watched above the Floating Ind.
Now, the sky had be a battlefield of monsters that even the Thunderbird couldn¡¯t approach.
* * *
One hour ago.
¡°You guys are¡?¡±
On top of the Floating Ind.
Kaya and I stood still while looking down at an unconscious ck-haired young man.
Kaya was restless with bewildered and anxious eyes. Meanwhile, I just stared at him nkly.
Right at that moment, Mateo Jordana, a brown-haired male student with his bangs swept up, arrived and spoke to us.
But I just couldn¡¯t find it in me to respond¡
¡®You were doing fine just a moment ago¡¡¯
The male student peacefully unconscious on top of the Floating Ind was, as always, Ian Fairytale.
Chapter 108: Subjugation of the Floating Island (4)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (4) ?
A game was different from reality.
Now that this world had be my reality, every time I witnessed Ian¡¯s top-tier fainting act, sighs involuntarily escaped me.
¡®I understand, but¡¡¯
Yeah, I get it. It¡¯s possible to faint.
The Floating Ind was simr to the first year second semester hunting evaluation, where the difficulty of the enemies increased the more one approached the center.
In the first ce, this world was based on the hell difficulty of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Even when I yed the game, I had gone through countless retries, so I wasn¡¯t really in a position to say anything either.
But still¡
¡®Please, at least DODGE¡!¡¯
You could have easily predicted the surprise attack¡
Ian had received a direct hit to the back of his head with an earth magic attack and fainted from the shock.
Fortunately, the demons behind the surprise attack were defeated by us.
After Ian¡¯s familiar, Rex, heard our n from Kaya, he was reassured, thus he unsummoned himself.
Since she had worked with Ian in the hunting evaluation, Rex seemed to trust her.
When a familiar was summoned, it consumed the owner¡¯s mana. It was a cost to maintain the summoning. So, Rex, who was not needed, was better off being unsummoned.
Ian had to unleash [Apostle of Light] using his full power towards Oz, the core of the Floating Ind. Therefore, to prepare for the worst, unnecessary mana consumption needed to be minimized.
¡®Let¡¯s think positively.¡¯
Rather than thinking ¡®Ian fainted again,¡¯ it was better for my mental health if I thought, ¡®It¡¯s a relief Ian didn¡¯t fucking die and just fainted instead.¡¯
I had already given up hope that Ian wouldn¡¯t faint anyway, so my emotions quickly calmed down.
¡°Why are you guys here¡?¡±
Ah, I forgot Mateo was also here.
Kaya and I had our hoods off, so our attire was not inhibiting recognition. As such, Mateo could easily recognize us.
This guy Mateo probably followed Ian¡¯s path of destruction toe here safely, but enemies were still scattered everywhere in the vicinity. For someone like Mateo, it was a highly dangerous ce.
Either way, he was probably going to join Ian and head toward the center with his heroic protagonist delusi- I mean mindset. It would be safer and better for him to just follow us.
¡°He can also be a transportation shuttle.¡¯
Mateo flew here thanks to the hawk-shaped familiar next to him. The wings wrapped in light brown wind boasted considerable style.
It wasn¡¯t right for me to continue to rely on Kaya¡¯s wind magic.
Let¡¯s ask Mateo for some help.
¡°Did you chase after Mr. Ian?¡±
¡°Yeah. What about you guys?¡±
¡°Yes, we need him for our n.¡±
¡°n¡?¡±
As always, Mateo seemed confused.
¡°Whatever. It¡¯s dangerous here, so follow us.¡±
I forcibly concluded Kaya and Mateo¡¯s conversation. I didn¡¯t want to waste time with trivial small talk after all.
¡°Sir Isaac, what should we do with Mr. Ian?¡±
¡°Check his condition, treat him, and let him rest. Wake him up when we arrive at the center of the ind.¡±
¡°Understood!¡±
Now that we had met Ian and Mateo, we could sprint all the way to the Emerald Pce.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 1, Floating Ind¡¹, the boss was Heinkel the Hoarder.
In the cut scene where Ian was in danger, he suddenly appeared and saved him. Then, he proceeded to challenge him to a duel. If the yer defeated Heinkel, they could obtain [irvoyance].
After that, they would move onto ¡¸Act 6, Chapter 2, Oz¡¹.
The only characters that could be considered bosses in Act 6, Chapter 2 were the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and the winged golden monkey. In reality, they weren¡¯t really bosses; just slightly stronger mobs than the others.
¡®They¡¯ll probably get destroyed with just one hit from [Frost Explosion].¡±
With [Hunter] activated, I practically had a free pass.
And our goal, Oz, the core of the Floating Ind, was just a powerless head with a loud voice.
He only threatened yers with boasts such as, ¡®I am the great and fearsome wizard, Oz.¡¯
In other words, I didn¡¯t need to step forward as long as I entered the Emerald Pce. It was enough to wake Ian up at that time.
Okay guys, let¡¯s wrap this up quickly.
¡°Kaya, Mateo. Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir Isaac!¡±
Full speed ahead.
***
[Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba] Lv: 130
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Earth
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to rip you apart into itty bitty pieces.]
[Nihihihi! Guys, rip them to shre-!]
Kwaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
As we rode Mateo¡¯s hawk familiar, we were powered by Kaya¡¯s wind booster to swiftly move toward the Emerald Pce.
Suddenly, the green-skinned witch wearing a pointed hat, ¡®Elphaba¡¯, and a winged golden monkey demon popped out.
They were all mobs born from the Floating Ind¡¯s earth mana.
The Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba was letting out augh that sounded like ¡®Nihihihi¡¯. Dorothy developed the habit ofughing in such a manner from these demons.
The mental shock had probably caused her tough this way, but¡
¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯
If the demonsughed like that, it felt like utter shit. But if Dorothyughed like that, it was just cute. That was the important thing, so it didn¡¯t matter even if theirughs were simr.
Elphaba controlled a pack of wolf demons, a flock of crow demons, and a swarm of bee demons.
I casted [Frost Explosion], shattering their bodies with the sheer magnitude of my explosion, then imprisoned them within the aftermath of ice so that they couldn¡¯t move a single muscle.
Jjejeok©¤©¤, Kwang©¤©¤.
As I used Defrost to release the ice into its mana form, the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba and her subordinate turned into ash, scattering in the wind.
It felt a bit unfamiliar, but the mana consumption for [Frost Explosion] had now be extremely minimal.
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 87!] [You have gained 2 stat points!]
¡®Noice.¡¯
Level up!
I immediately invested the newly acquired 2 stat points into Growth Rate [Learning Efficiency].
Incidentally, I wanted to quickly obtain the unique characteristic that could be obtained by fully maxing out both [Physical Training Efficiency] and [Magic Training Efficiency].
¡®If I have that, my power will be greatly enhanced.¡¯
However, there was a condition where I could only acquire that unique characteristic starting from the second year, so for now, it was regrettable that I couldn¡¯t do so.
¡°¡¡±
Mateo couldn¡¯t close his mouth and was just staring at me nkly.
Come to think of it, this guy harbored the desire to catch up with my skills during the first semester duel evaluation.
In my current [Hunter] state, I was the strongest in M?rchen Academy. As such, it seemed like he had fallen into a state of deep shock after seeing that I had reached a far higher level than when facing Orpheus the Submerged.
Soon thereafter, we reached the Emerald Pce.
Kwaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
As the gatekeepers tried to speak, I immediatelyunched [Frost Explosion], defeating them right away. After all, there was no time to engage in conversation.
We then opened the arched door and entered the pce.
A spacious and solemn space. Inside, a gigantic curtain divided this space in half.
Behind the curtain was the oval-shaped silhouette of a massive shadow. mes illuminated the surroundings with their fierce intensity.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, a cutscene yed when the yer approached that area. I remembered the curtain revealing therge head of a middle-aged man.
It was Oz, the core of the Floating IInd.
¡®I¡¯ll leave that to them.¡¯
I headed straight for the underground stairs next to me.
After all, Dorothy would be down there.
¡°Sir Isaac?¡±
¡°Leave that to Ian. Just tell him to cast [Apostle of Light] once he wakes up.¡±
I looked at Ian lying on Mateo¡¯s familiar as I answered. As expected, he was still peacefully unconscious.
If he casted [Apostle of Light] at Oz, the protective magic enveloping the Floating Ind would be released.
When that happens, the demons of thisndmass would probably go berserk, but there were plenty of talents at M?rchen Academy to defend against their attacks, so I had nothing to worry about.
¡°Also, run away as soon as possible. If not, you¡¯ll definitely die.¡±
Kaya nodded with a determined face. Since we had already discussed the n beforehand, she clearly understood my intentions.
It was because of the mana gas explosion; there was something like that underneath the ind.
When I tried to go down the stairs again, this time, Mateo spoke up.
¡°I didn¡¯t hear an exnation. What are you trying to do, Isaac?¡±
I hadpletely forgotten to exin our n to Mateo.
I didn¡¯t really want to go into detail at this point and honestly, there really wasn¡¯t anything to hide, so I just pointed below and answered in a calm voice.
¡°¡I¡¯m going to destroy this entire ind.¡±
I¡¯m going to fuck up the Floating Ind.
And save Dorothy.
Those were my only goals from the very beginning.
Mateo was silent as he gulped his dry spit with an anxious face. It seemed like he had anticipated that I would give such an answer in the first ce.
Anyway¡
I ignored them and stepped forward once again.
A faint scent of flowers.
As I descended down the dark stair, a vast precipice leading into profound darkness filled my sight.
And in the very center, a small beam of light mercifully cut through the darkness.
From the distant abyss where nothing was visible, a long object was rising out of it.
It was a repulsive pir made up of various human body parts.
¡°¡¡±
The owners of the body parts that made up the pir were all ¡®adventurers¡¯.
Enchanted by the illusion of the Floating Ind, these humans started their adventure in the country of Munchkins and followed the Yellow Brick Road. From there on out, they had adventures until eventually reaching Archwizard Oz, who said he would grant any wish.
In an illusion where they rode hot air balloons and went beyond the rainbow to return home, they would be reminiscing about the joyful adventures that they had experienced, but¡
In reality, they met their death, bing pitiful victims of the ind.
And the minions of the Floating Ind had carved up the bodies of these very victims and adorned them here.
At the top of the pir, there was arge ck orb.
It was a barrier created byyering the Floating Ind¡¯s dark and earth mana.
The ones who entered it were always the same; they were the ones whopleted their journeys. They met their death there as their life force and mana were sucked dry by the Floating Ind.
Dorothy was definitely inside that very orb.
However, that didn¡¯t mean I could simply break through that barrier.
¡®It would be CBR after all.¡¯1TL Note: korean term: chemcal, biological, radiologic
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, attempting to break that barrier would cause a toxic mana gas to explode, leading the yer to their death.
It was an extremely powerful gas explosion that shattered the Emerald Pce, spreading far and wide.
Extra Bad Ending N. 17 ¡¸The Untouchable¡¹.
Yeah, the title of the Bad Ending was already a problem.
It sounded as if I shouldn¡¯t save Dorothy no matter what because she needed to be sacrificed.
¡®But would I ever abandon Dorothy?¡¯
Never.
Even if there were countless Bad Endings on the path to saving Dorothy.
As long as I was here, she had to be saved no matter what.
There was no other reason. In this regard, rational thought processes were thrown out the window.
It was simple really¡
¡Does a fan really need a reason to save their favorite character?
While descending the stars. I discarded the ck hooded robe.
I was only wearing it just in case I got caught by the academy staff during the journey to the Floating Ind anyway.
Next, I took out a navy blue robe and a ck fanged mask from the magic pocket inside my school uniform. It was the Magic Cloak of Disguise ¨C Berserker.
¡®I haven¡¯t worn it in a while.¡¯
M?rchen Academy and Hegel Magic Tower would have already judged that the ck Monster had appeared on the Floating Ind.
Even if I caught the attention of the subjugation force or the Magic Tower observing the Floating Ind, I would need them to pass it off as ¡®Oh it¡¯s the ck Monster¡¯.
The Cloak of Disguise was a mess after my fight with Galia, but thanks to the repairs, there were no functional issues.
Due to the silent surroundings, the rustling sound of the cloth brushing against each other echoed in my ear.
After wearing the navy blue robe, I held the ck mask engraved withrge fangs and mrs in my hand and stopped in my tracks.
My gaze was still fixed on the ck spherical barrier.
¡®Is today the day Dorothy finds out¡¡¯
With the power of [All In the World], Dorothy could look into the very essence of the world.
Even if I disguised myself as the Berserker, it was impossible to hide from Dorothy¡¯s eyes.
So today, Dorothy would likely realize the fact that I was the ck Monster.
Then¡ there was no need for the mask.
Cheeng©¤©¤©¤!!
Hwarererereuk©¤©¤©¤!!
[Kkkeeuahhhhk!!]
The ceiling vibrated as if an earthquake had urred while the sound of holy mes and the screams of a middle-aged man echoed from above.
It seemed like Ian had properly fired off [Apostle of Light] at Oz.
Chijiijik©¤©¤.
As a tearing sound was heard, the solidified paint on the wall that epassed the vast precipice began to peel away as if torn off.
It was as if a piece of paper was burning while rising into the air.
The inneryer made by the Floating Ind¡¯s mana tore away, brightly letting out a pale brown light.
It was the sight of the Floating Ind¡¯s protective magic being released.
The surroundings became bright, which was pretty nice.
The pir made up of human body parts became even more vivid. It was somewhat grotesque though¡
Still, I felt pretty good.
¡°I¡¯m already excited.¡±
With a faint smile on my lips, I casually monologued to myself.
I wanted to see Dorothy soon.
Footnotes:- 1TL Note: korean term: chemcal, biological, radiologic
Chapter 109: Subjugation of the Floating Island (5)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (5) ?
Dorothy Gale had always preferred running to walking.
In the vast meadows of a countryside vige, she was an innocent child, whose innocence was second to none.
Despite often causing trouble to the vigers with her pranks, which sometimes led to minor idents¡
When the mud-covered girl brightly smiled as if all was well, the hearts of the vigers melted.
¡°¡Ah.¡±
As she opened her eyes, a destendscape unfolded before Dorothy¡¯s eyes.
It was the scenery of the vige where Dorothy had once lived. However, it was absolutely deste, as if it had always been this way.
Her maternal aunt and uncle who lived with her were nowhere to be found. Even her dog Toto was gone.
It all began with a tornado that struck one day.
Dorothy¡¯s board-framed house was torn away by this tornado, soaring high into the sky.
And that housended in the country of Munchkins.
In this very strange fantasynd, Dorothy set out to find the Archwizard Oz, who was said to grant any wish, in an effort to return home.
As she followed the Yellow Brick Road¡
She made friends with a Scarecrow who wanted a brain, a Tin man who wanted a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wanted courage.
After facing near-death situations and fighting the Wicked Witch, Dorothy finally reached Archwizard Oz.
After obtaining her wish from the Archwizard Oz, she had requested to return home. However, just as she was about to ride the hot air balloon to her beloved vige¡
A fairy, who secretly harbored affection for Dorothy, intervened, pulling her back to reality.
Only then did Dorothy realize that her adventures in this fantasynd were nothing more than an borate illusion that was made to devour her life force.
With the help of the fairy, Dorothy escaped from the massive floatingndmass and returned home.
However, by then, the Floating Ind had already swept away her hometown.
Even as the sunlight faded and a chilly wind blew, Dorothy, who was as expressionless and silent as a scarecrow, stared at her hometown which had turned utterly deste.
When she lowered her eyes, the stigma of a curse engraved on her abdomen was visible through her torn maroon dress.
What was left for Dorothy was nothing but an inevitable death.
The lonely moonlight shone sadly upon her.
In the dead of night, as rain fell and dawn broke, a rainbow appeared beyond the vast wastnd, stretching across the world.
Even though the girl was soaked in the rain, she paid no attention to it, endlessly gazing at the shining rainbow.
Up there, beyond the rainbow¡
There was a ce she had only heard about in lubies.
As a sense of drowsiness overwhelmed her¡
The young girl quietly fell into a deep slumber, wishing to wake up in that beautiful dreand.
The 9-year-old girl withvender hair, Dorothy Gale, blinked open her eyes and gazed at the vast sky.
She couldn¡¯t tell when night had fallen, but the enchanting starlight densely adorned the navy blue sky.
Although there was nothing around, her expression was remarkably serene, unlike the version of herself in her memories.
¡°Heut!¡±
She abruptly lifted her torso.
¡°Well, what a nonsensical illusion!¡±
Dorothy had aughing face as she sprung up.
¡°Hello? Is there nothing but baggage here?!¡±
She loudly shouted in a yful manner all by herself and started to twirl around as if dancing.
The hem of her maroon dress swirled along with her steps.
¡°How cruel! Isn¡¯t it too much to enjoy this romantic scene all by myself?! Even the night sky is this beautiful!
The 9-year-old girl, who was a meremoner, shouted as if she was a Queen. However, she suddenly stopped as she felt soft tufts of fur touching her leg.
Dorothy lowered her gaze with a face full of suspicion.
A dark brown puppy was sticking out its tongue, panting, while looking at her.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy¡¯s face trembled. Her expression gradually stiffened; so much so that the lively and yfulughter from just a moment ago seemed like a lie.
She knelt on the ground and embraced the puppy in her arms.
¡°Toto.¡±
She closed her eyes and called out the name of her beloved pet. The small puppy snugly fit into the young Dorothy¡¯s embrace.
Soon, a feeling of familiarity enveloped her. When she quietly opened her eyes, thendscape of her hometown under the night sky began to appear.
Vigers.
A board-framed house with a red roof.
Standing in front of such a house were Dorothy¡¯s gray-haired aunt and uncle who gazed at her affectionately.
Dorothy¡¯s eyes widened and said, ¡°Toto, wait a moment.¡± Before gently cing the puppy Toto on the ground and approaching the board-framed house.
As she stood there with some distance¡
Dorothy forced a weak smile upon her face.
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Aunt and Uncle! Nihihi, it seems like I am going to join you soon.¡±
The fading me of life felt much more palpable than she had imagined. Dorothy was keenly aware that she was not far from death.
And just before death, a sh of light passed through her mind. Is this part of the world? Or is it the threshold to the afterlife?
¡°Hey, you know¡¡±
For Dorothy, there was no way to know, but it didn¡¯t matter to her.
She just wanted to tell them her story.
¡°After everyone was gone, I thought¡ maybe I should just stop living, you know? But I couldn¡¯t do it. So, I decided to live diligently. Ah, but it was so hard¡ It was so so hard! I bet there has never been a beggar as destitute as me.¡±
As Dorothy recalled her past, she waved her hand with disgust.
¡°But even so, I earned some money while working as an adventurer¡ Made a decent living, and got older¡ Then for some reason, I felt like I wanted to experience something more fitting for my age. So, I entered the academy. Well, I was naturally talented, so I didn¡¯t really need to attend sses, but still¡ It was so much fun!¡±
Before her death, she wanted to live a life suitable for her age.
And that was when she thought of the academy. Going to sses with friends her age, taking the same exams, and bonding with peers¡ For Dorothy, who had struggled so much all her life, it was her greatest dream.
¡°As expected of me, I got a ton of demerits too, nehehe! But still, I am pretty popr. I have a cute fan club President and many fans. Somehow, everyone seems to like me so much! I don¡¯t know why, but they just can¡¯t get enough of me~!¡±
Dorothy ced her hand on her chest and closed her eyes as she spoke triumphantly. Her tone was one of pride.
Her aunt and uncle silently listened to her story with smiling faces.
There were no sad tales. Dorothy only spoke of joyful stories that she couldugh and chatter about.
Dorothy endlessly unfolded her tales of exciting adventures, described delicious foods she had eaten, and recounted delightful incidents from her time at the academy.
She even mixed in dumb jokes and erupted into uncontrobleughter.
She vividly exined to them how much fun she had while living, almost as if painting a picture of her life.
As she continued, her eyes gradually moistened and her voice slowed down, as if time itself was stretching infinitely.
Gradually, tears began to trickle down Dorothy¡¯s smiling face.
Even though she was sharing mundane everyday stories, her throat choked up. Even when she tried to hold back her tears, they couldn¡¯t help but fall.
When she wiped away the tears with her palm and wrist, Dorothy continued to wear the mask of a smiling face, as if it was just another beautiful and joyful day.
Having finally met her aunt and uncle, she didn¡¯t want to show them an expression of sorrow.
Suddenly, her throat felt so tight that even her joyous stories could be let out.
As she began to sniffle like she had a cold, she involuntarily let out a sudden burst of uncontrobleughter at her own ridiculousness.
Despite her attempts to hold back tears, more and more sobs continued to spill out.
Dorothy covered her face with both hands, as her head drooped low.
Struggling to find the strength to speak, she took a moment, before finally uttering the words she had most wanted to say.
¡°¡I missed you.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s heart crumbled.
Whenever she tried to capture the beautiful parts of the world in her eyes, she always saw them.
And when she endlessly watched their lovely smiles peer down on her¡
¡She couldn¡¯t help but hope that one day, she could return to their embrace.
It was a serene night.
The cold, bright moonlight and the twinkling starlight quietly overlooked the young girl who was now shivering and sobbing.
In this destend of her hometown, the girl attempted to fall into a deep slumber that she would never wake up from.
Reality was different from the fantasy world of dreams, romance, and unending adventures.
In reality, Dorothy had nothing. No precious people. No beloved hometown. All that remained was a stigma that indicated a looming deadline; she had less than ten years left before facing death.
However, the girl desired to shine.
Even if nothing but despair remained in her dull life, she decided to live like the protagonist of a y.
She decided to savor every beautiful bit of her remaining years.
And so, she endured.
If the girl learned anything throughout her whole life, it was how to endure.
Dorothy¡¯s aunt and uncle approached before embracing her tightly.
An impoverished countryside vige. Dorothy¡¯s beloved people, who had loved her even when she was just an orphan.
Dorothy lowered both hands and forced herself to smile once again.
Her aunt wiped away the tears in Dorothy¡¯s eyes.
Dorothy tried to clearly engrave the face of her beloved aunt deeply into her memories.
But suddenly¡
In the far distance where the rainbow had risen, the opposite side of the world became covered in dazzling starlight of various colors.
As if contrasting with where Dorothy was, half of the world was enveloped in a dazzling light.
As she watched the changing world with a surprised expression, Dorothy soon realized what was happening and erupted with wryughter.
¡°Well then~.¡±
Dorothy innocently smiled and kissed her aunt, uncle, and Toto on the cheeks before lifting herself up.
¡°Aunt, Uncle, Toto! I¡¯ll go join you a littleter! After all, someone said he woulde and save me!¡±
With the starlit world to her back, the 9-year-old girl had her hands behind her as she let out a bright smile.
¡°He¡¯s the president of my fan club. He always works like some training fanatic and pours all his time into improving himself. Sometimes he seems smart, but he¡¯s actually aplete fool¡ Even so, he¡¯s incredibly cute. Since he said he woulde and save me, I¡¯ll dly get saved. Nihihi.¡±
Her aunt and uncle wore subtle smiles.
How were they so lovable? How could she not heart-wrenchingly miss them?
Dorothy suppressed her overwhelming emotions and began to take a few steps backward.
¡°That¡¯s why¡ I¡¯ll being a littleter¡ I love you.¡±
With those words, Dorothy Gale turned around and walked toward the radiant world of starlight.
As she set foot in that world, the 9-year-old girl transformed into a respectable student.
Wearing a witch hat on her head and donning a M?rchen Academy uniform, this student was an iparably unique and rare genius. She was the ¡®Witch of Stars¡¯.
She was Dorothy Heartnova.
¡°I¡¯m already excited.¡±
With light footsteps akin to a bouncing rabbit.
Dorothy pressed down her blue witch hat, as she let out a genuineugh.
She couldn¡¯t wait to see Isaac.
***
The frosty silver wind, [Frostwind], blew fiercely.
The Floating Ind¡¯s yellow mana gas, capable of leading anyone to their deaths, exploded, obliterating the Emerald Pce into smithereens.
However, [Frostwind] quickly swirled as it dispersed the mana gas.
A silver-blue-haired male student easily deflected the threat of death that came his way with [Ice Sovereign¡¯s Majesty].
Then, with the rock gauntlet he had made from partially summoning his golem familiar, Eden, he shattered the ck spherical barrier in one blow.
With the clear sound of shattering ss, the barrier copsed.
And what he saw was avender-haired female student with half of her body absorbed into a ck pir. ck spots akin to mes were blooming all over her body.
The boy dispelled the partial summoning of Eden and stood still before her.
Unexpected beams of light poured out as she weakly opened her eyes. Then, while slowly lifting her head, she silently stared at the male student who hade all this way to find her.
The man, who stood with beams of light behind him, looked very familiar.
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, she realized how ridiculous this all was.
After all, she, who had once given up on everything and epted death, now had so many things she wanted to do just because of a few words from this man.
As if it was natural toe and save her, the man spoke in a peaceful and calm voice.
¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±
Although her body was devoid of strength¡
Dorothy managed to squeeze out whatever strength she had left and let out a weak smile with great difficulty.
After all, if possible, she wanted to face Isaac with a smile.
Chapter 110: Subjugation of the Floating island (6)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (6) ?
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!]
The sound of woodwind instruments filled the heavens.
Above the Floating Ind.
A white dragon straight out of myths, Frost Dragon-Hilde, soared and let out cold air, spreading her magnificent white wings as far as they could reach.
Around that white dragon, a widespread [Frostwind] swirled with fierce intensity.
I smashed the remainder of the ck pir with my fist and pulled out Dorothy, princess-carrying her in my arms.
It seemed like she didn¡¯t even have the strength to keep her body stable, as she continued to exhaleborious breaths.
Her eyes were barely open, gazing at my face.
¡°Pres¡ ident¡¡±
A dying voice.
I didn¡¯t bother to reply. After seeing Dorothy in such a poor state, I didn¡¯t want to force a conversation.
Instead, I revealed a smile to reassure her. That I hade here specifically for her.
This was the moment I had so longed for.
In every ythrough of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I had only dreamed of this moment. After all, I wanted to rescue Dorothy at any cost.
To me, who was immersed in my preparations for the state exam, your radiant figure, determined to shine despite having nothing left, was incredible.
I hated the thought of you dying.
Let¡¯s live on without making sacrifices, okay?
For your sake, I¡¯ll deny the very reality of this scenario and crush this overgrown pile of dirt.
That was my oath. My resolve. From the very beginning, the only thing I could think of was saving Dorothy.
Using [irvoyance], I saw Ian¡¯s party joining the subjugation team before escaping from the Floating IInd.
As nned, Kaya had probably persuaded the subjugation team to flee as soon as they met by saying that the ck Monster had shown itself once again.
So, I had to do my part too. At the right moment, I activated [Hunter], destroying the surroundings and pouring out a frigid chill. As such, the subjugation team seemed to sense the danger and decided to escape.
The ck Monster was an unstoppable force. The perception that it was a dangerous Archwizard capable of using apocalyptic levels of magic was widespread.
If such a monster was deliberately challenging the Floating Ind, it was only reasonable to escape before the fight escted.
¡®Also, when did Ian faint again¡?¡¯
Oh so surprisingly, Ian was being carried away by the subjugation team, already unconscious.
I spected that he was hit on the head by the debris of the Emerald Pce that fell due to the impact of shooting [Apostle of Light] at Oz, the core of the Floating Ind.
¡®But now, there¡¯s no need to worry about him.¡±
After all, Ian¡¯s role here was done. I was grateful for what he had done up to this point.
When I raised my head, a huge sinkhole was visible. It was probably from the shock of the mana gas exploding out of the Floating Ind.
Above it, my familiar, Hilde, was sweeping through the battlefield with [Frostwind].
[Frostwind] had the property of enhancing Hilde¡¯s ice magic, as well as her owner¡¯s. Simultaneously, it could be used as a blinding technique.
As I harbored hostility and confronted the Floating Ind with my familiar, I was currently in a state where [Hunter] was activated.
Thanks to this, my body felt incredibly light, allowing me to effortlessly leap andnd outside.
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤.
[Frostwind] shone with the radiance of white jade, a much more vivid color than I had expected.
¡®With this, I don¡¯t need to disguise myself.¡¯
I probably didn¡¯t need to ufortably wear a mask to disguise myself. I could confidently rely on my full power.
Koong©¤©¤.
While boasting her gigantic figure, the white dragon, Hilde, descended and lowered her head to me. Her descent alone caused highly dense cold mana and a storm of dust to scatter, making the ground tremble in her wake.
After cing the powerless and limp Dorothy on Hilde¡¯s back, I used [Rock Generation] to keep her firmly in ce.
I casted [Ice Barrier] and [Stone Barrier] around her to neutralize my own ice and rock magic, thus keeping her safe from any harm that may befall her.
Dorothy tried to say something, but her voice didn¡¯t seem toe out properly.
The curse was still gradually devouring her life force and mana. She wouldn¡¯t have any strength left to even speak.
¡°Just wait for me¡¡±
It¡¯s okay. Everything will be fine.
¡°¡Until I break this thing apart.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s two eyes widened slightly. It was hard to tell whether she was surprised by what I said or not. I couldn¡¯t read her psychology so I decided to just move on.
My hair and the navy blue cloak fluttered because of [Frostwind]. In contrast, Dorothy seemed to be enclosed in a serene world within the protective barrier I had created.
It¡¯s finally time.
I turned away from here and gazed at the fantasy world, ¡®Land of Oz¡¯.
Behind me, Hilde soared upward while carrying Dorothy.
After spreading her massive wings, she scattered white jade-colored frost mana like a gust of wind.
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
The Floating Ind vibrated as if an earthquake had urred. From an unknown ce, the eerie sound of woodwind instruments resonated with a scream, tormenting my eardrums.
It had sensed my mana and felt threatened. However, I paid it no mind.
After casually rotating my shoulder and stretching¡
I flipped on my hood and bloomed ice mana on my right palm. Pale blue frost flowed and small ice crystals floated around.
With that, I quietly surveyed this world.
From now on, I¡¯llpletely annihte the Land of Oz.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? Chapter 2, ¡¸Back Story ¨C Wizard of Oz¡¹.
In the actual fairy tale, Dorothy returned to her hometown afterpleting her adventure in the fantasy world and was held in her aunt¡¯s embrace, thus fulfilling her very own happy ending.
However, in this world, Dorothy could only return to her hometown with the grim reality of despair.
Even so, she chose to stand up and shine.
She decided to show this fucked up world just how impressive of an existence she was with all her might.
And so, her final act was a noble sacrifice.
To defeat an enemy that no one in the academy could ovee, she threw away thest embers of her life with a face filled withughter. As such, she met the conditions to activate [Last Light of a Dying Star] and brought down the Floating Ind.
¡But, how can I tolerate such a thing?
You said you wanted to live. That¡¯s all the more reason why I can¡¯t simply give up on you. And now, I am here. Just for you. I¡¯m standing in this ce, at this time¡ just for you. ¡¸Ice Sovereign (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹
My hair stood on end.
The saturation of my skin increased and the energy of the Ice Sovereign flowed quietly from the depths of my heart.
[Ice Sovereign]. Its effects were straightforward.
It maximized the power of the ice magic I used.
Unlike in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I possessed a 9-star passive skill [Ice Sovereign], the legendary weapon Frostscythe, andmanded the mythical magic beast Frost Dragon-Hilde as my familiar.
Therefore, my full power easily surpassed the Floating Ind¡¯s Level 190.
However, I wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain the [Ice Sovereign] state for long.
¡®At best, 10 minutes or so.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t a precise estimate. It was just an instinctive judgment that I could maintain the [Ice Sovereign] state for roughly 10 minutes.
I brought out the Frostscythe stored within my body and firmly grasped it; a frigid chill gathered in my outstretched right hand, forming the shape of arge scythe with a dark blue glow.
An outpour of cold air.
As I lightly embedded the tip of Frostscythe into the ground, the pale blue mana turned into dozens of ripples before spreading out.
In an instant, the rigor of winter swept through the Floating Ind.
Then, I upped the ante of my mana.
Wooooong©¤©¤.
Hundreds ofrge magic circles were instantly generated in the sky.
And I extended the de of Frotscythe slightly forward and calmly gave mymand.
¡°Hilde, freeze it all.¡±
Hilde aggressively roared and poured out ice mana.
[Kaaaaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!]
Above Hilde¡¯s head, a magnificent pale blue magic circle, brimming with a tremendous amount of mana, was conjured.
Without hesitation, the white dragon poured out arge-scale silver magic from the magic circle.
¡¸Hell of the Crimson Lotus (Ice Element, ¡ï8)¡¹
A series of white streaks were engraved in the air.
In an instant, they grew in size, forming the shape of silver beams of light enveloped in frost.
Kwaaaaaaahhhhh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
A violent explosion dyed thendscape white.
Ice magic at a country-destroying level, [Hell of the Crimson Lotus]. With intensely cold air, it transformed the earth into an icy hell.
At the same time, I aimed at the Land of Oz which was covered in a hazy mist, andunched giant masses of ice from hundreds of magic circles.
Kuoooooooo©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Kwangggg©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
Dozens of gigantic ice masses encasing rock flew toward the Floating Ind as it let out white cold air. It was like a hail straight out of a frozen hell as it fell and reached incredible speeds.
Each chunk had the power to effortlessly destroy the entire grounds of M?rchen Academy.
¡¸Winter Shower¡¹
Every time theets of ice struck the Floating Ind, the densely packed ice mana exploded and¡ª.
A massive physical impact. The ground trembled and space twisted, as it was apanied by a deafening roar that seemed to tear through eardrums.
Fragments of the Floating Ind scattered through the air. As the hard shell that resembled ordinary ground broke apart. The squishy interior of the red body began to reveal itself.
Like a human, it seemed to be a living organism with various organs.
Countless sharp icicles repeatedly poured out with such momentum that they seemed to pierce the sky. Additionally, blizzards and storms fiercely swept through with [Frostwind].
Explosions repeated ceaselessly and the thunderous noise showed no signs of stopping.
At this moment, roars shook the heavens, and all hell broke loose.
¡°Eden, assist.¡±
I summoned the golem familiar, Eden.
As I infused rock mana to reinforce him, he rapidly grew and was enveloped in rock skin to be a giant.
[Guoooooo©¤©¤©¤!]
Eden struck a colossal fist of rock toward the Floating Ind.
A violent sonic boom echoed and, as if a meteor had collided, immense air pressure had spread in all directions, creating a sandstorm.
Hilde unleashed her magic, Eden swung his fists in a barrage, and [Winter Shower] continued to rain down.
And in such a ce, I listened to the painful cries, akin to the wailing of woodwind instruments, from the tormented Floating Ind.
Slowly, I made my way across hell.
My chest boiled from within. My heart raced.
Was it because I had endured [Ice Sovereign] for several minutes? I felt out of ce, almost as if I was stepping into another world.
A heavy yet captivating melody flowed in my mind and from somewhere deep in my body, a strange sensation wriggled.
If I took just a few more steps forward, it felt like I would awaken someth¨C
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
As expected, the Floating Ind didn¡¯t passively endure my attacks.
The Floating Ind¡¯s earth magic transformed into beams of light and relentlessly struck in clusters.
The scale of each attack was immense. There was no point in evading.
I swiftly swung my armden with mana and raised towering walls of ice and rock from the ground.
Within the pale blue ice walls, light brown rock mana flowed; it was the elemental magic, [Fossilized Ice].
The densely concentrated elemental wall firmly took its ce like a sturdy fortress and blocked the onught of the Floating Ind¡¯s beams of light.
Earth elemental attacks relentlessly poured out. This vast demonndmass howled in agony as they counterattacked incessantly.
However, this wasn¡¯t a sign of the bastard¡¯s defeat.
[HurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurtsHurts.]
A multitude of faces suddenly emerged from the ground beneath my feet.
Their eyes were hollow with a vacant void instead of eyes. They expressed their agony as their lips moved rapidly.
¡°Shut u-!¡±
Kuuuuoooooooo©¤©¤©¤!!
Abruptly, the ground beneath me began to relentlessly surge towards the sky.
Crushed by the heavy pressure, I knelt on one knee and bowed my head.
There was nowhere to escape. The vast ground itself was rising after all.
Consecutively, from far above the sky, I could feel immense mana beyond the clouds.
I nced briefly when suddenly, something descended towards me while in the midst of a torrent of mes.
It was an enormous meteorite.
Enveloped in earth mana, a golden mana extended like a tail behind the meteorite as it was enveloped in a deadly ze.
I clenched my fist before striking the rising ground.
Kwannnggggg©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
A sonic boom. My fist unleashed explosive power.
The surging ground shattered into pieces. The resulting shockwave pushed my hood away.
Amidst the fragments of the Floating Ind that flew in all directions, my body floated in the air.
I turned my body towards the meteorite that was hurtling my way.
If others witnessed this scene, I would appear infinitesimally small and feeblepared to the size of the meteorite the Floating Ind had thrown.
However, in my [Ice Sovereign] state, I could easily block a meteorite of that magnitude with my magic.
After releasing [Fossilized Ice] that was set up around me¡
I generated the 6-star ice elemental magic, [Frost Wave], and stretched my arm toward the meteorite.
At that moment.
[Nihihi.]
A child-like giggle.
The formidable mana I had felt from the Floating Ind just moments ago, now erupted with a terrifying intensity, spreading through the sky like ripples in a pond.
Sensing such mana, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bewildered.
¡®What is this¡?¡¯
My two eyes trembled.
As I turned my head downward, many heads filled the ground, as they stared at me with those eyeless, pitch-ck, and hollow eyes.
With grotesquely contorted expressions, they looked up at me and¡
[Nihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!!]
[Nihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!!]
[Nihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!!]
[Nihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!!]
[Nihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!!]
[Nihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!!]
They started to mock me with theirughter.
Almost as if to say, ¡®You were fooled, right?¡¯
Hwahhhhhhh©¤©¤©¤.
The Floating Ind¡¯s body was stained with the color of red wine. Even the heads emerging from the ground were dyed in such a color.
The ground cracked and split open in various ces.
Earth mana took the form ofva, erupting intermittently from the fissure. Its heat even overwhelmed [Frostwind].
Amidst the continuous eruption ofva and the mass of ck smoke billowing up¡
Demons made of ck volcanic rock with blood flowing likeva emerged in a steady stream.
¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t close my agape jaw.
[Geuheheheheheheheh©¤©¤©¤.]
Beyond the Floating Ind, from every direction¡
Colossal beings emerged from the sea as if to trap me.
Beyond the [Frostwind] that devoured theva, misty currents surrounded the gigantic demons and seawater cascaded down like a waterfall.
In their bodies made of ck rock,va flowed between the cracks where the rocks were joined.
With their heads resembling tigers and their bear-like bodies, they were incredibly massive.
These humongous one-eyed giants only looked towards me, as they revealed twisted smiles.
Each one of them was a minion of the Floating Ind.
[Kalida the Freakish] Lv: 185
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Earth
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [Wants to smack you down with its palm.]
Each entity was stronger than Hilde.
In all my time spent on ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I had never seen such a sight.
In other words, this was a form of the Floating Ind that I had been unaware of.
¡°¡¡±
Only then did I realize.
Dorothy sacrificed her life using [Last Light of a Dying Star] to overwhelm the Floating Ind.
Because of that, the Floating Ind was defeated without a chance to release its true form.
Dorothy could only judge that nobody was able to defeat the Floating Ind because she possessed the power of [All in The World], which could prate the essence of everything.
[Cavallion the Earthshaker] Lv: 200
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Earth
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [Wants to toy with you before tearing you limb from limb..]
In human terms, the Floating Ind was an existence that had reached the level of an Archwizard.
It knew how to control the maximum amount of its mana, thus the bastard could hide its full power to appear like it was only level 190.
When I turned my gaze, I saw Hilde pouring out ice magic towards the Floating Ind.
On her back, I could see Dorothy, who looked at me with eyes full of worry, even amidst her difficulty to move.
The vast reddish-brown magic circle generated beneath the Floating Ind was preparing to erase the ind where M?rchen Academy was located without a single trace.
As the true identity of the Floating Ind was revealed, the speed at which the magic circle was conjured became even faster.
At best, I had a few tens of seconds before a magic circle that would turn this surrounding area into a field of destruction waspleted.
That¡¯s right. This bastard had been ying with humans all along.
As it revealed itself as a threatening existence to the whole world, it enjoyed watching humans rush towards it to stop it.
Now, there was not much time left.
There was nowhere to escape.
If I didn¡¯t quickly annihte this massivendmass¡
Everyone would die.
Everything woulde to an end.
Just because I wished to save Dorothy.
In order for this world to reach a happy ending, it seems as if fate itself was forcing me to ept the noble sacrifice of one female student.
Sacrifice.
Why was such a fucked up sacrifice so important to this world?
¡°¡Ha¡ Fuck.¡±
With such thoughts, I spit out a curse.
How can I ept such a proposition, such a scenario, when I was here?
I will save Dorothy, I will prevent a bad ending. I will, no matter what.
¡[Frozen Soul] was honestly relentless in that whenever I was on the verge of forgetting about it, the effect returned and my mind calmed down.
I turned my head upwards again.
Underneath the falling meteorites.
As I plummeted from high above the sky, I blinked my eyes sharply.
Babump.
An unknown pressure tightly squeezed my heart. Something within me was urging me to wield the ice mana even more firmly.
Almost as if it was telling me to wield my power, [Ice Sovereign],pletely.
When I maintained the [Ice Sovereign] state, I felt a sensation as if I was stepping into a new realm with each passing minute.
Deep within my body, I heard a booming sound, as if someone was incessantly knocking on a giant iron door.
I didn¡¯t know why this was happening.
However, at this moment, anything that could lend me strength would be wee with open arms.
Firepower that could st the Floating Ind out of existence. That was all I needed.
But¡ Unfortunately, I still didn¡¯t have enough power to open that door. I had not reached that level yet.
¡®If so¡¡¯
I had to open it, even if I had to force it open.
If I looked back at my previous experiences, this situation filled with despair was honestly no different from any other crisis I had gone through.
Life never flowed ording to my intentions.
Even while knowing the scenario of this world, my ns still tended to go entirely haywire and tangled.
It was nothing new. It was just something I had to persistently ovee.
Along with the falling meteorites, a horde of ¡®Kalida the Freaksih¡¯ were extendingva-enveloped arms towards me, who was still in the air.
Just moving their fists or arms created tremendous air pressure.
The reddish-brown magic circle continued to be conjured above the Floating Ind andva pirs stretched towards me with terrifying force.
Although the Floating Ind targeted me, attacking from all sides¡
¨CAt that moment, I held an item in my arms.
A shabby worn-out key.
[Key to Mysteries] A key imbued with mysterious magic. It is used to open the doors to a certain underground area. It can be used anywhere.
Rank: Tier 1
[¡ùCaution: Numerous deadly threats will target you upon use.]
I could go to the Netherworld if I used this key.
The effective range included everything in direct contact with me.
I recalled when Ian used the ¡®Key to Mysteries¡¯ in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the demonic creature hit by the light elemental power he emitted was also transported to the Netherworld.
The demonic creature, after stepping into the Netherworld, melted away in order to teach the yer the dangers of such a world.
In other words, the effective range included everything in contact with my magic. Moreover, since my familiar was a manifestation of my power, it would also follow along.
Since everything that went to the Netherworld with the power of this key also followed when returning, if I failed to defeat the Floating Ind in the Netherworld¡
¡®I would die as well.¡¯
Even so, I had to try whatever I could.
I created dozens of pale blue magic circles around me. I casted the powerful 6-star magic, [Frost Wave], thus pouring out intense cold air.
Chararararak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
The cold produced from my mana rushed out with tremendous force, as it froze meteorites, clouds, and even the fists of Kalida the Freakish.
Although I couldn¡¯tpletely break the momentum of theva, this should be enough.
The cold air generated by [Frost Wave], along with the Hilde¡¯s [Frostwind] swept through like a hurricane.
Just like how it worked in many games, if you got to have a phase 2¡.
¡°This time, it¡¯s my turn.¡±
Let¡¯s go to my phase 2 as well.
I extended the ¡®Key to Mysteries¡¯ into the air.
When I harbored the intention to turn the key, something clicked. An unseen door emitted an alien light, locking the key in ce.
Without hesitation, I turned the key.
Guooooooooo©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥.
From somewhere, a massive mouth not of this world appeared and swallowed everything.
Chapter 111: Subjugation of the Floating Island (7)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind (7) ?
A ck sky.
The sky was engraved with countless lunar-like substances, each boasting an alien violet glow.
The countless moons seemed to have their own gravity, as unidentifiable auroras twisted and turned, avoiding such substances.
Hilde and Dorothy, who was riding on top of her back, looked around with astonished expressions.
Kalida the Freakish and the minions that filled the Floating Ind to the brim scrutinized this new world with looks of incongruity.
Beneath the Floating Ind, extending beyond the horizon, was a web of whitend that stretched out like a.
A sweet scent akin to nephentes wafted from under the cliff where the carcasses of various grotesque creatures piled high into the sky.1TL Note: Nephentes is a type of seductive nt.
Kwaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The center of the Floating Ind.
I continuously gathered andbined my mana before unleashing a violent explosion of ice.
A brilliant radiance filled thendscape. The explosion of pale blue mana shattered the Floating Ind, covering the minions in a frigid chill.
A mass of ice, akin to a tower, stretched towards the empty sky.
One after the other, I began to unleash a bombardment of ice and rock spells onto this uselessly vast demonndmass.
¡¸Absolute Zero¡¹
Dozens of [Winter Shower].
¡¸Meteor Shower¡¹+¡¸Golden Meteor¡¹ ¡¸Frost Wave¡¹
[Abyssal cier], which froze andpletely neutralized the Floating Ind¡¯s attacks.
¡¸Frost Explosion¡¹+¡¸Frost Explosion¡¹+¡¸Frost Explosion¡¹
This ce was the perfect spot to rapidly level up: The edge of the Nether.
Various grotesque creatures, without fear or rational judgment, leaving onlybat instincts, flew at me with the intent to kill. However, they were all swallowed by the magic I unleashed.
Blood poured from my mouth. Abusing the power of [Ice Sovereign] had taken its toll on my body. I wouldn¡¯t be able to endure for much longer.
It had already been well over ten minutes.
The side effects of [Ice Sovereign]. Pain akin to being pricked by thorns epassed every corner of my body. Intense agony, as if my organs were bursting, overwhelmed me.
Even so, I couldn¡¯t stop here. If I stopped here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to move anymore.
My rationality was numbed.
I simply roared like a beast, swinging my fist and pouring out mana onto Cavallion the Earthshaker.
Yet, in the midst of everything, I recalled the conversation I had with Dorothy when we danced.
©¤¡®President, there¡¯s something I wanna try.¡¯
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 88!]
©¤¡®Well, I heard that Regel¡¯s Croissants are really famous for being tasty. Let¡¯s go and eat some together.¡¯
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 89!]
Just like some clich¨¦ narrative, I have always considered myself the protagonist of my own life.
However, in reality, my life is tainted with an unchanging shade of gray.
Even in the hellish realm filled with massive explosions and cold air, the only sight reflected upon my eyes was a single cramped room.
If one looked around, it was filled with ¡®You can do it¡¯ books that would only be seen in bookstores orplicated legal jargon written on little Post-Its that were stuck to the wall.
And below that, thickw books were stacked higher than my height.
It hadn¡¯t been a radiant life for sure.
©¤¡®Oh, and did you know? Lake Frey in the Astrea Duchy is supposed to be really pretty. I saw it in a book. Let¡¯s go see that too.¡¯
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 90!]
©¤¡®They say the moss forest inside the Vantus Woods in Medelnook is super pretty too.¡¯
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 91!]
That¡¯s why the way youmanded your own life was truly amazing to me.
Even when you harbored a heart that was on the very edge of copse, you, with your seemingly innocent smile, lived resiliently in this world regardless.
You wouldn¡¯t know how much healing I received just by witnessing that side of you, Dorothy.
So this time, I thought I¡¯d paint you a world full of possibilities. Just for you.
©¤¡®So that¡¯s why¡¡¯
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 92!]
In my chest, a dull sound echoed in my ears, as if a massive iron door was being knocked on again and again.
Above the empty grass field, I began to feel the presence of an iron door, sealed with tightly-wound chains.
I didn¡¯t know what it was, but one thing was certain.
The presence sealed behind that iron door was my power.
Just one step. I just needed to take one more step.
I strained both of my eyes. I ignored my increasingly numb body. I paid no mind to the cascading red blood pouring from my eyes and mouth.
Although I faltered at times, my determination moved me steadily towards the iron door emanating an immense frigidness.
©¤¡®I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll still continue meeting with this Big Sis like this even after I graduate, President.¡¯
The sound of rattling chains.
Finally, my hand touched the chain enveloping the iron door.
And I forcefully unraveled them.
¡°¡Haa.¡±
A sigh escaped from me.
The [Ice Sovereign]¡¯s pale blue chill that emanated from my body took on the form of massive wings.
And the gentle ice mana flowing from my mouth extended out like streams of mes, flickering like will-o¡¯-wisps.
At longst, I felt like I had properly stepped into the pinnacle of the ice element.
After all, just by standing here, the entire area was frozen solid.
[Keuhahahhahahahak©¤©¤©¤!!]
Kalida the Freakish deployed a magic circle towards me and vomited out its magic.
A scorching shockwave ripped on the ground and an inescapable wave ofva surged towards me.
¡°¡¡±
How uninteresting.
I casually extended my arm towards the wave ofva and condensed my ice mana before releasing it.
Kwaaaaaaaah©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!!!
¡¸Frost Explosion¡¹
A powerful explosion of ice pushed back theva, freezing a fifth of the Floating Ind in an instant.
A colossal chunk of ice extended violently, freezing Kalida the Freakish that had attacked me, alongside itsva.
I realized.
At this moment, my frigid aura could freeze everything in this world.
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!]
The Floating Ind seemed to sense its crisis, as it emitted a sound akin to a woodwind instrument.
Above in the sky¡
An iron doorrger than the Floating Ind had silently appeared as if it was drawn on the canvas known as the heavens.
The intense chill emanating from it was my own.
Intuitively, I also knew that I was the one who had pulled it out.
I lifted my head and cynically gazed at the iron door.
Koooooo©¤©¤©¤©¤.
The iron door swung open and a radiant pale blue light poured out.
With just that, an immense cold swept throughout this world.
The absolute cold emanating from that being could bring about an ice age with its mere presence.
One after another, countless magic circles unfolded in the air.
These numerous magic circles shot out chains, entwining the being inside the iron door.
It wasn¡¯t my magic nor was it the magic of the Floating Ind.
Providence of the Nether.
Even Providence itself stepped in to stop the being I had brought out.
Within the iron door, a colossal arm, entwined in the chains of Providence, reached out and gripped the door frame.
Each time it did so, a dull sound echoed and a dark blue aura burst forth.
Soon thereafter, a ck monster jumped out from the iron door.
With its crimson eyes shing, the being roared fiercely at the Floating Ind.
[Daikan ¨C Primordial Beast of Ice] Lv: ¡ö¡ö¡ö
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Ice
Danger: ¡ö
Psychology: [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö]
Magic Beast of Ice ¨C Daikan the Primordial.
An otherworldly magic beast that could exist anywhere, even transcending death.
And the power that hady dormant in me.
It was my minion.
I extended my right arm forward.
Lowering just my index finger, I pointed downwards, indicating the Floating Ind.
¡°Destroy it all.¡±
As I issued themand with a dry voice, a dark blue magic circle, seeminglyrge enough to engulf even the Floating Ind, traced a trajectory toward it.
Daikan roared. It was a roar so loud that it shook both Heaven and Earth.
With just that, this worldpletely took on the form of a cial zone.
An astronomical amount of mana swirled.
Daikan¡¯s cold mana twinkled like a clear sh¡
And turned into a majestic beam of blue light that engulfed the entire area.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥.
A ferociously unrelenting cold descended.
It painted the entirendscape with the color of its mana.
The relentless dark blue cold showed no signs of abating and stretched endlessly, reaching beyond the horizon.
There was no sound. Even time itself seemed to freeze for a moment.
Amidst the explosion of dazzlingly bright cold mana¡
I quietly closed my eyes.
And what was reflected in my vision was the image of Dorothy, who smiled brightly even while sacrificing her own life.
There were things in the world that one could not face with a sane mind. Perhaps, for Dorothy, the destendscape of her hometown reflected in her eyes was one of such things.
Therefore, Dorothy, struggling to dilute painful memories, managed to smile bravely, ensuring that the color of her life did not fade even in her dying moment.
The Key of Mysteries was about to disappear. In order to return, I turned the key in the air.
[Level Up!! Your level has©¤©¤©¤.]
¡ö
* * *
[Master, I ami-!]
Upon returning to the mortal world, they were high above the clouds.
Hilde was unsummoned before she could finish her sentence and the protective barrier cast on Dorothy waspletely dispelled.
The golem familiar, Eden, had already been unsummoned by Isaac in the Nether.
Isaac began to fall towards the sea, unconscious.
¡°¡!¡±
Dorothy, who had started to fall after Hilde disappeared, felt the sensation of mana returning to her body. She was gradually recovering; there was no doubt about it.
The painful sensations that had gued her body were gone. She spread her hands and realized that the ck spots that had covered her entire body hadpletely vanished.
She judged that she would wield mana no matter the cost. Her voice cried out.
¡°President!¡±
Dorothy swirled inside the dense advection fog, made even thicker due to Isaac¡¯s chilling aura, before pouring out starlight mana.
Chararararang©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
A wall of starlight mana wrapped around the surroundings.
Within it, Dorothy manipted gravity to slow down both her and Isaac¡¯s descent.
Then, she held Isasac¡¯s hand.
She pulled him.
She embraced him.
Dorothy was clearly in a daze. After all, she couldn¡¯tprehend what had happened, her mind was unable to keep up.
¡°¡Senior.¡±
By then, Isaac had regained his sense. No, maybe he had never lost them in the first ce.
When his voice rang in her ears, Dorothy flinched her head in surprise and gently let him down from her embrace.
The two of them locked eyes for a while.
¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±
Isaac smiled brightly with a face that had be as innocent as a puppy.
It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had ruthlessly dealt with the Floating Ind mere moments ago.
Because she hadn¡¯t finished processing everything in her mind, Dorothy couldn¡¯t even think of responding with a smile of her own.
¡°President¡¡±
She only looked towards him with a worry-filled gaze
¡°Ah, but can you move me secretly? I can¡¯t seem to move now that the tension is released¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
How nonchnt of him.
Dorothy couldn¡¯t help but chuckle before bursting out inughter.
Suddenly, memories of the times spent in the corner of the Butterfly Garden shed through her mind.
On spring days when flowers bloomed beautifully, she had memories of meaningless chattering with Isaac.
On summer days when the leaves turned a vibrant green, she had memories of going near Isaac, who was training his ice magic, and spending her time with him.
On autumn days when red leaves fell, she had memories of giving advice to Isaac, who was training in rock magic, or yfully teasing him.
On winter days when all the leaves had fallen and only branches remained, she had memories of cing Isaac, who had overworked himself to the point of fainting, on her knees to allow him to rest and recover.
Dorothy realized.
The seasons woulde and go, and after a while, spring would return.
And on that spring day, this man would still be by her side
¡°¡Senior?¡±
Dorothy felt a sense of disharmony with herself for being so sure about such a possibility.
For some reason, tears welled up in her eyes.
Laughter flowed from her lips, as Dorothy let out a bright smile akin to a flower in full bloom.
¡°Nihihi, just leave it to this Big Sis.¡±
The dazzling sr light illuminated Dorothy¡¯s tears.
Holding Isac¡¯s hands tightly, she let out a joyfulugh that sounded pure and bright.
After all, right now in this moment, all the value and meaning of the life that Dorothy had known until now waspletely changed.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 6, The Floating Ind¡¹.
The curtain was falling.
[Dorothy Heartnova] Psychology: [Feels that you are very precious to her.] Footnotes:- 1TL Note: Nephentes is a type of seductive nt.
Chapter 112: Subjugation of the Floating Island Interlude (1)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind Interlude (1) ?
An Archwizard was recognized as an existence that had surpassed the merebel of a Wizard.
Common sense was meaningless before them and they effortlessly performed feats and miracles that were iprehensible to the human mind.
Among them, those who had reached the pinnacle of their respective element were called Elemental Kings.
Currently, there were only four individuals who could im to have risen to the title of Elemental King.
Elemental King of Fire, Fire Sovereign.
Elemental King of Water, Water Sovereign.
Elemental King of Wind, Wind Sovereign.
Elemental King of Lightning, Lightning Sovereign.
In the nation of lightning protected by purple storms, Zabrok. Throne Room.
Sitting on a throne, a man with half of his purple hair slicked back slowly opened his eyes.
Dressed in a ck robe adorned with abination of violet and gold. The appearance of a young man with sharp features akin to a hawk.
His eyes, crackling purple lightning mana, were unusually bright even in the darkness of the night.
Thunder Emperor, Jaul Dragoniac. Just previously, he had instinctively felt a threatening mana.
It was a manaposed of a profoundly cold and intense chill.
¡°¡®Jormungandr.¡±
Jaul¡¯s summon.
The purple lightning magic condensed on his shoulders, forming a small ck figure surrounded by electric currents.
Jormungandr, a lightning snake magic beast with two pairs of eyes. Although its actual size was massive, Jaul summoned it in a miniature form that was no different from an ordinary snake.
At one point, the magic beast had battled for supremacy with Jaul before it eventually ended in its defeat, thus bing his familiar.
[I felt it as well. This transcendental mana¡ It is the Primordial Beast of Ice.]
Jormungandr recognized Jaul¡¯s intention and responded before he said anything. As a familiar, it shared not only its Master¡¯s thoughts, but emotions as well.
After gaining certainty with Jormungandr¡¯s response, Jaul stroked his chin, lost in thought.
The Primordial Beast of Ice.
Its mana was on a level that even Jaul, the Elemental King of Lightning, could not surpass. Even if it had emerged from the opposite side of this world, Jaul would have still felt mana prickling at his skin.
This world was too inadequate to contain such a magic beast. Just the appearance of it would instantly envelop its surroundings in an absolute chill.
Although the magic beast¡¯s mana from a moment ago was merely a faint breeze against the skin¡
In reality, it had actually crossed to another world and even weathered its air.
[However, it¡¯s under someone¡¯s control. It seems to already serve another master.]
The Primordial Beast of Ice served another master, you say¡ Is that even a usible proposition?
Is it an existence that could even be controlled in the first ce?
Although it was unbelievable, if it was true, the master must have already surpassed the level of the original Ice Sovereign.
As such, this world was about to face a turning point.
The mana released by the Primordial Beast would surely have been felt by the magic beast of ice capable of manipting both Heaven and Earth.
Icebound Crocodile Tugaros.
Frost Spirit Merphil.
cial Bear Barbatoma.
Upon the fact that a master worthy of the Primordial Beast of Ice had appeared, they too would try to serve this same being as their new master.
And it was not very difficult to deduce who that person would be.
¡°Isaac¡¡±
Isaac, a silver-blue-haired boy who was currently enrolled at M?rchen Academy.
A prominent candidate for the next Ice Sovereign. No, someone certain of bing the Ice Sovereign. There was no one else besides him.
The Ice Kingdom, where a bitter cold stormed about, was preparing to wee a new King.
Isaac was an existence that even the Frost Dragon Hilde bowed to. As such, he would undoubtedly rise as the new King of the Ice Kingdom.
As a man who was served by the Primordial Beast of Ice, it was unimaginable how powerful of a Sovereign he would be.
Suddenly, the mysterious presence hidden within Isaac¡¯s essence came to mind.
The monstrous being covered in countless eyeballs boasted a majesty that could potentially devour the entire world.
Within Isaac, the Primordial Beast of Ice had probably recognized the aura of the Ice Sovereign and that enigmatic monster. Perhaps with that, it felt that Isaac was worthy to serve as its master.
¡°He seemed to have destroyed the Floating Ind. Did he perhaps summon the Primordial Beast in that process?¡±
News of the Floating Ind reappearing above the Arkins Sea was already known.
Initially, he thought that the Zelver Empire would handle it, as it had appeared in their nation. However¡
In the end, it seemed that the next Ice Sovereign had gotten rid of the Floating Ind instead.
[The other Elemental Kings must have felt that mana as well. What are you going to do, Jaul? I¡¯m afraid that an Emergency Council will be convened soon.]
The other Elemental Kings. Each of them had reached the highest level of their respective elements and could not be controlled by anyw. As such, their next actions were unknown territory to Jaul.
However, the mana of the Primordial Beast had spread by transcending space itself.
Even if the other Elemental Kings had recognized the emergence of the next Ice Sovereign,
they would not know that it was Isaac.
After all, even if they were Elemental Kings, they were not omniscient.
¡°¡In my personal opinion, I do not dislike the next Ice Sovereign.¡±
Though, of course, as the Emperor of the Lightning Nation, it was natural to be wary of Isaac.
The Isaac he had seen at M?rchen Academy was a man of both integrity and great strength. That left a favorable impression on Jaul.
The true nature of an individual could not be hidden from Jaul¡¯s eyes. This was regardless of their race.
Therefore, he harbored feelings close to goodwill towards Isaac, the next Ice Sovereign.
¡°And he seems to have a reason to hide his identity. I don¡¯t have any intention of interfering with his will.¡±
[Are you nning to be evasive?]
¡°At least for now. In the first ce, trying to hide that power until the end is like trying to cover the sky with one palm.¡±
Isaac probably had a reason to infiltrate the academy and conceal his identity.
Isn¡¯t he dealing with unidentifiable demons while under the guise of the ¡®ck Monster¡¯?
However, no matter how much he tried to hide the maximum threshold of his mana, within the confined space of the academy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to conceal such tremendous power until the end.
As such, when the time came for Isaac to reveal his identity at M?rchen Academy¡
¡Only then would Jaul reveal the fact that Isaac was the Ice Sovereign to the other Elemental Kings.
After all, that was the way to properly respect and protect the intentions of the next Ice Sovereign.
¡°Perhaps soon, we will wee a new Elemental King.¡±
It wouldn¡¯t take long for such a future, where Isaac joined the Council of Kings as the Ice Sovereign, toe.
Meanwhile¡
All the staff, students, and Imperial Knights at M?rchen Academy were astonished.
After the Floating Ind disappeared, its minions that had been attacking the academy melted away, turning into ashes before vanishing.
And shortly after, pirs of starlight mana shot beneath the clouds and plunged into the sea.
In session, various colors of starlight mana dispelled the advection fog, as it exploded in the sky, creating numerous clusters of stars. It looked like a moment from a festival, truly a scene reminiscent of fireworks.
The spectacle was beautiful to the point of rousing an eruption of admiration. It was undoubtedly the mana of Dorothy Heartnova.
Although people found it difficult toprehend the current situation, one thing was perfectly clear.
¡°The Floating Ind¡?¡±
¡°W-we won¡ We won! We actually won!!¡±
Someone had defeated the Floating Ind.
This starlight parade was Dorothy¡¯s way of announcing to the Empire that humanity had won!
Cheers resounded throughout M?rchen Academy.
Even the citizens of the Zelver Empire, which spanned the Arkins Sea, erupted in joy upon learning that the Floating Ind had been defeated.
¡°¡¡±
A cliff facing the Arkins Sea.
Luce Eltania silently observed the starlight festival erupting above the sea.
After the Floating Ind had transformed, it emitted a mana that made even Luce tremble. Even Dorothy, who was considered to be M?rchen Academy¡¯s greatest power house, would not be a match for it.
Therefore, the one who defeated the Floating Ind narrowed down to one person.
The ck Monster. He must be there.
The reason why Dorothy poured out starlight mana to create a shining pir was not because she wished to reveal the fact that they had won.
Rather, it probably had the purpose of blinding everyone from the truth.
It would make perfect sense if it was for the sake of obscuring the identity of the ck Monster.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
However, Luce was taken aback because of a sight that differed from her expectations.
As the starlight parade ended, nothing was visible in her eyes.
She had been certain that Dorothy and the ck Monster would be inside the starlight pir. However, her predictions werepletely off.
The cluster of stars dimmed and the sea darkened. Because of this, Luce could not properly distinguish anything.
Luce furrowed her brows.
Did Dorothy distract everyone with that dazzling starlight festival and sneak away above the clouds with the ck Monster?
Or perhaps¡
¡°¡I probably won¡¯t be able to confirm anything.¡±
Luce sighed and turned her gaze sideways.
In the first ce, her hypothesis that Dorothy had made the starlight pir to hide the ck Monster had little to no evidence.
¡°Isaac¡¡±
Now that there was no need to repel the Floating Ind¡¯s attack, she had to go find Isaac again, whom she had been searching for hours.
After all, just imagining him injured caused a piercing pain in her chest.
While praying that Isaac was unharmed, Luce turned around and began moving once again.
* * *
Deep into the night.
From the scent of the grass, I sensed that I had arrived somewhere in Josena Forest, near the main gate of M?rchen Academy.
Dorothy had reached the hideout where we had hung out before. I could feel it from the texture of the outer wall.
We sat side by side, leaning against the outer wall of the hideout, as we quietly spent time listening to the sound of crickets.
My magically disguised outfit, which was nowpletely ragged, had been taken off by Dorothy and ced in my magic pocket.
While asking, ¡°It¡¯s cold, right?¡±, she brought out the uniform shawl and put it on me.
Shortly after, Dorothy used her remaining mana to cast healing magic on me, but it was only at the level of basic first aid. I couldn¡¯t move my body no matter how hard I tried¡
As such, I decided to wait here until I could somewhat move my body, and until the situation outside had calmed down.
And so, I raised my head, gazing in the direction of the sky.
¡°¡¡±
¡This was the first time that such an awkward silence permeated the air despite being with Dorothy.
Is she in a daze because she expected to die, but was actually saved?
Or is it because I, who had only been a weakling to her, had destroyed the Floating Ind, thus showing a different side than usual?
¡®Either way, it¡¯s understandable.¡¯
A weakling like Isaac saving her, who faced imminent death, and even annihting that vast demonndmass with prowess at the level of an Archwizard?
If I was Dorothy, I would need quite a bit of time to collect my thoughts because such a scenario was utterly absurd.
¡°President.¡±
Finally, Dorothy broke the silence.
¡°How did you know I was going to die?¡±
That¡¯s¡
¡Certainly a question she would be curious about.
I had already openly revealed the fact that I was the ck Monster. I could hardly say, ¡®Because I know the scenario of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¯, so I decided to respond evasively.
¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice the curse that was hanging over you, Senior?¡±
¡°¡So that¡¯s how it was. You¡¯re much stronger than me, so I guess it was obvious to you.¡±
No matter how I looked at it, Dorothy was overwhelmingly stronger than me, but I decided to just ignore it and move on.
¡°President.¡±
Following her first words, Dorothy immediately bombarded me with a series of questions.
¡°Why were you worried about me?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°I actually have the ability to read emotions. President has always been worried about me. Why was that?¡±
¡°Well, you know¡ I¡¯m Senior¡¯s fan. If I knew there was a curse, how could I not worry?¡±
¡°Then why did you always dote on me? Was that also because you¡¯re my fan?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
I smiled, intentionally making it as bright as possible.
The side effect of using [Ice Sovereign] beyond its limits was coupled with the reaction that came with theplete depletion of my mana.
As such, since a while ago, I had been experiencing intense pain; it was as if my entire body was being pricked by thorns and I was so dizzy that my head felt like it was about to split open. Such a smile was a facade to conceal the abysmal condition of my body.
Well, the pain was gradually subsiding. It was probably also because I was gradually losing the ability to feel my body.
Since returning from the Nether, I couldn¡¯t see in front of me and even the sensation of the hard outer wall against my back was fading away.
It felt like I was sinking into the deep, dark sea.
However, knowing that Dorothy by my side, still alive, filled me with a sense of aplishment. As such, I couldn¡¯t help but continue my conversation with her.
The symptoms had appeared because I had pushed myself too hard anyway. Surely, they would gradually improve.
¡°¡Why is the President a fan of mine?¡±
¡°Because Senior is cool. To me, you were a person that shined incredibly bright.¡±
I loved how Dorothy¡¯s eyes became cresent moons when she smiled.
I loved it when she smiled, revealing her white teeth.
When her earring swayed as she turned her head or when she giggled over trivial matters.
When she praised herself and acted so confidently.
When sheughed and yed pranks.
I even loved the way her brain seemed to shut down upon the slightest hint of thinking.
Every side of her looked incredibly radiant to me.
¡°I see¡¡±
Gradually, something covered my head. With my faint hearing, I could tell that it was fabric brushing against me.
Even though the sensation in my head hadpletely disappeared, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what it was. It was definitely Dorothy¡¯s hat.
I did not know why she put her hat on my head.
¡°¡Isaac.¡±
And right in front of me, I could hear Dorothy¡¯s gentle voice.
Considering her usual tone, it seemed oddly tinged with embarrassment.
Judging by the sound, Dorothy seemed to be holding the brim of the hat on both sides and pulling it down.
¡°Close your eyes.¡±
Soon, something pressed against my lips.
And with that, our time flowed serenely for a while.
Chapter 113: Subjugation of the Floating Island - Interlude (2)
? Subjugation of the Floating Ind ¨C Interlude (2) ?
Dorothy Gale crossed a field filled with white reeds.
The golden sunlight gently enveloped her skin.
The cluster of reeds swayed softly with every breeze.
The reason why the young girl could confidently traverse this field of reed, even as it obscured her sight, was because there was a rainbow in the sky.
Somewhere, over that rainbow.
There was a ce she had heard about in a luby.
Because she believed that her maternal aunt, uncle, Toto, and the people of the rural vige that Dorothy had once lived in were all beyond that rainbow, the young girl ran without rest towards it.
Passing through the field of reeds, Dorothy finally reached the world beyond the rainbow, where there was a small red board-framed house.
As she was embraced in the arms of her aunt, she wore a bright smile.
At the end of such a scene, Dorothy faced her final moments, taking the Floating Ind as herpanion to the afterlife, leaving nothing but ashes.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? episode 2, ¡¸Back Story ¨C Wizard of Oz¡¹.
There was nothing left for Dorothy.
Thus, she prepared herself for an inevitable end even as she lived on.
She rid herself of any lingering attachments¡
¡And then, Isaac appeared.
He burdened Dorothy with many lingering attachments.
He caused her to take out the teddy bear hidden in the wardrobe of her dorm.
He caused her to engrave the ces she wanted to go and the things she wanted to do in her heart.
He shattered her resolve to give up on everything and let go.
But most importantly of all¡ he promised to save her.
He found her and asked her to return.
Dorthy pulled away from Isaac¡¯s lips, slipping out from under the witch hat she had put on him.
He was already unconscious.
It was easy to notice that he was only pretending to be alright. He had pushed himself too hard, so it was only natural that he was hurting.
As she saw his unfocused eyes, Dorthy realized that Isaac couldn¡¯t see in front of him.
And since he was forcibly opening his eyes, trying to keep conscious, she had told him to close his eyes as a sign that it was time for rest.
Because he had already pushed himself to the limit, he fell asleep as soon as his eyes closed.
Isaac¡¯s body was robust. Moreover, the transcendental ice mana flowing in his veins had been steadily reinforcing his mana circuit since a while ago.
After a deep rest, he would wake back up in a healthy state.
He truly was a monster of a man.
While gazing at Isaac, Dorothy let out a faint smile.
Dorothy had the ability to read people¡¯s emotions.
She always saw emotions of affection whenever Isaac looked at her. It had a simr form to the emotions she had always seen from her aunt, uncle, and Toto.
©¤¡®Do you like me, President?¡¯
She had tried testing those emotions on several asions. In fact, she often made tasteless jokes
However, Isaac always remained the same. Without change, he continued to cherish Dorothy, worry for her, and harbor affection for her.
A heart filled with pure sincerity that never had any selfish motives behind it.
The buzzing of bugs could not be heard at all.
Only a rapid and rhythmic heartbeat echoed inside Dorothy¡¯s ears.
¡°Goodnight, Isaac.¡±
Dorothy smiled softly, leaning Isaacfortably against the wall¡
And quietly closed her eyes as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
First snow began to fall.
Gradually, the winter night deepened.
* * *
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 102
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Eager First Year
Mana: [ ¡ù Mana Completely Depleted ]
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B+)
¨C Stamina (A-)
¨C Strength (A-)
¨C Intelligence (B)
¨C Willpower (A+) [Combat Skills] Elemental Series 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (A-)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (A-)
¨C Elemental Synergy (A) Elemental Series 2: Rock
¨C Elemental Firepower (B)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (B)
¨C Elemental Synergy (B-) [Potential] Stat Points: 0 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¨C Learning Efficiency (A+): 84/100 [UP] Own Skills ??Details?? [Physical Training Efficiency] and [Magic Training Efficiency] have both reached MAX!] [Acquired unique trait [Ultra Magic Knight]!] [¡ùActivation condition for unique trait [Ultra Magic Knight] has not been met! The unique trait remains sealed]
Morning. Butterfly garden. The butterfly garden sparkled as the snow that fell during the night piled softly.
I was quietly organizing my thoughts as I went on my morning jogging.
The situation had been resolved.
Despite the appearance of the Floating Ind, the academy hadn¡¯t suffered any major damage and the most severe injuries were only minor.
A huge part of such a result was due to Luce¡¯s intervention.
I¡¯m so proud of that kid.
Last night, I ascended high above the clouds with Dorothy after falling into the sea. After all, I couldn¡¯t afford to be noticed.
As such, we decided to take a rest at the hideout within Josena Forest.
And I had lost all my bodily functions before falling into a deep slumber.
My memories were fuzzy, as if I had cked out after drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
Dorothy¡¯s hat was on my head and I had a vague memory of my head leaning back.
With that, I passed out almost immediately after closing my eyes¡
However, you know¡ Uh given the circumstances, I couldn¡¯t help but seriously ask myself.
¡®Did we kiss?¡¯
Me¡ and Dorothy?
When I couldn¡¯t feel anything? When I was no different from some stone grandpa?
How can I ept such a thing? I can never¡!
It¡¯s so unfair if I got my favorite character¡¯s first kiss but I couldn¡¯t even feel it¡
¡®¡Well, I was probably overreacting.¡¯
Whatever. I shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. Yesterday, I was in an absolutely fucked up state, so it could all be spection.
I could find and ask Dorothyter, ¡®Did we happen to kiss?¡¯
¡®No, wait¡ If I just suddenly ask her like that¡¡¯
¡®It might make me look easy.¡¯
¡Let¡¯s just askter when the time is right.
Anyway.
After resting at the hideout, I regained my senses. Perhaps Dorothy had healed my body little by little as her mana recovered.
After I could move my body to a certain extent, I joined the academy shelter at dawn. Of course, I went separately from Dorothy.
At the shelter, there were many students gathered after all.
Since there were many injured people due to the minions of the Floating Ind, I could blend in without attracting attention with my physical condition.
After all, externally, I was just a first-year ss C student in the Magic Department.
As soon as I entered the shelter, Luce found me with her monstrous eyesight, as she ran up and hugged me. She also used her seductive voice to torment my ears, whispering how worried she had been.
My legs were already shaking, but because of her voice, they lost all strength. My whole body felt like it was going to melt.
The academy staff announced that they would start investigating who dealt with the Floating Ind and whether it was definitively defeated.
Of course, from my perspective, I just hoped for the investigation to end without any problems.
Putting that aside though¡
After a nice deep slumber, my condition had recovered and my body felt rtively fine.
I expected the aftereffects tost quite a while, so I didn¡¯t expect for me to recover so quickly
Maybe it¡¯s because I ceaselessly trained my body.
¡®No¡¡¯
Although it could¡¯ve had some influence, the most significant effect seemed to be from briefly dipping my toes into the full power of [Ice Sovereign] while fighting the Floating Ind.
Since then, I felt a change in my body. How should I put this¡ The mana itself was depleted, but the mana circuit seemed to have be more robust.
¡®Not only that¡¡¯
Looking at the status window, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Just defeating the Floating Ind increased my level by a whopping 10. In total, it had gained 16 levels in just one night.
¡®What a dogshit game¡¡¯
This was the hell difficulty of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Because it was set to hell difficulty, the enemies that appeared were stronger, but the experience gained was not much different from other difficulties.
However, even with such limitations, I explosively leveled up after defeating the Floating Ind. In essence, it could be considered an incredible result.
And now, I was in a state of mana depletion. As mentioned before, once mana was depleted until it hit rock bottom, the mana recovery rate slowed down to an abysmal rate until it fully recovered.
Therefore, since it would take quite some time for my mana to fully recover, I needed to refrain from magic training for a while. Well, in the first ce, any magic training was challenging in my current situation.
As such, I decided to take this opportunity to recharge as much as possible.
¡®Of course, I can¡¯t just rest.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t long before the end-of-semester evaluation for the second semester of the first year began.
My goal was to receive the ¡®Self-Development Excellence¡¯ schrship given to the student with thergest increase in gradespared to the previous semester. With that, I could face the first semester of the second year without worrying about tuition fees.
Basically, I couldn¡¯t just take it easy for the end-of-semester evaluation.
¡®Also, preparing for exams can also help me get stronger.¡¯
Knowledge yed a significant role in learning new magic or developing magic skills. In other words, studying itself would be a stepping stone to bing stronger.
I hoped that my mana would fully recover by the end-of-semester evaluation.
And I had finally obtained the unique trait I wanted: [Ultra Magic Knight].
Except, this Unique Trait was effective only when I became a second-year student, so it was currently in a sealed state. How regrettable.
The effect of [Ultra Magic Knight] was to apply the effect of the Unique Trait [Weapon Master], which rapidly increased the proficiency of magic weapons, to ultimate elemental weapons.
It also enhanced the power of magic as much as the trained physical abilities. As such, it was truly a dramatic talent for a Magic Knight.
Moreover, my current state was trained extensively,pared to when I fought against the ¡®Hello¡¯ demon, Trevion the Evil.
If I reached Level 120 in the future, it was clear that my mana would be even higher than when [Hunter] had first activated.
¡®I¡¯m diligently leveling up.¡¯
How satisfying.
Now that I had surpassed Level 100, [Hunter] would activate at a fixed level of 200.
Level 200 was also the qualification needed to achieve EX-Grade stats.
Therefore, in order for me to defeat the Evil God, my next long-term goal was to obtain EX-Grade stats.
During the winter vacation, I had to obtain the rock ultimate weapon, ¡®Gormos¡¯ Greatsword¡¯, and prepare to pound the Pir Demons, also known as the Tower of Demons.
If I raised Potential [Learning Efficiency] to S-Grade as well, I should also allocate stats to [vs. Race Combat Power].
¡®After all, I must prepare for the Alice Subjugation when I enter the second year.¡¯
Alice Carroll. Boss Name: Queen of Hearts-Alice.
Alice was shrouded in more mystery than any other character.
How did she end up supporting the Evil God? How did she recognize that the Evil God was resurrecting in the first ce? How did she find out that she shouldn¡¯t mess with Ian Fairytale¡¯s household?
All these questions remained hidden behind her kind smile even until the very end of the game.
Although the identity of Alice was a subject of intense curiosity in the gamemunity, there was no official answer from thepany in the end.
As such, users naturally engaged in discussions on Alice¡¯s identity in themunity whenever there was a chance.
¡®Alice is a modern person that possessed a character in the game¡¯, ¡®Alice is a regressor who can go back to the past. That¡¯s why she knows everything, ¡®Alice only found out everything with her mysterious abilities and she just concocted the destruction of the world because of her, simr to Luce, human-hating ideology¡¯, ¡®Alice is just KAWAIIIIIIIIIIIIII~¡¯, and so on and so forth.
Of course, in the end, it was an inconclusive and meaningless debate.
Personally, I leaned toward the idea that Alice was a regressor.
¡®After all, usually for these things, it was amon cliche that they were actually regressors.¡¯
Alice repeated countless regressions until her mind broke and she somehow started dreaming of the world¡¯s destruction¡ This was the story I had imagined.
However, now that I was here, it didn¡¯t seem like that at all.
If Alice was really a regressor, she would have quickly noticed the differences from the previous rounds and would havee to deal with me already. My attempts to hide my identity would have been utterly meaningless.
Therefore, Alice was a character with a lot of uncertainty.
All I could do wasy as low as possible until Alice revealed her true self and was subjugated.
Well¡ Whatever. Let¡¯s put aside useless fantasies that don¡¯t have an answer to anyway.
Alice was a Dorothy Victim so I should be able to safely ovee the Alice Subjugation Battle.
¡®Probably.¡¯
Of course, things rarely went ording to my ns. How troublesome¡
¡®Anyway, putting that aside¡¡¯
Primordial Beast-Diakan.
I never imagined this little bastard was hiding inside of me.
Currently, I couldn¡¯t feel anything and my insides were so calm that it actually made me even more uneasy.
In my current state where [Hunter] was inactive, I couldn¡¯t even sense that this guy was inside me.
I probably had to activate [Hunter] and also use the power of [Ice Sovereign] in order to properly control him. For now, he was undoubtedly my minion after all.
For reference, familiars and minions were strictly different.
A familiar was a close rtionship formed by a pact with the master. Mana sharing and emotion sharing were possible and if the master¡¯s skill could keep up, then it was even possible to summon it by reducing its size. Moreover, one person could only have up to three familiars.
On the other hand, minions didn¡¯t have any of that. After summoning it, there was nothing else that came with it. There was also no limit to how many one could own. It was just a matter of who obeyed whom.
Because I summoned the Primordial Beast, I had probably scraped the bottom of my mana reserves. After all, I couldn¡¯t even summon Eden, who was usually easy peasy to do ssssso¡
¡°President¡±
¡°Whoa!¡±
Oh shit. That scared the crap outta me¡!
When I ran past a tree, a female student suddenly popped out, as if she was lying in ambush.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to look in the direction of the female student who had been hiding behind the tree.
It seemed like my reaction was funny as she was giggling, ¡®Nihihi¡¯.
¡°Senior?¡±
A female student with long light purple hair tied only at the end.
It was Dorothy Hearnova.
[Dorothy Heartnova] Lv: 182
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Rock, Starlight
Danger: X
Psychology: [¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î]
Last night, Dorothy¡¯s mana was almost depleted, so [Psychological Insight] had worked briefly.
It seemed that she had recovered a considerable amount of mana overnight. After all, due to her starlight mana, [Psychological Insight] was blocked once again.
It was a bit disappointing that I couldn¡¯t read her psychology though¡
¡°As expected of a training manic, are you training even in these wee hours? Did you forget that you pushed yourself really hard yesterday? President, it¡¯ll hurt my heart if you overexert yourself again, you know?¡±
Dorothy made a jokingly sorrowful expression as she ced her hand on her chest. The corners of her mouth were lifted.
¡°It¡¯s just exercise. Senior, you¡¯re here so early in the morning.¡±
¡°Oh, well. It¡¯s just that the morning air was so refreshing! I also happened to see the President, so I thought I shoulde say hello. So, um¡¡±
Dorothy had a subtle blush on her cheek. Was she trying to say something embarrassing?
I turned my bodypletely towards Dorothy and silently waited for her to say what she wanted.
Dorothy rubbed the brim of her witch hat a few times before finally making eye contact. And with that¡
¡°¡Good morning, Isaac.¡±
All she did was call my name and give me a simple morning greeting.
Come to think of it, today was the tomorrow that Dorothy could never reach in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. It was the first morning she had faced as apletely free person.
As if nothing had happened, she stood before me, and¡
It didn¡¯t feel real that I had actually saved Dorothy.
This situation¡ This greeting just felt natural and predetermined, as if it was always meant to be.
¡°Yes, Senior. Good morning.¡±
So, I smiled and returned her greeting as if it were the most simple and natural thing in the world.
Dorothy let out a dazzling smile.
The trees were adorned with white snowkes.
As we casually bantered, we slowly walked along this white path lined with trees.
Chapter 114: End of the Second Semester
? End of the Second Semester (1) ?
Since returning to M?rchen Academy, a series of unbelievable events had unfolded before Eve.
Recently, there was a tremendous incident that almost led to the destruction of a chunk of the Empire, including M?rchen Academy.
After a brief break where the situation stabilized, the academy resumed sses.
Magic Department, Orphin Hall. Second year ssroom.
Eve Ropenheim, a girl with silver-blue hair tied to the side, was tapping the desk with her fingers, lost in thought.
When she turned her head to look out the window, suddenly, the massive ind floating in the sky came to her mind.
The despair she felt when she realized it was the Floating Ind was utterly indescribable.
¡°¡¡±
And Eve remembered the horrifying sh that urred on the Floating Ind.
The ck Monster. It achieved victory in its battle against the Floating Ind.
And M?rchen Academy, its people, and her younger brother Isaac were all safe thanks to it.
Eve¡¯s fingers, who had been tapping the desk, suddenly stopped.
She had seen Isaac¡¯s proficient magic skills in the joint practical evaluation.
Outstanding physical abilities.
Ice Element.
And¡
©¤¡®I can¡¯t ept that you attacked me out of nowhere and tried to take Sir Isaac away from me.¡¯
Those aggressive words were spoken by Kaya Astrea, the second seat of the Magic Department freshman.
¡°Sir, Isaac¡¡±
Eve muttered to herself.
When she first met Kaya, she was not in her right mind due to her fear, but¡
After regaining her rationality, she continuously felt that something was very out of ce.
A student who was a second seat in M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department respectfully called her brother, ¡®Sir Isaac¡¯¡
¡°¡No way.¡±
As Eve entertained absurd thoughts, she quickly shook her head.
¡There was no way that Isaac could be the ck Monster.
The ck Monster was an Archwizard. A monster among monsters.
Even if a guy like Isaac, who had no magic talent, worked himself to death, he could never reach the level of the ck Monster.
After all, she had spent so much time with him for it to be true.
As his older sister who spent her childhood with Isaac, she could vouch that he wasn¡¯t the ck Monster.
As the professor entered the ssroom, she cleared her mind.
Eve tore her gaze away from the window and threw her thoughts aside before returning to reality.
* * *
Recently, my time exercising had suddenly increased.
It was because magic training was excluded from my daily routine. After all, I was currently in a state of mana depletion.
My condition was at its peak every day and my sleep had be incrediblyfortable.
I now realized how strenuous my magic training used to be and the amount of fatigue it imposed on me.
Although it seemed perfect in this time of readjustment¡
¡®I really can¡¯t get used to this.¡¯
Creating simple ice or rock constructs used to be as easy as riding a bike whenever I was bored.
Fatigue was like some passive skill that always apanied me.
So, how did it feel to have my body so refreshed while unable to use magic, you ask?
It didn¡¯t even feel like my own body.
After finishing sses, I was walking underneath the afternoon sunlight.
If I nced around, it seemed like nothing had happened and time at M?rchen Academy was flowing peacefully.
¡®The break due to the Floating Ind onlysted for three days as well.¡¯
After a three-day break, sses resumed.
Today marked the beginning of the third week since I had defeated the Floating Ind.
The aftermath of the Floating Ind incident was still being pitifully handled by the academy staff.
Well, absolute chaos had erupted.
¡®The Floating Ind got utterly annihted after all.¡¯
The Fortress of the Heavens, the Harbinger of Destruction, Paradise and Hell.
The Floating Ind was first on the Zelver Empire¡¯s subjugation list.
A mysterious and gigantic ind with unimagine power suddenly appeared in the heavens, turning the entire area into a wastnd.
The human and property damage caused by the Floating Ind throughout history exceeded any imaginable scale.
However, in one night, the enormous entity disappeared without a trace and despite the Empire quickly organizing a subjugation force, they couldn¡¯t reach the Floating Ind to defeat it.
Throughout history, humanity had suffered from the Floating Ind, but¡
The unknown creature that resided in M?rchen Academy, the ck Monster, had eradicated it. And he had done so all on his own.
¡®That conclusion was reached by the academy based on the circumstances of the incident and Dorothy¡¯s testimony.¡¯
The news had spread worldwide.
The ck Monster, who defended the Empire by destroying the Floating Ind, began to be revered as an ¡®unnamed hero¡¯ because of the most recent incident as well as its previous exploits.
After all, forget the academy, it had realistically saved humanity itself.
¡®The results were beyond expectation.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t keep hiding the fact that I was the ck Monster forever.
As such, I had the intention to show a stance that the ck Monster was undoubtedly on the side of M?rchen Academy in advance¡ The groundwork for that wasid out very well.
However, I could see how much the academy staff, including the Headmistress, were struggling. After all, the emergence of demons was already a headache, but now, they also had to deal with the attention of the entire world focused on them due to the ck Monster.
Unfortunately, spring wouldn¡¯t find them until the Evil God was defeated.
It wouldn¡¯t have been strange for the academy to shut down due to these continuous series of events. However, as expected, the academy was still relentlessly rolling forward, adhering to its ideology of guaranteeing educational opportunities for its students no matter what.
¡®Of course, that¡¯s just a secondary issue.¡¯
Screw ideology. In the first ce, M?rchen Academy was in a situation where they couldn¡¯t close even if they wanted to.
As I mentioned before¡
¡®Influential figures from all over the world are paying attention to this ce.¡¯
Emperor Carlos of the Zelver Empire was tantly supporting M?rchen Academy.
And the Helize Church was also keeping an eye on M?rchen Academy.
The Pope of the Helize Church was recognized as a secr authority and the territory he governed was ssified as an independent Holy Land.
He held a position that could only bepared to Emperor Carlos within the Empire. After all, even an emperor could not stand above the realm of God.
Moreover, the eastern country, ¡®Horan, Land of the Fire Blossoms¡¯, with national powerparable to the Zelver Empire, was also paying attention to this ce.
Next year, the Princess of the Imperial Family, the Saintess from the Church, and the Shrine Maidenx from the eastern country were all nning to enroll at M?rchen Academy, so¡
The higher-ups at the academy had no choice but to continue running the school.
In the end¡
Under the protection of the Emperor, they would n to ensure the safety of the students as much as possible and just roll with it no matter how they did so.
In the first ce, all the students desired the elite education and diploma of M?rchen Academy, so everyone¡¯s interests were aligned.
I silently expressed my condolences to the center of the academy¡¯s administration, Bartos Hall.
¡®Well then, now¡¡¯
Time to grind.
sses were over and there was not much time left until the written exams after all.
I headed to the library.
M?rchen Academy¡¯s library was quiterge in scale. There were always avable seats, even during exam periods, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about seat avability.
I took a seat and ced five books on the table. Since I had already read these books three times each, I could quickly review them.
After taking a deep breath, I recalled my days of studying for the state examination as I immersed myself in the contents of the book.
* * *
¡®That person¡ He¡¯s here again.¡¯
Although M?rchen Academy¡¯s library was quiterge, it seemed like the silver-blue-haired male student always caught the eyes of the female student who worked as a librarian.
He had been visiting the library every day as the exam period approached.
These days, he would study untilte at night with frightening concentration, only leaving the library when the librarian announced it was closing time.
Sitting at the librarian¡¯s desk, the female student rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at the silver-blue-haired male student. It was inevitable that attention would be drawn to him.
Magic Department freshman, Isaac. Among the freshmen, he was known as amoner with Grade E mana. He was the very definition of the weakest among the weak.
However, he silently and steadfastly honed his skills, showing tremendous growth despite the condescending gazes around him.
Now, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say he was on par with ss B students, if not surpassing them. The gazes of the students towards Isaac were gradually turning into one of admiration and respect.
Since he was someone who used to be looked down upon because he was amoner with Grade E mana, the change in perception was even more dramatic for the female student working at the library.
¡®So cool¡¡¯
A subtle blush appeared on both her cheeks.
Love often came unexpectedly, especially among students.
The young man known as Isaac was arousing the interest of the student librarian.
¡°¡!¡±
However, as feelings of yearning began to surface, the female librarian¡¯s breath suddenly caught, almost choking her.
It was because it felt as if a giant shark was staring at her from the depths of the ocean.
An eerie sensation of an unknown origin. Her survival instinct was terrifyingly warning her not to like that man.
And suddenly¡
A pretty female student with rose-gold hair that flowed out appeared behind Isaac.
¡°Ta-daa, Luce is here.¡±
She bent her upper body and swiftly slid in beside Isaac without hesitation.
Despite her mischievousness, her seductive tone made it seem like the air itself was swaying.
Even the students around, who were supposed to be studying, couldn¡¯t help but sneak nces at the girl with rose-gold hair.
After all, she boasted such a beautiful appearance that anyone could briefly lose their mind at the sight of her.
Luce Eltania. She was the unrivaled top seat out of the Magic Department freshman.
¡°Ah, Luce.¡±
Isaac turned his head, looking at Luce who was leaning onto his shoulder beside him.
Close distance. Luce smiled brightly, making eye contact with Isaac.
To anyone watching, they looked no different from a couple.
Nearby, the hands of the male students holding books began to tremble.
Although there were already several couples studying together, Isaac, in particr, evoked strong jealousy and envy among the surrounding students.
¡°Isaac, let¡¯s study together.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind.
Ah, Luce. Did you understand this part? I¡¯ve read this book four times but I still don¡¯t get it.¡±
¡°Oh yeah. I know. It made sense after I memorized everything up to Intermediate Theory.¡±
¡°¡Your brain is a cheat.¡±
Isaac red at Luce with envious eyes.
After exchanging a few words, the two sat side by side and began studying together.
While Isaac passionately studied, silently lip-syncing the contents of the book¡
Luce, on the other hand, casually flipped through the pages with the elegance of a swan.
Luce could memorize and recall anything after only seeing it once anyway.
It was just that she was deliberately reading the book at a slower pace to match Isaac¡¯s studying speed.
¡®Too much¡¡¯
The student librarian smacked her lips before turning her head again.
It felt like the wall protecting Isaac was way too high to harbor any affection for him.
¡°¡¡±
At that moment, Luce nced at the female student librarian.
And then resumed reading the book expressionlessly.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s be together all day today. Suddenly, I really feel like studying a lot.¡±
¡°We only have 4 days left until the written exam and you¡¯re talking about wanting to study a lot now¡?¡±
To Isaac, who felt like he was dying from studying, Luce¡¯s brain was enviable.
Luce yfully tickled the back of Isaac¡¯s hand with a pen. Then, after briefly teasing him, she went back to reading her book.
Thest exam of the second semester; the end-of-semester evaluation was not far off now.
Chapter 115: End of the Second Semester (2)
? End of the Second Semester (2) ?
¡°From now on, we will begin the end-of-semesterprehensive practical evaluation for the second semester of the first year for the Magic Department. The duel evaluation.¡±
Dueling grounds.
The first-year students of the Magic Department had filled the spectator stands.
Since the academy had divided the first-year students into four groups, each group would be taking the exam in a different location.
In the center of the arena, exam proctors and judges stood in an orderly fashion.
The host for the exam was the handsome silver-haired professor, Fernando Frost. As he held the speaker and announced in a sweet voice, female students sighed and moaned with faces filled with infatuation.
Before they knew it, it was time for the end-of-semester practical exam that would conclude the second semester.
Three exams would be conducted over three days.
The first exam was magic craftsmanship, the second was breaking mana barriers, and¡
The third and final exam was dueling.
The scale was inevitably smaller than the first semester.
Due to the attack of the Floating Ind, some parts of the ground split open and buildings copsed. Unfortunately, these infrastructure damages urred at the key location where the end-of-semester evaluation was being prepared.
It was the same in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as well. When seeing that the scenario was unchanged from its original form, it seemed that the damaged buildings and areas were particrly weak in terms of their foundation.
¡®Anyway.¡¯
Thanks to investing time in studying instead of magic training, I was able to achieve fairly good grades in the written exam.
Now, if I managed to conclude the remaining practical exams on a good note, I would definitely be able to secure the ¡®Self-Development Excellence¡¯ schrship.
¡®Fortunately, a significant amount of my mana has also returned.¡¯
My mana recovery speed had also increased.
It was evident that I had crossed a certain threshold, thus being able to free myself from my mana depletion state.
It was such a relief that it recovered just before the end-of-semester evaluation. It truly was fortunate.
Soon after, Professor Fernando exined the rules for the duel evaluation.
It was simr to the first semester. However, there were two differences.
Firstly, there was no immediate feedback. I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in that anyway.
Secondly, the academy had personally chosen the opponents for the duel.
It was to correctly bnce the matches of the end-of-semester evaluation. As such, no one knew who their opponent would be until they were called forth.
However, they would¡¯ve matched students with the most simr grades based on the evaluations so far. The pairing brackets would have probably been carefully organized, even considering the most minor things.
¡®I guess Luce and Kaya will duel against each other.¡¯
It would be intenselypetitive. I honestly couldn¡¯t even fathom how fierce thepetition would be.
For reference, ss A would take the exam separately in a secluded location; it was a vast field.
The academy had probably chosen this location considering their outstanding capabilities.
Incidentally, the fifth seat, Keridna Whiterk, wouldpete with the top students of ss B.
Eventually, following Professor Fernando¡¯s call, students went into the arena to begin their duels.
As students with simr grades faced each other, a fierce battle unfolded. It was quite a spectacle to watch.
Putting that aside though¡
¡®Most of these guys are weaker than me now.¡¯
The more I felt the mana from the dueling students, the more I realized that my mana had risen to the upper ranks among the Magic Department freshmen.
Confidence began to bubble within me as I felt that even those who once appeared threatening could now be easily defeated.
¡®Ah, the good old days.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t believe I was still the same person who was once ridiculed for having Grade E mana during the first semester.
Isaac Coin, once a loser, was now drawing an upward curve, just as nned.
¡°Hey, friend!¡±
¡°Oh, hello.¡±
Suddenly, a lively female student with short white hair and a ck rabbit ear ribbon approached and sat next to me.
It was Amy Holloway, Ian Fairytale¡¯s childhood friend and lover.
I thought about greeting her when I found the opportunity, but she came over on her own.
¡°What about Ian?¡±
¡°He¡¯s in a different group. But Isaac, why did you just pass byst time without saying hello to me? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡±
¡°You looked depressed after the written exam so I thought you might have royally screwed yourself. Didn¡¯t you think your future was looking bleak until recently?¡±
¡°¡If you¡¯re that perceptive, you won¡¯t be popr, you know?¡±
What does she want me to do then¡
¡°Anyway, a rainbow alwayses after the rain.¡±
¡°Since the semester is almost over?¡±
¡°Of course~. After today¡¯s exam finishes, the second semester is over and soon it¡¯s the vacation ceremony. There¡¯s no time to feel depressed! Isaac, what are you going to do during the vacation?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t made any specific ns yet.¡±
Of course, that was a lie.
I was on a journey to defeat the Evil God. It was the most basic of the basics to always have a specific n.
Excluding training ns and demon hunting ns, there was something that could be called a big event during winter vacation.
¡®Gormos¡¯ Greatsword.¡¯
I nned to meet the mythical magic beast. ¡®Stone Turtle ¨C Gormos¡¯ and receive the Trial of Sandstone in order to obtain ¡®Gormos¡¯ Greatsword¡¯. It was the ultimate weapon of the rock element.
Of course, just like I did during the Trial of Frost, I would once again have to put my life on the line this time.
It was just business as usual. I was determined to ovee the Trial of Sandtone.
¡°Ha!¡±
Suddenly, an arrogant chuckle echoed from the front.
It was Tristan Humphrey, a vain blond noble who was sitting two rows ahead of me.
His voice sounded like he had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Amy and I before finding an opportunity to barge in.
Tristan smirked while sitting with his arms and legs crossed. He slightly turned his head to the back, revealing the pearly whites of his teeth.
¡°It¡¯s almost winter vacation now but you haven¡¯t even made specific vacation ns! I¡¯ve already meticulously and specifically drawn up my special training n that pursues the pinnacle of efficiency!¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Watch and learn, youmoner! If you continue to remain absent-minded as you are now, you won¡¯t even reach my ankles!¡±
Tristanughed with a ¡®Keuhehehe¡¯ before coughing as if he choked on something.
¡®I didn¡¯t even ask him to teach me though¡?¡¯
Why is he suddenly acting out?
I didn¡¯t know how to react, so I just ignored him.
¡°Next! ss B Jack Schneider, ss C Isaac! Come forward!¡±
The call of the referee.
I guess it¡¯s my turn.
¡°I¡¯ll head out first.¡±
¡°Yep, good luck~.¡±
After receiving Amy¡¯s encouragement, I left the stands and went up to the arena.
Across from me, a male student with long bangs covering his right eye came up.
A tall and agile physique. To put it badly, he looked like a pair of chopsticks.
Hisughter that went ¡®Kikik¡¯plemented his annoying appearance; but in a way, I was actually d to see him.
¡°Kikik¡! Hey, isn¡¯t your luck with match-ups way too bad?¡±
Jack Schneider.
He was one of the top students in ss B who had blocked Ciel and I during the end-of-semester evaluation of the first semester.
[Jack Schneider] Lv: 88
Race: Human
Elements: Lightning, Wind
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Looking down on you.]
¡°I can¡¯t believe some ss C bastard, no wait. I can¡¯t believe the one who was once famous for having Grade E mana is actually my opponent¡! Kikik¡! Your luck is really baddd~.¡±
¡®Oh, motherfu-¡¯
I seriously can¡¯t stand this little shit¡¯s way of talking¡
Of course, just as he said, my match-up luck seemed to be quite poor on the surface. Generally, the gap between ss C upper ranks and ss B upper ranks was quite significant.
However, these match-ups were decided based on the grades shown during the second semester.
In other words, even the academy judged that my skills were not inferior to the upper ranks of ss B.
¡°Well, whatever. I guess it is.¡±
I replied nonchntly, lightly rolling my shoulders and loosening up my body.
¡°Still, don¡¯t hold back.¡±
Even though it was an exam, what I needed was a measure of mybat power.
My duel opponent, Jack Schneider, would perform this role excellently.
Jack startedughing once again. Well, It was actually closer to a sneer.
¡°What¡¯s with that rxed attitude? You were no different from a bug before! You were at the very bottom of the food chain! Do you think you can be my opponent just because you had a slight improvement in skill? What a delusional lunatic! Didn¡¯t you win against an elite member of ck Tiger because he let himself get hit? He was going easy on you! Hey, you dumbass! How are you so stupid? Can you not even judge your own skills when you¡¯re this much weaker than meee~? Unlikest semester¡¯s end-of-semester evaluation, the top seat isn¡¯t here to protect you!¡±
¡®You¡¯re weak¡¯, ¡®You¡¯re weak¡¡¯ I felt like my ears were bleeding because of his annoying voice.
¡®But still¡¡¯
At least within the Magic Department freshmen, there would no longer be any retards who said such things to me after today.
¡°Any means allowed! Surrender is prohibited for one minute. Now, show respect to your opponent and prepare for the duel. Ready, begin!¡±
Dududududek©¤©¤©¤!
¡¸Ice Wall¡¹
As the wall of ice rose from the ground, enclosing Jack Schneider, he unleashed a strong thunderbolt, shattering it into pieces.
Rumbleee©¤©¤©¤.
Kwang©¤©¤©¤!
¡°Kikik¡! Blocking my lightning with this level of ice is imp¡ ossib¡?¡±
Pukkk©¤©¤!
¡°Eheuk!¡±
[Ice Wall] was intentionally made weak so it could be destroyed.
As soon as the referee said ¡®begin, I casted a weak [Ice Wall].
And at the same time, I kicked off the ground and rushed towards Jack in an instant.
Speed, athletic ability.
¡®I¡¯m on an entirely different levelpared to before.¡¯
The me now was far stronger than when I dueled with Tristan in the first semester.
I punched this little shit¡¯s abdomen, the impact lifting his body off the arena floor.
Instantaneously, I condensed ice mana into my right hand. The magic circle of [Frost Explosion] was engraved into the air.
Now, there was no need for any preparatory movements to condense the mana necessary for casting [Frost Explosion], nor did it require several seconds to gather my mana in the first ce.
A surprised Jack barely held onto his consciousness and quickly gathered his lightning mana to deploy a magic circle for a counterattack.
However, I vigorously swung my right arm, detonating the condensed ice mana.
Kwaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
A cold wind fiercely swirled like a storm.
The cold mana explosion spread, dealing a significant blow to his body. The sheer force of the explosion dispersed the lightning mana.
The instantly formed frost created arge lump of ice, trapping him inside.
As if time had stopped for him, his face remained contorted in pain within the ice.
Whoooooosh©¤©¤©¤.
¡°Hoo.¡±
In the aftermath of [Frost Explosion], a misty cold air flowed from my exhale.
There was no need to see more; the result of the match was clear. After activating defrost, the lump of ice dissolved.
¡°Keugh¡¡±
Pale blue mana scattered like flower petals and within it, Jack keeled over before copsing onto the arena.
His wide-open eyes were rolled back, showing only his white retinas. It seemed like he had lost consciousness without even being able to close his eyes.
The match ended in an instant. The referee extended his arm toward me with a bewildered expression.
¡°ss C Isaac wins!¡±
I felt the abstruse gazes of the students. Even Amy had her mouth wide open in surprise.
It was understandable.
After all, it was proven that I had at the very least reached the upper ranks of ss B.
¡°I learned a thing or two.¡±
I hadn¡¯t learned anything, but I politely said such a lie to the fallen Jack before turning my back and descending from the arena.
¡°Hmm.¡±
Huh, I¡¯m kinda proud of myself for that.
* * *
¡°Jack Schneider lost¡? To Isaac?¡±
¡°Isaac just overwhelmed him, right¡?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t he have Grade E mana in the first semester?¡±
The students in the spectators¡¯ stands murmured quietly, making sure Isaac couldn¡¯t hear.
Amy Holloway bombarded Isaac with questions on how he did that as soon as he returned, expressing admiration and repeatedly eximing, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Isaac!¡± with a wide smile.
¡°¡¡±
Tristan Humphrey¡¯s widened eyes showed no signs of narrowing.
He had already known that Isaac¡¯s physical abilities were exceptional.
However, just a while ago, the athletic ability that Isaac had disyed¡ was on apletely different levelpared to when Tristan had dueled with him in the first semester.
Moreover, Jack Schneider wasn¡¯t just one-sidedly taking a beating from Isaac.
He tried to counterattack and lightning mana had clearly been gathered.
He actually handled it quite quickly.
This implied that there was a contest of strength between their magic.
However, Jack¡¯s lightning mana was powerlessly devoured by Isaac¡¯s ice mana.
That meant that Isaac had undoubtedly overwhelmed Jack in every aspect.
¡®How can¡ thatmoner be superior to me¡?¡¯
Tristan Humphrey turned his head and stared nkly at Isaac, who was chatting animatedly with Amy.
Putting aside the fact that he defeated a ss B upper-ranked student such as Jack Schneider¡
What even was that mana that he had sensed from Isaac?
His level had already far surpassed Tristan¡¯s.
¡®How is this possible¡?¡¯
Tristan simply could not believe that it was true.
Chapter 116: The End of the Second Semester (3)
? End of the Second Semester (3) ?
Kwang!
Dorm for top students at ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Charles Hall. Shared kitchen.
A female student kicked open the kitchen door, revealing a mischievous smile.
¡°How quiet!¡±
It was Dorothy Heartnova, a female student with flowingvender hair.
She had left the witch hat that she usually wore back in her room. After all, she would be bustling about from now on.
She entered the kitchen and made the glowingmp brighter before tying an apron around herself.
[Yawn, what are you making?]
¡°Something for Isaac to eat.¡±
As E, the white cat familiar with a ribbon on her tail, yawned while asking, Dorothy tied her hair into a ponytail and responded.
[Ahhh¡ But do you know how to cook?]
¡°I haven¡¯t tried sinceing to the academy, but I used to do it a lot, you know? Okay nice, preparations are done~.¡±
Dorothy was now ready to cook.
After Dorothy brought out the ingredients she had prepared in advance with her starlight mana¡
She skillfully wielded the knife, adjusted the seasoning, and heated the food as she cooked it topletion.
Chop, chop.
At first nce, dishes that boasted impressive appearances began to pile up. Each time, E¡¯s expression turned into one of astonishment.
[Oh my¡]
She never imagined that her usually clumsy master would be so adept at cooking.
¡°Huh.¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy, who was stirring the boiling soup in the pot, stopped her hands.
[What¡¯s wrong, Dorothy?]
¡°Aren¡¯t I too perfect¡? I¡¯m starting to get scared of myself¡!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s hands trembled. Per usual, it was a sight of her basking in her own greatness.
E was already ustomed to Dorothy boasting about herself frequently.
Every time she did so, she couldn¡¯t help but automatically sigh in response.
However, at the same time, a smile appeared on her face.
E was Dorothy¡¯s familiar so she could feel her master¡¯s emotions.
Despite Dorothy always appearing lively, E had always sensed a deep emotional pain, like being pricked by a skewer. However, she had never brought it up on purpose because there was no point in doing so.
But now, it felt like most of that pain had been chased away.
Dorothy was shaking off the longing, regret, and pain that she had always been ensnared by and finally began to enjoy the present to the fullest.
¡°Nihihi. Not only am I pretty, but I¡¯m also good at magic and cooking. Doesn¡¯t that totally make me¡¡±
[A great potential bride.]
¡°¡!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s face turned bright red in an instant.
She pursured her lips as if she had heard something she shouldn¡¯t have, before silently stirring the hot soup in the pot.
[Dorothy?]
Although she had remarked without much thought, E anxiously worried whether she had said something wrong.
Soon after, Dorothy let outughter close to a moan with a ¡®Nehehe¡¯, before managing to speak.
¡°Seriouslyyy~¡ Refrain from saying that. What do you mean by a great potential bride? Isn¡¯t that a bit too muchhhh~?¡±
Dorothy swayed her body happily. An expression of joy with a hint of shyness. It was as if numerous flower petals were fluttering around her.
E red at Dorothy.
No joke¡ It seemed like just imagining it was enough to make her die of happiness.
* * *
¡°President, how does it taste?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s phenomenally delicious.¡±
¡°Good! What a great answer!¡±
The twisted tree branch was now covered with white snowkes.
As the second semester came to an end with the end-of-semester evaluations and the winter vacation ceremony was just a day away¡
I was training elemental magic in the corner of the butterfly garden for the first time in a while. With my fatigue gone and my mana depletion state relieved, I was burning with enthusiasm.
Mana flowed much more stably than before. How would I put it¡? It kinda felt like my mana circuit had be more robust. It was simr to how new muscle cells were created after a shitton of strength training.
This further fueled my already burning enthusiasm. It was definitely worthwhile to push my limits in order to defeat the Floating Ind.
When lunchtime came, Dorothy suddenly appeared, spread out a mat, andid out the dishes she brought with starlight mana.
I devoured it like a starving dog. No BS. The savory taste was so prominent and light; I was about to go crazy because of how delicious it was.
¡®Is this for real? Did I die and go to heaven? My favorite character is even good at cooking?¡±
After the Floating Ind disappeared, everything about Dorothy was now unknown territory.
There was no record of Dorothy cooking in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
To think that Dorothy had this side to her. I never would have guessed.
¡°I prepared it to celebrate the return of the President¡¯s mana. It isn¡¯t often that you can eat my cooking, okay?¡±
¡°Holy sh- The taste is actually insane. Wow¡¡±
¡°¡Actually, it might be a bit often!¡±
Look at her oh-so-naturally switching up her words.
Such trivial things felt like proof that I had be a precious person to Dorothy which made me happy.
¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±
I finished every dish that Dorothy prepared without a single morsel left over, then leaned against a zelkova tree beside her.
It was to digest what I just ate while also spending time with her.
But still, I couldn¡¯t neglect my training, so I quietly conjured [Frostfire] in one hand to train my [Elemental Efficiency].
¡°President.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Have you nned something; like where to go during vacation?¡±
¡°For the most part, I¡¯ll probably stay at the academy the entire time. I don¡¯t really have anywhere to go anyway.¡±
¡°What about your hometown?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no one there, even if I go, so¡¡±
I didn¡¯t know where Isaac¡¯s hometown was.
If I asked his older sister, Eve Ropenheim, I might find out, but for some reason, she seemed to be deliberately avoiding me, so there was no need to approach her.
In the first ce, even if I went to his hometown, there would be no one anyway.
¡°Hmmm.¡±
Dorothy made a meaningful expression.
Thanks to [All In the World], she could see through the essence of everything and even had the ability to read emotions, so Dorothy was actually very sharp in some unexpected aspects.
I didn¡¯t really know the meaning behind making that expression instead of questioning me further though.
Since I couldn¡¯t read Dorothy¡¯s mind and it was difficult to even predict her emotions, I decided to not dwell on it any further.
¡°President, this Big Sis has been thinking about something.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If you ever encounter any difficulties, let me know. I know the President is stronger than me, but you¡¯re not omnipotent. You can ask me for help anytime, even if it¡¯s a bit of an unreasonable request.¡±
¡°Hmm, all of a sudden?¡±
¡°What do you mean ¡®all of a sudden¡¯? Thanks to you, the curse was lifted and I survived¡ In fact, I was actuallyte to say this. It¡¯s just a simple matter of repaying your kindness.¡±
Dorothy smiled brightly.
An unreasonable request. I did have something in mind.
¡®That¡¡¯
Should I ask her or not?
I had pondered this question dozens of times.
At this point, it was probably not a bad time to ask¡
¡Right?
¡°¡Then can I make an unreasonable request now?¡±
¡°Right away? So decisive¡ Well, fine. Whatever it is, tell me!¡±
¡°Please answer just one question. It is a bit of an impolite question though¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s easy peasy~. What is it?¡±
¡°On that day, did Senior kiss me?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy flinched her head back before gazing at the sky. Her face seemed to be in deep contemtion.
Whether she was trying to see through the intention behind my question or pondering what kind of answer to give¡ I wasn¡¯t too sure.
¡°Hey, President.¡±
Eventually, Dorothy smiled coyly, leaning her upper body towards me while cocking her head.
¡°I didn¡¯t know the President wanted to kiss me that badly~.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s uniquely captivating fragrance assaulted my sense of smell.
For a moment, my breathing stopped.
¡®She really just went for it¡¡¯
I almost replied, ¡®Of fucking course¡¯¡
I quickly regained myposure.
Should I take this positively or as a joke?
As I contemted how to reply, Dorothy chuckled and leaned back against the zelkova tree.
¡°This Big Sis is also a girl, you know? Those questions are embarrassing, okay?¡±
Didn¡¯t you just say answering a mere question would be easy peasy?
¡°Yes, well¡ I¡¯ll refrain from doing so.¡±
But still, I was always on Dorothy¡¯s side, so I didn¡¯t want to make her ufortable.
¡®It¡¯s fine if I get to know her little by little.¡¯
I wasn¡¯t sure whether she avoided answering due to embarrassment.
And I didn¡¯t have even the slightest intention of interrogating Dorothy about whether she kissed me or not.
After all, if it was true, that would be great. If not, it was whatever.
¡°By the way, President.¡±
At that moment, Dorothy brought up another topic as if waiting for the right timing.
¡°There was something that happened that day that I wasn¡¯t sure if I should tell you about. But I thought it was the right thing to do.¡±
In the context of our conversation, ¡®that day¡¯ seemed to refer to the time when we leaned against the wall of the hideout after defeating the Floating Ind.
I just had to faint at the time when it would be ambiguous whether Dorothy kissed me or not.
¡°Didn¡¯t you find it strange that you woke up safely at dawn? No matter how robust the President¡¯s body is, you pushed yourself wayyyyy too hard at that time.¡±
Something certainly did feel out of ce.
I roughly thought that Dorothy intermittently helped me recover after I fainted. But the only reason I thought that was because that was the only exnation that made sense.
¡°Did something else happen?¡±
¡°A cute kid called Kaya came to find you.¡±
¡Huh?
¡°She seemed to really like the President. It also seemed like the President had been sharing quite a bit of secrets with her for a while now¡ And it seemed like you and her rely on each other quite a bit, you know?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°President is unexpectedly really popr, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Dorothy was speaking with her usual smiling face, but¡
Somehow¡ There was a thorn-like sensation in her voice. It was somewhat menacing.
For now, I didn¡¯t know what the exact circumstances were, but¡
If Kaya hade, it made sense that I could safely wake up at dawn.
Soon after, Dorothy began to tell me about what had happened that day.
* * *
After defeating the Floating Ind.
It was the middle of the night when Isaac and Dorothy were sleeping while leaning against the outer wall of the board-framed hideout.
As gentle light green mana floated like fireflies and seeped into their bodies, Dorothy slowly opened her eyes from Isaac¡¯s shoulder because her chest felt warm.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
A solemn-like cute voice could be heard from the side.
Dorothy turned her head in that direction.
A female student with long verdant green hair was leaning against the wall with both her hands sped behind her butt.
School uniform, brilliant red pupils, and a cid expression.
Unlike usual, her hair wasn¡¯t tied in twin tails.
By her hip, the Armana Wand was visible in her hand.
Around her, something simr to thick tree branches rose from the ground, emitting vibrant green mana.
Isaac¡¯s injuries, which couldn¡¯t be healed by a mana depleted Dorothy, was instantly treated.
nt mana that could only be used by those who had been recognized by Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy.
In terms of recovery magic, it was a top-tier element that far surpassed any others in its performance.
Dorothy nkly stared at such a sight with her jaws agape.
¡°I guess you didn¡¯t notice meing because you were too busy fawning over Sir Isaac, Senior.¡±
Dorothy remembered seeing her before.
During the Thunderbird Subjugation, she casted [Tree of Radiance] to heal the injured.
And during the social gathering, she was the green-haired girl who had run away with Isaac.
Magic Department 1st-year second seat, Kaya Astrea.
¡°¡Did you follow us after seeing our fall?¡±
¡°Yes. Luckily, I found you. I¡¯ve been here with Sir Isaac before, so finding the way was easy.¡±
The honorific address, ¡®Sir Isaac¡¯. Her manner of speaking indicated a clear and thorough understanding of the situation.
Only after Dorothy used [Emotional Insight] did she realize that Kaya was someone who knew Isaac¡¯s secrets.
¡°Thank you foring¡ It seemed like Isaac here would have taken a whole day for his condition to improve. Thanks to you, he can recover much faster.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Kaya furrowed her brows towards Dorothy who was smiling faintly.
Isaac was in such a state to save Dorothy.
She couldn¡¯t even fathom how terrifying of a demon the Floating Ind must have been. In human terms, perhaps it had reached the level of an Archwizard.
That was probably why Isaac seemed to have struggled desperately for the first time. Even when putting it lightly, his physical condition wasn¡¯t good at all.
Dorothy probably couldn¡¯t do anything either. It was understandable. But¡
¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±
A murderous tone.
Kaya modestly gathered her legs and sat on the ground before tucking her flowing hair behind her ear.
And then, while resting her chin on her hand, she shot a cynical look at Dorothy.
Kaya¡¯s blood-red pupils boasted a beautiful color.
¡°Sir Isaac is someone who will be my man. Who does Senior think she is to nonchntly say that my man¡¯s condition will so easily improve? Sir Isaac became like this because he wanted to save Senior.¡±
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a huge relief that Senior is safe. I¡¯m sure you had your own unavoidable circumstances. But still, despite being that strong¡ Senior was powerless to do anything and even made Sir Isaac suffer¡ I hate you, Senior.¡±
Kaya loved Isaac as a man. Of that she was certain.
There was no doubt that there could have been various circumstances for both Dorothy and Isaac.
However, because Dorothy brought back the man she loved in such a severely injured state, Kaya did not have the will nor a sound enough mind to be respectful to Dorothy.
After all, she was so heartbroken that it was driving her crazy.
As such, the fact that Dorothy talked so nonchntly when he had exerted himself to this extent didn¡¯t sit well with Kaya.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy didn¡¯t say anything. She couldn¡¯t
She had nned to sacrifice her life to bring down the Floating Ind¡
And Isaac had overexerted himself just to save her.
Of course, Dorothy had worn her smiling mask merely out of habit. Inside, she was deeply concerned about Isaac.
However, Dorothy¡¯s feelings were probably not properly conveyed to Kaya.
¡°Hoo.¡±
Kaya sighed deeply and then stood up to approach Isaac.
As she sat back down, she leaned against Isaac¡¯s chest as if embracing him.
¡°Huh?¡±
Dorothy was taken aback.
With blushed cheeks, Kaya buried her face in Isaac¡¯s blood-soaked school uniform before lifting her face and ring at Dorothy with a scowl.
It was as if she was nailing down the fact that Isaac was her man.
¡°I secretly sneaked out of the subjugation force, so I have to go back soon¡ but I have no intention of yielding Sir Isaac to Senior.¡±
After asserting that, Kaya smiled while gazing at Isaac.
The verdant green mana reflected onto his deeply sleeping face, creating a flickering shadow on the snow-filled ground.
He was, indeed, incredibly lovely.
¡°Sir Isaac, I¡¯ll see you soon. I love you.¡±
Kaya gently kissed Isaac¡¯s cheek before standing up.
¡°Although I said some hateful things¡ Thank you for staying alive as well, Senior.¡±
The tree branches formed from nt mana turned into verdant dust that shone like a firefly before scattering away.
In the lingering aftermath of the scattered verdant mana, Kaya swiftly turned her back and left the forest path with her verdant green hair flowing behind her.
Dorothy was left in a daze.
Chapter 117: End of the Second Semester (4)
? End of the Second Semester (4) ?
¡°Starting now, we will proceed with the Magic Department Winter Vacation Ceremony of M?rchen Academy!¡±
The white snow had adorned M?rchen Academy with its color.
Morning. Magic Department school district. The square in front of Orphin Hall.
Students from the Magic Department, dressed in uniforms and cape shawls, stood in an orderly manner in the square ording to their year.
The female professor in charge of ss C for the Magic Department freshmen stood on the tform, conducting the vacation ceremony with an energetic voice.
For me, it was thest academy event as a Magic Department freshman.
I roughly heard the speech delivered by Headmistress Elena Woodline, as she reflected on the appearance of demons, the Floating Ind, and the eventful year we had experienced.
Ah, it was quite heart-wrenching to see her eyes moisten as she recalled how much she had suffered this year.
¡®The road of hardship is still far from over though.¡¯
Please don¡¯t cry already. After all, there will be many difficult days ahead¡
Soon after, following the host¡¯s call, the top seats of the Magic Department¡¯s first and second year stepped forward as representatives of their respective years.
The first year top seat was a female student with rose-gold hair cascading down to her waist, Luce Eltania.
And the second year top seat was a female student with long light purple hair, Dorothy Heartnova.
My fists clenched.
My favorite characters!
Their beauty was insanely dazzling¡!
Although they were bundled up in the same uniforms and cape shawls, even the sight of their backs in front of the podium seemed like a halo was shining around them.
Heuhhh, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a smile reminiscent of a proud father.
For reference, the vacation ceremony was only for students who would return the next year.
The third year students were prospective graduates, so they did not stand on the tform. Instead, they would have a grand ceremony at their graduation.
Headmistress Elena, wearing a white coat on her shoulders, stood in front of the two top seats.
She removed the red gem attached to Luce¡¯s brooch and reced it with a blue gem that symbolized a second year student.
In the same way, she attached a purple gem, symbolizing a third year student, to Dorothy¡¯s brooch as well.
When Headmistress Elena shook hands with the two female students, the students erupted in cheers and apuse.
During the apuse¡
I turned my gaze towards a female student with green twin tails, Kaya Astrea.
With her lips tightly sealed, Kaya was looking down with disappointed eyes.
¡®She seems frustrated.¡¯
During the end-of-semester evaluation, Kaya had a duel with Luce and lost.
Even if Kaya had be much stronger than the original scenario, Luce still held her position like an insurmountable wall.
It was probably difficult for Kaya to endure the overwhelming sense of inferiority.
¡°¡¡±
Since yesterday, the story Dorothy told me had been lingering in my mind.
After defeating the Floating Ind, I had no idea that Kaya woulde to the hideout and heal me.
Come to think of it, Kaya had abruptly appeared and saved me from a crisis. There were many things that would have been troublesome without her.
Suddenly, these thoughts urred to me.
If I hadn¡¯t built a connection with Kaya¡
¡How would have things turned out for me?
¡®I would¡¯ve fought against the Thunderbird and died.¡¯
That¡¯s right¡ I would¡¯ve been fucked.
¡®Thank you¡ for everything.¡¯
You¡¯re the savior of my life.
It seemed that only then did Kaya notice my gaze, as she turned her head and met my eyes with her jade-colored pupils.
¡°Heuahh¡¡±
Kaya¡¯s face reddened noticeably. It seemed that she was embarrassed at the thought of me looking at her.
She quickly turned back before drooping her head.
Her shoulder stiffened as it rose up and steam seemed to rise above her head.
It was the same old Kaya.
***
As the vacation ceremony concluded, students scattered in all directions.
M?rchen Academy had finally opened its doors to the outside world and many students left for their hometown via carriage. In a few days, the academy would be very quiet.
Regardless, what I had to do remained the same as it had always been.
¡®Training.¡¯
During the vacation, the training grounds became practically deserted. I couldn¡¯t miss this golden opportunity.
As I looked around on the way to the training grounds, I captured the beautiful and snowyndscape of M?rchen Academy in my eyes.
When I exhaled, a hazy steam of breath flowed out before quietly disappearing into the air.
It was clearly a sign of winter.
¡°¡¡±
As I was admiring the scenery, I then stopped in my tracks.
At dawn¡
A tree stump I had sat crouched on came into view.
It was the day of the entrance ceremony.
On that dawn when the gloomy sky poured spring rain, I had sat crouched on that tree, nkly watching the sight of raindrops freeze as they touched [Ice Curtain.]
The sense of helplessness I felt at that time vividly came back to me even now.
1 year. The first year possessing Isaac, an extra that appeared in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I had survived the Thunderbird, destroyed the Floating Ind, and saved Dorothy. Moreover, I had prevented many Bad Endings.
And I didn¡¯t die. I survived and didn¡¯t break away from the journey to defeat the Evil God.
¡°¡I¡¯m proud.¡±
A smallughter suddenly burst out. It wasn¡¯t easy but I was proud that I was still alive.
I began to walk once again.
As the second semester ended¡
My first year met its conclusion here.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 103
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Prospective Second Year
Mana: 24000/24000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B+)
***
Training grounds.
As I held Zhonya¡¯s Staff and faced illusions of demonic creatures, I was lost in thought.
After all, it was necessary to organize the current situation and continuously solidify ns for the future.
As of the end of the second semester of the first, I was ranked 45th in my year.
It was a rank calcted by summing up all the evaluation results I had received during the second semester.
I was confirmed to receive the Self-Development Excellence schrship, which was given to the student who showed the most significant improvement in gradespared to the previous semester.
I wasn¡¯t particrly happy. After all, I knew it would turn out this way. I merely felt a sense of relief.
Anyway, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about tuition fees during this winter vacation.
Moreover, I was also confirmed to relocate dorms.
I was currently amodated in the dorm for middle-low ranked students, Briggs Hall.
Before the start of the first semester, I would move to the dorm for middle-high-ranked students, Elma Hall.
From Elma Hall onwards, the facilities would dramatically improve and the involvement of the school-affiliated maids in my daily life would expand.
In other words, life was going to be much more convenient andfortable.
Of course, personal maids could be hired, but that was something that wasn¡¯t relevant to amoner like me.
¡®But the coolest thing is¡¡¯
I could obtain both End Game-Grade magic weapons before I even became a second year.
This time, I had made up my mind to obtain Gormos¡¯ Greatsword, but¡
Unfortunately, the situation was different from the time with Frost Dragon-Hilde.
¡®Because I can¡¯t form a contract with Gormos to be my familiar.¡¯
The one guarding Gormos¡¯ Greatsword was Stone Turtle-Gormos. He was an 8-star magic beast.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, to form a contract with an 8-star magic beast who was guarding an ultimate weapon, three conditions had to be met.
Firstly, possessing an 8-star familiar contract circle.
Secondly, obtaining the ultimate weapon through a trial.
Thirdly, proving superiority by defeating the 8-star magic beast in a battle.
Yep, that¡¯s right. That was the standard.
It was just that the situation with Frost Dragon-Hilde was special.
¡®That¡¯s why one could only form a familiar contract after reaching the veryte stages of the game.¡¯
In other words, if I wished to make the Stone Turtle my familiar, I had to follow standard procedure.
I had to be strong enough to fight and win against the Stone Turtle.
¡®I also have to prepare for the first semester of the second year.¡¯
When considering the first semester, four keywords came to mind.
Golden Generation.
The Deep Sea Monster, a demon that dropped an End Game-Grade magic weapon for Luce.
Miko.
Alice Subjugation Battle.
¡®What should I do about Luce¡¯s ring?¡±
I considered Luce as one of the members of the Evil God Subjugation Force.
As such, upgrading her specs directly corrted with strengthening my full power.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, if certain conditions were met, ¡®Ring of the Abyssal Queen¡¯ could be dropped.
And that was Luce¡¯s End Game-Grade magic weapon.
¡®I have to obtain it no matter what.¡¯
However, the problem was that¡
¡®It has to be worn on the left ring finger to activate its effects¡¡¯
Apparently, due to the backstory behind the Ring of the Abyssal Queen, the context behind wearing a ring on the left ring finger was equivalent to a proposal in this world as well.
During the time I yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it sometimes felt that the game developers had some shady intentions.
How exactly I would naturally give her that ring¡ was something I had to ponder.
¡®Also¡¡¯
Although unrted to the progress of the scenario, there was something I desperately wanted to find out.
¡®How does Alice know everything?¡¯
After the yer achieved victory in the Alice Subjugation Battle, Alice took her own life with a smile before exiting the stage and taking all the mysteries about her to her grave.
Anyone who had yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? wouldn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to relieve this curiosity.
Why would I be an exception?
As such, if possible, I wished to find out how Alice knew everything.
As I was lost in such thoughts¡
¡°Ha!¡±
Suddenly, a familiar burst ofughter was heard.
It happened to be the moment when I defeated thest demonic illusion, thus concluding the first wave.
I looked in the direction of the sound.
Unexpectedly, someone was passing through the entrance and approaching me.
A man who was fashionably dressed in neat aristocratic attire.
It was the vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey.
¡°Tristan?¡±
¡°Training right after the vacation ceremony? How ridiculous,moner!¡±
With his nose raised, Tristan let out a haughtyughter.
Judging by his civilian attire, it seemed like he was going back to his hometown and it didn¡¯t look like he came all the way here to train.
In other words¡
¡®Did hee to see me?¡¯
¡Nah, it¡¯s more likely that he just came to pick a fight with me. It¡¯s Tristan after all.
Tristan maintained his distance from me before stopping.
As usual, his arrogant smile was stered across his face.
¡°Even during the second year, you¡¯ll still be under my feet!¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡What a load of crap.
¡°That¡¯s how it is,moner! No matter how much you try to spread your wings and fly, it is impossible to even get close to me. I will continue to make you bitterly feel that truth, even after we be second years!¡±
Tristan pompously made a deration of war.
Mmm, well¡
I just roughly interpreted it as, ¡®Let¡¯s get along well, even after bing second years¡¯.
¡°Keuheheh! Struggle all you want! I¡¯ll crush you with my pursuit of knowledge after all!¡±
After Tristan let out words reminiscent of a third-rate viin, he turned around and started walking away.
He mockinglyughed, ¡°Keuhahahah!¡±, before coughing as if he choked on something.
[Tristan Humphrey] Lv: 92
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Water
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to be stronger than you.]
It seemed that Tristan had felt my mana during the end-of-semester evaluation and judged me as being superior to himself.
If it was Tristan, he would have been greatly stimted by such a fact.
He had a personality that couldn¡¯t live knowing the bitter taste of inferiority. He always strived for improvement, polishing himself endlessly.
And that kind of guy had been surpassed by themoner, Isaac, who he had always looked down on¡
As such, there was only one reaction that Tristan would express.
¡®He¡¯ll work even harder.¡¯
He would acknowledge the objective hierarchy, ept such a reality, and work even harder.
He knew the value of effort through experience and didn¡¯t lightly belittle the result of others¡¯ umted efforts.
And, more than anyone else, he wanted to prove his superiority through the result of his hard work.
It was his way of life.
Hence, it seemed like he had made a deration of war against me to strengthen his determination.
¡®Well, I¡¯m somewhat simr to you as well.¡¯
The final stop I aimed for at this academy was Evil God Nephid.
As always, my target forparison was that demon.
If I were to fight right now, it was objectively clear that I¡¯d get the shit kicked out of me.
As such, all I could do was work myself to death in order to defeat that demon.
Tristan¡¯s figure from the back disappeared beyond the entrance.
Without his intention, his words actually fueled a renewed determination within me.
As the second wave of demonic illusions began¡
Ice mana bloomed from my hands.
It was only a matter of time before I faced the Trial of Sandstone to obtain Gormos¡¯ Greatsword.
Chapter 118: Monologue (1)
Chapter 118: Monologue (1)
? Monologue (1) ?
[Familiars]
Eden (Lv: 101)
Grade:¡ï5
Race:Magic Beast
Elements:Rock
Bond:100
Synchronization:100
Summoning Mana Consumption:1100
Skill Tree ??Details??
Frost Dragon Hilde (Lv: 183)
Grade:¡ï8
Race:Magic Beast
Element:Ice
Bond:65
Synchronization:5
Summoning Mana Consumption:26000
Skill Tree ??Details??
[Master, thews of physics will finally apply in my daily life as well!]
The morning sunlight pierced through the curtains and seeped into the room.
M?rchen Academy¡¯s middle-low-ranked dorm, Briggs Hall.
As I changed into my workout clothes, I nced at the small white dragon rolling around on my desk. The beautifuldy-like voice was much more excited than usual.
Frost Dragon-Hilde Miniature Version. Finally, I could summon her in the form of a baby dragon.
She was a tangible entity rather than a firefly or a small me with eyes.
It was thanks to the noticeable increase in my strength after defeating the Floating Ind.
¡°I could summon you on a bit of arger scale, but that would be quite burdensome to me.¡±
[I am already exceedingly grateful for this much! Hmhm, More importantly¡ manners like that are possible too now.]
¡°Ah.¡±
I quickly understood what she meant. After all, Hilde had been subtly hinting at it repeatedly.
I approached the desk and started stroking her head. With closed eyes and a subtle smile, she enjoyed my touch.
The texture of scales. Undoubtedly a reptile.
However, because it felt like she was the SD version of the Frost Dragon, she boasted an adorable appearance.
[Hihit.]
Grandma was pleased.
Though her voice was quite childish, considering her age, she was indeed a millennium-old grandma.
My familiars, Eden and Hilde, gained a massive amount of EXP for their contribution in defeating the Floating Ind.
After continuously leveling up from that point onwards, Eden had now reached Level 101, thus being recognized as a 5-star magic beast.
Due to this, the mana consumption had increased exponentially, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.
The mana consumption for summoning Hilde would increase iparably to Eden as she leveled up.
However, as always, it was merely the cost of summoning a perfect Frost Dragon.
At my current level, I could summon a Hilde that was the size of my body.
¡®It¡¯ll onlyst a few minutes though.¡¯
Of course, I wasn¡¯t confident in handling the mana consumption for maintaining the summon.
¡¯I should at least maintain Hilde¡¯s summoned state.¡¯
The more I utilized a familiar, the higher [Synchronization] became.
Although [Synchronization] had only increased a hair-width because I couldn¡¯t even summon Hilde as a distinct entity¡
Now that she had one, the rate at which [Synchronization] would increase would be a lot faster.
When [Synchronization] reached its MAX, Partial Summoning became possible and I could use Hilde¡¯s power with my own body.
Just like how I created a rock gauntlet by Partial Summoning Eden¡
It meant I would be able to harness Hilde¡¯s might more effectively.
Putting that aside though¡
¡®How cute¡¡¯
Isn¡¯t she way too cute?
Seeing Hilde delighted by my touch, I couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted myself.
***
To undergo the Trial of Sandstone, I had to gather four Traces of the Rock Sovereign.
Simrly to the traces of the Ice Sovereign, a light brown mana stone was split into four different pieces.
¡®Ugh, this is taking forever.¡¯
Between training and meticulously searching for the traces of the Rock Sovereign, two weeks had passed before I knew it.
The premises of M?rchen Academy were exceptionally vast.
This world boasted a map size that was realistic, unlike its game counterpart.
In other words, finding the precise locations of all four Traces of the Rock Sovereign was a challenging task.
Moreover, the Primordial Elemental Kings had hidden their Traces in inconspicuous ces, as if they were treasures to search for. Among them, the Traces of the Primordial Rock Sovereign were particrly devious to locate.
¡®What in the world is wrong with them? Why hide it in ake?¡¯
Although he was deceased, I wanted to punch him just once. The Ice Sovereign was practically a saintesspared to him.
I was currently searching inside the winterke to find the fourth Trace of the Rock Sovereign. At this rate though, I was going to fucking die.
When I explored theke in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I didn¡¯t think much of it. When I did it myself, however, I felt like shit.
¡®Oooh!¡¯
When the sky darkened¡
I had summoned Hilde as a small mana entity, using her as a shlight to inspect the insides of theke. While I was doing so, I finally saw a mana stone fragment that faintly gleamed with a light brown color.
Finally¡!
[Congrattions! You have found [Traces of the Rock Sovereign 4]!]
I grabbed it and immediately surfaced.
¡°Huah! I finished, you Rock Sovereign motherfucker!¡±
Ake in the vicinity of Tantak Underground Cave.
As broken ice pieces floated in such a ce, my emotions ran rampant as I erupted inughter.
Both tion and fury were infused in my high-quality curses, echoing throughout the gorge.
I thought I was going to go insane because of how tedious and inconvenient it was¡
Subsequently, Hilde, a white mana entity that flickered like mes, and Eden, my small golem familiar, surfaced as well.
Eden swam by attaching thinly spread rocks to both his arms. I roughly designated this appearance of his as the Eden Swimming Form.
¡°Eden, Hilde! I finished!! I found all of them!!¡±
[You did it!]
[Kuuuuuuh!!]
When I showed them the Traces of the Rock Sovereign, Hilde shouted happily.
My small golden familiar Eden responded by habitually raising its arms in an effort to express ¡®Hurray!¡¯.
[Kuuurrrrrruk¡!]
And when he did so, Eden¡¯s body sank back beneath the surface in vain.
I emerged from theke with Eden in tow and sat on the stone ground. Hilde, after receiving a bit more of my mana, transformed into the form of a small dragon and settled on my shoulder.
As I looked up, I was met with the sight of the evening sky, permeated with navy blue hues.
It felt like I had be quite resilient to the cold thanks to undergoing the Trial of Frost.
Despite spending several hours in the coldke, my body waspletely fine.
It felt as if my cold energy naturally protected me once my body temperature dropped to a certain level.
Of course, it would¡¯ve been much more preferable to be warm, so I decided to light a fire.
¡®I also need to dry my clothes.¡¯
I activated a fire elemental magic scroll and ignited the pile of firewood I had prepared beforehand to make a bonfire.
The sound of crackling could be heard. Since I removed my outer clothes, the warmth of the bonfirepletely embraced my skin.
¡°Eden, you worked hard.¡±
[Kuu!]
Eden raised one of its arms in response.
¡°You too, Hilde.¡±
[I just obey whatever Master orders. Well, if you really are grateful, then perhaps it would be nice to stroke my body a bit¡ Hihit.]
When I gently stroked Hilde¡¯s head, she let out a brightughter reminiscent of a pure girl.
Was it because she could finally enjoy the touch of her master after a thousand years? It seemed like she would never get tired of it, no matter how much she was stroked.
[Anyway, the Traces of the Rock Sovereign, you say¡ I do miss him. He was a man of unshakeable belief, just like how a rock was¡]
¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t care.¡±
[¡I was just going to talk about the good old days a bit.]
What¡¯s the point of learning about a person who had already be a corpse a millennium ago?
It seemed like Hilde tried to sulk because of my t response, but as soon as I stroked her chin gently, she let out a ¡®Hihit¡¯ before returning to her original joyful state.
How easy.
As such, while waiting for my pants to dry, I spent my time training my [Elemental Efficiency] by lighting [Frostfire] in one hand.
Eden was yfully rolling around by himself and Hilde was quietly gazing at the bonfire beside me when¡
[Master, will you be fine?]
Hilde spoke to me in a tranquil voice.
[You might die. I do not know if I have the right to say this as someone who has given trials in the past¡ But are you not even the slightest bit afraid?]
¡°¡Of course I¡¯m afraid.¡±
How could I not be? I was scared to death.
During the Trial of Sandstone, the body would gradually turn into stone.
The higher the [Rock Elemental Resistance], the slower the transformation would be.
However, even if it was dyed, the ceiling itself would slowly descend until the time limit had been reached, and I would inevitably be crushed to death.
¡®Now that I¡¯m about to experience it in person, it really is brutal¡¡¯
Despite having narrowly escaped death several times, facing such a crisis was still terrifying.
If it wasn¡¯t for the effect of [Frozen Soul] that allowed me to be level-headed when my emotions severely wavered, my mentality would have copsed several times over already.
However¡
¡°I still need to try.¡±
Gormos¡¯ Greatsword would greatly enhance my overall strength.
Just like how I received additional ice mana when bringing out Frostscythe¡
Gormos¡¯ Greatsword would also share its umted rock mana with me. Moreover, it would significantly boost the power of my rock magic.
How could I not try to obtain it considering how my overall strength would literally double?
It was worth it to risk my life for it, just like when I obtained Frostscythe.
¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±
My pants had finished drying. It was time to return.
***
Bright daylight. In the small mountain range rising within the grounds of M?rchen Academy, I reached the peak of the ¡®Falk¡¯ mountain.
After using elemental magic to carefully descend beneath the leaning pine tree towards the cliff, there was a space somewhere that one could use to enter it.
While creating a rock staircase alongside the perilous cliff, I carefully descended. What a thrill.
¡®It should roughly be around here¡ Found it!¡¯
At a certain point on the cliff, I found a passage narrow enough for only one adult.
When I squeezed in, I saw stairs leading downwards.
It was dark with no end in sight.
Since these stairs pierced through Falk Mountain, they were extremely long. It was reminiscent of the unsettling feeling that I had when ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Moreover, since this world became much bigger in reality than the map in the game¡
¡®Yep, it¡¯s going to be fucking terrifying.¡¯
However, a mere fear of the dark wouldn¡¯t stop me.
¡°Hilde, Eden. Come out.¡±
Extending my left arm, I activated the summoning circle for Hilde and simultaneously called Eden as well.
The small white dragon, Hilde, emerged from the summoning circle engraved on my wrist.
And after light brown mana gathered in the air, it formed the small golem Eden.
[Did you call?]
[Kuooong!]
I was d to hear their voice resonate in the narrow passage.
[Master, where are we?]
¡°Falk Mountain. We¡¯re going to go all the way down from here. Hilde, take the lead and Eden, apany me.¡±
The Frost Dragon said, [I shall], and Eden raised one arm to respond [Got it!].
This is what familiars are for~.
Hilde descended first, letting out ice mana to brighten the surroundings with a faint light.
I followed Hilde down the stairs with Eden to dispel my loneliness.
[Kuoong, Kuooo!]
¡°Alright, Eden. Let¡¯s hold hands.¡±
[Kuooo?]
As I joyfully descended the stairs for about 20 minutes, we suddenly reached a dead-end rock wall. It was not a frightening journey at all.
[Master, the path is blocked?]
¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±
It was here.
I kneeled down on one leg and carefully took out the light brown mana stone from the magic pocket. Then, I carefully ced the 4 pieces of the Traces of the Rock Sovereign onto the ground.
When I did so, a magic circle was engraved on the ground, as a faint golden light began to flow.
[Kuooo?!]
[Master, how did you find something like this? Even I could not feel anything!]
¡°Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡±
The information about the magic circle for the Trial of Sandstone could be obtained by ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? until itster stages.
[¡Well, youarethe reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign. I guess it was obvious that you would know something like this.]
¡°¡¡±
Welp, she¡¯s acting braindead for stupid reasons again.
[Then, Master, make sure to survive.]
[Kuooo¡]
Deep concern filled the voices of Hilde and Eden.
How thoughtful of them.
I lightly smiled, as I patted the heads of my familiars before I unsummoned them.
Now, it was time to stake my life once again to level up.
¡°Hooo.¡±
I¡¯m soooo fucking nervous¡
I took a deep breath to calm my motions and ced my hand on the magic circle that was engraved on the ground.
I recited the predetermined chant, just as I did during the Trial of Frost.
¡°I shall face the Trial of Sandstone.¡±
Whoooooosh©¤©¤©¤.
As I uttered those words, the magic circle began to emit a brilliant light.
My vision was tinted with golden hues and I simultaneously felt a sense of weightlessness.
Closing both my eyes, I surrendered myself to that sensation.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on genesistls
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 119: Monologue (2)
? Monologue (2) ?
As the pitch-ck darkness descended in an instant, a mana that had been concentrated for a long time enveloped my entire body.
I looked around. In the total darkness, the only glimmer of golden light caught my eye.
As I moved towards it, what unfolded before my eyes was¨C.
¡°Ooh.¡±
A cavern so immense that its size couldn¡¯t be estimated.
Mana circuits, flowing like blood vessels, crossed the walls in golden hues.
The rock mana emitted a topaz light akin to the sun from the center of the ceiling.
Center of the cavern.
Seemingly a mere rock at first, a colossal turtle caught my eye.
Eyes shut. Hard rock shell. An exterior resembling that of an Alligator Snapping Turtle.
The light-brown shell resembled a massive rock mountain with protruding golden crystals.
¡°Gormos¡¡±
He was once known as the hands and feet of the Primordial Rock Sovereign, a mythological rock elemental magic beast.
He was the Stone Turtle-Gormos.
[Stone Turtle-Gormos] Lv: 180
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wary of you]
As expected, his overwhelming presence was no joke when I saw him in person.
Although when he was lying down it felt like he was one with the ground, if he was to stand, his size would berger than most mountains.
Stone Turtle-Gormos slowly opened his eyes, revealing light brown pupils. Those very same pupils fixed their gazes on me.
[You know my name, I see.]
The Stone Turtle narrowed his eyes.
A deep male voice. The calm elderly tone was like one of an intellectual as it resonated in my mind.
[¡I sense the aura of the Ice Sovereign in you. I see you have risen to a formidable level at such a young age.]
At least this guy didn¡¯t entertain some ridiculous misconceptions like how I was the reincarnated Ice Sovereign or whatever.
That was enough for me to be satisfied.
[Have youe to face the Trial of Sandstone?]
At this point in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there were two possible choices as a response.
¡®Yes¡¯ or ¡®Please wait a moment¡¯.
Of course, my response had already been determined.
¡°Yes.¡±
[I shall open the door of the Trial.]
With a rumble, the ground beneath my feet shook for a moment. I nearly fell¡
I turned my head to the side, where the sound wasing from. The rock on the walls spread apart, creating a passage illuminated by light brown mana.
It was exactly the same as the Trial of Frost. From the moment I entered that passage, Gormos¡¯ Greatsword would turn me into stone before trying to crush me to death.
[Another world will consume your mind, and your physical body will gradually turn into stone. Those who are unworthy will meet their end, as they shatter into tiny bits of gravel. Ovee the trial and prove that you¡¯re worthy to be the Master of the Obsidian de.]
The Stone Turtle recited the official lines, the same lines I had heard in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Obsidian de.
The original name of the ultimate elemental weapon known as Gormos¡¯ Greatsword.
That was my goal.
¡®I¡¯m getting nervous¡¡¯
I swallowed dryly.
In the game, the Ultimate Weapon Trials were designed to eat away the main character¡¯s mind by weaving together his memories, actual events, and events that could have possibly happened.
The problem was that this could only be experienced once in every ythrough of the game.
However, after clearing the Trial of Frost, I found myself in a position where I had to ovee another Elemental Trial for the second time.
This was something that could never happen in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I didn¡¯t know if the contents were simr to the Trial of Frost; If it was, it could be a repetition of before, where I had to oppose Alice, or the Evil God, or confront another traumatic event rted to Isaac.
¡®¡I can¡¯t predict what will pop out anyway.¡¯
There was no need to dwell on it. In the first ce, were the contents of the Trial of Frost exactly as I predicted? Of course not.
It was business as usual. I simply needed to ovee it.
My elemental bracelet was attuned to the Rock Element. With this, my [Rock Elemental Resistance] was increased by 40.
I closed my eyes and pulled myself together.
Then, I slowly stepped forward, entering the passage radiating a topaz light.
¡°¡¡±
As I entered the gap between the rocks, a long dimly lit passage stretched out before me. Yellow stone fragments floated in the air.
Thanks to them, I could somewhat distinguish my surroundings. It was a far cry from the pitch-ck darkness of the Trial of Frost.
Kuuuuuuuuu©¤©¤.
As expected, a brutal noise began to emanate from the ceiling.
Since the light didn¡¯t reach the ceiling, when I raised my head, all I could see was a pitch-ck.
It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that the sound was caused by the ceiling itself, as it slowly descended.
If I didn¡¯t pass the Trial of Sandstone in time, I would be crushed under that ceiling before turning into stone rubble.
At the end of the passage, I could see an entrance emitting yellow light. The Obsidian de was probably there.
However, I couldn¡¯t sprint at full speed because of the yellow stone fragments floating around.
¡®It¡¯s a trap after all.¡¯
Each stone fragment was a massive concentration of mana. Any area of my body that touched it would turn into stone at an even more rapid pace.
If I ignored them and just ran, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to endure a minute before my entire body was entirely petrified.
Wearing armor wouldn¡¯t help either. After all, in front of these stone fragments with densely packed mana, a person like me was practically no better than naked.
That was why I purposely dressedfortably.
¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯
I proceeded with hurried steps.
It felt as if there was no moisture in the air at all. I could feel my skin bing more and more dry. My face and body gradually stiffened.
This was the sensation of turning into stone.
When I suddenly thought of an Isaac statue, I couldn¡¯t help but burst out into uncontrobleughter.
¡®Everything I have done would be futile. How anticlimactic.¡¯
Although it was frightening, thanks to the effects of [Frozen Soul], my fear quickly subsided.
My steps had no hesitation. I carefully avoided the yellow stone fragments, but I didn¡¯t slow down.
Soon after¡
A man¡¯s voice resonated in my mind.
©¤©¤©¤©¤Face the Trial of Sandstone.
Just like that, my consciousness drifted into infinity.
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
The humid air wetted my lungs.
I scrunched up my nose at the musty smell and quietly opened my eyes.
A bright light flooded my vision. It was the light from the nightstand on top of the desk.
The ticking of a clock¡¯s hand echoed in my ear. A routine noise that went unnoticed unless one deliberately paid attention to it.
I remembered myself pondering whether my concentration had broken due to the sound of the clock¡¯s hand.
¡°¡¡±
I was sprawled across the desk.
I lifted my head. As I wiped away the drool from the corner of my mouth and looked around, the view of a cramped one-room semi-basement filled my sight.
Thickw book piled up so high that it was suffocating just to look at.
A video game console squeezed into a tiny gap that was somehow created in such a cramped space.
A humidifier emitted a red light. It seemed that the water tank had been full for quite some time.
I turned my gaze back to the desk.
A summary of social welfare and civilw was fixed on the reading desk
In front of that were civilw practice problems for the first round of the bar exam and a notebook filled with the traces of solved problems.
It seemed I had fallen asleep on top of the book.
On the shelf above the desk, books that seemed to have been repeatedly read with intense focus were arranged in an orderly manner.
A briquet-shaped keyring I received while doing briquette delivery volunteer work, a pretty hourss whose origins I couldn¡¯t recall, and a water bottle containing marimo that I bought at the thought that it might alleviate my loneliness were all unnecessarily ced there.
The wall was covered with various post-it notes.
They contained trivial philosophical quotes scribbled down, as if by someone who had gained some bullshit enlightenment while studying, or encouraging phrases like ¡®You can do it¡¯.
As I read the densely written content about the difference between transfer for security of circting collected items and transfer for security in general terms and the important bone of contention of them¡ I felt like I was about to throw up.
On the calendar ced in the corner of the desk, only study ns were written.
It seemed toote to¡
¡Feel the eerie sense of anxiety.
The Ultimate Weapon Trials mixed the memories of the one taking the trial, actual events that had urred, and events that could have possibly happened¡
And by doing so, it created a new world in the person¡¯s mind to devour their sanity.
For reference, the ultimate weapon itself had no intelligence, let alone life-like characteristics. However, it had the will and power to perform its necessary functions.
It was possible that the Obsidian de had targeted the existence known as ¡®I¡¯ within Isaac and prepared this shitty stage for the Trial.
¡°¡This is actually fucked.¡±
I really¡ didn¡¯t expect this at all.
***
Upon leaving the one-room, I was greeted with the sight of a drab alleyway.
A warning sign that read, ¡®No Smoking¡¯, was posted on the building¡¯s exterior wall. Even so, a smoker had alwayse here anyway.
Lamp posts that were sparsely seen. Low-rise congregate housing, It was the living area for Sinlim-dong¡¯s state exam prep students.
It was a familiar sight, but not a weed one.
And¡
¡®Descending Sky.¡¯
To call it an evening sunset¡ was not correct as the sky emitted a brilliant topaz hue.
Arge scale of rock mana flowed through the sky like the wind. It was a beautiful scene.
As I had already experienced before in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, that was the ¡®Descending Sky¡¯.
The sky itself was rock that was created through mana.
The sky was slowly descending and eventually, it would tten this entire world.
Seeking refuge underground was futile. The moment the sky touched the ground would be the point in time when my real body was ttened and obliterated into smithereens by the ceiling.
Suddenly, I saw my reflection in the building¡¯s window.
I was wearingfortable sweats, an outfit I had worn throughout my time as a prep student.
And¡
¡°¡It¡¯s Isaac.¡±
It wasn¡¯t my original self who had been worn out by the prep student lifestyle. Instead, it was Isaac¡¯s appearance.
However, my hair was ck.
It felt like nothing about my body had changed¡ That was good.
I raised my right hand and let mana flow.
A pale blue ice mana flowed from my palm, as little ice crystals began to float in the air.
There didn¡¯t seem to be any problems with mana.
Next was my status window.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 103
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Prospective Second Year
Mana: 24000/24000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B+)
The status window was also the same as before.
Aside from my hair color, physically, I was exactly the same as Level 103 Isaac.
¡°Come to think of it¡¡±
Ah, I had overlooked something because I kept thinking about the Trial.
I quickly returned to the cramped one-room and turned on the video game console.
I had always enjoyed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? as a psychological reward after studying.
The world in that game had definitely be my reality.
However, in this ce, ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was just a game.
Considering the strange events that had happened to me, it was possible that there was some mysterious secret hidden in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
In other words, this could be an opportunity to catch a glimpse at the secret parts of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°What the hell?¡±
However, the video game screen was filled with static and noise.
The ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? game cartridge was there, but an unknown force was creating noise and obscuring my view every time I tried to look at it.
As if it was telling me that it was the one thing I couldn¡¯t look at.
A transcendent power seemed to be acting against me.
¡°¡¡±
It wasn¡¯t even something new or unexpected to me. I decided not to get flustered and postpone my questions.
For now, the immediate problem was that, just like the Trial of Frost, I didn¡¯t know how to pass the Trial of Sandstone.
What were the conditions for passing this Trial?
Since this was also a Trial, the contents would be rted to oveing a trauma. If that was the case¡
¡®Perhaps I have to pass the bar exam again¡¡¯
¡No. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s it.
I could easily tell by looking at the calendar and the books spread out on my desk.
After all, I had been solving practice problems for the first round of the exam. The second round was still a long way off.
The time given to me was limited. Even if time in the world of the Ultimate Weapon Trial flowed faster than the real world, the difference would only be a few months at most.
In the first ce, how the fuck am I supposed to do this again? Have you lost your mind?
¡°Then, there must be something else.¡±
I needed to gather information.
I got up from my seat and left the one-room again.
¡°¡?¡±
What¡¯s this?
I noticed something strange after witnessing people on the main road.
I climbed up the pedestrian overpass above the road and stood in front of the railing. Indeed, the same peculiar phenomenon was happening to everyone.
¡°Why is everyone like that?¡±
They were all gray.
Literally gray.
Their voices could be heard and various expressions were clearly visible, but all the people were painted in gray, as if they had lost all their color.
Now was not the time to be surprised.
¡®I should try talking to someone.¡¯
I was a bit worried about their heads potentially splitting in two like in the Trial of Frost, but¡
¡®Am I in a position to avoid risks?¡¯
I didn¡¯t have time to ponder and worry.
I approached a male in sweats, who was obviously a prep student and spoke to him.
¡°Hey there¡ oh my.¡±
As I ced my hand on his shoulder, my hand just went through his body.
It felt like I was merely floundering in the air.
It surprised the hell out of me, so I let out a patheticmentation.
It seemed as if even my voice couldn¡¯t be heard, as the male continued to walk in an unmoved manner.
¡°After all I¡¯ve went through, I¡¯m even a ghost now¡?¡±
I couldn¡¯t help butugh wryly.
Seriously?
¡°I can touch other things though?¡±
The cold and solid sensation of the railing of the pedestrian overpass could be distinctly felt.
I deduced that I was being treated like a ghost by gray existences. How absurd.
In conclusion, I was not aplete ghost.
Am I more of a poltergeist?
¡®That is¡¡¯
So sweet.
Of course, I didn¡¯t have the time to go wherever I wanted and shake various things while enjoying the sight of people being startled.
¡°First, this trial¡¡±
Ah.
I lost strength in my legs.
I sat down, gripping onto the railing.
I could guess the reason. Despite pretending to be all bright and happy, I fucking hated this scenery.
In my prep student lifestyle¡ In the deste darkness of an endless tunnel¡
I despised the feeling of istion that I had experienced for years.
Although those days had settled in my mind as nostalgic memories after my prep student lifestyle had ended¡
It seemed like the current me was fully experiencing the feeling of exhaustion and fatigue I felt back then.
¡°I¡¯m gonna lose my fucking mind¡¡±
My stomach churned and I felt as if I was about to vomit.
¡°Haah.¡±
After closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I finally got up.
Pull yourself together.
I pped my cheeks with both hands.
I needed to figure out how to pass this Trial.
I have to find a hint about an unusual urrence in this world; something that was different from my memories.
Underneath the Descending Sky¡
I began to walk once again.
* * *
¡°So this is how it felt. I can finally feel it now.¡±
M?rchen Academy, high in the sky above the clouds.
Amidst the cluster of stars shimmering with various colors, a female student sat cross-legged, floating steadily in the air.
A witch hat was worn on her head. Only the end of her long light purple hair was tied up. It was Dorothy Heartnova.
As if she had gained enlightenment after closing her eyes and meditating, she broke into a mischievous smile.
[Did you feel something?]
As E, a white cat familiar who was also floating high in the sky with the power of starlight mana, asked, Dorothy nodded
From what Dorothy could feel, her abilities had be a level stronger.
Just moments ago, she had sensed an unusual event that happened in this world and had observed the birth of another worldline.
And now, she was confident that she could meddle in that world.
¡°Nihihi. I¡¯ll be back, E¡±
The stage that the extraordinary genius, Dorothy Heartnova, would have reached in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? if she hadn¡¯t died.
The result of Isaac defying fate itself to prevent the inevitability of her death, no matter how many ythroughs of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? were taken.
At this very moment, something that should never have happened was about to unfold.
E smiled with a giggle.
[Okay. I¡¯ll see you soon, Dorothy.]
The power of [All In the World] merged with starlight mana, as Dorothy emitted a radiant brilliance.
Chapter 120: Monologue (3)
? Monologue (3) ?
The State Exam Prep Students¡¯ Tower of Trials.
Although there was a study room on the 5th floor, that title was the nickname for the building in the floors below it, from the 1st to 4th floor; Respectively on each floor, there was a billiards room, an inte cafe, aic book rental store, and a karaoke room.
I could hear people vigorously tapping at their keyboards, engrossed in their games. Of course, they were all gray.
¡®There¡¯s nothing special here.¡¯
There wasn¡¯t a game that I hadn¡¯t seen before and browsing the news on the inte didn¡¯t reveal any noteworthy issues.
The real-time search terms on the portal site were just full of celebrities and political issues.
Even though the sky was falling, the world seemed to be running just fine.
I tried to look up ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? in the search bar. As expected, only static and noise urred and the search term couldn¡¯t even be seen.
When I instinctively searched and pressed Enter, this time, the entireputer screen was covered in noise.
It felt like something simr to Providence was severely restricting any information rted to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°Ugh.¡±
So fucking stingy¡
It seemed like the inte was going to be of little use.
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
Even as time passed, nothing noteworthy happened.
I didn¡¯t feel hungry, despite not having eaten, and I wasn¡¯t sleepy either, even though it became night.
In no time at all, the Descending Sky had fallen to a third of its original position. In terms of time, it had only been 2 days since this trial began.
I devised various methods in a sober state.
With my robust body, I tried getting lightly hit by a car and I created a huge lump of ice in an attempt to attract people¡¯s attention.
However, that was all I could do. I hadn¡¯t even found a hint of a clue for the conditions of clearing this trial.
¡°¡Ah.¡±
I was wandering around, formting numerous hypotheses.
As I was crammed into the crowd at the side of the street, my stomach suddenly began to churn.
State exam prep student lifestyle. The scenery made it seem like this world was solely excluding me.
That feeling.
As the sensation of that time was recalled vividly, nausea overwhelmed me. It was uncontroble.
I rushed to the public restroom at the train station and vomited into the toilet.
¡°Haaa, phew¡¡±
After barely calming my stomach and flushing the toilet¡
I washed my face at the sink and left the restroom.
¡°¡I¡¯m fucked.¡±
Not just people, but even objects.
Everything reflected upon my eyes was gradually dyed in that ursed ck and white.
I already knew it all. This was just the Trial of Sandstone. It was just a fake world designed to devour my sanity.
However, the sensations I had felt during this time of my life were vividly recalled, making it so fucking difficult to endure.
I hurried back to my one-room apartment at Sinlim-dong.
Briquette-shaped keyring, the hourss, the marimo, the legal literature; these were the only things not dyed in ck and white.
¡°Eden!¡±
I tried to summon my familiar, but I didn¡¯t even get a response.
Only then did I realize that my own arms were now dyed gray.
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
Time passed.
Just as it was before, nothing had happened.
The only change was that the world I saw now waspletely monochromatic.
It was a sight that felt like an old ck-and-white TV had reced a color TV.
At least the Descending Sky maintained its original color.
Before I knew it, that sky had already descended half-way.
However, even now, I still couldn¡¯t grasp a single hint of the clearing conditions for this trial.
¡°¡¡±
I walked along Sinlim-dong¡¯s streets.
I could feel myself bing more withdrawn.
I at least wanted to visit thepany that created ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but when I tried searching the corporate name to find its address, the screen was filled with noise; It was utterly maddening.
The only silver lining was that even though objects had turned monochromatic, I could still touch them.
There was a drawback because of theck of detailed sensations.
But still, it was fortunate that I had not beenpletely cut off from this world yet.
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: ???
Gender: ?
Year: ?
Title: ??????
Mana: 500 / 500
¨C ?? Recovery Speed (??)
The sky had gotten quite close.
I estimated that within the next three days, this world would meet its end.
However, my vision still only reflected colorlessndscapes.
And I still couldn¡¯t even guess what the conditions for clearing this trial could possibly be.
A cramped one-room. I sat quietly in the corner. I was thinking.
What should I do? What in the world did I have to do in order to ovee this trial?
As I pondered and pondered while ncing around, a ck and white calendar on the desk suddenly caught my eye.
As I realized what today¡¯s date was, both my eyes widened.
I couldn¡¯t do anything besides quietly stare at the calendar, as if time had stopped.
September 23rd.
Today was the anniversary of my mother¡¯s death.
***
There was a ce I really wanted to go.
Even if it was a fake world, I didn¡¯t wish to go there in sweats, so I dressed up nicely.
A white shirt, blue jacket, and ck pants. Of course, it all just appeared ck and white. Fortunately, the sizes all fit me fairly well.
The wind wasn¡¯t too chilly, but it wasn¡¯t too hot either.
I took the subway and arrived at the Columbarium.
Inside a ss cab was a small urn. a bouquet of flowers, and a framed photograph.
In the photograph, smiling awkwardly in embarrassment¡
A woman more lovely than anyone else could be seen.
¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
Mom.
If I traced back my memories, I truly was a stupid bastard.
I had turned off my smartphone and fully engrossed myself in books, all for the sake of my, oh so important, studies. As such, I only found out about my mother¡¯s passing muchter on.
In the uninteresting y that I had a role in, my prep student life was like a monologue.
A sensation of being isted from the world.
Buried in books, I was doing all kinds of useless bullshit on my own, as I ran aimlessly towards an uncertain future.
Although the hollow passage of time did help me regain the strength needed to move forward¡
The emotions I felt when I heard about my mother¡¯s passing never improved even until the moment I passed the state exam.
After the admission ceremony of the Judicial Research and Training Institute concluded, I visited the Columbarium with my certificate of appointment in hand.
I wanted to share the news with a smile, ¡®Isn¡¯t your son truly incredible, Mom?¡¯
However, when I saw my mother¡¯s picture, it felt like my heart was being torn apart. I had to crouch here for a long time, only sobbing without any words.
I closed my eyes. For a moment, I quietly took a deep breath.
I opened my eyes again and imprinted the picture of my mother even more vividly in my mind.
I began to walk.
Leaving the Columbarium, I took the rattling subway back to Sinlim-dong.
I looked out the subway window at the sky.
The sky hade much closer. Compared to the beginning, it seemed like two-thirds of it had descended now.
The beautiful colors that the rock mana radiated were incredibly vivid in this monochromatic world.
Death was rapidly approaching.
This wretched scenery was pressing down on me like a weight.
The effects of [Frozen Soul] helped calm me somewhat, but with just that much, nothing could be solved.
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
When I arrived at Sinlim-dong, I headed towards the pedestrian overpass.
I leaned against the railing, silently watching the cars pass by with loud noises.
A colorless scenery.
Looking back, it wasn¡¯t even that novel.
After all, during my state exam life, the scenery reflected upon my eyes was originally this dull.
¡°¡¡±
I could not lose myself.
So, I lit [Frostfire] in my right hand.
For some reason, my mana had significantly decreased, but I could still barely maintain [Frostfire].
The chilly mana zing like mes also appeared ck and white.
Although I couldn¡¯t feel any sensation, looking at those frigid mes actually made me feel like I was still alive.
Time passed again¡
And as my mana depleted, [Frostfire] flickered out like an exhausted matchstick.
I had been pondering deeply throughout my time here, but I still had no idea how to clear this trial.
At least in the Trial of Frost, the Evil God resurrected, ending the world. If it was something like that, how could I not know what the conditions were?
However, here, I was simply isted.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Even so, I had no intention of giving up.
I didn¡¯t despair. On the contrary, I was more determined than ever.
If I were a flower, I would bloom even in a mire filled with filth.
I softly closed, then opened my eyes, taking a moment to hone my emotions before quietly starting to move forward.
With that, I fired up my will.
Then, at that moment¡
A dull thud echoed, as something collided with the railings of the overpass.
Simultaneously, an elegant and pure sound that should not be heard in this muted world chimed.
¡°¡?¡±
I stopped and turned my head back to the railings where the sound came from.
And my jaws dropped.
In the world dyed in ck and white, only one girl sparkled, rousing a cluster of stars of various colors.
Her posture indicated she had fallen from the sky andnded on the railing. Her light purple hair, tied only at the end, momentarily floated in the air.
¡°Gosh.¡±
She pressed her witch hat to prevent it from flying away¡
And then jumped off the railing, facing me.
When she did so, her cheeks turned rosy as she smiled widely, revealing her pearly white teeth.
¡°I finally found you.¡±
At that moment, myposure vanished and my chest tightened so much that my face crumpled like a sheet of paper.
However, after taking a deep breath and exhaling, I barely managed to control my expression so it didn¡¯t distort.
¡°Senior¡¡±
The person who had shone endlessly bright to me was now right before my eyes.
¡°President. Do you know what I went through to find you? I was exhausted to death! Now, I¡¯ll give you a chance! Come on, why don¡¯t youe andfort this Big Sis~?
While raising her hand to her chest, Dorothy wore a yful smile.
I had no idea how she appeared in front of my eyes.
However¡
[Dorothy Heartnova] Lv: 183
Race: Human
Elements: Rock, Starlight
Danger: X
Psychology: [¡ï¡î¡ï¡îWith¡î¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï]
It wasn¡¯t difficult at all to realize that she was real.
Chapter 121: Monologue (4)
? Monologue (4) ?
¡°How are you here¡?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
Dorothy stroked her chin, observing me intently.
[All In the World] and [Emotional Insight]. It was impossible to hide one¡¯s inner thoughts and feelings from her.
Perhaps her eyes could discern my state even more clearly than I could.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy let out a soft smile before yfully grinning and rushing towards me.
¡°Nah, whatever! Comforting cer! Let¡¯s go!¡±
¡°Huh¡? Uahk!¡±
Dorothy grabbed my wrist and dashed towards the overpass stairs.
The weak butpelling force generated by her starlight mana pushed at my back.
To avoid stumbling, I had no choice but to be forcibly pulled along by her.
¡°S-Senior?! Where are we going?!¡±
¡°Anywhere is fine!!¡±
With her remaining hand, Dorothy pressed down her witch hat firmly to prevent it from flying away.
We descended the overpass stairs with haste, practically skipping over the steps.
A ck and white world. Without hesitation, we crossed the street where people dyed in gray moved about.
¡°Let¡¯s go anywhere!¡±
While running, Dorothy turned her head towards me, revealing her white teeth and bright smile.
A burst ofughter suddenly escaped from my lips.
I bit my numb lower lip for a brief moment thenughed once again before being pulled along by her.
After all, this girl, the sole person who hadn¡¯t lost her color, looked so radiant.
I was once again reminded why I had liked her so much during my previous life as a State Exam prep student.
***
I shared several stories with Dorothy.
Along with the story about the hidden ultimate weapons in M?rchen Academy, I exined that this ce was a part of the trial given by the rock weapon.
I also debriefed her on the current situation; I still hadn¡¯t figured out the conditions for passing this trial and instead, my situation had worsened as my body turned gray.
And I passed over certain things, as if implying that we could discuss the detailster.
©¤¡®Senior, how in the world did you get here¡?¡¯
When I asked as such, Dorothy spun an unbelievable tale.
She could vaguely observe countless worldlines¡
And since her ability had grown stronger, she had now reached a level where she could even intervene in these other worldlines.
I was already familiar with the observation part.
Can one call themselves a true fan if they can¡¯t even recite their favorite character¡¯s settings by heart?
However, her ability to intervene was entirely new to me.
¡®That¡¯s insane¡¡¯
Dorothy was a terrifying existence beyond imagination.
Although the Zelver Empire had praised her as a rare genius who would reach the level of an Archwizard within ten years¡
She was not at a level that could be gauged by mere human intelligence.
Dorothy exined how she had deduced the connection between my unusual actions and the sudden appearance of a new and peculiar worldline, thus deciding to intervene in this world.
This was a domain far beyond myprehension¡ But the only thing in my mind was just how amazing Dorothy was.
Dorothy casually removed the clothes from a department store mannequin and went to the dressing room to change.
Out of all these people, not a single one paid any attention to her.
Surprisingly, anything she touched would have its color restored. They returned to ck and white when she moved away, though.
¡°How do I look, President?¡±
A long shirt, short pants, and a neat cardigan that slid down her shoulders.
An attire reminiscent of the modern era.
All the clothes she wore had been restored to their original colors.
She had tucked away her original clothes in her magic pocket.
¡®Big Sis, you¡¯re gonna be the end of me.¡¯
She was quite literally a walking photo shoot.
¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±
¡°Nihihi.¡±
When I serenely gave a thumbs-up, Dorothyughed merrily and made a V sign with her index and middle fingers.
Earlier, when Dorothy had held my wrist and ran at the overpass, I had remained unchangingly gray.
Even when she ced her hand on my shoulder as an experiment, nothing was different. My color did not return.
The same was true when touching the shoulder of a female department store employee. For reference, Dorothy was able to touch other people.
Anyway, her influence didn¡¯t seem to extend to people. It was quite disappointing.
We walked along the streets of Sinlim-dong.
Dorothy was euphoric, eximing ¡®So sweet!¡¯ while she had a lollipop stolen from the convenience store in her mouth.
How ecstatic is she?
Her voice was drenched with excitement.
¡°Stealing clothes, dining and dashing. Nihihi, we¡¯re total desperados! Doesn¡¯t this have a certain romance to it?¡±
Dorothy held the lollipop in her mouth and murmured.
A joyful voice. As expected of the juvenile delinquent who boasted the most demerits in M?rchen Academy.
¡°I¡¯m not sure about the romance, but it isfortable.¡±
¡°Righhht~? But, President. Is this the world you used to live in?¡±
¡°Yes. It looked like this.¡±
¡°President, you really are beyond imagination. I could never have guessed that you came from apletely different world.¡±
From Dorothy¡¯s perspective, it was understandable for her to be astounded that I was from another world.
But putting that aside¡
¡°¡Senior, how did you find me?¡±
¡°I sensed your mana. I searched everywhere, you see. I was able to find you by focusing all my strength on only mana perception.¡±
A tranquil tone.
She had mentioned earlier that she was exhausted to death because she was trying so hard to find me.
Not long after the Trial of Sandstone began, she had probably detected the small amount of mana I had momentarily released, thus narrowing her search to Korea.
And thanks to the [Frostfire] I had released for quite a while, she had sensed the minuscule amount of mana and eventually located me.
¡°¡¡±
It made me somber. I felt really sorry¡
¡°Well then! Let¡¯s assess the situation.¡±
At that moment, Dorothy pped her hands, as if to signal for me to focus only on her and not think about anything else.
As she did so, she stopped her feet and gazed at the sky filled with rock mana.
¡°The sky is falling and at this rate, it¡¯ll all be over within three days. President has turned gray like the other people. You can¡¯t feel anything even when you touch something and you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re still alive¡¡±
¡®What the f- Why does she feel so dependable?¡¯
Dorothy was actually assessing the situation¡!
Is this really the same Dorothy who got dizzy just from using her head a little?
¡°President, for now, you see!¡±
Did she already find a solution?
¡°Yes.¡±
I swallowed dryly and listened carefully to her words.
¡°Let¡¯s y.¡±
¡What?
***
In a way, Dorothy¡¯s suggestion had its merits.
The Trial of Sandstone created this world based on my own traumas.
The reason the world¡¯s scenery and my body had started turning gray was definitely because the feeling of istion and social withdrawal during this point in time became more severe.
So, if we yed around and had as much fun as we wanted to make me feel better, there was a possibility that my condition would improve
As such¡
¡°All the songs of this world are lying in wait in this cramped space, right?! Oh, President? What¡¯s this box? It keeps changing, eh?!¡±
We arrived at coin karaoke.
The reason for this was that Dorothy, who particrly loved songs, wanted to fully enjoy what this world had to offer.
¡I did have a reasonable suspicion that perhaps her suggestion was just because she wanted to sing, though.
Once she entered the booth and saw the karaoke machine, Dorothy was very amazed. It kinda felt like I became a dad who brought his little daughter to see the world.
¡°Senior, don¡¯t you not know these songs?¡±
¡°I heard this and that while wandering around. It was so fascinating~. I liked the songs here!¡±
It was quitemon to hear songs while walking down the street.
It seemed that while Dorothy had traveled around Korea to look for me, she had stopped at times to enjoy various songs.
If Dorothy was Korean, she would have definitely dreamed of bing a singer.
After all, she had extraordinary memorization and talent when it came to singing.
¡°What¡¯s this funny-looking stick?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a mic. Uhhh, a speaker.¡±
¡°Ah Ah¨C.
¡°Ooooh!¡±
When Dorothy held the microphone and made some sounds, her beautiful voice resonated within the space. It was funny to see her amazement.
Dorothy and I sat side by side in the narrow booth and chatted.
It was so fun to see Dorothy fascinated by modern culture.
¡°Ah, President. Do you know this song?¡±
Dorothy cleared her throat and hummed a single syble.
I recognized it instantly and pressed the remote control button to y the strong.
¡¸Violet Fragrance ¨C Kang Susie¡¹
As the music started to y, filling the booth, Dorothy¡¯s head flinched in bewilderment, However, she soon got excited, blushing and smiling brightly at me.
She immediately stood up, holding the mic in both hands.
In the karaoke room, the awkward atmosphere that usually existed for the first song had spread.
And the karaoke machine started ying a random music video.
¡®What¡¯s that? Why are strange people and animals appearing?¡±
¡°Just ignore it.¡±
¡°O-okay¡!¡±
Eventually, the first verse appeared on the screen.
Dorothy seemed like she couldn¡¯t understand the lyrics disyed on the machine, but it didn¡¯t seem to matter to her.
Dorothy took a deep breath and closed her eyes with a smile.
Then¡ 3, 2, 1.
¡°You came to me gently~ like a violet light~.¡±
Ooooh¡!
Suddenly, my heart pounded as my fist clenched.
As Dorothy¡¯s beautiful singing turned into a flowing melody, my sense of hearing was given a feeling of immense satisfaction.
Whew. Even though I didn¡¯t have a sense of touch, it was such a relief that I could still see, hear, and smell¡!
¡®My ears are getting blessed¡!¡¯
Heup.
I blocked my mouth. It felt like I was being moved to tears.
After all, her gestures may be dainty, but she was fucking beautiful¡!
¡°You wereeeeee~!! The one who gave me~ love~!¡±
Even her high notes were perfect.
As I cheered, Dorothy extended her arm towards me, making a V sign with her index and middle fingers.
Her bashful smile looked so delighted that it lifted my spirits as well.
Soon after, Dorothy¡¯s rendition of ¡¸Violet Fragrance ¨C Kang Susie¡¹ ended and the karaoke machine disyed a score of 97 points.
This impertinent bitch of a machine dared to give Dorothy¡¯s performance a score that wasn¡¯t a perfect 100 points?
How fucking dense and stupid can it be?
¡°Nyahaha! That was fun!¡±
¡You¡¯re lucky Dorothy¡¯s happy. Thanks to her, you¡¯ll live to see another day.
¡°Senior, I¡¯ll sing too.¡±
¡°President, isn¡¯t this the first time you¡¯re going to sing in front of me?¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t familiar with the songs from that world. I know these ones well.¡±
¡°Nihihi, okay!¡±
I got up and yed ¡¸Trip To Myself ¨C Buzz¡¹.
I was nning to sing all the songs I had listened to whenever I had a tough time during my prep student life.
A familiar bass sound.
Followed by the explosive drums and electric guitar.
Now, 3, 2, 1.
¡°If! You run to the end of that blue seaaa~!¡±
¡°Oooh, Presidennnnt! Oh myyyyy~!¡±
¡°Over there with a horseee~!¡±
Yes! This is it!
The feeling of suffocation, akin to a clogged toilet, burst as it was released from my stifled emotions.
Just like how I did, Dorothy excitedly moved her body up and down, following the beat.
And at the highlight section, when I grabbed onto my stomach and shouted with excessively excited gestures, she exploded intoughter.
After finishing the first verse and moving on to the second, she joined in, immediately grasping the mood of the song.
We danced together and in the highlight, we screamed the high notes together.
¡°¡±Far away you¡¯re my sunshine! We were together~!!¡±¡±
I was grinning because it was so much fun. I listened as Dorothy¡¯sughter mixed with the sound of the music.
And so, we stomped our feet, jumping around like lunatics.
And as Dorothy, who somehow knew various songs, sang famous hits in her own style¡
I also sang all the songs that hadforted me during my prep student life to my heart¡¯s content.
It was a lot of fun.
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
Agh, my throat hurts.
But well, it was still fun.
Though, I shouldn¡¯t be saying such things while looking at the scenery of the world ending.
¡°That was so much fun! What did you think, President? Have your ears been blessed?¡±
¡°Yes. I seriously think that even if I die today, I won¡¯t have any regrets.¡±
¡°Good! That¡¯s a perfect answer!¡±
Even though she had belted out so many high notes, Dorothy¡¯s voice was still perfectly fine.
Of course it was. Why wouldn¡¯t it be? Would a goddess lose her voice just from singing a song made by a human? Of course not.
We arrived at the park and sat side by side on a bench, gazing at the Descending Sky.
My body was quite stiff and heavy now. It felt like I couldn¡¯t move freely anymore.
It seemed the petrifaction of my real body had progressed tremendously.
¡°President.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If you were to die today, what would you want to do?¡±
Where did that evene from¡? And what kind of question was that¡?
¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit of an inauspicious question¡.?¡±
Don¡¯t foreshadow so ominously¡
¡°Still, the scenery of a world ending like this is not something you can easily see wherever you go, right? It¡¯s not a bad idea to immerse ourselves in our emotions at a time like this.¡±
¡°¡What does Senior want to do?¡±
¡°Eating chicken while watching the world meet its end?¡±
¡°Why chicken?¡±
¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±
At such a one-dimensional answer, I was speechless for a moment.
Of course, I agreed with the fact that chicken was delicious, though.
¡°What about President?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. After all, I don¡¯t n on dying just yet.¡±
¡°¡You¡¯re no fun.¡±
Dorothy giggled but didn¡¯t continue the conversation.
We sat in silence for a while.
And suddenly, something soft and supple burrowed between my fingers.
¡°¡?¡±
I turned my head and looked towards my hand that had felt such a sensation.
Dorothy was holding my hand, which I had set down on the bench, her fingers interlocked with mine.
As I dumbfoundedly looked towards Dorothy, her bright smile, shining like starlight, was reflected upon my eyes.
¡°Now you can feel a sense of touch, right? I was just trying it out as an experiment.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°President, your color has returned.¡±
A world dyed in ck and white.
Before I knew it, my body, just like Dorothy¡¯s, had regained its original color.
Chapter 122: Monologue (5)
? Monologue (5) ?
¡ô ¡ô ¡ô
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 103
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Prospective Second Year
Mana: 23880/24000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (B+)
I bit my thumb.
The sensation of my teeth sinking nto it could be felt vividly.
I lowered my bitten finger and blinked slowly.
¡°Since when was it? I mean when I returned to this state.¡±
¡°You got gradually better at the karaoke and now you¡¯repletely back.¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±
¡°Well, I just wanted to observe the situation for a bit. President¡¯s will power and stuff is good so I thought it would get better quickly.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I feel like I¡¯m losing energy¡
Dorothy¡¯s nonsensical proposal regarding how I should just y a ton seemed to have a muchrger effect than I had expected. The reason I turned gray was probably because I felt isted.
Since entering the Trial of Sandstone, I had been doing nothing more than marching along the same path I had already traversed during my time as a prep student. After all, I lived alone, isted from everyone else.
However, because of this girl, akin to a refreshing breeze, I didn¡¯t even have a chance to get lost in that feeling.
It was a simple solution that perfectly suited my exam life. Thinking of a solution was only a headache for me, but¡
¡®It felt like Dorothy literally grabbed me by the cor and pulled me out of that abyss.¡¯
Even so, only my body had regained its color. The world was still monochromatic, so I hadn¡¯t even returned to the starting point yet.
Putting that aside though¡
¡°Uh, do we have to keep holding hands?¡±
This is so embarrassing¡
¡°It¡¯s fan service. You don¡¯t like it?¡±
¡°No, I asked because I like it a bit too much.¡±
¡°Nihihi.¡±
I couldn¡¯t believe I could hold the soft hand of a goddess. I liked it because it felt like we were a couple.
In that state, I was lost in thought. Thanks to Dorothy, I had a sliver of a clue to solve this situation¡
To not be ostracized in this world.
If I smashed apart this world without abandon, making me an existence that no one could ignore¡
It was possible that the world would return to its original colors and I could ovee this trial. It was a violent method, but it was worth a try.
¡However, there¡¯s no way that things will go as smoothly as I thought.
[External variable has intruded and greatly influenced the Trial of Sandstone!]
¡®What the?¡¯
Suddenly, a system window popped up in front of me.
External variable intrusion?
¡°Huh¡?¡±
In session, Dorothy¡¯s hand, which I had been holding, disappeared like a copsing sandcastle. I hadn¡¯t lost my senses again. It was just that there was nothing to hold at all.
I looked at Dorothy again. Her body¡ It was turning into sparkling stardust and disappearing.
¡°Senior?!¡±
Dorothy looked down at her hands that had already disappeared, making an expression full of meaning.
It was a calm expression, almost as if she had already known this would happen.
¡°Nihihi, I seem to have overexerted a bit. I can¡¯t hold on any longer.¡±
It seemed as if she had already been aware of her body¡¯s condition, as Dorothy sheepishly smiled.
A transcendental ability that allowed her to intervene in other worldlines. No matter how one thought of it, it was absolutely ludicrous to think that such an ability could be easy to utilize.
Dorothy had been overexerting herself for me.
[Conclusion: [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de] is readjusting the Trial of Sandstone.]
¡°President.¡±
Before I knew it, half of Dorothy¡¯s body had already disappeared.
However, she stared at my face intently, as if she wanted to see me even just a little bit longer.
¡°I had so much fun today. Because you were there with me.¡±
Dorothy smiled softly.
¡°That¡¯s why you have toe back, okay?¡±
¡°¡Yes, of course.¡±
And then, she disappearedpletely.
Stardust fluttered in the wind, leaving an afterimage in my field of vision as it lingered. Dorothy seemed to have returned to her original world.
I was only thankful to Dorothy. Thanks to her, I was able to solve the most infuriating task.
However, looking at the contents of the system window¡
Gormos¡¯s Greatsword or, ¡®Obsidian de¡¯, seemed to have recognized the impact that the variable known as Dorothy had on me.
It looked like it was nning to adjust the trial content anew, as much as she had intervened. The difficulty would probably increase significantly.
¡®I acknowledge it.¡±
This was the middle of a trial to be the owner of an ultimate weapon. It was absurd if I could pass the Trial of Sandstone and be the owner of the Obsidian de through Dorothy¡¯s help.
Seeing the still descending sky, it didn¡¯t seem like the trial itself was going to initialize. The n was to probably make the remaining time left much more difficult.
¡®And my trauma¡¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the purpose of all trials were ultimately the same. It was to ovee trauma. This trial would be no different.
However, besides my prep student life, was there anything that I could call a trauma? Maybe getting rejected after confessing to a girl I liked in high school? Flipping over a pot of well-cooked ramen right as I was about to eat it? Honestly, the things that came to mind were only at that level.
¡°¡?¡±
Suddenly, dense and dark ash powder intruded into my field of vision.
As I raised my head,rge amounts of ash swirled in the wind, unfolding a vast spectacle. What was all this?
It got up from the bench and observed the cityscape.
The numerous buildings filling the city were gradually turning into ash from the top down, burned by ck mes. It was not so much burning as it was a me that ¡®annihted¡¯.
At the same time, aplex and pitch-ck shape of something, akin to the darkness of the universe, was emerging from various ces, encroaching space.
¡°Why is that¡?¡±
Where are those mes and ck shapes appearing?
This was something I had frequently seen in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? and had witnessed with my own two eyes during the Trial of Frost; It was the magic of Evil God Nephid¡!
¡®It¡¯s reusing the Evil God in this ce?¡¯
Is it fucking crazy?
Kuoooooo©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°The fuck?!¡±
Even the ground was copsing¡?!
This wasn¡¯t the time to be lost in thought. I began to flee.
I looked around. The desperate screams of gray people who were crossing the street. They were either annihted in an instant by the ck mes, falling beneath the copsing ground, or being devoured by the ck spheres.
¡®What should I do?!¡¯
What kind of madness was it to reuse the Evil God right after readjusting the trial? Was it nning to just go fast and furious now?
Where was the Evil God? Why was the Evil God¡¯s magic appearing here in the first ce¡
Crash©¤©¤!
When I looked back, the ground behind me was sinking, as the solid heap of soil copsed!
Think. Think fast. I need to find a way to survive here. Please, neurons, do your job!
¡ô¡ô¡ô
¡°Keuk¡!¡±
A groan burst forth. My body just had to be excessively heavy at this moment. A part of my body had turned to stone. It seemed like a substantial amount of my vitality had been depleted.
However, I exerted all my strength and desperately avoided the copsing ground, running for my life.
And then¡
Kuoooooo©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Uwak!¡±
The earth shook like crazy.
Before I could fall, I quickly created a rock with [Rock Generation] to anchor myself.
Scratches appeared on the road before it cracked and broke apart. I couldn¡¯t stop moving.
A high-intensity earthquake. Even the burning skyscrapers easily came tumbling down.
And¡
¡°¡!!¡±
I felt a dense mana that pressed on my skin. It felt like just the mana itself could crush me with its sheer force.
A mana that easily surpassed even the Floating Ind, Cavallion the Earthshaker.
¡°The Evil God? No wait¡ What¡¯s that?¡±
It wasn¡¯t the Evil God.
It was a different type of mana from what I had felt during the Trial of Frost. I had no way of knowing what it was, but it felt strangely familiar, like d¨¦j¨¤ vu.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down my cheek. I clenched my teeth and while gasping, I swallowed hard and looked towards the epicenter that emitted this tremendous mana.
I didn¡¯t know where it was, but it was certainly very far away.
Kwanggggg©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
From there, a navy blue light rose terrifyingly, like a volcanic eruption. How shy. It was probably the light of a magic circle.
High in the sky, a wave of dark blue mana spread. It extended in all directions like ripples and swept over my head. As a result, the light that had filled the city abruptly disappeared and the Republic of Korea was shrouded in an alien ck light.
Soon after, something received the light of the magic circle and revealed itself on the surface.
It was something with an extremely obese build.
[¡ö¡ö¡ö¡]
A strange voice echoed in the atmosphere. I couldn¡¯t understand what it was saying at all.
Moreover, I couldn¡¯t check what the owner of the voice looked like.
Bzzzzzzzz©¤©¤.
Because noise enveloped that creature.
Almost as if it was an existence that shouldn¡¯t be seen.
¡®It¡¯s not a demon.¡¯
Although I couldn¡¯t detect demons at a far distance¡
If their mana leaked into my perception range, I could sense them. I had learned this during the Trial of Frost, thanks to the Evil God.
¡®So what in the world is it¡¡¯
I tried to open the status window, but¡
[ ¡ù Unable to check the information! ]
Even the status window couldn¡¯t uncover a single scrap of information.
Whether it was Dorothy, Alice, the Primordial Beast that transcended death, or even the Evil God, who was my final goal¡ It may have been limited, but the status window had still appeared.
That creature seemed to be fundamentally different from all the existences I had seen until now. It meant that it was hiding some sort of secret.
Furthermore, the problem was that I couldn¡¯t even specte what it was.
By all means, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was nothing more dangerous than the Evil God. Was it a hiddenst boss? No, there was no way that was the case. After all, even as a ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? tryhard, I had never seen anything like that.
It seemed that the noise couldn¡¯tpletely conceal that creature, as from time to time, small gaps opened and closed, revealing parts of it. Each time it did so, I saw skin with unssifiable color and numerous eyes embedded thickly.
Suddenly, an unbelievable possibility crossed my mind.
Whenever I tried to see something rted to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, noise urred and the same phenomenon was happening with that gigantic form.
¡®That meant¡¡¯
That being was not an existence from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
However, that being was an existence rted to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
That being was probably an existence that belonged in thend of the Republic of Korea.
And it appeared when this world was facing its end. Almost as if it had been shackled up until that point.
I suddenly had a thought.
Why did noise ur for ?Magic Knight of M?rchen??
The world and people appearing ashy were rted to my trauma. However, there was no reason for ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? to be affected.
In other words, the one causing the noise was separate from my trauma. Could it be that it was¡ that monster?
¡°¡!¡±
At that moment, a cheerful sound effect rang in my ears. I was so tense that I jumped in surprise.
In front of me, there was a system window.
¡°What¡¯s this¡?¡¯
After looking at that system window, I stood stiff, as I did not understand the situation for a while.
[[The Evil God of Destruction Nephid] has brought forth the end of all worlds.] [Survive until the initialization.] [Loading¡] [1%]
***
[2%]
***
Chapter 123: Monologue (6)
? Monologue (6) ?
Let¡¯s organize the situation.
After Dorothy had recovered my color, she could not endure the side effects of intervening in a different worldline and got sent back.
Subsequently, a system window appeared. The contents of it were that an external variable, Dorothy, had heavily influenced the Trial of Sandstone, so the Obsidian de would readjust the trial.
Then abruptly, the world started to fall apart due to the Evil God¡¯s magic, and a distant unidentifiable monster had popped out.
After that, the system window disyed these contents; To survive until the initialization, as the Evil God Nephid had brought forth the end of all worlds.
Moreover, now, even a loading screen was progressing that aimed to initialize something.
Contextually, initializing in this fucked world probably meant returning to the past¡
¡But when exactly?
Ugh, my brain was scrambled.
¡®Why is something like this popping up?¡¯
In the first ce, what does any of this have to do with my trauma?
Isn¡¯t the main purpose of all trials to ovee trauma?
¡Whatever. I could only make reasonable judgments right now. The ground had copsed and the Evil God¡¯s rain of mes was pouring down, so I had to save my immediately unanswerable suspicions forter.
Either way, the given goal was crystal clear. To survive until the initialization finished loading.
Before long, this world would meet itsplete demise.
There was nowhere to flee. No matter where I went, I would die.
The problem was¡ the initialization was loading way too fucking slowly. It didn¡¯t seem like it would finish loading before this world disappeared.
¡°¡Aht!¡±
The rain of ck mes flew towards me and stuck onto my left arm; Even if I evaded all types of threats, it was impossible to avoid all of them.
The ck mes annihted my hand in an instant and began to climb up my arm at a rapid pace.
Kwaaaaa©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
I didn¡¯t have a chance to feel hesitation nor fear. With the belief that my magic would affect it, I blew apart my left arm with a rough [Frost Explosion] before the ck mes could surge upwards.
The explosion of ice mana easily flung away my left arm¡
As the arm floated in the air, it was devoured by the ck mes and futilely became mere ashes and dust before vanishing.
¡°Keuuuk¡!¡±
It hurts. It fucking hurts so bad.
An intense, agonizing heat surged at my shoulder.
Thanks to the ice freezing solidly at the cross-section of my shoulder, no blood was leaking. In order to endure the pain, I aggressively bit my lower lips and continued to run away. From my lips, the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
Fortunately, thanks to the effects of [Frozen Soul], I could maintain rational thinking even in this sort of situation. Except for the drawback that I could feel the pain even more vividly, it really was a relief that I had it.
¡®Think fast¡!¡¯
I had to survive in this world until the loading finished. However, the end of this world was approaching much faster than the loading was finishing.
Is there a way to survive?
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, the gigantic existence that continued to release dark blue ripples caught my eye. Although it was enveloped in noise, at times, the noise could not hide its entire body. As such, from those sporadic gaps, dozens of alien eyes, seemingly not of this world, were revealed.
¡°¡!¡±
Soon after, a thought crossed my mind.
¡®How did I not realize this way before?¡¯
That unidentifiable monster in and of itself was a hint. Although I didn¡¯t know where that bastard lived and who it was, the phenomenon that was urring to it gave me the answer.
The ce I arrived after desperately running was¡
Kwaa©¤!
The one-room.
Even the time needed to unlock the door was precious, so I blew it away with a small [Frost Explosion] before entering.
Since the buildings making up the city were bing ash from the top down, the semi-basement one-room I lived in had yet to disappear.
I flung away the heap of books that were taller than myself and turned on the game console that took up a small space in this cramped room. As always, ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was inserted into this game console.
The screen showed static as it created noise. Unconcerned, I held the controller with my remaining hand and sat down.
¡°I did think it was weird.¡±
Noise, that fucking noise. Because it had only let out sounds of static, I believed for sure that ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? could not be yed.
It was even covering my sight, so there was no way that they wouldn¡¯t be able to deceive my hearing as well.
In the inte cafe, although the information was covered when searching for ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the screen itself waspletely fine.
At this moment in time, the noise had also covered the unidentifiable monster that had appeared somewhere in the Republic of Korea. Still, putting that noise aside, the monster was undoubtedly there in its physical form.
In other words, ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? would also workpletely fine because it was still there.
¡®I don¡¯t know if this is the answer.¡¯
Chieeeeeeek¡
The noise was gradually losing its intensity. Holes were repeatedly opened and sewn back together on the noise covering the screen and every time it did so, the cut scene that yed before the title screen of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? revealed itself in shes.
If the culprit of the noise was the unidentifiable monster, then it would be gradually losing its strength.
I had no time. With my hand which had umted years of experience, I pressed the controller button. Although it was just the same button over and over again, I could measure the timing. Right about now, it would be the title screen.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
Because the noise gradually got weaker, the game console disyed the title screen as if the screen was cracked.
On the title screen, the [Continue] button was activated. As I pressed it, a single save file appeared. It was a sight that waspletely different from my memories. Thenguage was fragmented so I couldn¡¯t tell which save file it was, but the save point could be seen clearly.
Bad Ending N.49 ¡¸Demise¡¹.
It was saved during the progression of a Bad Ending. I could confirm without a doubt that I had never left such a save file.
Hwarerereuk©¤©¤©¤!
¡°¡!¡±
The ck mes had started to devour the ceiling! Wind and ashes poured onto my head. There was nowhere to run now.
For a very brief moment, I took a deep breath.
From now on, I had no idea what would happen. However, I had no other options.
I pressed the controller button hard.
At that moment¡
Chieeeek¡
Click.
My field of vision waspletely enveloped by noise before every single one of my sensespletely shut down.
¡ô¡ô¡ô
Academy Adventure Cruel Fairy Tale RPG, ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
This game, stringing along various unrted modifiers together, had unexpectedly received huge praise when it was first released.
UI and cutscenes in a fairy tale concept. Arge-scale open world map that fully satisfied the feeling of an adventure and a variety of interactions with the objects within it. Numerous sources of entertainment.
The production of an academy as the main stage, making it easy to immerse into the world within the game, was quite incredible.
Also, there was a lot of background music that left quite the impression on the yers to the point that the game was nicknamed ¡®BGM Knight¡¯.
It was a foregone conclusion that I would fall deeply for this game. After all, it waspletely my taste.
¡°¡ac¡!¡±
I didn¡¯t even know how many times I had attempted to beat the Evil God Nephid on hell difficulty. As such, I had seen that Bad Ending many times before.
Bad Ending N.49 ¡¸Demise¡¹.
The activation condition was losing in the Evil God Subjugation Battle, the closing act of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I recalled the contents to be extremely short.
Ian Fairytale would lose against the Evil God, thus meeting his death, and the world would be an utter wastnd due to the Evil God¡¯s magic.
In the following days, the Evil God would be an absolute monarch and reconstruct the world, creating a world where demons ruled. This entire story was alluded to with a fairy tale drawing.
In between those two periods of time, I had no idea what had happened. However, humans were probably unable to survive in the dystopia brought forth by the Evil God, so the chances of it being extremely terrible were high.
¡°¡saac¡!!¡±
I felt as if my mind was covered in a fog. A faint voice lingered in my head. I could not precisely hear what was being said.
Pitch-ck vision. I could feel that the state of my body was abhorrent, to the point that I was reminded of how bad my condition was right after defeating the Floating Ind.
Gradually, my senses returned¡
A humid and musty smell that was second only to my semi-basement one-room eventually permeated my sense of smell.
I could hear the sound of falling water drops. W
Am I in a cave?
¡°Isaac!¡±
¡°¡!¡±
The sound calling my name rang like thunder.
My eyes snapped open. Consciousness had returned.
The scenery of a dismal cave. A damp and solid sensation could be felt behind my back. It seemed like I was leaning against a wall while staying hidden.
There was no strength in my entire body. I could only feel piercing pain all over my body as if I was being pricked by needles. The parts of my body that had turned into stone had long lost their sensation, so at the very least, I was freed from the pain in those areas.
Anyway, where was this ce? I had never once seen a cave like this in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°Isaac¡ What a relief.¡±
A pretty voice could be heard from the side. With great effort, I turned my head. Beside me, a female student in a school uniform sat parallel as she gazed at me.
A tattered uniform that was practically rags, dirty skin, and hair burnt at the ends. However, her pupils still stone like a blue ocean.
This girl who wore a relieved expression was someone who I never expected to see at this ce.
¡°Luce¡?¡±
It was Luce Eltania.
Even in this dim cave, the purple brooch attached to her school uniform vividly stood out. This was undoubtedly the emblem of a 3rd-Year.
What in the world¡ was going on?
¡°I thought you had left me, you idiot.¡±
¡°Luce, what is this¡?¡±
¡°Yeah. I wonder what¡¯s going on. You wouldn¡¯t know since you fainted¡. Galia sacrificed his life to protect us. Everyone else seems to be dead.¡±
Luce was leaning on my shoulder. Her low voice quieted down. It was faint, filled with tears and weakness.
So, I fainted, Galia threw away his life to protect us, and everyone else was dead¡
As such information sank into my mind, my innermost thoughts surged.
As if aggressively pounding on a door, the supplementary memories that were buried fought to resurface.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 178
Gender: Male
Year: 3rd
Title: Cool-Headed 3rd Year
Mana: [¡ù Mana Depleted]
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (S)
¡°Ah¡¡±
As I opened the status window, memories that had been concealed behind a dense fog began to emerge.
I couldn¡¯t remember every little detail of what had happened, but I could recall everything that had transpired in this world up until a little while ago.
I had fought against the Evil God Nephid and lost.
And Luce somehow managed to rescue me, but the Evil God¡¯s magic had descended, bringing forth the end of the world.
ording to Luce, it seemed like Galia had sacrificed his life to protect us.
Outside this cave was a world ruled by demons. The ck me Legion and Apocalypse Dragon-Azhi Dah¨¡ka would be roaming around and Angra Mainyu would be observing the world¡¯s destruction.
I looked at the loading window that was floating in the air. 73% now.
It was only then that I could discern exactly what the loading window in front of me was.
Initialization meant being transferred to the point in time when I first possessed Isaac.
In other words, the point in time in my memories when I took possession was not actually the first time I had possessed.
¡°¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t say a single word. After all, it felt like I had just been violently hit on the back of my head.
I had already faced off against the Evil God.
Chapter 124: Monologue (7)
? Monologue (7) ?
With Dorothy¡¯s interference, the trial was recalibrated and the hidden truth was revealed.
This was the 2nd Round.
This wasn¡¯t the first time I had experienced this freshman life since transmigrating into ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I had lost my memories when everything was initialized.
As I reached the threshold of forgotten truths, one after another, the regret I felt in this world overwhelmed my heart in its totality.
Not all my memories came rushing back, but the significant ones that had brought me down were returning one by one.
I failed to save Dorothy. She left me a single word of gratitude and faced her end with the Floating Ind.
I remembered myself nkly gazing at the statue of Dorothy, erected in M?rchen Academy. Overwhelmed with helplessness, an unbearable wave of remorse had washed over me.
I couldn¡¯t protect the Imperial Princess, the Priestess, or Kaya; I couldn¡¯t protect any of them.
The mere thought of protecting everyone in hell difficulty was utterly absurd.
¡®Hell difficulty?¡¯
Hell difficulty¡ In a sh, that expression felt intensely out of ce to me. Almost as if Gestaltzerfall had urred, the consonants and vowels in my mind scattered separately, giggling.
In the first ce, difficulty levels doesn¡¯t matter when hell is everywhere.
I quietly took a deep breath to calm my feelings which were as warped as a twisted bread stick.
I remembered boasting like a fucking idiot about how I grew strong, just because I had some meaningless enlightenment. Well, it did have the effect of making my mental strength more robust, the more I did so.
At the very least, I could keep moving forward.
With that, as I solemnly eliminated my enemies and finally reached the very end of the scenario.
And in the end, I was defeated by the Evil God Nephid.
And¡
¡®A system window appeared, saying that the Evil God¡¯s magic bid the demise of ¡®all worlds¡¯.¡¯
Never in my dreams could I have known that it included the world I had previously lived in, Earth.
A massive secret was hidden behind the scenes of my possession in this world. I still couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly it was.
However, the overwhelming burden of whether someone as worthless as me could handle such a secret¡ weighed on me like a boulder.
¡°How disappointing¡¡±
At that moment, Luce¡¯s lowmentation echoed into my ears.
¡°I really wanted to marry Isaac, though.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
What is she saying out of nowhere?
My attention became focused on Luce.
¡°I had that daydream. A daydream where you and I lived¡ in harmonious joy with one another.¡±
Even though I used [Psychological Insight], I couldn¡¯t read her mind, perhaps because I was in the middle of a trial.
However, Third-Year Luce already knew I was the ck Monster. I knew all too well that she liked me.
¡°Do you want to hear it?¡±
Luce gazed at me and smiled sweetly.
She seemed to have epted my silence as an affirmation, as she began her story with a small smile and a gentle voice.
¡°Do you know Asverika? The city of magic and education. Apparently, if you bring a M?rchen Academy diploma there, your life as a wizard is set. After graduating, we would go to Asverika together and buy a house¡ I would be diligently perfecting practical work at the Magic Tower. And you would work as a wizard in some ce like a guild. When we both finished our daily work and returned home, I would give you a kiss. I would say ¡®You did well today as well, Isaac¡¯ and while I hugged you, I would whisper into your ear. You¡¯re so weak to my voice, after all, hehe.¡±
Luce¡¯s fingers weakly squirmed, as she tapped the back of my hand.
¡°We would eat delicious meals together, share small talk with each other in the same bed before falling asleep¡ And then, I would propose very simply and modestly on the bed and we would dress up all nicely at the church and get married¡ And even after that, we would repeat the same daily routine. At that time, it might be a bit embarrassing, but we would also call each other differently. Like¡ ¡®You did well today as well, dear¡¯.¡±
With her head bowed, Luce continued.
And I silently yet attentively listened to her story.
¡°Maybe five children would¡¯ve been nice? Isaac¡¯s body is very robust, so a healthy baby would have surely been born. The child would have cried energetically without a moment¡¯s rest. It might be a bit exhausting¡ but still, I would have been truly happy because I would have loved those children so much. There definitely would be tough times. But, we would get through them, right? We would depend on each other, sometimes openly share difficulties over a drink, andfort each other¡ And in the end, find things to smile about. That¡ that¡¯s how we would live. That¡¯s how I imagined it.¡±
It was only then did I realize that the reason why I didn¡¯t have to worry about Bad Ending ¡¸Bird Cage¡¹, even after resolving the Evil God issue, was because of this.
Luce¡ wished to build a future with me.
However, I couldn¡¯t say anything right now because I could tell why she had brought up this story to me.
I felt a terrifying mana outside the cave. The ck me horde, the Evil God¡¯s minions, would soon break into this ce.
That was why Luce had brought up such a story as the final thing she wanted to say.
Realistically speaking, she had likely judged that there was no hope.
¡°Aren¡¯t you a little sad? You didn¡¯t get to marry me.¡±
Even in this kind of situation, hearing Luce¡¯s incessant tease made augh trickle out of my mouth.
¡°That¡¯s what you want, thou-¡±
Click.
Suddenly, from my wrist, a metallic sound was apanied by the sound of mana resonating.
Startled, I stopped speaking and looked down on it. A handcuff imbued with Luce¡¯s mana was fastened on my wrist, firmly affixed to the wall.
Did she touch my hand in order to put a handcuff on me¡?
My memory was still hazy, so I had not been able to prepare for this.
¡°You let your guard down.¡±
¡°¡What is the meaning of this?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be released after some time passes.¡±
Only then did Luce sit up from her seat. A strong sense of unease enveloped my entire body.
¡°What are you going-¡±
I swallowed my breath at the fight of Luce¡¯s figure standing before me
I couldn¡¯t see her right arm. Even in this dim cave, I could tell that blood was dripping down from an empty stump.
Of course. There was no way Luce had easily managed to save me. She would have lost many things along the way.
Luce knelt on one knee, matching our eye levels. A close distance. A dark shadow was visible beneath her eyes and her lips were turning pale blue. Herplexion was extremely pale as if she was someone on the verge of death.
I held my breath.
With her remaining left arm, she gently caressed my cheek while wearing a smile as faint as moonlight.
And then, she spoke.
¡°I love you, Isaac.¡±
As if she was certain that she would never be able to say such words again.
As if she had left thest words she so dearly wished to say.
With such a sad voice, Luce quietly whispered.
¡°I like you. I love you, I really do love you¡¡±
Luce carefully swept back my bangs before kissing my forehead.
As if time had stopped for her, for a long while, she enjoyed the warmth of my skin with her blood-stained hands and chapped lips.
And then, she pulled away from me, revealing an elegant smile.
¡°Stay here quietly. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
With those words, Luce began to limp out of the cave.
¡°Hey, Luce? Luce!¡±
I tried to rush toward the departing Luce, but the handcuff prevented me from moving any further.
Even when I pulled on it so hard that it made my wrist bleed, the cuff refused to snap.
I was in a state of mana depletion, so I couldn¡¯t even cast proper elemental magic. In the first ce, if I used mana, the ck me Legion outside of the cave would perceive it and break inside.
¡°Stop, hey!!¡±
Even at my call, Luce didn¡¯t stop. She continued to trudge out of the cave without any hesitation in her steps.
In no time, she was out of my sight. It was because the cave had a bent structure.
Luce¡¯s reason for leaving was clear; The dark mana that could be felt outside the cave. She was aiming to sacrifice herself; she would fight the minions of the Evil God before they could invade this space.
Luce had put the cuff on me, probably fearing that I would sacrifice myself in her ce.
Lost memories resurfaced.
During the 1st Round.
Right before the initialization finished loading, I had left the cave as soon as the cuff had automatically released.
And I had witnessed her die in agony as she was devoured by the ck mes.
The guilt of leaving her to die a painful death, the despair of hearing the eerieughter of the ck mes surronding her¡
Engulfed by the ck me Legion, she had to hear their eerieughter alone while I could only stand by and watch; The remorse I felt¡ The utter helplessness I felt¡
It pierced my heart, as if it was tearing into pieces, and even at my end, I felt as though I was sinking into an abyss.
¡°Luce!! I said stop!!¡±
When the initialization urred, the transcendental power, in the form of the so-called ¡®Status Window¡¯, would reset everything to the beginning.
Although I may not know which fucker created this Status Window, I was certain that the god-like bastard would do it no matter what.
So, I begged her not to leave.
I screamed repeatedly, but Luce did not return.
My mana was already exhausted. Even the Frostscythe within me had depleted all its strength.
How would I remove this restraint? What did I need to do?
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
A small piece of ice appeared. Even in my mana depletion state, I was still slowly recovering my mana. At the very least, creating small chunks with [Ice Generation] or [Rock Generation] was more than possible.
It didn¡¯t matter whether the ck me Legion percieved my mana or not. I had to run to Luce immediately. I didn¡¯t want to have any more regrets.
The fingers of the hand that was fastened to the cuff gradually turned into stone. With [Ice Generation], I made an ice chunk bundled with high-density mana, before mming it down onto my now stone thumb.
Kwajak©¤©¤!
¡°Keughhh¡!¡±
My thumb crumbled into pieces.
My carpal bone had not transformed yet, so pain surged, almost rendering me unconscious. Even so, I couldn¡¯t take my hand out of the cuff. As such, I even shattered the metacarpal bone connected to where my thumb once was.
This much was enough. Immediately, I yanked my hand from the cuff and jumped up from where I was seated, before sprinting out of the cave.
¡°Ah!¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t bnce myself like I was used to. I only realized when I checked my legs. There was only an empty space below my left knee.
I was not able to feel it because it had turned to stone. It seemed like I had lost my leg while fighting the Evil God.
I hopped with one leg. Whenever I fell, I got up again and sprang forward like a spring.
While repeating these actions, I barely reached the exit of the cave. The exit led upwards.
At some point, one of my arms had turned into stone and while the other had not been petrified as much, I had obliterated a part of it with the ice chunk earlier.
My palms were still usable.
I tightly held the irregr surface of the wall with my palm, hung my arm over to lift myself, and used my teeth to firmly bite the protruding rocks.
As if I was rock climbing, I did whatever it took to keep ascending and ascending upwards.
¡°Keuhak, Haaah¡!¡±
Then, after finally exiting the cave, Iid on the ground, panting for breath. I spat out my broken teeth. It was fortunate that the exit wasn¡¯t too high.
As I lifted my head, the scene of devastation filled my vision as ash scattered underneath a sky enveloped with rock mana.
It was a shockingly vast area; andscape created when the Evil God¡¯s magic evaporated the sea. It seemed the ce where I had been was originally an underwater cave deep in the ocean.
Beyond the horizon, a gigantic eye exuding ominous mana contemted the world. It was the Evil God¡¯s minion, Angra Mainyu.
ck mes zed fiercely throughout thend; chunks of high-density mana that could annihte anything it touched.
Then, I turned behind me, where a tremendous amount of mana could be felt. Luce was standing alone, facing the ck me Legion.
Now that I could actually see Luce in a brighter ce, instead of the dimly lit cave, it was immediately clear how serious her condition was. It wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if her already battered body copsed at any moment.
Numerous magic circles had unfolded above Luce¡¯s head. It seemed that she also had nearly no strength left to spare, as the magic circles flickered unstably.
She was facing off against bizarrely-shaped demons made up of ck mes.
A tremendous number of ck mes created infinitely by the Evil God formed a legion, as they targeted Luce.
High up in the air, a gigantic three-headed dragon let out a grotesque roar; It was the Apocalypse Dragon-Azhi Dah¨¡ka.
Hwarererereuk©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
Shortly after, the ck me Legion spewed ck mes. A storm made of mes raged.
¡°Luce!!¡±
[The demon has been recognized as an enemy.] [The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!] [Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!] [Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
With [Rock Generation], I pulled up rocks from the ground to forcibly push my body forward. Then, I immediately flung my body towards the storm of ck mes.
I had very little avable mana left. However, I could unleash at least one useful attack.
I poured out all the remaining strength into my ruined right hand, condensing the ice mana within it, and swung my arm to unleash [Frost Explosion].
Kwaaaaaaaaah©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!!
The explosion of pale blue ice mana cut through the ck mes. The chunk of ice that was created in a short time was burnt instantly, but at the very least, it diverted the storm of ck mes away from us.
Now, I was entirely drained of my strength. There was nothing more I could do.
Horrifying pain washed over me, as my body powerlessly fell to the ground. With a Crack, a ghastly sound echoed. Even if I hadn¡¯t fallen from such a height, the sensation of my ribs fracturing couldn¡¯t have been avoided.
I didn¡¯t even have the strength to groan in pain. I could barely breath..
¡°Isaac!!¡±
Luce rushed towards me and knelt on both knees, desperately trying to lift my body.
¡°I-Isaac¡! Isaac! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡! Ah ah¡!¡±
Luce¡¯s voicepletely broke. She was wailing. The very same voice that was always as upright as her aloof persona.
It seemed like she felt guilty because the cuff that she had fastened ended up ruining my hand, causing me to barely get out of the cave.
There was nothing to be sorry about, though.
As I had no strength left in my body, I had no choice but to rely on Luce. It was because I had abused my mana.
Luce embraced me tightly. I didn¡¯t even have the energy to lift my head, burning my face in her slender shoulder. Her nape smelled like blood.
Ash scattered. The ck me Legion was slowly closing. The threatening roar of the Apocalypse Dragon made the ground tremble.
What should I say?
I didn¡¯t want to leave you to your lonesome.
The reason I adored you was because you were more than lovable to deserve it.
I didn¡¯t want to espouse such shabby things, as if I were in a romance movie.
¡°Luce¡¡±
I just wanted to respond to her sincerity.
¡°¡Thank you for loving me.¡±
I couldn¡¯t know what was going on in Luce¡¯s mind right now. Her only reaction was her quivering breath, as if she was barely holding back tears.
Soon, terrifying and heavy mana pressed against my entire body. It was because of the dark mana held in the mouth of the Apocalypse Dragon-Azhi Dah¨¡ka. It seemed like it was nning to unleash it upon us.
Luce took a deep breath.
¡°¡Isaac, it¡¯s a bit of a funny thing to say, but¡¡±
A gentle and benign voice, like moonlight.
Luce caressed my head and whispered in a low voice.
¡°If¡ I¡¯m reborn¡ I¡¯ll recognize you no matter what.¡±
I could feel a weak tremble from her always tender voice.
¡°I¡¯ll find you again. I promise¡ I¡¯ll find you again¡¡±
Suddenly, I remembered the first semester of my 1st Year.
When Luce had asked me to be her friend.
Despite her frequent strong aversion to others, Luce never had those sensations only when it came to me.
From the outside, I didn¡¯t look like anything special. However, solely because she saw how diligently I trained, she told me it made her want to keep watching me. Looking back at it now, her exnation didn¡¯t make sense at all.
¡It was a bit too romantic, almost excessively so, to think that a small part of the emotions Luce was feeling at this moment had somehow carried on to the 2nd Round. That was why I couldn¡¯t help but let out a burst ofughter.
It was certainly a funny thing to say.
¡°See youter.¡±
Luce left those words.
Somehow, I felt relief in Luce¡¯s arms.
From the very beginning, my goal had never diverted, not even a bit.
My mind became organized.
I had always been that way. As long as a goal was in sight, I would keep on going no matter what..
From being the Academy¡¯s Weakest, I would be a Demon-Limited Hunter; Topletely eradicate those legions and kill the Evil God.
And to finally wee a happy ending, putting an end to this shitty story.
Soon after, the Apocalypse Dragon spewed ck mes.
When the pitch-ck clumps of mes engulfed us¡
[99%¡] [100%] [Initialization Start.] [Moving onto the 2nd Round.]
Chieeeek¡
Click.
Within the sense of annihtion, my field of vision was covered in noise before turning off with a click.
¡°Haah.¡±
I exhaled deeply.
The portions of my body that had turned into stone began to gradually return to their original state.
It all started after my hand touched the hilt of the greatsword that was at the center of the swirling light brown mana and plunged into the ground.
By meeting my end together with Luce, I had sessfully ovee the Trial of Sandstone. Because most of my body had turned to stone, I struggled to ceaselessly crawl all the way here.
But now, I could finally be at ease.
A tremendous amount of rock mana permeated into me. The yellow stone fragments floating around had simultaneously transformed into their powder form, before getting absorbed by me.
With my legs that had regained their sensation, I stood up and tightly gripped the hilt of the great sword with my right hand.
A firm grip. Immediately, I pulled the greatsword out of the ground.
And the yellow-jade rock mana ferociously swirled around, weing its new master.
Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de.
The ultimate rock weapon was now in my hands.
[You have passed the Trial of Sandstone with an iron will and a tenacious mentality!] [Congrattions, you have acquired the trial reward [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Earth Breaker]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Heavenly Rock Strike]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Rock Sovereign¡¯s Barbican]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Stone Breathing First Form]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Stone Breathing Second Form]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Stone Breathing Third Form]!] [You have acquired the unique active skill of [Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de], [Eclipse]!]
Chapter 125: Nameless Hero (1)
? Nameless Hero (1) ?
The Emerald Fairy, Sylphia, once said this to mankind.
Offer me the bones and flesh of the deceased.
I shall consume them and bestow eternal life upon thisnd.
The Astrea Duchy of the Zelver Empire was a hub ofmerce brought forth by the harmony of lush green trees and wide paved roads.
It was a territory under themand of Duke Gerald Astrea, the Empire¡¯s Hero and Sword Saint.
And it was also where the blessing of Emerald Fairy-Sylphia was bequeathed.
However, even such a reputation would naturally be rendered meaningless in the face of the ever-changing seasons. As proof of this, the forest epassing the Astrea Duchy endured the winter, cloaked in white snow.
Kaya Astrea, a noble girl with verdant green twin tails, traversed the snowy field within that very forest.
Up ahead, thin ice floated by a tranquilkeside. And at the heart of it all, an ancient arbor gigantes towered over a tiny ind, extending towards the heavens.
People referred to this tree as the ¡®Covenant of Life¡¯; An arbor gigantes grown to its current state by the seeds sown from the pact between mankind and the Emerald Fairy.
This tree, unlike others, did not lose its lush green leaves to the bitter winter cold, as it was shrouded by nt mana. If the Land of the Fire Blossoms Horan had their me of Desire, the Astrea Duchy had this eternally viridescent tree as their symbol.
As Kaya approached, the nt mana of nature resonated around the Covenant of Life.
And the light-green mana of nature took on the form of fireflies, as they began to float around in the air.
¡°Sylphia!¡±
Kaya called the name of her precious friend, but her voice scattered weakly into the forest.
¡°Sylphia, Kaya is here!¡±
Silence.
During summer and winter break, the Emerald Fairy-Sylphia never revealed her presence to Kaya.
At this point, even if the other party was a fairy, she couldn¡¯t help but be concerned.
After wrapping her body in a light green wind, Kaya floated across theke and reached the Covenant of Life.
Leaning against the tree, she started channeling her nt mana. Perhaps the Emerald Fairy would appear after perceiving it.
However, no matter how much time passed, there was no sign of Sylphia appearing whatsoever.
¡°Today was fruitless as well¡¡±
Kaya sighed deeply before pushing her back off the tree.
Once again, she wrapped a light green wind around her body and crossed theke, before eventually makingndfall. And right as she was about to leave the forest¡
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, a sensation sent a shiver down Kaya¡¯s spine; it was an ominous mana that was now all too familiar to her.
Astrea Duchy. A location quite far from here.
On top of an open ridge, ck clouds formed in the blink of an eye and spread wildly, before swirling around a central point.
Eerie cries echoed in the air. Under the maelstrom of clouds, dark mana began to ceaselessly ovep on top of each other, as if stacking bricks.
After this construction waspleted at terrifying speeds, an entity, massive yet elongated enough to touch the sky, scattered dark mana and revealed itself to the world.
Its pitch-ck form was akin to a pir. Or perhaps, the shape of a tower.
At first, it seemed like a structure, however, it wouldn¡¯t take one long to realize the fact that it was a singr entity.
The Devil Pir. It possessed a physical form and anchored itself to the surface with its ck roots.
Kaya¡¯s eyes momentarily widened, but she quickly regained herposure. After all, she had already encountered demons many times.
However¡ No matter how she looked at it, that one appeared extremely dangerous. Even whenpared to the demons Kaya had faced at M?rchen Academy, the power of that ck tower would undoubtedly be on the stronger side.
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤!!
After imbuing her body with light green wind magic, Kaya began to traverse the forest at high speeds.
She broke the sound barrier, letting out sonic booms in her wake and trees shook from the fierce winds.
[It¡¯s a demon. It looks quite dangerous.]
Her dark side whispered beside her with a signalment identical to Kaya. It was another version of her that only she could see.
With her crimson eyes raised chillingly, Dark Kaya red at the Devil Pir. No matter how fast Kaya moved, this personality stuck closely to her.
[If you don¡¯t want to die, don¡¯t have any foolish thoughts of running in alone.]
¡°I know. But still, there¡¯s nothing else I can do¡!¡±
Due to Dark Kaya¡¯s influence, Kaya had a good gauge of the demon¡¯s power.
That ck, tower-shaped demon would probably cultivate this area into its territory.
There would surely be many victims.
It just had to be at this time, when their most dependablebat asset was gone. Her father, the Sword Saint Gerald Astrea, had traveled far away with her mother, Historia, to receive the blessing of the Saintess; It was a ceremony performed at the end of each year.
Furthermore, summoning the Knight Order of the Astrea Household would take too long.
No matter how quickly the Imperial Court acted, it would take at least three days. Even if a special force of highly mobile elite members was formed, it would still require two days, at the very least.
Dark Kaya let out a sigh with her arms crossed.
¡°Pachi!¡±
[Pya!]
Kaya summoned her familiar Pachi, a flying squirrel with the wind element, on her shoulder.
¡°Go to the mansion immediately and deliver this. Go now! As quickly as possible!¡±
[Yessur!]
Kaya took out a red scroll and handed it to Pachi. It bore the crest of the Astrea Household, a design resembling the shape of a sword and tiger.
This was a signal to the Astrea Household. The red scroll indicated the highest level of danger, essentially conveying to ¡®eliminate the threat with full force¡¯. There was no need to specify what that threat was.
Pachi saluted with perfect discipline, then jumped off Kaya¡¯s shoulder and spread the wing membrane on its nk widely.
As Pachi flew off, Kaya surged out her mana, as if pouring fuel, and cut through the air. The streaks of light green mana followed her like a tail.
***
¡°Tsk.¡±
¡°Ian, are you okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine¡!¡±
It was an unexpected crisis.
In order to get stronger over the winter break, Ian Fairytale hade to the Astrea Duchy, epting one guildmission after the other.
And Amy, a girl who had a ck rabbit ear ribbon attached to her short white hair, followed Ian as if it were a matter of course.
They had been finalizing amission to hunt demonic creatures with two adventurers they had met in the Astrea Duchy.
But a demon that looked especially dangerous just had to emerge now of all times¡
With a howl, the ck tower shot out dark mana towards the sky. Therge eyes consisting of red pupils were looking down at Ian.
The grotesque-shaped demon had a puffy, squirming exterior.
Huge inky beads hovered numerously, dotting the sky around it; They were prisons made of dark mana.
Ian hypothesized that the giant demon confined everyone in the area within those beads to absorb their mana.
Ian, who was swallowed by one of these dark beads, escaped with Amy by unleashing a sword strike infused with the light element.
The two adopted abat stance, facing the Devil Pir. Compared to the towering demon that touched the heavens, they as humans, appeared infinitely small.
However, Ian did not falter. Rather, he couldn¡¯t afford to.
High above, countless people were trapped inside the beads of dark mana. Despite the short time they had been together, he could not just leave behind the adventurerpanions whom he had formed a rapport with, not to mention the innocent vigers nearby who were swept away by this chaos.
¡°I¡ will not lose¡!¡±
He would save them all, no matter what. Ian strengthened his resolve and gripped his sword tightly with both hands.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤[Kiriririririririk©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!]
At that moment, an unpleasant sound reverberated through the atmosphere.
And three dark rings surged up the ck tower before rising above it.
Pshaaaaa©¤©¤©¤!!
¡°Keuk!¡±
¡°Kyaaak!¡±
From the three dark rings, pitch-ck mana spread in every direction.
Reflexively, Ian, who was at the forefront, generated an illuminant.
And this light source formed a light elemental shield, protecting both himself and Amy.
While a storm raged and the ground crumbled, Ian¡¯s shield barely held off the shock delivered by the surrounding dark mana.
¡°Kuaaaaaaaah!!¡±
Ian unleashed a roar of determination. It was a battle of strength, yet, the oue was a foregone conclusion.
Attempting to defend against the attack of such an overwhelmingly formidable demon was ill-judged, to say the least.
It would have been more effective to partially neutralize the Devil Pir by cutting it with a light elemental attack like [Radiant Wing sh].
However, from Ian¡¯s perspective, it couldn¡¯t have been helped. After all, predicting and annulling the enemy¡¯s attack was extremely difficult, no matter how talented he was.
Crack©¤©¤!
In the end, the light elemental shield shattered like ss.
And Ian, who had been at the forefront, received the full impact of the dark storm.
Sequentially, that shockwave flung Ian and Amy off the ground, leaving them to flounder helplessly in the air.
¡°Ian!!¡±
In mid-air, Amy snapped to attention, grabbing Ian¡¯s arm and pulling him towards her.
Chilly dark mana swept through the air.
In a sh, the top of the ridge had turned to ruin. The earth was haphazardly splintered and dyed ck. Dark mana rose from the ground like acrid smoke.
Flying flocks of birds, varieties of nts, and animals roaming nearby all had their life force drained as they drooped feebly.
The Devil Pir established his own distinct domain. This ce had be and of death nketed with dark mana.
Kuooong.
Ian and Amy, who were in each other¡¯s embrace, fell back to the ground. All Amy could do was gaze at the motionless Ian with wide eyes.
¡°Ian!!¡±
Ian had fainted.
¡°This is not the time to faint! Quickly get uppp!!¡±
After lifting Ian¡¯s upper body, Amy shook his shoulders fiercely while welling up in tears.
However, no matter how much she shook him, Ian showed no signs of waking up from his deep slumber.
This is¡ a serious problem.
Without Ian, an existence capable of wielding divine power¡ How could she survive against such a demon on her own?
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Soon, Amy felt all her strength draining out of her body.
It seemed that this area had truly be and of death.
Amy bit her lips. Since such a massive demon had emerged and this was the Astrea Duchy, she had hoped for swift reinforcements from the Astrea Household¡ but it didn¡¯t seem like she could hold out until they arrived.
¡°¡You really are high maintenance.¡±
Even so, Amy couldn¡¯t give up.
Amy took the sword that Ian was holding and stood up.
With her back to the unconscious Ian, Amy faced the ck tower and bravely pointed the sword at the demon extending toward the sky.
The difference in strength was abysmal.
She couldn¡¯t suppress her fear. Her hands holding the sword trembled uncontrobly. Her survival instincts screamed at her to run away immediately, but it was toote. Before she could escape this vastnd of death, she would have no choice but to meet her end when her life force was extinguished. In the first ce, there was no way that the demon would let Ian and Amy go.
She immediately threw away the ridiculous idea of negotiating with that ck tower.
The only choice left was to fight.
Amy¡¯s mes followed along the de, illuminating her eyes and skin.
At the same time, she unfolded a fire elemental magic circle above her head.
¡°Do you even know how much I like you? You dummy.¡±
And Amy turned her head towards Ian and stuck out her tongue with a pout, as if she found him insufferable.
Crackle©¤©¤©¤!
She did not have the chance to speak any longer. As the demon unfurled a grand magic circle from behind, jet-ck des of darkness rained down.
Swallowing hard, Amy swung her sword clumsily, releasing a sword energy imbued with the fire element, and shot out a [Fireball] from the magic circle in order to resist it.
However, reality was often harsh.
No matter how much fire mana she poured out, she couldn¡¯t stop a single one of those dark des.
Amy sensed death looming over her. So, this was how everything would end; Without even being able to graduate from the academy. Without even experiencing love with that idiot. She¡ she would simply die in vain.
While gazing at the sweeping cascade of dark des, Amy prepared to meet her death.
Then.
¡¸Baphomet¡¯s Hymn (Wind + Blood Element)¡¹
Whoooooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
A furious wind saturated with mana collided with the dark des like a relentless onught.
The swirling mana tousled Amy and the unconscious Ian¡¯s hair and clothes. The sh of parried des was brutal. No matter how one looked at it, it was not a sound that wind should produce.
Amy raised her head. A girl wrapped in a light green wind stood still in the air, as her verdant green twin tails fluttered in the wind.
With highly proficient use of wind magic, she hovered stably.
Amy couldn¡¯t pick her jaw off the floor at the sight of her.
¡°Kaya Astrea¡?¡±
It was Kaya Astrea, the second daughter of the Astrea Household as well as the freshman second seat of M?rchen Academy¡¯s Magic Department.
Kaya¡¯s pupils were tinged with red. Stopping that demon in her original state was impossible, so she had no choice but to borrow Dark Kaya¡¯s strength.
[Flower of Evil]. A thorny stem extended from Kaya¡¯s neck up to her right cheek, weaving together with a pattern of a flower to form a tattoo.
Blood mana surged within her.
After gesturing towards the Devil Pir with the Armana Wand, Kaya the Ravenous assumed abat stance.
¡°Hoooh.¡±
Kaya took a deep breath. Having encountered demons multiple times before, she could maintain herposure even before the sky-scraping ck tower.
Winning¡ was not possible. Even Kaya could easily gauge such a difference inbat power.
As such, the top priority was to endure until the Astrea Household¡¯s reinforcements arrived. On thisnd that bore the name of Astrea, Kaya did not wish for more victims to be made.
¡°How are you here¡?¡±
¡°That¡¯s something I should say! Rather than that, let¡¯s talkter¡!¡±
There was no time for conversation. Numerous dark des sliced through the air, even cleaving the ground in an effort to reach Kaya.
Kaya rallied her mana and swung the Armana Wand downwards. As she did so, a magic circle imbued with hues of crimson and light green unfolded on the ground, sprouting red flesh and enveloping Ian and Amy.
The flesh turned into the shape of a red tree and extended upwards, as it was covered in tough red bark; An arbor gigantes that could rival the ck tower. It was the best defense that Kaya could currently create.
This was the only way to protect them in the face of thisnd of death and that massive demon.
¡°Well, well, look at this ruckus on Astrea¡¯snd. You demon.¡±
Dark Kaya snarled savagely.
Once again, dark des swarmed forth in droves and Kaya resisted with [Baphomet¡¯s Hymn].
The deflected dark des absorbed the life force of flying birds upon contact, causing them to meet their demise.
And whenever a single scratch formed on the red tree, it would heal itself in a matter of moments. As abination of top elements like nt and blood, the tree boasted an outstanding level of regenerative ability.
She couldn¡¯t take a single step back. Dodging these attacks was like trying to avoid a downpour with just her bare body. Even the smallestpse in concentration was forbidden.
¡°Keuhhh¡!¡±
Kaya¡¯s hand that held the Armana Wand trembled. It was difficult to endure.
The red tree she had erected was relentlessly cut down. At this rate, her mana would run out first.
Still, she had to protect them. She couldn¡¯t stand the sight of people dying right in front of her; even more so if it was by a demon on Astreand.
However, the difference in power was all too clear.
As if enjoying itself, the demon repeatedly rained down dark des with eyes tinged withughter.
All Kaya could do was struggle with all her might to hold on.
¡°Ah¡!¡±
After exchanging dozens of attacks, the power of Kaya¡¯s wind mana plummeted.
However, the ck tower leisurely poured out dark des aimed at Kaya.
That attack¡ was impossible to block.
That was when it happened.
A terrifying mana threatened Kaya¡¯s survival instinct.
Even the Devil Pir seemed bewildered, as the huge eye engraved in its body opened wide. At the same time, the dark des turned into wisps of mana, as the demon absorbed them back into its body.
It withdrew its attack, as if instinctively, it judged that even the most minuscule amount of strength had to be conserved.
The Devil Pir turned its attention away from Kaya, witnessing a young man strolling along thend of death.
When Kaya also looked at the man, her eyes shook in astonishment.
¡°Sir Isaac¡?¡±
A young man with silver-blue hair, dressed in a navy blue hooded robe.
With just his appearance, the air itself turned heavy, as a dense pressure descended upon the entire area.
Chapter 126: Nameless Hero (2)
? Nameless Hero (2) ?
After the 1st-Year concluded in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, some enemies appeared during winter break.
Among them was a rival-like character. I asionally bickered with them whenever I visited the guild but I could ignore them for now.
What I actually needed to pay attention to was a colossal demon known as the Devil Pir.
The Devil Pir had been slumbering beneath thends of the Astrea Duchy in the form of dark mana since long, long ago; a demon that had gradually umted power little by little over the eons.
If I were to simply let this winter break pass, the Devil Pir would descend in its full-blown demon form and bring about arge-scale catastrophe.
However, if a specific condition were fulfilled, it would be forced to appear prematurely.
That condition was just one thing; the approach of a being who held Divine Power like Ian Fairytale.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, if somemission was received, the yer could reach the location where the Devil Pir appeared.
¡®I was nearly toote.¡¯
My [irvoyance] had be so powerful that I could inspect an immeasurably vast radius around me. This was all thanks to the steady increase in proficiency.
Using that power to its limits, I continually observed the Astrea Duchy, the location where the Devil Pir would make its appearance. I couldn¡¯t predict whichmissions Ian would take on first and which ones he would hold onto forter.
As such, as soon as the Trial of Sandstone ended, I told Gormos that I would see himter, before leaving the trial location and activating [irvoyance] once again.
And I ended up witnessing Ian passing through this area¡
¡®Out of all the times, why was it when¡¡¯
¡I was taking the trial?
In the end, I abandoned the bridge connecting M?rchen Academy and the maind¡
And I secretly summoned Hilde, thus flying high above the clouds. Of course, I summoned her at a size that was reasonable enough to ride on. After all, I wasn¡¯t ready to handle Hilde¡¯s original size just yet.
After arriving at the destination and inspecting the surroundings with [irvoyance] again, I judged that I didn¡¯t need to worry about someone discovering my identity. People in this area would all be inside the beads floating around the Devil Pir.
When [Hunter] activated, I deliberately emitted ice mana imbued with a chilly aura; it was to attract the demon¡¯s attention since Kaya seemed to be in danger.
In my current [Hunter] state, I was Level 200, the MAX level.
I felt like I was floating. It was a sensation of omnipotence, as if I could do literally anything.
¡°Sir Isaac¡?¡±
Kaya was floating in mid-air, wrapped in a light green wind; a single bead of cold sweat ran down her face. It seemed she was astonished at the sight of me.
I knew that Kaya woulde when the Devil Pir emerged. This was the Astrea Duchy. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was an inevitability that she would fly all the way here, no matter when the Devil Pir made its appearance.
Fortunately, Kaya had arrived safely without any hups and was able to protect Ian and Amy. She did well holding out.
Originally, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, a makeshift party was formed to face the Devil Pir; in it, Kaya was the tank, Amy was the support, and Ian was the damage dealer. However, considering that Kaya was holding out on her own, there was no real need to mention the fact that Ian had fainted.
¡°¡¡±
When I began to ruminate over the scenario of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? after undergoing the Trial of Sandstone, everything felt incredibly out of ce.
Was it appropriate to even call it the ¡®original scenario¡¯ anymore? My mind was in utter chaos as I tried to decipher what information could be trusted and what contents should be discarded.
However, since predicting the future through the lens of the ¡®original scenario¡¯ was still effective, it was best to save my doubts forter. Well, even if it is different, let¡¯s at least maintain the title of the game for now.
I stopped in my tracks. Thend of death was trying to devour my life force.
However, its power was ineffective against me. After all, my mana was much denser than that of the Devil Pir. It was the same logic as trying to break a massive piece of steel with a tiny mouse trap; utterly futile.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°Y-yesss¡!¡±
¡°Thanks. You held out well.¡±
Although it felt like a line that woulde from a shonen, it waspletely sincere.
A shining brilliance of color lingered in Kaya¡¯s pupils. Using [Psychological Insight], I found that she was deeply moved, joyful, and had an intense feeling of relief, all at the same time.
¡°Get out of here.¡±
I calmly flipped the hood of the wizard robe over my head.
Now that I wore the hood, my clothes would activate the function that disrupted any recognition of me. Even if others saw me, they would not be able to discern my exact physical appearance.
With a determined look, Kaya nodded before transforming the crimson arbor gigantes into its mana form.
I felt a gaze piercing the back of my head. By simply activating [irvoyance], I could use a mere smidgen of my mana to inspect the area behind me without turning my head.
As the crimson arbor gigantes turned into shimmering dust and faded away¡
At that moment, Amy, who was holding an unconscious Ian on her knees, was looking around with an utterly bewildered expression.
¡°Who¡?¡±
¡¸Ice Generation (Ice Element, ¡ï1)¡¹
Dudududdudek©¤©¤!
A wall of ice rose behind me, blocking the space between me and Amy.
Since she was in a thick tree, it was unlikely that she heard the contents of the conversation between Kaya and I.
Without even a chance for Amy to properly see me, Kaya lifted Ian and Amy up in the air with wind magic.
¡°Ah, w-wait! Kyaaaaah!!¡±
Soon after, they sliced through the air, immediately discing themselves from this location.
Amy, who suddenly found herself floating high in the air, had a terrified expression as she screamed. Oh yeah. She had acrophobia.
Anyway¡
Now, only the demon and I remained in the vicinity.
The Devil Pir red at me intently. It probably didn¡¯t want to lose Kaya¡¯s group. However, it seemed way too wary of me to pay attention to them.
I brought forth the status window of the demon.
[Babel the Corrupted] Lv: 165
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Fire
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Feeling utterly overwhelmed by you.]
Babel the Corrupted.
This bastard was the perfect punching bag to test my new strength.
Right now, I was perfectly capable of rational thinking and discernment, but my mind was also muddled as if I had just woken up in the middle of the night.
This had urred after a massive influx of rock mana flowed into me. It was simr to when I acquired Frostscythe. Perhaps my body was adapting to the new-found power.
When using my senses, I felt two storage spaces deep inside my body.
In one, a fierce chill swirled, with Frostscythe at its center.
In the other, a stone wall, towering as high as a mountain, stood, with a heavy greatsword embedded in its center.
I extended my right arm in front of me.
Rock mana gathered and with a light brown glow, a single greatsword was clenched in my right hand. The rock mana gently coursed through the de, illuminating the ancient inscriptions etched into the hilt.
The Ultimate Weapon of the Rock Element, Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de.
I was greatly pleased by the grip and weight of it. It seemed like it would be satisfying to swing.
I slung the Obsidian de over my shoulder. Light brown rock mana and topaz-colored stone fragments erupted out of me.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤[Kiriririririk©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!]
The Devil Pir screeched.
From the outskirts of thend of death it had created, ck-red mana slowly rose and extended toward the sky.
The air grew heavy. A colossal wall of mes radiated heat, engulfing the surrounding area.
Subsequently, after a brief ¡®Oooong¡¯, ck-red magic circles were densely engraved on the wall of mes.
¡®It¡¯s using the final pattern of Phase 1 right away.¡¯
Naturally, I expected it to be like this. Had I not already gone through this when facing Orpheus the Submerged?
The mana seeping out of me was far superior to that bastard. It must have felt a threat to its survival, so it probably guessed that it would die if it didn¡¯t pour out its full power from the start.
Every single one of the magic circles were aimed at me¡
And with an eerie wailing that went Kiriririk, all the magic circles began to spew out a massive onught of dark des made of ck-red mes.
The bombardment filled the entire area without a single gap as if dying it in its color.
From the sky, it sliced the air.
From the ground, it cleaved thend.
Countless dark des simultaneously aimed at me, as if both heaven and earth surged to reach each other.
Pa-a-a-at©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!
Kwagagak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
The dark des rushed towards me. The ground was distorted, shattered, and torn apart, as all the remaining life in the vicinity was drained away.
A relentless onught. I felt it when I was especially singled out. At the very least, if we were at simr levels, it would have been myplete defeat.
¡°¡Impressive¡±
Whooooosh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!
As I swung the Obsidian de, light brown rock mana surged like a storm, dispelling the dark des¡
And my rock mana aggressively extended in all directions akin to a seismic wave.
The giant eye of the Devil Pir widened in surprise. It seemed astonished by the fact that none of its attacks could even touch me.
¡¸Eclipse (Rock Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
The passive skill of the Obsidian de, [Eclipse]. Behind my back, rock mana formed in the shape of a ring.
It could be applied while the Obsidian de was drawn and its effect was that it covered me with mana armor that had an exceptionally high defense.
As long as the armor made of my rock mana was not broken, even the onught of dark desunched by Babel the Corrupted would never be able to harm me.
My half-opened eyes started to emit a mysterious topaz light.
The high-density rock mana flowing through my entire body gave me a pleasant sensation of weight.
ng©¤!
I plunged the Obsidian de into the ground. The tip of the sword dug into the earth, creating cracks.
Shall I only test the power of this greatsword?
¡®No.¡¯
No. I can¡¯t stop at just that.
There¡¯s a level even beyond my current reach. I can feel it.
I was in a realm where if I tilted my head even just a little, I could gaze upon the pinnacle of the ice and rock elements; I could faintly see the vague silhouette of this new level right in front of my eyes.
My mana circuits rotated at an even faster speed. My once-cloudy mind gradually regained rity.
A cold yet heavy sensation.
The extremity of Mana Mastery was trying to awaken something deep within me.
The rock mana of the Obsidian de added a vivid color to that something.
Through thousands and tens of thousands of repetitions of elemental magic training without rest¡
Through all the blood I had shed until now¡
I had piled up experience and umted my proficiency¡
And now, with the power of [Hunter], I drew out the very limits of this sensation, etched so clearly that it was no different from breathing to me.
And so¡
The two forked paths of two elements, ice, and rock, converged at a singr point.
Kugugugugu©¤©¤©¤.
A topaz rock armor oveid the ring of rock mana formed on my back.
With that, several rock rings floated behind me, fixed in ce.
Subsequently, a massive amount of rock mana gathered from behind. Various topaz rock fragments were generated in the air as it floated and then©¤.
¡°Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±
I cascaded ice mana into the Obsidian de clenched in my hand.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaahooooooosh©¤©¤!
A chill billowed out like steam. Rock mana and blizzards raged. My hair and wizard robe fluttered fiercely.
Ice mana gracefully mixed with the immense rock mana imbued in the Obsidian de.
The ground trembled. In session, tremendous rock mana erupted behind me in a brilliantly grand manner.
Within it, a colossal golem, evenrger than a mountain range, took shape before standing upright.
A massive rock ring floated behind the golem¡¯s back.
A pale blue light shed in the brilliance of its eyes. Ice mana radiated intensely.
In its hand, a rock greatsword, emting the power of the Obsidian de, was clenched.
The Synchronization between the colossal golem and me was at its maximum. It felt like we had be one.
It had stepped into a lofty realm of ice and rock elements alongside me.
Majestic grandeur.
Golem Familiar, Eden ¨C The Breaker.
He overwhelmed the battlefield.
Kuooooooo©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥.
A familiar¡¯s abilities and growth rate were greatly influenced by its master.
Perhaps because Synchronization was at its maximum, unlike with Frost Dragon-Hilde, I could freely bestow my new power, enhanced by [Hunter], to Eden.
As a result, his level had temporarily increased to 175.
And I had seeded in awakening an unprecedented second element in a magic beast.
¡°Eden, get rid of it.¡±
With my onemand, Eden ¨C The Breaker raised the rock greatsword. His motion alone sent a fierce wind in all directions.
Babel the Corrupted unleashed dark des like a raging storm, but it couldn¡¯t even inflict a scratch on Eden ¨C The Breaker, who had the effects of [Eclipse] applied onto him.
Crash©¤©¤©¤!
When Eden took a step forward, the ground shook, generating a thunderous noise akin to an explosion.
A heavy shockwave roared out. Eden swung the massive rock greatsword diagonally, drawing a light blue trajectory.
A whirlwind of light blue blizzards and rock debris unfolded.
A blinding sh of light.
Babel the Corrupted was divided, its torso instantly turned into a chunk of ice, as it started to copse onto the ground.
However, this was not the end. The next phase still remained.
Therge eye engraved onto Babel the Corrupted rolled back, disying only its red pupils. And suddenly¡
Kwang©¤, Kwang©¤, Kwang©¤, Kwang©¤!
As if rocks were colliding with each other, a rhythmic roar echoed. Babel¡¯s body folded like a piece of paper and condensed into a single point.
In an instant, Babel had transformed into a 3m tall ash-gray monster; it was a muscr one-eyed giant with ck mes flickering on its arms and back. Its lipless mouth, clearly revealing its teeth, was torn all the way to the bottom of its ears, giving off a grotesque appearance.
Babel the Corrupted, Phase 2.
A magic circle with roaring mes unfolded around it.
In a sh, ck mes spread out of the magic circle as if dozens of whipsshed out uncontrobly, but¡
At that moment, I had already reached it after kicking off the ground.
[¡!!]
I could see the flow of mana. I could see all the attacks in slow motion.
¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±
In that split second, I squeezed my way through the gaps of the fire magic and swung the Obsidian de, sounding a whiz in the air.
A light blue sh of light rushed at it.
With a tremendous explosion, Babel¡¯s body split in half.
Kwagagagang©¤©¤!
Vibrations infused with ice and rock mana spread out, creating a terrifying wind pressure that sent the bisected body of the bastard flying.
Within the wall of ck-red mes, where an intense cold raged and devoured the heat¡
I slung the Obsidian de over my shoulder and exhaled a breath infused with an icy chill.
Chapter 127: Monologue - Interlude (1)
? Monologue ¨C Interlude (1) ?
The air was chilly.
The sky was stretched out wide before Dorothy¡¯s eyes, colored with the hues of sunset.
However, what actually lingered in her vision was the face of a young man she held hands with on a bench while gazing at each other.
Isaac.
As promised, he had returned to M?rchen Academy. She knew because she had witnessed him flying on the Frost Dragon earlier. Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Isaac seemed to be in a hurry, as if something had happened. Unfortunately, Dorothy could not chase after him.
¡°Kkeung¡ I can¡¯t even move a muscle¡¡±
Isaac¡¯s hideout inside the Josena Forest. Dorothy was lying on the roof, whimpering.
The side effects of interfering in a different worldline had rushed onto her, leaving her unable to even move an inch. If she had spent a little more time in the sky, she might have helplessly fallen.
She was incredibly fortunate to have hurriedlynded back on the surface.
[You overexerted yourself. You shouldn¡¯t have abused that power, you know?]
When E, the white cat familiar with a pink ribbon on her tail, scolded her with a coy voice beside her, Dorothy pouted her lips.
¡°You see here, catdy. I didn¡¯t have a choice, you know? What else was I supposed to do when I was worried about the President?¡±
[Worry for yourself instead¡ Worrying about such a powerful guy is just a waste of time¡]
¡°No.¡±
[Huh?]
¡°President is not invulnerable. He isn¡¯t an iron man. He is human and can break down as well¡ It was the first time I had seen the President, who¡¯s always been so boringly upright, look so distressed.¡±
When Dorothy had encountered Isaac in the other world, his emotions seemed ashen gray. He was clearly struggling to hold onto his determination and will.
The only thought that Dorothy had was to save him as quickly as possible.
She had diligently put on a big smile,ughed numerous times, and raised her energy levels much more than usual, all because she wished to save him.
She just hoped he would smile for her.
[¡Are you his mom or something?]
E let out a deep sigh andidfortably beside Dorothy. She seemed to have no intention of responding any further.
¡°Haaah. President, when are youing backkkkkk¡¡±
Dorothy tossed her head like a bored child. She wanted to see Isaac as quickly as possible.
***
Before Isaac revealed himself in the Astrea Duchy¡
The Knight Order under themand of Astrea was charging towards the location of the ck tower demon, riding horses and familiars.
A size that touched the sky. Swirling ck clouds. There was no doubt that an extremely dangerous demon had emerged.
Kaya had created an enigma of a tree and engaged in a fierce magic battle against the ck tower demon. However, it appeared as if she was getting pushed back.
Knight Commander, Sharon, had mounted arge eagle familiar and led the charge at the forefront. It was incredibly urgent. Protecting the Astrea Duchy by getting rid of the demon was a given, but more importantly, protecting Lady Kaya was none other than her lifelong duty.
She had long admired Gerald Astrea, the Sword Saint who always approached battles with eyes as sharp as a hawk. However, his demeanor changed as his bond with the genius wizard, Historia, was brought to fruition; Sharon could never forget the way he smiled proudly while gazing at the newly born Kaya.
Not being able to protect the person she served was far more disgraceful to a knight than death itself.
She had to protect Lada Kaya at any cost and with whatever means. Sharon clenched her teeth and inwardly ruminated such a determination over and over again.
¡°What is that?¡±
Suddenly, the crimson arbor gigantes disappeared and the outskirts of the destend of death transformed into a wall of ck-red mes. It was a me fused with dark mana.
The area it covered extended towards the heavens itself. The heat from the mes evaporated the clouds in an instant.
And the more the distance to the ck tower demon shortened, the more clearly the knights could feel a powerful mana that stirred primitive fear beyond the wall of mes.
It was a mana different from demons.
No matter how weak one¡¯s mana perception was, they would have undoubtedly felt it.
¡°This mana¡?¡±
Sharon, who had served in the Imperial Knights, had been overwhelmed before by the immense mana unleashed by an Archwizard.
As such, she knew. Behind that wall of mes, there was something that equaled or surpassed an Archwizard.
¡°Commander, this mana¡¡±
¡°Do you know something about it?¡±
¡°Previously, when I was dispatched to Antrico, I have felt something like this before.¡±
Sharon¡¯s brows furrowed at her subordinate¡¯s words.
Antrico was a port city located along the Arkins Sea. If a terrifying mana of such magnitude could be felt there as recently as histest dispatch, then¡
¡°The concentration of mana seems even denser now, but it¡¯s unmistakable. It¡¯s the ¡®Nameless Hero¡¯¡!¡±
There was no other incident apart from the fight between the ck Monster and the Floating Ind.
¡°What?¡±
One day, an unidentifiable Archwizard appeared at M?rchen Academy and began to punish and eliminate demons.
A powerhouse among powerhouses, who had defeated the gigantic demon known as the Floating Ind.
Saying that a vicious title like ¡®ck Monster¡¯ did not suit them at all, the world had taken to calling them the ¡®Nameless Hero¡¯ and revered them as such.
How did they¡ know that such demons would appear?
¡°¡!!¡±
Right then, Sharon saw a girl with verdant green twintails riding a light-green wind magic to fly, with a boy and girl in tow.
The unstable flight of the verdant green-haired girl indicated that her mana was nearly depleted.
Sharon¡¯s eyes focused intensely before starting to widen.
¡°Lady Kaya?!¡±
Fortunately, Kaya had managed to escape the battle between the unidentifiable monsters.
Kaya, too, spotted the Knight Order and descended in front of them. With her was a ck-haired man who had fallen unconscious and a white short-haired girl screaming in panic.
The Knight Order all came to a halt.
As they joined her ranks, Kaya gave the Knight Order the order to stand by, saying only one thing.
The one who would defeat that demon had arrived.
* * *
¡°Sigh.¡±
As I felt the hand holding the Obsidian de turning into stone, I immediately stuffed the weapon back into myself; it changed into rock mana and was absorbed into me.
Once [Hunter] deactivated, my nerves eased. When I used [irvoyance] and saw Ian wandering around this area, I really freaked out¡
I immediately sat on the ground. Perhaps it was due to the Trial of Sandstone, but my body was incredibly tired.
Until just a little while ago, I was full of life thanks to [Hunter], as if I had awakened after drinking a load of caffeine when I was sleepy.
Simrly, the enormous golem familiar, Eden ¨C The Breaker, shined with rock mana briefly, before quickly shrinking and turning into its usual small and cute golem form.
He copsed with his face nted into the ground emitting a groan like [Kooong¡]. It seemed that he was greatly exhausted due to the counteraction of the powerful buffs wearing off.
With [Hunter] deactivated, Eden¡¯s level dropped from a temporary level of 175 to 103. It seemed he leveled up while defeating Babel the Corrupted.
Swooshhh©¤©¤.
Simrly to my stocks in Korea, the bisected body of Babel turned into ashes and disappeared.
Subsequently, the wall of me turned into dust from the top down. I had deliberately restrained my icy chill so that the barrier could be maintained and used as cover to hide in.
The dark beads that contained countless people gradually lost their strength and settled on the ground.
Boom. Boom. Boom. As the beads burst, many already unconscious people copsed on the ground. In one fell swoop, the dark mana evaporated from thend of death, which was dyed in ck, and the entire area turned into somerge-scale sleeping station.
When the Devil Pir received damage, it absorbed the life force of the people caught as hostages and healed its wounded areas. In other words, the reason why Eden and I went for one-shot kills in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 was to prevent the opponent from having a chance to steal others¡¯ life forces.
They would all be weak for a while, but if they ate and rested well, their strength would return.
[Babel the Corrupted] Psychology: [Bewildered because you have be drastically weaker.]
Babel let out a Kiriririk¡ as it moaned pathetically.
It must be feeling aggrieved. After all, it had found out that it got absolutely wasted by some nobody who was far weaker.
¡®What to do? You were just unlucky. I¡¯m a Demon-Limited Hunter, after all.¡±
The bastard piercingly red at me with a wide eye beforepletely turning into ash and scattering in the wind.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Babel the Corrupted (Lv 165)] and gained EXP!] [Level Up!! Your level has increased to 105!] [You have gained 4 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ?I Shattered the Tower Before Even Ascending It??! You have gained an additional 10 stat points!]
In the ce where Babel disappeared, ash-colored clouds rose and formed two cubes at two points in the air.
Then, the two ash-colored cubes made of mana dropped back onto the surface.
¡®It¡¯s loot.¡¯
I stood up and moved towards them, picking up the two cubes.
[You have obtained the Loot [Corrupted Dust]!]
Both of these cubes had the same effect; they each granted a unique skill.
Since each person could only use one, even if one was mine, there was still one left. It would be better to give it to Ian, who had the light element.
I shattered one cube with simple ice magic. As I did so, the ash-colored clump of powder inside the cube seeped into my mana circuit.
[The energy of the Loot [Corrupted Dust] seeps into you¡] [Congrattions! You have acquired the Unique Skill [Domain Expansion]!]
[Domain Expansion].
Just as Babel the Corrupted turned this area into and of death, I, too, could now establish a domain based on my elements. It was the creation of a territorypletely dominated by me.
Since it was a skill, the stronger the caster and the more the skill in question was trained, the greater the range and effectiveness would be.
Right as I put the remaining cube in my pocket¡
¡®Ah, I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯
I was so fucking tired. I wanted to quickly go to some amodation, or just about anywhere, and rest.
It wasn¡¯t the time to leisurely have a break here. Soon, the Knight Order under themand of the Astrea Household would arrive.
I nced at my surroundings with [irvoyance]. They were still quite far away.
They must have stopped briefly after joining Kaya. Nice.
They would probablye here and carry out search and rescue operations. Of course, it was probably just going to be a task of moving people, who had fallen asleep in thisrge-scale sleeping station, one at a time.
Anyway, it was best to run away before that.
¡°Eden, are you okay?¡±
[Kuoooo¡]
Eden replied with a tired voice, feebly lifting only his right arm. He was still slumped on the ground, unable to even raise his head,
It seemed difficult for him to bear the role of a transportation shuttle, so I just unsummoned him.
¡°Hilde.¡±
I summoned Hilde in her small dragon form from the summoning circle engraved on my left wrist.
[Did you call, Master?]
¡°Use [Frostwind], please. Make it weak enough not to harm people. It just needs to be enough to eliminate the mana trail.¡±
When using elemental magic, a mana trail was left behind.
What was that, you ask?
When discarding something generated with elemental magic, it usually turned into dust and disappeared while scattering in the wind.
Unfortunately, when that dust strongly collided with other objects, it would not be able to disappear immediately, hence a mana trail was left behind.
It didn¡¯tst long, though. When a moderately strong wind blew, it would lightly fly away and quickly disappear, just like when releasing magic normally.
I needed to destroy the evidence before escaping.
[By yourmand.]
Whooooosh©¤©¤.
A silver wind imbued with frost, [Frostwind], trickled out from Hilde and wrapped around the area like a whirlwind. The chill and the strength of the wind were both weak. Although its color was a bit dark, reminiscent of fog, it basically just gave off a feeling of a light winter breeze.
[Frostwind] didn¡¯t harm anyone who was unconscious; it simply blew away the mana trail scattered in the area.
Now, all I needed to do was leisurely disappear like a Dark Hero, and my painting, would be perfect.
¡®¡Oh yeah, how much mana do I have left again?¡¯
Come to think of it¡
Hilde¡¯s mana efficiency was as much of a scam as she was powerful. This was probably the reason why I was still far too weak to handle an End Game level familiar.
Riding such a familiar and flying here would have consumed a lot of mana. On top of that, she used [Frostwind]¡ Moreover, my body kinda felt like I was driving a car without oil.
I checked my status window.
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 105
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Prospective Second Year
Mana: 105/26000
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (A-)
¡®Holy fuck?!¡¯
This was bad. My mana was about to run out!
Soon, the Knight Order under Astrea¡¯smand would find me. I couldn¡¯t maintain [Frostwind] for much longer. I had to leave quickly.
¡°Hilde! Run!!¡±
[Ah ah! What is the meaning of this, Master!? Don¡¯t leave me behind!]
I cut through [Frostwind] at full speed.
Chapter 128: Monologue - Interlude (2)
? Monologue ¨C Interlude (2) ?
When highlighting the bads that wandering bards abundantly sang in recent times, the subject would unquestionably be about the ¡®Nameless Hero¡¯ who subjugated the Floating Ind.
After all, the ¡®ck Monster¡¯, who had suddenly appeared at M?rchen Academy while defeating demons, was praised throughout the world with such an alias.
Moreover, there were reports that the Devil Pir that appeared in the Astrea Duchy was also defeated by this same Nameless Hero.
The cold silver wind that had blown during the battle between the ck Monster and the Floating Ind was witnessed even at the location where the had Devil Pir emerged.
Despite the many hostages captured by the demon, there were 0 deaths. It was an unbelievable feat that closely followed the battle with the Floating Ind, which simrly had no casualties.
As such, it was only a matter of course that this news reached the ears of Gerald Astrea, the Sword Saint, and Historia, the genius wizard.
¡°Is that so.¡±
In the middle of the night¡
Inside a carriage that was hastily returning to the Astrea Duchy, a middle-aged man, with verdant green hair swept back, spoke in a low voice.
His reaction was quite subdued, considering the report he heard from the escort knight; the one who defeated the ck tower demon was confirmed to be none other than the Nameless Hero.
It was extremely prizingpared to the chilling wrath he first showed when notified about the emergence of the Devil Pir.
Gerald gazed out the window with eyes that could be considered as fiery as the sun or as sharp as an eagle. A waning moon hung in one corner of the night sky.
An Archwizard who had vanquished the Floating Ind alone without any sacrifices or losses of life.
Although there was no way to know how such an existence had hid their identity and popped up out of nowhere¡
Regardless, it was an undeniable fact that such a figure had protected the Astrea Duchy.
¡°I seem to have incurred a debt to that wizard¡¡±
Gerald wore a meaningful expression.
* * *
Adventurers¡¯ amodations. The glowingmp on the desk was the only source of light, faintly illuminating the darkness of the night.
Amy Holloway, a girl with short white hair wearing pajamas, sat at the desk with her chin resting on her hand, lost in thought. The ck rabbit ear ribbon she usually wore was nowhere to be found.
On the desk, elemental magic textbooks she had brought to reviewy sprawling open, but Amy could not find it in herself to concentrate on the contents.
¡°¡¡±
The ck tower demon. And someone unidentifiable wearing a wizard robe.
The robe that the individual was wearing seemed to have a function that hindered identity recognition. After all, when she caught a glimpse, their figure was blurry and hard to distinguish.
However, she was the daughter of the Holloway County. Her bloodline ability [Heart Color Discernment] was always activated.
[Heart Color Discernment] was a magic that reflected the color of one¡¯s heart and emotions. Moreover, it was one of the greatest contributors to the Holloway County¡¯s continued survival in a noble society full of schemes and deceptions.
From what she heard from the knights under Astrea¡¯smand, the one who defeated the ck tower demon was the Nameless Hero; in other words, the ck Monster.
And the color of their heart was clearly¡
¡°Blue and¡ Orange.¡¯
A beautiful blue tinged with orange. It was a color that proved they had a kind-hearted nature, as well as a sweet hue that only appeared when one cherished Amy.
Since she only caught a very brief glimpse, it might not be urate. Perhaps she even saw it wrong.
After all, not only did they hide themselves with an ice wall and a chilly aura¡
But Amy herself was also incredibly distracted because she was blown away by Kaya¡¯s wind magic.
However, if the color of their heart was real¡
©¤¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m trying to kidnap you. Will you cooperate?¡¯
Assuming they were an ice elemental user, there was only one person in M?rchen Academy who disyed those very colors.
A silver-blue-haired boy whose prowess grew explosively after once being called the Academy¡¯s Weakest.
As Amy recalled his face, her eyes widened in astonishment.
¡°Isaac¡?¡±
Although she reflexively shook her head at the absurd idea¡
Certain questionable moments began to pile up one at a time when assuming that Isaac was actually the Nameless Hero.
As the night deepened, Amy¡¯s suspicions only continued to umte,yer byyer.
* * *
[Status] Name: Isaac
Lv: 105
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Prospective Second Year
Mana: 25500/25500
¨C Mana Recovery Speed (A-)
Inside the continuously rattling carriage, I gripped the magic tool, training my Mana Mastery, as I checked the status window. I was currently on my way back to M?rchen Academy.
The demon incident in the Astrea Duchy had been cleanly wrapped up.
After casting [Frostwind], I quickly escaped the area swallowed by Babel the Corrupted and entered a nearby forest.
Fortunately, it was a forest where the snow-covered winter trees still had some thawed areas. Moreover, a small cave was visible, suitable for hiding.
Shortly after, I surveyed the surroundings with [irvoyance]. It seemed the Knight Order under Astrea¡¯smand was gradually heading towards the location where Babel had first appeared.
I waited for things to simmer down in the small cave, then cautiously approached the direction of the carriage station, resting in another cave in the middle of my escapade.
And early in the morning, I stuffed my robe into my magic pouch and left the forest to catch a carriage.
If I rode Hilde, it would just be a tant disy that the ck Monster had arrived at M?rchen Academy, so I judged that it was better to safely return by carriage instead.
As far as I could recall, when it specifically came to carriages bound for M?rchen Academy, gels could be used as currency even on the maind. This was because currency exchange was possible at the academy¡¯s main gate.
It was regrettable that I had to go back without talking with Kaya to my heart¡¯s content, but it wouldn¡¯t matter too much if it was postponed until after the break.
The location where the Devil Pir appeared and the bridge connecting M?rchen Academy to the maind was rtively close to each other. I was expected to arrive at the academy early at night.
¡®Let¡¯s do a midway evaluation.¡¯
Considering that it was currently difficult for me to properly train, it would be a good idea to do a midway evaluation to organize my thoughts.
If I checked the definitive things first¡
¡®First, [Mana Recovery Speed].¡¯
[Mana Recovery Speed] had increased from B+ to A-. Although I did not know whether it urred right after obtaining the Obsidian de or after eliminating Babel the Corrupted, however¡ that wasn¡¯t important right now.
I could vividly feel that the speed at which mana recovered was significantly fasterpared to my days as a Grade E.
Back then, it felt like my mana recovered naturally as if water was trickling down, whereas now, it felt more like a flood.
¡®Next, the Obsidian de.¡¯
Thanks to Gormos¡¯ Obsidian de, I gained several 7-star skills.
Personally, the skill I desired the most was the passive skill, [Eclipse].
Now, even if a powerful enemy capable of doing life-threatening damage attacked, I could stand tall¡
And with my arms crossed, I could drop meteors on their faces while uttering cool lines like ¡®This is order.¡¯.
Moving on, when I dealt that one blow to Babel the Corrupted Phase 2, [Stone Breathing ¨C First Form] didn¡¯t fully activate; perhaps it was because I didn¡¯t know how to properly swing the sword yet. How should I put it¡ It felt like only half of it had activated.
It seemed that if I wielded the sword with only brute force, skills like [Stone Breathing] and [Heavenly Rock Strike] could not be used to their full extent.
It worked perfectly fine in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but that was probably because Ian was skilled in swordsmanship.
¡®I should at least learn the necessary posture for using these skills.¡¯
At the very least, I needed to practice the correct swordsmanship movements to be able to use the skills of the Obsidian de.
Well, I could probably just find someone who was good at wielding a greatsword and ask for advice. I didn¡¯t need to delve too deeply into swordsmanship.
¡®I have to give the [Corrupted Dust] as well.¡¯
I took out the cube inside my pocket. A solid texture. The cube was scattering an alien-like ash-gray light.
It would be better to give this cube to Ian. If he unfolded the light elemental domain, he could affect enemies with Divine Power without even having to fight.
When looking back at the actions of SSS-ss Master Fainter, Ian Faintingtale, until now¡
There was no way he wouldn¡¯t faint against enemies that emerged during Year 2 Semester 2, such as Calgart the Necromancer or Thanatos the Ruination.
If he couldn¡¯t pour out Divine Power against those bastards, a Bad Ending was practically guaranteed.
¡®And Potential.¡¯
[Potential] Stat Points: 0 ? Growth Rate ¨C Physical Training Efficiency (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¨C Magic Training Efficiency (S): 100/100 [MAX]
¨C Learning Efficiency (S): 98/100 [UP] Owned Skills ??Details??
Now, if I invested just 2 more stat points, I could max out my Growth Rate Potential.
Considering that yers could only reach MAX Growth Rate by the middle of Year 2 Semester 1 in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, my current speed was incredibly fast.
¡®Taking down the Floating Ind really was huge.¡¯
The Floating Ind.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was an out-of-norm demon that could never be defeated without Dorothy¡¯s sacrifice.
Thinking about that bastard made the fragmented memories recalled during the Trial of Sandstone pass through my mind like a rain shower.
The rattling sound of the carriage wheels.
As if time hade to a stop, I could not help but hold my breath for a while.
1st Round.
The Trial of Sandstone had revealed the memories I had lost, as if turning on a spotlight within the darkness.
I didn¡¯t remember everything; I could only catch a brief glimpse of certain memories.
In the 1st Round, I could not prevent the scenario where Dorothy faced her death alongside the Floating Ind.
As such, I despaired and I regretted. But despite that, I steadfastly continued my journey to vanquish the Evil God¡
And in the final moments, I lost pathetically.
In the end, Ian died and the world perished.
¡°¡¡±
I looked out the window. White snow was fluttering as it fell, coloring the world in its hue.
Suddenly, I recalled the first time I transmigrated into this world.
At first, I was in denial of my reality, calling the situation a mon clich¨¦¡¯.
However, as I keenly became aware that this world had be my reality, I set a goal to defeat the Evil God in order to survive.
I knew now; there was something more to the backstory of my possession of Isaac in this world.
¡®It was obvious, though.¡¯
It would actually be strange not to consider that some transcendent force was involved in such a supernatural phenomenon.
However, it was best to postpone such contemtions. After all, for now, no clear answer would be deduced by pondering with my troubled mind.
¡®Still, one thing is certain.¡¯
This 2nd Round had distinctly different ouespared to the 1st Round.
I had saved Dorothy¡
And had explosively leveled up after defeating the Floating Ind.
This irreversible fact ignited the mes of determination within me.
On the gravel road leading to the bridge. Under the somber ash-gray clouds releasing white snowkes, the scene of the Arkins Sea, waves gently swelling, reflected upon my eyes.
As I felt the peaceful atmosphere, quite different from the apocalyptdscape in my memories¡
I couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at such scenery for a long while.
***
When I arrived at M?rchen Academy, the sky was already painted with an inky ck hue.
Before anything, I wanted to talk with Dorothy, who had intervened in the Trial of Sandstone.
¡®Where is Dorothy?¡¯
I wondered, ¡®Could she be in the Josena Forest hideout?¡¯, so I probed the dark forest path in search of her.
The fire of the hideout¡¯smps was ignited. My guess seemed right on the money.
[You came.]
As I opened the door and entered, Dorothy¡¯s white cat familiar, E, greeted me.
Her voice was coy yet haughty per usual.
¡°Why are you here?¡±
[We all have our reasons. But more importantly, over there.]
E gestured towards the bed with her chin.
A goddess with light purple hair was peacefully sleeping in casual attire, as if this was her own home.
¡°Doro- Senior Dorothy?¡±
Since E was beside me, I hurriedly added her title as a Senior.
[She¡¯s been like that for two days. Sleeping, I mean.]
¡°Two days?¡±
Next to the bed, the faint light of the partially-openedmp flickered in the darkness.
I sat down on a chair next to the bed Dorothy was sleeping in. E, as if waiting for this moment, began to narrate her story with the tone of a haughtydy.
Her story went in one ear and out the other; 80% of her story wereints, saying how bored and aggrieved she was because she had to be by Dorothy¡¯s side 24/7 for the past two days.
To put it simply¡
Due to the strain of intervening in another worldline, Dorothy had been sleeping continuously for two days.
And it was the first time E had ever seen Dorothy this exhausted.
¡®That sounds about right.¡¯
Even though I had only briefly heard about it, it seemed to be an ability that transcended humanprehension.
It was so impressive that it raised doubts whether this was really within the realm of mere talent, as she had not even reached the level of an Archwizard yet.
Either way, just as expected of Dorothy.
Thanks to her, I had resolved the most bothersome issue, so I was only filled with gratitude for her.
The memory of the monument erected in her honor suddenly shed through my mind, making my heart throb in pain, as if it was poked by thorns.
It was a memory of the 1st Round.
However, Dorothy was here before me, alive and well.
She was innocently snoring in a deep and peaceful slumber.
As I ruminated over such a fact, a faint smile suddenly formed on my lips. She looked so incredibly lovely.
Feeling E¡¯s subtle look, I tried desperately to suppress myughter by covering my mouth, but my joy was inevitable.
¡°Is Senior¡¯s condition okay?¡±
[As far as I can tell. She might wake up tomorrow, I expect?]
After jumping on top of the bed, E answered while gently shaking Dorothy¡¯s cheeks with her paws.
Her head swayed without resistance.
[She is sleeping quite deeply, you know? I tried ying a prank out of boredom, but she didn¡¯t wake up at all. Basically, this is a perfect chance to mess with Dorothy to your heart¡¯s content.]
¡°Is that so.¡±
[And since I¡¯m a cat who does a lot of other things, I often have to take my eyes off of Dorothy. Whenever that happens, no matter what you do, I wouldn¡¯t notice.]
¡°Ah, okay¡¡±
[Uhuh, I would absolutely never know. Definitely. Oops, it¡¯s time for me to go do other things. From now on, no matter what you do to Dorothy, I will have no idea.]
¡°¡?¡±
Suddenly, E stepped down from the bed and moved away with a coy expression.
¡®What is she going on and on about? Why is she like this right now?¡¯
I used [Psychological Insight].
[E] Psychology: [Hopes that the love between you and Dorothy Heartnova bears fruit.]
¡°¡¡±
E, this girl, was as scandalous as Galia.
Are all familiars usually like this¡?
Chapter 129: Monologue - Interlude (3)
? Monologue ¨C Interlude (3) ?
Inside the narrow booth, a fascinating video was ying on a box that she had never seen before.
Various colored lights were twirling and amidst the loud music that echoed in her ears¡
Dorothy and Isaac held a microphone together, dancing to the rhythm as they sang.
It was the coin karaoke from Isaac¡¯s world.
¡°Huh?¡±
And while she was doing that, for some reason, her head moved on its own.
Once to the left, then once more to the right. Two more times again in the same pattern.
Shortly after, a familiar voice faintly pierced through the sound of the music.
[She is sleeping quite de¡ She didn¡¯t wake up at all¡]
¡°¡¡±
Ah, this was a dream.
As soon as she realized that fact, her consciousness was instantly sucked back into reality.
There was no way for her to know, but the fact that her snoring had stopped was proof that she had awakened from the dream.
Utter darkness; she could only see pitch-ck. A coy voice prated her hazy mind.
It was E¡¯s voice.
¡°Ah, okay¡¡±
¡®¡!¡¯
And the voice of a man could be heard; it was Isaac.
Dorothy suppressed a gasp. E noticed that reaction, but she pretended not to and continued her conversation with Isaac.
¡®President is here.¡¯
Dorothy felt the urge to y a prank as soon as she woke up.
While Isaac is off guard, let¡¯s abruptly shout to startle him. After all, he was easily surprised, so it was fun to tease him.
However¡
[Oops, it¡¯s time for me to do other things. From now on, no matter what you do to Dorothy, I will have no idea.]
Even if it was Dorothy, who didn¡¯t like using her brain, she wasn¡¯t a fool who couldn¡¯t understand the hidden meaning underlining E¡¯s words.
Come to think of it, except for the time on the Floating Ind, Isaac had never approached and made physical contact with Dorothy first.
Of course, she didn¡¯t think someone as upright as Isaac would do something scandalous while she was asleep, but¡
Was it because of E¡¯s words? Peculiar fantasies and a subtle sense of anticipation began to sprout within Dorothy. It was an irresistible force.
For some reason, Dorothy wanted to keep pretending to be asleep.
Somehow, this atmosphere was¡.
¡®Not bad at all¡!¡¯
Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t matter too much if he acted just a little scandalous¡!
Her heart trembled and heat rose to her face. A pleasant chill ran down her spine.
A rare genius. The greatest powerhouse of M?rchen Academy. Dorothy, who was oftenbeled as such, was just an ordinary girl who had be aware of love.
Moreover, this was a secluded ce inside the Josena Forest; a hideout filled with nostalgic memories of just the two of them.
To be honest, she had secretly hoped that they would get intoxicated by the strange atmosphere here¡!
Completely stiff, Dorothy let out a shallow breath. She felt a tingling sensation all over her body and she became far more aware of Isaac than usual.
¡®Mm?¡¯
A creak. Did he get up from the chair?
¡®Where are you going?¡¯
Isaac moved somewhere.
The sshing sound of water could be heard. It seemed like he was washing his hands and face.
Eventually, Isaac returned to Dorothy¡¯s side, sat back in the chair, and let out a deep breath.
Dorothy couldn¡¯t gauge his emotions because she still had her eyes closed.
¡®He must be staring holes in me.¡¯
It was the first time she felt such a clear tingling sensation due to someone¡¯s gaze.
Ah, right. How did she currently appear to him?
She worried that her hair might be a mess. Were there drool stains on her mouth? Could it be that her condition was aplete mess?
Her skin quivered. Just as she was thinking about such dilemmas¡
¡®Oh oh¡!¡¯
Isaac started to stroke Dorothy¡¯s hair. Reflexively, Dorothy inwardly bursted in exmation.
An extremely gentle touch, as if treating something very precious. Had she ever so keenly felt the emotions of a puppy who loved being petted by their owner?
Her body trembled, as nervousness surged like a storm. She was incredibly embarrassed, her fingers and toes tensed up, but still, the instinctive desire to be enveloped in his touch held her entire body still.
It felt so good that it was hard to endure. It felt like her body might hunch in pleasure.
¡°I managed to finish well thanks to you.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
¡°Thanks, Dorothy. Truly.¡±
He addressed her casually. Moreover, in a subdued voice.
Sometimes when Isaac addressed her casually, Dorothy¡¯s head would flinch.
How was it so enchanting whenever the young man, who used honorifics every day, spoke informally without permission?
All her nerves were already on edge, but he just had to stroke her hair and whisper to her in such a sweet voice; it was enough to make her giddy with ecstasy.
Though Dorothy wished to enjoy this moment a bit more¡
¡®Urrrghh¡! I can¡¯t endure much longer, President¡!¡¯
It was excessive how much her body did not feel like her own anymore.
Of course, just because she couldn¡¯t endure it did not mean that Dorothy knew what to do; after all, she had never had any experiences with boys in her life.
¡°Senior, you¡¯re awake, right?¡±
Right then, Dorothy¡¯s heart dropped.
¡°¡Ah.¡±
Ah.
Amentation seeped out of Dorothy¡¯s mouth. She opened her eyes slightly and made eye contact with Isaac, who was gazing down at her serenely.
As the strange tension eased, the awaiting sense of shame rushed in like the wind. Dorothy turned her back to Isaac, covering herself up to her nose with the nket.
A heavy silence followed.
Soon after, Dorothy hesitantly raised her torso; her expression seemed to indicate she didn¡¯t know what to do. Her face waspletely dyed in a bright red.
Although Dorothy could easily control her expressions, as she always wore a smiling face like a mask¡
There was no way she could know how to calm the fiery flush on her face.
¡°Y-you¡¯re here, President!¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy smiled excessively and unnaturally raised her tension.
¡°Senior, aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±
¡°Uh, yeah! Uh, I feel absolutely famished¡!¡±
To dispel her embarrassment, Dorothy put her entire soul into responding with exaggerated reactions.
¡°I¡¯ll go cook some stew.¡±
¡°Ah, thanks¡¡±
Isaac got up and headed to the kitchen.
Dorothy pulled the nket up and buried her face into the pillow.
In the face of the novel emotions she felt due to Isaac, she was nothing more than a shy girl.
* * *
I already knew that Dorothy had woken up. It seemed like her purpose was to surprise me.
It didn¡¯t matter too much. After all, I just wished to express my gratitude without any pretense.
¡®It didn¡¯t seem like I made the right choice, though.¡¯
I didn¡¯t expect Dorothy to show such nauseated reactions of refusal¡ I should definitely refrain from such actions in the future.
¡°Meat stew!! Is there chicken too?!¡±
Now, she was acting just as usual, as if nothing had happened.
Look at this kid trying to be considerate by pretending not to know. How heartwarming.
After preparing the meat stew, I served it into two bowls and went up to the rooftop with Dorothy, courtesy of her starlight magic.
The winter wind was chilly.
And the snow-covered clouds, painted in the colors of night, continued to gently sprinkle snowkes.
While deploying an [Ice Curtain] to block the cold wind and snowkes, I handed Dorothy a bowl of warm stew and a spoon.
We covered ourselves with a thick nket and used a fire elemental scroll to make a makeshift campfire. How should I put it¡ It felt quite cozy andfortable.
And just like that, we made small talk, chatting briefly, until¡
¡°We have a lot to talk about, right?¡±
Dorothy¡¯s question followed.
¡®The time hase.¡¯
I had endlessly pondered while spending time in the academy and exterminating demons.
And the scenario I had envisioned was to only provide information on subjugating the Evil God to the most trustworthy people at the right time like I had done with Kaya.
¡®I thought that the so-called right time would be after the Alice subjugation, though.¡¯
Before that, revealing my secrets prematurely seemed like a double-edged sword.
It would be the same, no matter how trustworthy someone was. It would be troublesome if something questionable was revealed when I didn¡¯t have any control over it.
However, Dorothy had even found out that I came from another world. I found myself in a position where I had to disclose secrets that I had never intended to reveal.
On the way back, I had finally finished agonizing over what parts of the truth to reveal.
Now that it hade to this, I decided that Dorothy would be the very first person to whom I would confess my most important secret.
¡°Yes, well¡ I do have a lot to say.¡±
Let¡¯s not mention the status window or the original scenario of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?; it would only throw her into confusion.
In this winter, not a single insect chirped. Only the crackling of the mes created by the fire elemental scroll could be heard.
In this cozy atmosphere, I began to quietly tell my story.
I came from another world. I don¡¯t know the specific circumstances regarding how I came to this world. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t that strong. However, I had a power that made me stronger against demons. I also knew where and when demons would appear. And¡ I also knew that the Evil God would emergeter.
Just like that, I told her the most essential contents, keeping it as simple as possible.
Silence. At some point in time, the once steaming meat stew had cooled down.
Dorothy had her head lowered slightly, deep in thought. Her psychology was unreadable due to her starlight mana.
My story probably wouldn¡¯t fully register with her right away. I waited for Dorothy¡¯s reaction, quietly staring at the now cold stew.
¡°¡So that¡¯s why you trained so hard.¡±
As expected, Dorothy didn¡¯t doubt my story in the slightest.
In the first ce, she could analyze my emotions and detect lies. I hadn¡¯t lied and we had built a trustworthy rtionship over time, so it was only natural for her to believe me.
But still¡ her eptance was way too easy, wasn¡¯t it? It felt like she knew my goal from the very beginning. The recent remark felt as if she had prepared the answer in advance, making me feel incredibly out of ce.
¡°Your reaction is more subdued than I expected.¡±
¡°Nihihi, I already knew you were hiding something tremendous. I was mentally prepared, you see. As expected, the President did have something, after all.¡±
¡It somehow sounds like a lie, but there isn¡¯t a way to prove it.
I had no intention of interrogating Dorothy because of baseless intuition. Besides, it could just be my imagination, so let¡¯s just move on quietly.
¡°I have a lot I want to talk about, but¡ I¡¯ll get to know it slowly. Honestly, my head already feels like cramping up from what you said just now.¡±
It was understandable. If I was Dorothy, I would probably feel the same way.
¡°But it¡¯s like a fairy tale. A story of a Hero defeating the Demon King.¡±
¡°The plot is simr, I guess.¡±
¡°Then, the President is the Hero, right?¡±
Hero.
It was a grandiose title that somehow made me chuckle.
Time passed silently for a while. It felt like both of us were pondering what to say.
Finally¡
¡°President.¡±
Dorothy finished her thoughts and extended her fist with a faint smile. Almost as if she was trying to reassure me.
¡°I¡¯ll help you. Let¡¯s destroy the Evil God together.¡±
Suddenly, I recalled the Trial of Frost, when Dorothy told me we should tear down the world.
Compared to then, her voice was much calmer, but at the same time, it reassured me greatly.
¡°¡Thank you.¡±
I extended my clenched fist, meeting hers.
And Dorothy smiled brightly, proiming the formation of the Hero¡¯s Party.
* * *
Bartos Hall, a pce-like building In the center of M?rchen Academy.
In the dark Student Council room, only the faint glow of a smallmp on the desk enveloped the surroundings.
There, a female student with long golden hair repeatedly tapped the desk with her thin fingers.
A ck and white checkered choker around her neck and ck and white earrings on her ears.
Her presence alone made the air in the Student Council room heavy with tension.
[Alice. About the Disruptor.]
In the darkness, a fat purple cat satfortably on the reception sofa, emanating a mysterious blue light from her eyes.
Phantom Cat-Cheshire. The magic beast grinned, openly revealing her white teeth.
[As expected, are you thinking that ¡®Isaac¡¯ is the right one?]
After receiving that question, the light gold-haired female student, Alice Carroll, stopped tapping the desk.
Her cherry blossom eyes looked out the window. White snowkes were still pouring down from the night sky.
Chapter 130: Alice (1)
? Alice (1) ?
Heavy snow fell on the quiet campus.
Professor Fernando Frost looked up from his papers and lightly rubbed his bleary eyes. He looked out the window and saw M?rchen Academy covered in snowkes.
It would have been a very nice view¡ If it weren¡¯t for the Floating Ind.
The snow-coveredndscape became a trauma of sorts for Fernando, filling him with a subtle sense of unease. The academy grounds had been exactly like this just before the gigantic ind appeared after all.
What came to mind after the Floating Ind was the ck Monster, an Archwizard now referred to as the Nameless Hero.
It, who appeared suddenly at M?rchen Academy and went around wiping out the demons, was now known to have in the ck tower demon that appeared in the Astrea Duchy.
This meant that its scope of activity was not limited to M?rchen Academy. It seemed to be able to move around quite freely.
And now, it was winter vacation.
The words of Aria Lilias, the teacher of Fernando, came to mind.
©¤¡¯I assume you have already guessed it, but that monster is probably one of your students.¡¯
¡°My¡ student¡¡±
If the ck Monster was one of his students, who could it be? Considering that the demons have appeared since the start of this year, there was a strong possibility that the ck Monster was a freshman, but even that wasn¡¯t definitive.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t a problem for him to worry about, as even the Imperial Knights were involved. As the youngest professor, he had a multitude of work to do during winter vacation.
He needed to revise next year¡¯s ss materials based on the active research results of the Magic Towers.
Just by the preparation for entrance exams, preparation for next semester¡¯s ss evaluation assignments for each grade, research, writing a thesis, and preparing for threats such as demons¡
¡He was about to spend his entire winter vacation on all sorts of misceneous work.
Back then, the topic of school closures was discussed in depth at a faculty meeting. It was due to the frequent appearance of demons. But now, that topic had faded into the background.
Out of all the things they could have done, the Imperial Family stepped in and sent the Imperial Knights, saying, ¡®We shall ensure the students their opportunity of receiving education, despite the disaster that may arise due to demons.¡¯
In other words, the faculty were told to not close the academy.
¡®And.¡¯
The Imperial Princess, Saintess, and Priestess.
A situation in which many of the world¡¯s most influential people applied for the M?rchen Academy entrance exam.
Just nning the curriculum and preparing for potential risk factors to ensure the safety of students was enough to fry the brain.
The presence of the noble students was a great burden to Fernando, who was preparing for the entrance exam. And something even more peculiar was that this year¡¯s entrance exam was personally approved by the Headmistress, Elena Woodline.
Fernando sighed.
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
Knock, knock.
A knock was heard on the office door. When he heard the sound of a zombie outside the door, Fernando realized that it was a graduate student.
¡°Come on in.¡±
The door opened, and Marco, a male assistant with brown hair, entered the room. His face bore the appearance of someone not among the living.
Marco approached Fernando, with his creaking body, holding a bundle of documents.
The gaunt arm ced the pile of documents on the desk.
¡°Is it done?¡±
¡°Ughhhhhhhhhh¡¡±
¡°Good work. For your next one, you know the rest. It must be done before the entrance exam.¡±
¡°Gueughhhhh¡?!¡±
With nothing more to say, Fernando went straight to the point and handed Marco a bundle of documents with his telekinesis magic.
Marco screamed, felt dizzy, and stumbled for a moment, but as an assistant, he had no other choice.
He left the office, trudging along.
Although it was early in the morning, he would stay up all night once again.
***
[I see you often, child.]
The cave of the Trial of Sandstone was still filled to the brim with rock mana.
The spacious cave was mostly upied by the mountain-like alligator snapping turtle.
Rock element 8-star magic beast, Stone Turtle ¨C Gormos.
Gormos weed me with a voice like that of an old man.
¡°Hi.¡±
[I havee, Gormos!]
I greeted Gormos along with Hilde, whom I summoned in the form of a small baby dragon.
Yesterday, I introduced Hilde to Gormos. Unlike Hilde, who showed signs of excitement, Gormos was calm and gentle, as if he were a wise man who knew everything.
¡°Weren¡¯t you bored?¡±
[Bored you say? I used to enjoy contemtion, but these days, I have not had a chance to do so because of all themotion you two create.]
Gormos answered, ring at me with angry eyes.
[Stone Turtle ¨C Gormos] Psychology: [Very pleased to see you.]
What a tsundere.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯lle here often.¡±
[I shalle often!]
[Huh¡?]
He clicked his tongue as if he were ridiculed, but he didn¡¯t say not toe back.
¡°It¡¯s fine if I bother you again today, right?¡±
[Hmm¡ Since it would be unsightly to say no to such a pitiful child, I have no choice.]
What the magnificent and gentle tsundere meant by those words was that he just wanted to y with me.
¡°Thanks.¡±
I put Zhonya¡¯s Staff on the ground, did a slight warm-up, then picked it up again.
I then elerated the flow of mana within my body, took a deep breath, and prepared for battle.
Kududoom, kuung, kuung.
Rock mana gathered in front of Gormos, and the rock armor crackled and joined together to form the shape of a golem.
Five golems about 4 meters tall. Behind those was a giant golem nearly 7 meters tall.
They were all rock minions created by Gormos after assessing my level.
[Guwaaak!]
As the biggest golem roared at me, a smile formed on my face.
Yes, this is it.
I couldn¡¯t have Gormos as my familiar yet. The one 8-star familiar contract circle I owned was used for the contract with Hilde¡ Also, I was currently unable to defeat Gormos.
However, even though the Stone Turtle wasn¡¯t my familiar right now, there was still a way to use it effectively. This was where those minions came into y.
They were real opponents with physical bodies. Thanks to this, effective training became possible, far surpassing what could be achieved with demonic illusions.
¡®If that guy were my familiar, this would have been an unimaginable sight.¡¯
In other words, it¡¯s damn good.
I couldn¡¯t beat that 7-meter boss golemst time, but this time I¡¯d definitely get it done.
Thump, thump.
The golems simultaneously rushed towards me, fiercely swinging their fists. When I dodged their attacks, they would skillfully cast rock magic.
Then, I would counter with ice and rock magic.
Hilde watched me from atop Gormos¡¯ shell, but I didn¡¯t have the leisure to focus on her.
Booooooom!
I got hurt, rolled over, became covered in dust, and dodged, all while pouring magic into destroying the golems.
This is intense. I can¡¯t take a breath.
¡°Sigh.¡±
However, the more difficult the training became, the more effective it was, and the more efficient I became at it, the greater the rush of ecstasy I felt.
Although it was obviously immensely difficult and painful, I was filled with joy when I thought of how powerful I would be with every golem destroyed.
Kua-ka-kang!
This is FIRE.
***
Isaac.
When he exchanged greetings, he looked as gentle as a puppy, but his eyes turned cold-hearted as soon as he entered battle.
Hilde and Gormos watched Isaac as he fought a fierce battle with the group of golems.
As the battle continued, his sense ofbat, elemental firepower, and mana mastery were improving at a remarkable rate.
[¡Fascinating.]
Gormos unintentionally expressed his sentiments.
Hilde, the Frost Dragon in the form of a small baby dragon, stuck her head out and looked down at the head of Gormos.
[What do you mean, Gormos?]
[That child.]
Gormos blinked its eyes as it quietly watched the fierce battle, with shy elemental magic being cast here and there.
Though he was still weak, his talents were clearly those of a genius.
Nor did he spare any efforts.
Plus the aura of the Ice Sovereign¡
[As I live and breathe¡ What on earth is that kiddo?]
[Well, I see him as the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign.]
[¡Why do you think so?]
[What other exnation could there be? Yes, Gormos, the Ice Sovereign must have reincarnated to meet me once again!]
Gormos hesitated on what to say to this foolish White Dragon and then let out a soft sigh. Hisrge size caused the sigh to create a breeze.
[Your way of thinking remains romantic, Hilde. I have no idea what to say.]
[There is no need to understand. You just have to feel it in your heart.]
Quaaaaa!
The conversation between the two magic beasts was overwhelmed by the explosive sound caused by Isaac¡¯s [Frost Explosion].
As Isaac destroyed the biggest golem, heughed as he fell from the air, seemingly filled with a sense of aplishment, as if to say, ¡®I did it.¡¯
Gormos could not take his eyes off that child.
What suddenly came to mind was the image of the Stone Sovereign, who was full ofpetitive spirit. The former master who always sought to grow stronger and preferred to fight against the strong.
[You just have to feel it in your heart¡]
Gormos quietly pondered what Hilde had said.
***
¡°I feel like I¡¯m dying¡¡±
Evening. The ash-gray sky continued to pour down white snow nonstop.
I crossed the campus covered in snow assisting myself with Zhonya¡¯s Staff. My whole body was sore¡
I almost shouted out of cheer with a sense of aplishment when I defeated the 7-meter golem that Gormos had summoned.
But when I was owned by the 10-meter golem that appeared right after, I had nothing else to do but gnash my teeth in frustration.
I heard there were alsopression-type golems; I wonder how strong those things would be.
[Master, how about I help you out?]
¡°It¡¯s fine¡ You stand out. I don¡¯t have any mana left anyway, so I can¡¯t maintain your summoning.¡±
Hilde was currently in my pocket in the form of a firefly.
This tiny creature was the symbolic White Dragon magic beast recorded in the mythology of the Whiterk Duchy. She was way too noticeable to ask for help. If it were to be seen by anyone in the academy, it would be a disaster.
In the first ce, I didn¡¯t have much mana left after dealing with the Gormos¡¯ minions.
If I summoned Frost Dragon Hilde or Eden in arge enough size to support me, my mana would be at risk of depletion. So for now, I would rather wait until recovery.
Well, it will be fine by the time we get to the dorms.
[I can now turn into a form that is not noticeable¡]
What did you say?
[Oh!]
¡°Gah!¡±
Plop!
Ah, I fell. My legs were shaking and I lost my bnce.
Buried in the snow, I raised my head, feeling the chill of the white snow.
¡°Argh.¡±
I was smeared in dirt followed by being covered in snow.
After barely getting up, I brushed the snow off my clothes. Aww, my arms were shaking.
It was at that moment that I heard the crunching sound of snow being stepped on from behind. Did someone see me fall? That would be embarrassing.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
I then heard a soft and elegant voice. Somehow¡ it was a familiar voice.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. Thank y-.¡±
As I turned my head to where the voice was heard, my eyes widened and I turned speechless.
Light gold hair.
A ck and white patterned choker around her neck, and ck and white earrings on her ears.
The gorgeous student lowered her torso and looked down at me with her light pink eyes that had the color of cherry blossoms.
She then put an umbre over my head.
¡°Where did you roll around? Your clothes are a mess.¡±
She elegantly swept her skirt once, squatted down with her knees together, and gently brushed the snowkes off my hair.
For a brief moment, I stared at her with a dumb face, not knowing what to say.
She looked straight into my eyes with a soft smile.
¡°We¡¯ve met before, right?¡±
The atmosphere sank heavily. It seemed as if the whole academy was holding its breath under the endless pouring of heavy snow.
It was Alice Carroll.
Chapter 131: Alice (2)
? Alice (2) ?
Isaac returned a day after the ck tower demon was in. Didn¡¯t the timing seem rather convenient?
This was what Chesire had told Alice; it was information it had acquired by chance after watching the school gates,zing around on a tall building.
Last night, in the Student Council Room.
Alice Carroll quietly pondered as she fiddled with the ck and white choker on her neck.
The ck Monster and the Nameless Hero.
That was what the mysterious being, who defeated any and all demons that appeared at M?rchen Academy, was referred to as by the public.
As for Alice, she knew it as the disruptor; after all, it hindered the demons from killing Ian, who possessed the light element.
The disruptor was an enemy that needed to be eliminated, however¡
By defeating the Floating Ind, it had proved to everyone that it had reached the level of an Archwizard. At least within M?rchen Academy, it was practically the strongest.
Archwizards possessed an abnormally high mana perception, thus being capable of sensing mana that wasn¡¯t being actively emitted.
So, let¡¯s consider the possibility of Isaac being the disruptor. Monitoring him using a familiar or minion would be no different than dering, ¡®Please look at me, I¡¯m suspicious.¡¯. It was simply a foolish move.
Now, thanks to that stupid Leafa, there was information circting about an informant amongst the faculty. This information was also being shared with the remaining Imperial Knights within the faculty.
Thus, Alice was forced into a situation where she had to carefully consider how to deal with the disruptor.
¡°¡¡±
Therefore, what she needed right now was information.
Information about Isaac had already been gathered and, although suspicious, there was nothing definitive with just that.
As such, what was needed was information that would confirm Isaac as the disruptor.
If there was certainty that Isaac was the ck Monster, then she needed to figure out a way to find his weaknesses and eliminate him at all costs.
Her throat throbbed. Alice gradually rubbed the choker with increasing intensity.
¡°Haa.¡±
Alice calmed her breath and suppressed her emotions before reluctantly letting go of her choker and looking out the window.
Snowkes continued to endlessly fall over M?rchen Academy.
* * *
The Student Council President. The Shadow of M?rchen Academy, as well as the final boss of Year 2 Semester 1.
Heart Queen ¨C Alice.
The difficulty of ¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹ in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was extremely high.
Alice, due to deploying an onught of Trump Soldiers, was highly dangerous, even if one was only caught off guard for a fleeting moment.
Pdins, the top tiers and middle bosses of the Trump Army, were especially difficult to break through.
When such a frightening boss, who manipted all these forces like a master puppeteer, suddenly appeared in front of me. I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.
¡®Why are you here¡?¡¯
Big snowkes continued to fall.
Underneath the narrow umbre, Alice and I locked eyes. Being in such close proximity with her had never happened, even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Even during vacation, Alice was in her school uniform, probably because she was on duty as the Student Council President. After all, there was a conservative tradition of formal attire when visiting the Student Council Room in Bartos Hall.
Suddenly, the memory of Alice in her school uniform looking down at me with a smiling face as I died during the Trial of Frost came to mind, sending shivers down my spine.
However, there was a difference this time ¡ª a cape shawl draped over her shoulders. A Student Council President¡¯s exclusive outerwear made from a harmony of ck, gold, and crimson. It added an extra touch of sophistication.
Rather, is it a coincidence that our paths crossed while you were walking down the street, or did you¡
Putting that aside, was it really a coincidence that our paths crossed? Or¡
¡®Did she approach me on purpose?¡¯
As expected, [Psychological Insight] didn¡¯t work. Alice¡¯s unique trait [Red Queen¡¯s Paradox] prevented me from even reading the tiniest bit of information about her.
Well, still¡
Even if she was tailing me, there was no way she would know about the hidden cave where the Stone Turtle dwelled.
During the journey there, I summoned Hilde in the form of a will-o¡¯-wisp to ensure no one was tailing me. Even if someone had secretly followed me, the heavy snowfall would have left their footprints in the snow. There was zero chance of either me or HiIlde not noticing.
Whether one used their own magic or had the aid of a familiar or minion, they couldn¡¯t have followed me by flying in the sky either. If they did so, Hilde, with her high mana perception, would have detected them already.
In other words, even if I was discovered and secretly followed, it must have been after leaving the Stone Turtle¡¯s cave and strolling through the academy grounds.
With that thought in mind, I quicklyposed myself. I deliberately opened my mouth slightly and let out a small exmation of ¡®wow¡¯.
If I kept on looking flustered, it might arouse suspicion.
¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±
¡°Ah¡ Because you¡¯re so beautiful.¡±
I intentionally stumbled over my words and showed a shy demeanor.
Nice, this makes me look like a loser.
Could there be a more excellent lie than this to make up for that brief, awkward mistake?
Well, it¡¯s true that she¡¯s beautiful. The lie is that I¡¯m surprised.
¡°I see your taste is sensible. It¡¯s fortunate that you are a normal person.¡±
Alice replied calmly, propping her remaining hand on her chin.
She considered her beauty as a matter ofmon sense. At least in her eyes, it was a truth on the same pedestal as the rising and setting of the sun.
¡°Shall I help you up, baby?¡±
Ba¡ What?
¡°Baby¡?¡±
¡°You¡¯re my junior. Moreover, you look like a baby. Wahhh, I¡¯m a baby~.¡±
Alice tugged on my cape shawl that was attached with a red brooch and shook it near her cheek, disying coquettish behavior in an unaffected manner. I couldn¡¯t be bothered to change it to the blue brooch that symbolized the second year.
¡®Why is she so excited?¡¯
I swallowed dryly and looked directly at her.
¡It¡¯s not excitement. It must be a ploy to delve into a person¡¯s heart.
If someone didn¡¯t know Alice, they might think that she was a person who had no trouble dealing with people, but¡
¡®Not me though.¡¯
As someone who has seen Alice countless times in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, her current behavior felt extremely awkward.
As mentioned previously, Alice was an enigmatic character with limited information, leading many yers to fiercely debate about the topic of her secrets.
I was well aware of all that content.
I knew every w and feature that the light gold-haired viin in front of me had.
Firstly, Alice¡¯s kind disposition was purely for the sake of her own image.
In an alley with no people due to winter vacation, it would be much more in line with her personality to simply ignore a person in trouble and pass by.
¡®If my thoughts are correct¡¡¯
It was a situation where the information that there was an informant within the academy colluding with demons and that Alice¡¯s enemy, the ck Monster, was an Archwizard was public.
Against an Archwizard, who could even perceive mana that wasn¡¯t being emitted, choosing the foolish option of secretly monitoring them was something Alice couldn¡¯t afford to do.
In that case, it would make sense for her toe and find me directly.
She would try to gain certainty of whether I was the ck Monster or not.
And if she was positive about her certainty, she would n a scheme to assassinate me.
And to do so, she would try to find my weakness.
In other words, the possibility that she came to probe me directly was highly likely.
When I reached such a conclusion, I was now certain.
¡®Alice is¡¡¯
¡Suspicious of me.
¡°Why are you so stiff? It¡¯s like I¡¯m going to eat you up.¡±
She¡¯s sharp.
¡°I was slightly flustered just now¡ Did you just act cutesy to me?¡±
¡°Why are you bothered by such trivialities? Just think of it as a treat for your eyes.¡±
Alice gave her characteristic gentle smile.
¡°You look slightly ufortable. Should I help you get to where you are going?¡±
Let¡¯s get out of here for now.
I was still considerably weaker than Alice. If things went south and my identity as the ck Monster was revealed, it would be the end.
¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡¡±
I tried to stand, but my legs didn¡¯t have any strength and I lost my bnce.
In the end, I stumbled backward and fell on my butt.
It was just snow, so it didn¡¯t hurt¡ But after falling once, Ipletely lost my strength.
¡°Huh?¡±
Alice conjured an ash-gray magic circle and used the neutral magic [Telekinesis] on me. An intangible force gently lifted my body.
Usually, living organisms had a strong resistance to [Telekinesis] used by others. It was due to the repelling force between mana, a mana field if you will.
However, in my current state, it seemed that I couldn¡¯t properly resist [Telekinesis]. Probably due to the fact that I didn¡¯t have much mana remaining.
By the way, the density of mana is terrifying. Isn¡¯t this insane?
¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a position to refuse.¡±
¡®Agh, my body¡¡¯
My body was in a terrible state.
In this condition, if I were to insist on rejecting Alice¡¯s help because it was burdensome, it might look suspicious.
¡°Haha, you¡¯re right¡¡±
Whatever, let¡¯s just not get flustered.
I calmed my emotions and thoughts. In order to survive at this academy, I couldn¡¯t afford to act clumsily.
Well, this might be a good opportunity to find out what Alice thinks of me.
It would also be good to instill the certainty that I wasn¡¯t the ck Monster.
¡®The situation is in my favor.¡¯
Looking at the state of my body, would it make sense for the indomitable ck Monster to be staggering like a weakling when nothing really happened?
So, I just needed to y the part of an ordinary Issac. While doing so, I¡¯d note Alice¡¯s words, her subtle change of expression, her tone, and her behavior to find a hint of what she thinks of me.
¡°It¡¯s a bit shameless to ask, but¡ May I lean on you?¡±
I put on a polite smile simr to Alice¡¯s, pretending to be troubled.
I decided to converse with this girl.
¡°Then, can you straighten your back?¡±
Alice used [Telekinesis] tofortably fix my upper body in ce.
¡°Well done.¡±
Alice nodded slightly with a bright smile.
And so, we shared an umbre and walked side by side in the snow.
I said I wanted to go to the dorms. After all, I nned to shower, change, and have lunch at the student cafeteria with Luce.
¡®This image is quite peculiar¡¡¯
Walking under an umbre like a couple with the final boss of Semester 1 Year 2¡ Could this be any more ironic?
¡°Your legs are ufortable, right?¡±
¡°Yes, I can¡¯t seem to muster any strength.¡±
¡°How did you get hurt so badly?¡±
¡°I was training by fighting with a summoned familiar¡ It seems I got a little carried away.¡±
¡°Why aren¡¯t you summoning it now? It¡¯s hard to return, after all.¡±
¡°I used up almost all of my mana. And I also wanted to walk in the snow for a bit.¡±
¡°What a cute response, considering your body is a mess.¡±
Despite the pointless reply, Alice responded with a lightugh.
¡°Senior is the Student Council President, right?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m also your direct senior since we¡¯re both in the Magic Department.¡±
¡°Do you usually go out for walks?¡±
¡°I usually don¡¯t. I just wanted to walk because it was snowing. Same as you.¡±
This feels like chatting with a pretty senior who is just kind and not that interesting.
¡°But why are you staying at the academy during vacation?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s just that¡¡±
I have nowhere else to go.
¡I almost answered like that but stopped myself. Alice¡¯s question felt cunning for a moment, thus a strong sense of difort suddenly overwhelmed me.
What made Alice suspect me?
What if she happened to witness me defeating Babel the Corrupted and returning?
Alice¡¯s familiar, Chesire, enjoyed roaming around the academy grounds. So what if that guy had seen me by chance?
¡®She might think my answers are a lie.¡¯
I realized once again; a conversation was ultimately about sharing information. I needed to give appropriate responses without showing any gaps to Alice.
If she asked such difficult questions, I should naturally continue with my questions and change the topic.
¡°I have some family issues that are a bit of a headache. I never really nned on staying in my hometown for long, even during vacation. I thought it would be better to train here. Senior is staying here because you have a lot of work to do, right? You¡¯re the Student Council President, after all.¡±
Alice slowly blinked and looked at me directly.
¡°That¡¯s right. I, on the contrary, would like to go back to my hometown. Most people would feel the same, though. But aren¡¯t you scared to stay here during vacation? Considering that there is a monster who could destroy the world here.¡±
¡°Monster¡ You mean the Nameless Hero?
¡°Of course.¡±
Unfortunately, let alone destroying the world, the current me couldn¡¯t even beat Kaya.
¡°Since it had protected us from demons, it feels¡ reassuring rather than scary. However, since Senior is the Student Council President, it certainly must be a pain to deal with.¡±
Because to you, I¡¯m an obstacle that needs to be dealt with.
¡°I see Baby has a deep understanding.¡±
Alice maintained a calm expression without any change.
¡°However, I dare to say that the ck Monster is not yet a trustworthy entity. There¡¯s a lot of uncertainty.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°ording to the information observed, it was very savage. So far, its actions have been protective, but that¡¯s only in hindsight. It might just be attacking demons due to some unknown circumstances. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to consider the ck Monster as a¡ potential risk factor, since we never know when it could go berserk.¡±
Alice gently stroked the ck and white choker around her neck.
¡°As the Student Council President, I have to think and prepare conservatively for uncertainties as long as I¡¯m in this position. There¡¯s a lot to be concerned about. Such as demons and the ck Monster¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re stepping down from your position as President at the end of the next semester, right? It must be tough, especially at this time.¡±
¡°Thank you for your understanding. Speaking of which¡¡±
Alice paused for a moment, as if something came to mind. It seemed like she was intentionally focusing on her words.
Sometimes, when having a conversation, one might feel suffocated, as well as experience a fishy and ominous sensation.
It was exactly like that now.
¡°You have been deeply involved before in a ce where a demon appeared.¡±
During Semester 1 Year 1 when the demons appeared, many first years were involved, and it was mostly the same throughout the second semester as well.
But there was one gap.
¡®The hunting evaluation¡¡¯
On the day of the hunting evaluation, I faced Kaya the Ravenous from within the stomach of the underground giant demon.
Externally, I became a victim who almost died from the demon along with Lisetta, Kaya, and Ian. As such, only a few people were involved.
The Student Council President was also included in the list of members of the Truth Investigation Committee, so it was only natural that Alice had heard about me.
¡°It was the day of the hunting evaluation in the second semester of the first year. The students¡¯ locations were tracked in real time. Just before all magic was disabled when the demon appeared¡¡±
Alice¡¯s gaze turned towards me. She was smiling, but a ghastly aura could be felt from her cherry blossom-colored eyes.
¡°There were only four people who reached the center of Elt Ind.¡±
Four people.
Me, Kaya, Lisetta, and Ian.
Among them, only Kaya and I had the ice element.
Kaya awakened as a blood wizard and was unconscious after losing to me.
¡°¡¡±
Meaning, the only suspect left was me.
¡°Weren¡¯t you¡ very scared?¡±
Alice gently licked her bewitching lips.
It was an aggressive question. She overtly revealed her intention to scrutinize me.
Gosh darn it¡
¡®What a shame¡¡¯
She seemed to believe that she had the upper hand in information and tried to probe me, but unfortunately, she chose the wrong opponent.
¡°It was indeed terrifying. The ck Monster looked savage, just like Senior said. But¡ my memory seems a bit different.¡±
I looked into Alice¡¯s light pink eyes and pretended to be calm, asking with a genuinely curious expression.
¡°Could there be some sort of mistake?¡±
My voice was low.
¡°Senior¡ has no reason to lie to me.¡±
Chapter 132: Alice (3)
? Alice (3) ?
When it came to information warfare, I was bound to gain an advantageous position.
Alice, as the Student Council President and a member of the Truth Investigation Committee, must be testing me with her informational advantage. After all, the information she mentioned earlier was not something an ordinary student would know.
But¡
¡®How could I not know?¡¯
I had studied every piece of information rted to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
The method to retain all that information was simple. Ever since I transmigrated into this world, I had been meticulously revisiting each and every detail on the parchment I had written the game¡¯s setting on.
And of course, it was natural for me to pay attention at every moment to ensure that what I knew was not mistaken.
The phrase ¡®there were only four people¡¯ that Alice deliberately mentioned must be bait to corner me. I shouldn¡¯t bite like a fish. If one excluded Kaya, Lisetta, and Ian, I was the only suspect left for being the ck Monster.
In other words, if I simply agreed or said ¡®I¡¯m not sure¡¯ to that statement¡
It would be like handing over the opportunity to corner me with assumptions like ¡®You were the only one who could be suspected as the ck Monster at that time,¡¯ or ¡®Aren¡¯t you the ck Monster?¡¯
There was a risk of getting yed by Alice¡¯s wordy. Even for someone who acted well like me, the probability of making an unexpected mistake increased.
That was why I objected to Alice¡¯s words with a subtly aggressive tone, saying ¡®Senior¡ had no reason to lie to me.¡¯
This way, I could counter Alice¡¯s indirect interrogation, cut off the topic in one fell swoop, and in turn, probe her reaction.
Alice¡¯s smile faded, seemingly displeased.
¡°¡Why do you think that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just¡ Because the number of people I saw and heard about easily exceeds four.¡±
Alice made a perplexed expression as if she didn¡¯t understand.
There was a w in Alice¡¯s words.
In the hunting evaluation of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, besides Kaya, Lisseta, and Ian, there were more who reached the core area.
¡®Keridna, Ciel, Tristan, Irene, and Doji.¡¯
Among those who reached the core, I only met Lisetta, but the rest also had the skills to reach the center of Elt Ind, before the underground giant demon appeared, without any issues.
It was just that I didn¡¯t see them.
The Truth Investigation Committee also found out during their investigation that they reached the core. I discreetly inquired and found out that they knew about this during the investigation of the hunting evaluation incident with Lisetta.
The reason I had to pay attention even to such minor details was¡
¡®Because I must survive.¡¯
In a situation where I must struggle to survive with my poor intellect and strength against the Evil God capable of destroying the world¡
Ensuring that nothing different from what I knew happened, constantly reviewing and preparing, was one of the best efforts I could make.
Alice¡¯s pink eyes moved to the top right, indicating deep thought.
Soon after¡
¡°¡It seems I was mistaken. There have been so many incidents, I must have confused it with something else.¡±
Alice took a step back.
Then, we engaged in small talk until we reached the dorm. We headed towards the men¡¯s wing of Briggs Hall, the dorm I belonged to, which was for the middle-lower ranks.
¡°Have you recovered enough to rely on your familiar? I can¡¯t enter the men¡¯s dorm.¡±
¡°I think I¡¯m fine now. Thank you, Senior.¡±
I smiled broadly, pretending to be moved by the senior¡¯s kindness.
Alice looked at my smile calmly.
¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±
Just as we were about to reach the main entrance of Briggs Hall.
Suddenly, a sinister killing intent enveloped my entire body.
Alice seemed to have felt the same because she slightly lifted her umbre to clear her field of vision.
In the corner of the main entrance of Briggs Hall, a female student with a blue umbre was ring this way.
Rose-gold hair. Butterfly hair ornament. A beautiful girl who, even at first nce, could elicit exmations of admiration.
However, her expression was emotionless, and not a hint of vitality could be felt in her oceanic eyes.
¡°Luce?¡±
It was Luce Eltania.
[Luce Eltania] Lv: 158
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Lightning
Danger: ??
Psychology: [Strongly jealous of Alice Carroll.]
There¡¯s still about 30 minutes left until the appointed time¡ right?
¡°She must be her. The first year top seat I saw at the social gathering.¡±
¡°Um, yes¡¡±
¡°Then, I should take my leave here.¡±
Even if I were Alice, I wouldn¡¯t particrly want to reach the entrance of the men¡¯s wing of Briggs Hall, filled with Luce¡¯s murderous aura.
¡°Thank you, Senior.¡±
¡°Me too. It was fun, Baby.¡±
Alice made a sweet, kind smile.
¡°Let¡¯s meet again.¡±
She left, still holding her umbre.
With every step she took, her light gold hair moved like a wave. Uniquely, the tips of her hair had strands of ck and white, which caught my eye. I remembered that monochrome represented Alice, and this realization struck me anew.
Soon, Alice¡¯s [Telekinesis], which had aided me, faded away. I almost stumbled, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t fall. I felt some strength returning.
Anyway.
¡°Phew.¡±
¡I thought my heart would burst from trembling. It¡¯s over now. What a relief.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
No, it was only just the beginning.
Luce, who had approached me from behind without being noticed, covered me with her umbre and whispered in a deep, resonant voice close to my ear. It was a voice that rxed my whole body and drained my strength in an instant.
¡°Who was that?¡±
¡°The Student Council President. She helped me on the¡¡±
I turned my head towards Luce to answer, but her expression made me flinch for a moment.
¡°¡Way.¡±
Luce, who often felt aversion towards others due to her social phobia, was emitting a strong sense of wariness, particrly towards Alice¡¯s retreating figure. Notice the shadow around her eyes.
The only person Luce has opened her heart to was me. In a way, it could be seen as a possessive emotion.
Every time my social circle expanded, Luce would be distressed, thinking that it meant less time for her and me to be together.
Of course, she didn¡¯t express such feelings openly. I would notice it through her changing expressions and by using [Psychological Insight].
¡°Haa.¡±
Luce sighed, stood on her tiptoes, and rested her chin on my shoulder. A faint fragrance emanated from her.
¡°She helped you? Did you overdo it again, you fool?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not something new, is it?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t help but work hard, but if you need help, can¡¯t you call me instead?¡±
Luce turned her head from my shoulder and looked straight into my eyes.
Her pale cheeks looked soft and chewy, like a mochi pressed down.
Her beautiful rose-gold hair cascaded down as if it would entangle my clothes.
¡°I can provide you with a good time.¡±
She said it as if it were a service.
Her lips pouted. It seemed like she was quite displeased that I sought someone else¡¯s help instead of hers when she was right there to help me.
¡°¡¡±
Staring intently at Luce, her image suddenly ovepped with what I saw during the Trial of Sandstone. This happened time and time again.
Her face was as pale as a corpse. Her lips were blue with fear. The way she lost her right arm and bled profusely was starkly different from how she looked now.
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡Why have you been looking at me with pitytely?¡±
Of course, she wouldn¡¯t know about my tender feelings.
¡°I was just looking.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±
Luce once again rested her chin on my shoulder and leaned her head slightly towards mine.
* * *
The heavy snow that had been falling for two days was gradually slowing down. Alice walked through the snow with an indifferent expression.
Suddenly, a cold wind caressed her skin, and as gray mana gathered, a fat purple cat appeared.
Chesire appeared wearing a small bowler hat.
[How was it?]
The strange creature waddled after Alice and asked.
[Does Isaac seem like the disruptor?]
¡°¡I¡¯m not sure.¡±
Is Isaac the disruptor?
There was no evidence, and the circumstances seemed to indicate that he was not the disruptor.
Would a person as significant as the ck Monster train so hard and get hurt like that? He was someone who single-handedly dealt with the Floating Ind. It was incredibly difficult to believe he would be in such a condition just from training.
Even the weakly casted [Telekinesis] had an effect. Despite the mana field that pushed against mana in living beings.
It was proof that Isaac was extremely low on mana.
What would The ck Monster have to do to be almostpletely depleted of that immense mana? It was simply unimaginable.
So, rationally thinking, the idea that Isaac was the ck Monster just didn¡¯t make sense.
¡°Something is odd, though.¡±
But a person had intuition.
Alice¡¯s intuition seemed to suggest that Isaac was the disruptor. She didn¡¯t like such uncertain factors.
However, after talking with Isaac, she couldn¡¯t control the feeling that her intuition was loudly shouting.
Chesire grinned. Being Alice¡¯s familiar, he was able to sense her feelings.
Therefore, Cheshire realized that Alice¡¯s interest in Isaac had actually deepened.
[So, what will you do? nning to delve deeper into Isaac?]
¡°I¡¯ve already prepared a mechanism to pressure the disruptor.¡±
Someone who possessed the ice element, a first-year student from the Department of Magic deeply involved in the Elt Ind incident, and a man who returned two days after the ck tower demon was defeated.
There were such suspicious circumstances, but in the crucial parts, there was evidence that Isaac was not the ck Monster. It was rather these points that were again suspicious.
¡°I¡¯ll have to see how that boy turns out.¡±
Therefore, without stopping her investigation into the identity of the ck Monster, Alice decided to keep an eye on Isaac, who remained a suspect.
The gray clouds that had been pouring down snowkes calmed down.
Alice closed her umbre and shook off the snow.
With every step she took, deep footprints were imprinted on the snow-covered garden path.
Chapter 133: Day of the Entrance Exam (1)
? Day of the Entrance Exam (1) ?
¡°We¡¯re nearly there, Princess White.¡±
M?rchen Academy was bustling with people for the first time in a long while, regaining its former vibrancy.
On a sunny morning, with the school gates wide open, young examinees walked across the grounds, each filled with their own sense of determination.
It was the day of the entrance exam.
Despite a series of unfortunate incidents, thepetition for entry into M?rchen Academy didn¡¯t decrease in the slightest.
Its reputation as the continent¡¯s top academy remained, and the Imperial Family had dered that they themselves would directly protect M?rchen Academy from the disaster known as demons.
With the widespread information that the fifth Imperial Princess would be enrolling in M?rchen Academy, the examinees felt a sense of relief.
When crossing the bridge that connected the Zelver Empire and the M?rchen Academy grounds, one could enjoy the view of the expansive Arkins Sea.
Apanied by numerous guards, a magnificent carriage was crossing the bridge. It was a luxurious blue carriage with a gold trim, a color symbolizing the Zelver Empire¡¯s Imperial Family.
Inside that luxurious carriage, a girl with grey eyes was looking out the window.
Her pure white hair, which reflected the sunlight like snow, was neatly braided and tied at the back, and adorned with a pretty red ribbon.
She had skin as clean and fair as a doll, and she wore an exquisite dress that harmoniously mixed white and red.
Imperial Princess Snow White,monly known as White.
¡°¡¡±
White did not respond to the knight sitting across from her.
The knight was Merlin Astrea, the daughter of the Sword Saint, Gerald Astrea, she was a swordsman prodigy selected as White¡¯s personal escort knight while still being a student at the academy.
¡®Almost at M?rchen Academy,¡¯ she said¡ Merlin¡¯s words were undoubtedly meant to prepare White mentally.
But White just gazed distantly at the horizon beyond the Arkins Sea, with a wistful expression.
¡°¡Merlin.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±
Blinking once¡
¡White looked at Merlin, her face filled with fear, before trembling.
¡°I-I know it¡¯s a bitte, but can¡¯t we just go back now¡?¡±
The tone was cowardly, sharply contrasting with the heavy, contemtive atmosphere she had been immersed in just moments before.
¡°It¡¯s not possible. It is an Imperial Order.¡±
¡°Look at that vast sea. Many lives must be conceived in its depths. Wouldn¡¯t there be demons over there? Yes, of course! Oh oh, when you think about it¡! Here, so many demons appear, right? This ce is like a demon realm, a demon realm! Why on earth isn¡¯t this ce abandoned already¡ No, that¡¯s going too far, but why isn¡¯t it temporarily closed? No matter how much I think about it, i-isn¡¯t it too dangerous? It would be better to go back right away, right?!¡±
¡°Regardless of the words Your Highness speaks, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor¡¯s will remains the same.¡±
That damned Imperial Order, Imperial Order¡!
Tears welled up in White¡¯s eyes.
Father, why do you put me through such trials¡!
White was the only princess of age who could attend the academy.
Despite being a princess with high authority in this country, White¡¯s pure wish was to enjoy her youth as she studied and grew alongside her peers.
From the beginning, she waspletely excluded from the imperial session conflict. Being like a flower in a greenhouse, it was perhaps natural for her to harbor such sorrowful feelings.
Moreover, observing the undercurrents of the uing battle for imperial session was immensely burdensome.
Inevitably, she increasingly felt the desire to flee from the Imperial Pce
But, telling Emperor Carlos that she wanted to go to the academy¡ turned out to be the root of the problem.
¡®Of all ces, why M?rchen Academy¡¡¯
I want to go to M?rchen Academy.
Not long after saying that, demons started appearing one after another at M?rchen Academy¡
And then there was that ck Monster that was said to have reached the realm of an Archwizard. Where did such a suspicious monster suddenly appear from? What were the academy¡¯s faculty and the Imperial Knights doing if they couldn¡¯t identify it?
In her mind, M?rchen Academy had transformed into a demon realm where she could lose her life at any moment.
The protection of the Imperial Knights? That wasn¡¯t enough to reassure her. She was a fearful person, constantly imagining the worst scenarios to the point of unintentionally frightening herself.
So when she decided to give up on going to M?rchen Academy, this time it was Emperor Carlos who pushed her forward.
Bianca Anturaze, the Saintess of the Helize Church, and of noble status in the Holy Kingdom of Bardio.
And Miya, the Priestess of Horan, the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
The reason was that he had learned that these two were nning to enroll in M?rchen Academy.
White had been told that she should definitely build a friendship with those two when she said she wanted to attend M?rchen Academy. It was said to be for the future of the empire¡
The Empress also expressed the same opinion as the Emperor.
In the end, the cornered White was forced to take special lessons to gain admission into M?rchen Academy and reluctantly came to take the entrance exam as if it were a bitter pill to swallow.
Why doesn¡¯t she just carelessly take the entrance exam and fail, you may ask?
¡®I can¡¯t. Absolutely not¡!¡¯
The responsibility entrusted to White was extremely heavy.
Where else could one find a social venue like M?rchen Academy where one could be beside the Saintess and the Priestess?
On this small ind, bing peers with those who wield immense global influence was not just rare, but such an opportunity might nevere again. The chance to be constantly involved with them was truly unique.
Moreover, she was a princess. Having always received high-quality education from the top wizards of exalted Magic Towers, she was confident in her skills among her peers.
Naturally, the imperial rmendation letter was delivered directly to the academy, so bonus points were a given.
Could she, being such a person, fail the exam and not be admitted? What kind of aftermath would follow¡ White couldn¡¯t fathom such a terrifying future.
¡®The Saintess and the Priestess will definitely pass the entrance exam.¡¯
After all, they were rumored to be both incredibly strong and intelligent.
Especially the Priestess, White heard she was a formidable being, capable of summoning nation-destroying magic beasts as her familiars. She was so remarkable that in Horan, she was revered as a true ¡®Divine Maiden¡¯.
Thanks to her, Horan was said to be in its golden age¡
Each piece of such information turned into a burden like a sandbag, piling upyer byyer, weighing heavily on White¡¯s shoulders.
¡°Merlin, I¡¯m scared¡¡±
White trembled with a face full of fear.
Merlin, with her eyes closed and her head slightly tilted in contemtion, had her dark green hair tied in a ponytail that followed the movement of her head.
After pondering what to say, she soon nodded her head with a serious expression.
¡°Hmm!¡±
She held her fist tight in front of her chest.
Merlin¡¯s eyes sparkled for a moment.
¡°The responsibility entrusted to Princess White is immense. The future of this country¡ No! The future of the entire world depends on you! Be strong! You will do well, Princess!¡±
¡°Gasp¡!¡±
White felt as though she could cough up blood under the weight of the pressure.
***
The written exam took ce in Orphin Hall.
White was on the verge of tears. The results of her intensive training had shown through.
She wasn¡¯t at the top, but she was confident that she had scored well enough to safely enter M?rchen Academy.
After finishing the practical exam in the dome-shaped Duke Hall, White walked out with a dazed expression, which was a stark contrast to the confident stride of her escort, Merlin Astrea.
Regardless, she was the princess. The students stood at attention with nervous faces, but White had no time to pay attention to any of that.
¡°Merlin.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I think I might have passed¡¡±
¡°As expected of Princess White. You are splendid.¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡ I didn¡¯t wish to be this excellent¡ All my hard work wasn¡¯t for thi-!¡±
Badumtht!
Near the stairs leading to the spectator seats, a male examinee screamed and fell.
The boy groaned in pain. He had rolled down only three steps, so it seemed he wasn¡¯t badly hurt.
All the examinees¡¯ gazes turned in that direction.
¡°Ugh¡ Who is it?!¡±
The boy was about to yell out of anger but ended up gasping for air.
On the stairs, a girl stood with her leg extended forward, an indifferent expression on her face. It was clear to everyone that she had kicked the boy. She was doing it conspicuously.
Beneath a ck beret, her ck, jade-like hair flowed. Her sideburns were neatly braided, and her gentle eyes were wellplemented by red cat-eye makeup.
A ck robe with the fire and plum blossom emblem of Horan covered her body down to her knees, but because her leg was raised, her fair legs proudly disyed the beauty of her figure.
The luxurious ck fur on the robe¡¯s cor suggested it was quite an expensive garment.
¡°Priestess¡ Miya¡¡±
Merlin murmured to herself.
¡°Move. You¡¯re in the way.¡±
The Priestess with ck pearl-like hair lowered the leg she had used to kick. Her attitude was incredibly nonchnt.
The air in Duke Hall became heavy.
Not only the male student was startled, but the other examinees and Princess White were equally startled.
Miya, the Priestess from Horan, the Land of the Fire Blossoms. A girl who demonstrated abilities so overwhelming, they were easily enough to im the top seat in this entrance exam, a formidable authoritative figure, akin to a ruler of the Eastern Nations, and revered as a ¡®Divine Maiden.¡¯
To put it in terms of the Zelver Empire, it was as if both the power of the Emperor and the authority of the Saintess were concentrated in this one girl.
If one had even a basic education, not knowing who she was would be unthinkable.
In the Zelver Empire, her power might be somewhat diminished, but her status remained unapproachable.
¡®But¡¡¯
White was puzzled.
It seemed that the male examinee was just blocking the way¡ Couldn¡¯t the issue have been resolved with a simple request to move aside? Kicking him was an overreaction.
The Priestess¡¯s gentle and pretty face didn¡¯t seem to match her character.
¡°Shall we go, Lady Miya?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±
Following the female escort wizard¡¯s words, the Priestess Miya answered in an annoyed tone and hastened her steps.
The boy, startled, quickly stood up to apologize, but Miya didn¡¯t even pretend to listen.
¡°Oh, Manha¡¡±
White, with a look of despair, touched her forehead and called out the name of god in distress. The scenery made her feel dizzy.
To have to befriend a woman with such a shitty personality, just based on first impressions¡?
What am I going to do about this bleak future?
White looked at Merlin for help but she just gave a thumbs up with her sparkling eyes.
Hermanding expression seemed to say, ¡®Princess, you can do it. Be friends! For the peace of this world!¡¯. It brought tears to White¡¯s eyes.
Meanwhile,
The priestess, Miya, after leaving Duke Hall, walked demurely while humming a tune.
The Princess, the Saintess, and the Priestess were all globally famous; they boasted exceptionally neat and beautiful looks among the examinees and drew frequent nces from others.
Despite the red cat-eye makeup, her calm and innocent-looking eyes surveyed the surroundings with curiosity.
¡°Hehe.¡±
Miya suddenly let out augh.
The personal escort following her asked, ¡°Is there something that pleases you?¡±
Miya, holding a magic weapon in the shape of a ck fan, gently tapped her lower lip with it and turned her head towards the escort.
¡°Someone is watching me.¡±
¡°What? Who¡?¡±
The escort reached for the wand at her waist, adopting a defensive stance.
¡°Mae is telling me now. It¡¯s not an ordinary gaze. This is¡ a mystical power. It must be him.¡±1ED Note: Mae definitely refers to Tamamo-no-Mae aka the name of the Nine tails fox for those who didn¡¯t know
Miya blushed. ¡®Mae¡¯ referred to her nation-destroying familiar, a nine-tailed fox.
¡°Hehe, he¡¯s watching over me¡! Ah¡!¡±
Take me, Sir Hero.
This was the constant plea of Miya, the Priestess from Horan.
¡®He¡¯ referred to the ck Monster, the Nameless Hero. A being beyond imagination who yed demons and had single-handedly defeated the Floating Ind just a few months ago.
It was clear how much Miya, who usually treated people like trash, idolized and obsessed over the Nameless Hero. It was quite dramatic.
But to the extent of moaning in excitement¡ Such a scene was new for the escort, but it wasn¡¯t too surprising.
But still,
¡°What gaze?¡±
No matter how much she looked around, the escort couldn¡¯t understand Miya¡¯s response.
There was nothing but the scenery of M?rchen Academy, mystical or not.
The escort had no way of knowing that Isaac was monitoring M?rchen Academy with his [irvoyance].
Footnotes:- 1ED Note: Mae definitely refers to Tamamo-no-Mae aka the name of the Nine tails fox for those who didn¡¯t know
Chapter 134: Day of the Entrance Exam (2)
? Day of the Entrance Exam (2) ?
¡°Princess, how about having a meal before you go?¡±
¡°Sounds good! Ehehe.¡±
After leaving the Duke Hall where the practical exam was held, Princess Snow White let out a forcedugh in response to Merlin Astrea¡¯s invitation for a meal.
It was all water under the bridge now. White decided to enjoy some delicious food at the academy¡¯s cafeteria and then return.
Sure, it¡¯s better to forget this damned reality and enjoy the meal. Everything will be taken care of by my future self, after all.
As she passed by the many examinees that gathered around the Duke Hall¡
Suddenly, Merlin noticed four examinees. They were all around White¡¯s age and were at different parts of the campus.
Merlin quickly scanned them.
¡°¡¡±
In the Astrea family, there was something that Sword Saint Gerald Astrea emphasized when Merlin joined the Imperial Knights.
¡®Cultivate the habit of constantly observing and analyzing your surroundings. This way, you can prevent half of all crises.¡¯
The reason the four examinees caught Merlin¡¯s attention was because each of them had specific markings on their bodies.
From Orphin Hall¡¯s written exam to Duke Hall¡¯s practical exam, constantly apanying White and closely observing the candidates led to a realization.
Merlin, with her sharp vision, scrutinized those markings. They were all trump symbols.
They noticed Merlin¡¯s gaze but deliberately pretended they didn¡¯t. Merlin, realizing this, turned her eyes forward again.
¡®These guys do not seem to care whether Princess White is here or not, ¡®
White was the princess of this empire. Every examinee showed special feelings towards her.
But the four examinees with the trump symbols showed no particr emotion towards the Princess, the Priestess, or the Saintess.
Whoever they were, Merlin couldn¡¯t help but have an ominous feeling from them.
¡°By the way, for a ce where demons have appeared numerous times, it¡¯s quite intact. Honestly, I imagined ruins beforeing here. And I thought there would be big banners hung saying ¡®Our Academy is Operating Fine¡¯ or something like that¡¡±
¡°Of course not, princess.¡±
After responding briefly to White¡¯s words, Merlin paid careful attention to the four with the trump symbols.
***
¡°Lady Miya!!¡±
The personal escort wizard ran frantically across the campus.
Miya the priestess had disappeared, leaving only a fox fire behind.
It was a spell that created a temporary clone that would dissipate over time. Miya had already left for another ce long ago.
¡°Sob, Lady Miya!! Where have you gone again!!¡±
It was time to return to the carriage guarded by Horan¡¯s escorts, but where had the priestess disappeared to?
The personal escort wizard searched for Priestess Miya while sobbing. If anything happened to Miya, it would be her head on the line.
* * *
At the corner of the butterfly garden,
I leaned against a zelkova tree and bloomed a [Frostfire] in my right hand.
Today was the entrance exam day for new students, so I wasn¡¯t able to use the training ground. Thus, I decided to train at the corner of the butterfly garden, just like before.
However, I needed to check if there were any problems, so I was observing the academy with [irvoyance].
¡®The main and supporting characters are fine.¡¯
The Pure White Princess, Snow White von Kairos Eifelto.
Insignificant but somewhat sane. The core main character of Year 2 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. To prevent a bad ending, I must get involved with this person no matter what.
The Priestess of the Red Lotus, Miya.
I didn¡¯t particrly like her sociopathic, and discriminatory personality. Note that the absence of a surname was due to religious reasons, that one shouldn¡¯t attach the meaning of being born to a human from the ¡®Divine Maiden¡¯.
The Agent of the Lord, Bianca Entourage.
Her, well¡ I really don¡¯t want to get involved unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.
It seems that the other supporting characters I have weed have all sessfully passed the entrance exam without any issues.
As expected, there was one significant deviation that did not betray my expectations.
¡°Pdins¡¡±
The mid-bosses of the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹.
The top knights among Alice Carroll¡¯s trump forces; the four Pdins.
They hade to take the M?rchen Academy entrance exam.
It was a scenepletely different from the scenario in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? that I knew.
¡®I expected this.¡¯
I didn¡¯t panic. I had already anticipated such variables.
The game scenario I knew was just a factor to consider, like a lottery prediction number. It was only natural to consider all sorts of variables.
Alice was in a state where she had to cautiously find and assassinate the ck Monster. Moreover, being the student council president, she was well aware of the academic schedule for the next semester.
This meant that she would need an ally who could freely move within the academy, fulfill academic schedules, and interact with existing students, and at the same time, could be controlled like a limb and was also powerful¡
Indeed, nothing else came to mind except the Pdins.
¡®Don¡¯t they feel guilty lying about their age?¡¯
I wasn¡¯t one to talk, but it was apparent that they had crossed a line by lying about their appearance and age. The age gap between us was significant, spanning several decades.
For reference, the Pdins were human. Even if I had poured stats into [Vs. Human Combat Power], I wasn¡¯t too sure if I could achieve the specs to defeat them by force by the time of ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹.
Initially, you had to max out [Vs. Demon Combat Power] to get the most out of [Hunter]. Without hitting a stat of 100 in [Vs. Human Combat Power], it would be too much to expect any dramatic effect.
Moreover, I had to prepare for fights against heavenly beings, so I couldn¡¯t solely focus on [Anti-Human Combat].
Once the four Pdins teamed up with Alice, it became risky to monitor them carelessly because of Cheshire, who could track [irvoyance].
Using [irvoyance] to monitor the academy today was the right choice.
I stopped using [irvoyance], clenched my fist, and extinguished the [Frostfire].
All that was left was to figure out how to deal with Alice, who had brought the Pdins with her.
¡®I need to think of a countermeasure¡¡¯
¡°Hey, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
Suddenly, a gentle voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned my head towards the sound.
With red cat-eye makeup, a beautiful girl with ck jade-colored hair was looking at me.
It was the priestess, Miya.
[Miya] Lv: 155
Race: Human
Elements: Fire
Danger: X
Psychology: [Considers you a somewhat good-looking insect.]
¡®Why is she here?¡¯
I was surprised for a moment.
Miya¡¯s familiar, the nine-tailed fox, might have sensed my [irvoyance], but it didn¡¯t have the ability to track it the way the Lightning Sovereign or Cheshire did. That was why I was just leisurely watching earlier¡
My eyes naturally drifted to the right index fingernail of Miya, where the nine-tailed fox would be, then quickly shifted back to her face. It was better to avoid drawing the fox¡¯s attention as much as possible.
¡°Where is this ce?¡±
¡®Ah, right, she¡¯s bad with directions.¡¯
Her characteristics came to mind. Now I didn¡¯t even wonder why her personal escort wizard was left behind.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Priestess Miya often slipped away from her personal escort wizard and wandered around alone. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if she was good at finding her way, but she often got lost, which was a constant headache for her personal escort wizard.
Her psychology wasn¡¯t off either. She considered those weaker than herself to be insects and didn¡¯t pay them any attention.
This was much more dramatic than Lisetta¡¯s habit of not listening to weaker individuals. At least Lisetta didn¡¯t consider them pigs.
Anyway,
Since I was using [irvoyance] until a moment ago, I must have been emitting mana, and she must have felt it. She would have realized that I was much weaker than her.
¡°This is the butterfly garden. Did you get lost?¡±
I put on a kind smile. I didn¡¯t really want to use honorifics with her, given that she was a priestess from the Eastern Nation. Everyone has their pride.
So I decided to pretend I didn¡¯t know who she was.
After all, I could just use the excuse of being an uneducated, poormoner who only studied for the entrance exams after leaving my hometown.
¡°¡You¡¯re a senior, right? Who are you to speak informally to me?¡±
This brat¡
As expected, there was no trace of manners.
Fortunately, my expression didn¡¯t falter. I just smiled as if I was slightly troubled.
¡°You spoke informally first.¡±
¡°Oh ho, that makes sense. I forgot that this is an academy. There must be customs unique to this ce.¡±
Sigh.
¡°And why am I your senior?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to be admitted here. It¡¯s a done deal, so it¡¯s not a problem, right?¡±
There are many problems with what you¡¯re saying, idiot.
Still, she was right to be confident about her admission. In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, she was the top seat of the first year¡¯s in Year 2.
¡°More importantly, this isn¡¯t the time to talk with you. I felt the gaze of my prince¡¡±
¡°My prince?¡±
¡°The Nameless Hero. Surely he was watching over me¡!¡±
¡°Ah, the ck Monster. How do you know abou-?¡±
¡°You pig.¡±
Priestess Miya looked at me with contempt and there was a rapid change of attitude. Her gentle eyes narrowed, and her voice which had a hint of cuteness became authoritative in an instant.
¡°Who do you think you are calling a monster? Truly a foolish man.¡±
¡°¡¡±
It was the authoritative tone she used as a priestess from the Eastern Nation. She spoke in this tone when she was angry so it became a habit.
¡°¡I apologize for my expression. You seem to really like your ¡®prince¡¯.¡±
¡°Hmph, I like him indeed. The strength that wiped out the demons and single-handedly brought down the Floating Ind is undeniably captivating. He¡¯s not someone to be rudely referred to as a monster.¡±
After I brought down the Floating Ind, I heard that followers of the Nameless Hero sprouted up like bamboo after rain.
Originally, the term ¡®Nameless Hero¡¯ was coined to prevent calling the one who saved humanity the ¡®ck Monster,¡¯ so it was obvious what his followers would prefer to call him.
She, too, must have been a follower of the Nameless Hero. When I used [Psychological Insight], it seemed like I had taken a glimpse of the heart of a fan who adored a celebrity.
¡°Ha, enough. I¡¯ve unintentionally bestowed upon you the honor of a long conversation with me. If I were to meet a senior for the first time, I would have expected someone like Lady Luce Eltania or the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy. To think such a man would be my first¡ My luck is poor.¡±
¡°Is that so¡¡±
Kaya was referred to as the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy. She had earned the nickname from awakening the nt element and continuing the lineage of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy.
Luce also eventually earned the nickname ¡®Empress of the Abyss,¡¯ but that¡¯s a story forter.
At the time, Luce and Kaya were quite famous.
As M?rchen Academy became the center of attention, the exploits of its talented individuals, following the Nameless Hero, became the talk of the world.
Most of the examinees who took the entrance exam that day likely idolized them.
¡°I wish I could see the face of my prince instead of this. Hehe.¡±
Miya, seemingly thrilled just by thinking of the Nameless Hero, closed her innocent-looking eyes, pressed a folded ck fan to her cheek, and let out a bashful moan.
She still didn¡¯t seem to care about others¡¯ judgment¡
¡®¡She¡¯s doing that on purpose.¡¯
She was probably trying to make it clear that what she was looking for wasn¡¯t someone as insignificant as me, but rather the strongest of the strong and the most powerful Nameless Hero.
I realized once again that the phrase ¡®a wlessly beautiful doll¡¯ suited her perfectly, though her personality was terrible.
Then, Miya looked at me and sighed in annoyance.
¡°Well then.¡±
She said and walked away.
¡°Ha, really.¡±
It was unbelievable.
* * *
[Miya.]
¡°What?¡±
Beneath a sky that was awash in the vibrant hues of sunset.
After leaving Isaac, priestess Miya walked, deeply pondering about where the Nameless Hero might be.
A mature and mystical female voice resonated in her head.
[Didn¡¯t you feel anything when you encountered the boy with silver-blue hair earlier?]
¡°What¡¯s there to feel about an insect?¡±
[He looked in my direction at first. After that, I felt as though he were deliberately avoiding my gaze.]
Miya¡¯s familiar, the nine-tailed fox, was inside her right index fingernail in the form of a faint mana entity.
It was a form difficult to detect with an average mana perception.
¡°How would such a pig with only that level of mana know your location? Avoiding your gaze on purpose? Must be a coincidence¡You¡¯re not suggesting that he¡¯s my prince, are you?¡±
Miya red at her right index fingernail with a fierce look. A tiny blue me flickered on her nail, showing a red inner light.
¡°My prince has a cool demeanor, short hair, over 2 meters tall, and bulging muscles ¨C apletely masculine macho man. That¡¯s what the witnesses testified. It¡¯s a different ss from that feeble-looking, soft boy I saw earlier, a totally different ss.¡±
[Ah¡]
¡°Ah, my prince. To touch those enormous arm muscles endlessly¡ or lick them¡¡±
Her voice, which had been subdued, suddenly became coquettish. Miya often lost herself in her own world without context.
The nine-tailed fox did not respond.
Having no experience with men due to her life as a Priestess, Miya had solidified the image of the Nameless Hero through countless fantasies. No matter what was said, her imagination wouldn¡¯t be broken unless she personally witnessed the nameless hero.
However, the nine-tailed fox decided to remember the silver-blue-haired boy.
Because the unease it had felt so far had never been unfounded¡ not even once.
Chapter 135: Day of the Entrance Exam - Interlude
? Day of the Entrance Exam ¨C Interlude ?
¡°Kaya, is there a boy you like?¡±
¡°Puh-huh!!¡±
Arge training ground near the Astrea Mansion.
In response to her mother, Historia¡¯s question, Kaya Astrea, a girl with dark green twin tails, coughed excessively. She was receiving special training from Historia.
Kaya quickly turned her head. Her face instantly flushed red. Heat wafted from above her head, and her jade-colored eyes spun like whirlpools.
¡°Uh, Ma¡¯am. W-what do you mean by that¡?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you being oddly formal to me? Anyway, isn¡¯t there a boy you like?¡±
¡°A-a-a-a boy I like?! I-I wonder if there¡¯s such a thing, but naturally, there would be no boy I like, of course. Choosing who to like is something to be carefully considered, so if considered carefully, there might be one, no no, it¡¯s natural to not have one, I don¡¯t have one!¡±
¡°I¡¯m starting to get a little scared of you, girl.¡±
Historia looked at Kaya, who was rambling, with a smile full of understanding.
Kaya gave up. Indeed, she was someone who could never hide her feelings, especially in front of Historia.
¡°It was quite obvious. Now, let¡¯s take a break. Won¡¯t you tell your mom about your love story?¡±
¡°Uh, Mother¡ Even if you are my mother, I can¡¯t tell you that¡¡±
10 minutester.
Kaya waspletely taken in by Historia¡¯s rxed way of speaking.
Before long, the two of them were sitting side by side in a corner of therge training ground.
With her face flushed red, Kaya was hesitating, having already finished telling the story.
The reason she did not strongly refuse Historia¡¯s coaxing¡ was because she secretly wanted to talk about the person she liked. Historia had dug into that feeling.
¡°So I see¡ Many rivals, huh? That¡¯s a serious matter. I never thought a cute girl like my daughter would struggle with boys. You must im that boy soon, or there will be issues.¡±
¡°Uh, Mother¡ The term ¡®im¡¯ is a bit¡ you know¡¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯re still a child, aren¡¯t you? Love is war. It¡¯s about conquering. Petty pride or consideration only leaves opportunities to your rivals.¡±
¡°It seems like you¡¯re getting a bit too emotional, Mother¡¡±
Perhaps it was because she was reminded of the time she struggled with women clinging to her husband, Historia became overly emotional.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry~. Well, what I¡¯m trying to say is this. If it¡¯s not a one-on-one love, you need to be selfish and aggressive.¡±
Kaya thought of Isaac.
Then she thought of rivals like Luce and Dorothy.
Her fist trembled with apetitive spirit. Could she ovee those powerfulpetitors and win over Isaac¡?
¡°Yoo-hoo! I¡¯m excited~. What kind of man will our daughter bring!¡±
Historia embraced Kaya¡¯s shoulder from beside her.
Kaya, surprised, unclenched her fist.
¡°Mom is confident that she will objectively evaluate whoever Kaya brings! Whether that guy is a good person or not! Which noble¡¯s son is he? Or a tycoon? Ah, I¡¯m so excited! It feels like there¡¯s one more piece of entertainment!¡±
Historia was very cheerful, of course, because she had no idea who the person in question was.
Kaya liked Isaac, but the thought of actually having a formal meeting made her feel dizzy.
The youngest archwizard in history.
The Nameless Hero who single-handedly defeated a powerful demon that had tormented humanity for a thousand years: The Floating Ind.
Kaya wondered¡ if Historia could really evaluate that very Isaac impartially.
Upon such reflection, she realized once again how incredible the boy she had fallen for was. Kaya felt herself shrinking.
¡°¡Hehe.¡±
Still.
¡°Someday, I¡¯ll bring him. Definitely.¡±
Indeed, she couldn¡¯t give up on Isaac.
Therefore, she resolved not to lose to Luce and Dorothy. Kaya reaffirmed her own determination.
***
At the time when dusk settled.
The escort wizard from Horan, crying and running, searched for the Priestess Miya. Fortunately, she seeded in finding her in the Butterfly Garden.
Miya grumbled about needing to find her prince, but the escort wizard earnestly persuaded her that, ording to academy rules, examinees must leave before sunset.
This was the academy where the Nameless Hero resided in seclusion. Miya, though regretful, decided to abide by the rules of this ce.
Thus, Miya obediently followed the escort wizard back to where the carriage of Horan was located.
Only then could the escort wizard hold back her tears.
Meanwhile,
¡°Life is truly futile.¡±
The imperial carriage of the Zelver Empire was leaving M?rchen Academy and crossing the bridge that connected the maind.
Examinees had to leave M?rchen Academy before sunset, and if there were problems going home, they had to secure external amodations. Even the members of the Imperial Family were not exempt.
Imperial Princess Snow White, looked out the carriage window at the Arkins Sea scenery.
To her distant voice, Merlin Astrea responded with a perfunctory, ¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°¡¡±
When Princess White hinted for her to ask for the reason why, Merlin said, ¡°Ah,¡± in response.
¡°Why do you hold such an opinion¡?¡±
¡°Because the position of a princess means nothing in the face of humanity¡¯s fundamental fears and uncertain future.¡±
¡°Yes, I see¡¡±
Merlin nodded as if impressed.
From Merlin¡¯s perspective, White seemed quite subdued, as if her whole body was expressing, ¡®I am in a disheartened state.¡¯
¡®Indeed, she seems quite disheartened.¡¯
Merlin stroked her chin in thought. As she moved, her partial armor made a metallic sound.
The skills of the Saintess and the Priestess were exceptionally excellent. She knew this thanks to the chatter of passing examinees, and White¡¯s own ramblings.
ording to the Emperor¡¯s order, she was to build a good rtionship with the Saintess and the Priestess. That way, she could contribute to the peace of the Zelver Empire and the world¡
White, being innocent and less skilled than them, was certainly a cause for concern.
¡°Princess White will do well.¡±
So Merlin decided tofort White.
¡°Ha ha¡ Really, do you think so¡?¡±
¡°There is no doubt about it. Well, wouldn¡¯t the Priestess and the Saintess be impressed by Princess White¡¯s good character?¡±
¡°B-but, they didn¡¯t seem like such people at all?! What on earth did you see, Merlin?¡±
The Saintess and the Priestess that White saw today were far different from her imagination.
A noble Saintess? She¡¯s tougher than anyone.
An elegant Priestess? Her personality is terribly shitty.
Both seemed like people who lived in their own way without considering others. It was questionable whether they had developed any social skills.
If not for an external stance, White would have resolved to never get involved with them.
¡°I meant not to worry too much. You have just taken the entrance exam, after all.¡±
¡°Ahaha¡¡±
White let out a forcedugh, then took out a small pocket watch, about the size of two fingers, from beneath her garment to look at.
¡°Princess, what would that be?¡±
It was a pocket watch, but its face had no numbers, and its hands did not move.
However, its appearance, as if it captured the night sky with the Milky Way flowing through it, was incredibly beautiful. The case was tinum, it was clear to anyone who looked at it that it was incredibly expensive.
¡°It¡¯s a broken watch. It¡¯s nice to look at it when my mind is cluttered. Maybe it¡¯s a feeling that clears my mind? It makes random thoughts fly away.¡±
The pocket watch held by White was no less than a piece of art. After losing its original purpose of telling time, the only thing the watch had going for it was its exceptional beauty.
However, White gazed at this watch, trying to gulp down the anxiety and the burden that the uncertain future brought. This watch served as a means to forget the passing of time and to cast away her deep thoughts.
¡°It must be a precious item.¡±
¡°Mother gave it to me.¡±
¡°¡I see.¡±
She used the term ¡®Mother¡¯ instead of ¡®Her Majesty the Empress.¡¯ Merlin immediately understood the reason.
That pocket watch was undoubtedly a gift from the Empress to White as a ¡®mother.¡¯
Feeling an inexplicable tingling and heaviness inside, Merlin quietly looked out the window.
The darkened Arkins Sea. It was a very familiar scene for Merlin, who once graduated from the Knight Department of M?rchen Academy.
She reflected on the mission entrusted to her, It was just one: to protect Princess Snow White.
She vowed to the moonlight and Arkins Sea under the darkness to surely protect this kind and lovely princess.
But then¡
¡°Hehe¡ he¡¡±
Whiteughed, sounding as if she had a screw loose.
She looked at the pocket watch whileughing eerily as if she had lost her mind.
¡®Did she say it dispels random thoughts¡?¡¯
The effect of the pocket watch seemed better than expected.
***
A floor with a chess pattern of ck and red.
The dark ceiling had sporadic lights of unknown origin shining down.
The red walls, which were adorned with patterns of ck thorny vines forming elegant curves, were spotlessly clean.
The walls were lined with various clocks, all hung in a haphazard, nted manner.
In that space, among the sparsely ced furniture, four people were seated.
Spatial magic, Alice¡¯s Labyrinth. Inside the Realm independently created by Alice Carroll.
The four people were each waiting for the person they served to arrive.
Click-ck.
As the sound of shoes echoed from one darkened side, the attention of all four shifted in that direction.
But what appeared was only a fat purple cat wearing ill-fittingrge shoes.
[Meow~. Thought I was Alice?]
¡°¡Cheshire.¡±
A serious, bespectacled male student, sitting with his arms and legs crossed, red fiercely at Cheshire. His voice was sharp.
On the back of his left hand, a navy blue spade symbol, simply depicting a shovel, was emitting a faint light.
A Pdin¡¯s mark. Covered by a ck glove, its light was blurry.
¡°Kyahaha! Cheshire, what¡¯s with that look? Totally doesn¡¯t suit you!¡±
[Meoow!! I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, Shera!]
On the backrest of a red sofa¡
A cute girl named Shera, wearing red heart-shaped earrings and a charming golden heart hairpin, was precariously seated.
Sheughed heartily, then toppled over backward along with the sofa.
Thud. A single cry of ¡°eek¡± rang out, and theughter abruptly stopped.
¡°Why did youe and not the Queen?¡±
A kind-looking boy asked in a gentle tone. He was wearing a tie pin with a green three-leaf clover symbol, representing peace.
[Well, I¡¯m just here to deliver a message and leave. There¡¯s no need for Alice toe, right?]
¡°¡¡±
A female student with a yellow diamond symbol on her forehead leaned against the wall, looking indifferently at Cheshire. She seemed like a girl who would normallyck courage.
Meanwhile, the heart girl quickly got up, set the fallen sofa upright again, then put her arms on the backrest to support her chin.
She couldn¡¯t contain her excitement, bouncing slightly. Her uplifted mood was evident. A smile of anticipation filled her face.
[Well then, this is Alice¡¯s message. I assume you understood everythingst time, so I¡¯ll just convey the essentials.]
The spade boy adjusted his sses and stood up.
The heart girl ran excitedly to the front of the sofa with a broad smile.
The clover boy stood next to the spade boy with a thoughtful expression.
The diamond girl moved away from the wall to stand beside the heart girl.
Thus, the four stood in an orderly line before the strange Cheshire, ready to hear Alice¡¯s message.
Cheshire, with a smile, flung off the shoes it was wearing.
[First, hinder the ck Monster. Second, uncover the identity of the ck Monster. Third, eliminate the ck Monster. That is your mission as Pdins. Remember, it¡¯s an enemy too strong to be taken down head-on, even if all of youbine your powers. So, discreetly and meticulously¡ eliminate them.]
The four Pdins crossed their left hands behind their backs and ced their right hands on their chests, bowing their heads.
And they all spoke the same words.
Everything as per the Queen¡¯s will.
* * *
Morning. The middle-lower dorm, Briggs Hall.
Leaning on the window frame with arms crossed, feeling the cool winter breeze. The quietndscape of the school grounds was in view.
In the left hand was a cup of freshly brewed hot coffee, and in the right, [Frostfire] was habitually conjured. It was a routine to shake off morning drowsiness.
Taking a sip of the hot coffee, I felt my foggy and blurry mind gradually clear up.
¡°Haa¡¡±
A deep breath turned into white mist, scattering in the cold wind.
Time to organize my thoughts.
Alice brought the four Pdins to capture me. Every single one of them was extremely powerful, so I couldn¡¯t defeat them with mere force.
Then, how should I deal with them?
I¡¯d like to just take my beloved characters and beat them all, but¡
Attacking those who were not yet suspects would only make me and them criminals, and I¡¯d be expelled from the academy and that would be the end.
The better approach was to gather evidence that Alice was in collusion with the demons and that the Pdins were her subordinates, and then direct the suspicion toward them¡
¡®It¡¯s not easy.¡¯
Alice was meticulous and she had never done anything conspicuous.
Moreover, with Cheshire around, it was difficult to unravel her secrets using [irvoyance].
Perhaps, I couldn¡¯t avoid being involved with the Pdins in my second year.
Suddenly¡
[Herees the valiant killer whale, Bello!]
¡°¡?¡±
While drinking coffee and immersed in thought, suddenly a small killer whale magic beast, wrapped in water mana, flew in front of me. It was Bello.
[Isaac! I have a message for you! My master wishes to personally go on a date with you, so get dressed ande out at once-kahaaak!]
Saash!
A powerful water cannon st sent Bello sting off again.
Looking down where the water magic was shot out, a woman with rose-gold hair stood in front of the dorm, extending her arms and unfolding a magic circle.
She quickly dissipated the magic circle.
Seeing that her first thought was to eliminate her familiar, who had blurted out absurdities loudly, rather than unsummoning him, it seemed she was in quite a hurry.
¡°Luce?¡±
Luce Eltania waved at me when our eyes met. She was smiling awkwardly, perhaps embarrassed.
Today was the day I was asked to be Luce¡¯s sparring partner and training assistant for the whole day.
Isn¡¯t it too early for that?
¡®Not that I mind, though.¡¯
On the snowy path. Luce, bathed in the morning sunlight, looked incredibly beautiful.
Eager to go to her, I thoughtlessly gulped down the steaming hot coffee. It was bitter and hot. I was supposed to have let it cool down, ah. Btedly, I crudely cooled my burnt mouth with ice magic.
[Kahak! Bello is shocked by Master¡¯s tyranny! No violence! No violence!]
After turning my back on Bello, who was spinning in the air and protesting with a voice like that of a young boy, I got ready to go out.
I left the dorm.
Luce was waiting with a smiling face.
***
[Potential in [Growth Rate] has reached MAX!] [Your perseverance and effort will surely be rewarded¡] [Congrattions! You have acquired the unique Trait [Rapid Growth]!]
Year 2 at M?rchen Academy had begun.
Chapter 136: Mentor Isaac (1)
Chapter 136: Mentor Isaac (1)
? Mentor Isaac (1) ?
¡®In the end, I got admitted¡¡¯
The sound of birds chirping. Sparrows, which had vanished to avoid the winter cold, had returned.
Spring morning. It was the day of the entrance ceremony for new students at M?rchen Academy.
The ceremony opened grandly, and the freshmen, neatly gathered in the academy square in their uniforms, were reflecting on their ambitions and resolutions.
Among them, the main characters had already been decided.
There were three presences, whose status was unreasonably high and practically reigned above thew. These girls, surrounded by their escorts, participated in the ceremony, detached from the other students.
Imperial Princess, Snow White Von Kairos Elfieto.
Saintess, Bianca Anturaze.
Priestess, Miya.
The sight of the three main characters, who didn¡¯t seem interrted at all, in the same uniform was a strange scene for the other students.
The news of their enrollments had spread widely in the Zelver Empire.
Because of this, the atmosphere was tense among this batch of students, but as the girls in their uniforms appeared, everyone was awestruck.
They were the very epitome of beauty. Fitting for their roles as global protagonists, the Imperial Princess, the Saintess, and the Priestess each disyed their incredible allure.
In the midst of this, tears welled up in Princess Snow White¡¯s eyes. She felt despair.
©¤¡®Well done, Snow White! Use this opportunity to be independent and a person befitting the Imperial Family! Kahahahah!¡±
¡®Your Imperial Majesty¡¡¯
The hearty voice of Emperor Carlos often echoed in White¡¯s head. In the face of his smiling face, she didn¡¯t have the courage to persuade him to let her give up on enrolling.
And to rub even more salt into an already bad wound¡
¡®Last ce¡¡¯
She was given the title of beingst in the Magic Department¡¯s entrance exam. It was a blow to her dignity.
She actually had quite a bit of confidence in her abilities, but per usual, exam results could only be assured after they were revealed.
The students admitted to this academy were all geniuses with exceptional talents.
They were White¡¯spetitors, fitting the reputation of the continent¡¯s best academy.
And when taking this into ount, she had almost failed the entrance exam.
Or maybe failing wouldn¡¯t have been so bad¡
No. If she hadn¡¯t passed she couldn¡¯t even imagine how much she would have to walk on eggshells in the Imperial Household.
White¡¯s feelings wereplex.
¡°The next event will be the recitation of the deration. Freshman Representative, Miya. Come forward.¡±
The Priestess, Miya, with her ck pearl-colored braids flowing down, stood in front of the podium. Her face was rxed and smiling, a stark contrast to White.
After all, between White and Miya was the extreme gap between first andst ce.
White furrowed her brows. She held the title of st ce¡¯; how was she supposed to be friends with this Priestess, whose character was considerablycking, for the future of the empire and the world¡?
¡®It would be a relief if, at the very least, I¡¯m not mocked or taken lightly.¡¯
It would be a fortunate in and of itself if she were not looked down on.
¡It was just overwhelming. What could she even do?
In the meantime¡
After finishing the deration recitation, Priestess Miya nced at Princess Snow White and Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
¡®The Imperial Princess of Zelver and the Saintess of the Helize Church¡¡¯
In M?rchen Academy, the gap in social status tended to lessen considerably.
This was because there was a custom of treating each other equally as students who had entered the academy to learn.
However, it wasn¡¯t clear whether it would have a real effect, as, in the end, the position of a person would never change.
In the first ce, even in the academy, the Priestess herself was given special treatment. In essence, when someone had a high enough status, they couldn¡¯t be treated equally even if people wanted them to be.
It was the same for the Princess and the Saintess. They were both women with immense influence worldwide.
Priestess Miya decided to keep an eye on them. Just as she was now, she intended to surpass them and raise the status of her country, the Land of the Fire Blossoms-Horan, and her title as the Priestess.
¡°¡?¡±
Princess Snow White quickly turned her head away as soon as she made eye contact with Miya.
She seemed to be full of worries, as her trembling figure clearly highlighted. Miya recalled the day of the entrance exam.
When Miya had kicked a male student down the stairs, she had looked at her with a face filled with terror.
It was a moment that had stayed in her memory because it was the first time she had made eye contact with the Princess.
Miya decided to reconsider. Perhaps the Princess was not someone she needed to be wary of.
***
The result had already urred and the weight on her shoulders was heavy.
Princess Snow White had to do whatever she could for the future of her country. She was an Imperial Princess, after all.
¡°Is Your Highness really okay?¡±
¡°My resolve has not changed, Merlin¡! Now is the right time.¡±
First mission. Befriend Priestess Miya.
Today was her first day at M?rchen Academy.
Soon after the ss assignment evaluations, Snow White would go to ss D, and Priestess Miya to ss A.
As cliques and friend groups were mainly determined in the early days after enrollment, White had decided to use this period to her advantage.
On this momentous first day of enrollment, Princess White, while having a meal in the student cafeteria, looked at Priestess Miya and swallowed hard.
Soon, the students began to murmur. Conversations like, ¡®The Princess and the Priestess are in the same ce¡¡¯ or ¡®I never thought I¡¯d see such a scene in my life¡¯, were exchanged among them.
The mere fact that the Princess and the Priestess were together in the same area was historically rare.
Merlin approached White, cautiously observing the students, and covered her mouth with her hand before speaking.
¡°Princess, let me carry your tra-¡±
¡°No, I¡¯ll carry it.¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t always be spoon-fed.¡±
Merlin suddenly felt sentimental.
¡°¡You¡¯ve grown, Princess White.¡±
¡°I-I wasn¡¯t so hopeless that merely carrying a tray by myself can be considered growth, you know?!¡±
Emperor Carlos¡¯mand was to be independent. White wasn¡¯t exactly averse to this.
Having enrolled at M?rchen Academy, she decided that she might as well use this period as an opportunity for growth.
Still, hearing that she had grown just by carrying a tray made White feel embarrassed. How had people been evaluating her all this time?
¡°Well, then.¡±
¡°I know¡ We¡ have to¡ eat together¡!¡±
Holding the tray with both hands, White gave a determined look in the direction of Priestess Miya.
Regardless of White¡¯s resolve, Miya continued to indifferently eat her food, utterly unimpressed, with her escort wizard behind her.
¡°¡¡±
Now that she was actually trying to eat with her, a sensation of feathers tickling her chest could be felt.
It was scary. But thinking about making friends in this new environment made White¡¯s cheeks flush from her fluttering heart, as she chewed on her lips in anticipation.
No matter how shitty a person¡¯s character may be, surely there must be a reason why this Priestess was revered by the people of the Land of the Fire Blossoms-Horan.
¡®It¡¯s possible. Maybe she¡¯s actually a good person.¡¯
White believed in the innate goodness of people. And that proved just how far she was from the brutal power struggles that usually urred when it came to people of her stature.
White got lost in her imagination.
She imagined getting acquainted with Priestess Miya over a meal¡
And interacting during sses and exams¡
Then somehow, they would gradually findmon ground and simrities, thus opening up to each other.
Eventually, she would realize that Priestess Miya also had a good side to her, which would allow White to treat her well without any hesitation or doubt.
¡®The bloom of pure youth¡!¡¯
Immersed in such thoughts, White felt her mood improve rapidly. Bing friends with the Priestess didn¡¯t seem too bad.
Yeah, it¡¯ll be alright.
Peace for the empire and the world? Let¡¯s put that aside for now.
She just needed to be Snow White Von Kairos Elfieto and get along with her ssmate, Miya.
Only then could White let go of her worries. Her fearful, tense expression softened and a rxed smile appeared on her lips.
¡®Oh¡!¡¯
White¡¯s escort knight, Merlin Astrea, was amazed. She started to feel a sense of ease from White.
Well, then. This was White¡¯s first step.
With light steps, she approached Miya, who was still eating, and¡
¡°Euheuk!¡±
St!
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡¡±
She tumbled forward, spilling the contents of the tray all over Miya.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
Miya¡¯s hand, holding a fork, froze. Hot mushroom soup dripped down her ck-jade hair, as white steam rose.
The food stuck to Miya¡¯s uniform, smearing it with its own seasoning and oil.
The students, the escort wizards of the Land of the Fire Blossoms, and Merlin all watched the scene with wide eyes of disbelief.
White, groaning in pain from the fall, realized what she had done and her face turned deathly pale.
In the silent student cafeteria, White, sitting on the floor, got up hastily, her trembling arms iling.
¡°I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I I¡¯m s-so s-s-s-s-sor¡ No, I mean, sorry¡! I-I didn¡¯t mean to do it on purpo-¡±
¡°Mmm¡¡±
Lick. Miya scooped the soup that had spilled on her head with her finger and licked it.
Her gentle eyes, painted with red eyeliner, turned towards White.
Then, Miya suddenly smirked.
¡°¡How fun.¡±
At that single remark. White¡¯s heart sank.
The escort wizard immediately stood up to wipe Miya with a handkerchief, but she stopped him with her hand. Because she only wore a smile that seemed to imply it was fine, it actually unnerved the onlookers even more.
Dripping with soup, Miya stood up.
¡°It was a memorable greeting. I like it, Snow White.¡±
That look in her eyes.
She was just looking for an opportunity to kill her. There was no doubt about it.
With a pale face full of fear, akin to a reindeer caught among a pack of beasts, White¡¯s entire body trembled as if she were a patient with mria.
Miya left with her escort wizard.
And White stood there, dazed, as if her soul had left her body.
¡°Her Highness just got the drop on the Priestess¡!¡±
¡°Was she trying to show the difference in national power?¡±
¡°Princess White¡. She is much more terrifying than she looks.¡±
¡°It was a strategic tray spill¡!¡±
The students were thrilled.
White turned to Merlin, who was standing behind her.
Her expression seemed to plead for help. However, Merlin, grasping her chin, couldn¡¯t utter a single word.
Tears welled up in the corner of White¡¯s eyes.
¡She¡¯s royally screwed.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 137: Mentor Isaac (1)
Chapter 137: Mentor Isaac (1)
? Mentor Isaac (1) ?
Grade S Mana.
Results of the ss cement Evaluation, 1stce.
Guaranteed to be in ss A.
Those were the grades of Miya, the Priestess.
Grade D+ Mana.
Results of the ss cement Evaluation, 1st ce from the back.
Guaranteed to be in ss D.
Those were the grades of Princess Snow White.
¡°Merlin, life is such a futile thing¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ve already heard you say that six times, Your Highness.¡±
Snow White has heard the others iming she was part of the Golden Generation. Not only were the Princess, Saintess, and Priestess all in the same grade, but the other freshmen were also much more talented than usual.
But even so, this¡ Aren¡¯t they a bit too talented?
Snow White realized aftering here that she, who received an elite education from only the most distinguished of people due to her background as a princess, had merely been a big frog in a small pond.
She had mistaken herself to be truly talented after hearing countlesspliments from a high-ranking wizard in an exalted magic tower such as ¡®Well done.¡¯ and ¡®You¡¯re brilliant.¡¯ But reality was saddening.
Inside of an empty ssroom within Orphin Hall, the building for the Department of Magic.
In front of the lectern, White was staring vacantly into space sitting in a chair prepared for her, and ced in front of her was another empty chair.
Aside from White and Merlin Astrea standing behind her, nobody else was inside of the ssroom.
¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m quite pathetic¡? I¡¯ve already dered to His Majesty the Emperor that I would do my best, but I¡¯ve already started on the wrong foot with the Priestess, and am far behind in ability from both her and the Saintess¡ I haven¡¯t evene across the Saintess, let alone had the chance to talk with her¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need to be discouraged. Your Highness has a kind heart. There wille a chance for Your Highness to acquaint them.¡±
A kind heart. Is that really her only redeeming quality?
With a soft sigh, White smiled ruefully. Merlin judged that now was the time to change the topic.
¡°By the way, the mentor should being any moment now.¡±
¡°Merlin, you said that the mentoring program didn¡¯t exist when you were attending this academy, correct?¡±
¡°Yes. I heard that it is being implemented for the first time this year.¡±
The mentoring program.
It was a program that the M?rchen Academy was newly implementing.
Freshmen who wished to participate were assigned a random senior student as a mentor. The chosen senior would provide them with help and advice regarding school activities.
Of course, the seniors also needed to sign up in advance to be a mentor.
Students who became mentors were given a schrship benefit for part of their tuition fee and received an additional sum in proportion to how much the grades of their freshman mentees improved.
But because of the risks, such as how this was a newly implemented program or it was unclear how much the activities would affect one¡¯s own school life, there were not many volunteers for the mentors.
¡°Do you think there will be someone fit for me¡? Someone that has risen from the bottom to the top in a short period of time¡ That criterion. Thinking about it now, I think that may have been a bit too unreasonable of a request.¡±
¡°We will see soon. If it doesn¡¯t seem to work out, then Your Highness can just withdraw from the mentoring programter. There¡¯s no need to think too hard about it.¡±
Since a mentee needed a mentor fit for them, they were able to add desired criteria for their mentor.
White also submitted her wishes for who would be her ideal mentor.
It was ¡®the person with thergest improvement in gradesst year¡¯.
White did not need a mentor who had been talented and strong from the start like Merlin.
A fitting mentor for her would be someone who had started with a low grade just like her, and then was able to earn higher grades over time.
Her current grades were incredibly low. So she had to bring up her grades as quickly as possible and disy power that would be able to impress the Saintess and Priestess at least a little bit. After all, the first step to bing acquainted with them was to be able to at leastpete with them.
That would be her way to contribute to the future of her nation and the peace of the world.
¡°Your Highness, I believe they are here.¡±
¡°What? How do you know that?¡±
¡°I can hear their footsteps. Someone ising this way.¡±
¡°But I cannot hear anything¡ Just how good is your hearing, Merlin?¡±
Finally.
With a creak, the door opened, and a boy stepped into the ssroom.
¡°¡¡±
Silence. Holding her breath, White peered intently at the senior student who entered her vision.
He was in a school uniform, a blue jeweled brooch signifying the second year hanging on his necktie.
His silver hair was just slightly wavy, and his eyes were a shade of murky crimson.
Therge circr sses he wore gave her the impression that he was a model student.
His expression made her believe he would have a gentle personality. Admittedly, her senior seemed decently good-looking.
¡°You are¡?¡±
¡°It is my honor to meet Your Highness the Princess.¡±
Standing in front of White, the student ced his hand over his chest and politely bowed.
The two girls stared at him, White with a nk gaze, and Merlin with an inspective one.
¡°I am Isaac, your newly selected mentor. I hope that we will have a meaningful semester together.¡±
The student with silver hair, Isaac, greeted them with a bright smile that reminded one of a salesman.
They called it the capitalistic smile.
* * *
Everything went ording to n.
Snow White.
I just call her the lousy princess.
She takes a main role in the episode during Year 2 Semester 2, and it was practically a guaranteed bad ending if she died.
So it was necessary to build close rtions with her in advance and lower her guard so that I could protect her.
I had three ideas for how I could be close to White, and I nned to use all three of those methods.
For starters,
¡®The mentoring program.¡¯
The mentoring program was a mandatory section of the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? scenario storyline.
Normally, Ian Fairytale would have been the one chosen as Princess White¡¯s mentor, since as the main character, he was the ¡®student with thergest improvement in grades¡¯.
Since White was a side character, not a heroine, she barely contributed anything to the story during Year 2 Semester 1.
But after bing close with Ian, she provided a chance for him to shine in the second semester.
However, in this world, there wasn¡¯t even the slightest possibility of Ian being able to protect White.
Not to mention¡
¡®In this world, I had the biggest improvement.¡¯
This world had me.
If someone asked among my peers who had the most drastic of improvements in their year, they would all definitely say ¡®Isaac¡¯.
Which was why I had been certain that I would be White¡¯s mentor if I volunteered for the mentoring program.
Behind White, who had fair skin and pure white hair, was Merlin Astrea with her light green hair tied back into a ponytail. Her eyes inspected me with a gaze simr to that of a hawk.
But there was no such thing as a crack in my smile. My specialty was in the acting field; being able to cry on cue was easy for me.
Maintaining my natural smile, I waited for White and Merlin to lower their guard.
Just for reference, Merlin was Kaya Astrea¡¯s sister and a likable side character. She was also the side character I wanted to form the deepest connection with after White.
That was because of the Obsidian de, the legendary rock element weapon.
The stance was important when using the Obsidian de¡¯s skills. Merlin, a genius swordsman, would definitely be a good teacher for me. If I be close with White, I will likely be able to ask some favors to Merlin as well. That was part of my n.
¡°S-senior Isaac! This is the academy, and you¡¯re my senior¡! There¡¯s no need to upkeep such formalities!¡±
White leaped from her seat after receiving my salutations, waving her hands frantically in a panic.
She acted and spoke just as one would expect from a girl who was staying far away from the power struggle for the crown.
¡°W-well, nice to meet you! I¡¯m sure you already know, but my name is Snow White Von Kairos Elfieto. You can call me White for short.¡±
¡°As you wish, Princess White.¡±
¡°By the way Senior Isaac, would it be rude for me to ask about your gradesst year¡?¡±
White asked me carefully, bringing up both of her hands around her mouth.
As expected, that was her first question.
¡°I started as the lowest-ced student in ss D, and am currently the highest-ranking student of ss B
¡°Perfect!!¡±
White, the current bottom-ranked student in ss D for the first year¡¯s, cheered joyfully.
It was as if she had just found a ray of light inside of the pit of despair she had fallen into.
***
White, Merlin, and I crossed the campus.
White was a princess of the Zelver Empire.
Not only that but after dumping her food tray onto the Priestess as written in the original scenario, she attracted far too much attention from the other students.
Attention from others was a disturbance to training. So I nned to train her somewhere away from others.
Why train her at all?
There were many reasons.
As her mentor, I held responsibility for White¡¯s growth, and White had to be stronger anyway to prevent the bad ending.
And it was beneficial for me to be exposed to the mana that White was going to use.
¡°Fromst ce in ss D to first in ss B¡! How is that possible?!¡±
White had seemed excited this entire time. It looked like she was deeply invested in my story as the current bottom-ranked student in ss D.
For reference, the sses were chosen by taking both the maximum mana and the score for the ss cement evaluation into consideration. There was an absolute benchmark chart.
There was not much of a difference in skill between me and Keridna Whiterk, who was fifth ce in ss A.
But because she had a slightly higher maximum mana than me, I arrived at my final rank as top of ss B.
In reality, ¡®Isaac is at a simr skill level as the ss A students¡¯ was the majority¡¯s opinion. That was basically my current position.
Anyhow, I smiled awkwardly, pretending to be embarrassed.
¡°It¡¯s just a result of hard work. I¡¯m sure that Princess White will do much better than amoner such as myself.¡±
¡°Ah, humility! Yes, this is the sort of person that I wanted!¡±
It seemed like White was burning with enthusiasm right now. I had to say, it was cute to see her fist balled up determinedly telling me that she wanted to receive my coaching as soon as possible.
Though it was called the mentoring program, our rtionship was likely going to be simr to a teacher and student. White was, after all, not in a state where just any ol¡¯ advice would be enough.
Like a personal trainer, I would need to teach her proper methods of training.
But that didn¡¯t mean that I was going to pour all of my time into White. I nned to adjust the schedule so that it would not interfere with my own training, and there were other things I would be able to gain from her.
It was a give-and-take.
¡°By the way, Senior, you don¡¯t need to use honorifics. This is the academy. I¡¯ll only feel ufortable if you continue to talk to me so formally¡¡±
¡°Ah, well then¡ Alright.¡±
I was waiting for her to tell me that. I quickly dropped the formalities before things became awkward.
White was continuing to grin ear to ear, seeming to be in a good mood. I must have seemed like some rope that could pull her up to a higher level.
Well, that was true. Though I was going to make her work that much harder for it.
We ventured deep into the hydrangea gardens and made a turn into a secluded path, then finally arrived at the corner of the hydrangea gardens. There was a smallke nearby.
Though this ce was smaller than the corner of the butterfly gardens that I often used, this should still be wide enough.
¡°This is?¡±
¡°A corner of the hydrangea gardens. There are probably not many people who know this ce aside from myself. We¡¯ll be able to train at peace here.¡±
¡°Merlin, have you evere here before?¡±
¡°No, there wasn¡¯t really a reason for me toe to a ce like this.¡±
That was likely. The M?rchen Academy¡¯s campus was asrge as it was secretive.
Not only that, but the ind itself was huge as well, so it was likely that the majority of students would have seen less of the ind than what they had seen before graduating.
¡°White.¡±
¡°Yes, Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll be training only for about two hours a day from now on. This is all for your improvement. You can endure that much, right?¡±
¡°Heh, 2 hours? That¡¯s a piece of cake!¡±
White responded eagerly, her face full of confidence.
Then, 20 minutester.
¡°Gaghhh¡!¡±
¡°Your Highness!¡±
White copsed on the ground from exhaustion.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 138: Mentor Isaac (3)
Chapter 138: Mentor Isaac (3)
Mentor Isaac (3)
U-until now Ive been training the wrong way
On the way back after two hours of hellish training.
I lent White Zhonyas staff. She held it with both hands, leaning on it to steady herself as she staggered forward.
Princess, I think its better if you let me support you
No, dont Ugh. If I dont get through this on my own theres no point
Merlin offered to help her several times, but White, determined to develop self-reliance, quickly refused.
An admirable attitude.
Senior Isaac.
Yes.
Ill be in your care tomorrow as well Ugh.
Suddenly, I was reminded of the time right after my possession into this world. I received hellish personal training from the Knight Department students every single day. Back then, I had to constantly crawl to my dorm.
It seemed like I was looking at myself from that time, and a smirk appeared on my face.
Certainly, I understood their feelings. It was quite endearing.
***
As you repeatedly gather and release mana, the mana circuit is reconstructed into a more robust form. Gradually the flow of mana elerates, and the mana circuit adapts, thus being able to withstand it, resulting in the gradual increase of both the quality and the quantity of mana.
I-Im aware of that, but oh
Lets do this part again No, thats not it. The magic circle should be like this. Three strokes are wrong. The stroke here should be Geummu, but what you drew is Jeya. Geummu has a more twisted form like this Draw it this way. Its better to keep the intensity of the mana release at this level. Now, follow along.
I-I feel like Im going to die, Senior Isaac
The next day, at a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
As I lifted my round sses and exined, White made a distressed face.
One more time like this. Try to create wind one more time.
Huaaah!
Whooooosh!
Good. Now, another one.
Huah!
Good, do it again just like that.
Huek!
Thats the spirit. One more time.
Hyaah!
Despite struggling, White followed my instructions withoutint.
I also repeatedly casted rock magic, so it seemed that White didnt even feel like picking a fight with me.
For your information, my repetition of the magic wasnt just for demonstration. Even while teaching White, I didnt want to neglect my own training.
Huuh! Ah!
Blood trickled from Whites nose.
I knew this would happen. I quickly approached White, gently grabbed the back of her head, and pressed a handkerchief that I had prepared earlier to her nose.
Are you okay?
!
White shuddered and looked at me with wide eyes.
Merlin, who had been leaning against a tree, started toe over with a shocked face but stopped when White extended her arm to stop her.
Its like you were prepared for this in advance.
Because of the handkerchief pressed against her nose, Whites voice sounded nasal.
Senior Isaac, youve also been through a lot of this, havent you?
That happens when you overuse mana. Its unavoidable. But doing this improves skills quickly, got it? If you overdo it, the mana circuit can break, but I can gauge it until just before that point, so dont worry.
I know the limit quite well, having broken it a few times myself.
Senior
White gazed at me with a look of pity.
You must have struggled a lot
It was an unexpected reaction. I had expected her to be panicking and disoriented from the nosebleed, but instead, White appeared calm.
Its all part of the process.
I smirked and passed the handkerchief to White. She firmly pressed the handkerchief against her upper lip.
Lets take a little break.
Yesss!
Wanna have one? Its good for mana recovery.
Oh! Mana Pudding Bar! Id love to!
I unwrapped the Mana Pudding Bar and handed it to White. It was a pudding-textured snack effective for mana recovery.
It was released this semester and it was quite famous among students, as stores prominently advertised it as being good for mana recovery.
However, its effect was minimal for someone with a low mana amount like White. In other words, it was false advertising. So, the im that it helps with mana recovery was a scam.
However, this kind of lie might lead White to believe that my mana is rapidly recovering, which could aid her mental stability and potentially motivate her to train even harder, much like the cebo effect.
Above all, it was very tasty. I didnt particrly favor it because eating too many sweets could make the body sluggish and interfere with training.
Despite her exhaustion, White seemed to be quite delighted with the sweet snack, smiling happily as she was about to take a bite of the Mana Pudding Bar.
Princess.
!
Then, Merlin stepped forward to take the first bite, as a precaution in case it contained anything poisonous.
No matter who the other person was, caution was necessary.
With a disappointed expression, White handed over the pudding bar, and Merlin gobbled up almost half of it in one bite.
Waaaah!!
A cry tinged with tears erupted from Whites mouth, but Merlin, unfazed, simply said, No problem here, and walked away nonchntly.
Tears welled up in Whites eyes. She made a sad face as she nibbled on the remains of the pudding bar.
Its tasty
Her expression was dazed and her voice sad.
The sweet but brief rest period ended, and we resumed our training.
White, one more time!
Kraaah!
Thud.
A momentter, White copsed to the ground from exhaustion.
***
The spring sky was luminous with the hues of sunset.
After finishing the hellish magic PT, White, again using the Zhonyas staff I lent her, walked out limping like a person with a slipped disc.
Thus, we were leaving the Hydrangea Garden. It had been our routine for several days.
Today, as well, she had fallen several times; her uniform was dirty, and some dirt had clung to her pure white hair.
Passing students nced at us and whispered. Her appearance at the moment would have one question whether she was actually a princess or not.
Maintaining the dignity of a princess was important too, but it seemed that Whitecked the capacity to do so at this time.
It makes sense.
She must have never struggled this much before. The elites who taught White would have gone easy on her, while mindful of power dynamics.
Merlin was fidgety, worrying that White might fall. I might as well have felt pity for her too.
Senior Isaac.
Hmm?
Developing skills like yours though I expected it, its really tough But these days, thanks to you, my mana is flowing much better. I feel like Im getting stronger!
Youre doing well. Just keep it up.
White looked at me and bit her lip. It seemed like she was trying to hold back a smile that wanted to burst out from my praise.
As the training continued, I saw through [Psychological Insight] that White was filled with admiration. It seems I looked impressive to her for rapidly growing through such repeated hardships.
Though I rely on Status Window.
Without the Status Window, I would have certainly hit my limits. I dont deserve such admiration.
On the other hand, White had not yet undergone proper training. Once she really got rolling, she had ample potential to grow to great heights.
After all, the blood of royalty was not in vain.
Moreover, Whites hidden power was also a key that could sway the Fairy War. There was a reason why her death directly led to a bad ending.
I cant do this without White.
I intended to grow White, protect her, and defeat any enemy to prevent a bad ending at all costs.
Additionally, I could benefit from exposure to the mana she emanated, like a nt photosynthesizing in the sunlight. To be stronger more efficiently, I needed her.
Um, Senior Isaac. Is there anything you want?
Anything I want? Why are you asking all of a sudden?
Thats unexpected.
Im in a position where I have to rely on gel, so I cant give much right now but I still want to repay you someday. Thanks to you, Im getting stronger!
Oh, if thats the case, theres something Id like to ask for.
Puhuh! You didnt hesitate at all!
There was no need to refuse. I too had to take what I could get.
Go ahead and ask. Ill grant what I can. What is it?
Just asionally.
I pointed at Merlin Astrea, Whites escort knight.
Lend me this person for a while.
Merlin Astrea.
She was the daughter of the Sword Saint and a genius in weaponry. As mentioned earlier, if I were to receive swordsmanship training from her, I could freely handle the Obsidian des skill. Truly the best teacher.
Ah, it would be good to learn some basic scythe skills during this opportunity. I should focus on magic training, so I couldnt invest much in weaponry, but still.
Ah, Merlin? Of course What? Wait, you cant do that!!
White was horrified, and Merlin looked at me with a contemptuous expression.
Its not what youre thinking. Please dont misunderstand.
* * *
He seems to be having fun
Atop the Mrchen Academy building, a girl wearing a witchs hat perched precariously on the railing. Pressing down her hat, she grumbled while looking towards the Hydrangea Garden.
Her long, violet hair, tied only at the ends, fluttered in the spring breeze, reflecting the hues of the sunset.
It was Dorothy Heartnova.
[Why dont you just go and talk to him?]
When E, a white cat familiar lying beside her, asked this, Dorothy shook her head and dangled her legs.
A mentoring system? Ive heard they have something like that. I cant disturb the President. Moreover, with the mentee being a princess, how can I mess with her
[Youve be too timid. Just ask him, Mentee or me? and it would be over.]
Hey cat, if I cause trouble for the President, wouldnt that be bad?
[More importantly, since when do you care about status? Isnt your style more like a headstrong boar?]
Dorothy huffed in derision and smugly ced her hand on her chest.
How silly, where would you find ady as demure as me? If you want a metaphor to truly encapste my essence, use an elegant swan, not a boar.
[How fitting. But really, you did be more cautioustely, huh?]
Ive always been like that.
[Full penalty points.]
Lets not sweat the small stuff.
[Not so easily swayed, are you? What, did you have a change of heart because you have to n a future with Isaac and cant afford to make any more mistakes?]
Nyahaha! Well, wow, what an imagination! To amaze me like that, youre amazing, E!
I hit the nail on the head. The way she denied it out of embarrassment was nothing short of adorable.
E chuckled, and then her face became serious as she got to the main point.
[But really, whats the true reason? The reason youve been secretly watching Isaactely.]
Dorothy turned her head again towards Isaac.
He was walking out of the Hydrangea Garden, chatting amiably with Princess Snow White and the escort knight Merlin Astrea.
I sense something strange going on around the President.
A prodigy said to have received the blessings of the Supreme Lord Manha. The chosen girl who made a contract with Ste, the fairy of the stars.
Dorothys mana perception was far superior to that of most geniuses.
She possessed an extraordinarily keen sense that allowed her to detect unknown dangers to a certain extent. It was simr to how she had intuitively sensed the arrival of The Floating Indst semester.
I have a feeling that something is targeting the President. If its dangerous Ill have to deal with it.
Isaac was a very special existence to Dorothy.
She even owed him her life, so she was prepared to face death for him.
If there indeed was a being intending to harm him as she sensed.
Dorothy was ready to overturn anything, whether it be the academy, authority, or the world, to prioritize protecting Isaac.
E sighed.
[Youre such a romanticist.]
Puhuh! S-such a funny thing to say, really!
At Es words, Dorothy blushed and was greatly flustered. Her serious demeanor didntst even 30 seconds.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 139: Mentor Isaac (4)
Chapter 139: Mentor Isaac (4)
Mentor Isaac (4)
-He has be Princess Snow Whites mentor.
-Is it a coincidence?
5th seat of the second-year of Mrchen Academy, ss A.
Keridna Whiterk, the pink short-haired daughter of the Ducal Whiterk Family.
She was one of the select few who knew that Isaac was the Nameless Hero.
Following her older sister Aichel Whiterks orders, Keridna was recording every single rumor she had heard about Isaac.
Late into the night, in the top-ranked dorm, Charles Hall.
The glowingmp on top of the desk shone a soft light through the dim room.
Keridna closed the notebook where she had collected information about Isaac and fell into deep thought. It was a question that she contemted over numerous times.
Why is my sister so obsessed with Isaac?
The Ducal Whiterk Family was keeping watch over noble families with their bloodline magic [Sight Synchronization].
Because of that, Keridna learned through Aichel that nobles from all around the Zelver Empire had begun to move in the shadows, their actions centralized on the Nameless Hero.
The Carnedas Family was especially suspicious. It was the family that her peer and the third seat of ss A, Ciel Carnedas, was a part of.
Their strange behavior caused them to be the focus of Aichels supervision.
The Nameless Hero, Isaac was currently an archwizard that the entire world was keeping their eyes on.
If it became certain that he was on humanitys side, then it was clear that the entire world would beginpeting fiercely to bring him to their side.
But The way in which Aichel Whiterk obsessed over Isaac seemedpletely unrted to the fact that he was the Nameless Hero.
Perhaps just as Isaac seemed to have many secrets, Aichel also had secrets of her own. Secrets that she could not tell even Keridna, her own sister.
Keridna gazed out the window. The sorrowful moon floated high up in the night sky.
She had the feeling that something big was going to happen soon.
***
Morning. Orphin Hall, building for the sses of the Magic Department.
Whilst passing through the hallway, Priestess Miya met with Princess Snow White who wasing from the other side. They were both alone since escorts werent allowed inside the hall unless the situation was unavoidable.
White flinched in surprise when she met gazes with Miya, then shifted her gaze elsewhere. She even seemed to be sweating for some reason.
Then, as if she made up her mind, White clenched her fists and nodded firmly.
She stopped walking. Then with an awkward smile, waved at Miya while saying hello.
The anxiety in her expression was clear in her forced smile.
H-hey, there?
Whoosh.
Miya nonchntly passed by White as if she didnt see a thing.
White froze on the spot, her hand still raised mid-wave.
The distance between the two girls grewrger. The other students that had been in the hallways stole glimpses at White and whispered among themselves.
Did you see that? Princess White just said hi and got ignored by the Priestess.
My goodness
Theres a scary atmosphere between those two
The incident at the cafeteria where White dumped her food tray on Miya had already been spread through the school like a legend.
As a result, the rtionship of the two girls had already be a hot topic among the students.
But White hadnt heard even a bit of the students whispers.
She didnt have topletely ignore me like that though
She felt as though she could cry.
All she had wanted was to be friends with her.
It pained White to experience this situation.
Snow White
Miyas eyes, decorated with charming red makeup, narrowed into slits.
On their first day at the academy, she had underestimated White. White had been trembling pathetically whenever anything would happen. So she just thought of her as a wealthy pig at most.
But when White dumped that food tray onto her in the cafeteria, Miya had been reminded of several facts.
Snow White was a princess of the Zelver Empire.
She has likely been in the center of a bloody battlefield for power until now.
It was well known among the other rulers that the fight for the position of sessor in the Zelver Empire was quite fierce. That was the environment that Snow White had grown up in.
Not to mention, she heard that there had been a problem with the Empress acting out within the imperial family.
The word was that the former Empress, who had been mentally ill, secretly attempted to assassinate her own daughter several times. Miya also knew that her daughter had been Snow White.
Its impossible that a pig like her, whos lived in avish-looking battlefield like that of the Zelver Imperial Family, would be a nave scaredy-cat
It made much more sense for her to be a schemer wearing the mask of an innocentmb in order to survive whilst waiting for the opponent to lower their guard.
Or maybe not.
Of course, that thought was a mere possibility. It may just be her overactive imagination at y. Miya believed in the theory that White was actually just a nave pig more than anything else.
Because of the usualme attitude, she disyed It could only be considered real.
I can figure it outter.
Miya straightened her expression.
***
It is time for a special lesson.
When Fernando Frost, a first-year professor for the Magic Department, raised the megaphone and spoke into it, many female students blushed with a blissful smile.
Inside arge ssroom, all the first-year students of the Magic Department were seated.
On top of the stage was Fernando, where he was continuing with the special lesson.
Today, you will all be learning about Mana Release. It ismon sense that the stronger you can release your mana, the more powerful your spells will be. Therefore, we will begin the lesson after letting each of you estimate just how much mana you can release.
Fernando turned his head towards the waiting room next to the stage.
Luce Eltania, pleasee forward.
A girl walked out from the side of the stage.
She was wearing a student uniform with her rose-gold hair braided down the sides. The butterfly-shaped hair ornament suited her well, and her face was shockingly beautiful.
She stood next to Fernando and peered down at the first-year students.
The ribboned brooch on her uniform was blue, signifying her status as a second-year.
The first-year students of the Magic Department collectively concentrated their gazes on the girl, realizing that it was the Luce Eltania. She was, after all, quite a renowned figure.
It was likely that almost everyone in this ssroom admired her.
Thats Luce Eltania!
Princess Snow Whites eyes sparkled with admiration.
Luce Eltania?
And Priestess Miyas eyes opened wide in bewilderment at Luces sudden appearance.
On the other hand, Luce remainedpletely expressionless. As if she had no interest in whether the first years gazed upon her with sparkling eyes or not.
Then, Luces blue eyes began skirting quickly across the room and stopped on one female student.
H-huhh?
Princess Snow Whites eyes shed in the air with Luces eyes. For a moment she was excited, but after sensing a sinister malice that felt like it would freeze her entire body, instinctive fear kicked into her system. Whites body reflexively began to tremble.
To Luce, Princess White was a nuisance.
Because she was the one who had been spending time together with Isaac every day recently under the excuse of that mentoring system or whatever it was called. Luce despised the fact that she couldnt spend as much time with Isaac because of it.
Luce, your mana.
Under Fernandosmand.
Luce let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, then slowly reopened them.
Mmmwhooooshh-!
Her dense mana spread through the ssroom like a powerful gust of wind.
The first-year students all felt a chill run through their entire bodies. The hairs on their neck stood on their ends. It was clear that they were all surprised by the unbelievable mana that pressed against their skin.
Now, what you all have to do is simple. Push out your mana to the best of your abilities and disrupt Luce Eltanias mana. Your maximum mana output will be measured. The records will be references for future lessons and personal counseling, so it is encouraged that you give it your all.
After hearing Fernandos instructions, the students swallowed nervously and whispered to one another.
The students could see the manas solid formation.
Just how high did her mana mastery have to be for such an intricate structure?
Not to mention that in front of such intense mana, the students were caught up in a sense of inadequacy after realizing just how inferior their mana was inparison.
But attacking Luces mana was still a part of the lesson.
If not now, when would they ever have the chance topare their strength with the top seat?
Each of the first-year students began collecting their mana and then poured it out towards Luce.
Eventually, many of the students either ended up with nosebleeds or copsed from exhaustion. Significant time had passed since Princess Snow White copsed on top of the desk with her arms shaking.
Even after the fierce onught of the students mana, Luces mana remained as sturdy as a steel wall, remaining unscathed.
Though all of the first-years in the room were born with talent, all were equal before Luces unparalleled might.
On the other hand, Priestess Miya and the light pink-haired girl, Saintess Bianca Anturaze, quietly observed Luce.
Fernandos eyebrows furrowed as he turned to look at the two girls.
Why are you two not even trying to disrupt it?
Because its clear that we will lose.
Priestess Miya, who had her chin resting on her palm, casually tossed back an answer to Fernando.
When Fernando signaled to Saintess Bianca, she merely nodded her head with a benevolent smile.
Fernando let out a deep sigh. Though they were uncooperative with the lesson, there was no reason to criticize them for not participating. They merely had to deal with the consequences that would follow.
Luce Eltania, you may withdraw your mana. Well done.
Luces mana faded away. She soon walked off the stage.
The intimidating atmosphere within the ssroom soon settled, but pained aching sounds soon echoed all around. After all, most of the students had released far too much mana and pushed themselves.
But Fernando began the lesson as if it didnt matter. So the students aside from the Priestess and the Saintess all listened to the lesson while groaning like zombies.
***
Senior Luce Eltania, correct?
?
After ss had ended.
Braided rose-gold hair. Butterfly-shaped hair ornament. Luce Eltania had just left the school building and was walking down the path.
Nearby a red plum tree that was in bloom, Luce stopped when a female student with loose pearl-ck hair approached her.
The attractive red makeup around the female students soft eyes made them seem more angr.
Seeing that she had an escort wizard in tow, she was likely someone of high status. From what Luce knew, there were only three freshmen who were permitted to have escorts among the students.
Looking at the red brooch on her uniform, she was a first-year student.
Ah, the Priestess.
Luce figured out her identity immediately.
Im Miya. You should have seen me in the ssroom earlier, but I dont know if you remembered me since there were so many other people.
I respect you, Senior. Personally, I like you.
Miya leaned her body forward and brought her face closer to Luce, then grinned.
Huhu. Its a pleasure to meet you, Senior Lu Huh?
Luce ignored the hand that Priestess Miya held out for a handshake and continued walking.
She wanted to hurry and go see Isaac. It didnt matter to Luce that this ck-haired freshman was the Priestess of the Eastern Nation.
The escort wizard seemed shocked, but Miya just tilted her head calmly as if she had expected that to happen.
Shes cold, just like the rumors say.
Luce Eltania.
The one who owned the legendary magic beast, Thunderbird Galia as her familiar, and had single-handedly protected Mrchen Academy from the Floating Inds massive attacks.
That talent could only be described as overwhelming, and she was currently the prominent top seat for the second years of the Magic Department at Mrchen Academy.
But it didnt stop there. Luce was the dictionary definition of an ice princess who didnt speak with others and gave them a cold stare when one attempted to speak with her.
Where are you going? You wont get anything good out of ignoring me.
Luce only continued to walk instead of responding.
Seeing that, Miya gazed at Luces silhouette fading into the distance with a smirk.
Miss Miya?
I like her. I want her even more now.
Miya brought a folded ck fan up to her lips and blushed.
The escort wizard swallowed anxiously.
There had been several things that Priestess Miya had constantly spoken about wanting whileing to the Mrchen Academy.
The first was obviously the Nameless Hero.
Next were the top seats of each grade in the Magic Department, Luce Eltania, and the Star Witch, Dorothy Heartnova.
In addition to the Nameless Hero, the rumors that had spread throughout the continent and even to the Eastern Nation over the ocean were enough to catch Miyas attention.
Miya was the type who needed to im what she wanted. If there was by any chance a reason she could not im something, then she went as far as to remove that reason to im what she wanted.
And right now, Miya had just said that she wanted Luce Eltania even more.
Miya would be ready to do anything in order to make someone hers.
Dont you think it would be so wonderful if Someone like her submissively obeyed my orders and smiled only at me?
Miya knew how to recognize people like Luce.
Those who had no such thing as blood or tears, and were cold-blooded enough to remove whatever stood in their way for their benefit or something they wanted.
That senior, Luce Eltania, was most definitely such a person.
Because.
A cold, ice-hearted woman one who treats others as trash and smiles at nobody. I know that feeling. That person Theyre just like me.
She was also one of them.
Those of the same kind were able to recognize one another.
Heh.
Miya secretly began to tail Luce.
She wanted to learn more about her.
***
In the corner of the Hydrangea Garden. I had been training my magic while waiting for Princess Snow White.
But right now I just stared up nkly at a girl with rose-gold hair.
Isaac, arent you hungry? I brought some stuff to eat in case you hadnt eaten yet. Do you want me to feed you?
She had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, tilted her head, and smiled yfully at me.
Luce
This girl, how did she get here?
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 140: Mentor Isaac (5)
Chapter 140: Mentor Isaac (5)
Mentor Isaac (5)
Ldy Miya!!
In the end today was no different.
The escort wizard from the Land of Fire Blossoms suddenly saw Priestess Miya turn into a fox fire and felt her heart sink.
She felt a sense of despair, thinking, Here we go again.
Lady Miyaaaa!! Where are youuuu!!
If anything were to happen to Miyas well-being, she knew her head would be detached from her neck.
The escort wizard, terrified, sweated profusely as she tirelessly searched for Miya.
* * *
Luce and I sat side by side on a small rock I made using [Rock Generation].
The lunchbox Luce brought was packed from a restaurant, so the taste was guaranteed to be good.
Isaac, open your mouth right now.
Dont people usually say say aah at times like these?
Her smile was there, but the choice of words made it sound like she was issuing amand.
Regardless, when Luce offered food with her fork, I quickly epted and ate it.
Then she smiled broadly, her cheeks slightly flushed as if she was pleased.
Apparently, she had recently learned from a novel that feeding someone was a gesture of endearment.
Luce.
Yes?
How did you know about this ce?
Luce, while picking up a piece of chicken with her fork, suddenly paused.
After a brief, awkward silence, she moved her adorable lips.
I happened to coincidentally see Isaacing this way.
Luce emphasized the word coincidentally.
Still, she maintained a gentle smile on her lips.
Coincidentally?
Yes. You know I have good eyesight. I spotted Isaac from afar.
Is that so.
Luce nodded vigorously, saying Yes, yes, in a way that didnt quite match her faint smile, leaving almost an afterimage.
What a lie its so clumsy, all I can do isugh.
With [Psychological Insight], I could tell that she had been following me from afar for days because she wanted to see me.
Using [irvoyance] to constantly monitor from a distance was bothersome, so I rarely did it, but it seemed Luce was right in its blind spot.
We havent been spending much time togethertely. You have mentoring duties, and with the remaining time, you need to focus on training, and then its time to sleep
Thats right.
So, thats why she has been stalking me
To be more precise, it seemed she came all this way wanting to be with me, mentoring or not. To Luce, being a princess or anything else was of no interest.
Even so, you didnt eat dinner? You know that upsets me, right?
I had a piece of bread Hey, this is delicious, you know?
You were hungry, after all. Wait, let me feed you. Open your mouth.
Cant you just tell me to say aah?
I realized I couldnt let Luce leave until we finished eating, so I decided to exin everything thoroughly to White upon her arrival.
I must have been really hungry. The food Luce brought was delicious, especially the seasoned chicken, which I loved.
We made some jokes and yed around while feeding each other.
You braided your hair, didnt you?
Does it suit me?
Of course. Can I twist it with my finger just once?
Only if I can twist Isaacs hair too. Tousled hair~.
We giggled as we yfully twisted each others hair with our fingers.
Suddenly, a yful voice that wouldnt leave my memories came to mind.
Arent you a little sad? You didnt get to marry me.
Indeed, Luce was unbearably adorable.
* * *
Ehehe. Its perfect, Merlin! This magic tool will surely make me stronger!
Snow White exhaled sharply through her nose. Her face had a smile filled with hope.
Merlin was walking through the Hydrangea Garden with the princess, who had been tricked by a merchants smooth talk.
After being overwhelmed and fainting from Luce Eltanias immense mana, White began to burn with enthusiasm, wishing to be like her.
Thus, she impulsively purchased an expensive magic tool and now held it in her hand.
Merlin! This is a famous magic tool known to greatly improve mana mastery! Its said to significantly enhance mana! It cost two weeks worth of meals, but it must be worth it, right?
White dered confidently that she would cultivate self-reliance at the academy and take responsibility for her own life.
In thisnd, a unique currency named gel facilitates the cirction of a small economy, so the gel in Whites wallet would be her only avable asset
She did receive a substantial amount of gel as an admission reward, but the problem was that Whites grades were exceedingly low.
The only means to earn gel were through performance evaluations and exams. Since it was during the semester, it was not possible to earn gel throughbor. Naturally, this meant that the gel she could acquire would be limited for a while.
Overspending was a quick path to ruin. Merlin worried whether White would be able to make sensible purchases with the remaining gel she had remaining.
Senior Isaac will surely praise me for being somendable, wont he? Ehehe~.
Yes he surely will.
But Merlin wasnt brave enough to say anything against that bright smile, which seemed to make flowers bloom around her. Especially since it was a purchase for her own development
Merlin could only nod in response to Whites words.
Eventually, they reached a secluded path, nearly arriving at a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
Ah, theres Senior Isaac~. Who is he with Freeze!
White suddenly stopped and quickly stretched her arm out to the side to block Merlin. She had an urgent expression.
Then she pushed Merlins back, grunting, and hid behind a nearby tree.
White peered out from behind the tree, ncing toward Isaac.
Why are you doing this, Princess Whi-?
Merlin also peered out and, upon seeing Isaac, her eyes widened in surprise.
She saw a female student with rose-gold hair feeding Isaac.
L-Luce Eltania! Its Senior Luce!
Whites voice trembled.
Luce Eltania. The top seat of the second year of the Magic Department?
Hadnt she mentioned her admiration for Luce? Merlin wondered why White sounded so terrified.
Are you talking about the famous Ice Princess?
Yes, yess!
But shes personally feeding Sir Isaac. Seeing how happy they are, they might be in a rtionship.
Is she Senior Isaacs girlfriend?
Isaac was indeed amendable senior with rapid progress, but Luce Eltania was a being of a different caliber.
White recalled the intimidating aura Luce had disyed in the previous ss. The memory of her smiling brightly at Isaac was in stark contrast, giving an unfamiliar feeling.
Meanwhile, Merlin casted a look of skepticism.
Luce was a formidable figure, known for having a legendary familiar and even thwarting the attacks of the Floating Ind.
Moreover, having received elite training at Mrchen Academy, she would have mastered the efficient and systematic handling of her abundant mana.
She was an exceptional student famous for her cold demeanor towards others and her overwhelming talent.
Is her heart uniquely softened towards only Isaac?
Did Isaac possess something special?
Such was the doubt that crossed Merlins mind.
Senior Isaac must be an incredibly capable man!
White, filled with admiration. Respect for Isaac seemed to have bloomed even further in her heart.
Hes truly my mentor!
A sigh escaped Merlins lips. How could this Princesss mind be so pure, she wondered.
Meanwhile,
Whats this?
The beautiful girl with pearl-ck hair, Priestess Miya, was greatly startled upon seeing Isaac and Luce together.
Suspecting that she would definitely be caught by Luce if apanied by her escort wizard, Miya had secretly followed her on her own.
So she had made her way to a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
But there, she witnessed an unexpected scene.
Shes smiling?
Luce Eltania.
The Luce Eltania, who seemed cold and unapproachable to everyone as if she had no blood or tears, whom Miya believed to be a fellow cold-hearted individual, was showing a pure smile and seemed to be enjoying herself with just one man.
That man
Miya remembered seeing the man, whom Luce was looking at so affectionately, before.
He was the silver-blue-haired senior she encountered in the corner of the Butterfly Garden on the day of the entrance exam while searching for the Nameless Hero.
She didnt know his name. What interest could there be in a man whose mana seemed so insignificant?
But why was Luce Eltania, of all people, smiling so happily at that man? Miya couldnt understand.
Miya frowned.
Irritation surged within her.
Soon, a student fitting the description of pure white and a knight with a dark green ponytail approached Isaac and Luce. It was White and Merlin.
White approached Isaac awkwardly, humming a tune and looking away. It was then that Isaac and Luce stood up.
I-I didnt mean to interrupt, you know! I need to train too!
Luce red coldly at White, who was fumbling over her words.
White, sweating profusely and with tears welling up in her eyes due to fear, sent a pleading look to Merlin for help.
Merlin sighed and stepped forward to assist White.
Are you two, by any chance, an item?
Luce shook her head, then blushed slightly and timidly replied, Just friends
Isaac also responded with a simr answer, smiling awkwardly.
This is?
Merlins eyes sparkled as she grasped the nature of their rtionship.
Perhaps the stage before bing a couple!
Merlins heart softened in an instant as if witnessing a sweet moment of youth.
To Merlin, who still harbored the heart of a young girl, the rtionship between Isaac and Luce appeared very endearing.
Merlin?
White couldnt understand why Merlin suddenly had sparkling eyes.
Soon after, Isaac looked at White and smiled sheepishly.
Sorry about that. I was waiting until you arrived. I didnt mean to make you feel awkward.
No no no! Thats not it at all!
Luce, the meal was great. Thank you. See youter.
Isaac smiled and patted Luces shoulder.
Alright.
Luce replied with a voice tinged with reluctance.
If she tried to stay with Isaac even at the cost of disrupting the mentoring session, it could have the opposite effect and distance them. She had learned this the hard way duringst semesters social gathering.
Still, having achieved her goal of having fed Isaac, Luce decided to leave, content with how things went.
Ill get going. See youter, Isaac.
Take care.
Luce gave Isaac a quick smile and gathered her things.
As she was leaving, she casted a brief nce at White.
!
A shiver ran down Whites spine.
Luce was ring at her.
White immediately realized why. She had been receiving one-on-one training from Isaac, so Senior Luce must have been feeling jealous.
White wanted to assure Senior Luce that there was nothing to worry about, but she couldnt find the words.
Luce silently left the corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
A brief, awkward silence followed.
S-se-senior Isaaaac, s-shall we s-start the t-training?!
Feeling as though Luces hostility still lingered, White stammered like a broken clock.
Are you okay? Is something wrong?
No, no Just feeling a bit stiff. Lets get on with the training!
Oh, you bought a magic tool. I have one of those too.
Ah Eheheh. Exactly! Seems like I made a good choice!
As Isaac smiled kindly and changed the topic, White quickly became more cheerful.
The two chatted happily about the magic tool.
***
I saw it.
Colorful hydrangeas were in full bloom along the path.
As Luce passed through the Hydrangea Garden, a girl with pearl-ck hair suddenly emerged and spoke to her. It was Priestess Miya.
Luce looked at her with an indifferent expression, then turned her head forward and hastened her steps, showing no interest.
Miya blurted out words towards the back of Luce as she was leaving.
I didnt know Senior Luce could smile like that.
Luce ignored her.
You look really beautiful when you smile, Senior. Enough for me to get entrances, even if for a moment.
Luce continued to ignore her.
Why would someone like you only smile for such an unremarkable man?
Luce stopped in her tracks.
Realizing she had struck a nerve, Miya smirked, teasing Luce.
Is that senior your type, Senior Luce? Well, his face isnt too bad. But you two dont seem to be on the same level.
I think youre smiling at the wrong person. How about smiling for someone more on your level? You are truly amazing, Senior Luce.
Luce turned her head back and red at Miya.
Her eyes, deep like the ocean, held no light within them. That cynical look gave Miya the chilling sensation of walking on thin ice.
Yes, that was Luce Eltania. Miya dly epted the hostility emanating from Luce.
You aim to be an exalted Tower Master, dont you? But honestly, you cant achieve that dream alone, can you? Its not something you can be just with some money and talent.
But you know, Senior Luce~ I have wealth, fame, power, everything. I can grant you everything you desire.
Miya, with her hands behind her back and a fox-like grin, slowly approached Luce.
Let me reintroduce myself. I am Miya, the Priestess of the Land of the Fire Blossoms. If youre going to smile, itd be better to smile at me instead of that insect
[Miya, run!!]
Suddenly, blue and purple magic circles conjured around Luce in multiple directions.
Fzzzzzzt!!!
Whoooosh!!!
The powerful water magic, imbued with the purple lightning of Thunderbird, shot toward Miya like a cannon, with no ce for her to escape.
Miyas eyes widened as she instinctively calcted the summoning spell for the Nine-tailed Fox in her head.
Soon, the Nine-tailed Foxs mana cloaked her, creating nine red fiery tails to form a robust protective shield.
However.
Bzzzt!!
Boom!!
Gahh!!
The purple lightning collided with the mes, causing a mana-induced explosion, and a massive wave of water swept Miya away.
The upper hand of elemental advantage, the disparity in power.
In every aspect, Luce overwhelmed Miya.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 141: Mentor Isaac (6)
Chapter 141: Mentor Isaac (6)
Mentor Isaac (6)
Miyas body crashed against a tree.
The water magic that violently surged like a tsunami settled onto the ground, and Miyas body slid down with it.
Miya threw up water with painful coughs. Her entire body and mouth stung. Her body refused to move to her will.
The attack had been a fusion of dense water and powerful lightning magic. Mana mastery of that level was truly in the realm of talent.
Step. Step.
Luce walked closer.
Instinctive fear kicked in, and Miya peered up at her, her bodypletely drenched like a wet rat.
Kuack-.
Guergh!
Luce used her foot to press Miyas shoulder against the tree and looked down at her with an expression of apathy.
Luces face was shadowed by the shade of the tree they stood under; her oceanic eyes glowed with a frightening bloodlust.
Lightning mana sparked around Luce like a shing barrier. Behind her stood the flickering figure of a ck grouse, the bird of preys eyes shing.
It was the mana of the legendary magic beast, Thunderbird Galia.
Moreover, the synchronization of the familiar and Luce was at MAX. Luce and the Thunderbirds powers were one.
Whether it was mana mastery, elemental firepower, or her familiar, she was wless in every way.
Gazing upon the beautiful figure of an awe-inspiring woman of power.
Miya felt strong disbelief.
Senior Luce, but why?
Because she couldnt understand.
She, who had wealth, power, and fame had offered Luce to help achieve her dreams. It must have been a rare and tempting offer for her.
Even if it hadnt been, not a single person in this world could rashly charge at Miya in this manner.
Yes. She, the Priestess, was practically the ruler of the eastern nation. What she had just done had been no different from initiating an attack on an entire nation.
Miya was utterly bewildered because of that. She hadnt expected this to happen. Her actions were not just a little, but far from themon sense she knew.
Soon after, Luces voice fell upon her.
I know that you were there, watching us.
Luces eyesight was much sharper than what would normally be considered reasonable.
It was to the point she would be able to identify a single ant in the distance if she concentrated.
So she knew just a moment ago that White, Merlin, and Miya had been watching her and Isaac.
White was fine since she had been expected toe.
But the problem was Miya.
Who do you think you are
Guahkk!
Luce put more pressure onto the foot that was pressed on Miyas shoulder. Miya cried out in pain.
To call Isaac an insect?
What hade to Luces mind was a shred of regret that hade from her shattered heart.
A person who had be precious to Luce when she had been abandoned by another precious person.
It was the agonizing memory of when she had lost the Candy House Witch.
In front of the countless soldiers, tears merely streamed down Luces face as she held the Candy House Witch in her arms. The helplessness and pain of bereavement had strangled her until now.
To that Luce, who had been lost amid her darkened heart, Isaac had appeared like a ray of light. He had be her precious person.
So the value that Isaac held for Luce was worth more than a fortune. If someone dared to criticize him, then a pure me of fury ignited within Luce.
Luce leaned over and stared down at Miya up close. Her braided locks of rose-gold hair slid down over her shoulders.
And for a while, the two continued to gaze into one anothers eyes.
Overwhelmed by the frigid eyes that seemed ready to kill her at any moment, Miya even forgot to breathe.
Dont ever, talk to me again.
Luce whispered to her in a low voice.
Then, Luce withdrew her foot from Miyas shoulder and turned around, calmly leaving the scene.
Miya grasped the shoulder that Luce stomped on. It hurt. At the same time, the Nine-tailed Foxs mana was withdrawn and her me tails disappeared.
She stared, dazed, at the second-year top seat walking into the distance.
The rose-gold hair blended into the sunset on the horizon.
Tch.
Miya clicked her tongue.
It was the first time she had been beaten. Her entire body shook.
This is humiliation.
It was an emotion that she had felt for the first time.
Soon, a small me flickered from her index finger. Miya glimpsed down at that me.
[Miya, do not provoke that child.]
Immediately after, the Nine-tailed Foxs voice rang in her ears.
[Not even I canpete against the Thunderbird. Not to mention that the Thunderbirds power has already integrated into that girls strength, so there is not a single thing I can do.]
Miyas attractive crimsonced eyes narrowed irritatedly.
A sigh came out together with her voice.
Bullshit.
It was natural for her to im what she wanted.
It was natural for her to stand on top.
That had been the natural way of life for Miya.
Isaac
The silver-blue-haired senior, Isaac. Was he really that precious to Luce Eltania, to the point that he clouded her rational thinking?
Miya chuckled and supported herself against the tree to stand up, then began walking in the opposite direction of the path Luce took.
Though her legs were still shaky, she managed to walk after casting healing magic.
I want her even more now
Humiliation and shame washed over Miya, causing her to shrink. Her entire body was shivering from the cold.
But these new emotions had instead ignited an even stronger fire within Miya.
Using the heat from her fire mana, Miya dried off the water from her body as she walked forward.
Luce Eltania, Isaac.
She continued to repeat those two names in her mind.
Eventually, Miya rejoined with the escort wizard who had been searching for her.
The escort wizard shook in fear when she found parts of Miyas school uniform torn, but Miya shook it off and told her that it was not a big deal.
She did not want to cause amotion over something as trivial as this.
There had been someone who witnessed the entire incident.
A female student who enjoyed taking walks had been passing through the Hydrangea Garden when she sensed a strong mana and found Luce and Miya.
Her light pink hair was braided down on both sides into a loop. Unlike other students, she wore a veil and robe.
Her eyes were opened so narrowly that her eyes could not be seen. One could even believe that her eyes were closed.
The only prominent expression on her face was her noble smile that contained her interest in what she witnessed.
Sylon. Do you know who Isaac is?
The Saintess, Bianca Anturaze, asked her escort priest in an elegant voice.
***
After finishing my lesson with White, we parted ways at the entrance of the Hydrangea Garden.
On the path toward the dorms. A glowing ball of mana simr to that of a firefly flew towards me andnded on my arm. It was Frost Dragon Hilde.
[Master, I am back.]
Hilde, tell me what you said before again.
I had Frost Dragon Hilde constantly patrol my surroundings. She was simr to an extra surveince device in addition to my [irvoyance].
Her role was to ry the situation to my head whenever something happened.
It was natural for me to be extra cautious since not only did Alice suspect me of being the ck Monster, but the Pdins were also put into action.
Just a moment ago, Hilde had reported what had happened around me.
But because I did not have a chance to respond then, I decided to take a moment to sort the events once more.
So the Priestess had been spying on me and got into a fight with Luce and the Saintess witnessed that happen?
[Correct.]
I was the reason why Luce and Miya fought. Miya had insulted me to spur Luce, and that triggered Luces anger.
It looked like Miya nned to keep quiet about this incident. She likely wants to make Luce hers like she had originally nned.
Even if I hadnt been the reason, it was inevitable for those two to have conflict. Miya shouldnt do anything over threatening to make Luce hers.
Anyhow, Miya had realized that I was Luces weakness.
This had also been revealed to Saintess Bianca, who coincidentally happened to witness the two female students fighting,
It was difficult to predict what variables would emerge from this situation. I did at least expect that she would not do anything rash to me now that she knew harming me was akin to suicide if Luce found out, but
Well, it was inevitable for me toe into contact with Miya anyway. Id just think of it as the schedule having been pulled forward a bit.
Actually, I may have be safer now that Miya believed that I was under Luces protection.
The problem is the Saintess.
Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
As expected from the three main characters of the Golden Generation, she was quite beautiful, a female student with light pink hair that seemed quite noble. She had narrow eyes, but she wasnt a hidden viin.
She was a side character in Magic Knight of Mrchen.
And because I didnt like her personality, I didnt n to associate with her. But it looked like Bianca had input the name Isaac into her head.
I didnt know what to do, because this girls actions were even harder to predict than the Pdins.
It wasnt like I had a choice. I now needed to create my n even more systematically while taking Bianca into consideration.
I now needed to prepare to fight scenario demons like the Abyssal Sea Monster and the Necromancer King.
The first enemy of Semester 1 Year 2, the Abyssal Sea Monster, was going to make its appearance soon. It was going to be during the next joint practical evaluation.
I had a lot to think about.
Ill sort my thoughts out before I go to bed after finishing todays training
?
Just as I was passing through an empty path, I suddenly felt mana powerful enough to make a shiver run down my spine.
Whooooosh-.
A soft light green wind wrapped around me.
When I whipped my head up in surprise, I found a female students face right in front of me.
The girl was surrounded by the wind. Her light green twin tails and wizards cape fluttered in the wind.
With a bright smile, she wrapped her arms around my shoulder and thennded on the ground in my embrace.
After locking me in with her arms so that I couldnt escape.
Chu.
She cutely pecked my cheek. The pleasant feeling left a lingering sensation on my cheek.
With a flushed face, she had a lovely smile as she gazed at me up close.
Its been a while, Sir Isaac! Did you miss me?
One of my favorite characters, Kaya Astrea.
Or Dark Kaya, to be exact.
I know I missed you a lot~.
Kaya?
Kayaughed innocently and rubbed her cheek against my face. All sorts of squishy things such as her cheek or chest came into contact with me, I didnt know what to do.
I couldnt escape from her reach because her arms were wrapped around me, and I was going crazy from her warm breath touching my skin. I let my guard down because it had been a long time since I had seen her.
Anyway, it looks like she also made some changes after bing a second year, just as Luce had braided her hair.
Her difference was that the ck hair tie she used changed to a red one that was just like her eye color. It suited her hair color as well. Her hair also seemed a bit shorter as well.
Yeah, its nice to see you. Have you been well?
Yes, thanks to Sir Isaac. Sigh. Youve be so manly after bing a second year~.
Still close to me, Kaya tilted her head from side to side while talking to me in a cute voice.
I opened my eyes partially and fixed my sses, then red at her.
More importantly, havent you been avoiding me these days?
With a quiet, Ahh Kaya quietly turned her eyes away from me.
I really liked Kaya. So I wanted to go say hello and have the asional conversation with her, but she kept on running away from me.
Whenever I checked on her with [Psychological Insight], it looked like she wanted to say something to me, but she was having a hard time with it.
I didnt think she needed to hide it though.
Theres something that I didnt want to talk about Im sorry about that.
Kaya smiled awkwardly.
Her mother had caught onto the feelings that she had for me.
So she had promised to bring the person she liked to the Astrea Manor but was debating about how to suggest to me the promise that she had made on her own terms.
It looked like today was the day that she mustered up the courage, even using Dark Kaya, for it.
This was convenient. I had been nning to force a strategy meeting if I needed to so that we could deal with the Abyssal Sea Monster with ease.
Id already talked about it with Dorothy, and it had been about time to talk with Kaya as well.
I had something to talk about with you too. I was going to talk with you sometime soon.
Oh, what is it?
You talk first. Why did you avoid me?
Ah
Kaya quietly stared at me.
Then burst out inughter as if she couldnt hold it in anymore, and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying herself into my chest.
With Kaya rubbing her face against my chest, her scent wafted up and tickled my nose.
Can we stay like this a little longer and talkter? I just cant help liking Sir Isaac so much
Shes way too cute.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 142: Mentor Isaac (7)
Chapter 142: Mentor Isaac (7)
Mentor Isaac (7)
Its been a long time since Ive been here. I remember being grandly rejected by Sir Isaac here.
It wasnt a rejection
Hehe, just kidding~.
When the twilight slowly settled in.
Kaya and I visited Norhan Lake, located in Josena Forest near the gates of Mrchen Academy, for the first time in a while.
Theke, with its natural mana flowing gorgeously, was emitting its clear and vivid colors as always.
We could have done the discussion in a hideout not so far from here, but we decided it would be better toe to a ce filled with memories.
Kaya and I sat at the tree stump and admired the beautifulke. We could hear the sound of water flowing and the buzzing of insects.
It atmosphere here was still amazing.
So, whats the thing you have problems saying?
Ah, yes. That is
Kaya awkwardly smiled and twirled her hair with her fingers.
The more I think about it, the more I feel its not the right time to say it. May I speak after you have achieved your goal?
Seeing my face, Kaya seemed to waver in her resolve and changed the subject.
Indeed, it made sense. What Kaya wanted to suggest to me was technically a family meeting, but since even the steps before that hadnt been properly taken care of, it would be too soon.
I decided to pretend like I didnt know and I reacted ordingly.
Why?
I feel its too premature to speak now. Im sorry, but if someday you could set down your heavy burden, and if Im seen as a woman by you, Sir Isaac would it be okay to tell you then?
Thats a lot of hints.
I took it as Kaya justying the groundwork for something more. Id act surprised when she got to the main pointter.
I sighed lightly, feigning disappointment with a kind smile as I patted Kayas head.
Its okay if its hard to say. Speak when you feel like it.
As expected, Sir Isaac, you are very understanding. It would have been too frustrating for me to bear it.
Because I already know what you want to say.
I wasnt a particrly forgiving or generous person. If I hadnt known, I would have pressed the issue out of frustration.
As soon as I tried to take my hand off of Kayas head, she quickly caught it and rubbed it against her cheek. She closed her eyes, seemingly enjoying the touch of my hand.
One thing I can confidently say is that
Kaya let out a suggestive smile.
I am always ready to be Sir Isaacs woman. This body, my heart, all of me belongs to Sir Isaac
She was going along with the mood, seemingly intent on seducing me again. She did that whenever she got a chance.
Did shee up with this cheesy line during the holidays?
From my past readings of her psychology, she was determined to seduce me relentlessly until my journey at Mrchen Academy was finished.
I could almost see Kayas original personality screaming in agony right about now. She must be ignoring that desperate scream.
Sorry, but as Ive said before, Im not in a position to be in a rtionship yet.
Of course, I know~. But once Sir Isaacs intentions are realized, then it will be time for me and Sir Isaacs rendezvous, right? I bet you cant even begin to imagine how much Im looking forward to that moment.
Kaya, with a beaming smile, took my hand that had been rubbing her cheek and ced it on her chest, as if to let me feel her heartbeat.
I like you, Sir Isaac. It will always be so please never forget that.
Being human, hearing such words made my face flush.
I tried to maintain my facial expression, but I too was reminded of my own manhood.
How could I forget that?
My lips quivered in response to Kayas seductive provocation, seemingly because my affection for her had reached its limit.
By the way, what was it that you wanted to say, Sir Isaac?
Its about a strategy meeting.
Is it about the demons?
Kaya guessed the meaning of my answer and her expression turned serious.
I nodded my head.
Squish.
Suddenly, Kaya hugged my arm and rested her cheek on my shoulder. I could feel the softness of her chest against my arm.
Her expression was still serious, which didnt match the bold behavior typical of lovers.
Please exin.
What are you doing?
Its a bit chilly, dont you think? If were going to have a strategy meeting, isnt it better to stay like this? Humans are social animals and this is social behavior.
Is that so
How shameless
I was dumbfounded, but since it wasnt an unpleasant feeling, I let it pass.
I shared the information about The Abyssal Sea Monsters appearance with Kaya during the joint practical evaluation and discussed with her how to deal with it safely.
And when we finished talking and were about to part.
Kaya, expressing sadness, kissed my cheek several times and asked to stay a bit longer, hugging me tightly for a while.
Only after I barely managed to pull away was I able to send her back to the dorm.
It was a healing experience.
The chirping of sparrows announced the morning.
The morning sunlight pierced through the silk curtains, brightening the dorm for top-ranked students, Charles Hall.
On the bed, Kaya Astrea slowly opened her eyes. Her jade-colored irises captured the familiar ceiling in her view.
Sheid there impassively for a while
Suddenly, the memories of the previous day struck Kaya like an arrow.
Cough!
Kaya coughed up blood and then trembled violently.
Kill me
The more she dwelled on what she had said to Isaac, and her attempts to seduce him
Kaya clutched at her chest in agony and writhed in her bed.
I am always ready to be Sir Isaacs woman. This body, my heart, all of me belongs to SIr. Isaac
Ughhh!
I like you, Sir Isaac. It will always be so please never forget that.
Stop Stop it!
Its a bit chilly, dont you think? If were going to have a strategy meeting, isnt it better to stay like this? Humans are social animals and this is social behavior.
Gaaah!
Bang!
The door swung open and Mary, the Astrea familys personal maid with purple hair, hurried in.
Miss Kaya! Whats the matter?! Huh!
Mary please take away my breath please!
Lady Kaya?!
Kaya felt like dying of shame.
***
In a shabby warehouse adorned with triangr gables, Abel Carnedas listened intently.
The abandoned warehouse was located somewhere in Josena Forest, near the main gate of Mrchen Academy.
In front of him, kneeling on one knee, was a small ant made of turquoise-colored natural mana.
Its voice was very small, fitting its size. Moreover, being a magic beast that had not yet reached maturity, its linguistic ability was not evenprehensible.
But Abel understood the words of the magic ant. He could perceive its emotions and thoughts.
Being able to use 1-star magic already is amazing! ording to my logical analysis, you have the potential to be a fully-fledged rock element magic beast capable of using 3-star rock magic within ten years.
The ant raised its forelegs and its eyes sparkled. It was a tiny gesture, smaller than a segment of a finger.
Abel, a boy with mischievous gray-blue hair, smiled brightly.
Of course, I know. I have a deep understanding of magic beast ecology. Whats that, you ask? Its a field of study about creatures like you. So, you canpletely trust what I say Ah, what time is it?
He had lost track of time while talking with the magic ant.
Abel took out a pocket watch from inside his clothing to check the time. The mysterious face of the watch, shimmering with a golden hue, had a strangely shaped hour hand ticking away.
My goodness.
Could his eyes be deceiving him? Abel rubbed his eyes and looked at the pocket watch again, starting to sweat profusely.
Are you able to move now?!
The ant nodded.
Its a shame we cant talk more! I have somewhere I need to be!
Abel hurriedly slung the bag he had ced beside him over his shoulder.
Then, lets meet again next time!
With that, Abel dashed out of the abandoned warehouse.
Reflecting on the situation,
Abel Carnedas had stopped by Josena Forest early in the morning to converse with small magic beasts formed from natural mana.
He had heard the crying of the ant in the abandoned warehouse.
So he went inside and, after casting a healing spell to elerate the natural recovery of the injured ant, had a pleasant conversation with it.
It couldnt be helped. To him, young magic beasts were very endearing.
Abel nced at his pocket watch and ran down the verdant path.
Ah, Im going to bete!
In Mrchen Academy, where only the most talented students gathered, he could not bear the disgrace of being the first freshman to bete, especially being from the Carnedas family.
Abel ran as if his life depended on it.
***
Merlin! This is the highest quality parchment for practicing magic circles! The pen marks show up so well on it that its much more effective for learning than other parchments! It cost about 500 gels, but its worth it, right?
Merlin! This is a magical herb said to help increase mana! If you brew and drink this, the amount of mana you can wield will grow rapidly! It costs the equivalent of three weeks worth of meals, but its worth it, right?
Merlin! This is
Merlin!
Lately, Merlin had developed a problem.
Whites spending habits have be too excessive!
The joint practical evaluation wasing up soon. White had been fervently training in preparation for the exam.
Whenever possible, White was swayed by merchants sweet talk and ended up buying anything and everything imed to help with training.
With this much, Im all set~. Ill easily pass the next exam. Senior Isaac will be so surprised when he sees how much stronger Ive suddenly be! Heehee.
It was just a few days ago that White had said those words. She was looking forward to a future brimming with bright light and hope.
But today, Whites expression was tinged with worry.
Noon. In front of Orphin Hall, the Magic Department lecture hall, on a bench.
White had been repeatedly making remarks about the nice weather in every conversation since earlier, saying things like, The weather is nice, The weather is good, etc. Merlin knew that White tended to talk about the weather when she had a secret she wanted to hide.
Merlin wasnt sure whether it was appropriate to ask such a question to White, who had resolved to be more independent.
Merlin felt that she had to ask.
Princess White, how much gel do you have left?
What?! gel? Oh, I have plenty left!
White responded dramatically.
Her eyes betrayed her turmoil.
Ah, I still have, enough, enough tost until the next exam!
The quake in her eyes gradually spread throughout her body.
Merlin instantly realized that it was a lie born out of embarrassment.
Befitting her status as a Princess, the concept of rational spending had not yet taken root for White.
It seemed that her financial situation was not very good.
Merlin kept quiet, not wanting to tarnish Whites deration of self-reliance and her dignity.
After all, living within ones means ording to their current ie level was an important task for fostering independence.
Merlin decided to just watch and see if White could navigate through her current problem.
* * *
As mentioned before, to obtain a specific item from The Abyssal Sea monster, the demon from Magic Knight of Mrchen Act 7, there was a hidden condition.
If that condition was met, one could obtain a magic weapon called Ring of the Abyssal Queen.
I nned to give that ring to Luce.
The only problem is that the ring had to be worn on the ring finger of the left hand to take effect
How should I give it to her
The sky was darkly stained at night. I was jogging down the street lit by glowing stones in the streetmps, lost in thought.
For now, one task has been aplished.
A few days earlier, I had ced a cube filled with corrupted dust, which granted [Domain Expansion], on Ians usual path.
As he passed by, I lightly burst it with a pre-prepared spell.
At that moment, the corrupted dust seeped into Ian. He was flustered and confused.
Thus, he became capable of deploying a light element domain. It was a crude method, but also fitting.
However, I was still troubled about how to give the ring to Luce.
Luce was sharp. A clumsy lie would be worse than not saying anything.
The joint practical evaluation day, the appearance of The Abyssal Sea Monster wasing soon. I needed to resolve this problem quickly
Hm?
Suddenly, I noticed a girl in a school uniform, standing dazed and drooling in front of a small unmanned shop run by magic tools. She was a student whom the term pure white seemed naturally fitting.
Her gaze was fixed on the disy case.
I stopped and tilted my head, examining her face closely.
Indeed, it was Snow White.
Whats she doing here? And wheres Merlin?
White?
Ah, Senior Isaac?!
As I approached and spoke to her, White was startled and looked at me.
She hurriedly wiped the drool from her mouth, making a flustered sound.
What were you doing?
Oh, nothing?
White awkwardly smiled and waved her arms vehemently.
I looked at the unmanned stores disy case. There were simple food items like bread inside.
It was a device simr to the unmanned stores used inst semesters hunting evaluation, essentially a vending machine that dispensed food in exchange for gels. Its appearance was quite crude.
Soon after,
Gurgle.
Ah
A loud hunger rm sounded from Whites stomach.
Tears welled up in Whites eyes as she continued to smile awkwardly.
Overwhelmed with unbearable sadness, she expressed her true feelings in a tearful voice.
Senior Isaac Im hungry Sob
It seems like she has been through a lot.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 143: Mentor Isaac - Interlude
Chapter 143: Mentor Isaac - Interlude
Mentor Isaac Interlude
I read Whites psychology.
You dont have gel.
I immediately grasped her situation.
White had spent all of the gel she had and was starving.
Her oath to be more independent and take responsibility for herself likely caused her to push herself too far.
One may ask where she could use so much gel, and the answer would be her training equipment. She has been boasting to me about her new tools, after all.
I know she meant well But this was a little too much.
I never knew bread tasted this good
Inside a dark garden. White and I sat side by side on a bench lit by a streetmp.
She was nibbling on her bread with tears of joy in her eyes. I felt a bit of pity for her.
Did they say theyll stay over there?
I turned to look at a tree out of reach from the streetmps light.
Merlin Astreas golden eyes glowed.
She said that she would keep her distance so she does not be weak-hearted. She told me to ovee my problems on my own
So, she had intentionally widened the distance she stood from White to control herself.
I could understand that. It would be indeed difficult for her to hold back from helping when White was suffering from an empty stomach.
Merlin likely wanted to respect Whites resolve and determination.
For reference, I knew Merlin was over there because she had suddenly bursted out of nowhere just as White was about to eat the bread and stole a bite before leaving again.
She had done that to see if the bread had been poisoned.
Though I understood the situation, seeing her hop in to take a bite and leave without borating had still been a little perplexing.
Senior Isaac always seems to be training.
I was holding a magic tool in my right hand to continue circting my mana. It was a simple training method I used whenever I was jogging or had some leftover time.
White took another mouthful of her bread. Her cheeks puffed up like a hamster storing its food in its mouth.
Nomnom Is there any reason why you work so hard?
Its nice to have good grades, and youre guaranteed to be something in the future. Theres even a sense of aplishment you get from it. What about you?
Ah. I-its simr to me too! Sense of improvement, yeah, for the sense of improvement!
Is that so?
Whites objective for bing stronger was to be friends with the Priestess and Saintess. It seemed like she was embarrassed to say that as her goal.
Then why were you starving? You are more than a handful of people willing to give you gel if asked.
An entire line of students existed who wished to be close to White. She was a princess after all.
It wasnt like she didnt know that.
Thats something I dont want to do.
Why?
Because I feel like I will need to repay them. I dont really like those sorts of things. Not just that, but people normally do that to use me to their advantage. Feeling the obligation to repay people like that is terrible.
Ah, right.
White didnt like being indebted to others.
Moreover, she had difficulty trusting those who were kind to her and considered it ufortable when they did so. Rather, she thought of them as embezzlers.
There was a valid reason for such trust issues to have rooted inside Whites mind.
She was almost assassinated after all.
White had personally experienced what it was like to have people be kind to her one moment, only to try and assassinate her the next.
Moreover, the person behind that request had been her mother, so the shock a child like her would have felt was unfathomable.
It was natural for her to have trauma.
But even then.
But I dont think starving is a good idea.
Its the result of my wrong decisions. I must handle it myself
What she said was indeed quite mature.
Senior Isaac. I owe you. I am indebted to Senior Isaac now.
White spoke while looking down at her bread.
Debt, she said. White likely had an easier time epting it that way.
Nomnom Ill definitely repay this debt one day.
Ill be looking for interest, too.
Yes, of course!
White was a character essential for me to reach a happy ending.
It wouldnt hurt me to have a favor over her. This would actually be better for White as well.
Speaking of debt, Senior Isaac.
Yeah?
Can you lend me a guarantee I mean gel?
I heard a scary worde out of her mouth, but I pretended I didnt hear it.
White had low mana and even lower grades. If she received a loan from the academys bank, the interest would snowball into a size that she couldnt handle.
It had been fine for me since I had a n, but not her.
She didnt even have enough money to sustain herself until the next exam, so she seemed to have decided to borrow gel from me.
Alright. Train harder so you can get more gel. Remember that youll have to take responsibility if you cant repay me.
Whites expression brightened once her path to survival had been guaranteed.
T-thank you, Senior Isaac! I will make sure to take responsibility and repay you!
I didnt worry about White, who had one strong sense of responsibility, running away with my money.
Her dislike for debt didnte without reason. With her, she would do anything to repay her debts.
But wont you be the first princess to be indebted to amoner?
Then this could be considered an important moment in Zelvers history!
In the middle of that humiliating moment, White smiled as if it were a light joke to her.
Seeming to have lightened her mental load, she stared straight ahead with a much more rxed expression.
She stopped chewing on her bread. It looked like she had something she wanted to say.
Hey, Senior Isaac.
Yeah.
I like that Senior Isaac treats mefortably. It makes mefortable as well.
It does?
But you are firm when you must be and strict during training. A little like a real teacher.
I think thats a bit too far. Im just a mentor.
I havent seen anyone like Senior Isaac before, though. At first nce, Senior Isaac seemed soft-hearted, but you werent. Anyway, thats just my impression.
Even as the person with the highest status in the academy, Snow White did not treat social status as something important.
She took advantage of the academys culture of easing the social status between students as a way for her to treat othersfortably.
One could see that from the way she treats me, amoner.
Just like her exterior, which could be best described as pure white, she seemed like a white canvas that hadnt been stained by the colors of society. That was what caused me to feel affection for this child.
With a kind smile, I extended my hand to her.
Lets do well on that next exam, White.
Yes sir, Senior Isaac, sir.
White smiled widely as she pped my hand.
p.
The sound echoed into the night air.
* * *
Under the night sky. On the path lit by streetmps.
A female student with short white hair and a ck rabbit ear ribbon, Amy Holloway, was returning to the dorms with Ian Fairytale after training. Both were in training clothes, drenched in sweat.
Suddenly, Amy noticed a silver-blue-haired male student, Isaac, and the Pure White Princess, Snow White, chatting on a bench in the garden.
Amy halted on the spot.
What is it, Amy?
The ck-haired male student, Ian, also stopped with her. Amy brought her index finger to her lips and went shh to quiet him.
Isaac. She heard that he had be Princess Snow Whites mentor. It was a hot issue among the students since it was difficult to imagine a situation outside of Mrchen Academy where amoner mentored a princess.
So, there was no reason to be suspicious that the two were together.
Amy used the Holloway Familys bloodline ability, [Heart Color Discernment], to check the color of Isaacs heart.
It had been something she had constantly been doing since the start of the first semester of her second year whenever she saw Isaac.
She wanted to memorize every part of that color.
And she wanted confirmation of whether Isaac was the Nameless Hero or not.
That color.
What?
Blue and orange.
No matter how many times she checked, the color of Isaacs heart reminded her of the Nameless Hero, which she briefly caught a glimpse of.
The problem was that she did not get a proper look at the color of the Nameless Heros heart. It was like trying to recall the color of an arrow flying by.
.
So she wished to see him just one more time.
When she thought of this subject, Amy always arrived at the same question.
What will she do if Isaac actually is the Nameless Hero?
Ill need to question him.
Whether it was for the Holloway Family or herself.
What she wanted was a happy future together with Ian Fairytale. Mrchen Academy was a stepping stone for her to achieve that dream.
Butst year, demons had constantly visited Mrchen Academy.
On multiple asions, the Nameless Hero defeated those demons and protected Ian. Moreover, he had even protected herself at the Astrea Duchy.
To repay that favor and to support the archwizard.
Amy wanted to discover the identity of the Nameless Hero
?
So, as she gazed at Isaac for such reasons, Amy had unintentionally taken a glimpse at the colors of Princess Snow Whites heart as well.
Wait, whats that?
Amy?
Amy felt a chill run down her spine and frowned.
Its nothing, lets go~.
Amy patted Ians back and resumed walking.
Ian seemed confused as he followed behind.
When Amy was young, she promised only to use [Hear Color Discernment] when necessary.
Because it caused her view of that person to be biased. She didnt recall a single time where that ended well.
So Amy decided that she hadnt seen the color of the Princesss heart.
She had decided that she was merely the kind-hearted Princess Snow White.
While walking down the path lit with streetmps, Ian asked Amy in an anxious voice,
Im asking this just in case, but you arent interested in Isaac or anything, right?
In which Amy responded with blushed cheeks,
Why, are you jealous?
***
[Meooow. This is Alices message.]
Alices Labyrinth; a space consisting of ck and red checkered patterns.
On top of a staircase was the queens extravagant throne, where a plump purple cat in a suit sat. It was Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Standing on either side of the throne were a ck rabbit and a white rabbit in suits, who were fanning the Phantom Cat with red fans.
The four pdins stood in line before the Phantom Cat to listen to Alices message.
[A demon from the deep oceans will appear during the joint practical evaluation. The exact location and time of the appearance are unknown.]
The suit that Phantom Cat Cheshire was wearing seemed on the verge of bursting due to the rotundness of its body.
[The ck Monster wille to eliminate the demon. But before that, the ck Monster may also participate in the evaluation. He is, after all, hiding his identity and power for some reason. Anyhow, your objective is to thwart the ck Monsters ns! It would be even better if you guys could reveal the ck Monsters identity!]
When the Phantom Cat raised its paws while shouting, the shirt button near his stomach popped off and exposed his furry stomach.
[Do your best to help the demons defeat the Child of Light and destroy this world! Meoow!]
The male student, Spade, clicked his tongue in disapproval.
The female student, Heart, blushed and smiled.
The male student, Clover, nodded with a fake smile that suited his kind impression.
The female student, Diamond, remained unresponsive.
[Ah, right, and one more message from Alice.]
The Phantom Cat delivered the word calmly, resting its chin on its hand.
[Do not die. You are all Alices valued subordinates, after all~.]
Heavy tension fell upon the room. The four Pdins blinked slowly.
Their opponent was a mysterious archwizard they could not defeat, even with the four of thembined.
They could use 9-star magic, and singlehandedly defeated the Floating Ind.
But each Pdin had their resolve to aplish the queens will, no matter how powerful the enemy.
They folded their left arm behind their waist, ced their right hand over their chest, and bowed forward slightly.
Then, they all chanted simultaneously.
Everything as per the Queens will.
***
Soon after.
The joint practical evaluation had begun.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 144: Joint Practical Evaluation (1)
Chapter 144: Joint Practical Evaluation (1)
Joint Practical Evaluation (1)
During the joint practical evaluation.
Aaaaah!
Swoosh!
A sharp water de cleaved through the demonic illusion.
It was the moment when Princess Snow White let out a scream upon witnessing the grotesque form of the demonic illusion that had unexpectedly burst forth.
The demonic illusion vanished into dust.
Abel Carnedas, a male student with grayish-blue hair and a mischievous expression, nced at White with a troubled expression.
Princess White, are you alright?
Princess, the demonic illusion was defeated by Sleazo, so please be reassured.
Sleazo? Choose your words carefully, youre in front of the princess
In front of Abel and Roanna, a girl with light green hair, White cleared her throat with a hmm-hmm and calmed her startled heart.
Ive made a pitiful disy
White had a defeated smile with tears brimming in her eyes.
Abel, after dispelling the water mana from his sword, sheathed it and gave Roanna an awkward smile.
Despite her friends smile, Roanna showed only a stoic expression in response. To Abel, she was a friend who was level-headed in every situation.
Princess, over here.
Ah.
In the dim corridor, only themp held by Roanna cast a soft light around.
She illuminated the ground with hermp.
It seems someone was ambushed here. We should have noticed it sooner. I was not careful enough. I apologize, Princess.
On the ground, there was a long red mark that resembled a scratch, leaving a trace of mana. As exined earlier, it was the Scar of Elimination.
In the event a student was eliminated for whatever reason, the exam proctor marked the spot preceding the location where the element causing the elimination urred.
No, no! Im the one whos sorry! Lets go.
White and her team members quickly crossed the dark corridor.
About an hour earlier.
[Lets begin the joint practical evaluation.]
The huge isted ind was entirely the property of Mrchen Academy.
Underneath, there was a vast underground facility.
A maze-like facility that had spread out like the legs of an octopus, named Octovus Hall.
It was a former emergency shelter that was designed for training purposes.
The facility was always filled with the mana of Headmistress Elena Woodline, so anyone who entered Octovus Hall would have their location detected.
But today, being the day of the exam, her mana had been withdrawn.
Octovus Hall, Entrance No. 13.
The walls, filled with glowingmps, brightly illuminated the narrow corridor.
In the air heavy with moisture and a quietly hovering tension
Four students listened to the message delivered by a circr magical device, fluttering like a hummingbird, the messenger.
Two first-year students from the Magic Department: Princess Snow White von Kairos Elfieto, and Shera Hectorica.
Two first-year students from the Knight Department: Abel Carnedas, and Roanna Shelton.
The team was formed by the academy, taking into ount both a drawing lot and academic performance.
Uh
Snow White bit her lip, trying hard to calm her trembling heart.
It was an opportunity to demonstrate the results of her rigorous training under Isaac since she had enrolled in this academy. She couldnt help but feel nervous the more effort she had put in.
White took a deep breath to steady her rampant emotions, reaffirming her resolve to avoid being in the lowest ranks in this exam.
[The test format is simple. It ends when you reach the destination.]
The kind voice of a middle-aged female professor flowed from the messenger. She was a professor for the second year, ss D, of the Magic Department.
[This is our underground base, Octovus Hall. The paths are designed like a maze, but thepasses weve provided will guide you to the destination. The faster you reach it, the more points you will earn, so please hurry~.]
Abel Carnedas, the boy with grayish-blue hair, looked at thepass in his hand. Thepass pointed in only one direction.
[And if you are eliminated midway, your score will be based on how close and how quickly you move towards the destination.]
In any case, it meant the faster they moved, the better. Anyway
Eliminated midway?
White tilted her head in confusion.
[Oh, whats this about being eliminated midway? This ce is prepared with all sorts of demonic illusions andbyrinth traps. If you cant ovee them with your knowledge and wisdom, youll be eliminated. Also, all students except for your team are your enemies. If you incapacitate another student, rendering them unable to fight, that student is eliminated. You will receive bonus points proportional to that students grade and ss. Of course, the most significant and crucial part of your score is how close you get to the destination, so please keep that in mind!]
Of course. Since it was called a joint practical evaluation,bat was inevitable.
[But remember, intentionally blocking ones path is considered cheating and will lead to immediate disqualification!]
It was an obvious rule. If a high-ranking student were to create a magical barrier to block the path of others, it would leave them with no recourse.
[And! As you go along the path, you might see parts where red mana flows thats what we call the Scar of Elimination. If a student ahead of you was eliminated for whatever reason, a Scar of Elimination will be marked at the location before they encountered the eliminating element. Paying close attention to these can significantly increase your survival chances.]
In essence, the faster you move towards the destination, the more points you can earn, but the risk of elimination increases. Moving slowly increased ones chances of survival as one would likely encounter more Scars of Elimination, but it would be difficult to expect a high score.
[And, even if a team member is eliminated, you are allowed to continue. But unnecessarily sacrificing a team member will greatly reduce or even nullify your teamwork score, so be cautious. Even if you incapacitate another student, the loss in points wont change regardless of your teams remaining members, so avoid reckless actions.]
[And, please pay close attention to this. Exam proctors will be stationed in key areas. If a particrly dangerous incident urs in the middle of the exam, focus on escaping first and then report the situation to us via the bracelet. The exam proctors will protect you.]
The mention of danger likely implied the potential appearance of demons.
Suddenly, White recalled the Mrchen Academys entrance examination announcement. It stated that Under the auspices of the Elfieto Royal Family and the Lord Manha, no matter what dangers may arise, we will ensure the protection of our students and guarantee their educational opportunities.
White looked down at her left wrist, where the bracelet for the exam was fastened.
It was evident that the academy had taken various measures to ensure not only the educational curriculum of Mrchen Academy but also the safety of its students.
As White gulped nervously, wondering if it was about to begin,
[Lastly, in this exam, there are Predators.]
Predators?
The name itself already sounded ominous.
[The Predators areposed of your seniors, either from ss A or those with equivalent skill. In case you manage to incapacitate a Predator, you can earn a massive amount of bonus points! Whether you choose to be prey, flee from them, or be hunters capturing them, is up to you.]
The purpose of having Predators in the exam was clear.
The exam had the feel of being modeled after maze exploration.
How they dealt with dangerous elements like the Predators was undoubtedly a crucial criterion for their grades.
[Well then.]
The messenger flew to a corner, clearing the path.
A dark corridor unfolded before White, Shera, Abel, and Roanna.
[We wish you the best of luck.]
The messengers voice cut off abruptly.
And so, the joint practical evaluation began.
Well, then
Imma go off by myself~.
What?
As Abel Carnedas started to speak, a girl with bright red hair raised her arm lightly and dered her withdrawal with a smiling face. It was Shera Hectorica.
Bright red short hair, partially braided towards the back. She wore red earrings and a gold hairpin, all in the shape of hearts.
She was petite, with red eyes that glinted like a gold-tinted sunset sky, looking quite young and cute, almost making one doubt if she was really a ssmate.
You guys seem boring.
Her manner of speaking was perfectly childish,cking any decorum.
White, Abel, and Roanna couldnt hide their astonishment.
It seems like Im the most skilled here. Its obvious that Id have to lead you all~. Thats no fun!
Great joke. Except its not funny.
Abel scratched his cheekbone area with an awkward smile.
He hadnt expected a psycho to show such brazen behavior in front of Princess Snow White.
Um, excuse me! You said your name was Shera Hectorica during the introduction, right? Please reconsider!
White interjected, sweating nervously.
We need to get good grades, right? Uh, its dangerous to be alone? With Predators roaming around, its safest and most logical to move together
Why dont I just catch a Predator?
Shera chuckled, Hehe.
White, Abel, and Roanna were at a loss for words.
You guys are nothing more than baggage~. Take care of yourselves!
With those words, Shera cheerfully stepped into the corridor ahead of them.
The remaining three were so dumbfounded that they had to pause for a moment, wondering what to say next.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 145: Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
Chapter 145: Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
Back to the present. Inside of a passage within Octovus Hall.
White, Abel, and Roanna stared at their bracelets. They were only progressing forward, yet the number on their bracelets was rising quickly.
It was likely because one of their teammates, Shera Hectorica, had been eliminating the other students.
She must be skilled, that Shera girl from the Magic Department.
She is strong.
White knew Shera Hectorica.
Her mana is Grade S, but apparently, she hadnt used her full strength during the exam. Thats why I remember her. She should be at the top of ss B.
Grade S mana in ss B?
A light twinkled in Roannas eyes, who had been remaining quiet. She seemed surprised.
I have heard that the new grade of the Magic Department students are especially talented this year but its unimaginable that a Grade S mana student is in ss B.
Abel let out an emptyugh. This was understandable since those with Grade S mana at their age were geniuses beyond the typical spectrum.
Especially as an aspiring magic knight, Abel tended to admire those withrge mana capacities.
Ah, that is true
Though the teams were chosen randomly, grades and skills were also taken into consideration.
For students with high rankings in ss B to be on the same team meant that White was that much weaker.
Tears formed in the corners of Whites eyes.
She was under a sense of sorrowful realization about just how weak she truly was.
Anyhow, it doesnt look like anyone is usingrge-scale spells. I would have expected the Magic Department to have used tricks like that.
Large-scale spells?
You know, like using a tsunami to sweep everyone away
With a short Ah. White nodded her head.
Now that she thought about it, that was a good question. Why wasnt anyone using them?
If one used magic rashly, there was a risk of being caught by those with high mana perception. So, it was right to keep the magic usage to a minimum.
But on the other hand, that would not be a problem for those who could pour out field spells countless times.
Dumb Sleazo.
Whats with the sudden insult, Miss Friend?
You should have seen it earlier. There was a Cherry Bus.
That pretty-looking bug?
Can you not look at me like that? I feel insulted.
Roanna narrowed her eyes and red at Abel with disgust. She seemed to contemte what she should do with such an idiot.
There were all sorts of ridiculous creatures within thebyrinth. The Cherry Bus was also one of the creatures implemented in the exam.
If ones mana came into contact with a Cherry Bus, it would track the flow of the mana and fly towards it.
Then, it wouldtch onto the mana trail and consume their flesh and mana.
If it had already entered ones body, then the only way to live would be to amputate that body part.
Since such a dangerous creature was only a fake here, it wouldnt actually eat flesh or mana, but it was sure that the user would fail the exam.
Therefore, using field magic was an excellent method for suicide.
I didnt know that
Princess White is understandable. I am only disappointed that the guy who has studied such an absurd amount of magic beast ecology didnt even properly know the dangers of thisbyrinth.
Hey Friend, I cant help it. That Cherry Bug or something isnt a magic beast; its a monster. Im not interested in monsters.
Yeah yeah, you zoophile
Shh.
Just then, Abel suddenly halted and spread his arms to the side to stop White and Roanna. White jolted in surprise.
Theres a presence at three oclock
Even before Abel finished his sentence, Roanna quickly drew her bow and shot an arrow imbued with magic.
Her light green locks fluttered in the wind mana.
Spewt-!
[Skreeeeeek!!]
The arrow charged with light green wind mana hit its mark on the demonic illusion hidden in the dark.
The light from the mana lit up the demonic illusion. It was a monster simr to a bear with its long, sharp ws but a slender body.
It let out a loud cry before dissipating into a cloud of dust scattered away by the wind.
That was amazing, Miss Roanna!
Its good to have you here, Friend!
Dont fall in love with me, though.
To White and Abels cheers, Roanna curtly flicked her hair and put away her bow.
She was a Knight Department student who had exceptional talent with a bow. She was also an aspiring Magic Knight like Abel.
Ill be depending on you, Roanna!
I will also be depending on you, Miss Roanna!
I will be protecting Princess White, but Sleazo, youre going to be my meat shield.
Meat shield, you say? Haha, thats funny!
Abelughed exaggeratedly with cold sweat droplets running down his face. He felt that if it was Roanna, then she might actually use him as a meat shield.
And so, they continued to venture through the darkness.
Without Shera Hectorica, they had to be extra careful to survive.
As they moved forward, they continued to fight whilst searching for demonic illusions, traps, and scars of elimination hidden within the darkness.
With her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, White eventually found a way to support them with her wind magic.
One hour and a halfter.
The three people arrived at the front of a particr passageway.
Fancymps lined across the walls with a pale blue light emitting from them. The atmosphere seemed to change, feeling much colder and more dangerous than they had experienced.
Eheheh, it looks like well be able to reach the destination safely through here~ Hmm?
White had been following behind with a smile when Abel and Roanna suddenly halted on the spot.
In front of them was a single path.
And from theirpass, it said that this path was the only way to their destination.
However
What is this?
As if the ground had been scarred, countless lines of red mana were scattered through the path. They were scars of elimination.
But the number of them was way too many.
The scars of elimination were messily engraved through the entire passageway. They couldnt even be counted with just a short nce.
Theres something up ahead. But this is the only path we can take
Looking down at thepass, Abel spoke up nervously.
In thepass, all of the paths nearby were marked.
The paths they had taken until now had all been split.
It had only been possible for them to have taken a path around other students and attacked them from behind because there had been multiple paths.
But this segment was different. Here, the only way forward to their goal was to pass through the dark passage that stood before them.
Even though it was clear that there was something highly dangerous past this dark passage.
D-do you think its a Predator?
White asked them in a frightened voice.
Abel and Roanna turned to look at White. A Predator. It was definitely a possibility they had to consider.
The Predator was someone from ss A or of simr strength to a student from ss A. That would be a reasonable exnation for why there were so many scars of elimination here.
White thought of Luce Eltania and Priestess Miya. They were both monsters. ss A only housed monsters such as those two
That means The Predator hadnt bothered to wander around and stayed in this one spot?
They naturally thought the Predator would have been wandering around.
Nobody could have imagined they would take on the role of gatekeeper on this single path.
Huahh.
Though she was scared, White had no intention to back down.
With both Abel and Roanna, there may be a way to push forward somehow.
White thought of Isaacs high-five.
Lets do well on this exam, he said.
So she decided to push forward, at least for the sake of Isaac, who had worked so hard to help her.
I-its alright!
But the catch was that Whites voice was not yet settled.
There isnt any need to beat the Predator. We could somehow distract them Then quickly escape to the next route.
I agree!
Abel raised both his hands next to his face with a carefree smile and yed along to Whitesment.
We cant back down here; its the only path, after all~. Roanna, what do you want to do?
Sleazo, you take the lead and be the meat shield.
Hahah, youre such a terrible friend!
Abel responded cheerfully to Roannas callousment.
Their objective was to obtain a high grade. Even if the Predator was waiting for them ahead, not a single one of them wanted to stop here.
Not to mention, the points they could obtain decreased as time passed, and they did not know who their opponent was. They didnt have the leisure of formting a detailed n.
It was time to push forward.
The three people took a short moment to n a simple strategy that utilized their specialties.
Abel grasped the sheath of the sword on his belt.
Roanna took out her bow and readied for battle.
White calcted various forms in her mind and finished various preparations for her magic.
Lets go.
They steeled their resolve and stepped foot into the dark passageway.
Roanna ced a cover over theirmp so that they would merge into the darkness.
Both Roanna and Abel then felt that deciding to use a surprise attack had not been a wise strategy.
Not only did they have limited vision here, but their position was also far from ideal.
If they rashly used long-range attacks and instead were counterattacked in this narrow passage, then they would be utterly helpless in protecting themselves.
Abel felt his foote in contact with something wet on the ground. The floor had a shallowyer of water that submerged the soles of their shoes.
They needed to be wary of the sound of their footsteps. The three students turned to one another and nodded, then slowly and carefully proceeded one step at a time.
Eventually, light shone upon them once again.
They finally reached the passageway, and their view became clear.
The humid yet cold air stung their skin.
The ground was still covered with a shallowyer of water. Floating on that water were pieces of thin ice in the shape of ice crystals.
On the high walls, several luxuriousmps scattered a pale blue light through the clean-kept room.
Sitting in a chair made of ice magic in the middle of the room
Was a male student with silver-blue hair with his head down, which White, Abel, and Roanna then saw.
The magic weapon, Zhonyas Staff, leaned against the silver-blue-haired students shoulder. The mana stone attached to the weapon reflected pale blue light from themps, glowing like the moon in the night sky.
Abel and Roanna swallowed anxiously. It hadnt been difficult to instinctively realize that the man standing before them was a Predator.
Meanwhile, Whites eyes were shaking visibly. She could not hide her surprise.
Youre here.
A calm voice. The silver-blue-haired man raised his head.
A blue brooch was pinned to his tie. The color that represented the second year.
On the outside, the round sses and soft impression he held made him seem like the typical kind-hearted senior.
But White knew very well what sort of person he was.
Unlike his appearance, he was overly firm.
And an incredibly calctive and cunning man. Which made him an admirable mentor to her.
Senior Isaac?
Unfortunately.
The silver-blue-haired student stood up from his ice chair and held Zhonyas Staff upright on the ground.
Then he took off his sses.
You shall not pass.
This was the only path that led to the Eltra Sea.
He could not let a single person pass through this point during this joint practical evaluation.
Because that was one of the criteria for obtaining the Ring of the Abyssal Queen from the Abyssal Sea Monster while also being the way to protect everyone from it.
Predator.
Isaac, first in ss B for the second years of the Magic Department.
The frigid chill he emitted spread out around him.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 146: Joint Practical Evaluation (3)
Chapter 146: Joint Practical Evaluation (3)
Joint Practical Evaluation (3)
46 times.
That was the number of times my bones had suffered a fracture during the winter break.
It made me realize the greatness of healing magic once again. It could mend broken bones perfectly within a day or two.
During the winter break, I often visited Stone Turtle Gormos. Fighting against the golem minions he created was very helpful in honing my practical skills.
I suffered countless defeats at the hands of his minions. I seized dozens of victories, then faced the next level of minions, only to confront them over and over.
Before the end of the winter break, I was able to battle with thepressed golem, which had been my goal.
It was a 2-meter-tall golem. It was smallerpared to the dinosaur-sized regr golem minions.
Its rock fists were incredibly fast, and each hit felt like my insides would burst.
It was agile. Its attacks were skillful and the power of its magic was the strongest I had ever faced, making it quite challenging.
That excited me. I was certain that defeating it would elevate me to a new level.
So I fought with the thought of wrecking my body.
No matter how many times my bones broke, no matter how much blood and sweat I shed, I poured out all my strength into defeating Gormos minion.
Finally, the day before the end of winter break, I defeated thepressed golem.
I was so thrilled that I forgot all about the pain, I shouted in jubtion until my throat was hoarse.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 110
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Skilled Second Year
Mana: 30000/30000
Mana Recovery Speed (A-)
The light from themp shined down.
There were three enemies in front of me now. Originally, there were four, but the pdin Shera, who was part of their group, was acting independently. I knew this from observing them with [irvoyance].
The first opponent was Snow White, level 39. Her element was wind. She was an opponent who required moderate caution.
Next was Abel Carnedes, a first-year from the Knight Department, ss B, rank 1, level 90. His elements were water and fire. A swordsman with great talent. He prided himself on his agile movements and excellent reflexes, reminiscent of the top predator of the food chain.
He knew how to harmoniouslybine sharp sword strikes with powerful elemental magic. Indeed, he possessed skills befitting an aspiring magic knight.
By the way, he yed a significant supporting role in the second year of Magic Knight of Mrchen.
Lastly, Roanna Shelton, she was in the upper ranks of ss B, level 87. Her element was wind. Anyone she targets must forget about evading any of her arrows. Even if you tried to, shed subtly adjust their trajectory with her wind to ensure a hit. She even amplified the power of her arrows with wind magic.
Her vision was naturally excellent befitting her status as an archer, Her ability to track the flow of mana was also exceptionally outstanding. Additionally, she was the girl who became Abels lover.
In Magic Knight of Mrchen, there definitely was no such team.
The entrance of the four pdins certainly had a significant impact on theposition of teams in the joint practical evaluation.
Anyway, my task remained the same.
My objective was to hold my ground and not give way until the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared.
I had to prevent anyones mana from being absorbed into the Ring of the Abyssal Queen, held by the mid-boss of the Abyssal Sea Monster section.
vs. Race Combat Power
vs. Human Combat Power (D+): 20/100 [UP]
I obtained the unique trait [Rapid growth] by maxing out the potential Growth Rate.
The effect was simple. It doubles the stat points gained with each level increase.
As a result, from level 106, where I had maxed out my growth rate, to level 110, I gained a total of 16 new stat points.
I invested them all in [vs. Human Combat Power ].
The effect of Vs. Race Combat Power was the same for all. For every 10 stats points invested, ones level against the selected race would increase by 5 and amplify the magic you used against it.
And when you hit the MAX of 100 stats, you gain a new unique trait, the effect of which intes the increase in level and abilities.
The effect of my unique trait [Hunter] doubled the effects of [vs. Demon Combat Power]. The same could be assumed for others.
Currently, my [vs. Human Combat power] was 20.
Thus, my level temporarily increased by 10.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: (120)
White might have noticed that my mana had increased, but this level of increase could reasonably be passed off as a buff from Zhonyas Staff, a 2nd-tier magic weapon.
I had alreadyid the groundwork in case of such a situation.
Two weeks ago, I had exined what Zhonyas Staff was during a discussion about magic weapons, mentioning that it enhances the power of my magic and increases the density of my mana.
And there was one more thing I had prepared in advance for today.
The sses I took off were Ribes sses, a magic tool with useful effects. The longer one wore them, the greater the buff to tracking mana one received when they took the sses off. Of course, there are limits to this effect.
It was simr to the feeling of ones legs bing incredibly light as if they could fly away, after taking off sandbags that one had been wearing.
I rapidly circted my mana, exhaling cold air.
I prepared for battle and looked at White and her group with a sneer.
These juniors were the eighth group I was going to take down.
* * *
Isaacs chill dominated the space.
The surroundings began to freeze over in a fearsome manner, turning eerily pale.
The shallow seawater pooled on the ground quickly turned into a sheet of ice.
Ssh!
A sh of light poured from Abels scabbard, etching his form into the air.
Drawing his sword, a strike wrapped in water mana plunged into the ground.
A wall of water rose, momentarily blocking the cold.
Roanna!
Whooooosh!
Roannas light green wind, as if waiting for the right moment, surged forth. The mana wind lifted White and herpanions.
Lifting bodies with wind magic consumed a significant amount of mana, causing Roanna to squint one eye, feeling an intense strain, as if her body was twisting.
Even the water wall raised by Abel froze solidly.
As Isaacs chill enveloped the area, turning the ground into an ice sheet, Roanna retracted her wind, allowing everyone to firmly nt their feet on the ground.
Ha, we almost got wiped out right from the start
Abel let out a chuckle mixed with white breath.
The water pooled on the ground from the beginning must have been prepared by Isaac, probably using a water element scroll.
The fact that water remained despite many students already being eliminated by the senior with the ice element allowed Abel and Roanna to discern Isaacs strategy.
Simply spreading cold air could quickly freeze their feet. That must have been his n to create vulnerabilities.
Abel and Roanna were certain. The moment they showed even a brief gap against Isaac, their defeat would be sealed.
In a defensive stance, Abel adjusted his posture with his sword, Roanna drew her bowstring aiming at Isaac, and behind them, White deployed a light green magic circle.
The fiercely blowing cold wind was bone-chilling.
Coldness numbs the body. Abel ignited fierce mes on his de, seeking warmth as if in front of a campfire in the cold.
There was no time for conversation. They needed to quickly gather information about the enemy.
Abel shouted.
Princess White, do you know who that senior is?!
Yes, hes my mentor! Senior Isaac! This is the first time Ive seen him handling ice magic!
White focused her sight on her mentor beyond the frigid chill.
Isaac. His primary element was ice, and his secondary element was rock, as she had heard.
We need information! Anything! About that senior!
Information? Huh?
Suddenly, a sense of incongruity struck her.
White realized she had no useful information to aid the battle.
She had never seen Isaac use ice magic before. Hadnt he only ever used simple rock magic in her presence?
Why hadnt she ever questioned this before?
She reflected on their almost daily mentoring sessions.
It seemed as if Isaac had deliberately hidden his power, never once showing or talking about his full capabilities.
Im, Im sorry! I dont have anything! Ahh!
Whooooooosh!!
Isaacs chill turned into a whitish mist, obscuring their vision and building up an intensity that made even breathing seem distant.
The cold wind was imbued with the the two-star spell, [Snow Pellets]. [Snow Pellets] bounced wildly in the space that had turned into an ice rink, creating a chaotic noise.
Before Isaac disappeared from sight, Roanna shot an arrow imbued with wind magic,
As if it had been anticipated, an ice wall sprang up at the perfect moment to intercept the arrow, which bounced off with a thud.
The mes zing on the de of Abels sword finally sumbed to the chill. Then, he shouted.
Roanna! Support!
Got it!
Ill join in too!
Fwoosh!
Whooosh!
Abel unleashed the mes of the sword, cleaving through the chill as he charged. White augmented the power of the mes by stirring up wind around Abel.
Roanna drew her bowstring. While Abel cleaved through the white coldness with his ming sword, her eyes tracked Isaac, hidden within the cold wind.
The dense cold air, formed from ice mana, swirled savagely. Even with her mana perception and ability to track the flow of mana, it was difficult to locate Isaac.
Tracking by sound? Useless. The noise created by [Snow Pellets] drowned out all other sounds.
Securing visibility in the pale coldness was difficult,
But Roanna only needed to wait for a moment of vulnerability. The moment Isaac exposed himself to confront Abel was when she nned to release her arrow.
Or, she had to wait for when Isaac would use magic.
Whether he attacked or defended, as long as he used magic, she could swiftly identify the source of the magic and aim her arrow in that direction.
Roanna was confident. The thought of Isaac trying to hide from her seemed almostughable.
Go ahead and use your ice walls or whatever, Senior! Or are you scared?!
Abel swung his ming sword repeatedly, boldly taunting.
He was confident in his mana perception.
No matter how chaotically the ice mana swirled, making it difficult to track Isaac, he could pinpoint Isaacs location by sensing the intense mana when he was about to use magic.
A cold sensation.
Abel felt dense mana behind his head.
!
Abel halted and urgently turned around.
His eyes widened. With a startled expression, he shouted.
Everyone, dodge!!
Roanna and White also had their eyes wide open in shock.
Because they felt Isaacs mana, somehow, from beneath their feet.
Tracking the source of mana was the fundamental basics of battling a wizard. So, they had arrogantly followed this principle.
But there was no way Isaac wouldnt have anticipated that.
Time seemed to stop. As a pale blue radiance burst from the ice beneath their feet, Roanna instinctively raised the wind to push White back.
Wind Generation (Wind Element, 1)
Whoooosh!
Aaah!
White was pushed away, screaming.
At the same time, Roanna also tried to retreat, but
Frost Explosion (Ice Element, 5)
Boom!!
A pale blue mana explosion erupted from the ground.
Shards of ice flew in all directions. Within the mass of ice that appeared in a sh, half of Roannas body was engulfed in it.
Roannas body, lifted by the force of the magical explosion, was caught by the rising mass of ice.
None of Whites group understood what had just happened.
They wouldnt have known that beneath the iceid the Sheath of Disaster, imbued with just enough mana for use in humanbat.
Abel bit his lip, regretting that had he been there, he could have either avoided the [Frost Explosion] with Roanna or blocked it with his fiery sword strike. He was confident he could have countered a [Frost Explosion] of that magnitude.
Suddenly, a question arose.
Why hadnt Isaac activated that magic tool from the beginning?
It was as if he had been waiting for Abel to be separated from his group. It was as if he knew the extent of Abels skills.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
!
A man with silver-blue hair burst through the pale cold wind.
It was Isaac.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 147: Joint Practical Evaluation (4)
Chapter 147: Joint Practical Evaluation (4)
Joint Practical Evaluation (4)
Abel was surprised. He hadnt expected the enemy wizard to close the distance first.
Quite obviously, wizards had an advantage in long-rangebat. With their strength concentrated more on magic than physical power, it was suicide for them to fight close-range with a physical type like Abel.
Moreover, Isaac hadnt used magic.
If he had created a magic circle to use magic, Abel would have instantly realized it and made preparations, but perhaps Isaac even expected that. Unable to sense his mana, Abel had let his guard down.
In Isaacs right hand was a dagger, and in his left was Zanyas Staff. Slicing through the frigid air, his dagger left a silver trail.
Whoosh!
Abel instinctively pulled his head back and avoided the dagger. Several strands of his blue-gray hair scattered into the cold air.
Abel then used his sword to block Isaacs consecutive attack.
ng!
Two pale figures crossed to create sparks. A sharp collision rang through the cold.
Abel was amazed.
Isnt he from the Magic Department? Whats this agility and strength?
The physical strength the senior in front of him possessed was at a level where he had doubts about whether or not he was a student of the Magic Department. He could very well be in the Knight Department.
There was no time to spare. A pale blue magic circle appeared around Isaac.
When he felt the mans mana up close, he was reminded that Isaac was indeed in the Magic Department. His mana sent a shiver down Abels spine.
Tch!
Abel quickly leaped back to retreat and created an orange magic circle. mes began to glow.
Simultaneously, White, who had returned to her senses, shot the 3-star spell [Wind Sword] from the passageway. The light green de stormed towards Isaac.
However, the one to cast a spell first was Isaac.
Frostfire (Ice Element, 4)
Fwooooosh!
Abel and Whites magic was swallowed up helplessly by the pale blue ice me.
Abel then reflexively shed his fire-imbued sword to slice [Frostfire].
Baaaang!
Argh!
The high-temperature me and low-temperature cold shed violently and caused a steam explosion, throwing Abel back like a ball.
He expected to have escaped from immediate danger in this way, but he had already fallen into Isaacs trap the moment he collided des with Isaac.
Tuk!
?!
Abels body soon came in contact with a cold and hard surface.
The 4-star defense magic, [Ice Wall]. The wall of ice had risen behind him at some point.
When Isaac created a magic circle for [Frostfire] and allowed Abel to track his ice mana.
He had distracted them with [Frostfire] and summoned [Ice Wall] in advance.
A flurry of cold wind. Loud du-du-du- sounds as [Ice Pellets] was shot mercilessly at the icy surroundings.
In the middle of that storm, Abel trembled in fear at the powerful enemy that stood past the hazy frost.
Overwhelming strength.
The only thing he could do in the face of it was cower in fear.
Vwoosh!
Phuack!
Khuack!
Crashhh-!
Explosive sounds echoed through the room. Ignoring the sword Abel was holding, a strong kick shot through the fog and connected with his stomach. The feeling was simr to a strike received from a metal bat made of steel tes.
The [Ice Wall] crumbled, and Abels body flew through the air. His body tumbled across the ice floor several times before crashing against the wall near the passageway.
D-d-d-d-d-dk!
At the same time, ice flowing with light brown rock mana, [Fossilized Ice], floated up and encircled his body.
Like a prisoner in a camp whod been tied up, he was unable to move, coughing up blood. He was amazed by the opponents mastery of mana, as even the [Fossilized Ice] surrounding him was intricately controlled.
Grrgh Hahah So damn strong
With a dismalugh, Abel let out a groan. He assumed that he had broken a rib.
It hurt terribly, but it had only been one hit. He was still more than able to move. There was still a chance to strike back. As a student of Marchen Academys Knight Department, and with his friend Roanna out ofmission, he couldnt lose like this.
He vowed tond an attack on the silver-blue-haired senior somehow.
This was a matter of his pride and self-esteem.
He created an orange magic circle to summon mes. Though weaker in power than students in the Magic Department of the same grade, he nned to melt that ice with it.
But a chill, cold enough to freeze his entire body spewed out of [Fossilized Ice]. Abels mescked both the heat and power to melt the ice.
Uugh
In a rush, Abel was unable to muster up miraculous strength.
In the end, Abels body slowly froze up from the severe cold, and eventually, his head fell limp. He had lost consciousness.
S-s-s-senior I-I-I-Isaac. Kueah!
Walking through the flurry of cold wind, Isaac slowly approached White.
Wind Sword (Wind Element, 3)
Whish!
With a frightened expression, White took several steps back before using the light green magic circle she had created to shoot out [Wind Sword].
The de of wind quickly sliced the air. However, Isaac swiftly twisted his body to the side and dodged [Wind Sword].
Huh?
White swallowed in shock.
Since Isaac had been wearing Rivs sses for a while now, he could track mana flow much easier than usual.
In addition, because of his physical abilities and reflexes, it was nearly impossible for White tond a hit on him with magic.
Huaah!
White fell backward andnded on her bottom. A short cry escaped her mouth.
At some point, tears had begun to form in her eyes out of fear.
Roanna had fallen unconscious with half of her body trapped in an ice block.
Abel sank into a deep slumber from the frigid cold of [Fossilized Ice].
Isaac, their silver-blue-haired senior, hadplete control over the battlefield.
It even felt like her heart was freezing up. That was how cold Isaacs eyes felt. It was hard to believe he was the same person who had been mentoring her with such a kind smile.
White.
Isaac leaned on Zanyas staff for support and crouched down to meet White at eye level. Even his voice was cold like frost.
His hand extended out to reach at White.
Hic!
Surprised, White clenched her eyes shut.
?
But then, after feeling a pat on her head, White slowly reopened her eyes with uncertainty.
Isaac had been patting her head.
The flurrying ice storm settled. What came into view was simr to that of a frozen cavern.
The ice and frost instantly disappeared into a pale blue dust.
And Isaacs usual kind smile, the one which White was familiar with, returned.
His expression couldnt seem any more innocent, making it hard to believe he was the enemy who obliterated her entire team just a moment ago.
Youve certainly improved. It was a good n, trying to pass through the cold with your teammates.
?
Confusion.
White felt aplicated mixture of emotions. Fear that caused her heart to race and a faint sense of pride swarmed over her at once.
And you helped raise that friends firepower, right? Thats not easy to do. Good job. It was impressive that you continued resisting until the end.
Senior Isaac?
Isaac continued to pat Whites head gently, and as he did so, her tense mind gradually began to rx.
It was a drastic change of mood. Perhaps it was because of that, but Isaacs tender touch andpliments felt incredibly pleasant.
As her tension slowly loosened, Whites eyes began watering, tears threatening to fall at any moment.
Senior Isaac I like it better when you smile
White cried out as she spread her arms, asking for a hug.
Isaac grinned at her behavior, responding with a quiet, Alright.
But first, stay still for a moment.
Okaaaaay? W-wait, Senior Isaac?!
Isaac leaned closer towards White, then gently wrapped his hand around her wrist.
It wasnt just one wrist. Just a breath away from White, Isaac grabbed hold of both her wrists.
She felt the warm breath of the same man with an ice storm swirling around him just minutes ago. Gazing upon Isaacs jawline and throat, which could be seen every time he moved his head, White swallowed nervously from a new strange sensation.
She had also admitted that Isaac was quite handsome, so the current view was highly provocative for White, who was in puberty.
To her, who was the only member of the imperial family not to hold much significance over social status, it did not matter that the person in question was amoner.
S-s-s-s-s-senior Isaac? W-w-w-what is this? Huahh
White shook like a broken machine.
Isaac raised both of Whites wrists above her head. As parts too embarrassing to mention became more prominently in her view, their positioning only seemed to be more sensual.
Flustered, Whites entire face turned red.
Up against Senior Isaac, whom she didnt have the courage to fight against, and with her mood rxed, the sudden series of events seemed to have prevented her from thinking straight.
White.
Y-y-yes?
Gazing down on White up close, they seemed to have forgotten how to breathe entirely.
You can rest now.
Rumble.
With a bright smile, he used [Rock Generation] and cuffed her wrists with rock handcuffs.
Ah.
Whites tension loosened once more.
And when he cuffed Whites ankles soon after, she fell into a daze with her face ashen white.
You dont n on resisting, right?
Yes
With this, youll be considered as incapacitated Whats wrong, White?
Its nothing
White whipped her watery eyes to the side. A frustratedugh escaped her mouth. She felt ashamed that she had just felt such sinful desires for her admirable senior, even if it had been just for a moment.
Just then, an object precariously dangling from Whites jacket pocket fell out and dropped on the ground. Both Isaac and Whites eyes turned to look at it.
Ah!
Her small, tinum pocket watch. Colliding with the ground, its lid opened to show the beautiful astral clock face and the unmoving hands.
White flinched in surprise, but she could not pick it back up because her arms and legs were restrained. In a hurry, she asked Isaac for help.
S-senior Isaac. C-can you put that back in my pocket? Its something precious to
However, Isaac just continued to stare at the pocket watch without replying.
And as if he were shocked by something unexpected, his eyes widened significantly.
Senior Isaac?
White realized that Isaac was currently in deep thought.
But because he never revealed his intentions, she did not know what those thoughts were.
However, the time that he took to think was short. He picked up the pocket watch and ced it back in Whites jacket pocket.
Make sure not to lose it if its precious to you.
Ah Okay
With those final words, Isaac no longer spoke to White.
This current change puzzled White.
A minuteter. A female exam proctor arrived.
Seated in his ice chair, Isaac greeted her with a smile.
With an obligatory, Good work~. She carried away Whites group with her wind magic.
Isaac rubbed his lower lip with his finger and sank into deep thought.
An impossible spection was forming inside of his mind.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 148: Joint Practical Evaluation (5)
Chapter 148: Joint Practical Evaluation (5)
Joint Practical Evaluation (5)
A flood of pink mes erupted. It was the fire magic from the Heart Pdin, Shera Hectorica.
Shera easily defeated every student she encountered. There wasnt a first-year around who could stand against her mes.
However, what she desired was not to eliminate insignificant first-year students. There wasnt any fun to be had in trampling ants after all.
Shera grunted in annoyance.
Where are the Predators!
In this ce, as vast andplex as a maze, known as Octovus Hall, the goal of every Pdin was the same.
Hunting the Predators. They had to focus particrly on the ice element.
Though it wasnt something that could be discussed beforehand, the Pdins understood that they needed to target the Predators upon hearing the exam rules.
Their objective was to thwart the n of The ck Monster, The Nameless Hero, and uncover his identity.
If he participated in this exam, they concluded he must be a Predator.
This was because, duringst years Mrchen Academy Magic Department first year exams, demons often appeared, and the ck Monster appeared each time as well.
If the ck Monster was a student, there was a high probability that he was now a second-year student.
Even if the ck Monster was not here, there was no loss. There were still opportunities remaining.
!
It was while they were traversing Octovus Hall, that they arrived at a vast space.
Suddenly, a strong flow of mana swept through like a whirlwind, brushing against Sheras skin. The mana was emanating from the corridor on the opposite side.
Shera widened her eyes in surprise and looked towards the other side.
A female student with rose-gold hair walked towards her, swaying gently. As she spotted Shera, she stopped, her expression indifferent.
A second-year blue gem brooch was attached to her uniform ribbon. Five blue magic circles floated above her head.
A smile spread across Sheras lips.
Luce Eltania
Finally, an opponent who could entertain her had appeared.
When encountering the Predator, one must choose to either fight or flee.
However, Shera knew from her extensivebat experience that she could never flee from a confrontation with Luce Eltania.
It was what she had hoped for.
Shera deployed her orange magic circle.
There was no need for conversation. As if following an unspoken agreement, the two poured forth elemental magic at each other.
* * *
Whites pocket watch was different from what I remembered. The reason for this was still unknown.
The discovery of a new variable stirred a multitude ofplex thoughts in my mind.
However, I had to set those thoughts aside for the moment. It was gradually bing time for the Abyssal Sea Monster to emerge. I could tell from the watch on the exam bracelet.
After dispelling the ice chair with defrost, I moved towards the passage leading to the Eltra Sea.
While walking, I continually observed the Pdins using my [irvoyance].
Presumably, they were out hunting Predators like me.
When the exam began, except for the sociable model student the Clover Pdin, the rest of the Pdins quickly left their teams and began eliminating students at a terrifying pace.
They seemed to be operating under the assumption that I had joined this exam.
They must think Im at least a second-year student.
Last year, various demons appeared during the Magic Departments first-year exams, and each time, the ck Monster also appeared.
Moreover, during the joint practical evaluation, including the Eltra Sea where the Abyssal Sea Monster appears, all destinations were under barriers, and ess was controlled.
Last year, the ck Monster acted as if he knew the exam schedule. The Pdins might have thought he would do the same this year.
In other words, there was a sufficient possibility that the ck Monster was hiding his identity and intervening in various exams to hunt demons.
However, fortunately, they overlooked one fact.
Octovus Hall is muchrger than they think.
This ce was a facility created by hollowing out the bottom part of a vast ind.
Usually off-limits, most people were unaware of its internal structure, including the student council president, Alice Carroll.
Octovus Hall was a vast, maze-like facility, making apass essential.
Here, thepass was specifically for the exam. It only pointed towards the destination, and its only other function was to disy a map.
Even with apass, if the Eltra Sea was not set as the destination, it would be useless to the Pdins except for its map function.
The fact that the Pdins hadnt yete my way, even though the Abyssal Sea Monster was due to appear soon, proved that they were lost in Octovus Hall.
In that regard, the goddess of fortune was on my side.
Of course, when the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared, anyone would be able to feel its strong mana and determine the direction of the Eltra Sea.
By the time everything ys out, itll already be over.
When the Abyssa Seal Monster appeared, the test bracelets lost their function and broke downpletely, due to its passive skill [Mana Drain].
As a side note, from what I remember in Magic Knight of Mrchen, the academy found it difficult to track the location of each and every student, so they primarily focused on monitoring the locations of those who had been eliminated.
In other words, unless I made myself conspicuous, I was unlikely to arouse suspicion from the academys faculty.
When the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared, it wouldnt be long before all the exits of Octovus Hall were automatically sealed.
To prepare for the appearance of demons, Hegel Magic Tower developed a robust protective magicst year.
It was difficult for anyone in Octovus Hall, including myself, to easily break through.
The right timing would be.
After the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared.
To escape to Eltra Sea before the exits were sealed.
It meant I needed to time my exit well.
The exam proctors who had waited at the Eltra Sea coast were to have retreated to the gathering point under the condition that no students were present once the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared. I had already sessfully met that condition.
Returning to the current situation.
The Heart Pdin had encountered Luce Eltania. If there were no variables, Luce was likely to win.
The other Pdins were wandering in the wrong direction. Diamond Pdin had defeated a group and had taken theirpass.
It was apass leading to the Eltra Sea. The direction the needle pointed was where I intended to go, and it was identified as Eltra Sea Coast on the surface of thepass.
Since the Pdins needed to know the direction to the Eltra Sea, it was apparent that the Diamond Pdin had located the requiredpass.
As a side note, the naive Shera, excited about catching a Predator first, seemed to have rashly embarked on solo action.
She left her team as soon as the exam started, not knowing that her teamspass was pointing towards the Eltra Sea coast.
Well, it should be fine.
Fortunately, the Diamond Pdin was in the wrong ce quite a distance away. she had to go around in circles to find the way.
Indeed, today, the goddess of fortune was on my side. I wouldnt be hindered by that girl.
As I thought about this and continued forward.
What?
I stopped in my tracks without realizing it.
I focused on [irvoyance].
Suddenly, I caught my breath at the extraordinary actions of a female student, Alexa, marked with a golden diamond pattern on her forehead.
She was charging rapidly towards my intended path, breaking through walls.
BOOM
BOOM
The booming sounds reached here and were getting gradually getting closer.
The air vibrated noisily as if there was an earthquake. The ground also rumbled loudly.
Students scattered throughout Octovus Hall were all startled and stopped in their tracks.
No way, thats insane. Who destroys the exam hall while taking an exam?!
I never expected her to rudely carve a path like this. Even the Italian explorer Columbus would have admired such audacity.
The thick walls were being sted open. I could break trees or rocks with my fists, but the Diamond Pdin was on another level.
Cold sweat ran down my cheeks. I regained myposure and quickly crossed the corridor.
As expected, the exam proctor went to stop the Diamond Pdin, Alexa.
However, she attacked the proctor with rock magic and knocked him out. It was a merciless strike delivered expressionlessly.
Shes umting quite the stack of penalties
Shes really going all out.
Alice probably didnt enroll her to draw such attention.
I take back saying the goddess of fortune was on my side. She was capricious.
If I continued this way, our paths would inevitably cross. I was bound to encounter her on the way to the Eltra Sea.
But rushing to the Eltra Sea first wasnt a good idea.
My position was still being monitored by the exam bracelet, so clumsy actions were strictly forbidden.
Moreover, there were exam proctors outside the exit. I couldnt go out until the proctors had retreated to the gathering point.
So what should I do?
Firstly, I couldnt avoid a confrontation with Alexa.
Her path was straightforward.
From that point on, it was logical to recall all the traps and useful features of the joint practical evaluation to formte a strategy on how to ambush her.
Huh?
Then, something unexpected happened.
A man, with an arrogant smile, blocked the path of the diamond female student, Alexa.
Tristan?
It was the vain, blond nobleman, Tristan Humphrey.
* * *
Bang!
In a wide space lit bymps on the walls, at a point where several paths intersected.
A powerful rock magic broke through the wall, and Alexa, a female student with a square diamond pattern on her forehead, emerged.
Ha!
?
A sudden short chuckle stopped Alexa in her tracks.
Amid the dust raised by the copsing wall, a blond male student stood facing Alexa directly.
Ive heard there were many insolent juniors
The dust quickly settled.
The brooch on the blond students tie shed once with an aquamarine light.
But I never thought Id see someone foolish enough to destroy the very purpose of the exam.
He was a Predator. Tristan Humphrey, ranked second in ss B, a second-year of the Magic Department.
Alexas rock magic circles, etched in the air, targeted Tristan.
Tristan swiftly deployed four wind magic circles, all aiming at Alexa.
The sh of mana waves created a fierce gust that swept over them.
Alexa sensed Tristans mana and realized she was stronger. However, Tristans fearless demeanor made her feel a sense of doubt.
Being overwhelmed by fear in the face of a strong opponent meant never reaching a higher realm. This was a lesson Tristan Humphrey had learned after being effortlessly swept away by Luce Eltanias magic inst years end-of-semester evaluation.
Looking back, it was true. Before Luce appeared at the end-of-semester evaluation, the audaciousmoner, Isaac, had faced many foes, including A-ss students and Tristan himself, without hesitation. No trace of fear was seen in him.
The sheer willpower. The determination as if saying, I will defeat you all shimmered in his eyes, Tristan remembered it well.
Reflecting on this memory during the winter break, Tristan had to admit that Isaac was inherently superior. It was a realization that came with gritted teeth.
Thus, he trained relentlessly. He didnt want to lose to Isaac. Tristans winter break was filled with grueling training.
His will surged fiercely, determined to ovee whoever or whatever crossed his path.
Tristan could sense how strong his junior, Alexa, was through her mana. Yet, he smirked as if finding herughably insignificant, as if unable to even feel fear.
I, the superior one, shall personally teach you a lesson!
Tristanughed heartily, Kahaha!
Soon after, he choked and coughed, seemingly catching his breath.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 149: Joint Practical Evaluation (6)
Chapter 149: Joint Practical Evaluation (6)
Joint Practical Evaluation (6)
You are special.
That one sentence
It was that one sentence his serious-faced father, who had ignored him until then, had said to Tristan that drastically changed his crooked lifestyle.
He shortened the time he slept to study and continued to train his magic even when blood would spill out of his nose.
Believing that he was improving by the day, his eyes were always looking forward, toward the man he would be.
Living in such a manner, his strength grew by the day, and he earned the respect of everyone in the mansion.
Being raised on such a pedestal, he felt that he would be the one who would need to take responsibility for every single one of them and that they were his people.
So, he felt obligated to live so their respect would not be in vain.
This was why, as if he were continuing to remind the others about just how amazing of a person they were serving, Tristanughed valiantly and repeated the phrase, I am special and superior!
He hid the times stained by blood and sweat behind the mask named arrogance.
Tristan always smiled boldly, to follow his lead.
That was the attitude of one who stood on top. It was the way of life that Tristan Humphrey had cultivated to be his.
***
Alexa, the female student with a golden diamond mark etched on her forehead, remained expressionless. The right arm she had extended aimed for Tristan Humphrey.
Tristans eyes saw the reality. Elemental advantage and difference in mana. The female student standing before him was much stronger than himself.
But hadnt he seen how those weaker than their opponent had fought countless times here at the Mrchen Academy?
Indeed. That was Isaacs way of fighting.
Twice, he had fought with that cheeky bastard, and Tristan hadnt won satisfyingly once.
But he had to ept what should be epted. If Isaac had given him a realization, then he must take it. Because he must be stronger.
That was also why he threw away the stupid idea that the best defense was offense and concentrated on his defense magic.
Moreover, this damned academy still had many students who were stronger than him.
That female underssman had about the same mana as Luce Eltania and Kaya Astrea.
But does that mean he will retreat?
Hah! As if.
He hade to Mrchen Academy to be a legendary wizard. Avoiding a battle was something that he could not allow.
Everything inside of this damn academy is merely food for his growth.
Whoooooosh-!
Tristans light green winds blew aggressively.
Come fight me, brat.
A confident smile drew across his face.
Alexa did not respond. Was there any reason to? She merely followed Alice Carrollsmand and fought for the kingdom.
She could quickly get rid of that arrogant and weak-looking blond in an instant.
Then, Alexas rock magic circle began to glow brightly.
Rrumbleee!
Pirs of rocks shot up from the ground and fiercely cut through the air toward Tristan.
A 4-star rock spell, [Rock Avnche].
Tristan couldnt even begin to estimate the density of mana within that ocher boulder. Most spells wouldnt even make a dent in that rock.
In the first ce, removing ones fear in front of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy did not resolve the fundamental problem of the difference in strength.
But his objective was to fight on par with the opponent no matter how much stronger they were and, in the end, im victory.
Tristan found a hint of that goal in Isaacsbat style.
And the results of countless days of pondering and training were now inside his body.
His wind was not directed at the enemy but at himself.
Crashhh!
Five rock pirs warded away the spiral of wind and attempted to crush Tristan, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Alexa was confused.
Where did he?
Alexas eyes quickly searched around to track Tristans mana.
!
Whoosh!
Boom!
But suddenly, she received a powerful impact to her side and tumbled across the ground.
An explosion of concentrated wind magic and a flying kick had ambushed her.
Reflexively, Alexa showered down rock pirs onto what had attacked her.
But that something dodged Alexas magic at a speed difficult to track with the naked eye and repositioned itself.
Grumble!
Alexa created a boulder using [Rock Generation] to support her body and stop rolling.
Her narrowed eyes turned to the man who had attacked her. His entire body was enveloped in wind mana. His annoying blond hair and the hems of his uniform and cape all fluttered gently in the wind.
What wizard in this world would have thought of fighting at close ranges at the beginning of the fight? Alexa could not understand his unexpected antics.
Not only that, but the speed he had disyed was remarkable, seemingly bing one with the wind.
Ag, rah Didnt that hurt!
However, it was pretty pitiful to see him clutch his shin in pain after he had been the one to attack.
The method Tristan had developed to face wizards stronger than him.
It was to use his wind magic to elerate his movement drastically and use that speed to overwhelm the enemy with physical attacks.
That was simr to how Isaac fought. He, after all, had always attempted to fight at close quarters even though he was in the Magic Department.
No matter how cheeky the man was, he had to acknowledge his wit and skills.
In addition, the way he used the wind mana explosion to increase the power of his attack had been inspired by how Isaac had used [Frost Explosion] in closebat.
Though his hits only met their target four out of the ten times he used them due to absurd difficulty in controlling himself at high speeds, he was luckily able to seed on his first attempt.
It was an ineffective way of fighting for a wizard. But this could also be the most effective when specific criteria were met, like his current situation.
Ha! Was that all it took to make you fall? Youre a total weakling, I see!
And that criterion was that the opponent did not have high physical abilities, just like his underssman over there.
To reach this level, he had emptied his stomach many times and had shed countless droplets of sweat amid severe convulsions and intense difort.
And finally, he could use it in a real battle. Tristan was incredibly excited.
Grgh.
Alexa clenched her teeth. A vein popped on her forehead. Tristans taunts had been effective.
Shakily standing back up, a hand sped over the side of her stomach that Tristan had kicked, she red at her blond-haired upperssmen.
If she hadnt had [Basic Protection Magic] cast around her, she would have coughed up blood. Fury flooded over her like an avnche.
So, annoying!
Alexa shouted irritatingly. But because of her shy personality, the amplification of her shout was minimal.
Once again, the magic circles around her spewed out seven more rock pirs. [Rock Avnche]. The attack crashed towards Tristan at a frightening speed.
But their difference in speed was clear. Tristan disappeared within a split second.
At a speed Alexa could not track, he dodged [Rock Avnche] and pounced on her.
Rock Wall (Rock Element, 4)
Ruuumble!
Alexa pulled up a wall of rock and surrounded herself with it.
Afterward, [Rock Avnche] continued to rain down on him, but Tristan flew freely through the air and leisurely dodged the rock attacks.
Youre slower than a snail. I could dodge those in the middle of a nap!
Tristan bellowed loudly, taunting the girl, and concentrated his attacks on one point of the [Rock Wall] protecting Alexa.
Wind spells [Wind Sword] and [Gale Fang]. Punches and kicks imbued with wind mana. Even as Alexas [Rock Wall] was restored as soon as it was damaged, Tristan did not stop his barrage of attacks.
His leg broke. Blood spewed from his mouth. His bodys physical capabilities were overloaded. However, Tristan did not stop and continued his fierce battle with Alexa.
Faster, even faster.
Tristans attacks progressively increased in speed.
You little! You little gnat!
Beneath the rock, Alexa grabbed her dark brown hair with one hand and trembled in severe irritation.
Just then.
Kraghak!
What?!
Part of [Rock Wall] copsed, and a strong gust of wind prated that gap.
Alexa couldnt believe it. Tristans attack speed had surpassed Alexas regeneration speed and pierced through her defenses.
Tristans hand shot through the gap in the [Rock Wall] and grabbed onto Alexas jacket.
And using the moment when Alexas mana was shaken, Tristan used [Gale Fang], a series of wind attacks sharp like a wolfs fang to shatter [Rock Wall].
Craaaaash!!
Immediately after, Tristan tried to detonate the concentration of wind mana he had in his hand.
In Alexas eyes came the view of aughing madman with blood spilling from his ears and mouth.
An inexplicable sense of disgust swelled inside her. Alexas face crumpled violently.
Caught yo!
Kbooom-!
Alexas magic was faster. A [Rock Avnche] she had prepared in advance surged up and hit Tristan, pushing him up to the ceiling.
With a loud Bang! it sounded like something had exploded.
Boom!
The rock pir mercilessly collided with the ceiling.
But the cyclone contained by Tristan was still hovering in the air with incredible speed. It was clear that he had run away before the final collision.
Kehahah!! Not bad!!
Crazy bastard.
Those were the only words she could use to describe him.
Even after all his bones had been crushed by [Rock Avnche], he was spilling a dangerous amount of blood; Tristan continued tough manically, seeming almost hysteric.
Why was it? The mansughter began scaring her.
Even though it was clear he was weaker than her.
Argh!
Thump, thump!
Alexa once again used [Rock Wall] to surround herself, then used rock pirs to block off all entrances.
Then, a light brown rock magic circle appeared on the ceiling. It was a formidable amount of mana. Tristan felt a chill run through his entire body.
What was being drawn was the magic circle of the 6-star spell, [Meteor Shower].
Shes only a first-year, yet shes using 6-star magic
Augh slipped out of Tristans mouth. What he was currently seeing almost felt ridiculous.
First-years would be praised as geniuses for using 5-star magic.
Using 6-star magic already meant they were on Luce Eltanias level.
He should have entered a passage and dodged that attack, but Alexa had already blocked off the passages with her rocks.
Also, Alexa had already gotten rid of the rock pirs below that he could take cover under. The light brown speckles of mana glittered in the air as they scattered away.
Tristan took in the majestic view of the 6-star magic circle etched on the ceiling.
Unfathomable amounts of mana poured out of it.
You are special.
That single sentence had changed Tristan Humphreys life.
However, he had not once thought of himself as special.
It was because he had been the next head of the Humphrey Family that Father, who struggled to say even onepliment, said those words to him out of desperation.
Tristan knew that fact very well. When he thought about it, the meaning of You are special might not have meant a good thing.
But just hearing it was good enough for him. To change Tristans life, just those few words had been enough.
The more he trained within an ideal environment, the more Tristan realized that he was just a lucky person born into a wealthy and influential family.
Because of that, he thanked the Humphrey Family and vowed to be a special person.
It was also why he had always bbered off about being a superior, special, and legendary being.
Even if it had all been but a mere mask.
He believed that specialness was something that one made.
That was one reason Isaac especially caught Tristans attention in Mrchen Academy.
Grade E mana.
A pitiful grade that showed he hadnt even tried to use magic since youth.
A poormoner. Pitifully low status.
He, who should have ended there, showed no hesitation in battle, poured his everything into training, and was now highly respected by other students.
So, he disliked Isaac.
He was the one who had been living Tristans beliefs as a reality.
Whooooooosh!!!
Tristans wind mana caused another fierce whirlwind.
He casted the 4-star defense magic, [Wind Wall], at maximum output.
He was the one who was going to be the most special and greatest wizard of this academy.
He didnt want to lose to someone like Isaac. After all, hadnt he been born with better conditions?
It was only natural for him to be ahead.
Ha!
That underssman has likely been called a genius by the people around her.
Genius? What a ridiculous word.
He will crush them.
Come at me, brat!
Soon, the magic circle on the ceiling rained light upon thebyrinth.
And countless meteors shot down like arrows.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 150: Joint Practical Evaluation (7)
Chapter 150: Joint Practical Evaluation (7)
Joint Practical Evaluation (7)
Although golden lines were engraved seamlessly in the air, they could not dispel the fierce whirlwind.
It was impossible to know what was happening within the torrent of mana.
However.
Whooosh
When the [Meteor Shower] stopped, as if it was an inevitable oue, a blond man fell emptily from the whirlwind.
Thud.
Tristan Humphrey copsed on the ground, bloodied, like a cold corpse.
His wind ceased. Alexa, who was already sweating coldly, heaved a deep sigh. She released her [Rock Wall], and took in the sight of him copsed on the ground.
He was an annoying and irritating man. Alexa clicked her tongue and moved on.
As she passed by Tristan,
Whoooooosh!!
!!
Suddenly, as if waiting for that split moment, a fierce light green wind arose.
Rumble!!
Ugh!
A series of wind spells struck Alexa.
The moment she felt mana, she instinctively created a wall of rocks around her body to block the wind, but
As she heard theugh, Kahaha! Alexasplexion turned pale with fright, and a chilling shiver ran down her spine.
Soon, piercing through the fierce whirlwind, the blond man thrust his blood-covered face towards Alexa.
Is that all youve got?!!
Aaaaaah!!
Unable to bear that terrifying face, Alexa screamed out loud.
Kha!
However, Tristans wind quickly died down, as he could no longer maintain consciousness.
He copsed right there with a content smile on his face.
Alexa bit her lip hard, eximing, Hmph! Her eyes were wide open, filled with anger.
As if she were about to kill a disgusting cockroach, she raised her arm high, ready to unleash her rock magic to finish off the unconscious man.
Just then, someone from behind caught Alexas raised arm with a left hand wearing a ck glove.
Alexa.
!
A ck-haired, bespectacled male student.
As his deep voice resonated, Alexas eyes wavered.
What are you doing? Didnt the Queen specifically tell you to not do anything conspicuous?
His voice was as cold as frost andced with lethal intent.
Alexa lowered her arm without resistance and steadied her emotions with a deep breath.
Haa Im sorry.
For Alexa, who had lived as she pleased,mon sense was not something well-established.
Even in an exam hall, it wasnt strange for her to break through blocked walls just because she didnt want to take a detour.
She didnt properly understand what was sensible and what wasnt.
Therefore, even though she had been warned against doing certain things by other pdins and trump soldiers
In the joint practical evaluation, she had acted recklessly because she couldnt do otherwise.
It was only due to the male students persuasion, that she realized her mistake.
Surely she would be scolded. She must have caused trouble for Queen Alice.
The male student lifted his sses with his left hand, adorned by a ck glove. It was meant to cover the spade emblem on the back of his hand.
He was the Spade Pdin, the foremost and the strongest among them.
Alexas gaze rested again on the unconscious Tristan, who still had a faint smile on his face.
Even though she had won, it didnt feel like a victory. Despite still having mana left, she felt utterly drained.
Alexa clutched her side. As the battle ended, a severe pain surged, and she bit her lip hard.
Soon, several exam proctors flew in from the corridor and surrounded Alexa.
She secretly handed apass to the Spade male student, then followed the proctors without any resistance. The situation resolved more easily than expected for an emergency, leaving the proctors in a state of bewilderment.
The Spade male student was thanked for stopping Alexa.
After being dered disqualified, the unconscious Tristan received emergency treatment with healing magic and was carried away on a stretcher.
The Spade male student looked at thepass he had received from Alexa.
It was pointing towards Eltra Coast.
He began walking in the direction indicated by thepass.
At a certain location within Octovus Hall,
Mrchen Academys first-year top seat in the Magic Department, the girl with jet ck hair, Priestess Miya, was wandering alone in the Octovus Hall.
She had decided to act independently, after sensing that all her team members were utterly useless.
Being the top seat, her team members, selected for bnce, were all at the lower levels of sses C and D.
To Miya, they were nothing but disgusting insects.
[Even so, it might be better to cooperate Shouldnt you consider the teamwork score?]
Her Nine-tailed Fox familiar, Mae, hiding in Miyas index fingernail, tended to express her opinions timidly despite her imposing tone.
This was because she felt guilty if she misspoke and upset someone.
This exam is fundamentally wed.
Whoosh!
Miya crossed the dark corridor, burning the demonic illusions with her fire magic as she moved from ce to ce.
The death throes of the demonic illusions were grating to her ears, so she repeatedly sted them with her fire magic, turning them into ash.
I cante along with the lowest insects. I need to find a Predator instead.
[A Predator?]
My Prince might be a Predator, you know. Ah, how I miss him~.
Whenever she uttered, My Prince, Miyas voice was filled with affection.
The Nine-tailed Fox heaved a deep sigh.
Haa. What now?
Suddenly, Miyas expression hardened, and her voice grew solemn.
Miya frowned as she detected the demonic illusion hiding in the midst of darkness, waiting for a surprise attack.
She conjured a red me in her right hand, preparing to attack.
It was then.
!!
A tremendous amount of mana brushed past her skin like the wind.
Miya, with a startled face, turned her head towards the direction from where she felt the mana.
Could it be my Prince, the power of the Nameless Hero?
No. It was a creepy and chilling mana she had never felt before in her life.
Miya quickly guessed its identity and smiled broadly, as if her lips would tear.
Finally, what she had been waiting for had appeared.
Its a demon.
Last year, demons frequently appeared at Mrchen Academy.
Whenever demons appeared, The Nameless Hero would appear and without fail defeat them.
That meant,
This is when my Prince appears!
Miyas eyes sparkled. She had no interest in who died or how many perished due to the demons.
Her only desire was to court the strong figure she had affection for, the Nameless Hero. That was her biggest reason for enrolling in Mrchen Academy.
She had already sworn her heart to him. Miya was utterly fascinated by the tales of his heroism and strength she heard in Horan. Such a man would be impossible to find anywhere else.
It was a joyful day. Miya waved cheerfully at the demonic illusion and moved forward with bouncy steps like a rabbit, humming a work song from the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
The momentarily stunned demonic illusion soon roared and lunged at her, only to be effortlessly consumed by Miyas mes, tinged with herughter.
Meanwhile,
In Octovus Hall, everyone except those with extremely low mana perception felt it.
Everyone felt the damp and immense mana pouring in from the outside.
The narrow-eyed girl with pink hair, Saintess Bianca Anturaze, also stopped in her tracks as she felt the immense mana while walking through the Octovus Hall.
Even in her academy uniform, she wore a white veil on her head, symbolizing her status as a Saintess.
Biancas gaze turned towards the source of the mana. Nothing was visible due to the wall, but she knew where that direction led.
Hehe, hehehe
Bianca began to giggle, her shoulders trembling.
Have youe, evil demon?
Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
Born with the power of the element of light, but unlike Ian Fairytale, she was a girl who couldnt grow her power.
Being a pure human, she had limitations in handling the power of the element of light. However, no one in the Helize Church knew this fact.
The power of the element of light was meant to destroy demons. That was why Bianca had a wish.
She was a Saintess born with the element of light, a gift of grace from The Lord Manha. She too hoped that one day she would be able to y evil demons.
That was why she enrolled in Mrchen Academy.
Here, demons often appeared for unknown reasons. She could encounter them.
With her own hands, with her own weapon, she could be able to defeat the demons!
Bianca couldnt calm her expression. Her usually narrow eyes were wide open, revealing pretty eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Blushing, she extended her right arm to the side. Divine power emitted a rainbow light, and a steel mace adorned with a beautiful mana stone materialized in her hand.
Unable to contain her excitement, she uttered, Haa, haa.
Quickly with this mace of justice, to pass judgment!
Bianca, holding the mace close, moved excitedly towards Eltra Coast.
* * *
Well done, Tristan.
Such words came out involuntarily.
Crossing through Octovus Hall, I watched Tristan and Alexas fight with [irvoyance]. Tristan, with his strong desire to win and improve, had provided a great distraction.
He even fought better than expected against a Pdin stronger than himself. Although I couldnt give him a gift because he disliked me, Id express my gratitude in my heart.
Thank you!
Before I knew it, the exam bracelet had ceased to function, emitting a pop sound.
Now, only one task remained.
[A demon has been detected nearby.]
With a light gesture, I dismissed the system window floating in the air.
I took a deep breath.
After steadying my emotions, I started running towards Eltra Coast.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 151: Abyssal Sea Monster (1)
Chapter 151: Abyssal Sea Monster (1)
Abyssal Sea Monster (1)
What is that?
One of the destinations of the joint practical evaluation, Eltra Coast
In the middle of the Eltra Sea, beneath the storm clouds and surrounded by gloomy fog. The calm ripples flowing in from the distance suddenly surged into violent waves.
A wicked, dark mana surged to the surface, then ascended to the sky in spirals.
Then, the sea itself lifted upwards in the shape of a mountain.
Salty water spewed down upon the sea like a waterfall.
An unidentified figure slowly rose, revealing its massive silhouette.
Evil mana spread through the air, following the currents of the gusty coastal winds.
The proctor broke into a cold sweat. It didnt take long for them to realize that what they were looking at was a demon.
They hurriedly held up their bracelet to contact the academy, but their bracelet did not activate, perhaps due to the demons unique power.
The proctor could not use their mana as well. Though they could use mana, it felt unusual at the moment.
It was clear that the demon was disturbing the mana in the area.
Damn it!
They cursed to themselves with fear flooding over them. The terrors of Elt Ind and the Floating Ind were resurfacing in their minds.
But they remembered their duty.
Soon, the entrances of Octovus Hall, where the joint practical evaluation had been held, would automatically close and be sealed with a strong barrier.
This had been done to send the students who had arrived at the destination back into Octovus Hall in order to protect them in the case of an emergency, such as the appearance of a demon.
At the same time, it would also prevent the students unaware of the situation outside Octovus Hall from leaving the vicinity.
The proctor quickly scanned their surroundings.
Nobody was nearby. Thankfully, there hadnt been any students who arrived yet.
A gathering ce was determined in advance. The proctor turned and began running towards the gathering ce.
A high tsunami wave approached them. When it came close enough, the countless magic tools positioned on the outer perimeter of the ind were triggered simultaneously.
A transparent barrier with deep pink rose petal patterns was activated. It wasrge enough to surround the entire perimeter of the ind. Created from Headmistress Elena Woodlines mana, the barrier wouldst for 20 minutes.
However, the demons power, [Mana Drain], caused the rose petal-shaped mana to crack. It would be unable to aplish its role as a shield.
However, the barrier managed to aplish its role as a breakwater. The tsunami did not pass over the barrier and sweep the academy.
After the Floating Ind incident, Mrchen Academy worked tirelessly to make various preparations against the demons. They could not, after all, depend on the Nameless Hero forever.
Pop.
Above the sea. The terrifyingly massive creatures gills were flubbing in and out next to its cheeks and neck.
Its round mouth, which covered half its face, repeatedly opened and closed.
It was a deep blue color, with a slender body that looked simr to a stretched human. The creature brought more terror because it resembled a human figure.
-[Grwoaaaahhhhh.]
Its cry was simr to that of a ships horn.
As if calling to something, their cry stretched out.
Hearing that signal, its minions floated up to the surface with a ssh.
All sorts of bizarre marine specimens emerged to the surface. They were allrge enough to be differentiated, even at a distance.
One fish had its brain exposed for all of the world to see.
Another had its organs wrapped around its body like a spiral.
And another fish was holding a slimy covered with eyeballs in its mouth.
Leaving those aside, they all looked sickeningly disgusting.
The army of fish surrounded the ind.
All imbued with a shadowy, vapor-like dark mana, the creatures either began to swim or fly with wings shaped like human hands to approach Mrchen Academy.
Their thick-lipped mouths opened wide, letting out screechingughs.
With them, the massive demon also began moving.
On the northern side of the ind, at a hilltop.
Merlin Astrea, the female knight with a light-green ponytail, stood with the other Imperial Knights as she gazed at the northern seas.
She and the imperial knights she led needed to protect this position.
The rest of the Imperial Knights and Mrchen Academysbat line, battle wizards from the Hegel Magic Tower in cooperation with the academy, and the select few student volunteers with high skill all took their positions in separate directions.
Look at that vast sea. Many lives must be conceived in its depths. Wouldnt there be demons over there? Yes, Of course!
Suddenly, she remembered what Princess White had nervously chattered about in the carriage on their way to the entrance exam.
How coincidental.
You have extraordinary intuition, Princess White.
Merlin smirked yfully. But soon after, she settled her expression and turned her golden eyes back to the army of demons above the sea, attempting to invade Mrchen Academy.
Daughter of a Swordmaster. Vice-Commander of the 1st Zelver Imperial Knight Division, the Fenrir Knights. Merlin Astrea.
There wasnt any particr reason for the Imperial Knights, including herself, to havee to Mrchen Academy.
It was so that no matter what dangers came upon them.
They will protect the Princess.
They will protect the people.
They will protect the empire.
Investigating the identity of the Nameless Hero and volunteering to be an academy proctor were all, in the end, to protect someone.
That duty itself was what made the Imperial Knights themselves.
Taking in a deep breath, Merlin shouted aloud.
Listen closely! We are a fort! The enemy is the demons! We will protect the northern region of this ind!
The magic knights and archers attacked the enemy with ranged attacks.
The rest of the knights then took down the remaining enemies.
That was their basic strategy when defending against invaders.
Let us fight, Knights of Zelver!
Merlin shouted to the troops in a determined voice.
She unsheathed her sword from its ce on her belt.
Following her lead, the knights positioned behind her took out their weapons.
They charged towards the enemy.
Meanwhile. On the roof of a building facing the Arkins Sea.
One female student sat on the ledge, watching the army of fish demons charge towards Mrchen Academy.
She pushed the witch hat on her head down so it wouldnt fly off in the coastal breeze.
She swung her dangling legs leisurely as if she felt no danger.
This is reeeeeally boring~.
There were beings within this world who were considered otherworldly.
Just like thevender-haired student on the rooftop.
Dorothy Heartnova. She heaved herself onto the railing.
Due to the frequent demon appearancesst year, Mrchen Academy had set detailed procedures to follow in the case of an emergency.
Anti-Demon Defense System, she believed it was called.
It just so happened that Dorothy volunteered to help protect the Academy.
And in the case of a mass-demon appearance like the Floating Ind, she had been positioned on the first line of defense for the western side of the academy.
That was due to Isaacs request.
It was difficult to estimate just how many people Dorothy alone could rece.
In other words, Isaac had asked Dorothy to cooperate with the academys faculty and help protect the academy so it would be even safer.
Many enemies were likely approaching this western region by now, but it didnt matter to Dorothy how many came.
Because she was confident that she could take them all.
Well
Dorothy opened her right hand. A flurry of colorful stars shimmered in and out of view.
Starlight mana. It was a unique element of mana that only those chosen by the fairy Ste could use.
Lets end this quickly.
Dorothy murmured to herself quietly.
The students who had arrived at each destination during the joint practical evaluation followed the proctors at their location back to the underground evacuation facility Octovus Hall.
When they had finished returning to Octovus Hall, all entrances were closed, and a powerful barrier invented at the Hegel Magic Tower was activated.
The academys faculty led the students on the surface to the underground evacuation facility as taught in advance.
Several other faculty members also scoured the campus in case any students were left outside.
Meanwhile, inside of Octovus Hall.
The joint practical evaluation had been stopped, but because of the demon that had emerged from the sea, the bracelets used for the test were now useless, makingmunication difficult.
So, the proctors who arrived at the gathering area followed Philip Meltrons directions.
Some were sent to find and evacuate the students traversing Octovus Hall.
The others were to protect the students who had gathered in the safest area.
Since all the entrances of Octovus Hall were sealed, not a single student should have left its perimeters unless they bothered to break the barrier.
Moreover, the barriers exceptional durability made it difficult for most students to break it open.
However, Mrchen Academy could not predict every single situation.
Is this the ce?
The Spade Pdin, a ck-haired male student with sses, arrived at the entrance to the Eltra Sea with thepass he had followed.
Only the luminescentmps nearby lit up the surrounding area. At the top was the tightly shut entrance. All he had to do now was climb thedder.
However, there was a barrier set at the entrance. Its durability was remarkable.
The Spade Pdin scowled, then concentrated ice mana into his right hand.
Then he set off his spell at the entrance.
Frost Explosion (Ice Element, 5)
Baaaang!!!
The cial explosion broke the barrier with a single blow.
The ability of the demon that appeared on the Eltra Sea, [Mana Drain], did disrupt his mana, but his mana mastery was enough to break the barrier and pop off the entrance door.
And so, the Spade Pdin climbed up thedder and slipped out.
Just when he arrived at the oceanic breeze.
!!
Everyone in Mrchen Academy felt an immense presence.
Priestess Miya and Saintess Bianca, who had been wandering through Octovus Hall, felt it.
The Spade Pdin, who had juste to the surface, felt it.
Dorothy, the Imperial Knights, and the other members out to fight also felt it.
Their bodies were overwhelmed by immeasurable fear that cried from within. The density of the mana they felt was beyond what one couldprehend.
They only sensed the mana, but it was enough to make them feel like they were about to be swallowed by an unidentifiable monster.
Stch-ch-ch-ch-chk-!!!!
At the same time, the eastern side of the Eltra Sea, starting from the Eltra Coast, began to freeze at an rming rate.
The 6-star ice spell, [Frost Wave].
The vicious waves froze mid-motion, and the Eltra Sea froze over into a singlerge field of ice.
The fish demons swimming towards the ind had been frozen to the core, seemingly stopped in time.
Therge demon with a human figure staggered, unable to move freely.
The flying demons coughed noisily in pain, with their movements slowed by the fierce cold.
Then, ice mana began forming in the middle of the air and took the form of a massive dragon.
-[Graaaaahhhh-!!!]
A white dragon spread its lustrous wings, releasing a powerful gust of ice magic.
The magic beast soared into the sky and boasted its might to the world, then roared ferociously at the hideous demon standing out at sea.
A man stood on the back of the white dragon. He had a chilly, pale blue aura emanating from his body.
A muscr man over 2 meters tall. His deep blue wizard robe could barely contain the muscles underneath, almost at the brink of bursting. Under the hood that covered his head was a face darker than the night and two red glowing eyes.
Many people on the surface witnessed that scene.
Most people were left in a daze, mesmerized by his unimaginable mana.
Who wouldnt know who that man is?
The man who single-handedly defeated the Floating Ind.
The mysterious archwizard whose reputation had spread throughout the entire world.
The Nameless Hero. He hade.
The Spade Pdin narrowed his eyes and fixed his sses.
He had just exited the entrance and was still crouched on the ground.
He quietly red at the white dragon flying towards the massive demon and the Nameless Hero standing on its back.
Only after he had felt the mans mana himself did he realize.
Why the Queen hadnt been able to act all this time.
Why, even if all four Pdins fought together, they could not defeat him.
No matter what he had initially imagined, that mans mana had exceeded his expectations.
He seemed like a transcendent being on a different level, making him question whether they were the same species.
The Spade Pdin stood up and watched that grandeur.
That man was the archwizard they had to take down.
ck Monster
Inside of Octovus Hall, Priestess Miya and Saintess Bianca were still finding their way out to the Eltra Coast.
On top of the eastern seas, The Nameless Hero and the army of demons charged at one another.
You can rate this series here.
Advanced chapters avable on
Illustrtins on our discrd discord.gg/genesistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 152: Abyssal Sea Monster (2)
Chapter 152: Abyssal Sea Monster (2)
Abyssal Sea Monster (2)
Magic Knight of Mrchen Act 7, Chapter 3, The Abyssal Sea Monster.
In the joint practical evaluation, if the yer survived for a certain amount of time, a demon sleeping in the deep sea in the form of dark mana awakened, which was the beginning of Act 7, Chapter 3.
Ian Fairytale, who was a Predator in the exam, headed to Eltra Sea where the Abyssal Sea Monster had appeared. As a bearer of the light element, he felt it was his personal mission to defeat the demon. A sense of justice to protect people also yed a role.
However, in this world, Ian couldnt be a Predator like in the original scenario because I took first ce in ss B, pushing him out.
Anyway, since the Abyssal Sea Monster could be confronted without the power of the light element, it didnt matter whether Ian was here or not.
The powerful mana of the Abyssal Sea Monster swallowed the surrounding mana, causing chaos like a TV with signal interference and noise.
It was the effect of the passive skill [Mana Drain], a skill that could only absorb mana weaker than its own. For reference, Ian, with the light element, was immune to such a power.
Anyway, in Magic Knight of Mrchen, once Ian reached the Eltra coast,
The Abyssal Sea Monsters minion and mid-boss, the Abyssal Queen, flew in like a bullet and activated the effect of the Ring of the Abyssal Queen.
A more powerful skill than [Mana Drain], the Abyssal Sea Monsters passive skill, was [Mana Leech].
It was an ability to suck the mana and life force of a desired target, and it could only be used against those weaker than the ring wearer.
The range of effect was much more limitedpared to [Mana Drain], so only those on the Eltra coast suffered its effects.
As a result, the exam proctors and first-year students who reached Eltra coast had their mana and stamina sucked away in an instant.
The rings power activated in proportion to how much it devoured. Even in that instance, Ian, being of light element, was immune to [Mana Leech].
The mission of the abyssal sea demons was to defeat Ian Fairytale.
To fulfill that mission, the Abyssal Queen absorbed the activated ring into her body, gaining even greater power.
Originally, the scenario was that Ian, angered by the sight of the exhausted first-year students, would fight against the Abyssal Queen.
And the hidden condition.
If all first-year students heading to Eltra Coast in the joint practical evaluation were sessfully stopped, a new event cutscene urred.
When the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared and the proctors confirmed that no one hade to Eltra Coast, they immediately retreated to the gathering ce, missing Ian.
In the final scene of the cutscene, Ian began his confrontation with the Abyssal Sea Monster and the Abyssal Queen alone. He defended against the enemies like in a defense game, while also delivering long-range attacks using his light element.
It was a reckless act.
However, it was also a brave act.
At that time, there was no one at Eltra Coast for the Abyssal Queen to absorb mana from with her ring.
Therefore, if the yer defeated the Abyssal Queen before reinforcements arrived, they could obtain the Ring of the Abyssal Queen, which still hadnt been absorbed by the demon, as loot.
Before the exit leading to Eltra Coast was sealed, I used [irvoyance] to confirm that the proctors were leaving for the gathering ce and then slipped out of Octovus Hall.
Pdins, the Saintess, the Priestess, and the like were also rushing towards Eltra Coast, but now it didnt matter.
I flew over the vast ice on the mythical creature, Frost Dragon Hilde. Eltra Sea had been frozen wide, creating andscape as if a new ind made of ice had appeared.
And the giant demon hesitated because of the sea I had frozen.
[Igpus the Enlightened]
Lv: 175
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Water
Danger: Supreme
Psychology: [Sees you as a threat.]
The Leviathan of demons, Igpus the Enlightened, red at me with wide eyes. It was as tall as the Devil Pir, but that was no surprise to me.
Having defeated even The Floating Ind, sizes like that now seem merely quaint to me.
Fish demons with wings shaped like human hands fluttered to block my path in defense of their Lord.
Theyunched joint spells,bining dark and water mana, however
Whoooosh!!
4-star ice magic [Frostfire].
A frigid me, formed from ice mana, enveloped the area and froze the dark water magic. The fish demons, frozen to their very bones, plummeted helplessly.
As a Demon-Limited Hunter, it was simply a matter of using brute force to suppress them. Even contemting how to deal with them was a luxury.
Suddenly, the chest of the Abyssal Sea Monster demon Igpus turned slimy and viscous. A female demon then burst through his sticky chest.
It was the mid-boss and Abyssal Queen, Mezi the Deluge
[Mezi the Deluge]
Lv: 140
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Water
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to dissolve you.]
Each strand of hair resembled the leg of an octopus, wriggling unpleasantly as if they were worms. It was like an octopus version of Medusa from Greek mythology, who originally had snakes for her hair.
Thick lips covered half of her face. Herpletely round mouth opened wide, revealing sharply packed teeth to my sight.
The appearance was disgustingly abhorrent, almost making me feel sorry for the Medusaparison.
[Gwaaaaaaah!!!]
Wearing a Magic Cloak of Disguise Berserker, a roar automatically bursted out of my mouth.
Even though I wasnt actually yelling, my emotional state revealed the threatening demeanor of a berserker warrior.
As if reacting to mine, Mezi let out a bizarre, twisted scream that crumpled her face which also extended her tentacle hair.
At incredible speeds, the tentacles slicing through the air were each engulfed in a grand swirl of mana, where dark and water mana merged into dark blue waves
If touched, it would dissolve my body as if hit by hydrochloric acid.
I condensed ice mana in my hand and swung my arm roughly, detonating the mana.
Kwaaaaaaaah!!
5-star ice magic [Frost Explosion]. With a loud boom, a shockwave of ice magic spread out in an instant.
Due to the impact, the tentacles extending from Mezi exploded, and even the demons body was shattered by the shock. It was because everything had rapidly frozen.
Following that, an ice boulder spread instantly along the remaining tentacles, encasing both the chest of Igpus the Enlightened and Mezi in ice.
[Groooaaaa.]
Igpus the Enlightened let out a ghastly scream in cold agony.
Upon releasing the ice boulder, the disintegrating body of Mezi, amidst the scattering pale blue dust, caught my eye. Her body parts forlornly fell onto the ice.
I kicked off Hilde, leaping towards Mezi, and grabbed onto the gills in the chest of Igpus the Enlightened.
Mezi, drooping lifelessly, then turned into grey dust and vanished into nothing.
As something small and sparkling was about to fall from the spot, I quickly snatched it.
A resplendent ck ring adorned with a dark blue mana stone.
It was the Ring of the Abyssal Queen.
[Congrattions! Youve defeated the demon [Mezi the Deluge (Lv 140)] and gained EXP!]
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 111!]
[You have gained 4 stat points due to the effects of the unique trait [Rapid Growth]!]
[You have obtained the loot [Ring of the Abyssal Queen[!]
One taskpleted.
Now, only the giant abyssal sea monster demon, Igpus the Enlightened, remained.
It twisted its head unnaturally to look down at me. Its enormous head casted a wide shadow.
The heavy and damp dark mana settled down. It opened its round mouth and deployed several ck wave magic circles, each 20 meters in diameter.
It spat out goo-like purple saliva.
While holding onto its chest gills and looking at the scene, I condensed ice mana in my right hand.
The form for the 5-star magic [Frost Explosion] floated above.
Hilde.
When I conveyed my thoughts to my familiar, Hilde,
She roared threateningly and deployed a pale blue magic circle towards Igpus.
[[Gwoooooo.]
[Gwaaaaaah!!]
Now, at that moment, Igpuss and my Berserker roars collided.
* * *
To the South. Kaya Astrea, the second-year second seat of the Magic Department, was assigned the role of a Predator during the joint practical evaluation.
As soon as she sensed the Abyssal Sea Monsters mana, she exited Octovus Hall and flew towards the south of the ind.
While fighting the iing army of fish demons, she simultaneously healed thebat troops using nt magic.
It was exactly as pre-arranged with Isaac. Anticipating the defense system of Mrchen Academy against the demons, he instructed Kaya to go south and defend the academy in case of a demon appearance.
Thebat troops fighting the demon forces admired Kaya.
Surrounded by wind and nt mana, her appearance with her light green twin tails and fluttering uniform and cape resembled a holy fairy.
The reason she was called the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy was self-exnatory.
To the West. In the direction of the Arkins Sea, a massacre was happening with the sound of clear ringing.
Waves of starlight covered the sea, and brilliant beams of starlight ruthlessly pierced the sky and the sea.
Tremendous mana created a swarm of rainbow-colored stars, mercilessly annihting the fish demons.
At its center
A third-year female student of the Magic Department, Dorothy Heartnova, withvender hair and a witchs hat, floated among the numerous stars.
She had a carefree expression.
To the North. Dazzling sword energy and various elemental magics were rampant.
To demons, even an inch of approach wasnt allowed. The Imperial Knights skillfully countered the demons magic, securely defending the north.
And to the East, towards the Eltra Sea.
Sigh
The top seat of the first-years of the Magic Department, a girl with jet-ck hair, Priestess Miya, exited through Octovus Hall leading to Eltra Coast.
Since the exit was somehow shattered, it was very easy to get out.
This is
Miya couldnt help butugh upon seeing remnants of ice mana on the broken door lying about.
Kaboom!!
The sound of magic shing. The roar of monsters.
Looking up, she saw a giant figure confronting a massive demon on Eltra Sea, now turned into an ice sheet, alongside a mysterious white dragon.
At that moment, Miyas eyes sparkled like shooting stars, and her face filled with excitement. Her heart raced uncontrobly.
It must be!!!
Miya ran towards the sandy beach.
A cold wind blew. Miya conjured a light me under her feet to prevent herself from falling on the frozen sandy beach.
In front of the icy sea, Miya gazed at the man she had been searching for and eximed in a moved voice.
She was certain.
The person who broke the entrance of Octovus Hall. The one who froze the sea. The one confronting that bizarre demon.
Immense mana that felt like it could crush you even from afar!
He was the protagonist of the heroic tale that captivated Miya. He was undoubtedly the Nameless Hero.
My Prince!
The sight of the Nameless Hero fighting pounded Miyas heart like a drum.
Her mouth gaped open in awe.
Near the Eltra Coast sandy beach, behind a ck rock, the Spade Pdin secretly observed the situation.
Soon, Saintess Bianca also emerged from the exit. She caught her breath upon witnessing the Nameless Hero fighting in the Eltra Sea.
His roar and coldness spread fiercely in all directions.
The giant humanoid demon poured dark and water spells towards the Nameless Hero, but
The Hero, along with the white dragon presumed to be his familiar, unleashed vast ice spells, neutralizing everything, freezing, and shattering the enemy repeatedly.
Each time the Hero swung his fist, the air vibrated, and a fierce wind pressure surged.
It was a one-sided ughter.
The massive, powerful demon was helpless against the overwhelming force.
Eventually, the Nameless Hero ruthlessly shattered and tore apart the demon frozen by the cold.
Graaaaaaaaah!!!
[Frost Explosion]. The demons massive body shattered, and frozen chunks of dark blue flesh scattered in pieces.
The Nameless Hero roared with a sound like a monsters cry.
Priestess Miya clutched her chest and after she witnessed the brutal fighting style, she sighed deeply,
Haaa
His appearance was indeed the perfect ideal she had always dreamt of.
She had never felt her heart tremble so much in her life.
Her mind was bing all fuzzy.
It felt as if she was born to meet him.
This emotion must be love. Surely, it was love.
On the other hand, Saintess Bianca was expressionless. Even the area around her eyes seemed shadowed. No one could know what she was thinking.
Soon, the shattered body of the demon turned into grey dust and scattered in the snowstorm.
As if waiting for that moment, the white dragon raised a silver wind containing frost, [Frostwind].
!
[Frostwind] spread out fiercely, covering the Eltra Coast. Miya protected herself with a shield of flickering red mes, and Saintess Bianca covered her face with her arms.
It was mana as cold as the chill of midwinter. It didnt seem to be conjured to harm anyone; more likely, it was simply a smokescreen of sorts.
And so.
In the swirling whirl of frost, the Nameless Hero, diminishing even his mighty mana, faded away.
Haa. To finally meet you, Im so moved My Prince
Inside the me shield, Miya sped her hands over her heart as if praying, then closed her eyes, immersed in the aftermath.
She wanted to etch the image of the Nameless Hero fighting more vividly into her memory.
Bianca silently sheathed her mace, turned her back, and walked away.
Haa
The Spade Pdin furrowed his brows and let out a light sigh.
To eliminate someone like him
Enemy. The Nameless Hero.
Alice called him a disruptor, but to call him just that he was unbelievably strong.
The people of Mrchen Academy who had witnessed the Nameless Heros fight were left in awe. It was as if silence had fallen over the entire ind.
Most people had only ever heard stories about the Nameless Hero using world-ending magic, or single-handedly defeating The Floating Ind.
There were even those who proposed conspiracy theories that he was a fictional character.
But today, people truly realized
The Nameless Hero was real, and his strength had reached an unprecedented level.
And the fact that Mrchen Academy was being protected by such a formidable archwizard
Was clearly understood today.
* * *
Enough. Lets escape, Hilde!
[I shall show you the escaping skills we have practiced. It is a race, Master!]
She too mustve adapted. Its reassuring.
The ice underfoot was solid. Very good.
The reason for making this was not for anything else but to escape.
[Frostwind] was strongly blown just before [Hunter] was deactivated, so its duration should befortably long.
There was no need to worry about finding the way. I had [irvoyance]. Just in case, I also had apass taken from a first-year student during the joint practical evaluation in my pocket.
The distance to Mrchen Academy was quite far, but my stamina was enough, so there was nothing to worry about.
I still had some leftover mana, so I could maintain the summoned state of the baby dragon form of Hilde for quite a while. She was there to raise [Frostwind] at any time in case of emergency.
[Frostwind], being treated as my magic, didnt particrly feel bothersome. I was probably the most free in this wind.
Hilde and I cut through the raging cold and ran at full speed.
It was the same ending as always.
Chapter 153: Joint Practical Evaluation — Interlude (1)
Chapter 153: Joint Practical Evaluation ¡ª Interlude (1)
Joint Practical Evaluation Interlude (1)
Heeya!
The female student with short red hair and heart-shaped hair essory, Shera Hectorica, woke up with a strange cry.
An unfamiliar ceiling. Was she lying in a bed?
She scanned her surroundings. Other students were lying in a bed simr to hers.
This ce seemed to be a temporary medical facility within Octovus Hall.
Shera grabbed the nket and pulled herself up to sit. Thest memory she had was of a strong blow to her sr plexus, causing her to lose consciousness. She rubbed the area between her chest and abdomen.
There was a bit of soreness, but it didnt hurt that much. It looked like the academys medical staff healed her while she was knocked out.
Luce Eltania
She remembered a female student with rose-gold hair and a morpho-butterfly hair essory.
Luce Eltania, the second-year top seat of the Magic Department. The woman whom the legendary magic beast, Thunderbird Galia, treated as its master. Shera had lost in the battle with that woman.
Putting aside the fact that she had a disadvantage in element, she had heard that Luce was strong, but her power was far beyond what was expected of a student.
Of course, she likely wasnt simr to Dorothy Heartnova, one of the strongest individuals in the entire world. However, it was clear that she was born with unfathomable talent.
What about the demon?
They said that the Nameless Hero appeared and dealt with it. What we felt back there must have been his mana.
Damn, we missed that
Sheras eyes widened in shock at the students conversation.
A demon had appeared while she was unconscious, and the ck Monster had defeated it?
Humiliation washed over Shera.
Huahh
Shera buried her face into the nket. Her shoulders trembled.
Not only had she failed to carry out her mission, but she also lost to a mere student and was knocked out.
Though she was the weakest of the four Pdins, it was an utterly pathetic showing.
Her head remained buried in nkets for some time out of shame and guilt.
Meanwhile. On the rooftop of Mrchen Academys evacuation facility.
[Meow.]
Phantom Cat Cheshire, a purple cat magic beast with a small fedora, was seated on the rooftop railing, feeling the wind.
The Phantom Cat grinned as it gazed at the cold silver winds blowing above the Eltra Sea.
The ck Monster. Its strength was unparalleled.
He didnt dare get close enough to observe it up close. It would be a miracle for him to make it out alive instead of getting caught up in its magic and dying. Now, the snowy storm made it hard to see what was happening.
To begin with, it was an archwizard. It would be able to sense unused mana as well. He would have certainly been caught if he got close. That was also why Alice had said not to approach it hastily.
It would be, after all, a bad idea to let the enemy, who they had no information on, know that they were watching them. It was impossible to know what kind of harm that would lead him to face.
Facing such a superior foe, their only choice was to move carefully in the shadows.
But that didnt mean he had any ill feelings towards their foe. In actuality, the Phantom Cat liked the ck Monster.
He was Alices familiar. The ck Monster was a disruption to her ns and needed to be rid of. That rtionship brought entertainment for the Phantom Cat to enjoy.
[What are you going to do, Alice? How will you achieve your goals with that thing in your way?]
The Phantom Cats mouth curled up high enough to reach his ears, revealing his sharp, white teeth.
The Phantom Cats voice traveled to his owner, Alice Carroll, who was in her office chair in the central area of the evacuation facility, watching over the Eltra Sea.
Alice did not respond. She merely gazed out the window towards the frozen sea and snow flurry, lost in thought.
***
Once the Abyssal Sea Monster Demon, Igpus the Enlightened, was defeated, the army of fish demons immediately dissipated.
It would have been shocking for those unaware of the situation to witness the minions, who were not created from mana but were independent beings, follow their master to death.
Demons were still a hot research topic. The researchers would likely be excited over this new pattern of behavior.
It wasnt that important of a problem. The fish demons had merely been living with support from the dark mana that Igpus had shared with them. It was something Id read from a guidebook before.
Anyhow, the Eltra Sea demon infiltration incident ended with the help of the Nameless Hero.
After Igpus the Enlightened had been defeated.
The barriers blocking the several dozen entrances of Octovus Hall were automatically opened after it had been judged that the emergency was over.
In Magic Knight of Mrchen, Ian returned to Octovus Hall with the proctors who hade to help him after defeating the Abyssal Sea Monster. Remembering that scene, I expected the barriers to be opened.
Thanks to that, I could enter a vacant entrance and pretend to have been wandering around Octovus Hall. Then, at a reasonable time, I met with a proctor and was led to the gathering area.
Because of [irvoyance], it was easy for me to check the routes of the proctors and create a natural situation to run into them.
I removed the ice covering the Eltra Sea with Defrost, and [Frostwind] died down on its own over time.
Due to the fact that it was an emergency evacuation facility, Octovus Hall had a temporary medical facility. I passed through the hallway in front of the temporary hospital room with the proctors when I heard a familiarugh behind me.
Ha!
I turned my head to look at the owner of thatugh.
Tristan?
His uniform was covered in blood, and bandages were wrapped around his entire body. His leg must still be healing as he leaned on a wooden stick. It was my golden-haired ssmate, Tristan Humphrey.
My eyes boldly met Tristans. He had his nose high up in the air with an arrogant smile, just like usual.
Have you just been wandering around Octovus Hall while the demon had been defeated?
Well yeah.
Seeing that you are unhurt, you must have chosen only the easy fights! What a shame! You have lost the chance to experience growth, unlike me!
Keheheh!
He cackled brazenly.
Today, this body has reached a new ne! The moment is rapidly approaching!
Mrchen Academy had many people who wereprised entirely of the enthusiasm to improve.
Just like the guy in front of me right now.
The moment I surpass you draws near, Isaac!
With that final confident deration, Tristanughed like a third-rate viin and turned around. Hisughter ended with a series of coughs.
Just like that, he limped through the hallway using the wooden stick to support himself.
At first, it was Grade E Commoner, then it was simply Commoner. Now, it was just Isaac.
After I had be the top student in ss B, Tristan began to call me by my name. It was his way of acknowledging that I was ahead of him.
I wish you all the best.
I turned my head back and resumed walking with the proctors.
And so, as the distance between me and Tristan widened, I checked on him with [irvoyance].
Tristans grinning face slowly hardened.
Then, biting down on his bottom lip, the hand holding the wooden stick trembled.
He fought the tears threatening to slide down his bandaged cheeks and, with his head tilted down, attempted to settle his unsteady breath.
Thanks to [Psychological Insight], it wasnt hard to understand his current state.
After seeing me, his goal, the fact that he lost to Alexa became even more apparent in his mind.
And because of that, Tristan was currently incredibly frustrated.
I stopped using [irvoyance].
I was Tristans goal. So, right now, I should not watch him any longer.
Only looking at the arrogant face thatughed in front of me like a third-rate viin was how I would show respect to him as his target for growth.
***
The academys faculty thoroughly investigated whether any students were hurt and how much damage had been done to the academy.
Thanks to thebat troops,posed of adults, who protected the academy, the students were fine, except those injured during the joint practical evaluation.
As a result, there were zero casualties. There werent any significant damages to the academys property either.
However, how much the academys faculty would suffer to deal with the aftermath of this Abyssal Sea Monster incident I gave them my deepest condolences.
The Pdins failed to stop me. Luce had dealt with the Heart Pdin, and Tristan stopped the Diamond Pdin. Thankfully, I hadnt crossed paths with the Spade or Clover Pdin.
Though I already knew it, I was reminded once again that my ns were always prone to change.
I could not prepare counteractions because it hadnt been in my calctions for the Diamond Pdin, Alexa, to charge through the walls. I had to give my thanks to Tristan for that. It would be highly necessary to make more detailed ns going forward.
And unsurprisingly, Alexa was referred to the disciplinarymittee.
She would likely be questioned about the reason for breaking the walls of the exam site and assaulting a proctor. But that wouldnt go far enough to reveal that Alice Carroll was the informant.
Considering Alexas nature, I believe she would remain silent and be given a harsher punishment for herck of reflection on her actions. Ah, maybe the fact that this was her first offense would be considered. And Alice might step in Itd be clear with time.
Dorothy and Kaya received certificates ofmendation for their contribution to protecting the academy.
Dorothy bragged to me that her demerit points had been reduced Unfortunately, that didnt change the fact that she still had a significant number of demerit points under her belt.
Happy that she was given a certificate, Kaya kept a broad smile on her face for a few days. It was absolutely adorable.
Eventually, several students decided to drop out of the academy after the demons appearance.
Most students decided to stay after seeing the academys procedure in response to the incident and the Nameless Heros actions to protect the academy.
The main reason was that they could not give up the graduation certificate of the famous Mrchen Academy.
There were other reasons aside from that, such as admiration for the Nameless Hero. Still, for now, the certainty about their safety when a demon made their appearance was a significant reason.
For reference, Mrchen Academy was also discussing moving the location of the academy itself due to the frequent appearance of the demons.
However, because creating a facility like this academy in a short amount of time was no easy feat, it was doubtful that the academy would move locations, at least until the Evil God made her appearance.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 113
Gender: Male
Year: 2nd
Title: Skilled Second Year
Mana: 30000/30000
Mana Recovery Speed (A-)
Evening. In a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
I didnt understand how a narrow, deserted path could lead to such a vast and open view or why they designed it this way.
I sat down on top of the grass field. I hade here to sort my thoughts.
Once the sun set, a group of fireflies slowly floated to the surface.
The cool breeze blew towards me and lightly caressed my skin before passing by.
Now then.
Lets sort this out.
Through this joint practical evaluation and the Abyssal Sea Monster incident, I gained a lot of EXP and the Ring of the Abyssal Queen.
My level increased by a total of 3. Due to the effects of [Rapid Growth], I was able to receive a total of 12 stat points. And, by clearing the achievement [Abyssal King], I received an additional 30 points of [Water Resistance].
I put in all 12 stat points into Vs. Human Combat Power.
vs. Race Combat Power
vs. Human Combat Power (C+): 32/100 [UP]
Elemental Resistance
Water Resistance (B+): 51/100 [UP]
For reference, my [Water Resistance] had already been a bit higher than normal because of how much I was exposed to Luces water magic.
If I added the Elemental Bracelet onto this, then it would be a pretty substantial stat. Since the Clover Pdin specialized in the water element, I wouldnt be out ofmission over a couple of hits anymore.
And then
Raising my head, I saw the starry night sky.
What came into my mind was Whites astral-themed pocket watch face. The hands had been frozen.
It was broken.
Whites pocket watch was a gift from her mother.
In Magic Knight of Mrchen, there were only minor foreshadowings about its identity. One example was when Amy Holloway used [Heart Color Discernment] and was frightened after witnessing something she mistook as Whites heart color.
For reference, Whites heart color was mainly aforting feeling. That was also the reason why I could treat her kindly without hesitation.
Anyway, the watch suddenly broke after arriving in Year 2 Semester 2, and its identity was revealed in the Year 3 Semester 1.
Once the watchs identity was revealed, a shocking story about her mothers actions toward her daughtermenced. When I yed Magic Knight of Mrchen for the first time, I couldnt help but both curse and be impressed by her insanity.
Im d I already knew about it.
I didnt know why the pocket watch had already stopped.
But one certain thing was that there was a possibility that the pocket watchs identity might be revealed earlier than in the game. After the pocket watch was broken and a specific criterion was met, a terrible disaster came upon the academy again.
In Magic Knight of Mrchen, one needed enough power to alter even gods will. Like the Luminous Sword, the ultimate light element weapon.
However, that weapon could only be obtained after Year 2 Semester 2.
The only thing I could do right now was to continue monitoring whether that specific criterion to bring upon the pocket watchs terror was met and to prepare ordingly.
For reference, destroying or throwing the pocket watch into the ocean would bring the worst results. It would be best for White to hold onto the pocket watch like usual.
And next
I raised my head and lifted up the Ring of the Abyssal Queen to reflect the moonlight.
It was a ring with a navy blue magic stone embedded into it.
Thats one nice-looking ring.
Not only would this ring amplify the power of Luces water and lightning mana, but the elements colors would also deepen. Additionally, she could use skills like [Mana Leech]. She would rule the battlefield like an invincible empress.
Just like the cringe-worthy nickname Luce wouldter obtain, the Empress of the Midnight Sea.
Anyhow, I needed to give this ring to Luce and somehow persuade her to wear it on her left ring finger.
First of all, I prepared a lie about where I obtained this magic weapon.
During winter break, I pretended to leave the academy for a few days to spar nonstop with Gormos golems.
I could tell her that I found it when I was outside.
If she asked how I knew the effects of the ring, then I could mention the appraiser, Grandpa Harrison.
Hmm.
Or should I give it to her yfully?
No, that wouldnt work. It still didnt answer why I brought a magic weapon ring that she needed to wear on her left ring finger.
What if I tell her, I dont know. Thats just what I was told. No that doesnt sound right either. It was too open-ended.
How did I give this ring to Luce in my previous life?
Though I didnt know if I even obtained the ring at that time, I probably did.
Anyway, it was still a mystery how I managed to give this ring to Luce while avoiding the Extra Bad Ending Bird Cage up to the battle with the Evil God.
Just then, I heard footsteps behind me.
!
I clutched the ring in my palm and balled it into a fist to hide it. I didnt want to be caught with it, just in case.
The footsteps began toe closer, and a familiar voice called out.
Isaac, what are you doing?
I turned my head.
A morpho butterfly hair essory, dressed in the academys uniform with rose-gold hair braided down on the side. I held my breath at her beauty.
She had her head tilted a bit to the side, a questioning expression on her face. It was the second-year top seat of the Magic Department, Luce Eltania.
Luce
I didnt know why she suddenly appeared, but it was nothing strange since it happened often. Most of the time, it was because she wanted to see me.
I had already nned on meeting her anyway.
This is alright; it saved time.
I should have sessfully handed the ring to Luce in the past. Which meant I might be able to find the answer in our conversation.
What is it, Luce? Did youe to see me?
I fixed my expression and stood up. I nudged up Ribes sses, then smiled as casually as possible.
But this girls expression looks meaningful somehow.
Isaac.
Luce asked me in a serious voice.
That ring just now, what is that?
Right
This girl had crazy eyesight.
Chapter 154: Joint Practical Evaluation — (2)
Chapter 154: Joint Practical Evaluation ¡ª (2)
Joint Practical Evaluation (2)
Under the dim evening sky.
Luce and I sat side by side in the yard, watching the fireflies swim through the garden under the cover of night.
It was quite a sentimental atmosphere
The ring, are you nning to give it to someone? Who?
If only it werent for Luces cold gaze and subdued voice.
I understood her cynical reaction. Luce wasnt really sure of her own feelings.
She often acted like a lover while calling me a friend.
But it seemed too simplistic to dismiss it as, Luce not knowing how to gauge psychological distance. Especially considering how far we had alreadye.
She had most likelye to like me as Isaac.
And secretly thought of me as the Nameless Hero.
Its just that she is too cautious to be certain.
Because there was no confirmation.
Is it that one senior?
Luce turned her head straight ahead, looking at the swarm of fireflies.
The Senior Luce was referring to could only be Dorothy.
Dorothy doesnt need this.
She doesnt need it?
It doesnt match her own element. This is a magic weapon.
I showed Luce the ring of the Abyssal Queen.
With the misunderstanding cleared, the ominous aura faded, and Luces expression softened.
Ah. She nodded.
It was a magic weapon
Did you imagine something strange? Like an engagement ring?
Luce pressed her lips to her knees, which she was embracing, and remained silent.
I deliberately squinted my eyes and red at Luce suspiciously.
Luce
No! Its just because were friends, I was just concerned as a friend. For me I only have you.
Embarrassed by her own words, Luce blushed. As usual, her melodious voice echoed sweetly.
I only have you.Huh?
It went without saying. Luce suffered from social phobia, and I was the only exception to how she typically felt around others. I was the only person she could open her heart to.
Luces braided rose-gold hair cascaded over her uniform, shimmering. It reminded me of a few weeks ago when we yfully fiddled with each others hair and giggled together.
Beyond that, a memory was reflected as if it were in a mirror, disyed in the sameposition.
The scene of Luce, dripping with blood and sitting on the ground, as we dearly embraced each other in front of the Evil Gods army.
But in reality, she met a solitary and lonely end.
Recalling this, I suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.
My mouth opened slightly, and suddenly, a possibility came to mind.
Perhaps.
I might not have realized how simple it could be to avoid what I had feared.
After hearing what Luce said during the Sandstone Trial, I realized why there was no need to worry about the Extra Bad Ending Bird Cage in the battle against the Evil God.
Luce dreamed of building a normal life with me by her side. She even envisioned the specifics of our life together like a picture.
Living together in the same house, achieving goals together, and eventually getting married and having children.
She wanted to build a future with me as her dear lover.
That desire must have been the restraint that stopped Luces impulses. To make the future she imagined possible, she couldnt afford to interfere with our future through means such as confinement.
Then, what is the catalyst that made Luce dream of such a future?
How would I know that.
Of course, I dont know.
But still, thanks to that, my thoughts became clear.
I couldnt be certain of anything, however, I knew I had to give this ring to Luce, whom I endlessly adored.
Then I guess Ill have to face it.
The shrill sound of insects in the grass.
Eventually, I broke the heavy silence that was hanging in the air.
Luce.
Hmm?
Its out of the blue, but you dream of being an Exalted Tower Master, right? Youll be incredibly busy then Will you be by my side even then?
Luce looked at me with a suspecting expression, as if asking why I would ask such a thing.
Of course? Even if you dont want me to, Ill be by your side.
Then lend me your left hand.
Huh?
When I extended my hand, Luce showed a bewildered reaction.
She stared at my face with a puzzled expression on her face, and eventually ced her left hand on the hand I held out to her.
It was a slender and delicate hand.
I gently held Luces fingers.
And slipped the Ring of the Abyssal Queen onto her left ring finger.
As if the ring existed just for Luce, it fitted perfectly on her finger.
It suits her quite well.
Isaac?
Luces eyes widened in surprise.
As if her mind had gone nk, she alternated between looking at her hand and my face, as if unable to process a rational thought.
I looked at Luce, revealing my teeth through a broad grin.
Its a magic weapon that will enhance your water and lightning spells, you know? Just what you need, right? Its said to be effective only when worn on this finger.
?
Luce was dazed for quite a bit before she finally managed to speak.
Did you prepare this for me?
Her voice trembled slightly. If someone who always had a poker face was this shocked, it must have been quite a surprise.
I went outst vacation, remember? I found this treasure in an antique shop by chance. I got it cheap, so feel free to use it without worry.
Normally, Luce would have sharply pointed out, Who would fail to recognize such a thing and sell it in an antique shop?
Fortunately, Luce was so stunned that she seemed to have stopped thinking and couldnt say anything, she just stared nkly at my face.
Of course, it wouldnt have mattered even if she had argued in a logical manner. I was ready to skillfully change the topic with my BS Anti-Luce speaking skills.
Its not just a gift. When you be an Exalted Tower Master and I be a good wizard, and we both meet our goals Its a symbol of ourmitment to help each other even then.
Okay.
So, its a bit cheesy but
I smiled slightly and extended my hand for a handshake.
Thank you for being my friend, Luce.
!
As if she heard somethingpletely unexpected.
Luces eyes widened once again.
Luce stared at my extended hand for a while, almost embarrassingly.
There was no need to read her psychology. For that brief moment, it seemed like she was drifting through many memories.
Her face revealed a mix ofplex emotions, and the expression she finally formed was
Heh.
A smile.
Me too. Thank you, Isaac.
Luce grasped my hand and met my eyes with her jewel-like eyes. She smiled more brightly than ever before, shyly.
She blinked her eyes gently. The soft green light emitted by the moonlight and fireflies was clearly reflected in her eyes.
Eventually, Luce stretched out her left arm towards the sky and gently looked at her open left hand.
The ring on her left ring finger reflected the moonlight, disying a radiant ck pearl-like color.
Luces subtly flushed cheeks and her profound expression came into view.
Luces smile, filled with pure joy, shone endlessly in the moonlight, never fading.
Shes lovely.
I wish for Luces happiness.
And I love her happiness.
So, seeing her this happy naturally fills me with pride.
We looked at each other and smiled broadly, continuing our usual trivial chit-chat in soft voices for a while.
It was a tranquil night.
* * *
[The valiant killer whale, Bello, could not dare to interfere today! Well done, Isaac!]
[]
In a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
The small killer whale familiar, Bello, and Thunderbird Galia, summoned in a small form, were secretly watching Isaac and Luce from behind a tree.
Isaac had slipped a ring onto Luces left ring finger.
As familiars, they could feel that their master, Luces heart, was filled with more joy than ever before.
The Thunderbird looked at Luce with a distant gaze, his beak firmly closed.
She had lived with shackles ever since she lost the Candy House Witch. To make matters worse, he had sumbed to madness due to the curse of the Evil Dragon.
Because of this, the Thunderbird often felt deep guilt.
He had stood by Luce when she crumbled, yet he couldnt provide her with the support she needed.
Galia resented his past powerless self, which had only caused her sadness.
But now, Luce was smiling so brightly that it made the past seem insignificant.
Happily, without any envy.
[Hey, Galia. What do those tears mean?]
[Its nothing.]
Galia was very happy with just that fact alone.
Grateful to Isaac, Galia wiped away his ears with his ck wings and held a faint smile.
* * *
Title: Magic Knight of Mrchen Hell Difficulty] VideoGameGuy Gamey Episode 21 developers, is this okay? Isnt this way too unfair?
Views: 77,329
Channel Name:
VideoGameGuys Game World
Subscribers: 450,000
Comments: 77
Half the video is just screaming lmao
25:40 demon got absolutely obliterated kek
Alice-chan is so kawaii and cujj~ uuuoooggghhh
the difficulty level is insane lol
Boss fight at 12:13 is super dope
him losing his mind and just nkly staring at 19:13 is pure gold rofl
Guys, this might be out of the blue, but dont you think the developers are weird? I just watched the interview and couldntment there so I am writing it down here they seem abnormal, and they say weird stuff
My grandma is a shamaness who can embody divine spirits, and she can tell whether someone is a human or ghost, you know? I just asked her and she said these guys arent human but also not ghosts Are they aliens???
What kind of joke is this?
shaman family talking about aliens is crazy
LOL but to be honest the developer interview was weird. They were talking about their own game and saying that the story of Ian is a lie who doesnt know that? Immersion is important in a game, I doubted their sanity after watching that video
Games that are ahead of their time have unique interviews too Rofl
No, Im serious, if my grandma is saying this much then its real. The developers are weird
Theres something about them for sure I guarantee it
***
Title: Fairytale of Brutality, Academy RPG Magic Knight of Mrchen] Developer Special Interview
Views: 62,124,270
Channel Name:
Hix
Subscribers: 1.3 Million
Comments have been disabled.
Hello, we sincerely wee to Mrchen Academy.
I am , the head of development at Hix, where Magic Knight of Mrchen was developed.
is said to be another .
Its the same with Magic Knight of Mrchen that we have created.
Magic Knight of Mrchen is , and the adventure of Ian Fairytail is a lie.
He is
because he is ,
Its just , after all.
And, Magic Knight of Mrchen is .
To defeat the Evil God,
to ,
and .
If we cannot stop the Evil God, then
there will be no .
Please defeat the Evil God.
And
We hope you graduate safely from Mrchen Academy.
***
Chapter 155: Ring (1)
Chapter 155: Ring (1)
Ring (1)
Mrchen Academy did not close for even a single day.
It was unlikest year when there had been frequent shutdowns due to countless iprehensibly massive incidents. This year, they established a secure and detailed system in preparation for national-level crises.
The students who had been at Mrchen Academyst year were quite shocked at this drastic change.
Eltra Sea was temporarily prohibited from being entered.
This was because the academys faculty and Imperial Knights were investigating the cause of the Abyssal Sea Monsters appearance, even utilizing the resources of the Magic Tower.
There were plenty of discussions among the students about the cause of the demons appearances and the identity of the Nameless Hero.
In particr
There was a im that the academy would gather the students of the ice element and somehow reveal the heros identity.
The opposing side made the rebuttal that the Nameless Hero must have a reason to hide their identity and that they must not bother the archwizard who was protecting them.
The students exchanged many different thoughts about the Nameless Hero.
Some praised the Nameless Hero and admired his strength, and some were still suspicious of this mysterious figure who may or may not be their ally. As such, the students opinions began to divide in several different directions.
The Nameless Hero quickly became the hottest issue within Mrchen Academy.
***
Boasted to be the best academy on the entire continent, the authority of the Headmistress matched the academys fame.
Headmistress Elena Woodline, a beautiful woman with her rose-red hair put up in a bun.
Though she was in her 70s, thanks to her skill [Immortality], she could maintain the appearance of her prime 20s.
Within the space called Mrchen Academy, absolutely no one held more authority than her. She was the collective owner of what one might consider everything, whether that be beauty or power
On the outside at least.
H-hello! Sir Magrio! Ahahah! W-what nice weather were having!
In reality, she was always struggling under the name of money and power.
Bartos Hall, the focal point of the academys administration. In the drawing room.
The doors opened, and a woman with a white coat draped over her shoulders entered. It was Elena Woodline, the Headmistress of Mrchen Academy.
She brightly greeted Magrio, the Vice-Commander of the Fenrir Knights, the 4th Order of Knights of the Empire.
Her bright voice was habitual. It creaked like a robot from her anxiety. Miss Headmistress Elenas female secretary quietly muttered to herself.
The middle-aged Vice-Commander, Magrio, lightly lifted his hand to acknowledge Elena. Behind him were three knights standing guard, swords sheathed at their sides.
Elena sat down across from Magrio.
Gday, Lady Elena.
Would you like a drink?!
Herb tea.
Alright! Hey! Get us two cups of herbal tea!
Headmistress Elena frantically ordered her female secretary to retrieve the drinks. She was expressing the fact that she was anxious through her bodynguage and actions.
Please try to remain civil, Miss Headmistress
A quiet sigh left the female secretarys mouth as she massaged her temples and turned to fetch the tea. Just looking at the Headmistresss state gave her a headache.
Uh, Sir Magrio? May I know the reason for this discussion?
We are both short on time with the Eltra Sea incident and all, so lets cut to the chase.
O-of course!
Elena struggled to maintain a leisurely smile but could not stop the cold sweat from running down her forehead.
The air sank. However, she had gotten used to this environment.
Dozens of times, she had persuaded and pleaded for investors to stay for the sake of the academys finances. She has worn down her knees to the bone to establish Mrchen Academys current defense system.
Someone had once said to smile through the pain. As a person that had always smiled through the shittiest of realities, that was no surprising feat for Elena.
I wonder what it is that Sir Magrio hase all this way to personally ask me
Why are you unable to identify the Nameless Hero?
Elenas head shook faintly.
As you know, we cannot interfere with the administrative systems of this academy ording to the agreement. Also, we can only receive up to Grade 3 confidential files of the academy. So our investigation regarding the identity of the hero is exceedingly limited.
Emperor Carlos Von Kairos Elfieto had given two major orders to the Imperial Knights when they had been dispatched.
Firstly, support Mrchen Academy.
Secondly, investigate the reason for the frequent appearances of the demons.
They were warned to maintain a positive rtionship with the academy and to not pressure them.
After all, the academy was where students received academic education, and ces of education were considered sacred.
In the agreement they had first made with the academy, it was stated that the confidential files shared with the Imperial Knights would be limited to Grade 3.
There was the danger of leakage if more information was shared, which would add more pressure to the academy.
Moreover, it had been confirmed that there was an informant among those involved with the academys administrations.
The academy had no choice but to be conservative in the information they revealed in case it was leaked or any other incident happened.
But the hero is currently assumed to be a student of Mrchen Academy. Is the academy not proficient in the discernment of its own students?
After being dispatched, the Imperial Knights witnessed the academys struggles up close and understood their situation.
However, it was difficult for them to understand how they could not find a single lead regarding the Nameless Hero, even after investing so much time in that endeavor.
T-that is true Uhm, Sir Magrio? I understand that you are also curious about the Nameless Heros identity. O-of course, they must be deeply associated with your objectives.
Just then, the female secretary came back with the herb tea and handed it to Elena and Magrio.
Elenas hand trembled as it held onto the cup. She sipped the tea, unable to sense the searing heat burning her tongue.
Elena then continued with her seared tongue.
However, investigating the hero is part of our duty. I do not believe that it is a matter you should be
Lady Elena.
Y-yes?
I have heard about your insight and reputation. You have worked tirelessly to cultivate the talents who will one day lead the Empire. I respect that deeply.
Ahh, yes, thank you?
Which is why no matter how much I think about it, I find it hard to believe someone as capable as you is vacantly spending this time. So I apologize if thises off as rude, but I have to ask
Magrios eyes narrowed as he asked in a sharp voice.
Are you unable to identify them, on purpose, perhaps?
Ahahahahah!! How funny you are! Of course not!
Elenaughed aloud with a flustered expression.
Magrio blinked slowly.
It isnt like I am unaware of your situation. The Nameless Hero is a powerful wizard who is capable of destroying the world. They are not a being we can easily do something to. It is understandable that you wish to stall the search with such a person protecting the academy.
Wahahah! Youd make a greatedian!
Well, ording to the contract, we cannot interfere regarding the students.
Magrio stroked his chin. His short, stubble beard stood out.
Lady Elena. The reason we are here is to find the reason why demons are appearing only in this area. It is the Emperors order.
Indeed
As the Empires greatest academy, shouldnt the guarantee of the students safety and chance to education be fortified? If we fail, then this academy will never be able to return to its original state. That is not ideal for the students, the teachers, or the Empire. The Nameless Hero. He may be the lead to resolving this incident, perhaps the cause, or be the key to leading us to the answer.
Being much lighter than a sword, the teacup was held in his hand steadily. Magrio quietly peered down at the still surface of the herb tea.
Until now, several demons considered natural disasters appeared at Mrchen Academy.
On the surface, this might make it seem like there was a dire problem with the academys defense systems that did not make it activate properly, but from what the Imperial Knights had investigated, that hadnt been the problem.
Mrchen Academy had a detection system that reached up high into the skies, which utilized the mana of Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of the Hegel Magic Tower, and Headmistress Elena. It was made in the form of a transparent membrane invisible to the naked eye.
Thanks to it, the academy could know immediately whenever there was an intruder.
However, most of the demons that had appeared so far hadnt been detected by Headmistress Elenas detection system.
The Headmistresss detection system was a transcendent level of magic that had been established on its own and could not be controlled by her.
Only a periodic charge of mana was needed to sustain the detection system, and there was no reason for the system to deactivate even when Elena was away.
This academy is housing a dangerous secret. Think about it. Setting aside the massive demon that emerged from the sea, how will you exin the demon appearances ofst year? The only times the defenses were lowered were during vacation and when supplies were imported, and do you think the demons could have infiltrated then? They wouldnt have just walked in with their two feet, and baggage should have been checked thoroughly.
Magrio continued to speak as he stared down at the herb tea.
Or perhaps this informant had bribed the guards? Impossible. The baggage was checked twice, no, thrice, and we are also aware of how many guards there were. There were even guards using magic tools to enhance their vision and had messengers who delivered information to them. Bribing such a number of people is not only unreasonably costly but also physically difficult.
Every time a sentence left Magrios mouth, another droplet of cold sweat trickled down Headmistress Elenas face.
Then did they infiltrate by hiding inside a magic pouch the informant carried in? That is also quite difficult. You cannot, after all, store living beings in items imbued with storage magic. The mana field interferes with the storage magic. The remaining possibility would be that these demons had been here since the beginning However, it is still a mystery how they managed to remain undetected up to this point. Even if we say these demons are hidden deep within this ind where we cannot find them, there is still the question of why they have only started to cause these incidents now.
Without taking a single sip of his herb tea, Magrio set the cup down on the table.
And the Nameless Hero They may be able to give us the answers to all these questions.
The Nameless Hero.
Whenever demons arrived, they also appeared right behind them, as if they had been waiting.
As if they knew the future. As if they knew where and when these demons would appear.
As if They knew the truth about everything.
I will say this once more, but isnt the Nameless Hero suspected to be a student of Mrchen Academy? From our perspective, we cannot remove the suspicion that the academy is purposefully refraining from finding this person.
T-that is! Something we cannot rashly decide on, nor can we interrogate the students with brute force!
I believe.
Magrio set his elbows on his legs and rested his chin on his hands as he red at Elena.
The experience of fighting on countless battlefields of blood was contained in his eyes.
That the academy, who should maintain the most neutral position on this situation, is favoring the Nameless Hero
Thats
Useless fuckin conversation.
Just as Elena was hesitating to answer, a calm voice could be heard from an unexpected location. Everyones gazes turned towards the windowsill, where the voice came from.
A dense mana epassed the parlor.
Then, a frail-looking woman hidden by a wizards robe stepped on the windowsill and entered the room.
An old-fashioned cone hat was on her head, and her mahogany hair fluttered in the wind.
It was Aria Lilias, Tower Master of the Hegel Magic Tower.
Lady Aria?
Magrios eyes widened slightly.
Fucked over my apprentice, then came out to take a walk but heard something shitty.
Is it your hobby to eavesdrop on people?!
After getting down from the windowsill, Aria Lilias ignored Headmistress Elenas criticism and walked casually towards the sofa.
Then, as if it waspletely natural to do so, she sat down next to Elena.
Then
Crossing her legs, Aria stared at Magrio with the same expressionless face as before.
Go ahead and yap your shit one more time. What about the Nameless Hero?
Chapter 156: Ring (2)
Chapter 156: Ring (2)
Ring (2)
Kyaaaaa! Hey, what kind of nonsense is that in front of the Imperial Knights?
Elena should shut her damn mouth.
Aria Lilias ignored the frightened Elena and stared straight at Magrio.
To others, the Headmistress of Mrchen Academy and the Master of Hegel Magic Tower seemed to have a cooperative yet close rtionship.
Magrio thought it was rather good. As the Tower Master, Aria, had a close rtionship with Headmistress Elena, so she must know all the details about the Nameless Hero.
Indeed. It seems that the academy is deliberately not investigating the Nameless Hero
I dont want to hear a damn thing.
?
Who asked me to speak in the first ce?
Listen here. The Nameless Hero is an entity that must not be fucked with.
Why is that?
Even if youre backed by the Emperors power, it doesnt mean fucking squat before his overwhelming might. He is a being who can effortlessly bring about the downfall of even this empire.
Arias expression was as cold as frost.
The Nameless Hero is protecting us. There must be a reason he hides his identity while hunting demons. We mustnt dare meddle with him, and there sure as hell isnt a justification to do so.
Revealing the identity of the Nameless Hero is for the sake of the empire and for our sake as well.
This too is for the empire and for us. Remember that areas beyond the control of a country revert to the logic of power Think about who is fucking with whom, and whether you are being arrogant.
Aria and Magrio red at each other.
Headmistress Elena was silently screaming, Eeek! internally.
Elenas face was then covered in cold sweat.
What do I do about this atmosphere Elena was deep in thought, looking back and forth between Aria and Magrio. Elenas hands wandered through the air.
Finally, Magrio closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stood up.
Further discussion seems pointless. Its clear that we have irreconcble differences.
Agreed.
Aria why are you talking as if youre the representative of the academy!
Please continue to cooperate in the investigation of the Eltra Sea incident. I shall take my leave now.
Good luck.
Aaagh!
The Imperial Knights behind Magrio clicked their tongues at Arias rude manner of speaking, but Magrio paid no mind.
Soon after, the Imperial Knights left the reception room.
Ariaaaa
Headmistress Elena slumped powerlessly on the sofa, her mouth agape as if she had spaced out.
Tower Master Aria nonchntly picked up Elenas cup of herbal tea and took a sip.
Oh my
The female secretary, watching the scene, rested her chin on her hand with a look of bewilderment.
Descending the stairs of Bartos Hall, one of the subordinate knights irritably questioned Vice Commander Magrio.
That woman, What was that all about? Her manner of speaking to you, Vice Commander! We are the Imperial Knights. Theres no reason for us to be treated like that. Arent you being too lenient, Vice Commander?
Its an Imperial Order. We must maintain a friendly rtionship with Mrchen Academy. Even if it wasnt an Imperial Order, I wont tolerate overt aggression in a ce of learning. This also applies to Hegel Magic Tower, with whom the academy has a close cooperative rtionship.
Even so, that Tower Master has lost even basic courtesy!
Dont worry about her; shes always been like that. More importantly, those two women
Magrio recalled his conversation with Elena and Aria.
They must know who the Nameless Hero is. Maybe it wasnt that they werex in their investigation, but rather there was no need to delve deeper.
Headmistress Elena Woodline and Tower Master Aria Lilias likely realized who the Nameless Hero was a long time ago.
Upon further thought, it made no sense that these two still didnt know the identity of the Nameless Hero. They might already have figured out the identity of the hero.
If that spection was correct, what could be their reason for concealing the heros identity?
As these questions arose, suddenly a new possibility urred to Magrio.
No, it might be the opposite.
Magrio stroked his chin.
Perhaps, on the contrary.
Headmistress Elena of the Academy and Hegel Tower Master Aria might have been concealing information about the Nameless Hero.
What could be the reason?
There was no need to ponder deeply.
Think about who is fucking with whom, and whether you are being arrogant.
Fucking with the Nameless Hero is like an ant trying to take on an elephant.
Such a strong figure, concealing their identity while protecting the academy, must have a significant reason for doing so.
So, rather than troubling such a being,
It would have made more sense for their goal to be strengthening the academys defense system while riding on the flow of the hero protecting the academy.
But
Elena, the Headmistress, and Aria, the Tower Master, were considered to have foresight. Would it make sense for them to have had such an obvious objective?
There might have been additional reasons behind their actions.
However, even if there were such reasons, Magrio had no way of knowing what they were, and there was no confirmation to support his line of thought.
After all, he, a mere knight, couldnt possibly keep up with their way of thinking.
Magrio blinked firmly and headed to the Eltra coast to join the investigation of the Eltra Sea incident.
***
The gaze of Luce Eltania, the top seat of the second year of the Magic Department, remained fixed on one ce.
Whether in the dorm or walking between the living quarters and ssrooms.
Even during sses, she would often look down at her hands, which were ced on herp.
Watching her spaced out and asionally grinning faintly, the students of ss A, except for Kaya in the front row, felt a chill.
?
In the ss A lecture hall, during a lesson on magic beast ecology.
Seated in the back, Ciel Carnedas, a second-year student in the Magic Department with short blue hair, through her ability to detect gossip, guessed that Isaac must have been up to something.
Anyway, Ciel had no interest in the magic beast ecology ss and wasnt paying any attention to the lesson.
No professorined about it. Ciel was known for herckadaisical attitude, often falling asleep in ss, so they were just relieved she wasnt asleep.
Despite this, however, her test scores were good.
Seeing her skillfully apply what she had learned and how she grew rapidly, the professors couldnt entirely dislike her.
But today, Ciels eyes were particrly bright and alert.
She couldnt fall asleep using the magic beast ecology ss as a luby and cuddling her everyone falls asleep pillow because she was too preupied with Luces unusual behavior, which was different from usual.
Ciel nced at Luce, observing where she fixed her gaze.
A ring?
Finally, she saw the ck ring on Luces left ring finger and her mouth fell open in surprise.
Even though it was her first time seeing it, she was certain that it was a magic weapon. But aside from that.
Why on the left ring finger, of all ces?
Ciel knew there must have been a significant reason for Luce wearing a ring on her left ring finger.
This meant that the person who gave her the ring was likely Isaac.
Had he given in to his desires and gone too far?
No
Ciel shook her head.
Isaac seemed intent on making three women his own, a promising rascal without a doubt.
If hemitted so decisively to one, it would surely lead to war. All three women who liked Isaac were powerful beings.
Of course, Isaac, regardless of status, could practically establish his own harem kingdom without it being out of context.
He single-handedly defeated the Floating Ind andst time, easily vanquished a giant demon called the Abyssal Sea Monster and was the youngest archwizard in history. An absolute monster without precedent.
But were students, and for some reason, hes hiding his identity
Ciel, hugging her pillow tightly, pondered deeply.
One thing is certain. If it wasnt a ring given by Isaac, the top seat wouldnt be wearing it on her left ring finger!
What kind of dynamics would that ring ensue among the three women? A tremendous sense of anticipation swelled within Ciel.
Ciel turned her gaze towards the front row.
As usual, Kaya Astrea, the second seat of the Magic Department, with her pale green twin-tailed hair, was intently focused on the professors exnation.
Dont lose, second seat!
Ciel clenched her fist and silently cheered for Kaya.
* * *
If you add the Saman stroke here, the elemental magic will spread out. This stroke varies for each type of magic, so you need to memorize them all. Do you understand this part?
Yes.
No, look at the magic circle, not at me.
Yes
As usual, I was teaching Snow White at the corner of Hydrangea Garden.
In one corner, the escort knight, Merlin Astrea, had been looking over here with crossed arms and a burdensome stare.
She cant seem to concentrate.
Lately, Snow White had been giving me meaningful nces whenever she got the chance. Using [Psychological Insight], it seemed she couldnt forget the battle we had during the joint practical evaluation.
Well, this was an improvement. Not long after the joint practical evaluation, she seemed frightened due to the incident where the demon appeared.
But now, she didnt seem to be afraid of that issue anymore.
Thanks to the academy and the Nameless Hero holding back the powerful demon like a solid wall, she seemed to have grown to trust this ce after some contemtion.
Anyway.
This wont do.
I rolled up the parchment with the magic circle drawn on it, startling White.
Senior Isaac?
Do you have any concerns?
Yes?
If you cant concentrate like this, theres no reason for me to keep you here.
Holding the rolled-up parchment, I tapped her shoulder as I spoke.
Not overly authoritative, but with enough firmness and decisiveness in my voice.
If you have concerns, lets resolve them right here and now.
Ah, oh s-sorry
White made a troubled face, going, Uh, uh
After being immersed in thought for a while, she finally decided to share her concerns.
Senior Isaac.
Yeah.
Can I do well?
As expected.
It was the concern I had anticipated after reading Whites psychology.
This ce is filled with monsters like Senior Isaac Honestly, after going through this exam, my confidence has plummeted I just cant feel confident about doing well at all.
Loss of motivation.
Well, the way to encourage someone in such a situation was simple.
After giving White some time to think, I pushed up my sses.
I closed my eyes and let out a low sigh.
Then, opening my eyes again, I began to speak.
I may not be that great to be called a monster, but personally, I think you have talent.
Talent?
Do you remember what I said during the joint practical evaluation?
White couldnt have forgotten. The feedback I had given, along with her feelings of fear and relief, must have been deeply embedded in her mind.
Around this timest year, I wasnt as good as you. Thats why I said you were excellent.
Really?
But Ivee this far.
When I was preparing for my exams, my biggest anxiety was not being sure if I was doing well or not.
Even after going through thick textbooks several times, I wasnt confident about doing well in the exam until the day of the bar exam.
But, if someone had instilled in me the confidence that I was doing well, there could have been no greater encouragement.
Self-confidence.
The confidence that one was doing well was important.
And I had the influence to instill such confidence into White.
Even if you dont get it yet, youre doing well. That much I can assure you.
As I said this with a gentle smile, a glimmer appeared in Whites eyes.
Suddenly, I noticed Merlin, leaning against a tree, smiling subtly.
The reason for her behavior was obvious. Hearing the words of encouragement I was offering to White, she was probably feeling proud, thinking, Ah, youth.
Ehehe.
Blushing, White smiled awkwardly and gently scratched her cheek. Her embarrassment was tantly visible.
I-is that so? Hearing you say that, I feel somewhat
White swayed her body gently.
She seemed quite happy.
That should do it.
Now, lets focus.
Y-yes, yes!
After that, White listened to my exnations without distractions and devoted herself to training.
Pleased with her progress, I rewarded her with a mana pudding bar.
When Merlin came and took half of it, White whimpered in protest.
***
Nihihi, the President has arrived!
Ah, Senior.
At a corner in the butterfly garden. After parting with White, I stopped there to continue my training.
A female student with light purple hair looked up from her book and greeted me. The cluster of starlights floating beside her was particrly striking.
The purple brooch on her uniform ribbon indicated that she was a third-year student.
As usual, she sat leaning against a tree. She was my favorite character, Dorothy Heartnova.
Even the dimness of the evening sky couldnt hide Dorothys loveliness.
Under her witchs hat, her goddess-like beauty shone. It was like seeing a halo around a beautiful or handsome celebrity.
As the training junkie you are, you came to train right after dinner, huh!? Arent you going to get a stomachache?
Ill be careful. Did you have dinner, Senior?
I asked with a smile, cing my bag next to Dorothy.
Of course. I had chicken~.
As expected of Senior, she has a love for chicken.
Nihihi.
Dorothys favorite food was chicken. So much so that 70% of her weekly diet consisted of chicken.
As Dorothys attention returned to her book, I turned my shoulder, warming up my body, and prepared to move towards the center of the grassy field.
President, I saw something interesting today, you know?
Then, Dorothys voice
Something interesting?
Yeah, your stalker friend had a ring on her left ring finger.
Preceded a heavy silence.
I abruptly stopped in my tracks.
A chilling sensation crawled up my spine. I turned my head back to look at Dorothy again.
She was looking at me with a smile.
Do you know who gave it to her? A student giving another student a ring, it feels so romantic to me~ Im quite curious.
The brim of her witchs hat was tilted to one side, partially obscuring one of her eyes.
Even though she was smiling, it didnt feel like she was actually happy.
Youre her friend, so you might know, who gave it to her
Intimidation.
Somehow, I felt a stronger psychological pressure than even when facing the Floating Ind.
Chapter 157: Ring (3)
Chapter 157: Ring (3)
Ring (3)
So let me get this straight. The magic weapon you gained from defeating the demon waspatible with that stalker friend, so you gave it to her?
Correct.
And its only effective when worn on the left ring finger?
Thats also correct.
Practicing what I had learned about elemental magic today during ss, I told Dorothy the whole story. After all, I didnt have anything to hide from her.
It was also easier to exin it to Dorothy as she knew the most about my secret.
In the first ce, it was impossible to lie to her when she had the ability to read emotions.
Luce will be helpful during the battle against the Evil God. Increasing her strength is extremely important.
I know. You told me before. Well It wasnt that interesting of a story then.
Dorothy responded with indifference.
I slowly turned my eyes to the side and glimpsed at her, leaning against the tree.
Her eyes were trained on the book opened in herp. Starlight mana floating around her like lights lit up her bored expression.
I didnt really have anything more to say.
Usually, Dorothy would bring up a different topic and continue the conversation, but there seemed to be an awkward air between us today.
That feeling when the atmosphere fell heavily. It was ufortable. There hadnt been a case before where the atmosphere was this heavy while I was with Dorothy.
Then, Dorothy closed her book. I sensed it from the quiet tuk sound that came from the action.
Whats happening.
I turned my head to Dorothy.
She stood up from her seat, brushed where her dress had been in contact with the tree, and gazed at me with a yful smile.
Hey, President, Im going to be heading out now, bye~.
Already?
Ah Alright. Have a safe walk back.
Keep up the hard work!
Walking away, Dorothy waved lightly to me.
It felt uncanny.
Cold sweat that I hadnt even noticed slid down my cheek.
I stared dazedly at Dorothys figure fading into the distance between the trees.
In my memory, there hadnt been a day where Dorothy was this under the weather.
* * *
Neugahhh
In Charles Hall, the dorm for top-ranked students.
With only the light from the moon shining through the window to brighten the room, Dorothy copsed onto her bed without changing. A strange groan came out of her mouth.
E, her white cat familiar sitting on top of the shelf, smirked and flicked her tail from side to side.
[Ill predict Dorothys current thoughts, I wasnt the only one that President had. I let my guard down with him saying hes my fan and all.]
Be quiet, you cat.
[Luce, she should only wear that magic weapon when necessary. Why is she showing it off like that? And shes staring at it all the time like its going to disappear at any moment, knowing very well with her exceptional memory that it wont.]
Guhhh
Dorothy couldnt make a single retort.
Hey, E.
Dorothy turned her head to the side and peered at E. Her cheek was squished onto the bed like a steamed bun.
Whenever she thought about Luce and what she saw today, her heart felt tight. She felt horrible.
I can understand with my head what the President said, you know? But I feel frustrated for some reason. This is the first time Ive felt like this. The chicken doesnt feel like its being digested either, and I just feel irritated
[Why dont you cut down on the chicken then?]
E scolded Dorothy, then barely managed to keep down her twitching mouth.
Finally, a conflict that could excite Dorothys dull love life hade.
Luce Eltania. The second-year top seat of the Magic Department. She had established a rtionship with Isaac since the first year and was undoubtedly an elegant beauty.
Now, every time Dorothy saw the ring on her left ring finger, she would feel her stomach flip.
Thanks to that, Dorothy was now aware of her love rival, Luce, and had gone on high alert.
Then, today, she even had a realization.
Thinking about it, Luce and Isaac tended to be bold with physical contact. Whether that was cing their chin on each others shoulder and forehead or wrapping their arm around one anothers shoulders
Moreover, they sometimes acted as lovers would.
The way they treated one another as friends and peers felt quite close.
On the other hand, how did Dorothy and Isaac treat each other?
Because she was his senior, Isaac still spoke politely to Dorothy. It meant that no matter how close they were, it wasnt as close as he was with Luce.
It was that sort of realization.
[You envy Luce Eltania, dont you?]
Noment.
E leaped down from the shelf andnded on the bed.
Then E sat in front of Dorothys face, looking down at her.
[Dorothy. All Isaac did was give a magic weapon to Luce. Of course, that would have definitely given an enormous boost of progress to their rtionship.]
Whats your point?
[Are you just going to stay put like this?]
Dorothy raised herself and sat with her legs crossed, then, in turn, looked down at E.
What would you do?
[I would make progress. You have to make Isaac look at you.]
E responded coyly.
Progress, you say.
With a short hm, Dorothy fell into deep thought.
Though she had no such thing as rtionship experience, she mustered up the courage to do some stuff to Isaac.
Recalling those memories, Dorothy straightened her back and ced her hand on her chest. It was her confident pose, one that she always maintained.
I dont think youre aware, but Ive done everything I can with the President. We held hands and even kissed. Weve already made all the progress we can.
[You two kissed when Isaac was unconscious. He doesnt even know it happened I didnt know about you two holding hands, but you would have obviously made up an excuse to do it.]
W-well, that is true
[Not only that, but you usually dont even go near Isaac. You have to be bolder sometimes. Do something foxy, Dorothy.]
Foxy? How?
[For example, try putting your hand on his leg like this.]
E ced her front paw on Dorothys thigh.
[And you can try putting your chin on Isaacs shoulder like Luce Eltania.]
E jumped onto Dorothys back and stuck her face out next to her shoulder.
[Then like this.]
Huah!
E nibbled on Dorothys ear with her moist lips, which reflexively caused her to flinch and moan.
It was an electrifying sensation.
When Dorothy hurriedly turned her head away and covered her ear protectively, E hopped down from her andnded back on the bed.
At some point, Dorothys face had turned a bright red.
[Try acting a little yful.]
You
[You know, just pressing those big lumps of fat against him will make Isaac go mad.]
Lumps of fat?
E thrust her chin towards Dorothys thoracic region.
Dorothy red back at E with horror.
[Lets do this, Dorothy. im Isaac as yours. I like him. I wouldnt mind giving away Dorothy if its to him.]
I dont know whos supposed to be the familiar anymore
Es bright smile was quite annoying.
But eventually, Dorothy held her chin with the tips of her fingers and contemted deeply.
Following Es advice and using this chance to make some progress with Isaac and make him fall for her Didnt sound like too bad of an idea.
* * *
Daytime. In the corner of the Butterfly Garden.
Even though today was supposed to be a rest day, I nned to spend the entire day training.
Due to the elemental magic that I had been using, a thickyer of frost covered the grass. I didnt need to worry about the grass since recovery magic was casted on top of it, causing it to be fully regrown unless it was uprooted.
I left the area I was using to train and looked into the book under the trees shade.
My current goal was written in that book.
[Frost Wave] and [Frost Glitter].
I nned to master both of these 6-star spells.
However, the difficulty of learning leveled spells increased exponentially starting from 6-stars.
Of course,pared to the high difficulty, my learning rate had be much faster.
At least, it was much easier than when I practiced [Frost Explosion], which gave me countless bloody noses.
When [Hunter] was activated, my skill tree expanded instantaneously. For reference, the skills I obtained from Frostscythe and the Obsidian de were separate and unrted to that expansion.
Anyway, the skill tree was designed with a UI of a tree with extending roots.
Numbers unrted to the skills were embedded inside a square block on the right side of the screen.
When the skill tree expanded because of [vs. Race Combat Power], that number was used as the reference.
Out of those, 7-star spells and 9-star spells had a difference of 10.
Since that number increased by 10 when [Hunter] was activated, I could use 9-star ice spells against demons once I use 7-star magic.
Which meant.
Ill be able to use [Cocytus].
[Cocytus] was a 9-star ice spell that transformed the surrounding area into a frozen, destend of death.
Because it was world-ending magic, it wasnt appropriate to use in the academy.
But there would be enemies in the future who would be able to create their own domains, like Leafa the Illusive, who used [Fictional Hell]. Such a spell could be a hard counter to that.
Anyhow, in the end, my objective was to roughly learn at least one 7-star spell like [Icebolt] or [Eternal Snow] during Year 2 Semester 1
And because 6-star spells were closely and integrally associated with 7-star spells, I was first trying to master 6-star spells.
Anyway
While I was reading the book, a thought that had been worrying me swelled up in the corner of my mind.
It was Dorothy. She seemed down yesterday.
Usually, I would have immediately ran to her side and tried to make her smile again, but since I could roughly assume the reason for what happened yesterday, I couldnt bring myself to do so.
But Im not sure if its jealousy.
Unlike in the past, I often felt that Dorothy was now treating me like a man.
She would show slight signs of blushing, so I couldnt guarantee that she had no feelings for me.
Then, was Dorothy jealous that I gave Luce a ring to wear on her left ring finger?
I gave her an honest exnation as to why I did that.
I didnt have anything more I could say to Dorothy. In the end, it was how she interpreted it that was important.
Though, that was supposed to be the case
However.
I couldnt help but feel worried because I felt that Dorothy had been hurt.
Haa. Dorothy
A sigh escaped my mouth.
Just then.
A lively voice popped up from behind my shoulder as if she had been waiting.
Boo!
Hu!
My shout stopped after the first breath. That was because I had forgotten how to breathe.
My favorite character with light purple hair had stooped down next to me and positioned her face right next to my shoulder. Even under the trees shade, her beauty shone brightly.
It looked like she had been hiding behind the tree, waiting for the right time, then popped out.
That surprised the hell out of me
Nihihi, President. Dont forget to breathe.
Only after Dorothy pped my shoulder did I remember how to breathe.
Senior
I didnt think you would find me even when youre alone~ You must really need me after all, dont you?
Raising both of her hands to point at me, Dorothy teased me yfully.
I only responded with narrowed eyes,ining silently to her for surprising me.
Whats this book? Oh, 6-star spells! Ah, the memories!
Dorothy sat beside me, then leaned closer towards me to read the book.
But isnt she a little too close?
The alluring scenting from Dorothys hair and nape tickled my nose.
You know, I learned 6-star spells back when I was 12. Isnt that amazing? You can call me a genius, alright!
Ah, yes That is amazing. Youre a genius, Senior.
Nihihi.
Though she did seem like her usual self, like how she was boasting about herself confidently
Why is it
For some reason, she felt different today.
First of all, Dorothy had ced her hand on top of my thigh.
And how she set her chin on my shoulder was another thing. This was the first time I had been this close to her after the day I defeated the Floating Ind.
It wasntmon for her to act like this.
If you find something hard to understand, ask me. Though I dont have the ice element, Ive seen plenty enough to help!
Thank you. Ill do that.
However, different questions came after I was able to concentrate on the contents of the book.
How can I concentrate when youre doing this to me?
But I couldnt say anything when I thought about what happened yesterday. I guess I just had to endure it for now.
I could vaguely see Dorothys face at the edge of my vision. Even that was enough to acknowledge her beauty.
Well, because [Learning Efficiency] was maxed, it unexpectedly didnt affect me reading the book much. It felt like the words were effortlessly entering my brain.
Suddenly
Hup.
Dorothys unexpected action caused even my maxed [Learning Efficiency] to crumble.
Euht!
A gentle and moist feeling suddenly slipped onto the tip of my ear.
My eyes shot open. An ecstatic pleasure raced through me like a bolt of lightning, making my body flinch.
I swung my head to the side to stare at Dorothy, in which she then hurriedly removed her lips from my ear and leaned away from me.
Haa
A small sigh left Dorothys mouth.
Had she be flustered after realizing what she had done? Her face had be a deep red.
She let out an awkward cough.
Uh, Senior? What did you just?
My teasings gone a little too far, didnt it? Sorry, President
Avoiding my eyes, Dorothy slowly scooted away from me.
I touched the ear that she had nibbled on with her lips. A small amount of saliva was left on my fingers.
When I looked back at Dorothy, her face was turned away from me, attempting to its scarlet blush.
An ufortable silence existed between us.
Really.
What is the matter with her today?
Chapter 158: Ring (4)
Chapter 158: Ring (4)
Ring (4)
Dorothys psychology was still unreadable.
No matter how I thought about it, guessing why she was acting like this today was mere spection.
First of all, I wanted to resolve the awkward atmosphere.
Senior.
Hmm
As expected. She didnt turn her head towards me.
Dorothy knew how to wear a smiling face like a mask, but it seemed she was no match for shame.
I thought that telling a funny story wouldnt get her attention and would only serve to increase the awkwardness of this atmosphere
Then.
Assuming Dorothy liked me, there was a way to ease the mood.
Its bold but equally as effective.
I put down the book beside me and approached Dorothy.
Huh? President? Huh?!
I silently bit Dorothys earlobe with my lips.
Dorothys body shivered slightly.
That trembling sensation was transmitted to my lips.
When I suckled on her earlobe as if I was kissing it, a sticky sound echoed along with a wet, smack.
For the first time, I heard Dorothys mouth open and close with a gasp.
Upon noticing her reaction, I detached my lips from her ear.
Dorothy quickly turned her head toward me, covering her bitten ear. Her eyes were wide with surprise.
Finally, our eyes meet.
Her face turned even brighter.
Thus, we ended up staring at each other, while she covered her ear.
I felt embarrassed as my face grew increasingly hotter. I understood Dorothys reaction.
Now, were even.
I said with a chuckle to conclude this interaction.
Dorothy seemed to ponder what to say, then soon burst into a giggle.
Nihi, President. Is this what you call, revenge?
Finally, the atmosphere softened.
Its unfair if only I suffer. It feels weird, you know.
Yeah, indeed. It felt quite strange
But somehow, it seemed the mood shifted in a slightly different way.
To be entirely honest, as a man, I liked such an atmosphere. The feeling of being tickled inside. Simply put, I was excited.
I wanted to keep looking intently at my favorite characters face like this, but since it seemed like I wouldnt be able to study at all if I did, I decided to restrain myself.
Since I couldnt really afford to leisurely indulge in this healing time
Senior, Im going to study, so dont disturb me too much.
Okay I wont.
If it were before, she might have responded with, Im going to disturb you~? Try to stop me if you can! Nyahaha!
For Dorothy, this is an unusually obedient attitude, which felt strangely awkward.
It wasnt bad. I preferred no disturbance.
Dorothy pulled out a small book from her witch hat and ced it on herp. It appeared to be a novel.
Silence.
While reading, I sneakily nced at Dorothy.
The n was to take one more look at Dorothys face and then really focus on my book.
But
She seemed to have been ncing at me too, as our eyes met while her head remained fixed on her book.
She wore a sly smile.
Not focusing, President? Do you want to see this Big Sis that much~?
I was just distracted by something.
Satisfied, I turned my attention back to the book.
* * *
Senior Isaac and Senior Luce will probably dateter, wont they?
At a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
Even on a holiday, Snow White was training.
After hearing that Isaac didnt take a single day off training unless he fainted, she too resolved not to rest on holidays.
She called it the Imitating Isaac Method.
Of course, she couldnt match the time he devoted to training. White didnt have the physical stamina for that.
During a break. White was sitting on a t rock.
Suddenly, White asked Merlin, who was standing beside her, a question about Isaac.
Something about romance. Merlins head snapped up and she leaned in close.
Graceful movement. Merlins eyes sparkled with intense interest.
In my opinion, its a definite yes.
Huh?!
Merlin answered without a moments hesitation. There wasnt even a question of why such a thing was being asked. It was because it was a topic she liked.
White was taken aback by such an enthusiastic response.
Hmm, seems like you like such things. Rtionships. It somehow doesnt match your usual image
Its refreshing. Love at Princess Whites age has the power to make one happy just by observing it. Especially between Sir Isaac and Lady Luce Eltania, theres a flow of feelings that I like. The thrilling sensation just before dating!
Ive never seen Merlin this excited
White let out a hollowugh.
I wonder when Kaya will experience such a romance
Oh, you mean your younger sibling? Senior Kaya Astrea.
Yes. I intended to greet her whenever we cross paths, but somehow its been difficult to encounter her. I cant even enter the ssroom building.
Why dont you just invite Senior Kaya over to our side? Im fine with it.
No. Like Sir Isaac, shes very ambitious, typically focusing on training. Since Im also on a mission to escort Princess White, calling her over would just be a nuisance to both of us.
I see Well, cant be helped then. Id like to meet her sometime too if I get the chance. Shes the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy, after all.
Mrchen Academys Magic Department, second-year second seat, Kaya Astrea.
She was the youngest daughter of the Astrea Duchy, a holder of the nt element, and known as the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy.
Senior Kaya is known for her upright character and is praised by the professors as having the best ss attitude among the second-year ss A students. She has the most credits too! And on top of that, shes the second seat! How wonderful must she be? With an excellent character, upright, and sharp She must be exactly like the ideal image I dream of.
It may not be exactly so, but its an honor for me that you think so highly of my sister.
Ehehe.
The two exchanged smiles pleasantly.
With a senior like Kaya, theres no need to worry. She will surely meet someone cool and great in the future. Just like Senior Isaac .
She should
Yes?
Merlin turned her head towards theke, gripping the scabbard at her waist.
If Kaya were to meet some ruffian who flirts with every woman he happened toe across
Merlins eyes transformed, bing like those of a wild beast.
As a chilling aura emanated from her, White involuntarily shuddered.
That man wont be able to escape my sword.
Daughter of the Sword Saint. A swordsmanship prodigy. Merlin Astrea.
How many in this world could face her sword and remain unscathed?
White swallowed hard. Instinctively feeling terror, a cold sweat ran down her cheek.
Anyway.
Soon, Merlin slowly blinked andposed her expression.
The cool and heavy atmosphere dissipated.
Kaya can be a bit naive, so I worry. I hope she doesnt develop feelings for the wrong guy.
Ehe, he M-Merlin, you are a wonderful sister! Its, uh, very nice to worry about your sibling!
Ah, thank you.
Only then could White wipe away her cold sweat.
It was uncertain what kind of man Kaya Astrea would meet but would he really be able to meet the standards of the Sword Saint and Merlin?
No, first of all
It was worrisome whether he could even stay alive.
***
Isaac, Im here.
Ah, Luce. Wee.
When the sky was tinged with the colors of the sunset.
At a corner of the Butterfly Garden. I was deeply engaged in training, constructing a spell based on what I read in the book, and manipting mana.
I could already use 6-star magic, but it wasnt yet at the level where I could utilize it inbat.
On the frost-filled grass. A female student with rose-gold hair appeared with a smile, holding a basket in both hands. It was Luce Eltania.
I gathered the magic circle and turned towards Luce.
Hello~!
Luce ignored Dorothys lively greeting as if it were nothing. Pretending not to hear, she looked only at me.
Luce approached me, giggling.
I brought some bread in case youre hungry. Hows the 6-star magic going?
Still a long way to go. But I think Ill reach my target in about two weeks.
Hehe. Thats impressive, Isaac. Two weeks for that is incredibly fast.
Ever since Luce became my friend, she gradually became brighter.
After I gave her the ring, her expression became as bright as any other cheerful female student, a level iparable to before.
In romanceics, characters were often depicted with flowers blossoming around them; Luce now had that same aura. A radiant smile.
Of course, I was still the only one who could receive that smile.
Isaac, it seems your talent is growing. I feel like youre being rewarded for your efforts, which makes me even happi- Hmm?
Hmm?
It seemed like she was about to say something heartwarming, so I was about to respond with a smile.
Suddenly, Luce ced her hand on my shoulder, went on her tiptoes, and leaned her head close to my left ear.
It was a swift movement.
-Sniff, sniff
Luce was smelling my ear.
What are you doing, Lu-.
Isaac.
Luces eyes turned towards me.
Her expression was full of questions.
Whats this smell?
What smell?
Surely not.
It couldnt possibly be that she smelled the saliva Dorothy left on my ear. That was utterly absurd.
Hours had passed since then But, before considering time, how could she even distinguish that?
Just then, Dorothy approached to check the basket.
Nyahaha! Of course, Ive brought my own too, right? Huh?
Luce quickly approached Dorothy, and ced her hand on the back of her head
And sniffed around Dorothys left and right ears.
Then Luces head stopped in front of Dorothys right ear.
Hey, Junior? What are you doing all of a sudden?
Dorothy looked flustered.
Why
Suddenly, a grim aura emanated from Luce.
Even from a distance, I involuntarily shuddered.
Luce red at Dorothy from a distance close enough for their breaths to mingle.
Under her rose-gold bangs, shadows fell. Her aquamarine eyes appeared dull like ashy gray. There was not a hint of liveliness in those cold eyes.
Her expression was frozen, cold, and nk.
She was cynical, like a doll devoid of emotions.
Yet, her voice,ced with murderous intent, weighed heavily on the scene.
Does your ear smell of Isaacs saliva?
Chapter 159: Ring (5)
Chapter 159: Ring (5)
Ring (5)
As for Isaac, he seems handsome.
[Hmm.]
Luce wasnt the type of person to care about the appearance of others.
This stemmed from her aversion to people, regardless of their appearance.
Conversely, she only felt a sense of closeness with Isaac, but that didnt mean she paid much attention to his appearance.
Therefore, when Luce made such ament, it feltpletely unfamiliar to Thunderbird Galia
Yeah, hes handsome.
[Hmm]
On a night when the sky was dark, Luce while reading a book in the top-ranked dorm, Charles Hall, muttered to herself.
As she stroked her ring, she constantly thought of Isaac and giggled to herself.
I think Isaac is the most handsome one here.
[Hmm]
During the day, when the sky had scattered a clear light, Luce walked along the outdoor corridor of the academy building and looked around at the students. She made a remark, to which Galia nodded in agreement.
I was friends with a really handsome guy
[Hmm]
Even during training, she blurted it out as if she had just realized Isaacs handsome appearance.
Isaac was handsome today too!
[Hmm]
There wasnt a day when the words, Isaac is handsome didnt spring from Luces lips.
The most memorable day among these was when
One day, as Luce was sitting on a bench reading a book, she looked down at her ring and muttered
The sunset light dyed her rose-gold hair and added color to her flushed cheeks. The corners of her mouth danced freely.
Then, Luce monologued,
Fine, Isaac
[]
One woman.
It seemed as if she smelled of flowers.
Galia was involved in each of Luces services.
Therefore, he could understand the heart of his master, Luce, better than anyone else.
More than ever, she was intoxicated with sweet emotions. Her heart swelled, and the words that finally burst forth were
Luce was happy.
The memories given by Isaac were perfect. The more she savored them, the sweeter Luce felt.
On the ring finger of her left hand was a magic weapon in the form of a ring.
However, it was said that only when worn on this finger would this magic weapon take effect.
This ring already had an immeasurably precious meaning to Luce.
It had be yet another treasure for Luce.
To Luce, Isaac was an existence as precious as life itself.
She had to protect him, and she had to cherish him.
The memory of weeping while holding the dying body of the Candy House Witch in her arms was also a deep-rooted and intense obsession etched into the very depths of Luces being.
She didnt want to regret anything anymore. Therefore, she tried to remember everything about Isaac, understand everything about him, cherishing him above all else.
She knew what Isaacs fingerprints looked like. She memorized their intricate patterns.
She knew what Isaacs irises looked like. She memorized even the tiniest of wrinkles.
She gauged Isaacs hair length, nail length, stride, footsteps, and frequently used hand gestures all of it almost daily.
Yet, if she tried to pry into Isaacs private life or kept him in her arms as she pleased, he would leave.
During thest semesters social gathering, aftermitting a misdeed to Isaac and apologizing, Luce reflected. Certainly, as a friend, she shouldnt try to manipte the free will of another.
But
At least, she wanted to imagine what kind of daily life Isaac had led, even if only in a rough sense. It was her ownpromise.
What came to mind was a scent. The smell of skin.
It enabled her to deduce what Isaac did throughout the day.
Luce practiced body buffing magic to enhance her sense of smell and memorized all of Isaacs scents.
Last semester, sometimes she would hug him or rest her chin on his shoulder.
She closed the distance with Isaac through natural physical contact.
She remembered the scents emanating from various parts of his body, categorized by different situations.
Isaac, open your mouth right now.
Dont people usually say, Say ah, in this situation?
A while ago, Luce fed Isaac with a spoon.
At first, she just wanted to feed him thinking he might be hungry. Being with Isaac was enough to make her happy, so she had no other thoughts.
However, that day, as she smelled the fork that had been in Isaacs mouth, she decided to memorize the scent of his saliva.
On the way back, she focused on the smell of the fork and carefully memorized the scent of his saliva.
She had memorized all the scentsing from his exterior
But she still didnt know what scents came from inside his body.
At that time, in a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
Upon seeing Isaac, Luce immediately approached him and secretly checked his scent.
There was a slightly different smell. From around his ear, there was an unfamiliar scent.
Luces mind raced through numerous scenarios, quickly searching for the source of the scent.
She approached Dorothy and sniffed her, just in case.
The scent of Isaacs saliva was on Dorothys right ear. It had faded over time, but the scent was still faintly there.
What did you two do?
There was a hint of murderous intent in Luces voice.
She disliked Dorothy Heartnova because she took away most of the time she could be alone with Isaac.
However, Dorothy was an important person to Isaac and someone he liked a lot.
Therefore, Luce decided to stop at just not caring about Dorothy. Even if Dorothy and Isaac were together, she would feel ufortable but decided to respect it.
But, given the situation, it was clear that Isaac and Dorothy had bitten and sucked on each others ears.
The thought of that scene made her feel like her stomach was turning. She wanted to resolve the difort quickly.
So, hoping she was wrong, Luce had asked to confirm the truth.
Luce, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?
Isaac, using [Psychological Insight], understood Luces state of mind and, after organizing his thoughts, approached her.
At that moment, Dorothy casuallyughed and knocked Luces hand away from her own head.
Isaac, taken aback, stopped in his tracks.
Junior.
Dorothys expression was subdued.
A faint smile was on her lips, however, it was merely a fake smile she had learned to restrain herself from getting angry impulsively.
Her mood was disturbed by Luces aggressive attitude.
Who are you threatening? So presumptuous.
Dorothys voice, in contrast to her smile, was extremely cynical.
To that warning-like question, Luce gave no answer.
She just emotionlessly met Dorothys eyes.
Like a bomb about to explode, the hostility between the two women, like boiling oil meeting water, collided, spreading an aura of danger in their vicinity.
In the midst of this,
The slightly taller Dorothy looked down at Luce more closely and murmured.
What does it matter to you what Isaac and I do?
Since Isaac thinks highly of you, Ive been trying my best to think well of you too. But whats the point of my effort if you act so rudely, Junior?
Dorothys voice seemed to flow through memories of the past.
When she returned from her adventures in the Land of Oz, Dorothy had nothing left.
The destendscape of her homnd still firmly upied her memories.
All she could see was the stigma of a curse that said if she bowed her head, she would die within a few years.
Despite this, she gritted her teeth and lived on, using her talent in magic to work as an adventurer, continuing a poor and miserable life.
Dorothy was young back then.
A young girl without connections was an object of contempt and disdain.
Her prodigious talent was an object of jealousy and persecution.
But to survive, she kept wearing a smiling mask, swallowing injustice and frustration and struggled on for the sake of survival.
No matter how much Luce disregarded her, Dorothys yful and smiling responses were nothing but a skilled coping mechanism born from such experiences.
Dorothy wasnt inherently good-natured. She was just enduring.
Know your ce, Luce Eltania. Big Sis here doesnt have much patience.
Luce frowned.
Just as she was about to say something, Isaac suddenly grabbed her wrist.
And Luces mouth stopped forming words.
Luce and Dorothys gaze turned to Isaac.
Luce, thats enough.
Isaac looked at Luce. Unlike his usual gentle eyes, his gaze was sharp and serious.
Isaac liked both of them.
If he had lived in a monogamous society like Korea, he would have naturally loved only one woman and wouldnt have even nced at another.
But since he hade to a world where monogamy wasnt the norm and met people he liked.
Whether he left this ce or stayed, he was brimming with a desire to generously give his affection to those he liked.
He acknowledged that the deeper the emotional involvement, the more he felt like trash. But what could he do when he liked them so much?
If his actions caused conflict between them.
He would consider that problem entirely his own and intended to take responsibility.
Even if it led to them disliking him for it.
He couldnt give up his affection for them, so he would humbly ept it.
Senior Dorothy too. Dont fight.
Isaacs firm voice.
The heavy air.
Luce alternated her gaze between Isaac and Dorothy.
Luce already knew that Isaac and Dorothy had special feelings for each other.
When she first saw Isaac examining the magic weapon ring, she naturally thought of Dorothy first for that reason.
Isaac most likely loved Dorothy in a romantic way.
She didnt want to admit it, but when she saw Isaac treasuring her, she couldnt help but notice.
But for Luce there was only Isaac.
Luce couldnt give up on him.
She looked down at the ring.
A magic weapon ring. It was a mysterious item that even the Eltania family couldnt easily obtain.
Bought it from an antique shop? What aughable excuse.
However.
Grrr
The Nameless Hero.
If Isaac were assumed to be a mysterious archwizard transcendingmon sense, then it wouldnt be strange no matter how extraordinary the magic weapon he brought might be.
That was why Luce didnt make any remarks when she received the ring.
She just spent a long time imagining a future together with Isaac.
But President, you saw it too. She suddenly
Haa.
Luces sigh cut off Dorothys words.
After apologizing to Isaac during the social gathering, Luce resolved not to repeat the same mistake.
When Isaac gave her the ring and painted a future together with her, Luces resolve became even firmer.
It was for that reason she let go of her desire to monopolize the time spent with him.
epting the fact that Isaac also had people he liked, she decided not to manipte him ording to her will, but to respect and cherish him, in order to stay by his side.
Of course, her heart didnt always follow her intentions.
Luce was diligently working towards her resolution.
Luce while calming herplex thoughts and painfully suppressing her emotions, closed her eyes tightly and took a step back from Dorothy.
Im sorry.
Soon, Luce apologized.
Hearing that, Isaac was taken aback, and Dorothy had a bewildered expression.
Luce didnt want to be stubbornly naive and dogmatic as she was during the social gathering when she attacked Kaya.
Trying to take Isaac by force would only lead to trouble.
It would only distance her from the future she envisioned with him.
Academy life.
As semesters passed and grades progressed, students rubbed shoulders, experienced many things, grew, and underwent changes in thought.
Luce, now in her second year, had also grown.
Luce bowed her head to Dorothy.
Im sorry for getting angry.
Luce stopped, her head still bowed.
When Dorothy didnt respond, Luce continued to apologize.
Oh, uh, uh, uh?!
Her determination not to raise her head until the apology was epted was evident. Cold sweat ran down Dorothys cheeks.
Dorothy was flustered by the unexpected apology, never having anticipated that Luce would apologize so readily.
Ah, that, what! Im sorry too for being so irritable
Dorothys right hand awkwardly hovered in the air, even her apology was clumsy.
Dorothy looked at Isaac with an unnatural smile.
He nodded his head.
Oh
Eventually, Dorothy contemted and collected her expression.
Her thoughts were organized. Gradually, a gentle smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
President, Big Sis just remembered something urgent. She thought of something she needs to study!
As a senior and an elder, Dorothy understood Luces sincerity and decided to leave this ce.
It was to give Isaac and her time to talk.
However, Dorothy mentioned studying was quite an unbelievable excuse.
Ah, yes
Im going to head out for today! Good luck~.
Take care on your way, Senior. Thank you.
Isaac, noticing Dorothys intention, smiled.
Dorothy smiled broadly, waved at him, turned her back, and left.
The sun had set, and a deep blue pall of darkness hung over the sky.
Finally, as Dorothys figure disappeared, Luce raised her head.
Luce, standing demurely, gazed in the direction where Dorothy had left.
Her eyes were exceedingly cold.
Her face intermittently contorted as if writhing, repeatedly furrowing and smoothing out, as she tried hard to conceal her emotions.
?
Suddenly, Isaac realized.
The reason Luce hadnt raised her head until Dorothy left was because she was suppressing her emotions.
Isaac, you.
Huh?
Luces expressionless eyes turned towards Isaac.
You like that senior, dont you? In a romantic way.
Chapter 160: Ring — Interlude
Chapter 160: Ring ¡ª Interlude
Ring Interlude
The mood isnt very good.
I didnt expect to be asked so tantly if I liked Dorothy. It hit me hard.
She seemed to have already noticed, there was no point in hiding it.
What do you want to say?
Luce lowered her head and, without flinching, grabbed my sleeve with her fingers and slightly pulled it. The Ring of the Abyssal Queen on her ring finger gleamed with a ck pearl hue.
I was reminded of the time I survived the Thunderbird Subjugation and met Luce again. It felt like a reenactment of that time.
The words that Luce then uttered were,
Please like me, Isaac.
Her intimate tone tickled the air.
Please like me more than that senior.
Luce lifted her head while looking at me with a tender gaze.
That might be enough.
She was revealing herself as she was, without trying to hide anything from me.
For a while, I couldnt utter a single word.
Silently, I pretended to ponder the meaning of Luces words, deliberately pausing.
Eventually, Luces face gradually reddened.
She tried to maintain a calm expression, but the wandering of her eyes suggested she realized the gravity of what she had said.
It was simr to the reaction she had when she asked me, Do you want to touch my breasts?
It was immediately apparent that she had blurted out something embarrassing to me because her emotions got the best of her.
This is, well
Luce tried to stammer something out.
Shall I take a guess?
Was that a confession just now?
An appeal for affection Were friends, after all.
Luce smiled awkwardly.
Well with such a reaction, its best to respond lightly and end it.
She probably wouldnt want to express her feelings to me, especially after a tense situation with Dorothy and the mood turning sour.
I gently tapped Luces shoulder and smiled.
Silly, friends dont say things like that.
Right?
Lets have dinner. What did you bring?
Oh, meat and sandwiches. I only packed things that Isaac likes.
I casually cheered her up and expressed my gratitude.
Luce took out a mat from the basket she brought and we sat down to have dinner together.
All the while, Luce sneakily nced at me. The atmosphere was awkward throughout.
To break the ufortable silence, I teased Luce, and she gradually teased me back, bringing back the old vibe.
I was about to leave.
But Luce
There was one thing I was curious about. I really had to ask.
Luce, munching on her sandwich, looked at me.
How did you know the smell of my saliva?
Luces mouth abruptly stopped.
The atmosphere turned awkward again.
***
Morning. In the Magic Department, Orphin Hall.
I was settling into a tiered lecture hall, getting ready for ss. It was the ssroom for the second-year B ss.
Around me, I could see guys like Ian Fairytale, Mateo Jordana, and Tristan Humphrey.
Normally, Luce, the top seat of ss A, would naturallye sit beside me and disy all sorts of affectionate actions.
But she was nowhere to be seen today. It seemed she decided not toe.
Is it because of that incident?
Luce had asked me to like her more than Dorothy.
Even I would have felt embarrassed. It was understandable.
Each time Luce came to the ss B ssroom, she exuded an incredible presence. Then I had to endure the burdensome stares of the students.
Certainly, being alone felt more liberating.
Of course, its not that I dont want to see Luce. How can I dislike having such a pretty and lovely person cherish me so much that she always wants to be by my side?
Ive even gotten used to the burdensome stares of the other students.
For some reason, I felt a bit of emptiness.
Professor Daisy arrives.
Then the female professor of the second-year B ss of the Magic Department kicked the door open and entered. Several students were visibly startled.
It was Professor Daisy, known for her Middle school syndrome. Her first words during orientation were In my eyes, a ssroom is like a crime scene just waiting to happen. Which solidified her entric image. Anyway, her skills were outstanding, so I liked her.
Professor Daisy entered the ssroom with books tucked under her arm and stood in front of the lectern. The students hurried to their seats.
Before we begin the ss, there is an announcement,
Said Professor Daisy in a solemn tone.
It was that time of the year.
Soon, there will be a duel evaluation. Likest year, it will involve using one or two duel request tickets to challenge an opponent of your choice.
Duel evaluations were held once every semester.
Each student receives two duel request tickets.
With one ticket, they could challenge anyone within their year.
The challenged could refuse, but if both tickets were used, they must ept the duel.
So, the rules were simr tost years, with one exception.
However, there is a change. This year, first-year students from the Magic Department are also included as potential duel opponents. Please keep this in mind.
The students were visibly surprised, eximing, Huh?
The reason Mrchen Academy included first-year students as potential duel opponents was clear.
My juniors, the first-year students of the Magic Department at the time, were known as the Golden Generation due to their strength.
It was probably to bnce things out, by diverting the attention of the strong first-year students towards their seniors. It helped maintain an overall bnce.
In Magic Knight of Mrchen, second-year Ian Fairytale received a duel request from the first-year, Priestess Miya.
This was because Ian was a Light Element hero who had been ying demons.
It was a sub-event that offered a lot of experience points.
Having confirmed that defeating Verga andpleting the sub-event yielded a substantial amount of EXP, I expected this event would be no different.
Of course, in this context, the demon yer was The Nameless hero. That was probably why Miya showed no particr interest in Ian.
So, does this mean the sub-event is out of reach?
It wasnt feasible to challenge Miya either. Even if I did, there was no guarantee that it would trigger the sub-event, and it seemed difficult to defeat her right away. It was simply an unnecessary risk.
It would be fortunate if I didnt get severely beaten while aiming for the sub-event.
Anyway, who will I face?
It was clear that dueling with others would help me grow. It never hurt anybody to have morebat experience.
With my skills at the time, I could even consider challenging someone from ss A, maybe someone like Keridna Whiterk.
Mateo also seemed like a suitable opponent.
Tristan, brimming with enthusiasm, was sure to challenge me.
Well, theres still plenty of time. Ill think it over slowly.
***
Hello, Senior. Would you like to duel?
Even with [irvoyance] and [Psychological Insight], sometimes I was startled by a persons unexpected actions.
Could now be one of those moments?
While I strolling through the outdoor corridor of Orphin Hall, I encountered a female first-year with jet-ck hair. She blocked my path and challenged me to a duel.
Yep, it definitely was.
What if I refuse?
Ill use both tickets. Then you have to ept, right?
The junior waving two duel request tickets, with a folded ck fan against her lips, was Priestess Miya.
[Miya]
Lv: 156
Race: Human
Elements: Fire
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to defeat you to gain the attention of Luce Eltania.]
Students passing by all turned their attention towards me and Miya.
Looks like the Priestess has already chosen her duel opponent?
Whats that? Is she using both her request tickets?
Who is that senior?
Its Senior Isaac, the top student of ss B of the second year.
Why would the first-year top seat challenge Isaac?
The students who walked in the outdoor corridor murmured.
Miya, ustomed to always being the center of attention, seemed unfazed by the whispers of the students.
Why do you want to duel with me?
Ive be curious about you, Senior. Thats all. I wish to duel with you, so lets duel Senior.
A gentle early summer breeze caressed the skin as it passed.
Miya tilted her head with a lovely smile. Thanks to [Psychological Insight], her intention to crush me mercilessly was clearly evident.
Why arent you saying anything? Dont tell me youre frightened?
It seemed Miya
Was intent on seriously provoking me, Luces weak spot.
In an official event like a duel, no matter how badly I could be defeated by Miya, it would be difficult for Luce to intervene.
I was not sure what her intention was, but it was unlikely she harbored any good intentions towards me.
Anyway, it seems I might be able to capitalize on this sub-event
This is
Too unexpected, isnt it?
* * *
The movements of the Ice Kingdom, Dpfendorf, are unusual.
In the northern part of the Zelver Empire, in the Whiterk Duchy, it snowed every day.
The Whiterk Ducal Family. Their symbol was the white dragon that the ancient Ice Sovereign summoned as his familiar, and a secret capable of turning the world upside down was hidden in the basement of their grand mansion.
The Whiterk Mansion, in the underground Round Table meeting room.
Luxurious and opulent in appearance. However, the meeting room was dark, illuminated only by the faint light of glowingmps.
Around the round table, figures made of elements sat in each high seat.
A figure of fierce mes. The Fire Sovereign.
A figure of crackling lightning. The Lightning Sovereign.
A figure of clear water. The Water Sovereign.
A figure of billowing wind. The Wind Sovereign.
The moderator and the next Northern Grand Duchess with pink hair, Aichel Whiterk, held a power that could shake the world
She stood in a respectful posture in front of these powerful figures.
The Council of Kings.
Regr meetings urred once every three years, and emergency meetings could be convened upon the proposal of one or more members when global-scale issues arose.
Aichel Whiterk of the Whiterk Ducal Family was chosen as the moderator of the Council of Kings meeting.
Typically, not all Kings would attend these emergency meetings.
This was because they had a mutual agreement not to interfere in each others territories unless their own nation was at risk.
Most often, they showed no interest in matters unless they were intriguing; they hardly felt a sense of crisis unless it involved a potential world-ending scenario.
However, the subject of this emergency meeting was so beyond imagination that, unusually, all four current Kings attended.
It seems that you have realized the emergence of the next Ice Sovereign.
[Dpfendorf indeed, it would be strange if you were not aware. Ha ha]
The voice of the aged Fire Sovereign, an elderly man, echoed in the round table meeting room.
The Fire Sovereign, emitted a scoffingugh as if in disbelief, and lightly stroked his long, flowing beard. As he did, the mes flickered.
The Ice Kingdom, Dpfendorf.
A nationprised of mighty ice magic beasts and the powerful human descendants of the Frost Race.
Ice magic beasts who had reached the celestial and earthly realms, like the cial Bear, Frost Spirit, and the Icebound Crocodile, also considered Dpfendorf their homnd.
For over a thousand years since the passing of the original Ice Sovereign, the throne had remained vacant.
The people of Dpfendorf had long awaited the emergence of a new Ice Sovereign.
Aichel Whiterk, a lover of peace, had been closely monitoring Dpfendorfs activities. Recently, she had noticed unusual movements in the country.
The one served by the White Dragon and the Primordial Beast of Ice, the next Ice Sovereign, The Nameless Hero.
Aichel lowered her eyes.
Its impossible that Dpfendorf didnt feel the mana of the Ice Sovereign that spread every time demons have appeared at Mrchen Academy sincest year. An especially crucial moment was when the power of the Primordial Beast of Ice spread briefly.
A monster among monsters, presumed to have even surpassed the Primordial Elemental Kings.
The next Ice Sovereign, a formidable force that even the Elemental Kings who were present dared not provoke.
Each country ruled by the Elemental Kings had a treaty with the Zelver Empire to generally not interfere with each other.
Whether The Floating Ind had appeared in the Zelver Empire or not, as long as the damage did not affect their own nation, there was no reason to intervene.
The next Ice Sovereign was at Mrchen Academy, belonging to the Zelver Empire.
This fact was certain, yet none of the Elemental Kings had visited the academy.
This was due to the treaty issue and also out of respect for the next Ice Sovereign.
[Id like to see him once. Hopefully, a frail-looking boy. Then, Id sincerely cherish him]
The Elemental King of water, the Water Sovereign stroking her cheek, had the form and voice of a mature woman.
[Water Sovereign, the next Ice Sovereign is not a pushover for you to impose your perverted desires upon.]
[Please dont misunderstand, Mr. Jaul. I just want to make a good impression on the new Ice Sovereign.]
To the critique from Jaul, the Lightning Sovereign, the Water Sovereign replied with a voice tinged withughter.
[Because the next Ice Sovereign seems to be quite dangerous.]
The Water Sovereign added in a soft voice.
[Probably quite soon.]
Yes. It wont be long before Dpfendorf wees its new King,
Aichel responded to the Fire Sovereign.
The air grew tense. Aichel hid her surprise at the fact that even the strongest beings in this world could feel tension.
Isaac, a second-year student at Mrchen Academy.
The people of the Ice Kingdom, Dpfendorf, along with a massive army and catastrophic ice magic beasts, would unanimously serve him as their King.
No one could predict how powerful an Elemental King he would be, being apanied by the White Dragon and the Primordial Beast of Ice.
The bnce of power that constituted the world was on the verge of entering a new phase.
Perhaps soon
The most dangerous Elemental King in the world might emerge.
Chapter 161: Bet (1)
Chapter 161: Bet (1)
Bet (1)
ck and red.
A mysterious space decorated in a checkered pattern. Red furniture was scattered throughout the room with tilted clocks filling the walls.
This was Alices Labyrinth.
Within the dreary atmosphere, three students in their uniforms were seated on pieces of furniture, quietly waiting for the Spade Pdin.
How does it feel to be suspended.
The red-haired female student with a heart-shaped essory, Shera Hectorica, broke the silence.
The question was directed at the brown-haired female student leaning against the wall, Alexa.
Alexa narrowed her eyes and red at Shera.
Phwah! Whats that look supposed to mean? I was just trying to lighten the mood.
Shut up.
Alexa shot back coldly.
But Shera continued to smile cheerfully.
The four Pdins had failed to stop the Nameless Hero during the first-year students joint practical evaluation.
Moreover, they hadnt been able to find even a slight hint of who they could be, making it theirplete defeat.
The only information they gained was the Nameless Heros strength, which the Spade Pdin witnessed with his own eyes.
The Hero had been far stronger than what any of them had imagined. It was to the point where they questioned whether they would actually be able to defeat them.
Alice did not criticize the Pdins, but that instead made the Pdins feel even guiltier.
They will not fail next time.
They must find clues to discern the identity of the ck Monster.
After the Abyssal Sea Monster incident, each of the Pdins vowed as such.
Just then, footsteps rang out through the room.
A male student appeared from the darkness that reced one side of the wall.
ck hair with a faint blue hue. It was the Spade Pdin.
Captain!
Youre here.
Shera addressed him cheerfully, the Clover Pdin greeted him kindly, and Alexa remained silent.
The Spade Pdin sat down on a fancy chair with his legs crossed.
His posture reflected his desire to seem intelligent, with his back straight and body positioned with elegance.
Why did you say to gather, Captain?
Shera asked the Spade Pdin, dashing up to the chair he was sitting on and plopping down on the armrest.
He fixed his sses before speaking.
The duel evaluation will begin soon. They say that we will be able to select second-year students as opponents as well. In other words, that means we will be able to watch the duels of both first and second years.
The Spade Pdin continued with a serious expression.
Diamonds suspension should end by the time the duel evaluation begins. Four locations will be used for the duel arenas. Students will be divided into four groups and assigned to an arena. The Queen has said she will assign each of us to a different group, so
Keep watch of every ice element user?
Shera continued the sentence with a grin.
The Spade Pdin responded with silence.
With your skills, you should be able to recognize any suspicious behavior. Keep a careful watch on anyone with the ice element. They work under disguise using a high-quality camouge disguise, so it is unclear whether they are a male or female. It seems that the demon who had been cooperating with the Queenst year had been watching the duel evaluation in secret and foolishly nned to cause a massacre that failed.
Because of the demon who had been working with Alicest year, Leafa the Illusive, the fact that the demons had an informant within the academy had been revealed.
That caused the academy to add extra caution when revealing information to the administrative students.
This meant that the information provided to Alice had also be limited.
However, since we are students, there shouldnt be any problems. Of course As long as we refrain from doing something foolish to attract attention.
The Spade Pdin red at Alexa. She was the biggest problem out of the Pdins, after all.
Alexa shook her head.
Ill keep quiet.
Feeling pressured, Alexa answered as such.
And I will remind you. Suspect and keep watch of not only the students but also the staff and the others.
Their main goal was discovering the identity of the ck Monster, after all.
Shera responded with an enthusiastic, Yeah! the Clover Pdin nodded his head, and Alexa showed no reaction.
Ah, right. Captain. Can I ask you one thing?
What is it, Shera?
The person that the Queen is suspicious of, Isaac, was it? Can I challenge him to a duel?
A second-year student of the Magic Department, Isaac.
Alice suspected him to be the one disrupting her ns, and she said that she would be personally investigating whether he was the disrupter or not.
However, because it was a mere suspicion, they could not concentrate their resources on just Isaac, so the four Pdins acted while leaving Isaac in their line of suspects.
It doesnt matter if you have a valid reason, but I would not rmend it.
Why?
The Priestess has already challenged him to a duel. Why she has done that is a question forter. Do not forget that we are also often mentioned among the students because of our mana grade. The more Isaac bes known, the bigger the nuisance it would be for the Queen.
Hmm
Shera was disappointed.
She liked to attract attention to herself, but she wanted to refrain from doing something that would anger Alice.
Shera, remember that our task for the duel evaluation is to observe. Dont go around having the foolish idea of getting revenge on Luce Eltania, either. Our ns will go awry if you do so.
Ergh! Fine, I wont, I wont! I hate you, Captain!
What? Why so suddenly?
Sherained, expressing discontent, and walked away from the Spade Pdin.
He had hurt her pride by mentioning her defeat against Luce Eltania.
Captain, you cant talk about losing and whatnot in front of Shera.
The Clover Pdin addressed the problem with a small smile.
Yeah, thats really mean!
And Shera hid behind the Clover Pdins back, sticking out her tongue.
The Spade Pdin let out a deep sigh as if he was utterly fed up.
* * *
S-s-s-senior Isaac? Youre dueling with whom?
Miya.
The Magic Department ssroom building, Orphin Hall. Inside of an empty research room.
I had all sorts of books and parchmentsid out as I calcted the magic forms within them, which helped me use the 6-star ice magic [Frost Glitter] with greater efficiency.
Thanks to my [Learning Efficiency] being maxed, it was easy to think. It felt like I could calcte any algorithm or form in my head no matter what someone threw my way.
I already had all of the forms of magic circles I needed to use for each magic memorized. But it still took some time because using the magic circles with swift uracy was a different story.
Still, I judged it wouldnt be long until Isaac, with [Hunter] deactivated, could use 6-star magic in battle.
At thetest, I should be able to learn it before my duel with Miya.
I felt that I had arrived at a new level of magical talent.
The sun had begun to set at some point.
Snow White hade to visit me while I had been taking a short break, so I was chatting with her.
Today was one of the days I asked White to take a break from mentoring.
However, it wasnt a mystery why she hade to see me regardless. We always had our schedules shared.
White stood before the window, and I sat in a chair, leaning on the backrest.
Whites pure white hair became dyed with the colors of the sunset. Following her nickname as the Snow White Princess, her outer appearance often absorbed the colors of her surroundings.
I was shocked by her beauty, even though she was only in her academy uniform. Her shocked expression also reflected her wide variety of expressions.
I know Senior Isaac is strong, but the Priestess is too strong!
I couldnt really help it. She used both of her duel requests on me.
Why is she going so far to duel with you? I havent seen the Priestess together with Senior Isaac once Has anything happened between the two of you that I dont know? Like youve run into her in the hallways or
Im not sure either.
It was probably because of Luce, but telling White that wouldnt change anything, so I kept the reason to myself.
Well, its not like its anything new for the Priestess to try fighting someone random for a weird reason. She is quite the oddball, after all.
She does seem a little strange.
What is it, White?
Oh, no. Its nothing
With a listless smile, White turned her head and avoided my gaze. Tears seemed to be forming in her eyes.
It looked like she thought about how she had to be friends with the Priestess and was reminded of her personality.
A-anyway!
White stole away her tears and turned back to me with clenched fists.
Was that why you were practicing this magic? So you can fight against the Priestess?
It isnt necessarily because of the duel, but the timings do happen to ovep. Its merely a lucky coincidence.
I extended my finger and channeled a frigid chill through them. Cold air and ice crystals floated above my finger.
I then spread my other fingers and repeated that process. It was a habitual magic mastery training I did.
S-senior Isaac Arent you scared? If it were me, I would be scared
Not really, no.
Then, curling my fingers back in, I withdrew the ice.
My goal is Luce, after all.
What?
Well, the Priestess is weaker than Luce. I dont have much to be scared about, right?
W-wait. Senior Luce?!
Whites jaw dropped once more in shock.
Your goal is to surpass Senior Luce?!
Why are you so surprised?
Of course I am! Senior Luce is one of the most talented students in this academy! Shes really strong and elegant
Ill definitely beat her during the duel evaluation next semester.
Grades. It was an impartial indicator of how much stronger Ive gotten.
I at least wanted to be the top student in my grade before facing the Evil God during my third year.
But why Senior Luce?
I want to win, its as simple as that.
Of course, there was some personal ambition included in that goal.
One could call it a primal instinct of wanting to be rewarded for their efforts.
For some reason, White was gazing at me with an awestruck expression. It even looked like her eyes were sparkling.
I read her psychology. She seemed inspired by what I said since she hadnt even considered fighting against the Priestess, much less beating her.
It was the same for me too.
I had set the goal to take the title of top seat from the beginning, but I couldnt help but feel overwhelmed once I saw Luce in person.
It was impossible to imagine a future where I could win against her.
Repeating countless duels and defeats against her, I even felt a wall standing between us.
But now, I had entered the realm of geniuses and, even now, was improving at a frightening speed.
So, saying that I would defeat Luce wasntpletely unrealistic.
Not to mention, small goals like these will help motivate me.
Yeah.
By Semester 2 Year 2, I should be strong enough to fight against Luce, with her wearing the Ring of the Abyssal Queen. That was my goal.
Of course, surviving until then wille first.
Anyhow, thats my n. My break times over, so see you next time, White.
Ah. A-alright!
White scanned her surroundings awkwardly.
Anyway, 6-star magic really seems to be on a different level. The magic Ive been practicing until now seems like childs y Saying youll beat Senior Luce and such, youre amazing, Senior Isaac. Eheheh.
Really?
Thats sweet of her.
White and I looked at one another and grinned.
See you tomorrow, Senior!
Be safe. And dont forget to train.
Yessir!
White left the research room.
After using [irvoyance] to check that she met with Merlin, who was waiting in front of Orphin Hall, I resumed my training.
***
The next day, daytime.
After ss, I was about to leave the second-year B ss ssroom within Orphin Hall. However, since the next ss was canceled, I nned to use that time to practice my 6-star magic.
Just then. Amotion suddenly arose in the hallway for second years, and a female student began walking my way with everyones gazes concentrated on her.
That orderly appearance. She was a member of the Student Council, Head Hall Monitor Erin.
Youre Isaac, right?
Whys she here?
I stood straight, facing her.
The Student Council President is calling for you. Follow me.
?
Huh?
Chapter 162: Bet (2)
Chapter 162: Bet (2)
Bet (2)
Only a few people used the outdoor training grounds at Mrchen Academy.
The biggest reasons were that it was far from the dorms, and the facility was poorly establishedpared to the other training grounds.
And on those very grounds stood one man, immersed in his training under the intense rays of sunlight.
Shirtless, he was repeatedly squatting with his arms above his head.
In his arms was arge boulder, easily exceeding 3 meters in size.
He was drenched in sweat. The more squats he did, therger his muscles seemed to bulge.
A third-year student with dark green hair, an elite member of ck Tiger, one of the Four Constetions. He was Verga Rayphelt.
Senior Verga! Your one and only cute junior is here!
Janie?
Second-year student Janie, another member of the ck Tiger, approached him and saluted yfully, to which Verga responded without looking. His voice fell heavily.
Verga did not stop his squats.
Why did youe?
To deliver an announcement.
Then tell me already and leave.
Heheh. Thats cold, you know.
Janie deftly lightened the mood with her charmingugh.
By the way, that boulder looks bigger than usual. Youre excited for the duel evaluation, arent you?
As someone who favored duels, the duel evaluation of each semester was an event Verga eagerly anticipated.
It gave him a proper excuse to force those he wanted to fight to duel him.
However
Not necessarily.
What? Why?
Verga tossed the boulder he was holding in front of him.
Thooomp-!
As the heavy boulder fell onto the ground, a loud collision could be heard, along with a cloud of dust.
Within the swiftly dispersing dust, Vergas glistening body heaved to his heavy panting.
Janie let out a whistle with a perverted expression.
Im not interested in it. What I want to do right now is tten that bastards nose.
That bastard? Ah.
There was only one person Verga would call that bastard.
Second-year student of the Magic Department. His silver-blue-haired junior, Isaac.
Last year, Verga had been humiliated by fainting from a single blow by Isaac.
However, it was different now. His muscles, the defense that he boasted so pridefully, had improved tenfold.
He would no longer lower his guard and act arrogant. If there was a chance to duel Isaac once more, he would most definitely achieve an overwhelming victory and clear the humiliations of the past.
Verga believed that with confidence.
Right now, before the duel evaluations begin, I n to duel with him again. I believed that would be enough time to settle my emotions. I will not be provoked nor taint the ck Tigers honor.
Honor? Wow, so you remembered what I said to youst year. I didnt know Senior had a sensitive spot or held grudges like a stinge.
Janie remarked yfully.
Is that a challenge?
Heheh.
Janie scratched her head and giggled charmingly. That single giggle was always enough to instantly settle Vergas anger.
Verga red at her, thenmented, Youre lucky youre cute. Then, picked up his uniform shirt and jacket from the clothes hanger, tossing it over one shoulder,
That reminds me. Isaac, that guy. He was recently challenged to a duel by the Priestess. It looks like hes pretty popr, good or bad.
Priestess or whatever, it doesnt matter.
Verga walked past Janie.
Where are you going?
I told you.
Is he going to challenge Isaac to a duel?
Janie responded, Aha. Well, then. Good luck, and cheered Verga with clenched fists.
Watching Verga walk off into the distance, Janie stared at his broad shoulders with mesmerization.
Then, realizing what she had forgotten, she hurriedly shouted to him.
Senior Verga, theres an announcement!
Janie rushed to chase after Verga.
Meanwhile, near the Magic Department ssroom building.
Orphin Hall, on an outdoor bench.
The blue-gray-haired first-year male student, Abel Carnedas, was leaning against the benchs backrest while waiting for his friend in the Magic Department.
It was to spar and train their magic together. As an aspiring Magic Knight, he could not ck in magic practice.
However, a different thought was currently wandering within Abels mind.
The first person he had thought of when hearing the news about the semesters duel evaluation was his Senior in the Magic Department, Isaac.
Though he could not request a duel with him because they were in different departments, he deeply wished to fight Isaac again.
The memories of losing to him during the joint practical evaluation had added fuel to hispetitive spirit.
With those thoughts in mind, a question suddenly popped into his mind.
Why did the Priestess use both of her duel requests on Senior Isaac
Miya. The top seat of the Magic Department first-years. Rumors about her were widespread within the academy since she was the Priestess of the Eastern Nation.
It was a clear disy of interest for her to have used two of her duel requests on Isaac.
Though it was likely not a positive form of interest, it was clear that Isaac had attracted her attention somehow.
Is there something special about Senior Isaac?
Isaac was unique.
Though part of the Magic Department, he had a physique simr to someone from the Knight Department. No, even among the Knight Department students, he would be considered in the higher ranks.
But that didnt mean hecked magical power, and his fighting sense was admirable.
He knew other seniors with nicknames, such as the Star Witch and the Wizard of the Emerald Fairy.
However, as an aspiring Magic Knight, Abel felt much more interest and admiration towards Isaac.
Huh?
Suddenly, he could hear amotion on a higher floor of Orphin Hall. They all seemed to be talking about the same topic.
Abel tilted his head even higher and stared at one of the windows of Orphin Hall.
* * *
The Hall Monitors, a group associated with Mrchen Academys Student Council.
The groups objective was to maintain and protect the elegance and order of the academy.
So, out of the extra NPCs, Head Hall Monitor Erin habitually used an authoritative tone.
The Student Council President called for Isaac?
Do they want to recruit Isaac into the Student Council?
No The Student Council? Wait, really?
It seems reasonable if its Isaac were talking about.
Just being part of the Student Council caused Head Hall Monitor Erin to collect a significant amount of attention.
Since the attention had been concentrated on us, my name also began circting among them.
It didnt matter.
The reason I had been sensitive to gossip in the first ce was because of Alice.
If the gossip had started because of Alice, then there was no need for me to pay attention to it.
May I ask why shescalling for me?
I asked her calmly. Since Erin was a third-year, I spoke politely to her.
Youll know when youre there. It will be good news for you. Lets go.
Im sorry, but I dont want to.
Why should I?
Huh? What did you just?
Im busy. I cant dy my training.
???
She was flustered. She must have thought that mentioning the Student Council would solve all of her problems.
Although I thought she was pretty hard-headed in Magic Knight of Mrchen, she really was quite flimsy.
The students that had been watching us stared in shock.
Silence circled the hallway.
How can it be good news when the person calling for me is trying to kill me?
Its obvious I should run away.
Reading Erins psychology, it looked like Alice mentioned to her that she wanted to invite me to the Student Council. Her intentions couldnt be any more obvious.
Isaac. I do not think it is appropriate for you to ignore the President just because of a little training!
Tell her that I apologize.
Then I passed by Erin and walked away.
Alice suspected me of being the Nameless Hero.
Back when we walked together under the umbre, I tried my best to show her that I didnt fit the bill.
But people had intuition, and she had an especially sharp one. It was difficult to withdraw suspicion once the seed had been nted.
That was why it would be ideal not to interact with Alice until the final bits of Semester 1 Year 2, Alice Subjugation.
The students almost seemed to scream out gasps. I heard someone question my sanity.
It didnt matter. I had expected to be talked about if I became associated with Alice.
If it was going to happen anyway, I might as well nt the impression that I was busy training and should not be bothered.
Just then, I sensed an ominous mana and stopped walking.
[Master.]
Hildes voice rang inside of my head. She was hiding as a small ball of light under the cor of my uniform shirt.
Her role was to sense the magic beast I was the most wary of within this academy.
I felt it too.
It was harder not to sense it when they were being this obvious.
[Meoow. Arent you being a little too cold?]
Suddenly, a strange voice that was neither male nor female came from the hallways window. I turned my head in the direction of the voice.
There sat a fat purple cat magic beast wearing a small fedora, Phantom Cat Cheshire, looking at me from its seat on the windowsill.
[This is an important matter, so I would ask that youe with us.]
Theyre pressuring me.
Though I hadnt usually felt the Phantom Cat watching me, it looked like it hade to check if I wasplying with Alices order this time.
The Student Council Presidents familiar!
Wow, its so cute!
The students cheered.
Their reactions were lighter and changed directions more easily than reeds blowing in the wind.
The Phantom Cat coughed sheepishly at thepliments directed at it, then puffed up its chest pridefully.
That confident smile. It somehow reminded me of Dorothy.
But while it was doing so, it continued to radiate a heavy aura towards me. It was a silent pressure, telling me not to refuse.
This isnt good.
I wasnt confident enough to refuse when even the Phantom Cat came into the picture.
I didnt want to risk worsening its mood. I wasnt sure if I could handle the consequences if that happened. This thing acted depending on its mood. It was difficult to predict its actions.
I scanned my surroundings. There were already plenty of witnesses. Alice wouldnt hastily reveal her true colors and try to hurt me already.
In the first ce, if she had solid proof that I was the Nameless Hero, she would have used secretive methods to get rid of me. She wouldnt start an outright fight with no clear way of winning.
Of course, that was just on the surface. If I fought with Alice right now, I would most definitely lose.
Anyway, was Alice nning to corner me little by little? This time, it was an invitation to the Student Council.
Well, I just needed to act clueless until Alice was subjugated.
I finished thinking. I faced Phantom Cat Cheshire, then turned around to look at Erin.
She was staring nkly at me.
***
President, Ive brought him.
The center of the academys administration, Bartos Hall.
Knock knock.
Head Hall Monitor Erin knocked on the Student Council room door. A kind voice called out, Come in, from inside.
Go in.
Erin opened the door and stepped out of the way.
[Meoww! Cheshire here~. Alice, I brought Isaac!]
I entered the Student Council room together with Cheshire. Erin then bowed her head and closed the door.
A luxuriousmp was hanging from the ceiling, and countless pieces of expensive furniture surrounded us. The elegant and antique design suited the room nicely.
This is my first timeing here after possessing this body.
So this is how the Student Council room looked in person. It looks cool.
My scansted only a brief moment.
A warm breeze made the curtains dance. In front of therge arch window was an office desk.
The light gold-haired female student seated there looked at me, then rested her chin on her sped hands and smiled leisurely.
Hello, Baby. How have you been?
Her voice was kind.
She seemed like a sunflower, smiling brightly as the sun shone behind her.
Senior Alice
She was Alice Carroll.
The Student Council President and final boss of the Alice Subjugation.
After a fierce battle against Ian Fairytale and hispanions, she lost to them.
Ultimately, she ended own her life with a hollow smile, as if she had given up on everything.
Along with Dorothy, she was a student who always met a tragic end in Magic Knight of Mrchen.
I could not see her status page or read her psychology. This was due to her unique trait, [Red Queens Paradox].
Hiding my anxiety, I used my acting skills to return a natural smile.
Ive been doing well. I must thank you again for the events during winter vacation.
Oh, no. I just happened to be in the mood to do so.
It was a generic response expected of a kind and boring senior.
Ah, sit there. Would you like some tea?
No, Im fine, thank you.
I ignored the sofa that Alice pointed to and approached her.
With therge office desk standing between us, I gazed down at her.
What have you been up to?
Acting friendly right away, is she testing me?
Ive been training. You must have been busy with Student Council work, no?
Yes. Im going to be suffocated by these papers one day.
Truly a shame.
I gave a stereotypical response to the subtly yful answer that Alice provided.
But this semester is your final term. There has been a lot of talk and struggles with the demons and all, but Im sure you will go great until the end.
I like how you talk, Baby.
Alice stood up from her seat with a smile. The chair creaked as it slid back.
But why did you call? And just me at that.
There was a favor I wanted to ask of you.
Alice walked around to the front of the office desk, then, standing in front of me, leaned slightly against the desk.
A favor, you say.
I liked that she went straight to the point. It was obviously going to be an invitation toe to the Student Council.
I was a student with clear records of improvement and currently rivaled the strength of those in ss A of the Magic Department second-years.
Looking at my current skills and future potential, it was obvious that the Four Constetions and the Student Council wanted me.
Though I definitely have to refuse.
I couldnt waste time training by bing associated with some group.
Well, I already had an excuse to reject the tempting offer to enter the Student Council.
Ill finish the conversation quickly and leave.
What is it?
Its nothing special.
When I questioned her, Alice tilted her head slightly to the side with a rxed smile.
Following her movement, her silky light-gold hair that reflected the sunlight slid down her uniform.
The words that followed had been so far from my expectations.
That I couldnt maintain a straight face.
Why dont we go on a date today?
What?
Thats quite special.
Chapter 163: Bet (3)
Chapter 163: Bet (3)
Bet (3)
Its the Student Council President!
Shes so pretty
Whos that next to the President? He doesnt look like a Student Council member.
Thats Isaac.
Why are those two together?
Isaac was called by the Student Council President earlier
Was he invited to the Student Council then?
Traits of the academy genre. Students became chatterbots when the Student Council President made an appearance.
Since I was strolling through the campus with Alice Carroll, the students attention naturally swarmed toward us.
I purposefully held a magic tool in my hand and pretended to be paying attention to training my mana mastery in an attempt to ignore the students gazes.
Well, I did understand their actions.
Alice is practically a celebrity here.
I had also cheered until my throat went soar when female celebrities came to perform during my time in the military.
Just starting with Dorothy, I was always in awe of her goddess-like beauty. It was simr to that.
But more than that
What brought me all the way here?
Right in front of me was the light gold-haired female student, walking with her hands behind her back.
Watching her from behind, I was maintaining a certain distance from her. She was the Student Council President and my senior in the Magic Department. Alice Carroll.
Just what is she scheming to suddenly call me and request a date?
In the Student Council room, Alice had left no room for conversation and immediately left the room after saying to me, Lets have a date, Baby.
So, I had no choice but to follow her out.
She hadnt given me a chance to respond, but it wouldve felt wrong not to follow her.
I ignored Erin, who had been standing in front of the Student Council room. I could still remember her flustered face.
Baby.
Alice turned her head to look back at me but did not stop walking.
Thats one pleasant voice she had there.
It was different from Luces. Her voice was calm and whispery and had the knack of sucking the energy out of someone.
Inparison, Alices voice sounded much kinder, as if falling into fluffy cotton candy. Just listening to her made my heart feel all warm and fluffy.
Yes, Senior.
While were at it, why dont youe walk over here? It feels a little lonely without someone next to me.
Thats a little ufortable for me.
I intentionally swung my head around to our surroundings.
It was to express my difort with every single student passing by staring at us and to use it as an excuse.
Alice wanted to kill me or the disruptor of her ns, to be more exact.
So I could only rx when I stayed behind her like this.
I was scared that she would try something on me if I stood right next to or in front of her. It was simr to how someone would be irrationally nervous when showering.
Youre more conscious of other peoples opinions than I expected.
It isnt that I dislike standing out, but youre a little too much, Senior. Not only are you the Student Council President, but youre also pretty.
That is true.
Alice readily agreed.
It was basically a fact to her that she was considered pretty.
And Senior. You still havent said anything to me.
Ah, about why I wanted to have a date with you. Right?
Yes.
Alice brought her slightly bent index finger up to her lip and fell into deep thought. Was she choosing her words?
Soon, Alice answered.
Just cause.
Pardon?
Because I wanted to. I had some time today and just happened to think of you. Thats it.
I knew she wouldnt reveal her intentions.
But what was Just cause supposed to be? She didnt even try adding effort to it.
Why does it matter though? Doesnt it make you excited to have a date with me?
Alice assumed as if that was obviously the case.
I wasnt excited. More like dumbstruck
Uh, Senior Alice. I couldnt tell you because everything happened so suddenly, but I have to train now Senior?
Alice suddenly stopped and locked her gaze on the disy stand of a particr shop, almost as if she were hypnotized.
I also stopped next to her and followed her gaze.
It was a dessert caf called, The Sirens Face.
Inside the disy stand, using an ice magic scroll, were parfaits sparkling with a small amount of mana.
Out of them, a parfait decorated in the shape of a cat stood in the center like the shops signature dish.
It was a pretty cute parfait and the thing that likely caught Alices attention.
For a moment, time seemed to have stopped.
As my mind raced ferociously, one realization suddenly arose to the surface.
Many people discussed Alices identity within the Magic Knight of Mrchenmunity.
However, just one thing. Just one of Alices traits was seldomy mentioned.
It was the fact that she liked cute things.
When I yed the game, I just passed over it as a simple character trait, but witnessing it in person caused the question to swell up in my mind.
Why would someone like her.
Just why would she try to kill Ian Fairytale and give up on everything and end her life when she failed?
What did that hollow smile she showed to Ian Fairytale and hispanions just before death mean?
And why had Alice secretly be an informant?
It might be that I was missing something important.
I needed to find out.
Now that Magic Knight of Mrchen had be my reality, I needed to make a detailed n for even the tiniest of details.
After all, Ive already lost to the Evil God once.
This current chance had been given to me by the sacrifices of countless people.
In my past life, before it was reset, I had to survive whatever it took. This also meant that everything may end if I had died.
So I must not strive for the best choice, but the most ideal choice, and reach a happy ending.
Just as I had defeated the Floating Ind to receive EXP and save Dorothy.
And I am curious about her secret as well.
Alice was someone who knew that the Evil God was going to be revived.
If I figured out how she learned that information and why she decided to take the Evil Gods side, then it might help with my journey.
That meant it was important to avoid Alice.
But avoiding her at all costs might not be the answer.
Baby.
Yes, lets go eat it.
So, I decided to stay with her for a short while.
It didnt seem like Alice was nning to harm me today.
And even if it seemed like something simr was happening, I could just run away.
Since I could train my mana mastery with the magic tool I had right now, I decided to change my nned schedule.
I like quick-witted ones like you.
Alice grinned happily.
***
At an outdoor table on the 3rd-floor balcony, under a pretty, petite-designed parasol.
I was sitting, facing Alice.
For a while, she gazed down with loving eyes at the slice of cake and cat parfait that was set down on the center of the table.
Then, finally eating a spoonful, she leaned her cheek against her hand and sank into pure bliss.
The Sirens Face.
They had a vast menu of delicious dishes along with a cute design, making it a famous caf to visit among female students.
Dorothy had also talked about this ce countless times.
Is it good?
Far beyond my expectations. I didnt know such a ce existed.
You must note here often. I heard this ce is popr.
Im busy. Ill being here often after I give up my position as President.
Alice would resign from her position as Student Council President once this semester ended, but she ended her life before that time came.
So in Magic Knight of Mrchen, she never came back to this caf.
Have youe here with Dorothy before?
No, its my first time.
I answered her while taking a bite of the cat parfait.
Its good alright.
I still held the magic tool in my other hand, circting my mana. It was challenging, but I had gotten used to it.
With a quiet, Hmm, Alice smiled meaningfully.
Thats unexpected. I thought you would have done all sorts of things with Dorothy.
I am close with Senior Dorothy, but we havent been able to have much fun. Im training most of the time.
You seem to enjoy training.
Alice peered at the magic tool in my hand.
If someone asked me whether I liked training, I couldnt answer. I was, in a way, addicted though.
Ah, it is nice when I feel a sense of achievement.
Nevermind the small talk. I should test Alices intentions.
Actually, Senior Alice.
Yes?
I heard something on our way here,
Alice stared at me while continuing to chew the dessert in her mouth. Her chin was resting on one of her hands.
You called me because you want me in the Student Council, correct?
If that was also why you suddenly called me for a date, I understand
Suddenly, Alice scooped up a spoonful of parfait and popped it into my mouth as I spoke.
My mouth was filled with tingly sweetness and a faint, slimy texture.
?
I was stunned.
Youre hasty, Baby.
Hmm?
Its a little cold to jump straight to the point, dont you think?
Alice pulled out the spoon from my mouth. Her expression remained calm.
I swallowed the parfait that she fed me.
What you said. Its half right and half wrong.
Crossing her arms and legs, Alice leaned against the chair.
The way she crossed her arms entuated her alreadyrge chest.
It is true that I want to recruit you into the Student Council. But you, Baby, dont intend to do so.
How would you know that?
I heard youve turned down the offer to enter the Four Constetions. Not only that but youre known to just study and train all day. Though, I do think rumors of you dating the second-year top seat are false. Anyway, I know you arent the type to immerse yourself in student council work.
Well, thats about right.
But I have taken a liking to you.
?
I have a good eye for people, you see.
Alice grinned, pointing at her eye.
She said that it was half right and half wrong that she wanted to recruit me into the Student Council.
Then what did she call me to suggest?
So, Baby.
Alice pointed at me with her spoon.
Why dont you make a bet with me?
Why a bet all of a sudden?
What bet?
Whether Baby wille to love me or not.
?
What sort of bet is that? How are you supposed to know how I feel?
There wasnt a single bit of objectiveness included in the bet.
If youe to like me, be my subordinate. Hows that?
I was so dumbfounded that Iughed.
What if I just dont express it?
Then Ill make sure you cant help but express it.
Alice responded to my question as if the answer was obvious, then bit the spoon that had entered my mouth.
Well, she would have also received a lot of confessions. Moreover, she believed it was only natural to be considered pretty, so she was probably confident in herself as well.
Whether they know it or not, the pretty and handsome students tend to receive confessions from many other students. I had heard that was also the case for Luce, Kaya, and Dorothy.
That reminds me, I havent received any confessions yet.
I thought this Isaac was on the handsome side, so whats the problem?
Whatever. It was meaningless anyway.
Do you really want me that much?
Yeah.
Alice nodded her head casually.
She spoke without hesitation, didnt she? I almost questioned whether or not she thought things through before speaking.
But if someone heard such a thing from such a pretty student like Alice,
It was clear that most male students hearts would have begun to flutter, regardless of their will.
That would have also been the case for me if I hadnt known Alices true nature.
Of course, this is likely a trap.
It would be easy to keep an eye on me if I became her subordinate.
Not to mention, if I fell in love with Alice, then it was likely that just a few right words from her would make me confess my secrets. Since, on the surface, it was impossible for the Nameless Hero to know that Alice was the enemy. That would be a massive stab in the back.
Even if it wasnt revealed that I was the Nameless Hero, I was a talented student that the Student Council would openly wee. This was a winning bet for Alice.
But the question was
Why would she choose a bet that would onlye out in romance dramas out of all things?
I cringed internally.
However, her confident attitude did help lessen the impact.
The more I thought about it, the only thought I arrived at was, What sort of stupid bet is this?
Back during the Trial of Frost, Phantom Cat Cheshire had said that I was Alices type.
A familiar knew their masters heart the best. That meant my outer appearance was closely identical to Alices ideal type.
This was why I thought for a moment that the bet might contain some personal feelings.
But after remembering her true colors that I had seen in Magic Knight of Mrchen, I shook my head immediately.
Instead, she was closer to a Nepenthes that lured the opponent to their demise with a sweet scent.1ED Min Note: A Nepenthes is a carnivorous nt in the form of a pitcher (Think the Bellsprout line if you know Pokemon). They release a sweet scent so insects will enter their body and then they close the lid to digest them.
So, for now, I wanted to suggest something that aligns with your current situation.
With her kind signature smile, Alice tilted her head slightly to the side.
Something in line with my situation?
What is it?
How about you be an Honorary Student Council Member?
?
I couldnt understand what her suggestion meant.- 1
ED Min Note: A Nepenthes is a carnivorous nt in the form of a pitcher (Think the Bellsprout line if you know Pokemon). They release a sweet scent so insects will enter their body and then they close the lid to digest them.
Chapter 164: Bet (4)
Chapter 164: Bet (4)
Bet (4)
Honorary Student Council Member?
It was a setting I saw in the third year of Magic Knight of Mrchen.
I didnt expect to hear about it so soon.
Had it already been introduced?
In an emergency, you get the authority of the student council. Theres no need to worry about student council duties; just act when necessary. In exchange, Baby, youll have the obligation to protect the students and the academy.
Ive never heard of it before.
Its something the Headmistress approved this year. Since it hasnt been officially announced yet, its natural you havent heard of it.
That made sense. It was about time for it to be introduced.
Honorary Student Council Member Sounds quite good, doesnt it?
In all sorts of scenarios that urred in Year 2, if one could act with the authority of the student council and the responsibility to protect the students
If I get caught up in an incident, I wouldnt have to worry about being suspected.
In other words.
It actually bes more convenient.
Not only the authority of the student council, but even the duties could be useful to me.
In the scenarios and sub-events of Magic Knight of Mrchen, it would be significantly easier to act ording to my n.
Honorary Student Council Member is half the duties of the student council, so you can enjoy about half of the student council benefits. Youll even receive a schrship.
Even a schrship.
Its quite a privilege
The authority given only in emergency situations was a bit limiting.
Those emergency situations also included times when I had to act as the Nameless Hero.
Of course, when Year 2 started, the frequency of demon appearance drastically decreased, so it might be okay. The strategy of the Evil God changed from spamming out demons to sporadically sending out stronger ones.
Therefore, the issue was whether my actions would be constrained by Alicesmands.
So, does that mean, in an emergency, I have to follow Seniors orders?
No, thats up to you.
Thats unexpected.
You dont need to follow my orders as an Honorary Student Council Member. Again, your only duty is to protect the academy and its students. If you dont want to continue, you can quit anytime.
It didnt seem bad.
No, it was a very sweet offer.
It might have been a trap set by Alice, but no matter how I examined what she said, it turned out to be advantageous for me.
Just as I reached that conclusion, Alice raised her index finger and added, However.
Theres a condition.
As expected, there it was. That was reassuring.
If it was going to be an offer that only benefitted me, it would not only make me feel ufortable but also resist being tempted by it as if it were some scam.
Whats the condition?
asionally go on a date with me.
Correction. It seemed like a scam.
Were in the middle of a bet. I think its only fair that you give me a chance too.
Alice mumbled after taking a spoonful of parfait.
I havent epted the bet yet.
She was advancing the conversation on her own.
Isnt she jumping the gun?
Seeing me silent, Alice tilted her head and prodded, Isnt that right?
Yeah thats true.
Well, I wasnt nning on refusing the bet anyway.
There likely wasnt any trick Alice could use to harm me through the bet itself.
On the contrary, it might have been an opportunity to uncover her secrets.
Anyway, it seemed like Alice had decided to use her charm as a strategy.
Knowing her true nature, I found it hard to adapt to this approach.
How about it? Want to try being an Honorary Student Council Member?
That is Thanks for the offer, but Ill need to think about it.
I replied with a polite smile.
If I had rashly agreed to be an Honorary Student Council Member, I might have regretted itter. Now was the time to step back and think.
***
We cant be together for long. I have a meetingter.
Alice looked at the tall clock tower and said that to me. We were walking on a bridge crossing theke together.
It was a ce densely lined with many flowers. Various potted nts hung on the railing, and their leafy vines stretched down.
Among them, Alice seemed like a beautiful rose.
It was as though touching her for her beauty could result in one being pricked by thorns.
Did you have a meeting?
I asked, looking at Alices back.
Yes.
I thought we would be together until the evening at the very least.
That must be disappointing. Not being able to spend more time with me.
Thats not it
I never intended to spend much time with Alice anyway. I was nning to leave soon, as I couldnt postpone my training.
A brief silence followed.
The sound of crickets, asionally apanied by the ssh of fish in the water, could be heard.
Then, I opened my mouth. There was something I wanted to ask Alice.
Senior Alice.
Yes, Baby?
What will you do if I win the bet?
If you win?
If you fall for me first. We havent talked about what happens if I win.
I never thought about losing.
What kind of bet is that?
Hmm.
Alice pondered with her head down for a moment, then suddenly looked at me with a mischievous smile.
Even if that happens, how will you notice? Im confident in not showing it.
Then Ill make sure you cant help but express it.
When I repeated her words back to her, she chuckled softly.
Thats funny. Well if I lose, you can do whatever you want to me, Baby.
Alice said this with a smile and then turned around.
She said I can do as I please
Did she truly not even consider the possibility of losing?
Really
Her answer left much to the imagination.
* * *
Verga Rayphelt, a muscr male student with dark green hair, walked through a corridor of the Magic Department
His imposing presence alone drew the attention of all the students there.
He was known for hisrge stature, even among the students of the Knight Department.
Among the Magic Department students, who focused more on magical than physical training, he stood out noticeably.
You.
Y-yes!
In the second-year corridor.
When Verga ced his hand on the shoulder of the second-year male student and spoke, the male student was extremely startled.
Tell me where Isaac is.
Verga spoke in amanding tone.
He had juste from checking the second-year ss B ssroom. It waspletely empty.
I-I dont know Im not close with Isaac
Useless guy.
Verga pushed the student aside and hastened his steps.
In the wide corridor, the students body rolled helplessly on the floor twice. He was terrified but felt an intense relief that the situation passed without further harm.
The aggressor was Verga Rayphelt, an elite member of the ck Tigers and a hunter of the Magic Department.
Ordinary magic didnt work on that man. His defense was exceptional.
There were hardly any here who could wield magic that could prate his defenses.
Moreover, Verga was infamous for his ferocious temperament. Having witnessed him pushing the student just now, the others could truly sense his notorious reputation.
And you? Do you know where Isaac is?
I-I dont know Aaah!
Tch.
Verga, without sparing the female student, roughly pushed her aside.
Her frail body collided lifelessly with the window. She grimaced and groaned, clutching her shoulder.
Isaac!! If youre here,e out now!!
Vergas deep voice resounded thunderously through the second-year corridor.
I am Verga Rayphelt!! Ivee to duel with you again!! Come out in front of me right now, Isaac!!
His suppressed feelings of anger poured out through his words.
Um, excuse me
What is it?
When a female student courageously spoke up, Verga red at her with eyes like a wild beast.
The female student, suddenly startled, broke out into a cold sweat.
Ah, Isaac, he was called by the Student Council President earlier
The Student Council President?
The Student Council President, Alice Carroll. One of the main powers of Mrchen Academy.
Shes looking for Isaac? Why?
The thought that came to mind was a student council recruitment offer.
If he was called by the Student Council President, there seemed to be no other reason than that.
Isaac, that guy
In the student council?
How audacious.
The idea of Isaac, who would be utterly defeated in a proper duel with him, joining the student council was almostughable.
Well, it wasnt like his skills were too poor, and he did have a pretty face, almost like a girls.
Verga thought that Alice intended to use him like a ve.
Is that guy in the student council room right now?
That, Im not sure
Verga clicked his tongue in annoyance and moved on.
Students in the corridor stepped aside to make way. Verga walked through the cleared path as if it were expected.
He headed towards Bartos Hall, the center of academic administration.
He couldnt enter the student council room, but by lingering around Bartos Hall, he might encounter Isaac.
It was then.
?
A blond male student blocked Vergas path.
Verga stopped and red threateningly at him.
It seemed like he was intentionally blocking the way.
Who are you?
As Verga asked in a deep, annoyed voice, the blond male student silently deployed a light green magic circle.
Whooosh.
Wham!
A strong force of mana rushed in like a fierce wind.
Vergas eyes widened as he reflexively assumed abat stance.
Its you
The blond male student, Tristan Humphrey, a second-year from the Magic Department.
He red at Verga with a face full of anger.
However, his voice was notably low.
Whats the reason for pushing around my subordinate?
The male student Verga had initially pushed around was
One of the self-proimed subordinates who had been ttering and following Tristan since the first year.
He was someone who had already received the favor of Tristan
After witnessing that student being pushed by Verga, veins throbbed fiercely on Tristans forehead.
Hmph! Insolent little wizard, daring to use a magic circle in front of me!
I know who you are. Verga Rayphelt, an elite member of the ck Tigers.
Tristan walked leisurely to the side and flung open the closed windows. The tense students quickly distanced themselves from them.
Tristan turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and red at Verga.
You want to duel Isaac again? Ha! Do you want to repeat yourst defeat? It was truly pitifulst time!
This this brat How dare you spout such nonsense!!
Last semester, the fact that Verga had been defeated by Isaac was like a sore spot for him.
Even though he was causing amotion in Orphin Hall, he had intended to fight in the dueling arena.
Excited at the thought of avenging his humiliation fromst semester, Verga ultimately fell for Tristans provocation.
Swoosh!
Verga clenched his fist and, pushing off the ground, leaped towards Tristan.
A speed that transcended his bulky frame.
But at that moment, a fierce wind whipped through the corridor.
Whooooooosh!!
!!
At the sound of the wind, Tristans figure instantly disappeared from Vergas view.
Bang!!
Ugh!!
Suddenly, Verga felt a blow to the side of his head as if struck by a club, taking the full brunt of the mana from the wind explosion.
A direct hit. Vergasrge body was flung helplessly through the window that Tristan had opened.
In the middle of the corridor, Tristan, wrapped in wind mana, was retracting his extended leg.
He had left the window open in anticipation of this situation.
No matter how angry he might have been.
He foresaw that there would be property damage. He simply couldnt allow it since it would go against his values.
Phew!
Whoom!
Verga regained his posture mid-air andnded on the ground with both legs, a thunderous impact sound echoed.
Vergas sturdy body was unscathed even by such a fall.
However, his head was spinning. Blood poured from his nose and mouth, despite being wrapped in [Basic Protection Magic]
Though he had been excited and let his guard down, Verga couldnt help but feel dismayed.
It was a moment when his highly praised defense seemed like a useless thing. Just moments ago, Tristans attack had demonstrated tremendous power.
Verga had no way of knowing that Tristans attacks had even been effective against a powerhouse like the Diamond Pdin.
Whoooosh!
!!
As the strong wind rushed in, Verga hastily drew his double-handed axe from his back, trying to counterattack.
However, by that time, Tristans knee had already mmed into his face.
In terms of speed, Tristan was far above Verga.
Bang!!
The sound of air splitting and a shockwave. A loud boom.
The knee strike infused with wind mana.
The explosion of the condensed wind mana engulfed Verga all at once.
Several teeth were knocked out, and his face momentarily caved in.
Tristan, riding the wind, lightlynded on the ground.
Verga weakly dropped his double-handed axe and clutched his broken nose and bloodied face, copsing onto the ground.
Verga groaned in pain, Uuurrgh rolling on the floor.
Students in Orphin Hall watched the confrontation between Tristan and Verga through the windows, swallowing nervously.
Pathetic. Groaning over this much.
Tristan withdrew the wind mana that enveloped his body and looked scornfully at Verga.
Isaac, that damn guy, is stronger than me. With you whining like this, you stand no chance against him.
Vergas eyes widened in shock.
More than the physical pain, it was Tristans words that plunged him into deeper shock.
Fool Know your ce.
Tristan clicked his tongue in disdain, turned his back on Verga, and left.
All that remained was a heavy silence.
Chapter 165: Bet — Interlude
Chapter 165: Bet ¡ª Interlude
Bet Interlude
It seemed like todays events were vividly etched in my memory.
While feeling tense, I had difficulty understanding Alice Carrolls intentions. It was quite exhausting.
I parted with Alice without any issues. She didnt seem to have any tricks up her sleeve for me, nor did she subtly interrogate me.
Is it build-up?
Could it be a process of building a foundation to corner me?
For now I knew too little about Alice.
Perhaps because she was an enemy to fight against the yer, it felt like her portrayal in the game was restrained.
Dorothy, who sacrificed herself using the 9-star spell [Last Light of a Dying Star] in Magic Knight of Mrchen.
At least from the beginning, she gave hints of Im going to die, allowing us to glimpse fragments of her mind.
For example,
Dorothys empty room It indirectly allowed the yer to understand her gradual eptance of death.
On the other hand,
There was no implication that Alice wouldmit suicide.
Alice, unlike Dorothy, was a character who never exposed her heart at all.
Because of that, I had no clue how to approach her.
I couldnt fathom what was truly in Alices heart, from start to finish.
Does she also want to travel to beautiful ces?
Does she want to experience love?
Does she have dreams?
I shook my head.
Such thoughts were a luxury.
Anyway, Alice desired the death of Ian Fairytale, the being who posed the greatest threat to the Evil God.
Regardless of her circumstances, that fact remained unchanged.
As for me,
In order to defeat the Evil God in my third year, I just needed to extract whatever benefits I could from her.
In that context, it was necessary to delve into Alices personal affairs, as they could also be beneficial to me. Of course, I was also genuinely curious.
The sky was glowing with the hue of sunset. It was evening.
In a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
While I was sitting on a stump, lost in thought, Princess Snow White and her escort knight, Merlin Astrea, arrived.
I stood up to greet them.
Hello, Whi-
Senior Isaac!!
Hmm?
Whats this all of a sudden? Why the sudden shouting?
White came running over with a surprised face.
Puhah!
Then, White fell forcefully in front of me, copsing to the ground.
That must have hurt.
Princess White!
Ugh
Merlin rushed over, and White groaned in pain as she slowly raised her upper body.
I bent over and reached out my hand to White.
Are you okay? Are you hurt?
Im okay sniffle.
I helped White up and brushed off the dirt on her pure white hair and uniform.
She tried to act okay, but tears welled up in Whites eyes.
She seemed to be in a lot of pain.
Merlin scolded, Please be careful! Youll hurt yourself! but
White just apologized, saying, Im sorry
Her voice was faltering due to her sniffles.
More importantly, Senior Isaac! I heard that you joined the student council?!
The rumor had even reached the first years.
That makes sense.
Erin called me out too noticeably in the middle of the corridor of Orphin Hall.
And since I was seen walking around academy grounds with Alice Carroll It would have been odd if rumors didnt spread.
Moreover, through the mouths of the students, the news of me being summoned by the Student Council President turned into false information that Isaac joined the student council.
Also, an elite member of the ck Tiger? I heard such a strong person came looking for you, Senior Isaac!
An elite member of the ck Tiger?
The only ck Tiger I was involved with was Verga Rayphelt. Did hee looking for me?
That person was shouting in Orphin Hall, calling for you, Senior Isaac, toe out for a duel! Then, I heard he got defeated by a second-year senior! I wonder what happened?
?
Theres nothing like this in the game.
However, that didnt surprise me.
The content of the game I knew was merely for reference.
With the variable me involved, it was not strange for unexpected situations to ur and for things to go awry.
But, Verga was defeated?
This is the first Ive heard of it. Exin in detail.
I dont know the details either. I only heard bits and pieces. I didnt expect you, Senior Isaac, to not know about it either
Alright. Ill ask someone I knowter.
It was a waste of time to pry for details from someone who didnt know much.
I decided to ask a friendter. Since the situation seemed to have been resolved without my knowledge, there was no need to dwell on it too much.
And no, I didnt join the student council. I was just called by the Student Council President.
Ah. Then why were you called?
I briefly exined to White that I was proposed to be an Honorary Student Council Member.
Honorary Student Council Member I didnt know that existed. But Senior Isaac, you totally deserve such an offer. You are really capable!
White seemed relieved after hearing my story.
I was worried when I heard that you joined the student council I wondered what would happen.
Why?
If you be busy, we wont be able to see each other as often
I was Whites ideal mentor. It made sense that she didnt want to lose me.
Of course, it was not just about calcting benefits. White was attached to me. She considered me the most trustworthy person in this academy.
Well, hearing her say that made me feel good.
Is that so.
When I smiled broadly, White also smiled faintly.
Thats it for now.
I quickly shifted my expression as I lifted my round sses, a dramatic change based on my acting skills.
By the way, about the assignment I gave you before? The five types of [Wind Sword] magic circles you were supposed to memorize.
Uh heh heh
An awkwardugh.
Lacking confidence, White avoided my gaze and broke into a cold sweat.
Lets see it.
White hesitated, then began to disy light green magic circles one by one in the air.
Three of them were quite decent, but the construction of the remaining two took a long time, and their lines were a mess.
Haa.
White withdrew the magic circles and hung her head in apparent shame.
You didnt memorize them all. I thought I gave you enough time.
I narrowed my eyes and red at White.
White.
Yes, yes, Senior Isaac!
Ive told you time and time again how important it is to know how to add and adjust lines on basic magic circles, as it expands the range of tactics. Among them, [Wind Sword] is one of the most versatile, and its closely rted to the 5-star magic, [Gale Fang]. Memorizing the shapes of magic circles is a fundamental skill. The application of themester. Thats why I asked you to memorize the five most useful primary shapes first
I-Im so sorry!
After my long reprimand, White quickly bowed her upper body in a hasty apology.
Exin. Why didnt you memorize them all?
I was too sleepy yesterday! I think I ate a bit too much for dinner and dessert
She was honest.
Smart. Lying in front of me would be immediately noticeable. It seems White had learned from past experiences.
Alright. Since you didntplete the assignment properly, as promised, Im moving up the due date of the debt.
What? Then?
You have one month left.
!
White looked up at me, her face filled with shock.
Let me reiterate, if you dont pay off the debt by the due date, regardless of your promise to take responsibility, I will end the mentoring. If you work hard, you can earn enough gels to pay off the debt by then. If you cant, its only because youve been negligent. Thered be no reason for me to continue teaching you.
Its obviously a lie.
Whether White paid her debt or not, I intended to continue mentoring her anyway. I just wanted to prevent her from beingzy and to maintain a sense of urgency.
So, if you want to continue with me, work harder
Uh Is she about to cry?
Senior Isaac
Her voice was on the verge of tears.
I was flustered.
Wait, White?
Ill pay off all the debt, so please dont leave! I like you a lot, Senior Isaac! Waaah
Ah, no I was too harsh. Sorry!
I needed to cultivate more empathy.
* * *
[Why did you make such a bet with Isaac, Alice?]
The sunset light from outside the window prated the student council room.
Alice Carroll sat in the Student Council Presidents chair, gazing at the distant sky, feeling the cool breezeing through the open window. She held a teacup filled with ck tea in her hands.
The plump cat magic beast with a small fedora, Phantom Cat Cheshire, sat on the sofa, looking at Alice with a smiling face.
[You wouldnt have suddenly developed an interest in romance. Could you tell me what youre thinking?]
Phantom Cat Cheshire asked in a strange voice.
Indeed. Want to take a guess?
Alice replied yfully and took a sip of her tea.
Cheshire paused with a, Huh?
It then let out a strange, eerieugh.
[A riddle! That sounds interesting!]
Caught off-guard by the unexpected riddle, Cheshire grinned broadly, lost in thought. It found the idea of guessing the answer quite entertaining.
Alice, ignoring the foolish familiar, took another sip of her tea.
[Ah!]
Eventually, Cheshireughed as if it had an epiphany.
[So you can keep a closer eye on Isaac?]
Close enough.
[Im a genius!]
Cheshire wobbled its protruding belly, dancing with joy.
[But Alice, what if you develop affection for Isaac?]
Thats a pointless question.
[I think its an interesting question. What if you really fall for Isaac, and he turns out to be the ck Monster, and you have the perfect opportunity to kill him! What will you do? How will you kill him?]
[Will you cut his throat? Pierce his heart? Kill him with as little pain as possible? Or just leave him barely alive so he wont be a nuisance? No, you have to kill him. Yes, you should. Its right to kill him. Then will you cry? Grieve? Laugh in resignation? Will you answer me, Alice?]
Alice, almost unconsciously, gently fiddled with the ck choker around her neck.
Due to endlessly scratching at it, the soft choker now felt slightly rough to the touch.
Well, who knows.
Alice uttered that one sentence, mixed with her breath, and then quietly removed her hand from the choker.
* * *
I had a conversation with the subordinates of Mateo, whom I was close to.
Verga Rayphelt appeared in Orphin Hall looking for me but apparently got severely beaten by Tristan Humphrey. The fight broke out because Tristan took issue with Verga messing with his subordinates.
Unexpectedly, Tristan scored an overwhelming victory over Verga.
Was he really at that level?
Tristan was known to be a hard worker with exceptional skills, but it felt odd to hear that he could already overpower Verga.
Anyway,
Fighting outside the sparring arena was a clear vition of academy rules, but Tristan and Verga did not receive severe punishment.
Students who witnessed the situation defended Tristan by submitting petitions.
The incident was lightly concluded with a few penalty points since Tristan and Verga reconciled and settled the matter amicably.
Of course, that reconciliation was probably not sincere on either part.
It was said that Verga was disheartened for some reason, leading to a smooth resolution.
Due to the few penalty points, Tristan looked sour all day, his face was filled with dissatisfaction and regret.
Trying to make up for the penalty points, he volunteered first when a professor needed help, driven by an obsession to achieve good grades.
Since his current goal was me, he didnt want to fall behind.
Haa.
Anyway, lets set that aside.
In a corner of the Butterfly Garden, I pulled up all my mana and shot a cold pale blue st into the sky, which blossomed beautifully.
With the use of defrost, my ice magic crumbled into powder, falling like snowkes.
In the cold breeze caused by the ice mana, my sigh turned into a white smoke-like cloud, flowing out from my mouth.
Wow!
In front of the oak tree,
Dorothy, a girl with light purple hair wearing a witchs hat, cheered.
I felt a surge of aplishment and excitement. I wanted to satisfy my desire to show off. Luckily, there was someone there to witness it.
I grinned and gave Dorothy a V sign with my index and middle finger, a sign of achievement.
Did you see that clearly? Now I can handle 6-star spells with ease.
Hehehe. Yes, I saw it clearly! Well done, President!
Dorothy cheered me on, giving a thumbs-up.
6-star ice spell, [Frost Glitter].
6-star ice spell, [Frost Wave].
I had finally reached the level where I could properly utilize these spells.
Only two days were left until my duel with Miya.
Chapter 166: Fury (1)
Chapter 166: Fury (1)
Fury (1)
Shera, throw the trash in the trash can properly.
Sob.
Right now.
Ugh, you blockhead
During the day, the Spade Pdin, who was walking through the grounds of Mrchen Academy, scolded the Heart Pdin, Shera Hectolica, who was beside him.
To him, who adhered to the rules, Sheras act of littering on the street was uneptable.
This ce will disappear anyways, what does it matter if one or two pieces of trash are thrown on the street.
Shera. We are students
Okay, okay~. Seriously, you will never date a woman in your life.
Hey, what do you mean by that?
Shera, with a look of disgust, picked up the paper trash she had thrown away and put it in the trash can.
Then she took out a mana pudding bar from her pocket, tore open the wrapper, and took a bite. She still had a displeased expression on her face.
Model citizen leader. Do you think that guy will pop out during the duel evaluation? As Her Majesty mentioned.
You mean the Shadow Demon?
Yeah, that.
ording to the information shared by Alice, that demon was lying low, waiting for the right time to appear.
After the joint practical evaluation, it had been a series of boring day-to-day life, so Shera wished for the Shadow Demon to appear soon and provide some excitement.
However, the Spade Pdins response immediately deted Shera.
It wont happen.
The Spade Pdin lifted his sses with his gloved hand. In his own way, it was a movement that exuded intelligence.
It doesnt seem like the Priestess will go berserk anytime soon.
So booooring
Shera pouted her lips and grumbled.
***
My goal is Luce, after all.
Isaacs words lingered in her mind.
In the Magic Department, Orphin Hall.
Only the darkness of the evening sky hung over the first-year ss D ssroom.
Sitting still in the middle of the empty ssroom, Snow White, the pure white princess, had been staring intently at the duel request ticket for some time.
Snow White recalled Isaacs words. He had received a duel request from Miya, the first-year top seat and Priestess, yet showed no sign of fear.
Instead, he showed determination, stating that his goal was Luce Eltania, who was even stronger than Miya.
Senior Isaac is so cool.
If she had to duel with Priestess Miya, she would certainly feel a strong fear first.
Could I also be like Senior Isaac
To be someone who stood shoulder to shoulder with Priestess Miya and Saintess Bianca Anturaze, To be friends with them, and ultimately contribute to the peace of the Zelver Empire.
That was Whites purpose in Mrchen Academy.
Then, how should she use this remaining request ticket in the uing duel evaluation
It was time to end her deliberations.
White stood up from her seat.
***
Hooooo, haaaa
Princess White, are you alright?
Yes, Im already full of determination!
The next day. The day before the duel evaluation.
Snow White, pouring out cold sweat, steadied her breath.
Her appearance was so tense that even just looking at her would make one sweat.
In front of the academic building, White and Merlin Astrea were hiding behind a row of trees.
The first-year top seat of the Magic Department, Priestess Miya, with her ck jade-colored hair flowing down, was walking towards them. White, cing her hand on her chest, took a deep breath and nodded at Merlin.
Her face set with determination.
White moved resolutely and stopped in front of Priestess Miya, who was walking along the path.
?
Miya stopped in her tracks when White suddenly appeared.
The warm sunshine shone down on the two beautiful female students.
Whites face was full of tension, and Miyas face was clouded with questions. The two students seemed to be divided as ck and white.
Like a teenager who was about to confess, White trembled. Miya waited for her to speak.
H h-h-he Hey!
White managed to part her lips, but her voice quivered as if broken.
Merlin, who was hidden behind the tree, was silently cheering You can do it!.
Gathering her courage, White pulled something out from within her clothing to show Miya.
Her hands trembled as if there had been an earthquake.
Whites serious-looking face and cold sweat, along with the duel request ticket in her hand, came into Miyas view.
Miya tilted her head, seemingly not understanding the situation.
Miya, I challenge you to a duel!
Passing students were shocked to see the princess pulling out a duel request ticket towards the Priestess.
Even putting aside the fact it was a princess versus a Priestess, the situation of thest in the grade challenging the top seat was shocking enough.
Pfft.
Miya let out a scoff.
Whats the scheme?
S-scheme? No, its not like that. Just!
White looked straight into Miyas eyes and eximed,
You are my goal!
Only one day was left before the duel evaluation.
Isaac had achieved dramatic growth yesterday by fully mastering two 6-star magic spells.
He always pushed himself relentlessly and achieved exponential growth in the end.
Then, as his mentee, she couldnt just stand here doing nothing.
She couldnt be like her senior if she continued to show cowardly behavior.
Snow Whites goal was to be close to Saintess Bianca Anturaze and Priestess Miya, to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
Therefore, she decided to challenge herself by dueling with Miya, the strongest student in the first year, and her goal.
To be stronger! She mustnt hesitate to fight strong opponents like Isaac does.
And if she was lucky, this could be an opportunity to be closer to Miya. White gathered her courage with this thought.
White and Miya looked into each others eyes silently.
After a moment of contemtion, Miya let out a slight smile.
Okay, I ept.
!
A glimmer shone in Whites eyes.
Despite the situation of thest in ss challenging the first, White couldnt hide her surprise that Miya had epted the challenge.
Miya approached White and whispered, I look forward to it, Snow White, in her ear, and then left the spot.
With her face flushed and a bright smile, White clenched her fist and quietly cheered.
White was very happy just with the fact that Miya had epted her request for a duel.
* * *
Magic Knight of Mrchen sub-event, zing Petals.
Ian Fairytale had definitely received the duel request from Priestess Miya, so the yer couldnt avoid that sub-event. Strictly speaking, it wasnt much different from the main scenario.
Naturally, our protagonist Ian couldnt beat Miya. The difference in their abilities and the power of their familiars was too great.
However, Ian won in the sub-event. The reason was simple.
Because Miya let her guard down.
Miya, trying to gauge Ians skills, held back and was suddenly ovee.
It was Ians incredible physical ability and bursting strike that ultimately caused her to be defeated.
It was themon clich for a strong opponent to underestimate the protagonist and then be defeated.
However, the cost of such a victory was severe burns and two days in the hospital, but a win was a win. He was easily healed with magic as soon as the duel ended.
Moreover, Ian, having the constitution to hold the light element, also had monstrous regenerative powers.
Of course, I am not Ian.
Meaning, it was uncertain whether Miya would underestimate me and hold back as she did in the sub-event zing Petals.
Shell probably hold back?
Considering Miyas behavior and speech on the day of the entrance exam, when she underestimated me.
As I was thinking about the uing duel with Miya, something unexpected happened.
She epted the duel?
Yes.
In the evening, in a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
White, who had been repeatedly practicing wind magic, said with an excited voice.
Since it was the day before the duel evaluation, I didnt ask her to do anything strenuous. She was just lightly reviewing what she had been taught so far.
Meanwhile, I clicked my tongue at Whites story. It was about how she had challenged Miya to a duel earlier that day, and Miya had epted.
Was there originally a duel between Miya and White in Magic Knight of Mrchen?
No.
Absolutely not. There never was a duel between the two.
From the beginning, the difference in their skills was too great. It was like me, in Semester 1 Year 1 facing off against Luce Eltania, who could fully use the power of the Thunderbird.
Why did you challenge her to a duel?
Its nothing special, really
White stopped using her magic and seemed to hesitate for a moment.
She appeared to be contemting whether or not to share her thoughts.
Finally, White looked straight at me, as if she had decided to tell her story.
You said you would beat Senior Luce. Like you, I wanted to challenge the Priestess.
Thats why Ive been deliberating until today. Wondering if someone like me could even do that.
White smiled awkwardly.
You are like a mentor to me. Being around you, I want to be like you. Maybe its something inevitable? When you see something amazing, you cant help but want to imitate it, to aspire to it
I was about to say it was still a reckless act, but I held back.
It was clear that White had her own determination to challenge Miya. As for my thoughts on her decision
I didnt want to be overly critical.
And
Is that so?
Ehehe.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed by Whites words, I lifted my sses and shyly looked away. White giggled yfully at my reaction.
Unlike other Imperials, this princess showed not even a hint of authoritarian tendencies.
She was pure, kind, and a bit of a klutz. That made her even morefortable to be around, and it was impossible not to grow fond of her.
Knowing that all her words were sincere inevitably made me feel good.
But what concerned me was
The Priestess is the problem.
Iposed my face and thought.
The current Priestess was a sociopath.
A bad kind of sociopath, different from Luce who only focuses on me and ignores others.
Shemitted misdeeds without feeling even a pang of guilt.
She treated people like trash, trampled on them, and discriminated based on ss and inherent mana, among other things.
She was definitely a scoundrel, focused on disying the superiority of herself and her country, Horan.
Since she was the top seat, there was nothing to gain from dueling White, who was at the bottom.
In other words, there might be a reason other than the pure purpose of the duel evaluation for epting Whites challenge.
Like what that kid had experienced
A sense of foreboding creeps in.
Whi-
Senior Isaac.
White extended her palm towards me.
Lets do our best tomorrow! Ill give it my all too!
White was resolute. Seeing her unwavering, pure smile, I closed my mouth again.
Its not my ce to question or intervene.
The decision to duel Miya was entirely Whites choice.
Its her own story that White is cultivating.
All I need to do is to observe.
Make sure you put to use what youve learned.
Of course!
I smiled and high-fived White.
The sound echoed crisply through the air.
***
The next day.
The duel evaluation began.
Chapter 167: Fury (2)
Chapter 167: Fury (2)
Fury (2)
We will now begin the first and second-year students duel evaluation.
Magic Department dueling grounds.
There were four dome-shaped dueling grounds, and Snow White was sitting in the audience of one of them.
Kyaaah! Professor!!
Haa, haaa!
Professor Fernando, I love you!
I just made eye contact!
With the arrival of Fernando Frost, the handsome, silver-haired professor in charge of the first-year Magic Department students, the dueling grounds were filled with the screams of female students.
Professor Fernando only showed indifference. His cold demeanor only fueled the passion of the female students.
Be quiet and listen. I will now exin the rules of the duel evaluation.
Professor Fernando stood in the middle of the dueling grounds, exining the rules of the evaluation through a loudspeaker.
It was the exact same as before.
Surrendering was prohibited within the first minute of the duel. The duel immediately ended when someone fainted, became unable to fight, or dered surrender.
Kaboom!
Fwoosh!
Following the referees call, students descended from the audience seats to the dueling grounds and began their duels.
The duels would be concluded with feedback from the judges. Optionally, the feedback could be receivedter in the form of a written evaluation, depending on the students wishes.
White had been trembling since waking up in the morning. It had been a long time since she felt this nervous.
Without knowing, she found herself looking at Isaac, her senior with silver-blue hair sitting in another audience seat. He, with Zhonyas Staff slung over his shoulder, was observing the dueling grounds when he noticed Whites gaze and met her eyes.
Isaac waved his hand lightly with a smile, seemingly mouthing, You can do it.
Seeing this, White burst intoughter, easing her tension. Indeed, among the people at the academy, she felt mostfortable and fond of Senior Isaac.
Eventually,
First Year ss D, Snow White von Kairos Elfieto. First Year ss A, Miya. Step forward!
The referee called.
The students attention was instantly drawn. It was a match between two extremes, thest in the grade versus the top seat.
If that was all there was, everyone would have dismissed thest in grade as foolish, but the fact that she was the princess of the Zelver Empire piqued everyones interest.
Its time
White looked at Isaac again.
Isaac nodded at her, and White nodded back.
Thus, Snow White, the princess whose name suited her pure white appearance
And Miya, the Priestess with finely cascading ck jade-like hair, descended from the audience to the dueling grounds.
The students murmured among themselves.
Such a skill disparity wouldnt be good for either side.
Thest in grade was bound to lose due to the overwhelming difference in power, and the top seat wouldnt gain much even if she won.
However, as long as White could have a proper match with Miya, she didnt care about the oue.
On the dueling grounds.
White showed clear signs of nervousness, while Miya disyed a confident demeanor.
The means are unlimited. Surrender is prohibited for the first minute. If one side faints or cannot fight, the duel ends at that exact moment. Proceed the duel with respect for each other.
Upon the referees brief exnation, White responded with a Yes! and Miya nodded.
The judges watched the arena with bated breath. The princess of the Zelver Empire and the Priestess from the Eastern nation, these two female students were the very cause of a significant stir in the academy.
Then, get ready! Duel start!
The referee raised his arm to dere the start of the duel and then stepped back.
The duel with an obvious result began.
Miya, with her arms crossed, showed no movement. She gave no indication of deploying a magic circle or preparing forbat.
She simply wore a smile.
In contrast, White prepared a light green magic circle in mid-air, ready to cast magic at any moment.
Miya, thank you for epting this duel.
White said this with a serious expression.
Here I go!
Now was the time to show the results of her relentless daily efforts.
Even if she couldnt be friends with Miya, she aimed to at least build a friendly rtionship with her.
White was determined to give all she had in this duel.
White extended her right arm towards Miya. The wind element magic circle began to glow.
The gentle breeze was enhanced with a light green mana, intensifying in force.
Sheunched it.
Whooosh!!
The magic circle unleashed a whirlwind.
The 4-star wind spell, [Whirlwind]. Although still at an unrefined level, she was able to cast it.
It was less powerful than her 3-star magic, [Wind Sword], which she had diligently mastered.
However, it had the advantage of having the widest attack range among Whites spells.
The light green whirlwind harshly swept across the arena, engulfing Miya. A transparent protective barrier was deployed around the audience, shielding them from the effects of Whites magic.
Soon,
Whoosh!
Red mes swirled around, engulfing the wind.
Overwhelming mana. It felt as if gravity had increased several times as if something heavy was pressing down on her entire body. Fear spread across Whites face.
Soon, the intense mes devoured Whites wind and erupted in a column of fire.
4-star fire spell, [me Pir].
Within the spiraling column of mes, Miyas face could be seen, still smiling.
Miya lightly waved her folded ck fan, sending the me-engulfed whirlwind flying away.
!!
Whoo.
Fwoooosh!!!
White counterattacked again with [Whirlwind], but her spell was easily devoured by Miyas mes.
Watching the mes spreading inexorably, White sensed her imminent defeat.
The disparity in skill was a merciless and harsh reality. There was no chance for White to do anything but be overwhelmed.
Moreover, White didnt yet know how to use the 4-star spell, [Wind Wall]. Therefore, she could only focus on her [Basic Protective Magic] that she had applied to her skin and shield her face with her arms.
It was then.
Whoosh.
The mes, instead of engulfing White, split apart right in front of her nose.
The mes spread out in all directions, creating towering walls of fire.
It seemed intentional as if to block the view of the referee and audience.
Inside the space crafted by mes, filled with heat so intense it felt suffocating,
Only White and Miya remained in this isted space.
Admiration for the skill in manipting the fire element as if it were her own limbs was now secondary.
Miya was approaching.
Despite trembling from instinctive fear, White tried her best to maintain herposure andbat stance. Miya, on the other hand, still had a rxed smile on her face.
Miya stopped in front of White.
And then, Miya moved her lips with a smile.
Miyas voice, mixed with the crackling of the mes, softly conveyed words White never wanted to hear.
Gradually, a dark shadow fell over Whites face.
She no longer cared about the difficulty in breathing due to the heat, nor the fear from the overwhelming disparity in power.
Just a few words were enough to ignite an unbearable rage inside the pure and kind-hearted White.
What did you say?
White abandoned formal speech.
Despite her menacing voice, Miya only responded with a more sly smile.
Why such a stern face? Its not like I said anything wrong.
If you want to hear it again, I can repeat it.
Miya lightly waved her finger.
Talking about your mother who has gone to heaven and her weak and pathetic daughter who herself almost got assassinated several times by her. How can such a princess, having experienced all that, still remain so weak?
Whooooosh!!
The anger constricting her chest intensified, and Whites head raced at blinding speeds.
In an instant, White calcted and constructed three magic circles. For her, who previously struggled to deploy even one, this was a remarkable advancement.
Sometimes, overwhelming anger can paradoxically bring calmness. That was the case for White at that moment.
Friendship. Peace. Purity. None of that mattered now.
At that moment, she felt shed lose her mind if she didntnd a proper attack on the ck-haired priestess.
Whoosh.
As the wall of mes receded, the dueling grounds was once again fully visible.
The referee, judges, and the students in the audience all watched the arena with shocked expressions.
No words came from Whites mouth. She simply continued to unleash her attacks on Miya.
Drawing upon her mana, again and again.
Pheew!!
Ssh!!
The sh of wind, [Wind Sword], and the 4-star, [Whirlwind], simultaneously unleashed in a flurry of attacks. This was the maximum power that White could muster at that moment.
However, the mes produced from Miyas magic circle easily swallowed up the spells that contained Whites full power.
It was an expected oue.
Miya waved her ck fan.
Her superior [Elemental Efficiency] expanded the range within which she could deploy her magic circles. Consequently, Miyas magic circles formed all around White.
!
Whooosh!
Kaboom!
A fierce attack.
The mes of dense mana mercilessly consumed White.
It was like witnessing an execution by fire.
Screams tore through the air amidst the zing mes.
Miya, with her fan covering her mouth, listened to Whites agonizing screams.
As the mes cleared, White, in her charred uniform, copsed weakly to her knees.
Although she had managed to protect her hair with wind magic, only parts of her pure white hair were singed.
Her physical condition was undeniably terrible.
Yet, White clung to consciousness despite the excruciating pain, ring fiercely at Miya without losing consciousness.
Its nothing.
Miya had been curious about who White really was, wondering if she might be a malevolent person behind a facade of kindness.
But now she was certain. White was merely a white, pure human. To Miya, she was nothing more than a powerless, uninteresting bug, the kind she despised the most.
Losing interest, Miya looked at White with a bored expression.
Ready to surrender now?
Miya, squatting down in front of White, asked this question.
White, gasping for breath and trembling with rage, red at Miya.
Youre honestly boring. Ah, if you wont surrender, how about I strip you naked right here? Thatd be fun, wouldnt it? Your uniform is a total mess anyway. It wouldnt be bad to let everyone here see your naked body, right?
Again, the wind spell, [Wind Sword], struck Miya.
It was weak. There was no need for Miya to counter. [Wind Sword] couldnt even scratch Miya, wrapped in her skilled [Basic Protective Magic].
Whites mana was already revealing its limits due to the consecutive attacks she had just performed with every ounce of strength she could muster.
Because of this, even [Wind Sword] couldnt unleash its usual power.
Are you that angry? Do you hate me now?
Ah Hair.
Miya looked down at a few strands of ck hair that had fallen to the floor of the arena and muttered as if spitting out words as if she had just realized something.
It was right after that.
Miyas right hand grasped Whites hair, and her left hand pressed against her abdomen.
Kaboom!!
Ugh!!
Miya repeatedly condensed and exploded fire magic with her left hand, which was pressed against Whites abdomen.
With her hair grasped, Whites body was immobilized, forced to endure the full brunt of Miyas magic.
This damned woman!
Veins throbbed on Miyas forehead, her expression a mix of annoyance and anger.
Striking a bnce to keep White conscious yet in pain, Miya controlled the intensity of her attacks, repeatedly causing explosions at Whites abdomen.
How dare you, my hair!
Ah, ahh
Though there was no visible change to Miyas hair, the fact that a few strands were cut by such a person incited unquenchable rage within her.
White seemed unable to even scream, only managing to emit a pitiful wail mixed with sobs.
Yet, she did not give up. Her will, fueled by anger, pride, and a desire to win, kept her from backing down.
Thus, Miya continued to inflict pain, exploiting Whites emotions.
The referee sweated coldly, unable to intervene in the fight, as White still refused to give up.
All he could do was hope that White would surrender soon.
For the sake of the Empire, you tried to do this and that to me, didnt you?
Grr!
Boom!
After all, you cant do anything.
Ahh
Boom!
Being so weak, why are you so arrogant? Snow White?
Aaah, ahh
Boom!
In the dueling grounds, only the sound of Miyas explosive fire magic echoed.
Miyas voice did not reach the audience, but the students murmured among themselves with shocked expressions.
Even for a duel, isnt this too much?
Thats just torture, not a duel.
No, we should still see it through to the end.
Idiot, what else would you call this? Her Highness the princess is barely hanging on, trying not to faint.
Ew
The duel should have been considered over already.
Even at the risk of being used of abusing authority, the referee contemted stopping the duel for the students safety.
Whites bloodshot eyes began to roll back. Her body seemed to scream for release from the pain.
But White could not give up.
Thud.
Whites fist weakly rose and touched Miyas cheek.
In that moment, a hush fell.
Oh
The veins on Miyas forehead bulged more fiercely.
She removed her hand from Whites tattered abdomen, grabbed her throat, and stood up.
Gag!
White couldnt breathe. It was agonizing.
Fire mana swirled on Miyas hand.
Even though just uttering the word surrender would have sufficed, White could not bring herself to say it.
Her anger was unbearable, and the frustration of being powerless against Miya drove her nearly mad.
Lets end it here.
Miyas voice was sarcastic.
This was dangerous. Even if healing magic could be applied after the duel, excessively severe injuries could still threaten a students life.
Thats enough, Miya!
Just as the referee was about to urgently shout, Stop the match,
A male student appeared suddenly right beside White and Miya.
He lightly touched Miyas arm, which was choking White.
Miya red at the male student who dared toy a hand on her, frowning.
Just try and do something.
His voice was cold.
Silver-blue hair. A school uniform tie with a blue brooch, symbolizing a second-year student.
It was Isaac, a second-year senior.
Expressionless. His eyes were shadowed by his bangs. His crimson pupils emitted a cold glow.
The sudden intrusion heavily charged the atmosphere in the arena.
Hello, Senior? Why the hell are you messing with our duel?
Miya asked with a sweet smile and a gentle tone.
Instead of answering, Isaac gestured towards White. Miya turned her head to look at her.
Whites eyes were rolled back, her body limp. She had lost consciousness, unable to even close her eyes.
She had finally reached her limit amidst the terrible pain.
Ah, she fainted.
Miya chuckled and then released Whites throat.
With a thud, Whites body copsed powerlessly onto the cold hard floor.
Isaac looked down at White, who was nowpletely battered.
For a brief moment, a myriad of emotions crossed his heart.
Beyond his silver-blue hair, his crimson eyes were as frigid as the coldest winter. Anger, deep as an abyss, enveloped his entire being.
His emotions leaked throughout the arena, enveloping it in his chill.
In the deep silence, the students were overwhelmed by Isaacs murderous aura, swallowing dryly.
Miya
Isaacs eyes turned towards Miya.
His voice, both calm and cold, settled in the arena.
Duel me, right now.
Chapter 168: Fury (3)
Chapter 168: Fury (3)
Fury (3)
Do you know why I challenged that insect to a duel?
One day in the past. Morning.
The top-ranked dorm, Charles Hall.
Miya, the Priestess in her uniform, sipped her tea while looking out the window.
Since there was still plenty of time before sses began, Miya had tea time at her leisure.
[It seems youre finally going to tell me.]
From Miyas index fingernail, a small me in the shape of a nine-tailed fox leapt out.
[Go ahead.]
I want Senior Luce. But, she likes that Insect senior too much.
Miya said this while thinking of Isaac, her silver-blue-haired senior.
He doesnt seem to have anything good going for him other than his face. Hes not even the most handsome man in the academy. Whats so great about him that Senior Luce makes such a fuss over?
[Hmm.]
Anyway, hes important to Senior Luce. So, I decided to do a test.
Miya smiled slyly.
I will gradually cripple that insect. y with him, make him mute, deaf, slowly, one by one, taking away everything that he has. Until one day Senior Luce begs me to stop. We have the power to do so.
There was a story from when she was 13.
There was a man she wanted to make her subordinate.
The man had a family and therefore refused Priestess Miyas proposal.
Miya took out the eyes of the mans family members and then ordered him to be her subordinate before she did something worse.
The man had to follow her in silent tears.
If someone cherished something, to Miya, it was nothing more than prey to be hunted. It would always be a weakness to exploit.
Luce is no exception.
To torment that insect while following the academy rules, a duel is the optimal method.
Miya was willing to do anything to get what she desired.
No matter what happened to others, everything had to be sacrificed for her own sake.
She wanted Luce Eltania. Therefore, she decided to trample on Isaacs life, whom Luce cherished. That was Miyas ultimate decision.
Then, what is the reason for wanting to make a genius like Luce Eltania hers?
One day, we have to devour the Zelver Empire.
It was about strengthening the power of Horan, Land of the Fire Blossoms.
If Horan reaches the top of the world, I will be its ruler. For that, monsters like Senior Luce need to be on my side. If even my prince bes my husband, it would be perfect. Hehe, my mighty prince I want to see him again
She nned to challenge the Zelver Empire, wage war, and trample on the lives of many to reign at the top of the world.
The reason she wanted to make talented individuals like Luce Eltania or Dorothy Heartnova her own was to achieve such a goal.
Here, the reason for Miyas enrollment in Mrchen Academy became clear.
Firstly, pursuing a love called The Nameless Hero. That was the main reason.
Secondly, recruiting talent, and creating subordinates. That was the second reason.
One day, Miya wanted to rule the world. If she could conquer the Zelver Empire, world domination would swiftly follow.
Coincidentally, Princess Snow White enrolled as her fellow student. This was a stroke of luck.
Being a representative of the Eastern nation, she could deepen the rift with the Zelver Empire.
It would have taken years of groundwork to make both countries resent each other.
Eventually, when the citizens mored for war
Miya, havingid the groundwork, would use Horan to devour the Zelver Empire.
In short,
Bringing talents like Luce Eltania to her side was part of her n to realize this grand scheme.
Im excited.
Miya grinned with flushed cheeks.
Things got way more interesting.
Present. Magic Department Duel Grounds.
The Clover Pdin, a male student with a benign appearance, sat in the audience and watched the arena with a smile.
Meanwhile, Ciel Carnedas intently focused on Isaacs intrusion, having never seen the archwizard so enraged.
Duel over! ss A Miya wins! Medical team, transport student Snow White! Quickly!!
The referee urgently dered the winner and called the medical team first.
The healers, carrying a stretcher, went up to the arena and carefully moved Princess Snow White onto it.
Her body was covered in gruesome burns, especially the abdomen, which was in an almost unseeable state.
The healers quickly covered Whites body with a white cloth, and several of them immediately began emergency treatment with healing magic as they moved toward the grounds corridor.
Isaac, wanting to watch over White until the end, walked briskly alongside them.
Senior I saac
White weakly moved her cracked lips.
It seemed she regained consciousness thanks to the healing magic.
White!
Isaac shouted.
Tears flowed from Whites eyes.
Why am I so pathetic? Why am I so pathetic
Overwhelmed by her emotions, White couldnt hold back her tears.
Her sobbing voice seemed to constrict Isaacs heart.
Isaac shook his head and offered constion in an urgent voice.
No, you did well. Really well! Truly, the grit you showed to never give up was a showing worthy of being my mentee. You did well, White.
Why, why am I like this
Isaacs voice did not seem to reach White.
She just sobbed, covering her eyes with her burned hands.
The medical team then took White away through the corridor.
Isaac stood still in front of the corridor, quietly watching White leave for a while.
Isaac steadied his breathing.
He took off his round sses and raised his head, staring into space.
What the Miya had done was not a duel
It was nothing but cruel torment.
Thus, within Isaac, who cherished White, the cold of the bitterest of ice ages raged.
Student Isaac.
The referee approached Isaac from behind and spoke.
The order of the duels is predetermined. First, you need the agreement of your opponent, and you must also arrange with the next in line, students Mateo Jordana and Jack Schneider, to change the order-
Mateo!!
Isaac shouted in the middle of the referees exnation.
Mateo Jordana, a second-year male student with short brown hair sitting in the audience, flinched at the sound.
The shout of the Nameless Hero, an archwizard with the power to destroy the world at any moment, caused him to grow tense.
His eyes, usually kind, now bore a cold and murderous look as they fixed on Mateo.
Change the order.
That onemand was enough.
Mateo responded in a frightened voice, Y-yes!
Jack Schneider, who had been miserably defeated by Isaacst year, nervously nodded along with Mateo.
For Jack, it was the first time seeing Isaac, who usually had a gentle demeanor, with such a murderous intent.
Well then Now we only need student Miyas agreement. Student Miya, is it okay to proceed with the duel without a break?
Absolutely.
Miya smiled like a fox, as if pleased. After all, the duel with Snow White, the first-year bottom ranker and a weakling, hadnt drained much of her mana. There were no problems.
Isaac climbed back up to the arena, facing Miya with a distance between them.
The referee returned to his position.
The judges and the students all looked at the arena with tense faces.
[Miya.]
The voice of the familiar, Mae, lingering on Miyas index fingernail, echoed in her mind.
[If needed, Ill intervene.]
Dont intervene under any circumstances. Shut up and stay still. This is an order. Theres no need for you to get involved against this insect.
Miya scolded the Nine-tailed fox through her mind.
She had no intention whatsoever of summoning her familiar against Isaac.
Already considering herself stronger, her pride wouldnt have allowed her to resort to using her familiar.
Seems like youre really angry, huh? You must have developed plenty of affection while mentoring Snow White?
Miya asked in a taunting tone.
However, Isaac, with his eyes downcast, gave no response. His silver-blue bangs covered his eyes.
It seemed as if he was concentrating on something.
This damn insect. Daring to ignore me
Miya frowned and grumbled in a low voice.
Well then, The means are unlimited. No surrender for the first minute. If one side faints or bes unable to fight, the duel immediately ends! Approach the duel with respect for each other!
After the referee finished the formal exnation,
Ready, duel start!
He announced the start of the duel by raising his arm.
The referee stepped back, leaving only Isaac and Miya in the vast arena.
Isaac loosened the brooch on his tie and took off his school jacket, clutching it in his left hand.
With Zhonyas staff in his right hand, he fiercely struck the ground and red at Miya, unleashing a ferocious st of ice mana.
A light blue magic circle instantly unfolded behind him.
Chapter 169: Fury (4)
Chapter 169: Fury (4)
Fury (4)
Ho-ho
Miya admired.
Until just a moment ago, Isaac had been processing a 6-star magic circle in his head that he was still not familiar with. Observing the form of the light blue magic circle that was deployed behind him, Miya realized it was the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave].
Soon, the magic circle casted by Isaac emitted an intense light.
Chararararak!!!
Starting from Isaac, an icy chill violently spread out in all directions.
Miya leisurely deployed a fire magic circle, spreading mes around her to counteract Isaacs chill.
The battle between fire magic and ice magic was determined by their temperature and momentum. Would it be overwhelmingly hot, or overwhelmingly cold?
Generally, fire had the upper hand, but if the skill gap wasnt toorge, the result that appears would be
Chshhhh
Boom!!
A steam explosion.
The spreading steam. On the dueling grounds, now turned into a sheet of ice, visibility was blocked for both sides.
Miya sensed Isaacs mana, tracked it, and was ready to cast a spell, but
!
As soon as she finished her thought, Isaac had already prated the steam and reached right in front of Miyas nose.
For Miya, who was experiencing Isaacsbat style for the first time, it was inevitably baffling. It was an unbelievable physical ability.
In other words, Isaacs choice of tactic was because Miya was his opponent.
If the opponent had been someone like Tristan, who knew Isaacsbat style well, they wouldnt have been easily flustered like Miya.
A moment of carelessness pushed Miya into a corner.
Bash!
Gah!
Suddenly, Isaacs fist, covered in [Rock Armor], drilled into Miyas face.
There was a crack, the sound of something breaking was heard. Isaacs rock fist boasted the power to even break through Miyas [Basic Protection Magic].
Miyas body flew backward like a ball. Blood gushed from her mouth and nose like an open faucet.
But she disregarded the pain, and quickly spread mes explosively below her, lifting her body up and regaining her posture.
You filthy insect!!!
Furious Miya. She instantly deployed three magic circles.
As she was about to engulf Isaac in mes, suddenly, his school uniform jacket flew and entered Miyas field of vision.
Using something like that to block her vision andunch an attack? It was such a shallow tactic that a sneer involuntarily burst out.
Merely a second. No, less than a second. Miyas vision was briefly obstructed.
Beyond that, Miya waved her fan andunched a 3-star magic [Fireball].
Despite being cast in an instant, it was veryrge in size and high in mana density.
Boom!
The [Fireball] mistakenly exploded in the wrong ce.
Before she knew it, Isaac had already moved out of Miyas line of sight.
Where did he?!
At that moment.
Isaacs falling school uniform jacket emitted a faint blue light.
Something hidden inside it had been activated.
A strange pressure. Miya realized that something with a unique mana structure was hidden inside Isaacs school uniform jacket.
Miyas eyes widened.
It was the moment she realized that Isaac had thrown his school uniform jacket to make use of something hidden inside.
The stored ice mana exploded.
Kraaaaaaaaa!!!
5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
The Sheath of Disaster, hidden in the pocket of the school uniform jacket, unleashed a powerful [Frost Explosion].
Guaah!!
Miyas insides were mutted from the explosion of ice mana, and the rushing ice bore into her body.
Even as she vomited blood, Miya hastily swung her fire magic, burning away every ounce of frost in her wake. Her sincere fire magic was on a different level in both temperature and power from what she first used.
She couldnt understand the situation. What was inside that school uniform jacket?
Before she could deduce the truth, an unbearable irritation surged. Miya felt a twisting anger inside her.
The density and amount of mana, the power of the magic. All should have been superior to that of her silver-haired senior, who seemed like an insect.
Why am I losing?
Its obvious.
The difference inbat experience was stark.
Isaac, who brutally trained, sparred, and even engaged in life-threatening battles every day, inevitably had an upper hand inbat experience over Miya.
Furthermore, with superior physical abilities, it was natural that Miya couldnt fully react to Isaacs unconventionalbat style.
It was only then that Miya realized her grave misconception that Isaac would fight like a usual wizard.
Ma-!!
Miya tried to call the name of the nine-tailed fox, intending to use its power.
She wanted to throw away her pride and everything else, just to burn Isaac first.
If she could use the power of the nine-tailed fox, Isaac, who engaged in such despicablebat, wouldnt be able to do anything further.
As such, while Miya was calcting the summoning spell to use the power of the Nine-tailed fox.
Whoosh!
Isaac instantly entered Miyas line of sight. He had already stepped beside her.
Miyas body was still before touching the ground. In other words, he had caught up to her with a terrifying speed.
Miyas eyes widened in shock. How on earth could someone move at such a speed?
Miya quickly deployed a 4-star defense spell, [me Wall], wrapping her body in mesposed of dense mana for protection.
At the same time, she attempted to pour mes toward Isaac.
By then, Isaac was already pulling up an ice wall infused with rock mana, [Fossilized Ice], right in front of her.
!!
Judging by the timing, Isaac didnt use [Fossilized Ice] in response to Miyas attack. It was clear he had been approaching while using [Fossilized Ice] from the start.
Miyas mes couldnt melt Isaacs [Fossilized Ice] instantly.
Only then did Miya notice the magic circle deployed above her. Below it was a spherical mass of mana, emitting a light blue glow.
In this duel,
Isaac was using every fleeting moment advantageously.
Miya felt a revolting sensation as if she had been dancing on Isaacs palm from the very start.
It was as if her actions were being manipted.
With her current defense, she wouldnt be able to block that ice spell.
The light blue sphere instantly unleashed a burst of ice and mana.
Frost Glitter (Ice Element, 6)
Whooooosh!!
The 6-star spell, [Frost Glitter], was a spell that sent out a sphere tightly packed with a massive amount of ice mana and then exploded it.
A blinding sh was unleashed.
Reflexively, she shut her eyes tightly.
Numerous ice spikes, with high mana density, prated through Miyas mes and pierced her body.
Various parts of her body rapidly froze.
Kaaah!!
Miya screamed at the top of her lungs and fell to the ground with a thud.
Isaac quickly grabbed her ck hair.
Miyas body was tattered.
Isaacs other hand was directed towards Miyas abdomen.
Like this, wasnt it?
Kraaaa!!
Kahaak!!
Towards Miyas already shattered abdomen, Isaac continuously unleashed [Frost Explosion] of moderate power.
Kraaa!
Dont you know?
Kuhuk!
Kraaa!
White wanted to be friends with you.
Stop, stop!
Kwaaa!
I dont know what conversation you two had, but
Uh, ha
Kwaaa!
What kind of treatment is this to someone who just wanted to be friends with you?
Aaah
In the dense fog that had now filled the dueling grounds, only the sound of Miyas abdomen bursting and freezing echoed.
Terrible pain wildly churned in Miyas mind.
The constant interruption of her thoughts made it impossible for her to properly calcte the deployment of her fire magic circle or the summoning of her familiar.
Because Isaac had grabbed her hair, her body kept bouncing like a pendulum each time a [Frost Explosion] was cast.
The icy chill and tearing pain ravaged Miyas entire body. Yet, even amidst that immense pain, she wanted to torment Isaac somehow.
As if she were out of her mind, she chuckled andughed. Isaac stopped the [Frost Explosion] and red at her.
You, filthy, insect! To do this to me! My nation, Horan will not let you get away with this!
Kraaa!!
Kehuk!!
As another [Frost Explosion] was unleashed, Miyas eyes rolled back. Her eyes were bloodshot with tears of blood streaming down. A body stained with blood. It was as if he was seeing White from the previous duel.
But Isaac was as bitter as the cold he had used.
Miya just vited the unwritten rule that what happened in the academy must end in the academy. Isaac clicked his tongue in disdain at her vile behavior.
Miya was on the verge of fainting. Isaac grabbed her head and smashed it into the ground.
Boom!
Horan or whatever,e and see.
Then Isaac activated a 6-star ice spell, [Frost Wave].
Charararararack!!!
The intense cold spread rapidly, driving away the dense fog.
The Priestess, battered with frostbite, frostnip, and prating wounds, waspletely frozen.
It was a shocking sight.
Everyone in the arena was stunned.
Most people, despite feeling sorry for White, had expected Miya to win.
The oue before their eyes far exceeded their expectations.
The Clover Pdin grinned excitedly as if amused.
Ciel, Mateo, and Jack were speechless.
The arena was engulfed in silence.
Isaac coldly looked down at Miya lying beneath him, his crimson eyes filled with scorn.
Haa.
His breath turned into a white frost, scattering in the cold wind.
Chapter 170: Fury — Interlude (1)
Chapter 170: Fury ¡ª Interlude (1)
Fury Interlude (1)
Undoubtedly, Priestess Miya was stronger than Isaac.
The difference in mana, the difference in mana mastery, to the status of their familiars. It was clear that Miya had the upper hand in everything.
Unless ones mana perception was utterly atrocious, everyone would have felt the same way.
However, the duel defied many peoples expectations and showed apletely different oue.
Amazing
The Clover Pdin was in awe.
When the duel began, Isaacs mana density suddenly intensified.
It must surely be due to that magic weapon, the staff. It seemed to be at least Tier 2. Wielding such a staff served as proof of Isaacs considerable skill.
Of course, there was also the possibility that he was an archwizard or the ck Monster who knew how to manipte its mana quantity, however
Even though he was clearly angry, he only showed a level of power enhancement that could be exined by the magic weapon he was using.
And yet, he didnt match Miyas power.
He simply overwhelmed Miya with technique. Therefore, the possibility of him being the ck Monster was put aside.
For now, it was just his battle sense that was astonishing.
The Clover Pdin noticed it. Isaac was toying with Miya, a strong opponent, in the palm of his hands. Even though he felt enraged, he calmly observed the situation and devised tactics.
Of course, Miya still had her powers hidden.
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae. If she had used the power of that familiar, Isaacs technique would have been meaningless.
He would have been defeated due to the overwhelming difference in power.
However, astonishingly, the Clover Pdin realized that Isaac had even read that.
Isaac must have thought that it would be over the moment Miya brought out Mae, and he exploited her arrogance. He baited her actions as he intended and dealt with them excellently.
Thus, Miya lost without even being able to use Maes power.
After all, whatever power one might have, it was useless if it couldnt be used.
The duel was to showbat ability. A person who could gauge the opponents power and effectively exert their own abilities to win was bound to score well.
In that sense, this duel could be considered a decisive victory for Isaac.
T-the duel is over! ss B Isaac wins!
When the referee raised an arm and dered loudly, Isaac removed his hand from Miya and stood up from his position.
The students watching the dueling ground sent cheers with surprised faces. Many students murmured in admiration, Isaac actually won
The owner of a nation-destroying familiar and a true genius. The Priestess from the Eastern Nation. She had been defeated by a man who was once considered the weakest Grade E mana.
Even though he was now at the top of B ss as a second year, the difference in power must have been significant.
For the students, it was a scene that left them in utter astonishment.
The medical team rushed in. They carried Priestess Miya away on a stretcher.
Isaac, after seeking understanding from the judges, ran straight through the corridor of the dueling grounds without even listening to their feedback
It was understandable, as Snow Whites mentor, he must have left in a hurry out of concern for her.
Mateo Jordana and Ciel Carnedas, who knew that Isaac was the Nameless Hero, were quietly lost in thought.
It seemed like he was definitely angry
Ciel, with a lightly clenched fist against her lips, murmured with her head bowed.
Isaac was definitely angry at Miya.
It seemed like he had unleashed part of his power because of it, but it was still insufficient against Miya. Was it to pretend that he enhanced his power due to the effect of the magic weapon?
Naturally, the better one handled a high-tier magic weapon, the greater the density of mana.
This was also why Isaac could deceive others about the maximum change in his mana with the magic weapon during the joint practical evaluation.
However, having seen Isaacs duel, Ciel felt even stronger doubts.
Even though he was angry, and no one in this academy would be his match
Isaac had not fully unleashed his power.
As if he must not get caught in something
Perhaps Isaacs pretense of growing rapidly was because remaining weak would restrict his actions.
Such behavior could only be exined as deceiving something.
But still
Even if a dear person suffered a terrible fate, even if he was angry, what could be the reason that such an overwhelming powerhouse mustnt reveal his strength?
Can there even be such a reason?
Ciels doubts only deepened.
* * *
[ Status ]
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 116
Gender: Male
Year: 2nd
Title: Skilled Second Year
Mana: 27550/37700
Mana Recovery Speed (A)
Reading Miyas behavior patterns was a simple task for a veteran of Magic Knight of Mrchen.
He tailored his tactics ordingly, and fortunately, the oue was sessful.
If I had made even a slight mistake or if my attack had been blocked even for a moment
I would have definitely lost.
I was reminded of Magic Knight of Mrchen Act 8, Priestess of the Red Lotus.
Against Miya, who used the power of the Nine-tailed Fox, a meager tactic like the one used in this duel wouldnt have worked.
Fortunately, Miya underestimated me, let her guard down, and ultimately lost the duel, just like in the sub-event Burning Petals.
My level has now risen to 116.
It wasnt long since I reached level 115, but I had gained another level already. The EXP was substantial.
I also unlocked the achievement [Defeating the Priestess], gaining 10 points of[Fire Resistance] as a reward.
I invested every stat point I had earned from leveling up into [vs. Human Combat Power], considering I would have to face Alice and the Pdins in the near future.
Elemental Resistance
Fire Resistance (D+): 20/100 [UP]
vs. Race Combat Power
vs. Human Combat Power (B): 44/100 [UP]
I should start investing in [vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power] and [vs. Other Races Combat Power] soon, especially in preparation for Descent of Heaven and the Fairy War.
Especially with Heavenly Beings, who have very high elemental magic resistance. A strong physique was absolutely essential.
In other words, if things had gone ording to my original n, with Dorothy around, I wouldnt have focused solely on [vs. Human Combat power].
However, the immediate threat, the Pdins, caused a change in ns.
Once I reached a level where I could defeat all of them with effort to spare, I needed to restrain myself from further investing in [vs. Human Combat power].
But before that
I hurriedly ran towards the academy hospital.
Because I was worried about White.
* * *
In the dream, a temptingly ripe, bright red apple flickered before Whites eyes.
As she reached for it, attracted by its delicious appearance, suddenly, she saw her mother dressed in a luxurious gown.
Her mother, famed to be the most beautiful in the world, was said to have won the favor of Emperor Carlos solely through her unequivocal beauty.
She always wore dresses that covered her up to her neck, even here in this dream.
Her mother, with a mouth ripped to her ears and a bizarre smile urged her in a gentle voice to eat the apple.
White stared intently at this figure.
She wanted to ask her mother how she knew about this apple.
But as the thought of something too terrible to imagine began to surface, fear started to consume White.
She couldnt open her mouth.
Why arent you eating it?
Her mother prodded with herrge mouth, insisting she eat it immediately.
White was terrified. Only then did she realize that she had eaten this apple before.
This apple led to death, a poisoned apple.
Inside the torn mouth of her mother, urging her to eat it, something evil smiled broadly at White.
***
!
Snow White suddenly opened her eyes.
Before she could even feel the softness behind her head, the faces of two people appeared in her field of vision.
The escort knight with a dark green ponytail, Merlin Astrea.
Her senior with wavy silver-blue hair, Isaac.
Everyone was surprised as White opened her eyes.
White! Are you okay?
Princess!
Senior Isaac, Merlin?
White sat up, looking around her.
She appeared to be in a private room in the academys infirmary.
Even though the academy tried to treat all students equally regardless of status, in reality, there was an inevitable disparity.
Immediately, she realized that being the princess of this nation had led her to a fine private room.
The pain in her body had significantly subsidedpared to before.
It doesnt hurt much.
You received healing magic as soon as you were injured. The burns have healed for now. You just need to rest for a few days.
White looked at Isaac, who was exining all this from the guardians seat next to her. For some reason, he was without his sses, unlike usual.
Do you want some?
Isaac, with a tense expression, took out a mana pudding bar and offered it to White.
Merlin, too, with a nervous face, reassured White, Ill only eat a little this time.
Earlier, in the duel, White had lost to Miya. This was a major blow to Whites already fragile ego. Hence, there was a need to treat White with great care.
Ehehe.
Realizing their consideration immediately, White let out a shyugh.
Thank you, Senior Isaac.
Isaac and Merlin rxed as White smiled and took the mana pudding bar.
As soon as she tore open the wrapper, Merlin said, Please wait a moment, Princess, and bit into the mana pudding bar with an Om.
When about a third of the mana pudding bar disappeared, tears welled up in Whites eyes again.
You said youd only eat a little
Yes?
Whites hands trembled. Hearing herint filled with sobs, Merlin was flustered.
Wasnt this a little? Merlin seemed to ask with a hesitant expression.
It couldnt be helped. What was lost was lost. White reluctantly bit into the remaining mana pudding bar.
Whether tears of joy or sorrow, White shed small, grain-like tears.
Its delicious
Is it that delicious? Im, Im sorry! I should have had a bit less
Merlin apologized, bowing her head. White, with tears in her eyes, shook her head, saying Its okay She felt resigned.
Then, White looked down.
Her resentment had not subsided. Her tears flowed, recalling how Miya had insulted her.
The gap in strength was extreme. White, who couldnt even imagine tormenting others, could only resent Miya.
Just one hit. If she had managed tond even a single proper hit she wouldnt have felt so miserable.
Senior Isaac
Yes.
I was really angry at Ms. Miya She said really harsh things to me. But, I couldnt do anything
White bowed her head and expressed her honest feelings.
With her hands tightly clenched into the nket, her shoulders trembling.
If I could have justnded a single hit on Ms. Miya, it would have been good Im so frustrated that I couldnt. But shes strong, isnt she? She wouldnt easily lose to just anyone Im so angry, and the fact that I cant do anything about it its just so depressing
Ah, if youre talking about the Priestess, Sir Isaac has already dealt with her.
?
When Merlin bluntly responded, Whites head jerked up in surprise.
White looked at Merlin with an expression of disbelief.
What did you just say?
As soon as Princess Whites duel ended, Sir Isaac immediately challenged the Priestess and won. The Priestess was left in a terrible state and is currently being treated.
???
Whites expression became perplexed, like someone trying to solve a riddle.
Even after listening again, she couldnt fullyprehend Merlins words.
So, Isaac, her senior, had devastatingly defeated the strong Miya?
White turned her head creakily towards Isaac. He smiled awkwardly, with his usual kind expression.
That just happened to be the case
For a while, White remained speechless.
Chapter 171: Fury — Interlude (2)
Chapter 171: Fury ¡ª Interlude (2)
Fury Interlude (2)
Argh!! Bring that bastard here now!! That insolent insect!! Argh!!
Calm down! Student Miya!!
Academy Hospital. Treatment Room.
Covered in blood, Miya screamed and caused a disturbance. She had received healing magic, but her wounds hadnt fully healed yet.
The floor was strewn with all kinds of broken items, shattered due to her forcefully pushing everything off the shelves with her arm.
Though it was better than it was at first, Miya still felt the pain of her insides twisting.
That pain continuously fueled the fire of her ceaseless rage.
The healers tried to calm her with their arms extended. They felt a trembling tension in the presence of her formidable mana that made every hair on their body stand on end.
Y-you need to heal first!
Student Miya, calm down! Your wounds will open!!
Miya, who regarded the healers as nothing more than insects, red at them with her eyes that had turned bright red and bloodshot.
Her forehead was flushed red with veins bulging as if they would burst, baring her teeth and threatening like a beast.
Bug bastard. I told you to bring him, and you keep ordering someone else!
Just then.
The door creaked open.
Everyones gaze turned towards the entrance.
As a beautiful third-year female student with light-gold hair entered, Miyas eyes widened in surprise.
The girl, smiling gently, was someone Miya hadnt even imagined would appear here.
It was the Student Council President, Alice Carroll.
Student Council President? Why are you here?
I stopped by because it was noisy on my way.
Alice Carroll was also one of the targets Miya had intended to win over. Even amidst twitching pain, Miyas voice naturally calmed down.
A powerhouse second only to Dorothy. A true force to be reckoned with,manding the Phantom Cat Cheshire as her familiar.
Her face was adorned with a rxed smile.
Alice walked steadily and stopped in front of Miya, who wanted to make her a subordinate someday,
Their gazes silently intertwined.
Hey.
A kind voice.
Alice leaned forward slightly and brought her head close to Miyas ear.
As Alices warm breath caressed her nape, Miyas ears reflexively turned red.
Without realizing it, Miya swallowed and tensed up. Alice exuded an enchanting charm simply by existing.
The healers watched them in silence. The Student Council, which also took on the role of handling incidents and idents, decided to leave the situation for Alice to handle.
Alices enchanting voice whispered softly.
I heard you were hurt by Isaac. It must be very upsetting, right?
Her voice had a magical charm that could captivate ones heart.
Without realizing it, Miya gently nodded her head.
Was it an intention to soothe andfort her anger?
With that thought, Miya swallowed dryly.
Alice continued to speak, still with a kind smile on her face.
The words that followedpletely overturned Miyas expectations.
Stop bitching and stay mad, you brat.
What?
Could she have heard wrong?
Miya felt puzzled.
A look of dismay spread across her face.
No matter how much she thought about it, it was clear. Alices lips had uttered aggressive words that did not match her gentle voice.
The healers did not hear Alices whisper, so they just stood still, on guard.
Miya looked at Alice with a surprised face. Their eyes met.
Alices smile, her cherry blossom eyes. All of it suddenly began to provoke Miyas anger.
Miyas expression became fiercely distorted.
A heavy force of mana weighed heavily on the air, and mes of mana began to smolderingly rise from Miyas body.
Miya red at Alice as if she wanted to kill her.
You, what did you just say?
Boom!
A mysterious force exploded in Miyas limbs.
Miya experienced such a sensation for a moment.
Huh?!
Miya quickly extinguished the fire mana and examined her limbs in a panic. They were all intact.
Cold sweat poured down like rain. Her pupils shook violently. What had just happened to her?
Groooooo.
!
Miya felt it. Alices mana had filled the treatment room, swallowing up her own.
Mana so dense and far superior to her own. Any rational human would not be able to maintain theirposure in the face of such terrifying power.
Fear was an emotion created for survival. A bodily warning to choose flight over fight. That was the instinctive feeling Miya had felt at that moment.
Miya turned her gaze towards Alice, her head shaking uncontrobly.
Miya, who possessed considerable mana in her own right, could distinctly recognize the threat directed towards her because of it.
Behind Alice, a massive and bizarre purple monster, formed from mana, seemed to roar. It was the power of the Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Buried among the Nameless Hero, there were still monsters in this academy.
And now, Miya deeply realized that Alice was one of those monsters.
Ah
And then, Miya realized.
If she hadshed out with mes at Alice here, she would have faced a devastating oue iparable to what had happened with Isaac.
Alice, disying her noble dignity, distanced herself from Miya.
Its not that I dont understand you, but Im saying this for your own good, so remember. Revenge is to be taken within the boundaries of the academy. For now, I want you to let go of that anger and focus on your recovery.
Alice smiled sweetly, spread her index finger, and admonished with ease. Her gentle demeanor made it feel as if her earlier swearing had been a lie.
Youll do that, right?
Miya nodded with difficulty when Alice kindly asked, almost as if she was being coerced.
Good.
Alice nodded in satisfaction, then waved her hand gently to the healers, saying, Ill be off then. Everyone, take care~, and left the treatment room.
A heavy atmosphere lingered throughout.
Soon after, Miyas legs gave way, and she flopped down on the bed.
Her expression was one of utter despair.
Meanwhile, in the academy hospital corridor.
Alice hurried along, greeting the passing healers with a smile.
[Meow. Alice, that was fun.]
Suddenly, the voice of the Phantom Cat Cheshire rang in Alices head.
Since the Phantom Cat Cheshire was nearby, a conversation between master and familiar that no one else could hear was possible.
[Does the Priestess seem useful?]
Yes.
Alice wanted to make use of Miya.
She was arrogant and foolish, yet the master of a powerful magic beast, the Nine-tailed Fox, and possessed quite decent skills.
Moreover.
And theres a demon hiding in her shadows.
In Miyas shadow,
A demon was hiding, biding its time in silence.
In thebyrinth where she could summon the minds of her subordinates, Alice received interesting information from Clover Pdin.
It was information that Isaac had defeated Priestess Miya in a duel.
Not just a simple duel, but one filled with emotion. This was a satisfying situation for Alice.
A Priestess with a demon attached to her, and one who was always ready to cross any line.
She resented Isaac, who might be the ck Monster.
How could someone be so useful?
Shes too valuable to waste.
To put it metaphorically
In the chess game against the ck Monster, with Mrchen Academy as the chessboard, Miya was a pawn on the cusp of promotion.
Alice did not want such a valuable piece to cause trouble and receive severe punishment because it could not control its emotions.
So, Alice had restrained Miya threateningly, as one would restrain a rampaging dog.
Due to the damned Leafa the Illusive, the academy was rife with rumors of an informant.
If it were discovered that she was the informant, not only would she be expelled, but the academy and the Empire would turn against her.
Thus, in a position where she could not act rashly, a being as useful as Miya was invaluable to Alice.
She is not fully ripe yet. If she continues to harbor anger and finally bes ripe
Alice wanted Miya to gradually develop resentment towards Isaac.
As time passed
When the perfect opportunityes, I should make her explode.
It would be beneficial to sacrifice Miya to find out whether Isaac truly was the ck Monster or not.
Alice walked out calmly.
Her destination was Whites private hospital room.
* * *
Right before my eyes, a scene unfolded that was beyond my wildest imagination.
In Whites private hospital room. While training with mana and taking care of White alongside Merlin.
Knock, knock.
A sound came from the door, and Merlin opened it, allowing a beautiful female student to enter.
White looked at the beautiful senior with disbelief, admiration pouring from her eyes.
Whats this?
It was bewildering. Why had shee here?
She walked towards White and me, her light-gold hair swaying.
She smiled at me before greeting White politely.
She seemed to be pretending not to know me openly in front of the princess. The atmosphere suggested a casual passing off as Whites mentor.
That was a relief.
I watched Alice with suspicion.
In my unworthy state, I am humbled to meet Your Highness, the Princess. I am Alice Carroll, the Student Council President.
S-student Council President?! How did youe here?
I heard you had a rough time during your duel I was informed. So, Ivee on behalf of the Student Council to visit you.
Ah!
You, you didnt have to do that?!
White was just as flustered as I was, but her eyes shone like stars. It seemed she was inwardly happy to meet the respected Student Council President up close.
Alice was adored by many students. White was no exception.
Alice ced a basket filled with fruits and a get-well gift, on the cab next to the bed.
White was relieved that there were no red apples.
So its on behalf of the Student Council.
I think I understood the meaning behind those words. She probably didnt want to make a big deal out of it.
How is your health?
Im, Im okay! More importantly, um
From her reaction, it seemed White too quickly understood why Alice hade all this way in person.
Im not sure if this is what youre worried about, but please dont worry! Nothing will happen on a national level. What happens at the academy should stay within the academy.
Thats something I taught her before. Shes making good use of it.
Its just because I was weak that this happened I dont think badly of it. Anyway, thank you foring, Student Council President.
Heh. Thank you. I am deeply moved by Your Highnesss generous understanding.
Ah, ehehe. Its not like my understanding is anything special
Merlin and I just watched them nkly. A boring yet heartwarming conversation followed.
Then, at the right moment, Alice checked the clock tower in the distance through the window. It seemed like she was timing her departure.
Ah, look at the time. I should be going now. It was an honor to have a conversation with Your Highness in my unworthy state.
Uh?! Oh, no!!
White shook her head and arms so vigorously it could have left afterimages.
Unworthy state? White vehemently denied it, but Alice just smirked as if she found it amusing.
Alice bowed slightly and said, Then, as a goodbye, and White expressed her thanks, Thank you foring.
And so, Alice walked towards the exit.
So shes just leaving like that. Its a relief that nothing serious happened.
Thats what I thought, when
Ah.
Alice stopped in her tracks in front of the door, as if she had just remembered something.
She turned her head back and our eyes met.
It was nice to meet you, Baby. Youre as adorable as always.
Alice smiled brightly.
This bastard. Of course, she wouldnt let this opportunity pass by quietly.
As if to say it was up to me to deal with the aftermath, she dropped that bomb and left the hospital room with ease.
Suddenly, an unexpected and ufortable atmosphere began to swirl around.
I couldnt turn my head in either direction. A bead of cold sweat rolled down my cheek.
Because White and Merlin were staring at me with faces filled with shock.
Chapter 172: Fury — Interlude (3)
Chapter 172: Fury ¡ª Interlude (3)
Fury Interlude (3)
The memory of beating Priestess Miya was still vividly clear in my mind.
There were many things to reflect on, like being irrational or imprudent despite having Alice as an enemy.
Well, what can be done?
It was unbearable.
Even if I could return to the past, I would repeat the same actions. I didnt have a shred of regret about defeating Miya.
Fortunately, White seemed to feel relieved after hearing about Miya. The fact that I actually beat her seemed to surprise her.
However, it was hard to predict what effect it would have on White, as the duel with Miya made her painfully aware of her own shorings.
I only hoped that it stimted her motivation and had a positive effect on her growth.
White decided to focus on recovery and expressed her intention to forfeit all subsequent duels.
There were a few other students like White who needed a few days to recover. They did the same.
Suddenly, some students who lost their duel opponents were paired by the academy with others of simr skill levels.
The duel evaluation proceeded smoothly as if nothing had happened.
Alice
Intruded to a frightening extent.
I never expected her toe to visit White and use terms of endearment like Baby or Youre as adorable as always towards me.
Naturally, White and Merlin pressed me for answers.
I honestly answered, I dont know why that senior behaves like that.
Of course, I knew the reason. She must have suspected that I was the Nameless Hero and was likely trying to probe me for the answer by drawing me in with her friendly demeanor.
In reality,pared to Alice, the Nameless Hero was pitifully weak.
But on the outside, there seemed to be no one as fearsome and strong.
So, Alice must have approached with caution while employing her charms.
When I said, I dont know why Alice is doing this, it was because I didnt expect it to be this severe.
White and Merlin each made their own misunderstandings, thinking the Student Council President had taken a liking to me.
Even the Student Council President Senior Isaac is bing more terrifying!
When White eximed that, I felt dizzy. They thought Luce had taken a liking to me.
White and Merlin whispered behind my back with conversations like Is this the appearance of a rival? and This is getting interesting.
Thus, the situation where Alice appeared to have unterally taken a liking to me became a source of enjoyable gossip for them. It was as if they were like housewives watching a morning drama.
Ha!
An arrogant snicker snapped me out of my thoughts.
On thest day of the duel evaluation.
On the dueling grounds, where all eyes were focused, I was lightly warming up.
I stopped warming up only after the vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, climbed up to face me.
Indeed, youre the kind that loosens up your body before your mind. Theres no other freak like you in the Magic Department.
As the person ranked ahead of him, Tristan knew my fighting style very well. I could feel that acutely.
He meticulously observed and analyzed the fighting style of those stronger than himself, pondering how he could defeat them.
His obsession with victory felt as tantly burdensome as his ufortable stare
Really? I never thought about it that way.
I responded casually, tapping my shoulder with Zhonya Staff which I held in my hand.
Come to think of it, Ian Fairytale, who dreamt of bing a magic knight, didnt seem to warm up before duels either.
Am I the only one?
Enough small talk. Isaac, today youll have to give up that ranking. This body, stronger than ever before, will bring you a miserable defeat! Hahahaha!!
Tristanughed vigorously like a third-rate viin, then suddenly choked and coughed.
Having been acknowledged by him while attending the same ss, he didnt seem so bothersome, which was why I snickered.
After all, I was just a nobody who got stronger quickly with the help of the status window.
The thought naturally arose that I had to seriously engage with the goal he was chasing.
I narrowed my eyes, slightly bowing my head.
I grasped the end of my round sses and took them off.
At the same time, an icy chill began to spew from my body.
I concentrated.
I lifted my head again, opened my eyes wide, and red at Tristan.
Come at me.
Upon hearing my calm remark, Tristan smirked.
My cold mana contaminated the mild air.
Tristan felt the cold pressing down on his skin and a chilling sensation running down his spine.
He raised wind to counter my cold.
His expression showed a desire to fight me right away.
Soon, the referee dered the start of the duel.
My ice magic shed with Tristans wind magic.
* * *
The judges and students watched the duel with their mouths agape.
Isaac and Tristan were engaged in an intense and astonishing exchange.
It hardly seemed like a fight belonging to the Magic Department.
Nor did it seem like a fight from the Knight Department, as variousbat techniques were exchanged between the two.
Constant analyses, predictions, and movements were carried out. There was no time for hesitation.
They moved at a speed that was difficult to follow with the naked eye, dodging attacks, and countering.
The pale chill and the mild wind danced grandly and dazzlingly above the dueling grounds.
Tristans mana control was at an astonishing level.
The blond noble enveloped himself with wind, using its power to move at fierce speeds, like a diving falcon.
Such movement required incredibly precise control of mana. Merely watching could make one nauseous.
Furthermore, Tristans punches and kicks were apanied by an explosion of enhanced wind mana, which resulted in tremendously powerful attacks.
Those watching the duel could only guess how much effort and perhaps even physical difort Tristan endured to reach such a level.
Isaac, opposing Tristan Humphrey, was equally as astonishing.
He tracked Tristans incredible speed with his eyes and adeptly countered his attacks.
Even as rapid wind strikes were unleashed, Isaac did not falter.
This silver-blue-haired student was none other than the most improved student of the first year and a genius, the man who overpowered the Priestess of Horan.
That student was a monster in his own right.
Thud!
Isaac and Tristan eachnded a punch on each others face.
It happened in the blink of an eye. Most students could notprehend when the two had even reached each other.
The judges and the students seated in the spectator stands watched with wide eyes, engrossed in the battle between the two.
Boom!
From the fists swung by Isaac and Tristan, ice and wind mana exploded, delivering powerful blows to one another. Theirbat techniques were simr.
A cold mana explosion urred, and both were flung to opposite sides, rolling several times across the dueling grounds.
Boom!
Isaac conjured an ice block and collided with it, preventing his body from being thrown out of the dueling grounds.
Whoosh!
Tristan quickly generated wind around his body to correct his posture and then whipped his head up.
Thus, both stood up from the dueling ground floor and stared each other down.
Tristan, bleeding from his mouth and nose, chuckled merrily, saying, Heh, not bad at all!
Isaac, wiping the blood from his nose and standing up, disyed a cold determination contrary to his usually gentle demeanor.
Immediately, both gritted their teeth and charged at each other again.
What on earth are those kids?
The middle-aged female judge, looking through the records, spoke with a trembling voice, her amazement was unceasing.
Tristansbat technique haspletely changed sincest semester. Even I cant do that How much must he have pushed himself to be able to do that?
Its Mrchen Academy, after all. A ce where the geniuses among geniuses, and the freaks among freaks gather topete. Nothing strange about it.
The elderly male judge next to her answered with a smile.
Even so, those two are apletely different type of geniuspared to a genius who wields tremendous magic like Luce Eltania, right? That alone is surprising, but Isaac too That student really seems like the craziest student in this academy
The female judge looked again at Isaac and Tristan. The two were unleashing magic at each other.
Is this record correct? How can that be the mana of a Grade E, essentially the weakest student in the academy? To have defeated an opponent with Grade S mana, and to deal with such invisible attacks as if it were natural
Its quite a peculiar sight, isnt it?
Yes?
The male judge chuckled heartily.
The reason I havent been able to leave teaching at this age is precisely because of students like them.
Isaac and Tristans magic and fists, the time of their training, intersected.
Bleeding, vomiting, crying, sometimes even fainting days spent sweating profusely, straining their muscles to the point of cramps, and living with every ounce of their dying strength.
They relentlessly unleashed upon each other.
Look at this. Really Isnt it a heart-pounding spectacle?
The female judge looked at Isaac and Tristan, lost in thought.
Wrapped so intensely in wind magic, Tristan must be feeling severe agony by now.
But he did not stop. He had already be weary of such pain.
Instead, heughed heartily, Hahahaha! trying to forget the pain.
Isaac, still focused, tracked Tristans movements with his eyes.
Whoooo!
tter!
Kwaah!
After drawing Tristan into motion with [Rock Avnche], Isaac swiftly followed up with a [Frost Wave].
Suddenly reaching Tristan, he cast [Frost Explosion], detonating his ice mana to conclude the duel.
Above the dueling ground, swathed in swirling cold, Isaacs breath turned into white frost, whisked away by the wind.
The ice imprisoning Tristan dispersed into a faint blue mana.
Frozen to the bone, Tristan, now a bloodied mess, copsed onto the dueling ground with a thud.
Duel over! ss B Isaac wins!
The referee dered the end of the duel.
Cheers and apuse from the students poured out, as the duel presented by Isaac and Tristan was greatly admired.
The medical team rushed over with a stretcher. Amidst this, Tristan coughed up blood, regaining consciousness.
Not yet not yet
Tristan, with trembling hands, tried to push himself off the ground to stand up, but
As the aftereffects of fighting enveloped in wind hit his whole body, he lost his strength and copsed to the ground. It was an overload.
Isaac quietly looked down at him.
Tristan kept trying to get up as if he could still fight, falling each time. Saliva and blood mixed, dripping from his mouth like mucus.
The memories of training that filled his head were trying to lift his body.
It was his uninteresting and desperate chronicle, running toward the dream of bing a great wizard someday.
Isaac closed his eyes and silently sighed.
To offer a hand here would be an insult to Tristan, who had been chasing him with blood and sweat.
Pity would only poison him more.
So, the only thing he could say now was just one.
Isaac opened his eyes again and said in a sarcastic voice,
I won, Tristan.
As those words settled, Tristan stopped in his tracks.
Only then could Isaac turn his back.
Ill receive the evaluationter.
Isaac said this to the judges, then put his sses back on and left the dueling grounds.
The medical team rushed past him.
Isaac deliberately did not look back and walked away in silence.
At that moment.
Ha!
The sound of Tristans confident chuckle.
Isaac paused and turned his head to look at him.
S-student Tristan! You need to lie down here!
You shouldnt move!
Tristan, with the help of the medical team, managed to sit up but refused to get on the stretcher, causing the medical team trouble.
Indifferent, Tristan, his face smeared with blood, chuckled. Hisughter was tinged with a gurgling sound, perhaps due to blood in his throat.
Indeed I acknowledge! Right now, you are stronger than me! But!!
His tone was like that of a third-rate viin.
Tristan deliberately lifted his chin and showed off a smile full of arrogance.
His haughty voice resounded loudly on the dueling grounds.
If thats all youve got, it wont be long! Soon, I will! Crush you!! Hahahah!!
Tristanughed heartily, then suddenly choked, coughing violently. Blood sttered on the floor.
Tristan empirically understood the painful training time Isaac had gone through.
Wondering how many agonizing days that damned guy had spent climbing from the weakest Grade E to his current state.
Not being able to beat Isaac must have been due to training less than him.
Then, to not lose to Isaac, to surpass him,
he would have had to work harder, shedding more blood and sweat.
No matter how frustrating, he had to move forward without getting discouraged.
Isaac, with a gentle face, gave a small smile, turned his head, and left the ce.
Tristansughter gradually subsided. Soon, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
Chapter 173: To My Dearest Benefactor (1)
Chapter 173: To My Dearest Benefactor (1)
To My Dear Benefactor (1)
The faint smell of earth was in the air. It was a damp smell.
Gloomy rain clouds cast a thick shroud over the academy. Thunder rumbled, and raindrops pelted down.
Just then, I went under the hospital porch.
I lifted my head, wiped my damp sses, and headed towards the entrance.
Oh? Senior Isaac!
Then, someone leaving the academy hospital recognized me and approached me.
A first-year male student with grayish-blue hair and a sly look. It was Abel Carnedas.
He came up to me all of a sudden, smiling broadly.
Wow! To think Id meet a celebrity here! You remember me, right?!
From the joint practical evaluation, correct?
Ha, truly, such memory is befitting of an honor student from the Magic Department! Its an honor that you would remember someone like me!
Whats with him and this cringey ttery?
I heard you defeated the Priestess! The rumor has even spread to the Knight Department! It was really surprising to hear! Isaac from the Magic Department overpowered the Priestess with the power of the Nine-tailed Fox purely based on hisbat sense. Wow. Just how extraordinary must the person Ive faced be?!
Uh, right. Thanks
Iughed awkwardly. It was a bit too much, but I already knew Abels personality, so it didnt bother me much.
Then, Abel seemed to remember something suddenly, his eyes sparkled, and he bowed respectfully.
Oh, I almost forgot! Greetings to you respected senior, Isaac! Im Abel Carnedas, a first-year in the Knight Department. My sister is your ssmate.
Ciel Carnedas?
Yes, thats right! You know her!
Abel lifted his head and gave a sly smile.
His cheerful voice and manner were in stark contrast to Ciel Carnedas.
She always carried a pillow around, living as though merely being alive was sufficient reason to keep going.
Where are you headed?
My mentee is hospitalized, so I came to visit.
Ah, you mean Princess Snow White. I came to see a friend. Haha.
After the duel evaluation in Magic Knight of Mrchen, a visit to the academy hospital would reveal Roanna, who was hospitalized because of her duel.
Currently Abels friend, Roanna was a female student in the Knight Department who would eventually be his lover.
So, I wasnt at all curious why Abel had stopped by the academy hospital. I think I wouldnt have been curious even if I hadnt known.
Soon, Abel scratched his head as if he had just remembered something and gave an awkwardugh.
Oops, it seems Ive held you up too long Sorry about that. Anyway, it was exceedingly pleasant to see you, Senior Isaac!
Its okay. I was d to see you too.
Im d to hear that! Haha. May I greet you again next time?
Anytime.
I answered with a smile. Abel eximed, Oooh! and seemed overjoyed as if he was about to jump.
This
I inwardly understood why guys like Tristan always had followers around them.
Abel was quite dramatic, but the ttery definitely felt good. I couldnt help but puff my chest out a bit.
Thank you! Please go safely!
Yeah, take care on your way.
Abel passed by me with a bright smile, intending to leave.
Just in case, I decided to say something.
Abel.
Yes!
Before Abel left the shelter of the buildings porch
I looked at him and said
Take care of yourself.
?
Abel just stared at me nkly, as if he wasnt sure what I meant.
Huh? Ah, yes! Understood!
It seemed he took my words as a simple, Take care.
Then!
Abel then conjured a [me Curtain] around himself to move forward through the rain.
I smiled. It was clear at a nce what that sly guy was thinking.
It seemed Abel secretly wanted to fight me.
He was eager to fight and win against me somehow. How could I not notice hispetitive spirit?
The time hepeted against me during the joint practical evaluation must have left a clear mark on him, turning into motivation for his growth.
Hell probably cling to me for a while.
Of course, I had no intention whatsoever of opening up to someone who hid their true intentions like that.
The reason I lied to Kaya about being strong against demons since the first year, was because I didnt want to hand over my weaknesses to others, to ce them in hands beyond my control. I had to be cautious.
If I was like this even toward those I care about, imagine how it would be with someone like Abel. If he came close, Id just draw a line appropriately and respond with a sociable smile.
With those thoughts in mind, I entered the academy hospital.
Upon entering Whites private room, Merlin was the first to greet me. We bowed to each other in greeting.
White!
Senior Isaac!
As I waved with a smile, White weed me with open arms.
So cute.
I sat beside the bed. While creating [Frostfire] with my fingers and repeated light training exercises, I taught White some lessons.
Next to us was a te of clumsily cut fruit done by Merlin. However, White didnt eat a single piece and focused entirely on her studies.
So, when I handed over a piece of fruit with a fork, White, without taking her eyes off the book, simply stuck out her mouth and bit into the fruit eagerly.
Fortunately, Whites spirit was not broken by the duel with the Priestess Miya. She knew she had her shorings and was prepared to move on from the defeat. The fact that I had utterly defeated Miya also yed a part.
If anything, it was Miya who was mentally shaken.
She must have considered herself the top genius in this world, yet she was unterally defeated by someone like me despite a significant difference in mana. A loss to monsters like Luce, Dorothy, or Alice wouldnt have been nearly as significant.
Moreover, while she didnt summon the Nine-tailed Fox against me, the fact that she even considered invoking the Nine-tailed Foxs summoning circle must have severely wounded her pride.
But its quiet.
For some reason, Miya was silent. Eerily quiet.
The situation was different from Magic Knight of Mrchen. In the game, Ian Fairytale had beaten Miya, but he had to receive healing magic for several days due to severe burns all over his body.
Perhaps for that reason, Miya was merely annoyed and refrained from causing any further harm to Ian. After all, he was already sufficiently injured.
But I defeated Miya cleanly without a single injury. Given her personality, she would have sought revenge, yet her excessive silence was puzzling.
Of course, even if it was puzzling, using [irvoyance] to check on Miya for such a reason wouldnt be a good idea.
Even if not to the extent of Cheshire, Mae also had a keen sense for detecting gazes.
The reason Miya could deal with all sorts of assassination plots with ease, reigning like a tyrant in Horan, wasrgely due to the Nine-tailed Fox.
So, lets refrain from using [irvoyance] against her unless absolutely necessary.
The next scenario of Magic Knight of Mrchen was Act 8, The Priestess of the Red Lotus
A demon was hidden within Miyas shadow.
It seemed [Demon Detection] didnt work since it had already integrated with the shadow in the form of mana. Only when it reveals itself would [Demon Detection] function properly.
But by then, it would be toote.
The shadow demon had a unique skill called Total Plunder.
When Miya had absorbed the power of the Nine-tailed Fox, reaching the pinnacle of her power.
The shadow demon would infest Miya and steal her power, due to possessing dark mana as well, it became an entity far superior to Miya.
In the end, the Shadow Priestess wielding the power of the Nine-tailed Fox became the final boss of Act 8.
Right, hows the watch? You always carry it in your pocket, dont you?
Ah, this? Yes, its fine. I kept it in a magic pouch.
White rummaged through the magic pouch she carried and pulled out a tinum pocket watch.
When she opened the lid, the still hands of the watch were immediately noticeable.
Ive been using storage magic on it since I dropped it. You remembered
White was speaking with a smile, but her expression hardened as she looked at the watch.
Huh?
The face of the pocket watch was originally designed to resemble the universe, captivating those who saw it with its vivid beauty.
However, for some reason, the Milky Way and starlight were fading, and a dark ckness was encroaching on part of the face.
Why is this happening?
Whats wrong, White?
The watch It wasnt like this until recently Could it be because I put it in the magic pouch?
White stuttered, seemingly flustered.
As expected.
I had anticipated it woulde to this.
Whites pocket watch was originally meant to suddenly stop during Semester 2 Year 2.
So, the reason why the watch stopped prematurely remained unknown.
However, seeing darkness encroach on the face of the watch like that made one thing clear.
The final boss of Semester 1 Year 3, Mephisto the Contractor, who was also the agent of the Evil God, was already on the move.
The darkness invading the face of the pocket watch signified the gradual unleashing of a demon stronger than the Floating Ind, it was a process of loosening the reins that bound it.
The demon was a mystery surpassing the 9-star level of world destruction, a demon that transcends even Providence. The Abyss.
Reflecting on the information from Magic Knight of Mrchen, at this rate, there was a high chance that The Abyss would appear during Semester 2 Year 2.
Then, I must
What should I do?
Senior Isaac? What are you thinking about?
Lost in thought for a moment, White and Merlin looked at me with eyes full of curiosity.
I shook my head as if to say it was nothing.
Just wondering about the watch. I know a master craftsman in the market whos good at repairing watches. Lets go see himter.
Ah, thats Thank you for the offer, but its okay. I dont really want to get it repaired.
Why?
White gazed at the pocket watch with a distant look on her face.
It was a gift from my mother. If its notpletely broken, Id rather no one else touch it.
I see.
White had survived numerous assassination attempts from her mother.
The only motive for her mothers murder attempts was out of jealousy for her daughters beauty. White was well aware of that ridiculous fact.
But the tinum pocket watch held a very special meaning to White. It was the only gift she had received from her mother.
It was the only clue that allowed her to barely believe that there was even a speck of love from her mother towards her.
She probably never imagined that the watch could bring a fate worse than death.
The bad ending Eternity. It was the worst ending that the pocket watch could bring if things went wrong.
Whites mother didnt love her daughter at all. She only wished for her daughters misery out of sheer jealousy.
Only I and Mephisto knew this fact.
Well I never thought it would stay fine forever. Everything loses its shine with time, after all. Its okay.
White let out an awkwardugh and put the pocket watch back into her magic pouch.
Merlin and I looked at White with half-open eyes.
White looked back at us quickly, puzzled.
Why are you both looking at me like that?
No, just It seemed like quite the atmospheric thing to say, especiallying from Princess White.
It really didnt fit her usual crybaby image.
Ah, ehehe. Maybe Ive grown a bit sinceing to the academy.
White smiled contentedly.
Since Merlin responded on my behalf, I held back from saying anything. It felt awkward to chime in.
White, here.
Ah. Woah.
I deliberately offered her a piece of fruit with a fork, wearing a subtle smile.
Without hesitation, White brought the fruit I offered into her mouth.
Chapter 174: To My Dear Benefactor (2)
Chapter 174: To My Dear Benefactor (2)
To My Dear Benefactor (2)
Her pink hair was braided and twisted on both sides.
A female student in a school uniform with a white veil over her head strolled through the old academy grounds with an escort priest.
It was Bianca Anturaze, the Saintess of the Helize Church, and her escort, Sylon.
This was the old Mrchen Academy campus, a ce where only those registered through the Marks Treaty were allowed to roam freely.
It was the site of a major incidentst semester when the legendary magic beast, the Thunderbird, was dominated by a demon.
The scenery was like ruins. Sylon felt a strange premonition, it was as if he was left in a doomed world with no one but the Saintess by his side.
Was it because no budget was allocated for maintenance? Crumbled buildings were seen here and there. Bianca ignored them and hastened her steps.
Sylon, do you think there are traces of the Nameless Hero here?
Bianca, with her eyes closed as if she were squinting, asked Sylon.
Her beautiful voice blended exquisitely well with her solemn tone.
Im sorry, Im not sure.
I didnt ask expecting you to know. I meant for you to give your opinion.
Yes, if thats the case I wonder if there might be something at the ce where the Nameless Hero fought the Thunderbird. That building seems to be the ce. How about we go over there?
Sylon pointed towards the top of a high hill.
A castle-shaped building, half of which was severely damaged,id there in istion.
The beautiful red castle, Carly Hall, which once symbolized Mrchen Academy.
It was the ce where Isaac fought against Vera the Summoner, her minions, and the Thunderbird.
Alright. Lets go there.
Bianca and Sylon headed towards Carly Hall.
She was searching for traces of the Nameless Hero in order to track him down.
There was only one purpose for doing so, she wanted to berades with the Nameless Hero.
She was a human born with the light element, she was the Saintess of Helize Church serving the Lord Manha. That was why she enrolled in Mrchen Academy, intending to personally exterminate demons.
After witnessing the Nameless Heros overwhelming power firsthand, she guessed that nothing could be done against him.
Thus, if she became an ally of the Nameless Hero, she would have the opportunity to kill demons as well.
Indeed, killing demons. Was that not the duty of a Saintess born with the element of light? It was about faithfully fulfilling the duty given by the Lord Manha.
With such intentions, Bianca was searched for the Nameless Hero.
Before long, the two reached the front of the hill.
Holy Saintess, I will lift you up
Its okay. Lets just walk.
Just like that, the two climbed the hill and reached Carly Hall. Sylon panted heavily, but Biancas breathing was stable as if her stamina had not been affected at all.
Carly Hall. Upon closer inspection, it was even more devastated. Vines full of life were creeping upon the scene.
Thepletely shattered exterior and the crater allowed one to infer that something huge had fallen, smashing the building and embedding itself into the ground.
Bianca and Sylon realized that a fierce battle, far beyond their level, had taken ce there.
Bianca momentarily thought that Carly Hall, once a symbol of the old Mrchen Academy campus, should at least have been rebuilt.
However, she soon shook her head in understanding of the academys situation.
Last year, due to the emergence of various demons, many investors would have left.
Mrchen Academy would not have had the financial means to restore Carly Hall in such a situation.
Only after the number of investors increased and a period of stability was reached would there finally be room to repair the old academy grounds.
That was not an interesting story at all. Bianca decided to stop pondering such pointless thoughts.
She looked up at the half-destroyed part of the building. The top floor. A single altar was precariously perched on a section that remained intact.
Did the Nameless Hero defeat the Thunderbird here? Hmm?
Bianca noticed something odd near the altar, on the wall.
Light elemental power, [Eyes of Light]. A unique ability possessed only by Bianca in this world.
No matter how difficult it was to detect, as long as it was within the realm that humans could perceive, she would be able to distinguish the shape of mana.
An astonishingly intricate spell was cast on the wall. It was a high-level spell that no one else could have noticed.
Although she could barely recognize the shape of the mana, she could not discern the true nature of the spell.
Bianca moved without hesitation.
Will you lift me up there?
Understood.
Bianca and Sylon ascended to the top of the half-destroyed building with wind magic.
The twonded in front of the altar.
Bianca gently swept her hand across the wall and abruptly stopped at the ce where she felt a strange sensation.
Bianca tapped on the wall, and then, with a few knocks, a hollow sound was heard.
Sylon. Inside this, its empty.
Yes? Holy Saintess?!
Bianca slightly infused divine power, and she began to be absorbed into the wall. Small ripples spread across the wall centered around her body.
As Bianca passed through the wall in an instant, Sylon, startled, hurriedly followed her.
!
As if there was never anything there, Sylons body easily passed through the wall.
Where is this?
Suddenly, a musty smell assaulted their nostrils. A cramped and dpidated secret library came into Sylons view.
Glowingmps were hung on the walls, casting a soft light, allowing Bianca and Sylon to make out their surroundings.
Sylon looked around with a surprised expression. The swirling clusters of dust glowed yellow under the light of the fluorescentmps.
As he carefully touched the book on the shelf, he could feel the dusty texture of the book.
Holy Saintess? Huh?
Bianca followed up and touched the books ced on the shelf.
Her hand, imbued with divine power, naturally passed through the books. It was the divine power that revealed the books to be remnants of magic. This startled Sylon.
Without divine power, ones senses would be deceived into feeling and reading the books, which would contain irrelevant information directly formed from the readers mind.
Bianca frowned. Should this be considered illusion magic? No, it was different.
Magic that had already far surpassedmon sense. It was so exceptional that it brought into question whether it was something humans could use.
Bianca walked deeper into the library and looked down at a book ced on an old desk that seemed as though it would fall apart at any moment.
This one is definitely tangible.
This book Its influenced by a power, not of this world. Time is distorted within it.
Biancas eyes widened slightly, revealing her white, lightless irises.
She was visually impaired. Her physical eyes had already lost their function and she could not see.
It was Divine Power that had granted her mystical vision.
Not of this world?
When Sylon asked in confusion, Bianca extended her hand toward the old book without answering.
When she used a 2-star light spell, [Purification], holy light flowed from her palm.
The dust on the book illuminated by the light vanished instantly.
Even space-time has no meaning before this book. Its not written in the same era as ours, at least. Its from a ce far, far away.
In Biancas vision, thest moments of a woman who had dedicated the remainder of her life to writing this book faintly appeared.
Bianca did not know the identity of that woman.
Nor could she have known where that woman had gone.
Bianca picked up the book and examined its contents.
Pages stained with hardened blood.
Letters inscribed in a swirling manner alongside iprehensible drawings.
Sylon.
Yes.
Can you read these letters?
Bianca held the books edge with both hands and showed it to Sylon.
Im sorry, I dont know them Could it be an ancientnguage?
Bianca and Sylon could not read the characters inscribed in the book.
We must recover this book.
Would that be okay?
No matter how you look at it, this book is not ordinary. The Helize Church No, it would be better if I kept it. There must be a holy reason why the Lord Manha has led me here.
With aposed face, Bianca ced her index finger on her lips.
So, I would like it if todays events remained a secret.
I will do as youmand.
Sylon bowed his head. Having vowed to serve only the Saintess, he would absolutely obey Biancasmands.
The book written in Hangul thus passed into the possession of Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
To my dear Benefactor.
I hope you have found this book.
I ask for your understanding that circumstances prevent me from assisting you as much as I would like.
Before I lose my sanity, I hope you wille to know every truth in this world.
After reading this book, immediately seek out the Tower Master of the Hegel Magic Tower, please.
She will surely be your ally.
Sincerely.
Senior Isaac, what are you looking at?
As Isaac quietly watched the rain clouds outside the window, White, who was nibbling on a mana pudding bar, asked.
Just, I noticed the rain had stopped.
Ah, must have been a shower.
It was a trivial conversation.
The clouds gradually cleared. I decided to say goodbye to White and Merlin and leave the hospital room.
Ill be going. Make sure to review what you learned today. Ill test you on it as soon as youre discharged tomorrow.
All of it?
Cant do it?
Oh, no! I can do it!
As White forced augh and shouted confidently, I smirked and left the hospital room.
Just before closing the door to the hospital room, I saw Whites face with tears welling up in her eyes, seemingly overwhelmed by when she would finish and memorize all the assignments I had given.
Ignoring it, I hastened my steps.
Upon leaving the academy hospital, a cluster of stars in the sky caught my eye.
It was time to prepare for Chapter 8 of Magic Knight of Mrchen.
Chapter 175: Conspiracy (1)
Chapter 175: Conspiracy (1)
Conspiracy (1)
There were many beautiful women around Isaac.
This was one of the things that had been bothering Kaya Astrea recently.
Luce Eltania and Dorothy Heartnova were already overwhelming enough
But with the addition of the Imperial Princess Snow White, who was known throughout the continent for her beauty, Kaya was at a loss for how to squeeze herself in.
It was an impregnable fortress.
The three girls clung to Isaac, giggling and sneering as if to mock her for not having a ce to fit in as they proimed Isaac as theirs.
But she couldnt chase after Isaac, who was busy and always on the move.
Ever since Semester 1 Year 1, Kaya had struggled to suppress the urge to chase after Isaac after he eradicated the Ant Demon.
Isaac had told her not to follow him. As an archwizard, hed be able to sense Kayas approach easily. But if she approached him outright, Isaac would hate her because it would make him stand out.
Kaya was terrified of losing the affection of the one she loved.
So Kaya had been content with seeing and greeting Isaac, and sneaking away with him for the asional tactical meetings.
But it seemed that things couldnt go on like this.
Luce Eltania ignored the students gazes and showed affection to Isaac. It seemed like half the reason Kaya couldnt approach Issac was because of the top seat.
Especially since the disparity of her cold demeanor to others and her affectionate demeanor towards Isaac created a gap that aided her overwhelming charm. It was as if she was bestowing superiority to Isaac.
Dorothy Heartnova was a celebrity in the academy and an idol. Moreover, she was a formidable force to be reckoned with across the entire continent. She was someone who attended the academy with the goal of having fun rather than learning.
Such a genius, caring for and cherishing Isaac more than anyone else, left Kaya feeling suffocated.
Princess Snow White not only held the highest status of an Imperial Princess in the continent but was also arguably the most beautiful woman on the continent. Such a person was spending time with Isaac every day as his junior and mentee.
Kaya couldnt guess how much their time together would strengthen the bond between the two.
Dangerous.
Kaya felt an overwhelming sense of wariness.
I need toe up with something.
[Countermeasures?]
Late at night in Charles Hall, the top-ranked dorm.
Kaya tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, and she stared at the ceiling, muttering to herself.
Beside her was Dark Kaya, dressed in the same pajama, lying down and staring at her. As a personality, she was only visible through Kayas eyes.
Then, with a sh of her bloodshot eyes and a wicked grin, Dark Kaya turned her face to the main body.
[So youre finally going to seduce Sir Isaac?]
T-thats right! I have to.
Kaya looked determined. A drop of cold sweat dripped down her face.
Dark Kaya blushed and gave a sheepish smile.
[I absolutely agree! Youre aiming for the strategy meeting with Isaac tomorrow, right?]
Yeah, it doesnt seem like there will be another chance for a while, so I need to do something. A strong move
Kaya thought hard.
Isaac was running towards a certain goal, so he was avoiding having romantic rtionships.
How do I get through someone like that?
She made a n with Dark Kaya.
Her imagination was filled with shameful acts with Isaac.
Huh?
Suddenly, the morning sun came and sparrows were chirping.
Kaya got up, dark circles under her eyes. She looked out the window with a bemused look.
Its morning already?
She was puzzled.
* * *
Ill be an honorary student council member.
Behind the academy building.
I was standing alongside Alice Carroll in the shade, staying out of the sun.
Before us was a small garden. It was rarely frequented by students, so couples asionally came here to be affectionate in private.
It was the kind of ce that even the yers of Magic Knight of Mrchen didnt bother to stop by except to y Couple Breaker or take game screenshots.
Meanwhile, I was training my mana mastery by circting mana in my left hand.
It was simr to those who walk around school squeezing a hand grip and working out their forearm muscles for attention, or those who read books as they walk.
I didnt like it, but it couldnt be helped. It had be a habit now, and I felt empty without doing it.
Alice crossed her arms under her chest. She was wearing a white shirt and school skirt, and it looked like she was supporting her prominent chest with her arms.
Every unconscious gesture that unted her figure was a disy of her confidence in her appearance.
Took you long enough.
I apologize for that.
I didnt mean for you to apologize. Its good to have you on my side, if only for a little while.
She was calm and collected.
There was no hint that she was actually happy. Her tone was that of a nice senior.
Just in case, Im telling you that Im not under you, Alice.
I know that. Thats what I said. So, do you remember the terms of bing an honorary student council member, Baby?
I nodded.
Honorary Student Council.
Responsible for protecting the students in the event of a major event or incident at the academy, and may temporarily exercise the authority of the Student Council.
It was a position that was not chained to the Student Council chain ofmand, and it allowed one to enjoy some benefits of the Student Council. For me, it was nothing but a sweet deal.
Although I wasnt technically a part of the Student Council, it didnt matter because I had no intention of bing one.
Also.
Perhaps, Alice suspected me more deeply than anyone else.
Alice lured me into bing an honorary student council member, immediately identifying two benefits she could gain.
First, in the event of an incident or ident, she could keep a close eye on me, assuming that I would make a bold move.
Whether I became an honorary student council member or not, Alice was suspicious of me anyway.
Second, by meeting the conditions of bing an honorary student council member, I could increase the time she spent with me with asional dates.
Throw in a bet that sounds like something out of a romance drama, and I had a good justification.
Fortunately, Alice wasnt a fool who acted recklessly like most demons.
Although it was a facade, the Nameless Hero was thought to be a powerful archwizard who could trample over not just Alice but even Dorothy as if they were ants. Monitoring the suspect would require risking your life.
It was a precarious and risky tightrope walk. One side was based on a misunderstanding, but nheless, we stood upon it. We were prepared to draw our weapons at any moment and kill each other.
So I organized my thoughts and made a pledge.
In this situation, Id rather take the risk and get to the bottom of Alices secret.
It was better to confront Alice than to wait and see what she would do. I could use this situation to my advantage.
Besides, I was on a quest to defeat the Evil God, and I had already lost once.
I relived the memory through the Trial of Sandstone. It took me a while to get back to the past.
It seemed that if one didnt survive for a certain period of time after the Evil God destroyed the world, everything woulde to an end.
It takes a while for the regression to be triggered.
Who, how? Why?
I had no idea. The truth was likely hidden behind something I have yet to discover.
One thing was clear, if I die, I regress.
So I should not leave anything behind. Every speck of dust should help me on my journey.
I had to pursue the best oue, not the most reasonable one.
Even if I do well until the Evil God appears, it would be all for naught if I got defeated by her.
So, even if Alice Carroll was a viin I had to risk my life for, I nned to get to know her.
Who is Alice?
What kind of person is Alice?
What is her secret?
Al-
I turned my head toward Alice and was about to talk to her, but I was startled.
Her fingers opened the button of her shirt and she put her index and middle finger between her chest. A faintly erotic apricot color was visible.
She soon pulled out a magic pouch that was tucked between her chest.
Oh.
It was unexpectedly marvelous.
Alice pulled a small case from the pouch, opened it, and held it out to me, showing me the badge inside.
It was a silver badge with a tiny gem. A cross between a sword and a grimoire.
Its a student council badge. Use it for your honorary student council work. Its against academy rules to wear it casually, however.
I took the case, pulled out the badge, and examined it.
Nothing suspicious was installed on it. It was an ordinary badge with no mana.
Theres no induction ceremony. Youre not an official student council and the honorary student council itself is on a trial basis. If you want, we can do one by ourselves?
No, its fine. Thank you for your concern.
I grinned. The acting was natural.
Good boy. Alice smiled and offered a handshake with her right hand.
Ill be counting on you in case of emergencies.
Likewise.
I took Alices hand and shook it.
If anyone were to see this, it would just look like a warm scenario.
I was feeling dizzy like I was standing on thin ice.
To me, this handshake was not about working together.
But more like a challenge to uncover each others secrets and draw our swords to fight to the death.
At that moment, Alice lightly scratched my palm with her index fingernail, sending a tickling pleasure that made my body shiver slightly.
What?
Hee, is Baby ticklish? Thats good to know.
Senior
Alice chuckled mischievously when I red at her. It was ridiculous.
So, Baby.
Alice suddenly pulled her hand down.
She stood on her tiptoes, pressed on my shoulder, and leaned in close.
Huh?
I felt Alices breath. For a moment, I thought she was going to kiss me.
She whispered in an intimate tone.
All thats left to do is make you mine, huh?
Alice locked eyes with me closely, shing a rxed, sweet smile. Perhaps it was her finishing move, a triumphant smile?
She was quiteposed.
I pretended to be dazed and watched her pull back with her short characteristic heeugh.
Sorry, I couldnt stay with you longer, I have something to do. See you next time, Baby.
Ah, yes take care.
Alice waved, turned, and walked away.
I looked at the student council badge that she gave me.
At least its stylish.
It was pretty cool.
I tucked the case with the badge in my inner pocket and walked away.
Chapter 176: Conspiracy (2)
Chapter 176: Conspiracy (2)
Conspiracy (2)
Are you okay? You look pretty tired.
Ah? Yes, yes! Im fine! Im okay!
Usually, the ce where I met Kaya Astrea was set.
Under the night sky, in a valley quite far from the academy grounds. The sound of the stream flowing was quiteforting.
Kaya and I were sitting side by side on a small chair, with a glowingmp ced on a stand next to us.
I was holding a piece of parchment, exining what would happen next and how we should proceed. In other words, I came here to talk to her.
It should be safe since wevee this far.
However, Kaya seemed unusually tired today.
Her head was nodding off and swaying. Today, she didnt have her usual twin tails, so her long green hair danced lightly around her head.
With deep dark circles under her eyes. It was clear she hadnt slept well.
From reading her psychology earlier, it seemed she hadnt slept all night.
She was probably fantasizing about doing all sorts of erotic things with me in her imagination. I thought it was inevitable because she didnt have any experience with a man other than me, so I turned my head back to the parchment.
After lifting my sses, I spoke.
The next opponent is the Priestess. More precisely, a demon hiding within the shadow of the Priestess. Currently, its integrated with the shadow so no one can touch it, but its also unable to do anything. It will reveal itself when the Priestess uses her full power after unleashing the Nine-tailed Fox. Oh, thank you.
Kaya offered a piece of fruit from the side, and I ate it while keeping my eyes on the parchment. She had brought the fruit in case we got hungry.
Oh, it was well-cut. Even better than her sister, Merlin.
The Priestess of the Eastern Nation. Ive only heard stories. She was the junior whopeted against Isaac, right? My heart dropped hearing Isaac won against the Priestess I wondered if you had revealed yourself.
Thats not the case. Not yet.
Not yet
I ate another piece of fruit from Kayas hand.
I hadnt told Kaya why I hadnt revealed my identity yet. I just vaguely mentioned theres a reason.
Of course, there was no identity to reveal in the first ce. This was just my full power.
I didnt want to reveal any of my secrets in areas beyond my control, at least until Alice was subdued
Even if it was the trustworthy Kaya.
The only reason I revealed most of my secrets to Dorothy was because I was caught and had no choice.
Fortunately, Kaya didnt pry too much, which wasforting. She was definitely the person who trusted me more than anyone else.
Anyway, the demon will use the Priestess power. And dark magic on top of that, so assume itll be stronger than the Priestess.
I get the gist of it. We have to stop the shadow demon and protect the people of the academy. Thats why you became an honorary student council member. Being wary of insiders is a given By the way, how strong is the Priestess?
About Luces level when we were first years.
I see
Kaya had set Luce Eltania as her benchmark. She was curious who would be stronger if she, who had be stronger, faced the freshman Luce.
Ah. Isaac, this
Ah, thank
Kaya offered another piece of fruit. I was thankful and brought my mouth to eat it.
But for some reason, the piece of fruit started moving away, and a seductive scent hit my nose, making me suspicious, so I turned my gaze towards Kaya.
Her long green hair flowed down her back. Kaya tilted her head, closing her eyes from a close distance.
Her lips awkwardly puckered, trembling nervously. She looked like someone waiting for her first kiss with her first lover.
I almost kissed her. A trap well set and with a properly calcted angle, even more shocking is that it wasnt even done by Dark Kaya. She must have gathered some courage.
It must be Dark Kayas instigation. It looked exactly like the kind of prank she would y.
Wondering why our lips hadnt after some time, Kaya cautiously opened her eyes and our gazes met.
What are you doing?
An incredulousughter escaped my mouth.
Kayas lips puckered down. Her face quickly turned bright red like a ripe apple.
Ack, ahh this, uhm!
I-Im sorry!
Kaya pulled her head back as fast as the wind and became rigid. Shame and regret washed over her when her n failed.
But her will did not fade. With a tearful expression, Kaya turned her flushed face toward me.
I-its been a while since weve been alone together Its nice Feel free to explore my lips as much as you want, anytime, just like before! I really dont mind at all!
When were we like this?
I pitied her for sloppily trying to imitate Dark Kayas personality.
She was shamelessly seducing me, skillfully arousing my desires.
I wondered if she asked Dark Kaya to help her with those lines.
Even though they looked the same, she didnt have Dark Kayas sexiness and assertiveness. On the contrary, she was absolutely precious.
I couldnt help but adore her either way.
We havent done that before.
I shook my head and replied calmly.
I drew a line. I stared at the parchment that contained our n.
No matter what, romance was a serious matter. To defeat the Evil God, it was necessary to put romance on hold for a while.
Thats!
Youre the one I trust the most.
What?
I took off my sses and wiped them on the hem of my shirt.
I spoke with a hint of anxiousness from not having seen each other in a while, and a touch of honesty.
Ill miss you after we graduate from the academy, so dont be sad that we dont see each other often.
Kayas eyes widened even more. She jerked her head abruptly, straightening her back.
Her green hair floated like it had been charged with static electricity. Even her thoughts seemed to have stopped.
I dont know what will happen after defeating the Evil God.
Will I stay in this world or return to my original one?
But I knew I would miss this girl. That was how much Kaya meant to me.
Ah, huh? Uhhh?
Kayas face turned bright red like she was about to burst.
Her eyes trembled, and her body fluttered like her eyes.
I was getting flustered, so I looked at Kaya and smiled awkwardly.
Well, anyway
Heee!
Pooong.
It seemed my smile unintentionally delivered the final blow, as Kaya finally burst out. It was as if fireworks were going off over her bright red head.
Suddenly, her body went limp and she fell back.
Unable to withstand the intense wave of embarrassment, she fainted.
Huh?
I was flustered.
I know shes isnt used to men, but to this extent?
What? Kaya, are you okay?! Wake up! Hey!
The situation looked serious.
I rushed to the copsed Kaya.
I shook her shoulders and yelled at her repeatedly.
Kaya closed her eyes with a happy smile on her face as if she had no care in the world.
She was 18 years old.
* * *
Pierre, did you finish the homework?
Are you free today? Do you want to hang out?
Pierre, can you help me with this? I cant understand it~.
Lunchtime. Orphin Hall of the Magic Department, ssroom B.
If you were to pick the most popr male student among the first-year students of the Magic Department, everyone would think of the same person.
Pierre nche. A handsome man with fine beige hair and mysterious light green eyes. He was one of Alice Carrolls subordinates, the Clover Pdin.
He always had a thoughtful smile like Alice.
And was close to the students thanks to his sociability.
He was also very skilled in magic and was in the running to be the student council president.
He was particrly popr with the freshmen girls, having a poprityparable to Professor Fernando Frost. The girls were divided into two factions, the cool-headed Fernando faction and the thoughtful Pierre faction.
Every break time, female students flocked around the Clover Pdin, Pierre. And with his pleasant demeanor, he kindly treated each one of them, winning their favor.
Why are you so busy, Pierre? I really want to repay you for teaching me before. Do you really not have time today? Huh?
A female student asked flirtatiously, cing her hand on Pierres broad shoulder.
Pierre gently brushed her hand away and gave her a big smile.
Yeah, I cant today. Im sorry.
Oh my, no! Dont be sorry, Pierre. Just tell me when youre free. Uhu.
Just seeing Pierres face made the female student giggle with delight.
The jealous stares of the boysnded on Pierre.
So annoying.
Everything felt cumbersome for Pierre.
He didnt feel any attraction to any of the girls here. The vast age gap made him feel like they were all children.
Having those kids cling to him and talking to him every day only filled him with irritation and disgust. Pierre was not the type who enjoyed ying with children.
Girls, I need to go to the bathroom.
Pierre shed his handsome smile and stood up. The girls excitedly made space for him, nodding eagerly with flushed faces.
Pierre walked out of the ssroom. But he found the affectionate gazes from the female students wherever he went, making him ufortable.
Tsk.
He clicked his tongue quietly so no one could hear him.
He was an outsider who came to Mrchen Academy to y the ck Monster. It was essential for him to blend into the academy, create allies, and drive out or assassinate the ck Monster. Good social rtions were crucial.
However, as expected, it was boring and troublesome.
He sometimes thought about living like the Heart Pdin, Shera Hectorica.
But he was worried it would offend Queen Alice, so he had no choice but to be careful with his actions.
Pierre made his way to an outside shelter. And he spotted a boy passing through the outdoor corridor.
Silver-blue hair. Round sses. It was the second year, Isaac.
Pierre shook his head.
Isaac was the one who one-sidedly defeated Priestess Miya during the duel evaluation.
The way he fought was hot enough to boil Pierres desire for battle.
It was surprising that a student from the Magic Department, who dreamt of bing a wizard, would disy such abat style. Isaacs duel remained in Pierres mind even a week after the duel evaluations had ended.
Even as he walked down the corridor, he never removed the magic tool from his hand. He found him amazing, seeing him not waste even a little bit of his time.
I want to fight him.
Will hisbat style work on me? Will I be able to defend myself against him?
Pierre had been curious about this since the duel evaluation.
Moreover, that man is
The one Queen Alice suspected was the ck Monster. A target under Queen Alices covert operations.
Eventually, Pierre couldnt resist secretly investigating Isaac. Various pieces of information about Isaac had been forming in Pierres mind.
He rummaged through information on Isaac. Then, suddenly, one thought crossed Pierres mind.
What if I corner him?
Not just for a duel.
What if I gave him a reason to fight sincerely and at the same time see if he was the ck Monster?
Will that be okay?
Yeah, that would be fine.
Although there was a personal motive, ultimately, everything was for the Kingdom. Isaac, that man, was suspected to be one of the obstacles.
So, it shouldnt matter. Pierre thought of a justification to fight Isaac.
That man would never dream of it. The fact that Pierre himself was a follower of Alice Carroll and the Clover Pdin.
Sneer.
Pierre withdrew his gaze from Isaac and hastened his steps. For the first time since he entered the academy, a sincere smile lingered on his lips.
A passing male student saw this and was startled, keeping his distance. He turned his gaze away, pretending not to see him.
* * *
I sneaked a nce.
I immediately noticed that the Clover Pdin was staring at me.
A quick nce at his psychology let me know that he was nning a silly scheme against me.
If thats the case.
Ill use it against him.
Chapter 177: Preparations for the Grand Festival (1)
Chapter 177: Preparations for the Grand Festival (1)
Preparations for the Grand Festivals (1)
The sun rose early in the morning at Mrchen Academy.
As the red sun peeked over the horizon, heralding the dawn. I woke up my weary body and prepared for the day.
I started the day with a morning run. Just like how I used to recite legal texts in my head when I was aw student, I reviewed what I studied the night before by going through it in my head while jogging.
After jogging, I looked up the things I couldnt remember in my book. This method was very effective for memorization.
Since I maximized my [Learning Efficiency], it felt strange that I could study well even when I was exhausted. If I had this body in Korea, I would have easily passed the three major Korean national examinations.
I took a shower and walked out naked. The shower facilities in Elma Hall, a middle-high-ranked dorm, were of much better quality than my previous dorms.
As I wiped my soaked silver-blue hair with a tower, I stood in front of a full-length mirror and looked at my body. Sure enough, I felt taller. My proportions were better than before.
The baby form of Frost Dragon Hilde was rolling around on my desk. It was a non-verbal signal for me to pet her, so I touched her belly and she let out a cute uhh sound. She was just like a dog. No, let me rephrase that. She was like a puppy.
I changed into my school uniform. As I tied my necktie, I felt a slight pressure on my neck.
It had been a while since I graduated from high school, but after staying at the academy for over a year, I got used to wearing a uniform again.
I walked out of Elma Hall and was greeted by Luce Eltania at the front gate. Her beauty and reputation attracted the attention of many students.
On days when her training at the Magic Tower didnt ovep, we usually went to school together.
I responded to Luces usual greeting, Hows the weather today? and we headed to the Magic Department building together.
We entered our respective ssrooms and prepared for ss.
I was holding a magic tool. It was essential to practice my mana mastery in my spare time. In the meantime, I focused on improving my magic proficiency by calcting various forms in my head.
Calcting magic forms was quite tiring, and I often got headaches and felt exhausted in the beginning. It was a symptom of overusing my brain. But I was used to it now, so it was fine.
Appear like the wind, Professor Daisy.
Daisy, the second-year ss B Professor, swung the ssroom door open and entered. It was a noisy entrance that didnt look like the wind to anyone.
Several students looked surprised as if they hadnt gotten used to her yet.
I ced my magic tool under my desk and turned to face Professor Daisy.
Before we start the ss, let me make an announcement.
Professor Daisy mmed a textbook down on her desk.
She looked around the students with a serious face. She seemed to pause to gauge their reaction.
At this time of year, everyone knew there was an event about to take ce. However, it wasnt decided yet whether the n would proceed, so the students were skeptical.
This was due to the numerous events that had urred sincest year. Demons had been appearing unexpectedly, after all.
Everyone wanted to enjoy a big event, but they were well aware that they should refrain from festivals and events. It was always a pity for the students.
The students looked at Professor Daisy with anticipation and worry.
Tension filled the room and the students swallowed dryly. Professor Daisy was really taking her time.
And then.
Professor Daisy huffed and eximed in a powerful voice.
Rejoice! In three weeks, it has been decided that the Jeblem Grand Festival will be held!
Waaaaaah!!!
The students erupted in cheers at the long-awaited good news.
The male students stomped their chairs and roared, and the female students squealed Kyaaah! and let out strange noises that were a mix of cheers and screams.
The ssroom turned into a frenzy of excitement as the students celebrated in different ways.
I didnt celebrate since I already knew about it. I just sat quietly and watched them rejoice.
Professor Daisy nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with their reaction.
Grand Festival.
The Grand Festival was called Jeblem. It was an event that took ce once every three years.
ording to the scriptures of the Helize Church, the Grand Festival was created by humans, who had no way to repay the grace of the Lord, Manha, intending to provide the deity with a pleasant spectacle.
In short, it was like the Olympics. The Jeblem would be held on a grand scale in the Zelver Empire. A splendid festival wouldmence.
Since it would be scaled down here at Mrchen Academy, it would be more appropriate to call it a sports festival.
The Principal and the faculty must have agreed to hold the Jeblem recently.
To boost the students morale.
They must have strongly pushed for it.
Canceling all events would only demoralize the students.
Mrchen Academy, which had developed a detailed defense system, decided to carry on with some events to boost student morale.
And with Emperor Carlos on their side, they didnt have to worry about finances because of the demon issue.
There shouldnt be much difficulty in holding the festival.
It was supposed to be held anyway.
Chapter 8 of Magic Knight of MrchenThe Priestess of the Red Lotus, took ce during the Grand Festival.
Incidentally, Alice Carroll, the Student Council President, knew that the event would take ce. The Clover Pdin also used that information to concoct a scheme to fight me.
With the Pdins involvement, I had more formidable opponents to be wary of.
However, their appearance wasnt necessarily a detriment. Although I couldnt read Alices psychology, I could read the Pdins psychology who were receiving her orders.
In other words, this meant that I would indirectly infer Alices ns and orders. Which was convenient.
Everyone, quiet.
The students turned to face Professor Daisy with smiles on their faces. They were quiet, but they couldnt hide their delight.
Although the decision was dyed, I believe that three weeks is enough to prepare for the Grand Festival. Now, we will start recruiting participants for each event. Since every student must participate in at least one event, dont hesitate to apply for the event youre interested in.
She was talking about recruiting participants for the sports event.
Professor Daisy wrote the information on the board.
The chalk, imbued with magic, carved letters on the board in colors that she chose, and when she infused magic on parts she wanted to emphasize, it shimmered for emphasis.
Watching that scene, I thought about the Clover Pdins n.
Its so childish.
He saw my anger when White was beaten by the Priestess. The Clover Pdin used that element to plot his selfish scheme.
The list of participants for each event would be made public to everyone at the academy during the Grand Festival. The Student Council President could check that information in advance.
The Four Pdins would be given that information beforehand in their quest to find the ck Monster.
With that, the Clover Pdin would confirm which event White would participate in and lure another student in the same event into an ident.
Then, he intended to take that students ce in the event. The reason hed built up a good image with the students was to take advantage of such situations.
Since he got hurt, I will participate instead. Imagine a tall, athletic, handsome, and sociable alpha male making such a touching statement.
The students, especially the girls, would be supporting him with tears of joy.
And he had every intention of hurting White during the Grand Festival.
Since it was a sport, I could only watch in silence if White got hurt. That was how the Clover Pdin wanted me to build up my anger.
After all, the Grand Festival sports mainly involve participants shing with each other.
For example, sports like ser, ice hockey, or rugby. Not that such sports were actually yed, but it implied that physical confrontations were inevitable.
In the end, on thest day of the Grand Festival, the Clover Pdin nned to secretly convey to me that I intentionally hurt White, aiming to direct my anger towards him.
He must have thought that would lead to a real fight between us.
Idiot.
Will I let his childish intentionse to pass? Obviously not. I have no intention of letting White get hurt again.
I decided to use that opportunity to my advantage.
***
Upon reaching the corner of the Butterfly Garden, I saw a goddess sitting leisurely against a zelkova tree out in the sun.
She tipped her witchs hat and smiled brightly at me. Her halo was dazzling.
Oh, President!
Senior!
Dorothy jumped up to greet me.
She was so pretty. I scurried over to her.
Did you have lunch yet? Youre here early.
I just had a quick bite! President, what event did you choose for the Grand Festival?
The arc ball race.
Me too! Were in sync!
Dorothy showed her pearly white teeth and let out her signatureugh, nihihi.
Arc ball race.
It was a race to chase a shiny ball called an arc ball. It was called the Flower of Jeblem, so it was the most popr andrge-scale event.
Well, it was called a race, but it was practically a battle for possession.
Originally, I would have participated in a simple event and waited until the shadow demon appeared, but because of the Clover Pdin, I deliberately chose to participate in the arc ball race.
Thest time I spoke to White, she said that she would participate in the arc ball race if the Grand Festival proceeded normally.
When I bumped into White at Orphin Hall earlier, I asked her and she confirmed that she was participating as nned.
Well, who would dare stop a princess from joining the arc ball race?
Of course, due to the limitation on the number of participants, we had to select dropouts through a simple bet among the participants. Thanks to my [Psychological Insight], I easily won the bet.
It was a dirty trick, but I was sure the participants would be convinced if they heard that it was to protect the Princess.
By the way, because sses B and C had many students, they were divided into groups. Tristan ended up in our group, and he was absolutely livid that he couldnt fight me.
Thats how much you wanted to y with me, President?
Dorothy tilted her head and asked yfully.
A joke deserved a joke as a response.
Speaking of which, arent you too fond of me, Senior? Even copying my event.
Nehehe, what are you talking about? Ive always been independent.
Well, I cant imagine you without me. How would you survive in this harsh world without me?
Id be just fine. As long as I have chicken, Im fine!
Thats reassuring.
I responded with a joke and walked toward the center of the Butterfly Garden. I couldnt keep ying around with Dorothy.
Hey, President.
Dorothy spoke as if she remembered something, and I stopped and turned to look at her.
You know Im kidding, right?
?
She still had her naturally graceful smile, but somehow, there was a hint of seriousness in her cheerful voice.
I was just kidding
Whats with her reaction?
Of course, I knew. To Dorothy, I was someone of importance in my own way.
Perhaps that was why Dorothy didnt want to imagine a world without me, even as a joke.
Senior, you did want to be with me, didnt you? Thats cute.
Nihihi. Youre so cheeky, President!
It immediately lightened the mood.
Dorothy and I looked at each other andughed heartily.
***
Orphin Hall. Magic Department ss A for first years.
As the sun was setting.
Priestess Miya sat alone in the empty ssroom, quietly looking out the window. The academy grounds were filled with students after hours, each doing their own thing.
Miya twisted her braided hair, trying to organize her thoughts.
In this academy, she couldnt always be on top. That fact was infuriating her.
Luce Eltania. How could she win her over? She seemed utterly indifferent to wealth and honor. She waspletely different from the people that Miya was familiar with.
Isaac. How could she been bested by that bastard? He was just a lowlymoner with no credibility. But he did not show fear, as if he didnt care whether or not Horan was targeting him.
Ugh.
Suddenly, Miya grabbed a fistful of her hair.
Isaac. Issac. What the hell is that man?
Why did she have toe all the way here, why did she have to react so sensitively over a lowlymoner?
It was his fault. The root of her deep-seated emotions was because of that person.
Anger shed in Miyas eyes. Her veins were throbbing on her forehead.
She wanted to punish Isaac harshly and make him pay for infuriating her to this extent.
But she couldnt.
It was obvious she couldnt just go and punish him at any time. If she were to get expelled, all the thrilling opportunities for love, recruiting talents, and everything else Miya wanted would vanish into thin air.
So, at this moment, Miya secretly harbored thoughts of brutally tearing Isaac apart.
It was then that a knock on the door resounded.
Startled, Miya quickly turned to the door. The act of knocking in a ssroom, as if it were a private room, disrupted Miyas thoughts.
Soon, Miya found the answer. The person who knocked must have known that Miya was alone and wanted toe in.
Which cocky bastard is it?
Miya was on guard.
The door opened slowly. Miyas eyes widened as soon as she saw the female student who entered.
Her golden hair shone brightly in the sunset streaming through the window. She was beautiful and enchanting.
Miya swallowed a gasp, recalling the memories from the duel evaluation.
Hello?
Alice Carroll greeted her with a gentle smile.
Chapter 178: Preparations for the Grand Festival (2)
Chapter 178: Preparations for the Grand Festival (2)
? Preparations for the Grand Festival (2) ?
¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting of ss B Group C for the Grand Festival!¡±
In a small meeting room in Orphin Hall of the Magic Department.
Several students, including myself, were seated. It was the group that I belonged to.
In front was Tristan Humphrey, his back to the board, a confident smile on his face. His curious voice called the meeting to order.
¡°First, let¡¯s vote for a group leader! I¡¯ll be the leader! Do you all agree?!¡±
Vote, my ass.
¡°Hey, I want to be the leader too¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s me.¡±¡°Yeah¡! T-that¡¯s right¡!¡±
¡°It¡¯s unanimous, I will be the leader!¡±
So incredibly unreasonable.
I didn¡¯t care who the group leader was, so I kept quiet.
The meeting consisted of discussions about what we would name the group, how to prepare, and what strategies to use in our respective events.
As Tristan, the group leader, had a strong desire to win, the meeting was conducted with enthusiasm.
Well, it was the same for everyone. It was a pretty fun atmosphere, and I found myself getting excited too.
Damn group assignment aside, this meeting was held for everyone to enjoy the Grand Festival.
***
The school was lively. Everyone was preparing for the Grand Festival.
It was not just a sports event, it was a grand festival held once every three years. The ce was buzzing with a festive atmosphere.
Students hung decorations and structures in ssrooms and other ces.
Thanks to this, M?rchen Academy was more imposing than usual.
Due to the terrifying events that had urred throughout the year, the students seemed determined to enjoy the festival to the fullest.
The despair, fear, and trauma they felt when confronted with demons like the Floating Ind. This festival was meant to dispel such emotions.
Students from the Magic Department filled the front of Orphin Hall.
Since I didn¡¯t want to stand around and do nothing, I took on tasks that would help me train my mana mastery. It involved infusing and manipting mana into magic tools to be used as shiny ornaments.
It was menialbor that required minimal mana consumption and repetition. However, since you had to twist mana inside the magic tool, it would be a difficult task if you had low mana mastery.
Tristan was enthusiastic about his work. Soon, he took on a supervisory role, and now he was going around offering praises to the students like ¡°Ha! How aesthetic! Excellent!¡±
Seeing students genuinely say, ¡°Thank you!¡± made him burst outughing.
Each decoration prepared for the academy was filled with the student¡¯s hard work and dedication. Knowing this, Tristan walked around showering praises with an excited voice.
Mateo Jordana was quietly focused on the preparations for the Grand Festival.
Amy Holloway was busy making and moving decorations while flirting with the main character, Ian Fairytale.
Kaya Astrea was in charge of moving big and heavy decorations using her wind magic. The students gasped and apuded at her ridiculously high mana density and Kaya responded with a shy, yet proud smile.
Suddenly, Kaya looked in my direction and our eyes met. I smirked and gave her a thumbs-up.
What a remarkable girl.
Kaya¡¯s face turned bright red. With newfound motivation, she effortlessly lifted even heavier decorations to the top of the building.
Even I couldn¡¯t help but think that her mana density and mastery were insane when she ced the decorations at the top of the spire with her wind.
Ah, the task is finished. There aren¡¯t many magic tools left to work on here.
¡°Group leader, I¡¯m done with this!¡±
After infusing all the magic tools with mana, I shouted at Tristan.
He quickly approached and inspected the magic tools lined up in front of me, frowning.
¡°Damn it¡ There¡¯s nothing to criticize¡!¡±
He seemed to have been hoping to find some fault.
¡°I¡¯m going inside to handle the rest.¡±
¡°Then, go to the utility room on the third floor. I¡¯m sure you can be of help there.¡±
¡°I knew it~. You know everything. You¡¯re our pride, Tristan.¡±
¡°Tch¡! Don¡¯t act friendly with me, Isaac!¡±
Tristan frowned and grimaced when I chuckled softly.
Then, following Tristan¡¯s instructions, I went inside Orphin Hall and went up to the third floor.
Utility room. I peeked through the window and saw a feast of decorations. The students were happily chattering away, busy preparing for the festival.
They greeted me warmly, shouting, ¡°Isaac!¡± when I entered the room.
¡°Where are the magic tools?¡±
¡°Over there! Isaac can work on those!¡±
A female student in ss B pointed toward arge pile of small magic tools. This would take some time.
The ckout curtains upying a corner of the utility room were drawn back. All eyes turned in that direction.
¡°Ta-da! The face of the second-years appears!¡±
¡°Waaah!¡±
¡°Oh, so pretty!¡±
What appeared were three girls sweating profusely, trying to maintain their excitement, and Luce Eltania with a nonchnt expression.
The students on the opposite side of the curtain cheered, admiring Luce¡¯s beauty.
Seriously, she¡¯s amazing.
Luce was dressed in a modified wizard¡¯s robe that entuated her figure. She was so dazzlingly beautiful that eyes were naturally drawn toward her.
Seeing her in person, she was quite sensual.
The male students blushed and stared at Luce,pletely mesmerized.
Her makeup enhanced her beauty even more, so I totally understood their feelings.
On the other hand, the three girls standing around Luce looked terrified for some reason. Their forced smiles were very obvious.
¡®What happened behind the curtain¡¡¯
They looked like they were walking on thin ice¡
Luce¡¯s current appearance was due to a Grand Festival tradition.
Each department and grade would select the most beautiful person to represent them. These representatives would boost morale as the face of their respective grades.
They were automatically entered into one of the festival¡¯s events, the beauty pageant.
In the Magic Department, Snow White was chosen to represent the first-years and Dorothy for the third-years. Among other strongpetitors, Priestess Miya and Alice Carroll chose not to participate due to personal reasons.
Miya was appointed to dance during the Grand Festival, and Alice was the Student Council President. However, they could have participated in the pageant if they wanted to.
Ah. If anyone asked why Miya, who followed a different religion, would be dancing, it was because the Lord, Manha, advocates for harmony.
The academy requested the Priestess to dance in hopes that the festival would be celebrated alongside the God of Horan, and Miya agreed to it.
Also, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Dorothy was not present at this time of year, so some pretty student was chosen as the face of the third-years.
He was a cross-dresser. Surely, many male students who had taken a liking to him would throw up upon discovering the truth.
Thank Dorothy that Dorothy is still alive.
He would appear in the beauty pageant, but my goddess Dorothy, would crush him with her divine beauty.
¡°Huh?¡±
Luce had been standing poutingly, but when she spotted me, her expression softened into a warm smile. It was a dramatic change of expression.
¡°Isaac!¡±
She ran towards me, the hem of her dress fluttering. Envious gazes of the male students turned in my direction. However, I was used to it by now.
¡°Oh, Luce, aren¡¯t you looking pretty?¡±
¡°Hehe, is that so? Do I really look that pretty?¡±
As Luce twirled around, holding the hem of her dress to show off her appearance, I gave her a thumbs-up and nodded empathically.
Luce swung her body. She seemed pleased with mypliment.
¡°Be careful not to fall for me, okay?¡±
Luce smiled cheekily.
What a tease.
I smirked and flicked her forehead lightly.
Although she didn¡¯t seem to be in pain, likely due to [Basic Protection Magic] she habitually used, the slight impact made Luce touch her forehead in surprise.
¡°I¡¯ll go get working.¡±
¡°Ah, me too. I¡¯ll help you.¡±
¡°You have your own tasks, Dummy.¡±
The students seemed hesitant to talk to Luce. Whenever someone other than me talked to her, her face would stiffen up and her mouth would shut tight.
Since they were all looking at me pleading for help, I decided to make it clear to Luce.
¡°Let¡¯s do our assigned tasks first. Luce, you have the most important role in our ss. We¡¯ll be more motivated if you be more delightful than anyone.¡±
¡°¡Hmm.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s both give it our all.¡±
In the end, Luce nodded her head, and the students breathed a sigh of relief.
Good.
I lightly patted Luce¡¯s delicate shoulder and walked over to the magic tools, repeating the work I had been doing outside Orphin Hall. I infused the magic tools with mana, checked if they were working properly, and forged them one by one.
asionally, Luce woulde up behind me and rest her chin on my shoulder.
It seemed to calm her down just by resting on my back.
¡°Isaac.¡±
While I was busy working, a girl came up to me and whispered in my ear.
¡°Thanks to you, Luce has be docile. Kehe, seriously, thank you¡!¡±
¡°Oh? Is that so¡¡±
She was on the verge of tears.
Became docile, huh? What was she like before¡?
After expressing her gratitude, she smiled and walked towards the ckout curtains. As she entered, the curtains partially opened.
I stretched my head out like a turtle and peeked through the curtains. Luce was being pampered by the female students, her face was calm like a docile puppy.
She looked blissful. Just my presence seemed to make Luce happy.
A smirk escaped my lips.
***
¡°Senior Isaac!¡±
¡°You¡¯re so handsome¡¡±
¡°Haa, Senior Isaac¡!¡±
There were not enough magic tools for the number of people. It seemed there was a mistake in the distribution of the supplies provided by the academy.
So, I went down to the first-year floor to look for spare magic tools, and a few female students sent me adoring nces.
I heard from White before that my story was often talked about amongst the first-years. The way I looked and acted during the duel with the Priestess hade made an impression on the students.
She said that even disregarding the whole Priestess fiasco, many students thought I was cool.
Well, it was a pretty good feeling.
It was a senior¡¯s duty to show their juniors how cool they were.
Let¡¯s keep our cool.
I walked down the hallway like I always do, back straight and walking like a model. Today, for some reason, I felt like I was going to fall over.
¡°Hey, Buddy, do you have a spare of this?¡±
I showed the magic tool I was carrying to a female student passing by in the hallway.
Her face turned red as she replied in a shy voice, ¡°Yes, we do¡¡± and pointed towards the utility room.
I walked over and opened the door without hesitation.
¡°¡?¡±
A cute female student was sitting in front of the doorway.
Her pure white hair swirled up like a spike, immediately drawing my attention.
It was Snow White, the face of the first-year.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, my mind had to take time to process the situation.
I looked around. All the students in the utility room had their hair up in a spike as if it were a stiletto pointing to the ceiling.
They stopped chattering and quietly looked in my direction. It was as if they were trying to keep their silence to respect their senior.
The silence was suffocating.
¡°¡¡±
¡I¡¯ll just buy the magic tools with my own money.
With that thought, I quietly closed the door and turned away.
I didn¡¯t want to know why they looked like that, nor did I want to associate with them.
¡°S-senior Isaac¡!¡±
Although the stiletto-haired junior¡¯s teary plea reached me, wanting to exin something¡
I quickly fled the scene.
Chapter 179: Preparations for the Grand Festival (3)
Chapter 179: Preparations for the Grand Festival (3)
? Preparation for the Grand Festival (3) ?
¡°Presideent~!¡±
¡°Senior Dorothy¡? Oh.¡±
After purchasing magic tools from the store, I was leisurely working alone on a bench near Orphin Hall. I made a thick table using [Rock Generation] and it made working more convenient.
Suddenly, Dorothy came down from above and approached me. She must have spotted me while flying around with her starlight mana.
As the face of the third year, she was dressed in a beautifully designed witch outfit. It must have been made by skilled designers of her grade. For a moment, I was so mesmerized by her that I lost my train of thought.
¡°Do you have any of these left?¡±
Dorothy showed me an identical magic tool that I was working on.
¡°Yes, I bought extra, so I have some spare. How many do you need?¡±
¡°About 20!¡±
¡°¡That much?¡±
¡°I broke about 20 of them when I was helping the students by infusing them all at once. I promised to take responsibility and find recements!¡±
Dorothy responded with pride, like breaking it was something to brag about.
She overestimated this small magic tool. How could they withstand her mana?
¡°Did you buy these? Looks like you guys were also short.¡±
¡°Yes, we were.¡±
¡°Nihihi. I have extra gel, so I¡¯ll buy it from you at double the price!¡±
Dorothy extended her index and middle fingers.
¡°I won¡¯t refuse that.¡±
I epted in a heartbeat.
She was already a sight to see, and I also got financial benefits. Dorothy was a godsend.
¡°Heave-ho~.¡±
¡°Senior?¡±
Without warning, Dorothy approached the bench and sat down next to me. No, sheid down, using my thigh as a pillow.
Huh?
I felt my face heat up a bit.
Her pretty face was positioned so that I could see it if I tilted my head slightly. Her eyes, looking up at me with a smile, seemed to hold the vastness of the universe within them, thanks to her starlight mana.
¡°Can I borrow your leg for a bit, President?¡±
¡°Oh, yes¡ of course, Senior. But is it okay to do this?¡±
¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to ck off.¡±
It was a mind truly deserving of a perfect score.
The corners of my mouth threatened to dance on their own and I struggled to keep myposure.
Perhaps sensing my emotions, Dorothy sheepishly opened her eyes and smirked.
¡°President, can you not get excited when I¡¯m like this?¡±
¡°I can try.¡±
Startled by her soft voice, I continued working on the table and responded calmly. As expected, it was impossible to hide my feelings for Dorothy at my level.
Having Dorothy¡¯s head on my thigh gave me a subtle sexual stimtion. Especially since she was dressed in an unusual and sensual outfit, intensifying the feeling.
I figured it would get better if I just focused on my work.
¡°I¡¯ll get up if you¡¯re ufortable~. I need to leave soon anywa-¡±
¡°No.¡±
I looked down at Dorothy and smiled. Her smile was pretty.
¡°It¡¯s okay, stay a bit longer.¡±
¡°¡Oh?¡±
Dorothy seemed surprised by my reaction, her mouth dropped open.
Then, as if satisfied with my answer, she nodded her head.
¡°I can¡¯t help it then~. I¡¯m the not type to refuse kindness.¡±
She smiled broadly and closed her eyes.
A feeling of happiness washed over me as I gently stroked Dorothy¡¯s hair. At that moment, Dorothy smiled contentedly and quietly enjoyed my touch.
A refreshing breeze blew in.
* * *
¡°Sir Isaac¡?¡±
The female knight with green hair in a ponytail, Merlin Astrea, was hiding in a nearby tree because she could not enter Orphin Hall. She was currently surveying the inside along with her familiar.
It was quite a distance away, but she could see the utility room where White was located. If she found someone suspicious, she could easily take them down.
¡However, she couldn¡¯t understand why they were doing a strange ritual with strange hairstyles. No, she didn¡¯t want to understand.
As she was watching White.
She saw Isaac working on a bench near Orphin Hall.
There was a stone table in front of him.
Behind him, a girl¡¯s bare legs stretched out from the side of the bench.
Her toes were wiggling in her heels. They twisted and turned, pushing off her heels and straightening out. Her toes were flushed red, wriggling furiously.
Her embarrassed feelings were fervently expressed by her toes, but Isaac didn¡¯t seem to have noticed.
¡°Hmph.¡±
Smirk. With a smile on her face, Merlin wiped her nose.
Even at a time like this, Isaac and Luce were spending time together.
Whenever Merlin thought about the rtionship between those two, she felt as if she had be a young girl again. The fresh love stories of youth had the power to touch her heart deeply.
Especially the love life of Isaac, White¡¯s mentor, brought her so much joy.
Are those two in that kind of rtionship now? Well, if they¡¯re like that, it says it all.
¡®You¡¯ve found love atst, Sir Isaac.¡¯
Hence, the thought that Isaac and Luce had be lovers brought a sense of satisfaction to Merlin.
Merlin momentarilymanded her familiar to watch over White while she observed Isaac with interest.
¡°¡?¡±
But, something was off.
Merlin¡¯s expression gradually stiffened.
Now that she looked at it, those legs¡ Were they really Luce Eltania¡¯s?
Due to the distance and the wiggling toes, she hadn¡¯t noticed it at the start, but they seemed to belong to someone slightly taller than Luce.
¡°Hmm.¡±
Well, it must be a misunderstanding. Who else could Isaac be engaging in such intimate behaviors with, other than Luce?
After all, Isaac was the kind of man who could only love one woman. She had no proof, but Merlin was convinced of that.
She had watched him teach White all this time. It was natural for her to assume that he was of good and noble character.
However, certainty was always personal.
Soon, Merlin¡¯s fantasy was shattered.
A female student with light purple hair suddenly sprung up from Isaac¡¯s legs. She looked like she was about to leave.
Merlin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. At first, she was surprised when she realized that it wasn¡¯t Luce, and secondly, she was taken aback by the girl¡¯s identity.
The Star Witch, Dorothy Heartnova. A formidable figure in the continent. A rare genius rumored to have received the blessings of the Lord Manha.
Such a person, why¡?
¡°¡!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s gaze snapped towards Merlin.
Merlin locked eyes with her and she quickly ducked to hide herself among the branches and leaves.
Cold sweat trickled down from her forehead.
Did she see me? It was likely. That student is not someone this academy can handle.
However, there seemed to be no hostility. Dorothy merely seemed to be protesting with her gaze, asking why Merlin was watching them.
¡®Sir Isaac, what in the world¡?¡¯
Merlin couldn¡¯t understand the situation.
Isaac, whom she thought had a noble character, is actually ying with the hearts of two maidens¡?
And those two were Luce Eltania, the top seat of the second year, and Dorothy Heartnova, the top seat of the third year¡?
¡®It can¡¯t be¡¡¯
How could she ept this? The fact that Isaac had two women was one thing, but the fact that they were two of the most talented and powerful women on the continent was another.
If those proud women both liked one man¡
Won¡¯t it be a bloodbath far beyond the means of this academy?
Merlin thought there must be some misunderstanding.
But it wasn¡¯t something she could directly ask¡!
Merlin, who had supported the warm love story of Isaac and Luce, desperately tried to erase the feeling of betrayal that was slowly creeping up in her.
* * *
¡°Tristan, we¡¯re done over here!¡±
¡°Ha! What¡¯s this modded? It¡¯s splendid!¡±
¡°Tristan, take a look at this! It might not be well-made, but I did my best¡!¡±
¡°Ha! Are your eyes just for decoration? How pathetic! It¡¯s utterly beautiful!¡±
¡°Tristan, how about this? Isn¡¯t it perfect?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t talk about ¡®perfection¡¯ rashly! The angle isn¡¯t perfect!¡±
The sun was slowly setting.
After I finished working on the magic tools, I helped move heavy items and decorations. Unexpectedly, I found it beneficial for muscle training and stamina, I sprinted as I carried the items, and the students watched me in amazement.
I looked around Orphin Hall as I ran.
The vain blond nobleman, Tristan Humphrey, hadpletely be the manager of the second-year¡¯s festival preparations for the Magic Department. His tone seemed like he was pouring out criticisms, but if you listened closely, it was mostlypliments.
Looking around, the scene was quite different from the familiar scene of M?rchen Academy.
The colorful banners flying overhead glowed with magical light, and ornate decorations surrounded the buildings for aesthetic appeal. Colorful strings connected between buildings. Various lights and uniquely designedmps beautifully illuminated the structures.
Although I had seen this countless times in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I still couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.
I wondered how beautiful it would be on the day of the Grand Festival. It looked like it would be much more impressive than I imagined.
Now, I would be decorating the academy in my spare time.
Next would be practicing for each event, like cheering, etc. I should also start practicing for the arc ball race.
I had three main goals during the Grand Festival.
First, protect White.
Second, defeat the Clover Pdin.
And third¡
¡®Clear Chapter 8 safely.¡¯
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I gained EXP no matter which event I participated in, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that would be the case here.
Based on my past experiences, it seemed likely that I would gain EXP.
¡®Besides, I¡¯ll be shing with that Clover bastard in the arc ball race.¡¯
It would be a shame if I didn¡¯t get any EXP.
Moreover, M?rchen Academy offered many gifts at the Grand Festival. Significant achievements could lead to quite substantial rewards.
¡®I¡¯ll have to give it my all.¡¯
It was like any other day.
I faced obstacles and overcame them.
* * *
On the rooftop of Orphin Hall, Priestess Miya was quietly gazing at the sky dyed with the evening sunset.
She had helped with the preparations for the first year Grand Festival, aware of her status as a student.
¡°¡¡±
A week ago, around this time.
Sitting in an empty ssroom, she heard the whisper of the Student Council President, Alice Carroll.
Every time her enchanting lips moved, Miya felt her mind drift away.
¡ª¡¯You hate your senior, Isaac, do you not?¡¯
¡ª¡¯You hate people, do you not?¡¯
Miya felt herself falling into a hypnotic trance as she listened to Alice¡¯s voice.
¡ª¡¯It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to hide your feelings.¡¯
From within the choker. A thin stream of dark mana emanating from Alice¡¯s neck quietly flowed into Miya.
And, Alice¡¯s voice gnawed at Miya¡¯s mind like a mouse.
¡ª¡¯I only stopped you back then because we couldn¡¯t have innocent victims.¡¯
¨C¡¯So, my dear, how about you express your feelings to the person you hate, at just the right moment?¡¯
©¤¡®Why not pour out all your emotions right now, without restraint?¡¯
©¤¡®Surely, you¡¯ll feel better.¡¯
Malice grew within Miya¡¯s mind. As she felt her heart slowly being overtaken, she felt rmed but couldn¡¯t break free from Alice.
It was as if her entire body was tightly chained. She couldn¡¯t move an inch.
With a trembling voice, Miya asked why she was saying those things to her.
And with aforting smile and tender voice, Alice whispered.
©¤¡®Because I know you are a superior being¡¯
©¤¡®Someone too special to be ignored.¡¯
©¤¡®That¡¯s who you are.¡¯
Miya¡¯s eyes lost their light, and they scanned the academy grounds.
The silver-blue-haired second year, Isaac, caught her eye as he mingled among the students.
For a while, Miya watched him with a cold gaze, then turned her back and walked away.
Chapter 180: The Grand Festival (1)
Chapter 180: The Grand Festival (1)
? The Grand Festival (1) ?
¡°Now, I dere themencement of M?rchen Academy¡¯s Jeblem!!¡±
Headmistress Elena Woodline¡¯s cheerful promation echoed loudly throughout the vibrantly decorated M?rchen Academy. Her voice was amplified by the loudspeakers ced throughout.
Simultaneously, bundles of magical fireworks burst into the daylight sky.
With a loud boom, the Academy erupted in cheers as students filled the outdoor stadium. The atmosphere was particrly loud.
It was a fine day.
The weather was sunny, and the temperature was just right.
On stage, a choir and cheer squad, dressed in beautiful outfits, sang and danced to the excitement.
After many incidents dampened the mood, the academy was in full swing for the first time in a long time.
¡°Ohhh.¡±
From the back seat, Luce Eltania rested her chin on the crown of my head and watched the performance with me, impressed.
I felt the same. Watching a performance filled with the unique sentiments of this world in real life was so different from what I¡¯d seen in the game. It was deeply moving and struck a chord in my heart.
M?rchen Academy nned to create a joyful atmosphere at the opening ceremony and a touching one at the closing ceremony a few dayster.
Priestess Miya would dance in hopes that the gods woulde together and enjoy the Grand Festival, and at the same time bestow abundance.
The dance was meant to symbolize a peaceful world filled with love. However, considering the prejudiced value of the dancer, it was regrettable that the meaning of the dance was diminished.
That reminded me¡
¡Isn¡¯t it time for Luce to go?
¡°Luce, when are you going to get ready?¡±
¡°Soon. I¡¯ll be right back, so stay here.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? You can¡¯te back, you¡¯re the second year¡¯s representative.¡±
¡°What does that have to do anything? I¡¯ll stay by your side.¡±
Luce responded calmly and confidently with her beautiful voice.
I guess she would never change. A stubborn character who would ignore the rules if they didn¡¯t suit her. She was like Dorothy in a way.
Normally, one would want to be with their one and only friend in such an event. Well, that had always been the case, but it was inevitable this time.
¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn¡ or I¡¯ll avoid you.¡±
¡°¡I suddenly hate the Grand Festival.¡±
Luce grumbled as she twirled my tousled hair with her fingers.
During the opening ceremony, a girl approached Luce and spoke to her. She was in charge of the second-years makeup.
¡°Luce, let¡¯s go and get you ready.¡±
¡°Ugh¡¡±
She looked incredibly disgusted¡. and her expression was hrious.
¡°Bye.¡±
As I chuckled, Luce grabbed my shoulders with a sullen face, seemingly annoyed with me, and brought her mouth to my ear.
¡°I hate you.¡±
She whispered and blew a breath into my ear. It sent shivers down my spine and I felt a rush of thrilling pleasure.
Wow. I reflexively pulled my head back and covered my ear.
¡®That¡ was very stimting.¡¯
Luce exploited the fact that her voice was a weak spot for my ears whenever she found me annoying. She did so without warning and was incredibly proficient at it.
Luce red at me with a displeased expression and got up from her seat. It was her way of showing displeasure for how quickly I could send her off.
Of course, it was mostly a joke. Luce was not irresponsible enough to abandon her role.
¡°Sorry, Isaac. I¡¯ll need to borrow Luce for a bit~.¡±
The girl apologized with an awkward smile and left the stands with Luce. I waved goodbye to Luce, saying we¡¯d see each otherter.
I was alone again. Holding a magic tool, I pretended to watch the students while repeatedly circting mana and quietly scanning my surroundings.
The four Pdins sat separately amidst the first-years of the Magic Department.
Alice Carroll was seated on the upper deck, away from the stands, as the Student Council President.
I discreetly paid attention to them.
***
The Grand Festival proceeded just as I had seen in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Before the games began, the students cheered as the faces of each representative made their entrance.
They ignored the representatives from other departments.
From the Magic Department, White for the first year, Luce for the second year, and Dorothy for the third year took the stage. They were dressed in beautifully modified clothes and wore make-up that highlighted their prominent beauty.
White was nervous, Luce was indifferent, and Dorothy was excited. They all boasted their exceptional appearances, fitting their role as the face of their respective year.
It was a huge relief that White was properly dressed and didn¡¯t have her stiletto-shaped hair.
After they were ced in their respective seats, various games took ce. The students cheered for their side with various performances centered around their representatives.
Being in a festive atmosphere inevitably brought joy. I resisted. Whenever the urge to enjoy myself rose, I suppressed it and kept my emotions in check.
¡®Don¡¯t break the tension.¡¯
There was no telling what the Clover Pdin would do to White.
It was now lunchtime. The heat of the game had died down and the students were eager to get something to eat.
With a face full of dissatisfaction, Luce was dragged away by the students to prepare for the next performance.
My heart sank at the thought of her being separated from the students and eating alone, but regretfully, I wouldn¡¯t be able to join her today. All because of the Clover Pdin.
¡°Nyahaha! Karina, I almost diedughing earlier! Your pstick~. Nihihi!¡±
¡°Ugh. Dorothy, you¡¡±
The popr Dorothy was swarmed by students and they all went for lunch. Theirughter never stopped.
I suddenly remembered watching the opening ceremony for the Grand Festival in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Before the ceremony began, a cleric from the Helize Church offered a prayer of thanks. Whenever this happened, I hoped that the festival¡¯s warmth would reach Dorothy as well, asking her to watch over this scene from heaven, which she had given her life to protect.
¡®Because in such a scenario, Dorothy had to die.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Seeing Dorothy enjoying life at the academy like it was the most natural thing filled me with a sense of pride.
¡®Well, now¡¡¯
Let¡¯s get to work.
My goal for the Grand Festival was to protect White. Every time I remembered how badly beaten she was by Priestess Miya, anger surged within me.
The Clover Pdin also harbored a childish n to harm White to provoke me.
Since [Psychological Insight] was not all-powerful, I couldn¡¯t precisely know how he might have changed his mind by now. He might have found a way to torment White in a way I couldn¡¯t anticipate.
In that case.
¡°Excuse me, I need to get through.¡±
I made my way through the first-years of the Magic Department.
I approached the Pure White Princess who stood at the top of the ss, bent over, looking down at the students like a goddess.
¡°Hey?¡±
¡°Huh? Senior Isaac?¡±
¡°Ack!¡±
Ignoring the various reactions of the freshmen as they stepped aside, I noticed the four Pdins had already left and were nowhere to be seen.
The students flocked around White like she was a celebrity. She had yet to notice that I was approaching.
She was smiling awkwardly, looking quite troubled.
She seemed to be unable to escape the crowd of students. I could tell she was anxious to get down from her seat and get away.
¡°Please grant us the honor of serving Princess White¡!¡±
¡°There¡¯s no beauty in the world that canpare to White¡¯s beauty!¡±
¡°Your Highness! I, the eldest child of the Hameln Family, will serve you with utmost dedication!¡±
What amotion. If I were that popr, my self-esteem would be through the roof.
Well, if it were any other Princess, who had heard all sorts of ttery, they might¡¯ve been annoyed by this utterly chaotic atmosphere and ordered everyone to shut up.
It would have been quiet, as if a mouse had died. But the good-natured White was incapable of doing anything even remotely simr.
Despite holding the power and status of an Imperial Princess.
The students took White lightly, confident that she wouldn¡¯t retaliate. It was the fate of a kind-hearted pushover.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t get them. They were the children of noble families, after all, eager to make a good impression on White.
Especially here, in an academy where traditional social hierarchies were somewhatx.
Being of the same age as the Princess, the chance to interact with her so closely would likely nevere again.
However, regrettably, I must take that opportunity away.
¡°Huh?¡±
White spotted me. Surprise spread across her face, turning into relief.
The first-years were also surprised at my sudden arrival.
Yes, be surprised. I am your senior, Isaac, the one you all admire.
¡°White.¡±
The previously noisy atmosphere quieted down significantly because of me.
I stood in front of White and looked up at her.
And she looked down from her high seat, meeting my gaze.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
When I held out my right hand, White¡¯s head faintly trembled. Her eyes widened even more, and her lips parted slightly, looking stunned.
Perhaps because she had been wanting to escape from the crowd of students, my hand must have felt like a lifeline.
Although our rtionship began as mentor and mentee, White now regarded me as a teacher and master. That made me more approachable to her than anyone else at the Academy.
Well, the feeling was mutual. Initially, I wasn¡¯t too excited about meeting White, but as we spent time together, a deep affection developed.
It felt simr to the sentiment in old movies where a master would cherish their student. Was it something like that¡? I wasn¡¯t too sure.
Anyway, had that cleared up the traffic?
¡°¡Okay.¡±
A pure smile flooded over White¡¯s face.
Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand and jumped off her seat.
Whoosh
A cushion of wind magic fluttered beneath her feet.
Whitended smoothly on the ground, and we exchanged bright smiles.
The freshmen were astounded, especially those nearby who had been showering White with their tteries.
They were armed with high status, all sorts of ttery, adtion, and sweet nothings to invite White for a meal.
It must have been quite perplexing for them to see White go because I, amoner, simply said ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯
¡°Ack.
I took White with me.
We had to cut through a sea of first-years, so I held onto White¡¯s wrist and walked away. It would be troublesome if I lost her in the crowd.
Fortunately, most of them made way for us. They were most likely aware of our mentor-mentee rtionship.
Having her wrist grabbed, White let out a tiny yelp that soon turned to silence. The exnation could wait untilter.
As long as Alice didn¡¯t reveal her true intentions, I had to be cautious about the Clover Pdin, the alpha male who was targeting White to provoke me.
My solution was simple. I just had to keep White by my side.
Right now, the Hilde was hiding in the cor of my shirt, keeping watch.
Unless it was an all-out brawl, I would be able to go toe-to-toe with the Clover Pdin.
I was determined to protect White. I couldn¡¯t allow a repeat of what happened during the duel evaluation.
I turned my head back to look at White as we continued walking.
She pursed her lips, trying hard to keep her delight from showing on her face.
She looked hrious and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle.
¡°Keep up with me. I won¡¯t let go of your hand.¡±
¡°¡Yes¡!¡±
White nodded and gazed at me intently. Her delight had a hint of nervousness.
What was it? The scene unfolding before White seemed to be making a deep impression on her.
Well, there was no point in reading her psychology.
I turned my head back to the front and we quickened our pace.
As we passed the still-stunned first-years, we made our way out of the stadium.
¡°Ah, Merlin.¡±
I spotted Merlin Astrea at the entrance and greeted her with a bright smile, pleased to see her.
Being an outsider, she wasn¡¯t allowed inside, so she had been watching over White from that spot. Interestingly, as the daughter of the Sword Saint, she was more than capable of protecting White from this distance.
As we approached the exit, I invited Merlin to a meal. Having her around would certainly feel reassuring.
¡°How about joining us for a meal¡¡±
Swoosh.
With a graceful move, Merlin quickly positioned herself between White and me, cing her hand on White¡¯s grasped wrist.
White and I stopped dead in our tracks.
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes¡?¡±
¡°Please let go of Princess White¡¯s hand.¡±
Merlin shot me with a wary nce.
Chapter 181: The Grand Festival (2)
Chapter 181: The Grand Festival (2)
The Grand Festival (2)
The Astrea Family was currently formed through the union of the Sword Saint Gerald and the genius wizard Historia.
However, their story did not start with a beautiful tale of pure love. Rather, it was a story of a grotesque, struggle of lust, desire, and war to determine which woman would im Gerald as her own.
Gerald Astrea, the head of the Astrea Family, was once a notorious womanizer. A man of status and fame who always had a woman by his side, a true casanova.
Historia was one of the women who loved Gerald, and she somehow managed to capture his heart and drive the other women away.
Yet, it did not change Geralds past or hisscivious nature, which coveted every beautiful woman heid his eyes upon.
Merlin Astrea despised her father for it.
Considering his status, it wouldnt have been unusual for him to have several concubines, but Merlin could never forgive him for being physically involved with other women while still married to her mother.Moreover, Historia only seemed to have resigned herself to the situation and told her husband to exercise self-restraint. To Merlin, it was frustrating that her mother simply gave up and let things slide solely because she was the legitimate wife.
Therefore, Merlin longed for a love that was pure and beautiful, like a flower, not one that was mired in lust like mud.
However, as she focused solely on her swordsmanship, graduated from the academy, and joined the Imperial Knights, hearing lustful conversations of men made her idealistic hopes for pure love seem more like a distant dream.
Is it that hard to find true love?
Having never had romantic feelings for anyone even after bing a knight, the concept of pure love became something Merlin could only yearn for.
That was why Isaac and Luces rtionship at the academy, full of youthful innocence, seemed so beautiful to Merlin.
She believed they embodied the pure love she had dreamed had only ever dreamed of.
Moreover, Merlin was secretly happy that such a person was Whites mentor.
However.
Why would you show such a sight, Sir Isaac
After seeing Isaac and Dorothy spend time together like young lovers during the Grand Festival preparations, Merlin wished to deny reality.
In the end, was Isaac no different from her despicable father, Gerald Astrea, a man who hid hisscivious nature behind a kind facade?
No, that was a rude thought. There could be misunderstandings Merlin hadnt been made aware of. Yet, she couldnt help but be wary.
Isaac was a good-looking man with a gentle personality. It wasnt surprising that Snow White, who was a teenager and didnt care about social status, might have a crush on him.
That was why Merlin was secretly wary of Isaac.
Even though their rtionship was limited to teaching the basics of scythebat and swordsmanship, she had grown fond of him during the time they spent together.
Whether or not Isaac was attracted to women was a separate issue.
* * *
Merlins chilly demeanor was understandable.
No matter how close White and I were, the extreme difference in our social statuses couldnt be ignored, and the act of leading her by the wrist was problematic in and of itself.
Even if I was an escort knight, I would have been cautious of someone like me.
I did it only because I trusted White, but if it had been any other Princesses, by now we would be deeply discussing whether or not to cut off my wrist. The situation could have escted uncontrobly.
And
She saw it.
Merlin thought that Luce and I were in an intimate kind of rtionship.
After identally seeing me with Dorothy during the Grand Festival preparations, she seemed confused. I could tell by reading her psychology.
She thought I was possibly a womanizer and was wary of my physical contact with White.
I wasnt too affected. It was nothing new.
I felt boundless affection for my favorite characters.
What Merlin thought of my actions of showering them with affection hardly mattered.
Im sorry, White.
White let out a muffled Ah, when I let go of her hand.
However, Merlin continued to re at me. She was so wary.
White was flustered by the unexpected tense atmosphere. She forced a smile and waved her hands quickly enough to leave an afterimage.
N-no! Dont be sorry! I was so happy that Isaac brought me here! Also, um, Merlin?
Merlin had no intention of making White ufortable. She reluctantly bowed her head once and stood next to White.
Without another word, we all walked out of the stadium.
White seemed flustered by the subdued atmosphere.
Even after lunch, Merlin Astrea kept a close watch on me.
Whenever I tried to make even the slightest bit of physical contact with White, she would intervene and stop me.
Not knowing what sweet words might pop out, I also paid attention to my words and actions.
This is getting ufortable.
At least now her wariness had died down. Perhaps it was because passersby were admiring Whites beauty, and she was internally growling at them as a bunch of horny people.
Today, Whites beauty was even more radiant than usual as she was fully dressed up as the face of the first year of the Magic Department.
Princess White, your dress
Ack?!
Suddenly, the sound of fabric tearing resounded from behind White.
It seemed that even with her slender body, the tautly pulled fabric couldnt take it anymore.
Ahhh!
White scrambled to her feet, trying to look at her back.
Merlin took out a thin coat from her magic pouch and draped it over Whites shoulders.
Ah, thank you, Merlin! Senior Isaac, do you mind if we go to the dressing room?!
Lets go.
We made our way to Orphin Hall.
As soon as we entered, we noticed the graduate student, Marco, hunched over and trudging along. The dark circles under his eyes suggested he had been up for several nights.
I wondered why he was so busy even though it was time for the Grand Festival. It was regrettable, but it was unavoidable since he was a graduate student. We passed by him.
White, Merlin, and I went up to the first-year floor and entered the dressing room, a space prepared for use during the Grand Festival.
The spare clothes. are here. Merlin, could you help me get dressed?
Sure.
White took a set of clothes hanging on the rack and went behind the ckout curtains with Merlin.
White stuck her head out and looked at me.
These clothes are difficult to put on by myself Senior Isaac, Im sorry, but could you wait a bit?
I nodded and leaned against the wall. While I waited, I decided to concentrate on circting mana in my magic tool.
Sounds of fabric brushing against skin came from behind the curtain. White groaning ugh, indicated that the pretty clothes were difficult to take off. It seemed even Merlin was struggling to help her change.
It was going to take some time.
By the way, Senior Isaac. Uhm
Just then, White spoke from beyond the curtain.
Like it was the right moment to bring up a conversation that would be difficult to have face-to-face. It was clear what she was about to discuss.
Its due tomorrow.
Ah, ehehe! R-right? Its tomorrow? Of course, I remembered!
I beat her to it. White had been concerned about it all along, her excited voice came through.
The due date of the debt ovepped with the Grand Festival. White had only earned enough gel to get by and had not yet paid off her debt. It was also unlikely shed be able to fully repay it by tomorrow.
Even if she did well during the Grand Festival and won a prize, the due date of her debt woulde first before the end of the festival. And she knew what would happen if she failed to repay the debt.
To White, I was a resolute person. While usually kind and gentle, I could also seem cold-blooded, capable of cutting ties easily, even though I didnt see myself that way at all.
What are you going to do?
I-I can pay it back! Ill definitely pay it back tomorrow!
How?
I already knew she was thinking of taking a loan from the Academy Bank.
White was still a low-ranked student. In other words, she could only choose a high-interest loan at the unreasonable Academy Bank. She wouldnt be able to manage the skyrocketing interest.
Excessive debt was a shortcut to expulsion, especially for a low-ranked student like White. Debt adjustment? Holding on? Such things would not even be considered.
Even though there was a possibility that she would be given special treatment for being a Princess, it was doubtful that White, who hated being indebted, would readily ept it.
I was about to suggest that she sell some of her valuable training tools, but I stopped. Doing so would blur Whites resolution to be stronger, even if it meant bing a debtor.
Anyway! I just wanted to say dont worry, I can pay it back. I have a way!
She was basically saying Dont prepare your heart to leave my side.
Since she was absolutely terrified to see someone abandon her.
She was so pure. I somehow felt guilty.
I only mentioned the due date because I wanted White to do her best. Of course, Id be by her side, and I had to anyway, considering what was toe.
Dont borrow gel from somewhere else. You wont be able to handle it.
Oh! T-that cant be! Youre talking nonsense, I wasnt thinking about digging myself into debt?! How could a low-ranked student like me get a high-interest loan from the Academy Bank?!
I didnt even mention the loan, you fool.
Now that the due date was near, it might be okay to talk honestly. I had no intention of leaving, and I didnt care whether she paid it off or not.
Would physicalbor be okay? By now, White should have at least reached the minimum threshold for what I wanted her to do.
I might end up making her do tough tasks like anaerobic exercises, but she would understandter that it was for the future.
There was no better pretext than paying off the debt. There was also a good purpose for both of us to be stronger together. It was truly a win-win situation.
After a brief pause, I brought up the conversation.
You dont have to pay it back with gel. There are many ways to take responsibility. If not gel, theres physical
Swing!
The curtains flung open, and the escort knight with a green ponytail, Merlin, popped out.
Why did shee out?
I was flustered. Whites surprised voice came from inside the curtain, Merlin?! But Merlin ignored her and quickly walked towards me.
A chill ran down my spine at her eerie gaze.
What the hell? Shes terrifying.
Merlin, where are you going?! M-my clothes!
Excuse me for a moment. Gran, stay with Princess White. Report to me immediately if anything happens.
Merlin grabbed my wrist and dragged me to a corner of the dressing room. Her brown falcon familiar, Gran, was summoned into the air and flew beside White, closing the curtains with its beak.
Thud.
Merlin then pushed me into a corner and forcefully ced her hand next to my head against the wall.
Huuu.
Merlin exhaled deeply, her head hanging low. She seemed to be having a hard time, drumming her fingers.
Should I pretend to be perplexed?
Merlin? Whats going on all of a sudden?
Sir Isaac, I also feel very burdened by the debt Princess White owes you. This must also be a social experience that Princess White must ovee.
Merlin clicked her tongue with a sorrowful expression.
But indeed, you are just the same as other males. My suspicions werent wrong. I had developed some affection for you, given you were teaching Princess White well and even taught her basic weapon skills
What are you talking about?
Dont feign ignorance!
Merlin suddenly lifted her head and was about to shout, but she lowered her voice quickly.
Suggesting to pay off her debt with something physical, thats clearly something indecent?!
She cut off my words to suit her own interpretation.
Even you cannot tolerate using Princess Whites kindness and sense of responsibility to satisfy your own selfish desires.
Merlin? White was still behind the curtain, looking desperately for her escort knight and calling out
After seeing me with Dorothy during the festival preparations, Merlins perception of me drastically changed. The pure-hearted Isaac in her mind transformed into ascivious Isaac. The gap between these two perceptions couldnt be wider.
Because of this, Merlin had even considered the possibility that I might make an indecent proposition if White failed to pay off her debt, and upon hearing my words, she immediately assumed her suspicions were correct and confronted me. It was a ridiculous misunderstanding.
I might be a harem lover, but I was certainly not a beast who had been preying on Whites innocence.
And now, it seemed Merlin hastily jumped to a conclusion and pushed her misunderstanding onto me, which didnt sit well with me at all.
I narrowed my eyes and spoke with a sharp tone.
I dont know what youre talking about. So, are you going to pay me back tomorrow?
Thats
White was determined to take responsibility for her own actions. If Merlin were to pay it all off, it would be an insult to Whites hard work andmitment.
Merlin knew that better than anyone. Actually, it was doubtful that Merlin could pay it back in the first ce.
Merlin, whats going on there? I cant wear this dress by myself!
Merlin did not respond despite Whites pleading voice, she just locked eyes with me.
I observed her reaction, curious how she would respond given her haste to condemn me based on her misunderstandings. I intended to clear up the misunderstanding, but I was intrigued.
Merlin avoided my gaze and continued with an exasperated look on her face.
Would it be possible to extend the due date or forgive the debt?
Hmm, it seemed that she was willing to negotiate in a way that wouldnt undermine Whites resolve.
Oh well.
Why should I?
Im an outsider, so I cant use gel, but I can, just a little let you touch me.
Merlin knew how attractive she was during her years at the Academy and the Knight Order. I hadnt expected her to go this far, though.
Is she suggesting that she will tolerate me touching her body? She must think that all men would be tempted by such an offer.
Merlin hung her head again, trying to hide her flushed face.
To go to such lengths.
Haa.
I let out a heavy sigh. Merlin nced at me with a sharp look in her eyes.
Im not interested in your body, Merlin.
What?
Her gaze turned lethal.
Ah, I may have misspoken.
I quickly corrected myself.
I think theres been a misunderstanding. I was going to have White help me with mana cirction. Its tough but beneficial for both of us, so I thought of it as a way to settle the debt.
What?
Merlin looked flustered.
I never had inappropriate thoughts towards White. Ive been seeing and teaching her every day for a while now, and Ive grown fond of you, Merlin I didnt realize you thought of me that way.
S-sir Isaac?
Im a little disappointed.
I deliberately looked down, looking sorrowful, which made Merlin break out in a cold sweat. She seemed troubled about what to say next, clearly overwhelmed.
I continued, seizing the momentum.
And why would you say something like that? Do you think your body wouldnt be defiled?
N-no, thats not
Dont ever bring up anything like that in front of me again. Even if your role is to protect White with your life, that doesnt diminish your worth.
I lectured her like a teacher instructing a child. Perhaps Id be ustomed to this manner of speaking from teaching White.
Merlin, her face filled with shock and confusion, trembled violently.
I gently lowered the arm she had propped against the wall. It swung limply in the air.
Unexpectedly, it seems I have incurred a moral debt.
Merlin was now feeling obliged to apologize and make amends. This might be a good time to lighten the mood.
Okay, Merlin?
Yesss.
Her response was lifeless.
That should be enough. I immediately softened my expression to a gentle smile.
Alright. Lets forget this ever happened. White seems to be in a bind, you should go check on her.
Merlin?
Im sorry, Sir Isaac. I dont know if this is alright, but Ill give you the opportunity to slit my throat someday
I didnt see the need for such an opportunity.
I smiled awkwardly and reassured her that it was fine and there was no need for such harsh reflection. Merlin let out a sad sigh.
Merlin turned and went behind the curtain. Then, an apologetic voice came from inside the curtain,
Princess White, I havemitted a grave offense
Merlin? Whats wrong?!
There was a lot of back and forth behind the curtain. Merlin glossed over our recent conversation and quickly concluded her reflection.
***
Let us nowmence the highlight of the Jeblem! Let the Arc Ball Race begin!!
The voice of the announcer echoed through Mrchen Academy.
The Arc Ball Race began.
Chapter 182: The Grand Festival (3)
Chapter 182: The Grand Festival (3)
? The Grand Festival (3) ?
Thirty minutes before the start of the Arc Ball race.
I changed into my gym clothes in the waiting room.
It was specially made by some second-year ss B students of the Magic Department.
The Arc Ball race was a team event, so a coordinated uniform was a requirement.
I looked around. The others had changed into gym clothes with the same design.
¡®Ohh.¡¯
Maybe it was because we were wearing matching clothes for the festival, but I felt a stronger sense of belonging than usual. It reminded me of high school festivals, and I was secretly excited.
With the safety gear on my knees, elbows, and head, I was ready to go.
I sat down and put my safety gear on the table next to me.
My teammates were already in full safety gear. The reason I was slower than them was because I came to the waiting roomte.
I used [irvoyance] to watch the Clover Pdin enter the first-year waiting room of the Magic Department. I couldn¡¯t help but be anxious because I didn¡¯t know what he would do to White.
¡°Tristan already went out.¡±
¡°Tristan was so excited. Uhh, I¡¯m shaking like crazy¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m going out first, Isaac. Come out when you¡¯re ready.¡±
I nodded indifferently and said, ¡®Okay,¡¯ to the main character, Ian Fairytale.
The team was about to leave when the door on the other side suddenly swung open, and they stopped in their tracks.
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Everyone looked shocked.
What¡¯s up with them?
I turned my gaze toward the door and it suddenly made sense.
¡°President?¡±
¡°What is the Student Council President doing here¡?¡±
Wait, what?
As the surprise visitor came in, the team parted like the Red Sea.
Then, a beautiful woman with a gentle smile came into view. For a second, time seemed to slow down beforeing to a standstill.
She was neatly dressed in her uniform, with her light gold hair.
¡®What are you doing here¡?¡¯
The Student Council President, Alice Carroll, walked straight up to me.
She bent down, resting her hands on her knees, until we were face-to-face.
My teammates just stood there, frozen with wide-eyed shock.
¡°Hi, Baby.¡±
¡°Senior Alice? Why are you here¡?¡±
¡°No reason, I just miss you.¡±
My teammates¡¯ mouths dropped open in disbelief and they started whispering.
Alice, this girl really didn¡¯t know right from wrong. Was that something one said in front of people?
This was making things difficult for me. It was the same when she visited White, it was clear she was trying to provoke a reaction out of me.
Possibly because she was the type to easily brush off other people¡¯s murmurs, Alice didn¡¯t mind it. But please, pay attention to their chatters.
I gave her a half-hearted look, and Alice shifted her attention to the safety gear on the table.
¡°Are you putting on your safety gear?¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
Alice looked back at me with her cherry blossom-colored eyes.
¡°Could you hold still for a moment?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Alice picked up the safety gear beside me and slid it onto my arms.
What the hell is she doing?
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°I¡¯m taking care of you, Baby.¡±
¡°No, I can see¡¡±
¡°Lucky for you, then.¡±
Alice offered a warm smile.
¡®¡Hilde, do you think she¡¯s putting on some sort of device on me?¡¯
[I do not believe that to be the case.]
Hildemunicated telepathically, hiding as a faint glimmer around my cor.
For some reason, it seemed like Alice was just putting on my safety gear.
My teammates gaped in disbelief, rooted in their spot, as I received the undivided attention of the esteemed Student Council President.
When are they going to leave?
¡°Is it okay for the Student Council President to do this?¡±
¡°It seems you¡¯ve forgotten that I¡¯m a spectator. I¡¯m on your side. As a spectator, it¡¯s okay for me to be biased, isn¡¯t it?¡±
She used the word biased so tantly. She must have her own position too.
That was her own problem, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about it.
¡°So, you came here to cheer me on?¡±
¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because I like Baby.¡±
Alice knelt down, pressed her knees together, and began putting on the safety gear on my knees.
With a click, the gear was safely fastened all over my body.
Finally, Alice picked up the helmet with both hands and carefully ced it on my head, a satisfied smile on her face.
¡°All set~. Hehe, so cute.¡±
Alice patted my helmet.
If we weren¡¯t enemies, I would have found it beyond adorable.
¡°Well then, Baby, don¡¯t get hurt and do well. I¡¯ll be cheering for you.¡±
¡°Ah, okay¡ Thanks.¡±
With a polite yet guarded smile, I rose to my feet.
I made my way past Alice and left the room, my teammates were still gaping at me in sheer disbelief.
¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
I exited through the door with my dazed teammates in tow. They exchanged nces between Alice and I, pointlessly specting about our rtionship.
As I nced back, I saw Alice waving at me with a genuinely warm smile still spread across her face.
It was intriguing. Perhaps she was nning to install some strange device in the waiting room after we left?
As long as Phantom Cat Cheshire was present, I couldn¡¯t monitor Alice with [irvoyance].
So after the Arc Ball race, and before we entered the waiting room, I had to check inside with [irvoyance] first.
¡®Of course, I have to do that.¡¯
¡I doubt Alice would carelessly cause trouble in the waiting room. She wouldn¡¯t want to risk bing a suspect in case something dangerous happened.
I gave Alice a curt nod and then headed down the hallway with my teammates.
Along the way, I was bombarded with questions about my rtionship with the Student Council President, whether we were dating, and what happened with Luce, but I brushed them all off.
***
Under the broad daylight sky, at the outdoor stadium.
Students from various departments stood at the starting line. It was like a marathon was about to start.
Around them, square-shaped bleachers encircled the stadium, structured so that spectators could view the entire route of the Arc Ball race from any direction.
Race participants were dressed in gym clothes ording to their ss¡¯ concept. It made identifying team members easy. As I noticed earlier, the clothes were stretchy and easy to move in.
Oddly enough, the participants from the first-year ss D of the Magic Department had the stiletto-like hairstyles that I saw during the Grand Festival preparations. Of course, not wanting to be bothered, I ignored them.
¡®Okay.¡¯
I warmed up a little. I was in good condition.
The first day of the Grand Festival, the first Arc Ball race.
Fortunately, there had been no incidents involving White. But now, the real game began.
The Clover Pdin nced at me briefly before clicking his tongue with a frown.
However, he quicklyposed himself and shed a charming alpha-male smile at the group of female students who were looking at him from the stands, screaming, ¡®Kyaah.¡¯
Each time, the decibels of the girls¡¯ voices increased.
What an uproar¡
Then, the Clover Pdin¡¯s face stiffened in annoyance.
He had been like that ever since he saw my name on the participant list. He realized his n to make me watch helplessly as White suffered had been thwarted.
However, he hadn¡¯tpletely abandoned his n. He still intended to attack White to provoke me.
Now the real battle began.
On the other team, I saw Dorothy. When our eyes met, she shed a smile and waved her hand at me like she had been waiting for it.
¡®So pretty.¡¯
I felt an urge to hug her tightly. Seeing her warm smile made my heart leap into my chest.
On the other side, White was shivering in excitement and nervousness.
Good luck, White.
I also recognized other familiar faces.
Among my peers from ss A, Lisetta Lionheart was participating. She seemed pretty excited at the thought of shing with others.
But when our eyes met, she quickly turned her head away in fright.
Is she still scared of me¡?
It was disheartening how she reacted like that every time she saw me, even though I wanted us to get along.
¡°Ha!¡±
Among my teammates, the vain blond nobleman, Tristan Humphrey, let out a gant chuckle.
¡°This heat! These cheers! Truly a perfect stage for this body! Kaha¡!¡±
Bam bam bam.
The band began to y, and Tristan gasped and began to choke in hisughter, coughing in surprise.
¡°And now!! The moment you¡¯ve all been waiting for has arrived!!¡±
The lively voice of the announcer echoed throughout the academy. It was Amy Holloway, a girl with short white hair adorned with ck ribbons that were tied to resemble the shape of rabbit ears, and also Ian¡¯s girlfriend.
As the announcer, she was also dressed up in pretty clothes for the asion.
Standing at the announcer¡¯s booth above the stadium, she energetically shouted into the megaphone as the band yed in the background.
¡°All participants have assembled! The preparations for the Arc Ball race are nowplete!¡±
The students in the stands let out a unified cheer.
And the band¡¯s music changed to an upbeat tune.
¡®Amy looks excited¡¡¯
This is nice.
My teammate, Ian Fairytale, also smiled fondly upon seeing his enthusiastic girlfriend.
¡°Before we start the Arc Ball race, let¡¯s go over the rules briefly! Thepetition will take ce over 3 days, skipping a day in between the 5 days of Jeblem! Teams will be selected based on their performance to advance to the next round!¡±
It meant that the tournament would be held every other day.
¡°Now~, everyone, please raise your heads and look at the sky!¡±
Amy raised her right arm and pointed toward the sky, prompting both participants and the audience to look up.
I also gazed up at the sky.
Above the stadium, in the air, numerous mana particles moved around, clinking and nking through telekinesis, orchestrated by the delicate magic of the Hegel Tower Master, Aria Lilias.
It was the same as the end-of-semester evaluation when I was a first year. That immense mana mastery was as impressive as always.
The mana particles formed a map mimicking the surroundings. The route and destination of the Arc Ball race shone brightly in vivid colors.
¡°The race track extends to the outskirts of M?rchen Academy, and today¡¯s destination is Bartos Hall! The first six teams to reach the destination with the Arc Ball will advance to the next round! The rest, unfortunately, will be eliminated! On thest day, the top three teams will receive the very, very nice prizes announced during the opening ceremony, so everyone, do your best!¡±
All participants shouted, ¡®Woah!¡¯ Raising their arms in excitement. I joined in too.
¡°Lastly, let¡¯s hear some words from the idol of our female students, the cool and handsome, Professor Fernando Frost!!¡±
As Amy pointed to the silver-haired, handsome Professor among the faculty, the female students screamed their lungs out, almost roaring.
Fernando cleared his throat with an, ¡®Ahem¡¯.
He picked up the megaphone and spoke firmly and without expression.
¡°First-year ss D of the Magic Department, be prepared if you get eliminated. I¡¯ll double your homework.¡±
¡°Impossible!! A terrifying statement I hoped I¡¯d never hear!! But, it looks like my juniors are now motivated! Excellent!!¡±
Aside from the horrified first-year ss D students of the Magic Department, the rest of the academy erupted inughter.
¡°Now, then~!¡±
With a beaming smile, Amy stretched out one arm forward.
¡°We nowmence the crowning event of Jeblem! Let the Arc Ball race begin!!¡±
Boom!
A firework made of fire magic bursts in the sky, creating colorful patterns in the air.
The band yed a grand and lively melody.
Students cheered, each supporting their team, creating an electric atmosphere.
And then.
¡°All participants, get ready!!¡±
As Amy raised her right arm, students on either end of the starting line raised their gs forward. At the same time, the cheers from the entire academy died down.
A heavy tension filled the air. I bent my upper body slightly and braced my knees, ready to run.
I had a few goals during the Arc Ball race. Protect White,nd a blow on the Clover Pdin, to win a prize, and although uncertain, I hoped to gain some EXP as well.
I nced at the Clover Pdin, Pierre nche. He was eyeing his target, Snow White. He looked like a creep.
I was going to take this opportunity to show him how foolish his ns were.
Soon, Amy threw her arms up and shouted, her voice filled withughter.
¡°Race start!!¡±
The g was raised.
Amidst the cheers and shouts of the students, I, along with the other participants, crossed the starting line and dashed forward.
Chapter 183: The Grand Festival (4)
Chapter 183: The Grand Festival (4)
? The Grand Festival (4) ?
?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¸Act 8, Chapter 1, The Grand Festival¡¹
yers could choose from various sports events.
Depending on their choice different events would ur, ensuring that one could always y the sport one wanted.
Regardless of the scenario, one could freely y various mini-games themed around the sports events of the Grand Festival. I remember having quite a bit of fun with them.
Among them, the sport considered the highlight of The Grand Festival was the Arcball Race.
Going into the detailed rules would be headache-inducing, so to put it simply, what was the Arcball Race?
It was a race where you passed an ¡®Arcball¡¯ among team members while running a designated course, and the order of arrival at the destination determined the ranking.
Arcball was a magic tool in the shape of a ball that was tightly packed with lightning mana. It was about the size of my fist.
This ball must be caught with a uniqueless racket, whichbined the appearance of a tennis racket and a butterfly. Physical contact was considered a foul in this game.
An Arcball caught in the racket was incapacitated for 2 minutes, meaning it regained its functionality and escaped after 2 minutes.
Therefore, passing between team members was essential to keep the Arcball continuously incapacitated.
Amidst the chaos, I moved my feet, blending in with the participants.
¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡±
¡°Everyone, move aside!!¡±
¡°Wo!¡±
In the meantime, Lisetta Lionheart, a ss A delinquent with an orange ponytail, pushed forward. Being robust, she didn¡¯t lose out in the physical altercation.
Then, in front of therge passage leading out of the stadium, mana concentrated, and with a crackling noise, it formed into a ball emitting currents.
It was about the size of my fist. It was the Arcball.
¡°Now!! The Arcball has been generated!! Who will take the lead?!!¡±
Whoosh©¤!
As expected, a female student with light purple hair swiftly swooped in and scooped up the Arcball with her racket.
A myriad of colorful stars swirled around her.
¡°Nihihi.¡±
The goddess stretched out one arm towards the students, spreading her index and middle fingers into a v-shape.
Dorothy pressed down on the witch hat on her head and smiled brightly. The Arcball, passing through her racket was caught and couldn¡¯t move due to the crackling lightning mana flowing from the racket.
¡°Is it as expected?! Our M?rchen Academy¡¯s celebrity! yer Dorothy Heartnova is the first to catch the Arcball!!¡±
As announcer Amy Holloway shouted, cheers from the students spread, especially from Dorothy¡¯s fans.
On the other hand, several participants stood in a daze or clicked their tongues.
Of course, I was happy.
Dorothy, do whatever you want.
With Dorothy in the lead, the participants, including myself, passed through the stadium corridor and went outdoors.
From the passage, mana particles shone brightly, forming a very long track.
The rule of the Arcball race was to pass through the track with the Arcball and reach the destination.
Each time a teampleted the race, the mana particles would move around, and the track would be reconfigured to be shorter. Thus, the first track was the longest.
We ran along the track.
¡°You guys, hurry up!¡±
Dorothy couldn¡¯t rashly push forward.
After all, if she took the Arcball first, she would have to pass it to her teammates within 2 minutes.
Teammates using physical contact or magic on each other was considered a foul. it was a regtion to prevent solo runs.
But what if it wasn¡¯t between teammates?
¡®They can hit each other.¡¯
As long as one got past the safe line, and as long as the path wasn¡¯t blocked, it was possible to attackpetitors with 1 and 2-star magic. It was going to turn into a mud fight.
Ah. Physical contact was allowed betweenpetitors unless they were holding each other, and this was independent of the safe line.
Anyway.
¡®It¡¯s all about teamwork.¡¯
That was why everyone was watching each other.
Dorothy¡¯s team strategy was clear at a nce, so much so that there was no need to use [Psychological Insight].
Her speeding ahead as the leader meant her team members would also be moving forward.
If Dorothy¡¯s team kept the Arcball and stayed ahead until they crossed the uing safe line, the race would inevitably turn in her favor.
But the folks here were not easy fools. Already frustrated at losing the lead to Dorothy, would they let things go her way?
Dorothy, being in a small ss of A, was ced in a team mixed across sses, indicating her teammates were not at her level.
As expected, other participants began to closely monitor and challenge the third-year students who were dressed like Dorothy. Dorothy was formidable, but her teammates were seen as easy targets.
This was why taking the lead early on was not good.
¡°What should we do¡?¡±
Dorothy, flying with starlight mana, broke into a sweat as she watched her teammates, rendered helpless by the strategic checks and challenges from many students. Her distress was evident.
Soon.
Squeak©¤.
¡°Ugh!¡±
After 2 minutes, the lightning mana flowing through Dorothy¡¯s faded, and the Arcball regained its function, quickly escaping.
The Arcball, swift as a fly, zipped through the air.
The Arcball moved busily back and forth along the track, within reach if one only jumped high enough.
Dorothy hastily chased after the Arcball, but¡
¡°Aaaargh!!¡±
As if they had been waiting, many students rushed at once towards the Arcball that had been freed from Dorothy.
Thud.
Crash.
Thump.
There was a fierce skirmish, with students pushing and tackling each other. While students from the Knight Department with their superior physical abilities took the lead, those flying with wind magic were almost as fast.
¡°Everybody move awaaay!¡±
Woong©¤!
Rock pirs shot up from the ground.
The delinquent of ss A, Lisetta Lionheart, soared up on a rock pir and quickly jumped down.
With her rock-element magic weapon, Rock Bat, slung over her shoulder, she sprang up, hopping from one male student¡¯s head to another.
Weapons were allowed as long as they weren¡¯t swung at other participants, but most didn¡¯t use them because they were cumbersome along with the racket.
¡®The important thing is quick action and mobility.¡¯
Moreover, handling a magic weapon like Rock Bat requiredplex mana mastery. It was not quite suitable for the Arcball Race, wherebat wasn¡¯t a main element, as it would only be a distraction.
However, it seemed Lisetta felt uneasy without Rock Bat in her hand.
The poor male students served as Lisetta¡¯s stepping stones, giving her momentum before falling backward.
She was also one of the athletic types in the Magic Department, a fact anyone could tell just by looking at her body.
With her orange gym shirt half-undone, assertively emphasizing her prominent chest, Lisetta was the epitome of confidence.
Crackle.
The Arcball was caught in Lisetta¡¯s racket. Shended on the ground with a thud,ughed heartily, and dashed along the track with her teammates.
The participants sighed.
¡°What a mess.¡±
I nodded in agreement with Tristan Humphrey¡¯s calm tone.
Our team leisurely ran and watched the scene unfold.
That was our strategy, to observe during the fiercelypetitive early stages and start making our move after crossing the early to mid-part safe line.
¡®Strategy aside.¡¯
I naturally nned to strike a blow on Pierre nche. Yes, I was focused on taking down just one guy.
Amy¡¯s voice, broadcasting the progress of the Arcball race, reached us there.
The race situation had to be shown to the audience in real-time through messengers. It was possible, given the structure of the stadium, to see what was happening outside.
A giant map made of mana particles unfolded in the sky. The position of each participant was marked on it like a GPS.
Soon, several participants dashed forward, trying to surround Lisetta¡¯s team.
¡°Hey! Catch!¡±
¡°Hya!¡±
Lisetta, leading the way, swung her racket as if were a game of tennis towards her teammate, and the Arcball flew fast like a baseball.
Lisetta¡¯s teammate was surprised but managed to catch the flying Arcball with the racket. The lightning mana sparked up instantly, securing the Arcball.
Grrrrrr©¤©¤!
Lisetta pulled up rocks from beneath her feet. A pir of rock shot up diagonally in front of her, startling the students who failed to intercept in time.
The teammate immediately swung the, throwing the Arcball back towards Lisetta.
Lisetta tried to catch the Arcball, which flew like a tennis ball, with her racket leisurely.
Thud.
Dorothy swooped in swiftly and snatched the Arcball away.
Lisetta grimaced fiercely and yelled irritably, ¡®Aaang?!¡¯
¡°Nihihi! Go on, try to catch it if you can¡!¡±
Beep©¤.
¡°Huh?¡±
As Dorothy hastily flew too high, a warning beep sounded from her scoop.
¡°Ah! Dorothy Heartnova has vited the height limit! Oh no! Unfortunately, that¡¯s a disqualification!¡±
¡°¡Eh?¡±
Announcer Amy shouted.
Due to the disqualification, Dorothy¡¯s racket was forcibly disabled. The Arcball immediately left her racket.
¡°Ah¡!¡±
Realizing the situation, Dorothy trembled with a look of utter despair, just watching the Arcball drift away.
Such a pity.
In the Arcball Race, one must not ascend beyond a certain height on their own or with the help of teammates.
This rule also prevented solo runs and was a major issue that undermined the fundamental fun of the Arcball Race, resulting in immediate disqualification.
Dorothy seemed to have been so focused on securing the Arcball that she failed to gauge the height limit.
The sight of third-year students from the Magic Department and Dorothy¡¯s fans screaming in the stands was vivid in my mind.
¡®I¡¯ll have tofort her after the race ends¡¡¯
The fleeing Arcball was caught by a male student. He moved forward, chuckling with his teammates.
Of course, they too had the Arcball snatched away by another team before long.
And so, the struggle for the Arcball continued.
Suddenly, the light green line on the ground, the safe line, began to appear. It was time to prepare for battle.
The ones ahead, fighting over the Arcball, started hurling 1 and 2-star elemental spells at each other as soon as they crossed the safe line.
Being only 1 or 2-star, the magic wasn¡¯t as lethal as during a duel. It was used merely for checking each other.
Note that using magic against students who haven¡¯t crossed the safe line or blocking their path was against the rules. That was why those ahead only fought among themselves.
It was almost time. The safe line was getting closer.
Pierre nche, the Clover Pdin, and Snow White, my mentee, were also nearing the safe line.
As Pierre¡¯s teammates began to move ahead, excluding him, I exchanged nces with my teammates and nodded slightly.
I circted mana within my mana circuit, gathering ice mana and spreading my right hand.
I could feel the mana of the students around me gradually spreading.
And then, the moment we crossed the safe line.
¡°¡!¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
Whoosh.
As a powerful mana burst forth, students felt a chill run down their spines.
The source was, of course, just one person. Excluding the disqualified Dorothy, he was the strongest among the current participants.
A man with beige fine hair and light green eyes.
It was Pierre nche.
Whooooosh©¤©¤!!
¡°Aaaaah!¡±
¡°Eeeek!¡±
Water elemental magic burst forth from Pierre, swirling with terrifying force. It was massive. Despite being a basic 1-star spell [Water Generation], many students were helplessly swept away.
Simultaneously, high waves surged along the track.
His basic water magic devastated the surroundings in an instant.
Chapter 184: The Grand Festival
Chapter 184: The Grand Festival
? The Grand Festival (5) ?
The principle of the Helize Church was to be built in a style rich with curves, as it was defined in the scriptures.
At a location of M?rchen Academy, atop a spire soaring towards the sky, there was a statue of a pierced crescent moon symbolizing the Helize Church. The churches of Helize surrounded that spire.
Church sanctuary.
The Saintess with light pink hair, Bianca Anturaze, was sitting alone in the pews.1EDMIn Note: Pews are basically the long benches you see in church.
She was covered in a pure white saint¡¯s robe, adorned with golden ornaments and a veil over her head. It was an attire a saint had to wear during the period of the public ceremony. Because of her status as a Saintess, Bianca Anturaze had to maintain a restrained appearance.
After offering prayers to Manh as the academy¡¯s representative at the opening of the public ceremony, she returned to the church toplete her private prayers.
The church was devout and quiet, in contrast to the fervor of the public ceremony.Bianca held a book in her hand.
An old book from Carly Hall, the once most prestigious building in the old campus of M?rchen Academy where the Nameless Hero did battle with Thunderbird Galia.
She had already read it several times.
Bianca thought that the cause of her finding this book was divine intervention, which was the reason why she kept reading it over and over.
Although she still couldn¡¯t read the characters that were both neat and round,
She could definitely recognize the pictures.
¡®Where is this?¡¯
Rain made of blood fell endlessly. It was possible to recognize the figure as deliberately drawn with the observer¡¯s own blood.
There was a hole in the sky as if the ground had been turned upside down.
The rainwater seeped into the vastke.
Around theke, several things were stationed. They looked like solid masses, but it was hard to determine exactly what they were.
Looking around the world, there were no ces with holes in the sky, and even if there were, rain made of blood would not fall to make ake simr to this.
The scriptures of the Helize Church did not mention such ominous ces. Then, where exactly was this?
¡°Holy Saintess. Are you sure it¡¯s okay not to participate in the public ceremony?¡±
Sylon, the escort priest standing in the corner of the sanctuary, asked as if probing, and Saintess Bianca slightly turned her head towards him.
Bianca still had her eyes closed. Whether she opened or closed them, the lost vision of her body wouldn¡¯t return.
She could only ¡®see¡¯ with her mysterious divine power. If the power was depleted, she would be thrown back into a world of darkness.
¡°There are manymbs that will be the ythings of the Lord. I merely struggle to deeply understand the holy will of the Lord through my prayers. Isn¡¯t that the mission of one who has be a saint?¡±
A refined voice. It was a solemn nuance befitting a saint.
Bianca turned her head back to the book.
¡°Now, I want to know as soon as possible what this book is about and to whom I should deliver it.¡±
She was prepared to give her life if it was the will of the Lord.
She did not know the author¡¯s identity. However, the fact that this book hade into her hands must have certainly been the will of the Lord.
Therefore, she did indeed have to deliver the book to this person to its destined recipient.
And the identity of that recipient was already bing clear.
¡°No, there¡¯s no need to worry about one of them¡¡±
Certainly, there was some mystery hidden here in M?rchen Academy.
Even the Saintess herself could not fathom such an enormous secret.
It was all too clear who stood amidst that secret.
¡°¡®The Nameless Hero¡ It must be him. This book has to be passed on to him.¡±
The Nameless Hero, the enigmatic Archwizard.
The book must be delivered to him.
¡°Sylon. I will deliver this book to the Nameless Hero. Even if my limbs are crushed, and my body battered, I will crawl on the ground like a desperate worm if necessary. Isn¡¯t that the will of the Lord?¡±
Beyond the colorful stained ss engraved on the ceiling.
The midday sunlight seeped in, brilliantly illuminating the symbol of the Lord.
¡°So, if my breath ceases and my soul returns to the Lord¡¯s side, please, I hope you will deliver this book to him. Even if your limbs are severed, your eyes gouged out, or half of your body is blown away, please prioritize the mission.¡±
Sylon approached the Saintess¡¯ side, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.
He had no hesitation. Having his life once saved by the Saintess, he had already vowed to dedicate his life to the Lord and the Saintess.
¡°¡Yes, I understand.¡±
Bianca let out a refined smile.
* * *
On the Arcball Race Track. When they crossed the safety line.
The ones ahead were shocked and turned around, gaping at the immense mana of the Clover Pdin, Pierre nche.
¡®Outrageous.¡¯
Such a level of basic elemental magic. Isn¡¯t that too ridiculous?
Well, it was to be expected.
However, we were already prepared.
¡°¡What?¡±
Pierre showed a surprised expression. It was because the oue had deviated from his expectations.
¡°Kahaha!!¡±
Tristan was already flying along the track at an incredible speed, with wind wrapped around his body.
Whoosh!
Our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, was rocketing through the air, arms stretched back, explosively casting fire elemental magic.
Although his skills were not yet enough to match Tristan¡¯s speed, it was a respectable level on its own.
Our team¡¯s male student, Doji Tu Mals, whose presence was strong sometimes and then quiet like an outsider, lifted a pir of rock from beneath his feet like Lisetta, dodging whirlpools and waves.
The highly dense water magic shattered even his rock pir, but by that time, Doji had already escaped Pierre¡¯s attack range.
There were zero casualties on our team. Moreover, Snow White, his target, wasn¡¯t swept away by the water magic.
Pierre quickly turned his gaze to find White and me.
¡°Waaah! Senioooor Isaac!!!¡±
Ssh©¤!
Holding White, I created an ice board beneath my feet and surfed on the wave created by Pierre.
White screamed so much that my ears hurt.
Hair and clothes fluttered wildly. Even our shoes were frozen to the ice board, securing our feet in ce.
I froze the surface of the wave as I went, stretching forward at high speed. Even in the midst of this, thanks to my trained physique, it was quite easy to maintain my bnce.
I had made a secret agreement with White¡¯s team.
Since White was my mentee, I had vowed to protect her if anything happened.
I had also informed our team, and they all agreed.
Perhaps because of the incident during the Duel evaluation when White was rag-dolled by the Priestess and I got angry, the atmosphere was one of understanding towards my feelings among the students.
Additionally, under the pretext of cautioning against Pierre nche, who was known for his high mana quality and quantity, we also shared our strategy.
The moment we crossed the safety line, we decided to go full throttle, like sting boosters in a kart game, to prepare for the eventuality of Pierre trying to annihte everyone.
¡®I had already figured it out with [Psychological Insight].¡¯
Thanks to that, our team and White¡¯s stiletto-haired team sessfully avoided Pierre¡¯s attack.
¡®Oh.¡¯
We had climbed quite high. Pierre¡¯s astonished face looked down on us.
¡°Ha! Worms!¡±
Tristan in a single breath cut through the air, passing every other student and reaching the Arcball.
He had gotten even faster. I couldn¡¯t grasp how much more he had trained since his defeat to me.
Tristan intercepted the Arcball that had been caught in another student¡¯s racket. Since there were no actuals to speak of, it was perfectly feasible to snatch the ball away by swinging it through someone else¡¯s racket.
Several students were taken aback by Tristan¡¯s sudden appearance.
¡°Ah!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t lose it!¡±
However, judging that he couldn¡¯t handle all thepetitors swarming around him, Tristan immediately passed the Arcball to Ian.
The Arcball flew at a high speed, and Ian easily caught it with his scoop.
Lightning mana flowed out, securing the Arcball.
¡°Tch!¡±
Pierre, who was rtively close, swung water magic towards Ian. In an instant, water magic formed around Ian, rising up in the form of a wave.
It would have been hard to avoid that.
Whoosh©¤!
¡°Isaac!!¡±
Then Ian swung his racket and threw the Arcball towards me, who was surfing on Pierre¡¯s wave.
I swiftly caught the flying Arcball with my racket.
Zap.
Lightning mana flowed from my racket, securing the Arcball.
Good.
Whoosh!!
¡°Aaah!¡±
Ian was swept away by the wave out of the track and lost consciousness due to the barrage of water magic cast upon him.
Ian hit his back against a tree and closed his eyes.
Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
It wasn¡¯t just him. Looking back, many students swept away by Pierre¡¯s water magic were groaning in pain or rolling on the ground, most of them unconscious.
Thanks for eliminating thepetition.
Well. Pierre was one of Alice¡¯s most powerful subordinates, a Pdin.
Due to his highly dense mana, even a basic water spell felt like getting hit by iron rather than just water.
Anyway, the next step was clear. Pierre had unabashedly revealed himself to be the most dangerous person in this race. That meant, I also had ample reason to unleash my attacks on him without reservation.
¡°White! Take out the staff!¡±
¡°Hngh¡!¡±
As previously discussed, White took out a magic pouch from within her robes and then took out Zhonya¡¯s Staff from it. It was a magic pouch that held just that singr weapon.
The magic pouch was tossed aside, and in White¡¯s hands, she wielded a magic weapon as big as herself.
Hugging me tightly, White pressed it against my chest, and I firmly grasped Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
¡°Whoa!! From the moment they crossed the safe line, it¡¯s been absolute chaos!! Amidst it all, Isaac, riding on an ice sheet, advances through the wave created by Pierre nche and secures the Arcball!!¡±
Amy¡¯s voice echoed throughout M?rchen Academy via the loudspeakers ced all around.
Whoosh©¤.
Pierre withdrew his water mana. The slowly subsiding wave instantly turned into blue powder and scattered in the wind.
¡°Aaaaah!!¡±
I felt a sense of buoyancy. As we started to fall swiftly downwards, White tightly wrapped her arms around my shoulders, hugging me tightly and screaming at the top of her lungs with her eyes firmly shut.
During the fall, I looked at Pierre.
Around Pierre, water mana was still swirling, ready for both offense and defense at all times.
Ignoring White¡¯s ear-splitting screams, I calmly extended Zhonya¡¯s Staff toward him, directing the energy of the dawn contained within the mana stone at him.
Then, I unleashed a torrent of pale blue ice mana. I executed theplex mana mastery I had practiced countless times to wield Zhonya¡¯s Staff swiftly
A powerful current flowed. Completely freezing Pierre¡¯s formidable water mana was still beyond my capabilities.
However, it wasn¡¯t necessary to freeze every bit of his water mana.
Crackle!
My [Elemental Efficiency] was top-notch. Meaning, the area in which I could cast magic was quite extensive.
At the center of the whirlpool, I froze the water mana around Pierre.
[Elemental Synergy] was activated. The power and effect of ice spells used to freeze water were enhanced.
Realizing I was aiming to freeze his own body, Pierre¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly dissolved the whirlpool.
That wasn¡¯t my aim.
Groooow©¤©¤!
¡°¡!!¡±
At the same time, shadows formed around Pierre.
Shockwave. Only then did he look up and notice therge chunks of ice falling toward him.
One after the other, I created severalrge chunks of ice in rapid session, aiming at the escape routes where he could potentially run.
Above the ice chunks falling towards Pierre, I also created icicles for a secondary attack.
This feat was only possible due to the amount of water mana he had spread. I even absorbed the remnants of his scatted mana to amplify my power even further.
My target was solely Pierre.
¡°Is he crazy?! How did he do that so quickly¡?¡±
¡°That bastard¡!¡±
Tristan and Lisetta seemed surprised to see me create severalrge chunks of ice with basic elemental magic in one go.
Just before White and I hit the ground, I created an ice slide and slid down on an ice board smoothly. As soon as we touched the ground, I dissolved the ice board and started running again.
Boom©¤!
Behind me, the ice chunks fell to the ground from a distance.
A cloud of white dust from the low temperature rose, and a loud noise echoed, mimicking a mini earthquake for just a moment.
Pierre was alone, and with nowhere to run, he took the full brunt of the falling ice.
¡°Senior Isaac!!! It, it was so scary¡!!¡±
¡°I thought my ears would fall off because of your screaming.¡±
While running with White in a princess carry, I urged her on. It was quite ufortable with a racket in my right hand and Zhonya¡¯s Staff in my left.
I looked back.
Amidst the white mist, a chillingly eerie mana burst forth. Of course, one wouldn¡¯t faint just from that.
¡°¡Isaac¡¡±
The figure who emerged, brushing off the dust with a swing of his arm, was Pierre, bleeding from beneath his beige hair. The furrow in his brow, filled with murderous intent, was particrly striking.
To think he was in that condition even after taking a direct hit from arge ice chunk that was enhanced by [vs Human Combat Power], Zhonya¡¯s Staff, and my absurd [Elemental Synergy].
Seems like he took my ice attack with nothing but his [Basic Protection Magic]. Impressive.
¡°White, hold onto the staff for me.¡±
¡°Ah, yes!¡±
¡°Hold it tight.¡±
¡°What¡? Aaah!!¡±
After handing Zhonya¡¯s Staff to White, I used all the strength in my leg muscles to sprint down the track.
The Arcball remained secured in my racket.
From behind, Pierre, and from the front, other participants simultaneously lunged towards me.- 1
EDMIn Note: Pews are basically the long benches you see in church.
Chapter 185: The Grand Festival (6)
Chapter 185: The Grand Festival (6)
? The Grand Festival (6) ?
A video of Isaac embracing Princess Snow White while running was yed in the middle of the stadium, in mid-air.
The entire academy gaped at the sight.
No matter how close they were as mentor and mentee, they were still amoner and a princess.
But Isaac looked like a prince straight out of a fairytale as he saved the princess.
Despite being in Isaac¡¯s embrace, White showed not a hint of rejection as she clung even tighter to him.
The only blemish was her unbing manner of crying.
¡°¡¡±
The expression of Luce Eltania, a female student whose rose gold hair was borately styled, was filled with a sinister aura. Her eyes were fixed on the video like someone plotting a murder.The second-year Magic Department students gathered around were overwhelmed by her murderous intent, trembling with fear.
Princess Snow White. Her rtionship with Isaac must have grown close through almost daily mentoring.
The fact that some of the limited time she could spend with Isaac was allocated to that woman¡ It was enough to make Luce shudder.
To her, the sobbing White looked like nothing but a conniving vixen as she clung to Isaac. Such a sight only served to intensify Luce¡¯s wariness.
Meanwhile, in a seat in the audience.
A beautiful female student with light green pigtails was trembling, her fists clenched.
Her face twitched repeatedly. She stared nkly at the video with her jade-colored eyes, unable to control her shaking body.
¡°I¡ I haven¡¯t¡ received it yet¡¡±
Kaya Astrea murmured to herself in a soft, sighing voice.
A princess carry from Sir Isaac.
She remembered when Lisetta Lionheart received a princess carry from Isaac duringst year¡¯s joint practical evaluation.
She hadn¡¯t received one herself yet¡ It was something she had only enjoyed in her imagination up till now¡
Princess Snow White received it first¡ How could this be?
She knew the circumstances, but she had not expected White to be protected in such a manner.
Kaya was so jealous of White that it was almost palpable.
¡°Ah!! As many students rushed at Isaac at once!! Indeed, how will Isaac ovee this crisis?!¡±
The announcer, Amy, shouted with an excited voice.
Running while the princess was in his embrace. Indeed, his friend, Isaac, was pleasantly insane.
On the Arcball race track. The remaining participants were swarming towards Isaac.
The second-year student with silver-blue hair, Isaac, looked straight ahead and spoke.
¡°White, take off my sses.¡±
¡°Huh, yes¡!¡±
Snow White, who was sobbing in Isaac¡¯s arms, took off his sses. The reason her tears hadn¡¯t stopped was because the shock of having ridden on thrilling waves and then abruptly crashing was still being stirred in her heart.
The sses that she had just taken off were a magic tool, Ribe¡¯s sses.
Just as wearing sandbags and then taking them off could make one¡¯s body feel temporarily lighter, wearing those sses and then taking them off allowed one to follow the flow of mana more easily for a while.
Isaac¡¯s eyes quickly scanned thepetitors swarming in from the front.
¡°Hand it over!!¡±
¡°Give us the Arcball!!¡±
Woooosh!
Using the 2-star spell [Cold Divergence], Isaac spread a pure white mist with fierce momentum.
The participants attacked Isaac with elemental magic or their rackets, cutting through the mist.
He skillfully dodged the attacks or countered with elemental magic, moving past the students.
Isaac, despite the limitation of holding White, dazzled as he bypassed hispetitors.
His remarkable physical abilities allowed him to follow the flow of mana even in the cold, dodging his opponent¡¯s magic or using elemental magic at the right moments, showing excellent judgment and reflexes.
Truly an artful movement. The students who had rushed at Isaac were astounded by his dazzling movements, it was difficult to believe that he hade from the Magic Department.
Only top students from the Knight Department could possibly hope to match him.
¡°Aah!¡±
¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing attacking me, idiot!¡±
As the chill thickened, participants began attacking each other indiscriminately due to their obscured vision.
By the time many students had dispelled the mist with basic elemental magic, Isaac had already passed through the mist and gone beyond all the students who had rushed at him.
¡°What¡?!¡±
The students were bewildered as they watched Isaac, who was ahead, running fast on the race track.
Is he really running while embracing a woman? What kind of speed is that?
Cheers from the students erupted in the stands.
¡°Wow!! Isaac sessfully dodged the attacks of numerous students!! Amazing!!¡±
Announcer Amy shouted with a smiling face.
Whoooaah!!
At that moment, a chilling mana swept over the race track again.
Behind Isaac. Water mana pulsed through the air and waves of blue began to crash with ferocity that belied the power of elemental magic.
¡°Ah, Senior Isaac¡! Behind, behind you!!¡±
The wave naturally covered the race track. At that terrifying sight, White¡¯s pale face turned even paler.
¡°T-t-t-that! Is, is that basic elemental magic?!¡±
Even someone with a low mana perception could feel it. That wave contained an enormous amount of water mana.
If White herself were to be swept away by that wave, fainting would be the least of her worries.
Isaac casually turned his head back to check the wave sweeping the ground.
¡°Does that even make sense¡?¡±
¡°Arrrgh!¡±
¡°S-save me¡! Aaah!¡±
The students who failed to attack Isaac looked at the approaching huge wave with faces filled with horror.
They desperately turned to run, but the wave, arriving much faster, swept them away first. It was a powerless end.
The man running behind the wave was Pierre nche. A first-year in the Magic Department and a genius with Grade S mana.
Pierre¡¯s poprity and reputation were partly due to his innate abilities. Not many in this academy could win against him in a fight.
Amidst this, Isaac nodded in satisfaction.
¡°Good.¡±
¡°What?!¡±
Pierre¡¯s ruthless attack was helpful in eliminatingpetitors. Isaac had anticipated this.
The regrettable part was that Pierre¡¯s teammates were still alive. They must have agreed among themselves that Pierre would take care of the rear.
¡°What now, that crazy guy!?¡±
Lisetta Lionheart, having not rushed at Isaac, was still running ahead.
As someone who knew the true capabilities of the archwizard Isaac, she had no confidence to rush at him.
Anyway, what kind of monster is that beige-haired junior who popped out of nowhere?
Although it was iparably lower than the true mana Isaac disyed when the Abyssal Sea Monster appeared, there was no denying that the junior before her possessed tremendous mana.
¡°White put your arm around my shoulders and hug me. It¡¯ll be ufortable for a moment, but bear with me.¡±
¡°Yes, yes!¡±
The possession limit of 2 minutes for the Arcball was rapidly approaching. They needed to pass the Arcball to a teammate quickly.
White wrapped her arms around Isaac¡¯s shoulders and clung tightly to him.
To prevent White from slipping away as her strength waned, Isaac created rock cuffs around her arms to secure her.
One of Isaac¡¯s hands left White¡¯s shoulder.
As her center of gravity shifted towards her hips, White had to hug Isaac even tighter, like someone hanging from a cliff.
¡°Huu, ah¡!¡±
She couldn¡¯t move. Yet, for some reason, being unable to move in Isaac¡¯s embrace seemed to ignite a fire in White¡¯s heart.
It was a rather pleasant feeling of restraint and pressure. For White, who was a teenage girl before she was a princess, it was a highly stimting sensation.
¡°Ah, ah, no¡!¡±
¡Let¡¯s restrain ourselves.
Just like during the joint practical evaluation, she felt guilty for harboring suchscivious desires towards a senior she respected.
White clenched her eyes shut and struggled to suppress her rising passion.
She felt a murderous intent from somewhere, but it must have just been her imagination.
¡°Tristan!¡±
Isaac swung his racket and threw the Arcball. Tristan, with light green wind swirling around him, flew in at an incredible speed and easily caught the Arcball, which was cutting through the air like a baseball.
¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you!¡±
¡°Ha! Do as you like!¡±
Tristan moved ahead again.
Isaac released the rock cuffs that bound White¡¯s hands and then grabbed her shoulders again.
Isaac returned White to a princess carry again.
White¡¯s cheeks were flushed, but she tried topose her emotions and maintain her usual expression.
However, she couldn¡¯t stop her lips from quivering or her eyebrows from twitching.
¡°White, you can fly with wind for a bit, right? Just like we practiced before.¡±
White immediately understood that he meant for her to escape.
White was startled.
¡°Eh? What about you, Senior Isaac?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll stop what¡¯sing behind us.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Behind them, the vast wave was still approaching relentlessly. It was about to reach Isaac.
¡°H-h-h-how are you going to¡?¡±
¡°Quick!¡±
¡°Ahh, yes! Uwaaah¡!¡±
As wind flowed from White, Isaac let go of her.
Whooosh!
White flew away on the wind.
Her mana mastery wasn¡¯t enough for her to fly for more than 10 seconds without severe dizziness and disruption of her mana circuit, but it was sufficient to escape.
Isaac stopped running. Like a car mming on its brakes, the soles of his shoes slid and screeched against the racetrack.
Isaac turned around. The wave was about to engulf him. The reason the risen wave didn¡¯t stop and continued was that Pierre was constantly infusing it with mana.
There was no escaping him now.
Someone had to stop Pierre, and Isaac was ready to take on that role.
The wave, fundamentally a basic elemental spell, would be weaker than most attack spells, but Pierre¡¯s immense mana fortified it. Being swept away would certainly mean unconsciousness.
Isaac mmed Zhonya¡¯s staff into the ground, drawing up mana.
Is he preparing to counter Pierre?
The students in the stands held their breath, watching the scene unfold.
¡°¡¡±
Pierre nche was still running along the racetrack, one arm extended forward, channeling his mana, while the other wiped the blood from his forehead.
Beyond the wave, Pierre could feel Isaac¡¯s mana.
Chapter 186 The Grand Festival (7)
Chapter 186 The Grand Festival (7)
¡°As expected.¡±
Pierre sensed Isaac¡¯s mana.
Isaac pulled up a pir of rock from beneath his feet and shot up over the waves at high speed.
Though it was just basic elemental magic and the rock¡¯s strength would be quite weak, Pierre knew that such skill was considered excellent at the academy.
Isaac jumped off the rock pir at just the right moment. He and Pierre locked eyes.
Just when he thought Isaac might create another iceboard¡
With a rustling sound, ice mana gathered and severalrge ice blocks appeared in the air.
Isaac stepped on them and leaped forward. Therge ice blocks, momentarily suspended in the air, immediately fell to the ground with a slight shock from his weight.
His silhouette against the sun caught Pierre¡¯s eye. The shadow of a man with the dazzling sunlight at his back chased him in a straight line.
Pierre stopped in his tracks and raised water mana in both hands.
Gradually, Isaac¡¯s figure became clearer from the sunlight.
¡°¡!!¡±
Then, Pierre¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
It was then he noticed something following the mana stone attached to Zhonya¡¯s staff.
It was a magic circle for the 5-star ice spell [Frost Explosion].
It was a magic absolutely forbidden in the race.
¡°Khhhh!¡±
A smile curled on Pierre¡¯s lips. It was a thrilling sight.
If the magic were to be activated, Isaac would be disqualified. In other words, the man was using himself as a sacrificial pawn to eliminate Pierre, the most dangerous participant in the race.
It was amon urrence in the Arcball race. It was a team race. Sacrificial pawns became a tactic.
Even for Pierre, with his Grade S mana, it would be impossible to withstand Isaac¡¯s 5-star elemental magic with just basic elemental magic.
If he were to take that attack head-on, he would undoubtedly fall.
¡°You¡¯re making this enjoyable¡!¡±
The only option left was to counter, even if it meant disqualification. Isaac forced such a choice upon Pierre.
Since Isaac¡¯s goal was to protect White and self-destruct with Pierre.
Pierre dly epted Isaac¡¯s challenge.
It was when Isaac almost reached Pierre. It felt as if time was moving slowly.
Due to the dyed judgment of the situation, there was not enough time forplicated magical calctions. However, he could calcte a 5-star spell in an instant.
Pierre conjured the magic circle for a 5-star water spell, [Hydro Cannon].
Although he would be disqualified, Pierre smiled, rationalizing that it was necessary to stop Isaac.
It was then.
Isaac, perhaps surprised, widened his eyes as if he had encountered an unexpected sight.
¡°What?¡±
Pierre felt an unexpected mana from behind. He was so focused on Isaac that he noticed it toote.
Flickering mes. The warmth enveloped his back.
Pierre, startled, quickly turned around.
¡°¡?!¡±
A ck-haired man, drenched in water, had just reached him.
mes made of mana flickered around the sword he held in both hands, making a whooshing sound.
¡°Ian Fairytale?!¡±
How could he not know who this ck-haired man was?
Ian Fairytale. A character with the light element who the Evil God, who was sealed in the abyss, wanted to kill.
Hadn¡¯t he been knocked unconscious?
¡°No.¡±
He must have regained consciousness quickly after being knocked out.
Pierre¡¯s basic elemental magic had failed to keep Ian, an SSS-ss Master Fainter, knocked out for long.
Ian¡¯s resistance to being knocked out was getting stronger, after all.
¡°The ones who will win are¡!!¡±
Ian Fairytale roared as he swung his sword.
¡°¡Us!!¡±
Oh, what?
Ian, who had been knocked out, hade back to life. It seemed he charged as soon as he regained consciousness.
Could it be that he had grown to the point where he could quickly regain consciousness even after being hit by one of Pierre¡¯s waves?
¡°Marvelous¡!¡±
Truly, it was a great leap forward.
Ian was holding a long sword, with his racket partially tucked into his uniform¡¯s trousers. The red mes blending with the de trailed behind him like a tail, it elongated as the air resisted.
Pierre kicked off the ground and hastily deployed a new magic circle towards Ian. Perhaps due to the disruption of his mana and calctions, his response towards me ckened. The magic circle for [Hydro Cannon] was distorted.
Unfortunately for him, Ian and I, who were now charging at Pierre, were considered anomalies with exceptional physical abilities, uncharacteristic of the Magic Department.
It was awkward to say it myself, but no one could avoid getting hit when Ian and I both targeted the same person simultaneously. I was confident I wouldn¡¯t lose track of Pierre either.
The distance had already closed. Our speed surpassed that of Pierre¡¯s casting
Whoosh!
Ian easily dodged the water spell that Pierre hastily released by swiftly twisting his body. Pierre was greatly taken aback by movement that seemingly defied thews of physics.
Do not underestimate our protagonist.
Soon, the ming sword drew a splendid straight line towards Pierre.
Whoosh!!
¡°Ugh, Aaagh!¡±
The strike of the fire sword engulfed Pierre and swept across the ground.
With a boom, Pierre¡¯s body burst into mes and was lifted into the air.
¡®Nice!¡¯
You¡¯re the best, Ian!
Even amidst the fierce mes, Pierre did not lose consciousness and fired [Hydro Cannon] at me. His mental fortitude was truly admirable.
However, by then, I, who was falling, had already reached Pierre.
Releasing condensed ice mana, I extended Zhonya¡¯s staff and activated [Frost Explosion].
Whooosh©¤.
Booooooom!
The ice mana exploded right in front of Pierre¡¯s nose.
The dyed activation of [Hydro Cannon] was swallowed by [Frost Explosion]. Having been hit by Ian¡¯s ming sword strike and with the activation timing dyed, his mana was ultimately disrupted by [Frost Explosion].
The ice mass fiercely stretched toward the ground, turning the surroundings into an ice sheet.
I glided down on the ice mass lightly. Nearly falling at one point, I kicked off the ice mass andnded on the race track.
With his gym clothes burnt inside the ice mass, Pierre was encased as if time had stopped.
Beyond that, Ian, who had been chasing Pierre, was catching his breath.
A beeping sound came from my racket and Pierre¡¯s racket within the ice mass. We were disqualified for using spells that exceeded 2 stars.
¡®This is quite¡¡¯
It ended more easily than I thought. I expected a fierce fight with Pierre.
I never expected Ian to be such a wildcard.
Ian passed by the ice mass, looked at me with a solemn nod, and then gave me a thumbs up.
¡°Isaac, your determination has been properly conveyed! I¡¯ll definitelye back in 1st ce!¡±
¡°Uh¡ yeah. Fight on.¡±
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I gave him a thumbs up in response anyway.
Like a determined shounen protagonist, Ian Fairytale dashed off again along the race track.
His running speed was so fast that it kicked up dust and whipped up the wind.
Suddenly, I saw faculty members flying towards us. It seemed they wereing to fetch Pierre and I after our disqualification.
¡°Isaac and Pierre nche, after a heated battle, have been disqualified! Ian Fairytale, who joined forces with Isaac, carries on the will of his self-sacrificedrade and dashes forward fiercely!!¡±
Amy¡¯s voice and the cheers of the students echoed throughout the academy.
Amy seemedpletely absorbed in thementary, adding all sorts of odd footnotes.
It was then.
A cracking sound came from the direction of the ice mass. Scratches appeared on the ice mass.
I haven¡¯t released the ice yet¡?
Pierre¡¯s mana surged within the ice mass. The ice mass cracked repeatedly, and streams of water spurted out from its fissures.
¡°¡!¡±
I reflexively dodged to the side, avoiding the water jet that shot out like a de.
The water jet, squeezing through the narrow cracks created by the splitting ice mass, extended like a thin sword strike, scraping the ground.
Soon, the ice mass burst apart.
Boom!
Before the ice fragments scattered in all directions, I quickly converted them into ice mana to prevent injury in consideration of the approaching faculty members.
At the same time, a massive amount of water burst forth around Pierre, like a dam breaking and causing a flood, forming a tsunami.
Whoosh!!
¡°Whoa!¡±
There was nowhere to escape. I conjured the defensive 4-star ice spell [Ice Wall], and was swept away along with the ice wall by the surging water mana.
The wave engulfed me. Thanks to [Ice Wall], I was spared from the impact, but I had to swim through the water unexpectedly for a while.
Pierre¡¯s water magic quickly subsided into the ground.
I pushed off the ground and lifted my head straight up. Water droplets dripped from my soaking wet body.
On the race track, after shattering the ice mass and crashing down, a soaked Pierre propped himself up on the ground, coughing violently and continuously spitting out blood.
His body was not in a good condition because he had taken my [Frost Explosion] head-on.
¡°Pierre! Are you alright¡?!¡±
As the faculty members approached, Pierre suddenly deployed four magic circles around himself.
A strong mana, filled with lethal intent, spread out. The faculty members hesitated for a moment and then swallowed nervously.
Their position as faculty members was just a role after all.
Being human, they couldn¡¯t help but feel fear towards a person who ranked higher in the food chain than them.
¡°Pierre nche has been disqualified, yet he is deploying magic circles towards Isaac! This shouldn¡¯t be happening?!¡±
Amy reported the situation.
It was an unexpected situation. I thought he was the mostpliant with Alice¡¯s words, and among the pdins, he was considered the most lenient.
He must know that fighting here openly would be a vition of academy rules.
¡°Pierre, retract your magic circles immediately!¡±
¡°You could potentially be suspended! Calm down! Fighting Isaac here will result in disciplinary action!¡±
The faculty members desperately tried to dissuade Pierre, but his magic circles were still emitting bright colors.
Pierre lifted his head.
The moment I saw his eyes, I guessed that it was futile to entertain any further thoughts.
His eyes, seemingly void of emotion, were fixed on me.
He was filled with the intention to harm me.
Chapter 187: The Grand Festival (8)
Chapter 187: The Grand Festival (8)
? The Grand Festival (8) ?
I threw my racket aside.
Standing up, I stuck the ground with Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
The tip of Zhonya¡¯s Staff carved a clear ice crystal shape. It gradually grew in size until it was clearly marked on the ground.
Soon, a cold wind enveloped the area.
¡°¡This is self-defense.¡±
Three light-blue magic circles unfolded. At the same time, I began calcting the form for the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave].
This was to counter the Clover Pdin.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down my cheek.I had no intention of getting hurt here. During the Grand Festival, I had to defeat Miya and the shadow demon in order to gain EXP.
¡°Student Isaac?!¡±
¡°Are you crazy?! Stop it!!¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to calm down?!¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t stop right now, I will resort to force!¡±
Faculty members also deployed magic circles or drew their weapons.
However, they couldn¡¯t hide their nervousness, knowing Pierre and I were far stronger than them.
In fact, they were more like hindrances than actualbatants.
I gazed at Pierre with a faint smile on my lips.
¡°I told you to calm down, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Don¡¯t tell me I got you worked up?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Pierre didn¡¯t respond. Thoughts of killing me ran rampant in his head.
Of course, he wasn¡¯t acting solely on impulse. There were rational judgments in his behavior as well.
The four Pdins suspected me of being the Nameless Hero.
It must be Alice who made them suspect me.
Thus, they usually hesitate to provoke me.
But if I tried to hide my power in front of the entire academy, I would inevitably fall prey to the Clover Pdin.
Comparing our mana, it was obvious who would win between Pierre and I in a fight. For me to win, I would be forced to unleash my ¡°hidden power¡±.
So, this was his judgment.
Suppose I was the Nameless Hero and, in this situation, I hid my power and ended up severely injured.
Even if I recovered through healing magic, I¡¯d still be bedridden throughout the Grand Festival.
Being in the hospital would mean more eyes on me, restricting my movements.
Especially during the Grand Festival, when the shadow demon was expected to show up, the Nameless Hero would need to act. Alice and the four Pdins likely knew about this.
Using the hospital¡¯s eyes would be a great way to reveal my identity.
Yet, recovering at a dramatic rate and gaining freedom would also be problematic. It would deepen their suspicions.
And now, Pierre had found the perfect excuse to attack me.
He could say that his motive for attacking me had nothing to do with him being a Pdin. A motive that the entire academy would find usible.
With the rumors of an informant in the academy circting, such an excuse would be very handy.
In other words, he was willing to sacrifice himself to provide Alice with useful information.
So, assuming that a fight was inevitable, I conjured a magic circle.
¡°You¡¯re Senior Isaac, right¡? I¡¯ll speak gently, so listen up.¡±
Pierre stretched his arms out in front of him.
¡°I¡¯m going to try to kill you. Try to dodge it.¡±
After saying this, Pierre conjured a water elemental magic circle on the ground.
Arge magic circle drew a trajectory. My feet were within the range of the magic circle.
¡®Bastard¡¡¯
There was no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize the form of this magic circle.
It was the 6-star water elemental magic [Flying Whale].
It was the spell that Luce had used during the end-of-semester evaluation in the first semester of our first year, devastating the surroundings. It was a magic where a mass of water in the shape of a whale bursts out, within which flows a powerful current strong enough to shatter buildings.
If I were caught in the [Flying Whale] conjured with his mana and rage, even someone like me would have to brace myself for death.
The only way to counter was to run away quickly or freeze the [Flying Whale] with a stronger power to prevent it from bursting out. But neither of those methods was essible to me at the moment.
If I tried to run, he would immediately cast [Flying Whale].
And I didn¡¯t think my skills would be enough to freeze the water mana in that raging current.
¡°I¡¯m warning you! Withdraw your magic circle immediately!!¡±
¡°Pierre! I told you to stop!!¡±
Several faculty members casted [Ice Spear], [Rock Avnche], [Fireball] and deliberately missed Pierre. They were warning shots. For the administrative faculty who had juste to collect the disqualified students, that was the best they could do.
However, Pierre didn¡¯t care. He only found it annoying. He stared at me with lifeless eyes, focusing solely on me.
I unleashed the magic circle for the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave].
I nned to counter [Flying Whale] to some extent with [Frost Wave] while pulling up rock pirs from the ground to escape.
The rock pirs would be shattered immediately, but by pulling up several all at once, I thought I could somehow manage to escape.¡®
I had no choice but to try, otherwise I¡¯d die.
I focused.
As the blue magic circle emitted intense light from the ground, I activated my ice spell.
At that moment.
A crisp, clear sound rang through my ears.
An enormous amount of mana descended before me.
Whooong!
¡°Ahh!¡±
The ground gave way in an instant, and I lost my footing. I nearly fell but managed to maintain my bnce by leaning on Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
Between Pierre and me, an unnaturally strong gravitational force seemed to have descended, preventing [Flying Whale] from fully manifesting.
At the same time, a thunderous roar filled the sky. Due to me putting my entire focus on Pierre, I hadn¡¯t noticed the dark clouds gathering in the clear sky. It was a thundercloud, and purple lightning split the sky.
Within the storm clouds, a silhouette of a giant ck grouse appeared. The magic beast disappeared along with the thunder and lightning.
One after another, red winds rushed in like a typhoon. Countless sharp winds, like a de, cut through the air.
Ching!
Surrounding Pierre, a myriad of colorful starlight magic circles unfurled, aiming at him from all directions. Encircled, he frowned and scanned his surroundings.
Three female students had gathered around him, their arms outstretched and their magic circles deployed.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy Heartnova, a student with light purple hair wearing a witch hat rode on the starlight magic. She remained silent.
¡°Who are you going to kill¡?¡±
Luce Eltania, a girl with rose gold hair wrapped in purple lightning mana. Her lifeless, dull eyes and murderous voice were directed at Pierre.
¡°Kill who? What nonsense.¡±
Kaya Astrea, with her green pigtail hair fluttering in the blood-red wind, tilted her head and let out a scornfulugh worthy of a viin.
Subsequently, some of the most powerful forces among the dispatched Imperial Knights, including some teachers with excellentbat abilities like Professor Philip Meltron, appeared all at once and surrounded Pierre. There were about ten of them.
They had alle to stop us before the situation escted uncontrobly.
I was taken aback at first, but I was eventually in awe.
¡°Baby.¡±
I felt a soft and plump touch on my back.
A gentle voice tickled my ear and I reflexively turned my back and saw a gold-haired girl.
Alice Carroll. There she was, closely behind me, lightly touching my arm.
She had her usual friendly smile on her face.
¡°Why don¡¯t you stop before you get yourself in more trouble?¡±
¡°Senior Alice¡?¡±
With these guys here, not just me, but Pierre too, wouldn¡¯t have a chance to react.
As I withdrew my magic circle, Alice murmured in my ear with a melting voice, ¡®That¡¯s right, good boy.¡¯ Her soft hand smoothly slid down from my arm.
¡°Hey, Friend.¡±
Hearing Dorothy¡¯s voice, I turned my head towards her.
Even though she was smiling, her voice was more subdued than usual. She wasn¡¯t talking to me but to Pierre.
The brim of her witch¡¯s hat casted a dark veil over her eyes. The air was heavy due to the oppressing mana emanating from her.
¡°Stop it. If you mess with that kid, I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d do to you.¡±
Pierre frowned and turned his gaze towards me.
Though it seemed like he was looking at me, he was actually making eye contact with Alice, who was hugging me from behind.
Alice was resting her chin on my shoulder. I couldn¡¯t see her expression, but it was probably not a good one.
Pierre sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and withdrew his magic circle.
Pierre¡¯s mana was Grade S. Causing trouble meant the academy would have no choice but to put him under special supervision.
Therefore, when Pierre acted unpredictably, the academy took immediate action.
There was no issue for Dorothy and Kaya to be here since they were officially involved in protecting the academy. I didn¡¯t know about Luce though.
Soon after, with his usual handsome smile, Pierre raised both of his hands in surrender.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I surrender. I lost my reason for a moment¡¡±
[Wrathful Tail Strike!]
¡°Kugh!¡±
Bello, the small killer whale familiar, which had been summoned at some point,shed its tail at the back of Pierre¡¯s head.
Thwack!
There was a dull thud as Pierre¡¯s head jerked forward from the impact.
That must have hurt.
[I don¡¯t know who you are, but if you mess with Isaac, this valiant killer whale, Bello, won¡¯t let you off easy!]
Bello shouted in the voice of a young boy.
He sure is reliable.
With earnest acting skills, Pierre looked at Bello and chuckled softly, ¡®Haha,¡¯ showing a kind smile. Now that his n had failed, he knew better than to draw further attention to himself.
¡°Uh, oh, ugh¡!¡±
Amy¡¯s panicked voice echoed throughout the academy.
¡°Yes! Somehow the situation has been resolved!! The disqualified yers, Isaac and Pierre nche, please exit quietly!!¡±
Unable to let go of her enthusiasm for hosting, Amy shouted a warning in the midst of it all.
Pierre¡¯s wrists were handcuffed together after his rash behavior. They were special magic tools designed to disrupt mana cirction.
On the other hand, no action was taken against me. It was clear to anyone that I had only deployed magic circles to protect myself from Pierre.
Surrounded by faculty, we left the racetrack.
Chapter 188: Priestess of The Red Lotus (1)
Chapter 188: Priestess of The Red Lotus (1)
? Priestess of The Red Lotus (1) ?
¡°Isaac, do you intend to work things out with Pierre¡?¡±
¡°Absolutely not. I would like to see such a heinous attempted murderer promptly put behind bars.
¡°That¡ you¡¯re unexpectedly calm and resolute.¡±
The incident merely became a part of the festival¡¯s aftermath.
Pierre nche, the center of the incident, was led away with a gentle smile on his face.
His statement about wanting to kill me was heard by Dorothy, Luce, Kaya, and several faculty members on the scene.The faculty members pressed him on why he made such a statement.
He responded with an apology for letting his emotions get the best of him and speaking harshly¡ He said he thought that I, the senior, would have handled it better.
¡®Make a believable excuse at least.¡±
ording to my [Psychological Insight], Pierre was resentful.
His n to provoke me had failed, and his impulsive emotional actions came to nothing.
He must have thought that cornering me would make me reveal my hidden power.
¡®But this is the extent of my power.¡¯
Pierre¡¯s thoughts wereplicated. It was uncertain whether this incident would lessen the suspicions against me.
Then, I remembered the sight of Dorothy, Kaya, and Luce growling. They had arrived at the scene with terrifying speed.
They had flown in as soon as Pierre unleashed his 6-star spell. With my current capabilities, I wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against Pierre¡¯s [Flying Whale].
Not to mention, they all seemed angry. As if they were more sensitive to the hostility directed at me than to themselves.
I was touched, and my heart was filled withfort.
His statement was concluded swiftly.
With almost the entire academy as witnesses, the investigation focused more on the conflict between Pierre and I than on the incident itself. Of course, there was no connection between us, so the interrogation was pretty short.
During the statement-taking, the first Arc Ball race came to an end.
Lisetta Lionheart¡¯s team took first ce, and our team secured second.
Pierre nche¡¯s team also qualified for the next game, but it was unlikely that the incident that I feared would reur.
¡®Since Pierre was in custody.¡¯
Pierre nche had been sent to the Academy¡¯s detention center. This ce confined and controlled the students who had caused trouble or were difficult to control and was now jointly managed by the academy and the Imperial Court.
Avoiding severe disciplinary action would be challenging. This was the answer I got after secretly asking a faculty member. Of course, he also mentioned that we would only know the details after the statement was taken and established the facts.
At least, Pierre wouldn¡¯t be participating in the Arc Ball races during the Grand Festival, so in a way, my goal waspleted.
After cooperating with the investigation, I left the detention center.
The academy was still buzzing with a festive mood. The incident was just an incident, after all. However, Pierre¡¯s incident would be a hot topic among students for a while.
¡°Isaac!¡±
As if she had been waiting, an alluring voice tickled my ears.
By the wall of the academy¡¯s detention center, a female student with rose-gold hair, Luce Eltania, greeted me. She pulled away from the wall and hurried towards me.
¡°Luce?¡±
¡°Are you okay?¡±
Luce sniffed, her eyes checking to see if there was anything wrong with my body.
¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for earlier. What about the others?¡±
¡°They all went back.¡±
Dorothy had to return as the face of her department¡¯s year.
Kaya probably left because she didn¡¯t want to openly reveal our rtionship in front of the entire academy.
But why was this girl here? She was supposed to be with her team as the face of the second year of the Magic Department.
¡°You? Is it okay for you to be here? You¡¯re the representative¡¡±
¡°Isaaces first.¡±
Her response was indifferent yet firm. It was a touching answer, but¡ I was nning to head back soon anyway.
In times like this, I thought it would be better if she fulfilled her own role.
I felt bad thinking about the students, who were supposed to take care of Luce, frantically searching for her by now.
¡°You¡¯re not hurt. I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡±
Luce pulled away from me, genuinely relieved.
I smiled, grateful for the concern.
¡°Thank you for worrying about me. Let¡¯s go back, Luce.¡±
¡°Okay, don¡¯t stray too far from me.¡±
¡°¡You don¡¯t have to hold onto my sleeve. I¡¯m not a child.¡±
¡°I¡¯m still worried about you¡ Even if you¡¯ve gotten stronger. If you¡¯re going to get in trouble like that, stay close to me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never been in trouble, though?¡±
Luce red at me. She was probably referring to the incident with the Clover Pdin, Pierre, where I was nearly caught up in his magic.
Well, the fact that I didn¡¯t get hurt was just a matter of oue. If no one had intervened, I might have faced the worst possible oue. I would have fought back in my own way, but it likely wouldn¡¯t have led to a good oue.
By the way, she wasn¡¯t using any restraints¡ unlike during social situations.
Looking at how she wasn¡¯t being reckless in this situation, it seemed like Luce had also grown significantly.
¡°Isaac, I have something to ask.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Who is that guy?¡±
Luce¡¯s voice was sharp. Her tone was calm and cynical.
There was no one else she could be referring to as ¡®that guy¡¯ other than Pierre.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen a trace of him on you. He just tried to get revenge on you for what happened during the race¡ right?¡±
Sharp. To dig into that part immediately.
¡°Probably, I¡¯ve never even spoken to him.¡±
¡°Is that why he tried to use a 6-star spell on you? Threatening to kill you?¡±
Luce¡¯s voice dropped to a whisper.
¡°Perhaps.¡±
¡°¡Okay.¡±
A short response. Her voice was subdued. I couldn¡¯t see her expression because she was leading the way, holding onto my sleeve, but I could clearly read her psychology.
It was filled with murderous intent.
It wasn¡¯t that she was going to go and kill Pierre right away. Luce wasn¡¯t someone who wouldmit murder indiscriminately.
However, it seemed clear she intended to keep a close eye on Pierre. If he tried anything against me, Luce was ready to end him at a moment¡¯s notice.
That time was rapidly approaching.
When the academy¡¯s administration temporarily grinds to a halt¡
¡At that time, I will have to deal with Alice.
¡°Hey, Isaac.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°If something bad happens to you¡¡±
Without looking at me, Luceced her fingers through mine inside my sleeve.
¡°¡I¡¯d probably¡ feel like the world is falling apart.¡±
Her words sounded like a warning.
I could feel the slender yet firm touch of Luce¡¯s fingers. The ring on her finger sparkled with a jet-ck sheen.
* * *
¡°Why did you do that?¡±
Alice¡¯sbyrinth, a space decorated with a red and ck checkered pattern.
Pierre nche was sitting, restrained against a wall amidst luxurious red furniture.
The Heart Pdin, a girl with short red hair, Shera Hectorica, leaned in to question him. However, Pierre avoided answering with his usual friendly smile.
¡°Be. Cause. Of. You. I. Thought. My. Heart. Would. Drop. You. Fool.¡±
Shera repeatedly pushed Pierre¡¯s forehead with her fingers with a dissatisfied expression. His head jerked helplessly.
Looking remorseful, Pierre offered an apology with a coy smile.
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Ah! You say you¡¯re sorry and that¡¯s it? Is that really all you can do? You¡¯ve caused trouble for the Kingdom, you¡! Captain! Can¡¯t you do something about him? He¡¯s caused trouble for us and the Queen!¡±
Shera asked the Spade Pdin, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his head bowed deeply. He looked troubled.
The intelligent-looking male student, the Spade Pdin, sighed deeply and walked over to Pierre.
His footsteps gradually quickened. Then he grabbed the handle of a chair in his path and kicked it to pieces.
The chair shattered. The Spade Pdin continued to walk toward Pierre, still holding the handle.
He swung at Pierre violently.
Thwack!
¡°Gack!¡±
¡°Kyaa!¡±
Shera staggered back, horrified.
Alexa, the Diamond Pdin, who had been watching Pierre from a distance, looked at the Spade Pdin with curious eyes.
¡°Woah¡ that scared me, Captain!! If you¡¯re going to hit his face, give me a heads-up!¡±
Shera stomped her foot on the ground, but the Spade Pdin paid her no mind and swung the handle on Pierre¡¯s head once more.
A thud echoed as Pierre¡¯s head snapped to the side. It didn¡¯t actually physically hurt him, as the room was only a mental space, but the impact was clearly felt.
This ce was abyrinth that invited the psyche. It was a realm independent of [Basic Protection Magic] that usually shielded one¡¯s body.
The shock experienced here was converted into psychological damage. The injuries on Pierre¡¯s face would eat away at his mind.
Behind the Spade Pdin¡¯s sses, his cold dark blue eyes shone.
¡°The first time, it was forgivable. Alexa¡¯s foolish act could be overlooked once, as it wasn¡¯t a fatal mistake. But¡ to attempt murder after witnessing her idiotic act ispletely uneptable. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t a n we discussed. It was solely your own decision¡ Do you have no self-control?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sor¡ª ack!¡±
Thwack!
¡°Where¡¯s your rational judgment?¡±
Thwack!
¡°Did it satisfy you to mess things up with your emotions?¡±
Thwack!
¡°We¡¯re doing this shitty student act for the sake of the Kingdom, to repay the Queen¡¯s favor, and for us to live. So what the hell are you doing?¡±
Pierre hung his head low, his psyche form¡¯s lips burst open, dripping with blood.
The Spade Pdin threw the chair¡¯s handle to the side.
¡°Our goal is to stop the ck Monster. To reveal its identity and neutralize it. In the meantime, you look like you¡¯re going to be severely punished. You¡¯ve even forgotten why the Queen called for us.¡±
The Spade Pdin crouched down, ring at Pierre.
¡°Damned fool¡ Even so, I cherish you. When ¡®that day¡¯es, I wille for you. By then, you must make up for this mistake.¡±
¡°¡I understand.¡±
Pierre replied weakly, his voice choked with blood.
***
The Priestess Miya became strange.
To the Nine-tailed Fox, Mae, Miya had always been a curious master. She was a girl who proudly proimed her ambitions and cheerfully trampled on others.
Buttely, she had been nothing but quiet. It was very unlike her master.
Ever since the Student Council President, Alice Carroll, whispered in her ear.
Miya¡¯s heart suddenly turned darker than ever, and she lost her usual talkativeness as if she had be a different person.
She couldn¡¯t figure out why. From the moment Alice started talking, Miya¡¯s mana supply was cut off, making it impossible for her to maintain her form. It felt like a thick ck fog had rolled in, creating a wall between her master and herself.
And after being summoned again, Miya had changed like this. When I asked her what happened, she simply dismissed it, saying, ¡®Nothing happened.¡¯
Miya stood quietly by the audience entrance, looking at the stadium. Her lifeless eyes remained the same.
There have been only a few moments in recent years when she had been wide-eyed and animated
It was during the Arc Ball race, when Pierre nche, her ssmate, and her senior, Isaac, confronted each other.
However, after Pierre was taken away, she couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment.
¡°¡¡±
Miya watched the Arc Ball race participants cross the stadium.
Her gaze lingered on White. Miya frowned at White¡¯s restless demeanor, worrying about Isaac.
¡°Idiots.¡±
[Miya¡?]
It was the worried voice of the Nine-tailed Fox, Mae. The familiar was embedded in the form of mana inside the fingernail of Miya¡¯s index finger.
Miya quickly turned around and exited through the audience entrance.
¡°¡Mae, store your mana in all your tails.¡±
[For what reason?]
Crossing the hallway, Miya thought of Isaac, the silver-blue-haired boy, causing her to tremble.
¡°There¡¯s something I need to deal with soon.¡±
Chapter 189: The Priestess of The Red Lotus (2)
Chapter 189: The Priestess of The Red Lotus (2)
? The Priestess of The Red Lotus (2) ?
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 118!]
Many female students submitted petitions to the academy.
To mitigate the clear wrongdoing of Pierre nche, they presented all kinds of examples of his good deeds and asked for leniency.
They said Pierre wasn¡¯t like that, that he was a person of excellent character and kindness, and that there must be some kind of misunderstanding.
¡®Is this the life of a fucking alpha male.¡¯
I had seen it on TV. There was a case abroad where a heinous criminal was reported in the media, and a throng of people emerged protesting for his release just because he was good-looking.
Could Pierre be such a case?
There were a few foolish juniors who directed their resentment at me, but they stopped bothering me after receiving Luce¡¯s murderous re. At times like these, there was no one as reliable as Luce.After the Pierre incident, the Grand Festival proceeded smoothly.
Our team took first ce in the Arcball race.
On thest day of the Grand Festival, the Arcball race award ceremony was held.
The vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, stepped forward as the representative for our team and raised the first-ce trophy with both hands, and our team cheered unanimously.
The first-ce prize radiated vivid colors of mana and was engraved in the air, existing only as a formless shape. It was scheduled to be awarded after the conclusion of the Grand Festival.
I mocked Lisetta by saying, ¡®Defeat is nothing to be ashamed of,¡¯ she furrowed her brow and gritted her teeth, muttering, ¡®This bastard¡¡¯
Whether the moment of taking first ce was purely joyful or not, I seemed to be in an elevated mood as well.
Contrary to concerns, the Arcball race proved to be a valuable experience. As soon as we won first ce, my level rose from 117, which I had reached during the preparation period for the Grand Festival, to 118. It was a satisfying oue.
If there was something toment¡
¡®I didn¡¯t really enjoy anything else.¡¯
As I walked around the campus, there were all sorts of thingsid out. Although there were many games and snacks ambitiously prepared by the students, I didn¡¯t really enjoy anything other than the Arcball race.
Even when Dorothy whined wanting to y together, I had to patiently bear it.
Because I had to train.
My condition wasn¡¯t poor, and the training ground was empty because it was the festival period. It was truly a mouth-watering situation.
I wanted to master 7-star magic as soon as possible.
That was why I decided to be satisfied with just enjoying the festival atmosphere. I had no intention of taking it easy.
Even if I feel regret now, I guess I should put offfortably enjoying festivals or anything else until after defeating Nephid the Evil God.
Before I knew it, a deep blue darkness had crept across the sky.
I left the training ground staggering as usual. I slowly made my way to the closing ceremony.
I deliberately did not carry any magic tools since my body needed to stabilize for a while.
After calming my breath for two minutes, I was able to walk normally.
Now, let¡¯s go.
The campus was deserted. The entire student body would have been at the stadium as it unted its splendid lights. I headed straight there.
Perhaps because my training focused onplex calctions and mana maniption, the mana expended was minimal. My physical strength could be easily recovered with just a little rest.
Even amidst the tough training, I conserved my mana and physical energy for the imminent event.
¡®Act 8¡¡¯
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 8, Chapter 2, The Priestess of the Red Lotus¡¹.
During the closing ceremony of the Grand Festival, thest act has Priestess Miya stepping onto the stage.
She captivated the students with the traditional Dance of Fire of the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
However, the moment the dance ended, she suddenly went berserk, shooting mes at several people.
To Ian, it was to settle a grudge from a duel, and to others, it was because she resented them for speaking ill of her behind her back.
As she spectacrly lost control in front of all the students, the yer, watching the cutscene, couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.
Fortunately, thebat troops affiliated with the academy were positioned around the auditorium and quickly erected a barrier to protect the students, but Miya soon fled.
And some people testified that just before Miya escaped, they saw a demon in her shadow.
Thus, the academy went into emergency mode, concluding that Miya had been possessed by a demon.
The academy then set out to find Miya.
Miya, hiding around the academy, knocked people down and attempted to kill those she resented.
Ian Fairytale, driven by a sense of duty to defeat the demons with his light element and sense of justice to protect the students, summoned his friends.
Thus, the yer had to form a party of four, including Ian, to chase after Miya, who was under the control of a demon.
They had to stop her before the damage spread.
That was the content of Act 8, Chapter 2.
¡®I don¡¯t know if it will go ording to the scenario.¡¯
The variable ¡®me¡¯ already had a tremendous influence on the existing scenario. Thus, the memory of the game was only for reference.
I didn¡¯t know if Miya would go berserk during the closing ceremony or not. However, it was necessary to be cautious and be on standby.
While walking, a white bird flew towards me, squawking, ¡®Kwek, Kwek!¡¯ It was ¡®V¡¯, a letter courier often used for urgent matters, a magic beast with a gentle nature that didn¡¯t harm humans.
I paused and extended my arm. Vnded on my arm and, with its long beak, pulled out a letter from the bag it was carrying and handed it to me.
¡°Thank you.¡±
As soon as V flew away, I checked the envelope.
A ck letter with only the recipient¡¯s name on it. There was no seal stamped on it. It looked suspicious from any angle, but I didn¡¯t feel any suspicious mana.
¡°Eden.¡±
Rock mana gathered in the air, forming the shape of Eden, a small golem familiar.
[Kyuuu!]
¡°Open this for me.¡±
As I gave him the letter, Eden quickly took it with his short arms.
Eden, being made of rock, was immune to poison. Even if something were to spring out of the letter, I could simply just unsummon him.
Eden opened the letter with his adorable rocky hands and took out the contents.
[Kyuuu!]
Eden handed me the letter. It was an ordinary piece of paper with only writing on it.
I took the letter from him and read the contents.
Although the sender wasn¡¯t written, I could immediately tell who sent it.
¡°Indeed, it¡¯s different from the scenario¡¡±
[Kyuuu.]
I didn¡¯t even dare to expect things to go as I thought they would.
As expected, Act 8, Chapter 2, was heading in a different direction than originally nned.
* * *
A scene in contrast with the night sky took over a corner of M?rchen Academy. It was a brilliantly shining stadium.
Students in uniforms upied the stands. Everyone was visibly excited.
¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the closing ceremony of M?rchen Academy¡¯s Jeblem Festival!¡±
The announcer Amy Holloway shouted. Fireworks loudly burst into the air, marking the start of The Grand festival¡¯s closing ceremony.
Amidst the splendid performance on stage and the students¡¯ enjoyment¡
Luce was solely waiting for Isaac, Dorothy was excitedly responding to the performance, and Kaya was nervously swallowing her saliva.
Eventually, the closing ceremony performance reached its final sequence.
A beautiful girl with ck hair gracefully made her way onto the stage.
Her red dress was adorned with dangling gold ornaments.
Mana flowed around her like ocean water, enriching the stage.
The Priestess stood alone at the center of the stage, readying herself for the performance.
With elegant poise, her delicate body boasted graceful lines. Soon, as the orchestra¡¯s music weaved beautiful melodies, Miya unfolded her ck fan with ir.
In the brilliant illumination of mana lights, she disyed a dance of great dignity.
Her dance, an offering to the gods, was truly artistic. The students, utterly absorbed in the music, were mesmerized by Priestess Miya¡¯s dance.
As the performance reached its climax, Miya¡¯s mes spectacrly burst forth in sync with the timing.
The undting red mes spread like silk, elegantly slicing through the air, perfectly harmonizing with Miya¡¯s movements.
This was the tradition of Horan, Land of the Fire blossoms, the Dance of Fire.
The students watching Miya¡¯s dance were either spellbound with their mouths agape, lost in a trance, or smiling in admiration.
Watching this, Dorothy quickly furrowed her brow in a stern expression.
¡°Huh, Dorothy?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ a fake.¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°¡I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
¡°Huh? Where are you going, Dorothy?!¡±
Without responding to her friend, Dorothy left the stands and climbed up the stairs.
* * *
Dozens of minutes earlier.
With the noisy closing ceremony behind, M?rchen Academy was submerged in quietness.
There were hardly any people around the campus. After all, the students were all watching the closing ceremony.
A student with silver-blue hair left the campus grounds and arrived at a nearby outdoor dueling ground. It was quieter than anywhere else, despite the ongoing festival.
With not a singlemp, the ce drenched in darkness was illuminated by nothing but the feeble light of the moon and stars.
The dueling ground had a structure that extended downwards. Isaac, after passing through the passage, stopped in front of the stairs leading down.
He lowered his head, taking in the sight of a woman in a red dress, adorned with ornate decorations, standing in the middle of the training ground.
She sensed someone¡¯s presence and turned her head. As befits the star of the closing ceremony, her beautifully made-up face, sharp eyes, and lifeless pupils were now directed at Isaac.
¡°You¡¯vee, Senior.¡±
The silence of the dueling ground was broken.
She spoke in a prickly tone while gathering her ck hair.
It was the Priestess, Miya.
Isaac descended the stairs without a word. He took off his jacket and tossed it aside in the stands, then loosened his tie by pulling on it.
His demeanor revealed he had quickly guessed the reason Miya had called him here. Miya let out augh at that.
On the dueling ground, Isaac stopped walking, keeping a distance from Miya.
¡°You came alone. I like that you¡¯re obedient.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been watching me all along.¡±
Isaac took off his sses and spoke in a calm tone. His gaze had turned cold.
He had strategized with Kaya and Dorothy for the scenario of Act 8, Chapter 2. However, immediately after receiving a letter from Miya, Isaac guessed that all their ns had turned to dust.
The letter contained a childish self-made drama.
It demanded that Isaace alone to the outdoor training ground at night, iming they had White. There was also a warning that things would not end well if he tried anything foolish.
Immediately after reading the letter, Isaac scanned the area with [irvoyance]. He realized that a watcher minion made of mes was watching him from afar.
He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he didn¡¯t follow the letter¡¯s instructions. If he had attempted ¡®anything foolishness¡¯, Miya would surely have noticed, potentially causing her to do something that Isaac couldn¡¯t predict.
However¡ within the range of what could be predicted, Isaac wasn¡¯t particrly concerned.
Rather, he was thankful that Miya hadn¡¯t caused amotion and had simply called him out alone.
¡°Your insight is sharp. Quite impressive for an insect.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t actually have White, do you?¡±
Using [irvoyance], Isaac had confirmed that White was watching the closing ceremony.
Miya, not fully aware of Isaac¡¯s abilities, had underestimated him.
¡°Sorry for lying. But you knew that was a lie and came anyway, didn¡¯t you?¡±
Isaac nodded his head.
After finishing a light stretch, Isaac red at Miya.
¡°¡Do you resent me?¡±
¡°Do you not want to kill an insect that bites you, Senior?¡±
¡°I see how you¡¯re treating me.¡±
There was nothing more to say.
Isaac amplified the cirction intensity of his mana circuit. Clenching his fists, he assumed a battle stance with an indifferent expression, grasping coldness in his hands.
Miya smirked. mes wrapped around her, and three tails of fire rose up.
In her shadow, a demon¡¯s eyes shed.
The moment they had been waiting for was drawing near.
Chapter 190 The Priestess of The Red Lotus (3)
Chapter 190The Priestess of The Red Lotus (3)
¡®Hilde, try to sneak out and get Kaya.¡¯
[What are you nning? You can not win against that woman with your current power, can you?]
¡®I¡¯m going to win. And listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say.¡¯
***
[¡Understood. You must survive, Master. When I return, I will give you a full taste of my affection.]
¡®I don¡¯t need it.¡¯
[¡!]
I gave orders to Hilde, who was hiding as a small form of mana in my cor.
Miya¡¯s watcher minion disappeared as soon as I reached the outdoor dueling ground, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem with Hilde moving around.
The one I should be the most wary of, the Phantom Cat Cheshire, was probably engrossed in the heat of the closing ceremony by now.
The key was to send out Hilde without being detected by the Priestess Miya.
I steadied my breathing and prepared for battle.
Unlike thest duel, Miya didn¡¯t let her guard down and unleashed the power of the Nine-tailed Fox from the start.
With her having unleashed the fox¡¯s power, I couldn¡¯t win on my own. The differences inbat experience, physical abilities, and even clever tactics were all meaningless in the face of the overwhelming gap in power.
¡®Three tails¡¡¯
That wasn¡¯t her full power, not by a long shot.
Her tails stored a considerable amount of mana and enhanced the output of magic.
Meaning, the more tails she revealed, the stronger Miya became.
When the ninth tail appeared, that was when her full power was truly shown.
¡®nning to pressure me gradually, huh?¡¯
It was a rather vicious strategy. She wasn¡¯t satisfied with simply unleashing all nine tails at once.
Currently, a shadow demon was lurking within Miya¡¯s shadow. Unbeknownst to her, it snuck in.
While it was fused in the shadows and unable to do anything for now, if Miya unleashed the full power of the Nine-tailed Fox, it would devour her power.
Then, I would be a Demon-Limited Hunter, able to annihte both Miya and the demon at once.
Therefore, I should give Miya a motive to bring out all nine tails.
I would have to withstand her attacks, counterattack, and escte this fight.
¡®Not bad at all.¡¯
Foolishly, I felt a sense of excitement.
This was a great opportunity to gain realbat experience.
A life-and-death battle was far more nourishing than a hundred duels.
Every experience like this was incredibly valuable on my journey to defeat the Evil God.
Crackle!
Miya swirled mes with her ck fan.
It was time to settle things with this tiresome kid.
***
Bang!
Crackle!!
¡°Are you just going to keep running away, Senior? Try to make me look like a fool like you did back then!¡±
In the outdoor dueling ground, where only the two of them stood, Miya¡¯s red mes drove away the ck darkness.
Miya, having partially unleashed the power of the Nine-tailed Fox, spread powerful mes in all directions, maintaining the spell [Firestorm] around herself at all times.
Though this should rapidly deplete her mana, Miya had more than enough mana to not worry about its consumption.
Isaac sprinted around the ground, countering using ice and rock magic.
He leaped out of the dueling ground and into the stands, avoiding Miya¡¯s mes. He was as nimble as a squirrel.
Before long, his right hand was clutching Zhonya¡¯s Staff, which he¡¯d pulled out from his magic pouch.
The mana stone, infused with the natural mana of dawn, was imbued with ice magic. He executed high-level mana mastery in an instant.
A powerful ice spell countered Miya¡¯s mes. Red and pale blue colors painted the night scenery.
Boom!
The mes were neutralized.
Isaac and Miya red at each other through the rising white steam.
¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger? Your mana has be more refined.¡±
Miya gathered her mes.
To her senses, Isaac¡¯s mana was denser than it was during theirst duel.
Even with three of her fox tails unleashed, at this rate, she would not be able to defeat her silver-blue-haired senior.
While she had the advantage in sheer mana quantity, Isaac possessed additional abilities that could bridge that gap.
After pushing back some of her anger, Miya regained her rationality. Which told her¡
Isaac, that man, was a genius.
He was simply ate bloomer with his talents.
¡®Or perhaps.¡¯
That man could be the Nameless Hero.
In other words, he could be slowly revealing his true strength while pretending to grow. If there was a reason to conceal his power, what better excuse than ¡®growth¡¯ to ease the restrictions of his actions?
Although it was an unwee hypothesis, it was also an undeniable possibility.
The idea that the man she wanted to devote her body and soul to could be such a fraud was so absurd that she involuntarily let out a scoff.
Miya red at Isaac, convinced that such a possibility was false.
¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡¡±
In Miya¡¯s hand, the tip of her luxurious ck fan flickered with mes like a bonfire.
Behind her, three tails of me waved gently, casting a soft glow.
¡°I hated you. I thought I¡¯d make you pay for humiliating me during our duel. But after calming down and thinking it over¡ it turns out you seem quite useful, like a decent piece of trash.¡±
¡°What are you trying to say?¡±
Isaac asked, clearing his throat, and Miya covered her mouth with the ming ck fan.
Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
¡°Be my subordinate.¡±
¡°What are you saying¡?¡±
¡°If you join me, I can promise you wealth and honor. I swear as the Priestess of the Land of the Fire Blossoms, Horan. That¡¯s quite a tempting offer for a lowlife like you, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Haa.¡±
He sighed deeply.
Isaac sat down in the stands right behind him and slung Zhonya¡¯s Staff over his shoulder.
Even without the hints from [Psychological Insight], deciphering Miya¡¯s intentions was fairly simple.
¡°Hey, I¡¯mte in asking, but what about the closing ceremony? What are you doing here?¡±
¡°You really arete in asking.¡±
Miya turned her head toward the stadium.
Far from the academy grounds, she couldn¡¯t hear the music of the closing ceremony. But she could feel the festive atmosphere through her skin.
A chuckle escaped Miya¡¯s lips.
¡°My clone will take care of it.¡±
¡°Is that your familiar¡¯s ability?¡±
¡°You know well. Yes, Mae is proficient in all sorts of magic.¡±
¡°Must be convenient when you¡¯re substituting.¡±
¡°Senior¡ aren¡¯t you a bit too rxed? Why don¡¯t you worry about yourself instead of the closing ceremony?¡±
The fact that the Priestess of Horanmands the Nine-tailed Fox, Mae, was widely known across the world.
One of the fox¡¯s abilities was to create clones. Miya, its master, could also use this ability to create a clone of herself.
Though it wouldn¡¯t be able tomunicate, the clone would be able to dance at the closing ceremony.
¡°So let me get this straight if I be your underling, I get wealth and honor¡ right?¡±
¡°Looks like you get it. See, I rule over the East. Once I say something, I mean it¡ On one condition.¡±
¡°And what is that?¡±
Miya chuckled and extended three fingers of her right hand.
¡°Three fingers. The index, middle, and thumb should suffice. With these, I¡¯ll forgive all your impudent actions and promise you a life of wealth.
¡°¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s quite generous for messing with me. Just three fingers to appease my anger and serve under the grace of the most beautiful woman in the world for the rest of your life¡ Where else would you find such a ludicrous offer?¡±
Miya had no intention of actually messing with Isaac¡¯s fingers.
Though she coveted Isaac¡¯s talent for her ambitions, her anger and disdain had already umted too much.
If she ever had the opportunity to sever his fingers, she¡¯d do it slowly, joint by joint, and, pretending it was an ident, she¡¯d cut off his wrist along with them.
Every time he screamed in pain, she would feel a chill of pleasure. It would surely soothe her rage to some extent.
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
Isaac lifted his head, feigning contemtion, then calmly raised his middle finger to Miya.
¡°Fufu.¡±
Miya let out a chillyugh and intensified the mes from her ck fan.
The mes surged powerfully.
Whaaaack!!
Miya waved her fan and the mes rushed towards Isaac with fierce intensity. Isaac sprung to the side, dodging the [Firestorm], and countered with numerous spells.
[Ice Spear], [Frostfire], [Frost Explosion], [Rock Avnche]¡ All the elemental magic failed to prate the mes surrounding Miya and were consumed.
The mes were dense with mana.
It was as if an intangible force created a defense mechanism with the sole purpose of protecting her like a dense sand wall.
However, the Priestess Miya was also unable to pressure her opponent. The strength of three tails was not enough. As it was, it would only turn into a battle of endurance.
She doubled her firepower.
Miya pulled out three more tails. Six flickering me tails, resembling a fox¡¯s tail.
As the tails increased, Miya¡¯s magic grew in power and temperature.
It was no longer just a burning me. It shattered and swept away everything.
Crackle!
Boooom!
¡°Senior! If I can¡¯t have what I want, I have the urge to destroy it! The more you resist, the worse things will be for you! Juste with me peacefully, huh?!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Isaac remained impassive. Not a trace of bewilderment on his face.
His cold gaze, which contrasted with his usual gentle eyes, was scanning the situation. If his opponent was stronger than him, he would simply adapt his response.
Isaac skillfully handled Miya¡¯s mes. He thoroughly understood her attack patterns, as if he had fought her countless times before.
With his exceptional physical abilities, Isaac navigated the stands, his movements gradually restricted by the threatening [Firestorm] swirling and barricading around Miya.
The mes that almost reached him were somehow neutralized by powerful ice magic.
¡°Really¡ Is that all? You dared to confront me with such mediocre skills?!¡±
Miya was filled with mixed emotions.
She red so hard that veins bulged out on her forehead. She released her seventh tail, cackling.
¡°Kugh!¡±
Even without direct contact with the fire magic, Isaac could feel his skin burning and sizzling.
Isaac spread the chill that enveloped his body even more intensely to ease the burns.
¡°Kehe, how amusing.¡±
Miya tracked the scruffy man as he continued to flee through the cloud of dirt and pungent smoke.
A stark difference in mana. It was clear that she, who was imbued with the power of the Nine-tailed Fox, was much stronger than her silver-blue-haired senior.
Yet, Isaac was somehow bridging that gap with his exceptionalbat sense and observational skills.
Such talent was rare to find.
Miya, a tyrant who had used her position as a Priestess ruling over Horan, and looked down upon her people and violently took advantage of them, knew this all too well.
Wizards were very expensive.
This ce was M?rchen Academy, where talented individuals gathered, so it was not umon to find people skilled in magic.
Outside, simply wielding 6-star magic could earn amoner noble-like status.
Moreover, wizards who could wield 7-star magic or higher would demand higher prices.
Then what about this man?
He had already mastered 6-star magic and possessed physical abilities that were uncharacteristic of an aspiring wizard.
Plus, he showed exceptionalbat sense that pressured Miya during theirst duel.
With such capabilities, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he¡¯d be capable of wielding 7-star magic. His potential was unimaginable.
¡®I want him.¡¯
He was a remarkable talent.
Especially if having this man also meant gaining the overwhelmingly talented Luce Eltania.
Therefore, she had to have Isaac by any means necessary.
Fine, let¡¯s see who is superior.
I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m far mightier than you¡¯ll ever be. I¡¯ll let you feel the full extent of my power.
I am the woman who will dominate this world. A Divine Priestess who will rule as the sole monarch.
This lowly academy is merely a stepping stone on that journey.
So beg for my forgiveness ande under my wing.
Even if you don¡¯t want to that doesn¡¯t matter to me. I¡¯ll stick to my ways.
I¡¯ll take someone dear to you as a hostage.
Gouge their eyes out, skin them, or cut off their limb, and then you¡¯ll surely grovel and beg on your own.
Beg me to take you as my subordinate, admitting your mistakes.
That is the future awaiting you if you refuse to heed my offer, Isaac.
Miya thought to herself as she relentlessly unleashed her fire magic at Isaac.
¡°Eden!¡±
[Kyuu!]
The rock golem familiar, Eden, appeared around Isaac.
Eden, d in rock armor to increase his battle prowess, created a rock shield in Isaac¡¯s hand.
He leapt through the stands and charged toward Miya. He aimed his erged fist at her.
From another direction, Isaac jumped forward with the rock shield, simultaneously wrapping his body in intense cold and releasing [Frostfire].
The [Frostfire] swirled together with the [Firestorm], momentarily creating a cloud of steam.
Meanwhile, ice magic condensed around Zhonya¡¯s Staff, followed by a pale blue magic circle.
It was the form for the 5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
Isaac intended to protect himself from the mes using the rock shield while casting [Frost Explosion].
¡°Hehe! Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡±
A reckless choice.
Miya unleashed her eighth tail. Red mes erupted from her like steam, engulfing Isaac and Eden.
Paaaa!!
¡°Kugh!¡±
Isaac crouched and hid behind the rock shield, but the violent mes sent him flying like a ball.
[Frost Explosion] was activated, only to be consumed by the scorching mes, rendering it ineffective.
Eden was also helplessly pushed back by the mes and crashed into the stands alongside his master.
The stands shattered with a loud crash, and dust rose into the air. Eden grunted and groaned as mes that could even melt his rock body surrounded him.
At that moment, there was a dagger slithering across the dueling grounds towards Miya.
Swoosh!
However, the dagger was helplessly deflected by [me Pir] which erupted from the ground.
¡°Trying that trick again¡ Don¡¯t you get tired of it?¡±
Isaac, along with Eden, distracted Miya by secretly throwing the Sheath of Disaster.
Having been tricked by it before, Miya saw right through it.
The magic circle engraved on the Sheath of Disaster emitted a pale blue light and flew into the stands. The glow quickly faded.
Isaac tossed the hot rock shield aside. It rolled across the ground with a tter and soon dispersed into brown mana in the air.
He swung his arm to clear the dust and stood up. His uniform was scorched. His silver-blue hair was covered in dust.
He wiped the blood that trickled down his forehead.
Through his hair, his frosty red eyes, filled with determination, were solely focused on Miya.
Calm and steady.
¡®That¡¯s the spirit.¡¯
Miya looked at him like an enticing ripe fruit on a tree.
If she took one bite, the juices would surely burst out.
He possessed great potential and wasn¡¯t intimidated by opponents whose power overwhelmingly surpassed his own. He focused his will and stared down his enemy.
It was a remarkable spirit. Indeed, she wanted him.
¡°Senior, what will you do¡?¡±
Isaac held out the Zhonya¡¯s Staff. The mana stone emitted light.
Gooooo¡
Miya swiftly raised her head as she felt heavy mana above her head.
A pale blue magic circle had been unleashed within the [Firestorm]. Amidst the chaos, Isaac had taken time to calcte the deployment form for 6-star ice magic.
The [Frostfire] was engulfed by the [Firestorm] and it interrupted the formation of the magic circle.
Miya was so focused on the Sheath of Disaster that she failed to realize Isaac¡¯s final move.
Something had burst forth beneath the magic circle. It was a dangerous-looking pale blue sphere.
By the time Miya saw it, the spell had already been activated.
Whaaaaaa!!!
Miya¡¯s eyes widened.
It was the 6-star ice spell, [Frost Glitter].
Dense, thick spikes rained down like a shower. Even the [mestorm], imbued with the power of the Nine-tailed Fox, couldn¡¯t block this attack.
¡°¡Hehe.¡±
However, Miya soon smirked.
The final tail of the Nine-tailed Fox sprang out, instantly forming a powerful defense system.
Fire magic burst from the ground in multiple streams, spiraling outward. It happened in the blink of an eye.
The air heated up intensely.
The mes swirled and gathered.
Soon, it erupted in a burst of mes.
Boooooom!!
The pirs of me surged up like beams of light with ferocious momentum, pushing away the [Frost Glitter] and devouring the sphere of dense magic.
It was the 6-star fire spell, [Explosive Wave].
A tremendous explosion of steam shattered the stands.
Isaac hastily deployed a wall of ice imbued with rock magic, [Fossilized Ice], but the aftermath of the explosion shattered it away and sent him flying.
¡°Ugh!!¡±
Isaac was hurled at tremendous speed to the edge of the dueling ground. Isaac grumbled as he crashed into a wall, making it crumble.
It felt like his bones were broken. Even with [Basic Protection Magic], he was helpless against such an impact. Luckily, he didn¡¯t pass out.
His strength drained away. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to exert power throughout his body.
A terrifying pressure of mana crushed Isaac. The difference in power was now iparable.
He lifted his head.
The [mestorm] that filled the dueling ground had turned into a gentle breeze of flower petals. It was the 7-star fire spell, [Cherry Blossom].
Touching even one of these petals could cause an explosion far beyond anything the [Firestorm] could produce. No matter how much defense magic he used, he had to be prepared for his body to be blown away.
Within the [Cherry Blossom].
Under the night sky, in the middle of the dueling ground.
There was a girl with nine tails of mes wrapped around her.
Her hair turned red, it was shaped like mes, zing at the tips.
Her red eyes glowed with a holy aura.
She was the Master and Divine Maiden of the Eastern Nation, the Priestess of the Red Lotus.
The tyrant of the East; who would not be satisfied if she didn¡¯t get what she desired.
¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. No¡ this is an order.¡±
The Priestess who unleashed the full power of the Nine-tailed Fox spoke.
¡°Join me. Be my subordinate and beg. If you are still unwilling, even with promises of wealth and honor, I will have no choice but to use violence. Wouldn¡¯t that be sad?¡±
¡°¡Such as?¡±
Blood trickled from Isaac¡¯s mouth. His voice wasced with blood.
¡°I¡¯ll harm someone dear to you.¡±
¡°Why¡?¡±
¡°You made it quite obvious you care deeply, almost sickeningly so. You came at me with fury in your eyes over a hurt worthless bitch. If I were to harm someone far more precious to you than Princess Snow White¡ what kind of reaction would I see from you?¡±
Miya¡¯s smiling face suddenly hardened.
¡°I might just gouge out your mother¡¯s eyes. And if that doesn¡¯t make you want to serve me, next, I¡¯ll skin her. And if you still won¡¯t listen¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t¡ talk¡ nonsense¡¡±
Flop.
Isaac¡¯s voice trailed off.
He closed his eyes and copsed limply to the side.
Miya was momentarily startled but felt a thrill at having said her piece.
¡°Huhu, it¡¯s too boring if you pass out now. The fun has just¡ª¡±
Miya was about to approach Isaac.
But then.
Behind her, a pitch-ck darkness crept up from the ground like an assassin.
There was no mana emanating from it. Miya was slow to realize because there was no presence.
Startled, she quickly turned her head.
[Give me that power.]
The dark figure opened its jaws wide and swallowed Miya whole.
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
Miya clutched her head in agony as her body and mana were gradually engulfed by the dark mana.
From within her shadow, a human head with three pairs of eyes and three mouths carved like triangles sneered wickedly.
[Miya! Miya!! Ugh, what¡¯s with this guy?!]
The Nine-tailed Fox¡¯s desperate cries echoed through the dueling ground but soon lost her voice.
The nine tails that were wrapped around Miya¡¯s body were all dyed a deep ck.
The color of the 7-star fire spell, [Cherry Blossom], that surrounded her also transformed from a beautiful and brilliant red to a void.
The shadow demon let out a strange howl and finally absorbed Miya¡¯s powerpletely.
From Miya¡¯s face, where ck mana smoke seeped out, three pairs of eyes took their ces.
Miya was flung sideways by the demon and rolled across the ground.
The demon that had drained Miya¡¯s power looked down at her with a smile full of satisfaction.
¡°Demon¡!¡±
Miya frowned grimly and tried to wield fire magic, but nothing came out, leaving her in shock.
It was the moment of the shadow demon¡¯s triumph.
¡°¡¡±
Isaac cracked open one eye to witness the scene. He pretended to be unconscious.
His field of vision was clear. It was obvious since he fell down at a calcted angle.
In ¡¸Act 8, Scene 2, Priestess of the Red Lotus¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Miya finally revealed her full power by unleashing all nine tails of the fox.
And so, the demon hiding within her shadow revealed itself.
It was the final boss of Act 8, the Shadow Demon.
[Elmetona the Ethereal]
Lv: 180
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Fire
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Pleased with sessfully stealing the power of the Priestess and the Nine-tailed Fox.]
¡®She¡¯s out.¡¯
¡¸Act 8, Scene 3, The Shadow Priestess¡¹.
We have reached the final chapter of Act 8.
[Finally, you¡¯ve unleashed your full power¡]
¡°Kugh!¡±
Elmetona the Ethereal grabbed Miya¡¯s throat and lifted her up.
Miya struggled, gripping Elmetona¡¯s arm in agony. Despite her attempts to kick at the dark figure that looked exactly like her, it was futile.
Her eyes rolled back as she choked, tears and saliva streaming down her face.
Without the ability to wield fire magic, Miya was just a powerless girl.
If the source of her power died, Elmetona would lose what little power she gained, so she couldn¡¯t kill Miya.
However, the demon only intended to show Miya who was superior.
[Waiting was hard.]
Whack!
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
Elmetona punched Miya in the face as she choked her.
[I¡¯m exhausted. I almost killed myself because I was impatient. I almost ended my own life. I¡¯m dumb. I¡¯m foolish. I¡¯m pathetic. But I took it away. I took this power away¡! But I loathe myself¡! I¡¯m idiotic! I¡¯m miserable! I deserve to die!!]
¡°Ku, kughh¡!¡±
p!
Thud!
Whack!
Thud!
Crack!
Elmetona pped Miya¡¯s face repeatedly as she rapidly spat out words.
She mmed her knee into Miya¡¯s abdomen and broke Miya¡¯s leg with a kick.
¡°Kughhhh¡!!¡±
Miya couldn¡¯t move because she was being choked. She couldn¡¯t even turn her head. She could only gasp for air as she received the blows.
Her once beautiful face was now a hideous bloody mess.
The shadow demon, Elmetona the Ethereal, was sinister and deeply self-loathing. She was constantly muttering self-deprecating remarks.
If any creature looked at her, she would tear them apart because she thought they were disrespecting her. She had extremely low self-esteem.
¡®That was very hard¡¡¯
Elmetona wouldn¡¯t kill Miya. Instead, she intended to preserve her as the source of her power.
Since it hade to this, she might as well take a beating.
Elmetona did not stop her one-sided violence. Before Miya could choke to death, she released her throat, then grabbed her arm and repeatedly kicked her like a punching bag.
It was the process of creating a hierarchy.
She would instill fear in Miya, the true owner of the power, by assaulting her every day.
It was a daily process of exploiting her strength.
Isaac slowly got to his feet.
The debris clinging to his body fell, clinking softly against the ground.
[¡?]
The Shadow Priestess, Elmetona, released Miya¡¯s arm as she gasped, ¡®Kugh¡¡¯
With a thud, Miya¡¯s body copsed to the ground. Her face was swollen with bruises, her joints were twisted, and her clothes were filthy. She was aplete mess, like a tattered rag.
Crunch.
Elmetona stepped on Miya and red at Isaac with three pairs of eyes.
[What¡¯s with that look? Are you calling me an idiot, pathetic, disgusting, pitiful? Are you looking down on me?!]
Crack, crack.
¡°Ack, aaak¡¡±
Elmetona repeatedly stomped on Miya in anger. The blows shattered her bones, even the ones that were still intact.
Unable to think rationally in the excruciating pain, Miya eventually lost consciousness due to the pain.
That should be enough.
Isaac grabbed his shoulder and lightly stretched his neck, then he spat out a mouthful of blood.
His cold, red eyes scanned the demon.
Meanwhile.
At the stadium where the closing ceremony was taking ce.
A small, firefly-like figure approached Kaya Astrea and whispered into her mind.
It was Hilde.
The familiar conveyed Isaac¡¯s instructions to Kaya.
¡°Sir Isaac¡¡±
Kaya¡¯s expression hardened, and she stood up from her seat and made her way through the aisle behind her.
She was about to leave when Dorothy, who had the power of [All in the World], noticed that the dancing Priestess was a fake.
Goooooo.
Unmatched, heavy mana descended upon the stadium.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment, as the noisy closing ceremony fell into a sudden hush.
Dorothy¡¯s eyes widened and she froze. She wrapped herself in starlight mana and floated up.
With shocked expressions, Luce and the Pdins turned their heads toward the enormous surge of mana.
Seated at the top, Alice closed her eyes to gather her thoughts.
Beside her, Phantom Cat Cheshire shed a strange smile. As if it knew what wasing.
The faculty and Imperial Knights scrambled to assess the situation.
In an instant, the festival grounds were filled with chaos and murmurs.
Everyone there realized one clear fact.
The Great Archwizard.
The Nameless Hero had appeared.
Chapter 191: The Priestess of The Red Lotus (4)
Chapter 191: The Priestess of The Red Lotus (4)
? The Priestess of The Red Lotus (4) ?
The Nine-tailed Fox, Mae.
In the Nation of the Land of the Fire Blossoms, where Miya ruled like a tyrant, the reason she was not easily assassinated wasrgely due to the significance of her magic beast.
Once upon a time, the Nine-tailed Fox had transformed into a poisonous stone that took the lives of anyone who approached her.
The reason for this was her deeply rooted distrust in humans due to almost having been killed by them. The Nine-Tailed Fox had thus transformed itself into a cursed rock that poisoned every approaching living being.
The forest with the poisonous stone was known as the Forest of Death, deserted and off-limits.
And so, the Nine-tailed Fox had to live alone, in solitude, for countless years.
Then one day, a curious young girl, came to the Forest of Death.
Born into a poor family, her appearance was humble, but her intelligent eyes and beautiful ck hair were very pretty.She waster known to be a girl named Miya.
The girl possessed a mysterious power.
Enough to recognize the lonely emotions and the long-dulled sadness of the fox magic beast that had be a poisonous stone.
Braving death, Miya approached the Nine-tailed Fox, which had transformed into a poisonous stone, without hesitation, even though she was poisoned by the strong toxin.
She constantly healed herself to prevent herself from perishing, gently caressing the rock.
©¤ ¡®It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡¡¯
Her voice and touch, like sunlight splitting through a canopy of trees, illuminated the dark forest.
The young girl named Miya, barely keeping herself alive and having already poisoned, continuously stroked the rock with her hands, now faded in color.
Before Miya copsed, the Nine-tailed Fox released her transformation and revealed her true form.
The pure white Nine-tailed Fox shed tears as she was caressed by Miya¡¯s touch.
Miya smiled broadly, eximed how beautiful it was, and then hugged the Nine-tailed Fox.
The Nine-tailed Foxid down her hostility towards the young child.
Miya often visited the Forest of Death to meet the Nine-tailed Fox and shared her everyday stories.
Happiness was the fulfillment of absence. That was what the Nine-tailed Fox realized after meeting Miya.
Her loneliness had disappeared with happiness being rooted in its ce.
Miya gave the Nine-tailed Fox such genuine happiness that even the trauma of nearly being killed by a hunting party soon faded away.
However, at some point, Miya stopped visiting the forest.
The Nine-tailed Fox waited for Miya.
Every day, she waited only for Miya¡¯s return.
Rain poured.
Snow fell.
Yet, It stood in a spot where she could immediately meet Miya if she came, like a dog waiting for its master, the Nine-tailed Fox simply passed the time quietly.
Then, after a long time had passed, on a day when the white snowkes had thickly covered the forest,
Miya came back, but by then, she was no longer the kind little child the Nine-tailed Fox knew.
©¤ ¡®Follow me. I will show you the world I will rule.¡¯
The girl was adorned in morous clothes and expensive-looking jewelry.
There stood a tyrant, ready tomit cruel acts without hesitation to get what she wanted.
***
¡°You dare to touch my mother?¡±
Mana surged.
My body became as light as a feather, and my stamina was not only restored but increased to the point of it being never-ending.
My mana circuit became incredibly robust. The density and amount of mana flowing within were pumped with a terrifying force.
Sensing an ominous aura, the Shadow Priestess Elmetona the Ethereal instinctively decided that she must protect Miya, the source of her power.
Elmetonayered a sturdy ck me protective shield over Miya.
Whoosh!!
An extremely cold chill burst from Isaac, driving away the me blossom spell [Cherry Blossom], turning the surroundings into a frigid ice field.
A heavy force of suffocating mana settled down. That alone almost made Elmetona stagger.
The unique trait [Hunter] activated.
Dramatic enhancement of the body and mana.
Isaac¡¯s mana had grown so powerful that it not only pressed down upon this ind but also extended its force over the sky and the surrounding seas.
It¡¯s only a matter of time before people flock here.
However¡ it won¡¯t take long to take down that demon.
Isaac stretched his right arm to the side.
Whoosh.
Dark blue mana gathered in his right hand before expanding and then condensing into a singr point. Isaac stretched out his arm and clenched the mana with his hand as a scythe took form and snugly fit within his grasp. The sounds of chains resounded throughout the dueling ground.
It was the Frostscythe, a legendary weapon wielded by the Primordial Ice Sovereign.
¡°There¡¯s one thing you¡¯ve overlooked.¡±
As Isaac narrowly opened his eyes, his skin¡¯s hue intensified and his silver hair bristled.
Then, a deep aura symbolizing the Primordial Sovereign gently flowed out from Isaac.
The 9-star passive skill, [Ice Sovereign].
Elmetona the Ethereal, upon sensing that aura, couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut. It was evidence of having reached the pinnacle of a single element.
Isaac, lifting the Frost Scythe, said in a scornful tone:
¡°I don¡¯t have a mother, Bitch.¡±
Pale blue mana flowed from his red eyes, a harbinger of newly acquired magic.
He mmed the end of the Frostscythe into the ground.
A clear, ringing sound echoed.
From that point, a clear chill spread in all directions, enveloping the entire dueling ground.
With a cracking sound,yers of vivid ice walls rose from the ground, constructing a wide space.
¡¸Domain Expansion¡¹
The cold transformed the ground into a massive floe and made the world its canvas.
A pale blue magic circle was engraved on the beautifully sculpted ice ceiling. Countless brinicles slowly extended downward, dripping with a murderous chill.
Within that icy pce, the frosty wind bestowed a hellish cold to those trapped unfortunate enough to be in its embrace.
[Is this¡?]
Elmetona¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
A strong sense of crisis rang like an rm from within.
The being before her was an archwizard. No, something far more menacing.
Feeling his immeasurable power, Elmetona furrowed her three pairs of eyes. Her face contorted hideously with revulsion.
This ce was a freezer of the extreme where violence flowed. A sinister pce of ice.
It was Isaac¡¯s domain.
¡¸Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost¡¹
Whoosh!!
The Nine-tailed Fox¡¯s mes, strengthened by dark mana, exploded in a fury following Elmetona¡¯s rage.
ck mes scattered about. However, their power and extreme heat were insufficient to melt the icy pce.
They barely managed to prevent her feet from freezing to the ground.
Elmetona clenched her fists tightly and trembled violently.
Before Isaac, a demonized being had no chance of victory. Thus, a fire-like anger surged within Elmetona.
[You insolent fool!!]
Elmetona roared in rage with a bizarre voice.
Bright Red magic circles unfolded endlessly. Each circle unleashed barrages of 5 and 6-star fire magic.
Whoosh!!
Crash!!
Massive explosions and ck mes poured onto Isaac without ceasing, filling the icy pce.
[Hear me, you arrogant ice Wizard! How dare a human defy the natural order?! Coveting the realm of Lord Nephid without knowing your ce!]
A shriek close to a wail.
[Your very existence is a sin!]
sh.
Whoosh!
The coldness surrounding the space aggressively swirled, instantly freezing the explosion itself. An unusual blue ice mass formed.
At that moment, Isaac lightly swung Frostscythe, and the ice masses enveloping him crumbled away.
He was unscathed, just as he had been when first seen.
Elmetona was taken aback, not expecting her barrage to be so effortlessly nullified. Thews of physics, which were seen asmon sense everywhere else, did not apply here.
Why had that man struggled against the Priestess just moments before?
Why did he deceive her?
¡I see. I understand.
Elmetona guessed Isaac¡¯s intentions.
He must have noticed Elmetona hiding in the Priestess¡¯s shadow from the start and lured her into revealing herself.
Had that man shown his true power from the beginning, Elmetona would have simply gathered valuable information and waited for another opportunity.
[Ice Sovereign] was but a secondary power to him. Revealing his existence was sufficiently justifiable.
Look at that ice wizard.
Despite being a lowly human, he dared to rival her lord, the Evil God.
Elmetona, who had lived in shadows and darkness for eons, thought of the Primordial Sovereigns.
They, too, were unmatched in their arrogance, but never on a levelparable to the Evil God. No matter how strong, they knew to uphold thews of the world.
But this archwizard was different.
No, perhaps even the title of archwizard might be an understatement for this silver-blue-haired man.
¡°It¡¯s lukewarm.¡±
Even a high-density, high-temperature ck me barrage, capable of easily sweeping through M?rchen Academy, was nothing more than warming oneself by a distant bonfire in front of Isaac¡¯s frigidity.
He had already surpassed even the Primordial Sovereigns.
Isaac.
The name of a being stronger than any human Elmetona had ever seen.
Elmetona clenched her fists tightly.
Staying here would only result in freezing to death.
Even if she managed to withstand by emitting mes unrestrainedly, the moment she touched the sharp icicles or brinicles that were gradually descending, the worst cold imaginable would freeze her entire body, leading to a bitter end
¡°¡Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±
Isaac¡¯s red eyes, holding a pale blue glow, targeted the enemy.
Whoosh!!
Feeling a sense of urgency, Elmetona emitted ck mes at maximum output.
She had to escape somehow. If Isaac wished it, death woulde in an instant.
Moreover, the chill emitted by that man would surely lead to death upon contact.
Elmetona oveid dark mana on a 7-star fire spell, [Void Phoenix], passed down from the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
Behind her, arge ck magic circle unfolded, spewing ck mes. The mes of darkness danced splendidly, carving a path.
Along that path, a phoenix formed of ck mes flew.
It was a me concentrated with terrifying mana.
The phoenix contained the power to wipe out an entire region if it touched the ground.
©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.
¡It was utterly futile.
The ck phoenix froze in its zing glory.
A silvery continuous line was drawn in the very center, and it was cut in half instantly.
[What¡!]
[Abyssal cier]. A 7-star ice spell that froze things without restriction.
The next move was Frostscythe¡¯s unique magic, [Absolute Zero]. The area carved out by the de was severed beyond the limits of space with extreme cold infiltrating the gap.
Whisk!
Isaac bypassed the bisected Phoenix and arrived at Elmetona.
His speed was as if he had never moved. It was as if he fooled the eyes into thinking he was there the entire time.
Startled, Elmetona instinctively poured out ck mes in resistance, but¡
sh!
Chlak!
As Isaac swung Frostscythe, a silver circle tinged with coldness swept across the mes, drawing twice momentarily into the void.
Even the ck mes were effortlessly severed along the Frostscythe¡¯s path, rendering them powerless. Consequently, Elmetona¡¯s vision distorted involuntarily.
It was because her body, sliced by the Frostscythe, had been divided into three pieces.
The parts of her body cut by the Frostscythe¡¯s de immediately froze to its unique magic.
The biting coldness tore through Elmetona.
[Aaaah!!]
She couldn¡¯t give up like this.
She reminded herself.
Her goal was to eliminate Ian Fairytale, the only being capable of killing the Evil God.
It was a greater cause.
If she couldn¡¯t defeat him, she would have to leave the task to the next of her kind.
And she was certain.
In fulfilling that cause, this silver-blue-haired man was an obstacle akin to a giant mountain range.
Even a little would do. She had to inflict an irreversible injury on this man, to make it easier for the next of her kind to kill Ian Fairytale.
Elmetona let out a bizarre scream as she unfolded five ck me magic circles.
Boom!
However, Elmetona¡¯s hope was thwarted by a kick thrown with tremendous speed by Isaac.
With a sound akin to an explosion, Elmetona¡¯s body, now reduced to a bust, was sent flying up to the ceiling.
Elmetona hit the ceiling of [Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost]. The brinicles shattered, scattering beautiful opalescent powder.
[Ugh¡!]
The moment she touched the icicle, the extreme cold prated deep into her entire body.
The pale blue magic circles filling the ceiling emitted a deadly light. The coldness intensified.
Suddenly, the ck mes enveloping Elmetona¡¯s body extinguished, and her body froze solid in an instant.
The bust of Elmetona now turned into an ice statue and fell downwards.
Isaac condensed ice mana in his right hand and stretched out his arm towards the falling bust.
Frigid mana overflowed.
Kwaaaaaaaa!!!
A pale blue sh, faster than sound, momentarily lit up [Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost].
A loud noise followed in session.
Numerous pieces of the frozen Elmetona scattered.
Rough ice masses soared above Isaac¡¯s hand and stuck to the ceiling.
Isaac dissolved the ice mass and lowered his arm.
Within the [Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost], his breath turned into a white mist, flowing along with the cold wind.
The time it took to defeat Elmetona after activating his Domain Expansion was just over 20 seconds.
Chapter 192: Priestess of The Red Lotus (5)
Chapter 192: Priestess of The Red Lotus (5)
? Priestess of The Red Lotus (5) ?
¡°Look over there!¡±
Several faculty members and Imperial Knights hurried towards the direction where the mana of the Nameless Hero had been felt.
One of the faculty spotted a magic beast crossing the night sky.
The rest of the group caught sight of the creature and their eyes widened.
¡°The White Dragon¡!¡±
¡°It has appeared, indeed.¡±
The beast flew into the night sky, exuding nobility.
Its white wings were permeated with opalescent frost.
Undoubtedly, it was the mythical White Dragon.
The very same familiar that the Nameless Hero rode when the Abyssal Sea Monster emerged.
It was smaller than that time, possibly because its master hadn¡¯t summoned it in its full form.
Dorothy, who was flying away from the faculty members using starlight mana, suddenly stopped and looked at the White Dragon.
The mystical creature made its way to a figure standing on the clock tower andnded beside him.
The White Dragon¡¯s cold mana briefly illuminated its master, standing against the moonlight.
Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped as they gazed at him.
He was over two meters tall. The man was d in a robe that barely contained his muscr physique.
Though details were hard to discern from a distance, the presence of the White Dragon familiar was proof enough of his identity.
¡°The Nameless Hero¡¡±
The mysterious archwizard who protected M?rchen Academy.
He seemed to be scanning the academy, then quickly vanished beyond the clock tower, along with the White Dragon.
¡°Damn it! Let¡¯s split up here. We¡¯re going after that man!¡±
¡°Right now?! The appearance of the Nameless Hero means that a demon might be on the loose!¡±
¡°It¡¯s probably over by now! I can¡¯t feel any mana!¡±
The Nameless Hero¡¯s mana had long since faded. That meant, that even if the demons had appeared, they would have been quickly eliminated.
¡°Remember, one of our orders was to uncover the identity of the Nameless Hero. Your academy should focus on understanding the situation.
¡°Ack! Wait a moment!¡±
A few Imperial Knights turned toward the clock tower, pursuing the Nameless Hero.
The Nameless Hero was a powerful archwizard capable of destroying the world. Even the Imperial Knights, experts inbat, were powerless against him.
They needed to approach him with caution.
There was an air of impatience since they hadn¡¯t been able to identify him since they were dispatched to M?rchen Academy.
By now, the hero was already far away. It would be difficult to catch up to him.
The faculty continued in the direction that the Nameless Hero¡¯s mana was initially felt. They had to find out what had happened and make sure no student was harmed.
Meanwhile.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy gazed at the top of the clock tower where the Nameless Hero had been, then pressed her witch hat firmly to her head and flew back in the direction she hade from.
Thanks to the power of [All in the World], it was very simple to guess Isaac¡¯s intentions.
It was Kaya Astrea, not Isaac, who had been standing on top of the clock tower a moment ago.
It seemed that Isaac had given her a magic cloak of disguise to create an alibi for himself.
And by sending his familiar, the White Dragon, he made people believe that the disguised Kaya was the Nameless Hero.
He must have already nned an escape route. If it was Isaac, it was guaranteed.
Dorothy¡¯s mana was too high to be fooled by such an illusion. Therefore, Isaac likely decided that it would be better to leave the robe to Kaya by process of elimination.
¡°Uhh.¡±
She was worried that Isaac might have been injured.
Dorothy picked up her pace.
***
In the dueling ground, far from the academy.
Dorothy had flown quickly to where she first felt Isaac¡¯s formidable power, and her eyes widened when she arrived.
In the center, Miyay sprawled like a corpse, barely breathing. She was covered in bruises. She looked like she was violently attacked by someone.
A faint wisp of fire mana floated around her. It looked like Miya¡¯s fire elemental familiar was in a state of unconsciousness.
At the far end of the ground, against the wall, Isaacid copsed amidst the debris.
It was unlikely that Isaac was responsible for what happened to Miya, as he could only exert tremendous power when fighting against demons.
Therefore, it was certain that the Shadow Demon within Miya, which Isaac had mentioned beforehand, was the one who had brought her to such a state.
¡°Isaac!¡±
Dorothy knelt in front of Isaac. Worried, she called out to him, not as ¡®President¡¯, but by his name.
For some reason, Isaac was pretending to be unconscious despite being fully awake.
However, Isaac was not in good condition. His uniform was scorched, with visible burn marks. His right arm waspletely charred, indicating severe injuries to his body.
¡°Isaac, you¡¡±
Dorothy looked down at Isaac in shock and helped him to his feet.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
¡°Senior, I¡¯m supposed to be unconscious¡¡±
Though he was joking, Isaac was likely in considerable pain from the burns. Despite trying to hide it, his cold sweat was undeniable.
Dorothy¡¯s face was filled with sorrow. It was a stark contrast from her usual yful demeanor.
She felt remorseful for not being at the scene until Isaac was in this condition.
¡°Why did you push yourself so hard?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t really push myself¡ª¡±
¡°Would you want to see me bloodied and burned?¡±
Swallowing back tears, Dorothy casted a healing spell on Isaac.
The fact that Isaac had been injured from overexerting himself caused Dorothy gut-wrenching pain.
¡°Ah, uhm¡ I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Isaac was taken aback by Dorothy¡¯s seriousness.
Feeling guilty, he quickly apologized and briefly exined the situation
He had already seen that the faculty was approaching using [irvoyance]. As the sound of a group moving through the forest drew near, he decided to postpone the details untilter.
Soon, a dozen faculty members crossed the forest and reached the dueling ground. They were momentarily surprised but quickly began to manage the situation.
¡°We found the Priestess Miya and Isaac in the closed dueling ground with signs of battle. I will shoot up a pir, so please call the healing team immediately.
The faculty who reported the situation shot a pir of mana into the sky using a magic tool.
While the mana density and power of the pir were negligible, the device effectively fulfilled its role by sending a visible signal through the night sky.
¡°Dorothy, what happened here?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. I just got here too.¡±
The faculty used healing magic on Isaac and Miya for emergency treatment. Advanced healing magic would likely require a visit to the academy¡¯s hospital or a church.
Soon, the healing team arrived at the dueling ground, apanied by some members of the Imperial Knights. In between them were the Student Council and its president, Alice Carroll.
The healing team prepared to transport Isaac and Miya on stretchers. Meanwhile, Alice went straight to Isaac.
¡°Are you okay, Baby?¡±
¡°Senior Alice¡ Yeah, more or less.¡±
¡°Looks like you had a big fight?¡±
¡°More importantly, why did she end up like that¡? She was fine before I passed out.¡±
Isaac looked at Miya with a questioning expression, feigning innocence.
Alice shook her head.
¡°I don¡¯t know. You should focus on getting treated for now.¡±
¡°¡Okay.¡±
The healing team escorted Isaac to the carriage.
Alice and Dorothy quietly watched Isaac being taken away.
¡°You were quick to notice, Dorothy. You realized the Priestess at the closing ceremony was a fake.¡±
¡°No.¡±
Her voice was subdued.
¡°I waste. I naturally assumed she was real, so it took me longer than I would have liked to figure it out.¡±
When Dorothy saw Miya dancing at the closing ceremony, she hadn¡¯t initially nned to use [All in the World].
She just felt strange, so she looked at the Priestess, just in case.
It was only then that she realized that she was a hollow fake.
Isaac had previously mentioned that the Priestess might go berserk during the closing ceremony. Considering that his prediction didn¡¯t align with what actually happened, it was clear that Isaac¡¯s expectations had been wrong.
Alice looked at Dorothy calmly. It was so different from her usual cheerful and bright demeanor that it felt awkward.
Somehow, Alice found it amusing.
¡°You get pretty serious when ites to my baby, don¡¯t you? It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±
¡°¡I¡¯ve been bothered by him for a while now.¡±
Dorothy red at Alice.
¡°Why do you call Isaac, ¡®Baby¡¯?¡±
¡°Why does that bother you?¡±
¡°Because you don¡¯t have the slightest affection for Isaac.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡±
¡°I just do.¡±
Oddly enough, the only one Dorothy couldn¡¯t read in the academy was Alice. Even the power of the [All in the World] was meaningless in front of her.
However, she could sense a dark veil shrouding Alice¡¯s heart.
This was one of the reasons Dorothy hated Alice.
¡°Haha, you just know it¡ You really do hate me, don¡¯t you?¡±
Alice turned towards Dorothy.
¡°I¡¯m curious, what would you do if Baby became mine?¡±
Dorothy was momentarily taken aback, wondering if she had heard wrong.
Twirling her earring with her finger, Alice spoke yfully.
¡°You like Isaac, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s so obvious that I can¡¯t help but notice.¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
¡°So, I¡¯m wondering. If you, who openly dislikes me, were to find that my baby truly likes me¡ I wonder how you¡¯d react.¡±
Faced with such an obvious taunt, Dorothy chuckled with her usual sneer.
¡°¡I¡¯d kill you, Alice.¡±
Whenever it involved Isaac, Dorothy couldn¡¯t help but react sensitively to the provocation.
Alice Carroll. ording to Isaac, she was someone he would have to fight one day.
He hadn¡¯t acted yet only because no concrete usations hade to light. Isaac had stressed the need to prepare for a fight with Alice.
Dorothy considered it fortunate that Alice was an enemy.
¡°That makes things interesting.¡±
Alice smirked.
The two most powerful female students of M?rchen Academy red at each other with smiles on their faces.
Even without unleashing their mana, a dense aura of murderous intent radiated from them, making the air heavy and startling the people passing by.
It was then.
¡°Ah, ah¡!¡±
In the middle of the dueling ground, Miya groaned in pain as she was carried on a stretcher.
As soon as she regained consciousness, she felt like her whole body was being ripped apart.
¡°Aaack!¡±
The healing team that was carrying her stopped in their tracks as she started convulsing.
¡°Miya! Calm down¡! Ack! Are you okay?!¡±
ng.
Miya fell off the stretcher while making a ruckus.
Her bloodied body was d in beautiful attire.
Miya scraped at the hard ground with her broken arm.
The healing team tried to calm Miya, who was iling her broken limbs in a frenzy.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she screamed at them to go away,menting her fate in a desperate voice.
¡°What¡ what the¡! I, I, why did I, be like this¡! Why!!¡±
Her scream was close to a wail.
Her face was mixed with despair and rage. Bloody tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks.
She seemed confused, not knowing where to direct her arrows of resentment.
Dorothy and Alice, the Student Council, and the Imperial Knights simply watched the seemingly insane Miya. The healing team, sweating profusely, tried to calm her down.
¡°Wait.¡±
Isaac, lying in the carriage, propped himself up to look at Miya.
The sight of Miya, weeping with a voice choked with blood, was a stark contrast to the pale moonlight above.
¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡! It¡¯s strange! Why does this keep happening¡? I didn¡¯te to the academy for this!¡±
Isaac searched through his memories.
After clearing ¡¸Act 8, Scene 2, The Shadow Priestess¡¹ of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, when the Truth Investigation Committee was questioning Miya.
She imed she didn¡¯t know why she went on a rampage during the closing ceremony. It was as if she was a drunk whomitted a crime, unable to control her emotions.
Miya calling him out for a fight was apletely different scenario from the original storyline.
Isaac couldn¡¯t deny the overwhelming sense of urgency in the event.
Within the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?munity, there was a prevalent theory that Miya¡¯s uncontrolled behavior was caused by one of Elmetona the Ethereal¡¯s abilities.
However, witnessing Miya¡¯s breakdown firsthand casted doubts on the uracy of that theory.
¡°I hate everything¡! It¡¯s all so annoying! Me, me!! Why do I have to end up like this?! Something¡¯s wrong¡! Something fucking wrong!!¡±
Crackle!
After fainting, her mana seemed to have slightly recovered, as red mes burst out from Miya.
¡°Kugh!¡±
¡°Huph!¡±
The healing team, who were trying to calm Miya down, were injured by the mes and stumbled back.
Reflexively, the faculty drew their weapons, and the Imperial Knights unsheathed their swords. Even if the opponent was wounded, they could not refrain from using forceful measures.
Dorothy looked on with a wary gaze, Alice with a subtle smile, and Isaac with a serious expression.
¡°What¡¯s with you all¡? Pathetic bastards, why are you looking at me like that¡? Stop staring at me¡!¡±
Asserting her dominance. She showed contempt to them.
The desire to dominate the world. The need to keep outstanding talents under her control.
All of it stemmed from Miya¡¯s desire for recognition and her low self-esteem.
She wanted to look like someone important.
She wanted to be seen as someone special.
The fear and embarrassment of being revealed as insignificant were too overwhelming for her.
Because of that, she trusted no one and resorted to threats. For her, as the tyrant of the East, terror, force, and immorality were her safety.
So the fact that she had been humiliated so many times at M?rchen Academy was unbelievable to her.
It was also very infuriating and painful.
¡°I am the Priestess of the Land of the Fire Blossoms, Horan! I am not someone to be treated like this at this academy! But why¡!! Why¡!!¡±
Miya¡¯s outcry dissipated into the night breeze.
The fox¡¯s paw brushed over Miya¡¯s hand, which had been scratching the hard ground, almost breaking her nails.
When she lifted her head, she saw the Nine-tailed Fox as white as snow. The fox resembled Miya¡¯s red eye makeup, emitting a gentle me.
The magic beast had regained its senses. The Nine-tailed Fox Mae; the familiar that had apanied Miya on her journey.
That fox looked at her master with a lonely gaze.
Chapter 193: Priestess of The Red Lotus (6)
Chapter 193: Priestess of The Red Lotus (6)
? Priestess of The Red Lotus (6) ?
[Let¡¯s stop now. You¡¯re badly hurt.]
¡°Fuck¡ who are you to order me around?¡±
Miya¡¯s eyes were red due to the blood.
Miya, ring at the Nine-tailed Fox with narrowed eyes, snorted in derision before turning her arrows of resentment towards the magic beast.
¡°Ah, right. It¡¯s because of you. Useless fox. Can¡¯t even protect your master. This is why things always end up like this. What can you actually do right? What were you doing until I ended up in this state?!¡±
[¡]
¡°I thought you might be of some help when I made the contract, but you turned out to be just another useless insect. Uwaahaha¡! Hic¡ hic. Fuck¡ Fuck!!¡±
When her power was taken by Elmetona the Ethereal, the Nine-tailed Fox lost consciousness and was then taken over by the demon.It was as if she had been asleep. It remembered nothing of what had happened.
However, seeing Miya in tatters, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess the circumstances before and after.
Amidst the mes, Miya continued to shed bloody tears, repeatedly cursing.
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae quietly watched her master fall apart, mulling over a conversation it had with the young Miya in the forest of death.
©¤¡¯What are you doing? You¡¯re wearing a flower ring on your index finger¡ Ah, Mae, this goes on the ringer finger. Wait, this is your hand, right?¡¯
©¤ ¡®Eek, it¡¯s your foot?!¡¯
©¤ ¡®Alright~. It¡¯s a flower ring from Miya. With this, we¡¯ve be friends!¡¯
©¤ ¡®Huh? A human and a magic beast being friends¡? Why bother questioning it? If we¡¯re friends, we¡¯re friends.¡¯
©¤ ¡®I really like it. Being able to be friends with such a pretty magic beast.¡¯
¡°What are you staring at, fucker? Aren¡¯t you going back right now?¡±
She was such a lovely child.
The Nine-tailed Fox, oveying past memories with Miya, continued in a nostalgic voice.
[I¡¯m sorry. me me for my ipetence in failing to fulfill my duties as a familiar. I¡¯ll take my punishmentter. Still, even so, won¡¯t you allow me to be by your side for now?]
¡°What?¡±
[You are my only friend. You saved me. In that quiet forest, you led me, who was suffocating in loneliness, to a bright world.]
The Nine-tailed Fox let out a wistful smile.
[Miya, you are my light. I love you. So¡ give me the chance to share that sorrow.]
¡°¡Pfft!¡±
Eventually, Miya burst intoughter as if she found it amusing.
It was a reaction the Nine-tailed Fox had not anticipated.
¡°¡®Friend¡¯? ¡®Led me to a bright world¡¯?¡±
Miya felt dizzy. Despite her physical condition being a mess, a surge of exhration sharpened her senses.
A deep-seated malice and extreme excitement, as if filling her insides, urged her on.
To immediately harm those who irritated her.
¡°What a load of nonsense.¡±
[Miya¡?]
Isaac, sitting atop the escort carriage, steadied his breath.
Is she about to reveal a truth she had been hiding?
Miya let out a twisted smile. Her face was far from her usual beauty, grotesquely swollen and full of blood.
With her head spinning, she thought.
Undeniably, she had entered into an exceptionally unfair familiar contract with the Nine-tailed Fox, more so than with anyone else.
No matter how things turned out, the Nine-tailed Fox could not terminate the contract with Miya at will, and the master¡¯s orders were absolute.
Moreover, her status as the Priestess of the nation of the Land of the Fire Blossoms wouldn¡¯t change, as she had already firmly established herself in that position.
The only one to be hurt emotionally was the ipetent familiar, the Nine-tailed Fox, who couldn¡¯t even protect her master.
Miya had been contemting when to reveal the truth, all the while immersed in anticipation of the Nine-tailed Fox¡¯s eventual downfall.
In the end, the Nine-tailed Fox would follow Miya through despair and regret. How entertaining would that be?
Intense anger and excitement, the ¡®malice¡¯ that Alice had shed, had consumed Miya.
¡°Lean your ear towards me for a moment.¡±
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae leaned in, bringing its head close to Miya.
With a voice tinged withughter, Miya revealed the truth.
¡°That¡ wasn¡¯t me.¡±
The little kid who risked her life to show kindness to the Nine-tailed Fox Mae.
The ¡°True Priestess¡± Isaac wanted to protect in the first round but ultimately failed to.
¡°It was my damn sister.¡±
Twin sister.
It was the real Miya.
[¡What are you talking about?]
The Nine-tailed Fox seemed to have its thoughts frozen for a moment.
[What do you mean, what are you talking about?]
The ck-haired girl in front of it was, without a doubt, the one who had saved it.
With her extraordinary powers, there was no doubt in the fox¡¯s mind that she was her master.
But now, what was she talking about? The Nine-tailed Fox couldn¡¯tprehend what she was talking about.
[No¡ you¡¯re Miya, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no need to deny yourself like that¡]
¡°I¡¯ve stolen everything my sister built up. You¡¯re the same. You¡¯re just my property.¡± Said Miya. No, Miya¡¯s sister.
¡°So, why did you so foolishly agree to such a damn idiotic familiar contract? You moron. Tsk tsk.¡±
[Miya¡?]
¡°Now shut your mouth. It¡¯s an order.¡±
With a shocked expression, the Nine-tailed Fox got up.
Slightly parted lips, eyes wandering through the air.
No one heard the conversation between Miya¡¯s sister and the Nine-tailed Fox amidst the mes.
However, those who watched could definitely guess that a conversation had taken ce that had mentally shocked the Nine-tailed Fox.
Suddenly, the Nine-tailed Fox remembered a conversation it had with the young Miya.
©¤ ¡®I have an older sister. Mei, my sister. She¡¯s articte and incredibly cool. I want to be like her someday.¡¯
Miya¡¯s sister. Her name was Mei.
After forming the familiar contract, it was reported that Mei had gone missing from Miya¡¯s side.
Was it actually Miya who had gone missing?
¡°Khhhh. Pathetic fox. Ipetent, unable to even protect its master¡¡±
tter!
Boom!
¡°¡?¡±
Chunks of ice extinguished the mes that had enveloped part of the dueling ground.
A silver-blue-haired male student, Isaac, stood firmly in front of Miya¡¯s sister, Mei.
Dispelling her mes, which had already reached their limit, was an easy task.
He peered down at Mei with his cynical red eyes. His gaze was so cold it could chill the heart of anyone who saw it.
¡°Fuck, Senior? Why are you here? Trying to meddle again¡?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±
Isaac knelt on one knee and grabbed Mei¡¯s left wrist, lifting it.
As pain shot through, she groaned and made a face filled with disgust.
¡°You insect, how dare you touch my body¡! Huh?¡±
Mei¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
It was strange.
To form a contract with a magic beast of 8-stars or higher, a familiar contract circle was needed.
The 8-star familiar contract circle Isaac had received from the Candy House Witch was exactly that.
He had witnessed the familiar contract circle on her wrist activate when Mei used the Nine-tailed Fox¡¯s power.
That was why he grabbed her wrist, to remind her of this puzzling point.
¡°You¡¯re clearly out of mana. So how do you think the Nine-tailed Fox is out here in perfect condition?¡±
Demons awakened by the Evil God were all born with dangerous powers.
It just wasn¡¯t always prominent because Isaac had been dealing with demons as soon as they appeared.
However, consider demons such as Vera the Summoner and Elphelt the Evanescent.
The former was born with the power to dominate any familiar, even those who had made a contract with someone else.
Thetter was born with the power to neutralize mana.
All of them were endowed with unbelievably incredible abilities.
How much more so for Elmetona the Ethereal, who had lived significantly longer than them?
The demon stole both the Nine-tailed Fox and Mei¡¯s mana.
Its ability was Complete Deprivation.
It first forcibly nullified the contract between Mei and the Nine-tailed Fox, and then it was able to freely control the power of the Nine-tailed Fox.
¡°Ah¡¡±
Mei¡¯s face turned pale with shock.
She felt it. The Nine-tailed Fox contract circle had already disappeared. This was proof that her contract with the Nine-tailed Fox had been annulled.
Only then did Mei realize the identity of the unease she had been feeling.
She no longer felt connected to the Nine-tailed Fox.
It was as if they had beplete strangers to each other.
¡°Ah, aah¡!¡±
She had to obtain whatever she wanted to be satisfied.
She had taken everything from her sister because she coveted everything her sister had.
Mei¡¯s face twisted. At first, there was shock, then a sense of being wronged, followed by sadness, and finally, anger adorned her expression.
Not being able to have what she wanted¡
¡And the fact that what was hers had been taken away¡
¡Gave her a terrible sense of loss.
Finally, Isaac drove home the truth that Mei wanted to deny.
¡°For reasons unknown, your contract has been terminated. Your familiar is now free.¡±
The memory of rummaging through trash cans for a piece of bread filled Mei¡¯s head.
Their damned parents had abandoned the twin daughters and ran away long ago.
Mei was left alone with her sister. The daily hunger and the selfish people who, despite living in wealth, didn¡¯t share even a single piece of bread and looked at them as if they were insects, were deeply resented by Mei.
She recalled the memory of clutching a handful of sand on the beach.
Just like the beach where she could scoop up sand at will, Mei desperately wished for immense wealth that she could freely gather.
To be free from poverty and have a status that bowed to no one was what Mei fervently dreamed of.
And it was none other than her twin sister, Miya, who became the key to that dream.
Her sister, born with the sacred me, possessed the qualities of the Priestess that the Nation of the Land of the Fire Blossoms had long desired.
The Priestess was selected through a process. Only by passing the notorious screening conditions could one be recognized as a Divine Maiden and be the Priestess of the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
ck hair as fine as silk and eyes like obsidian.
One must have fair skin, not be t-footed, possess the mental strength to endure a month in darkness, must possess the element of fire¡
¡And not have even a small scar on their body.
Those were just a few of the requirements. Only those who passed the strict examination criteria, which filled several pages over a three-month testing period, could attain the position of a Priestess.
Eventually, Miya became the Priestess and, in an instant, obtained everything her sister Mei had wished for.
Miya wanted to make a fresh start with her sister, who had lived a hard life. She had no doubt that their future would be filled with happiness.
However, the emotion that Mei felt towards her sister was neither joy nor pride.
It was boiling jealousy.
¡°Aaaaah¡! Ah, aaaaah¡!!¡±
Mei trembled all over, screaming incessantly as if struck with aphasia.
The healing team carried her away on a stretcher, and Isaac and the Nine-tailed Fox silently watched her leave.
Priestess Miya.
In the memories of the first iteration, recalled during the Trial of Sandstone, Isaac was immersed in deep regret for those he couldn¡¯t protect.
Thus, he had harbored even greater affection for them.
This included the Priestess.
However, Isaac was not pleased with the new ¡°Priestess¡¯s¡± arrival, belittling her in his thoughts, and without hesitation, he took revenge on her for any incident that angered him.
He never regarded her as arade or as someone he needed to protect.
Since the Priestess, one of therades who stood against the Evil God alongside him, was not the ck-haired girl being carried away on the stretcher.
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae lowered its head.
[What have I¡ until now¡ what have I done¡]
As the Nine-tailed Fox seemed to be heartbroken, Isaac stroked the beast.
It was quite easy to realize what conversation had taken ce between Mei and the Nine-tailed Fox.
The Nine-tailed Fox looked at him with teary eyes.
¡°Horan, the 3rd Martial Imperial Court of Haeseo.¡±
[¡?]
¡°Go to its basement.¡±
Isaac whispered in a soft and soothing voice.
In Horan, Land of the Fire Blossoms, the 3rd Martial Imperial Court of Haseo was an abandoned pce in a very remote location.
It was wrapped in strong barriers and irond security, forbidden even to high-ranking officials of the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
Only the Priestess and her registered familiars could enter and exit the Martial Imperial Court.
It was for religious reasons, but Miya¡¯s sister, Mei, exploited this.
¡°Now you¡¯re free. Go ahead, even if it feels like you¡¯re being fooled.¡±
There¡
¡°¡You¡¯ll find someone you¡¯ve wanted to see.¡±
A Priestess was a being who handled sacred mes.
The only reason Mei was able to prove her qualifications as a Priestess and solidify her status by disying sacred and unusual red mes to the people of the Land of the Fire Blossoms was because¡
¡She had trapped her sister, who had fallen for her trickery, and used her as a source of mana.
Status, power, wealth. Mei wanted everything that Miya had obtained.
She overlooked the fact that¡ it was like grains of sand. Even if she clutched it for a moment, it would quickly slip through her fingers.
The only reason such a thing was possible was because Miya deliberately fell into her sister¡¯s trap.
She thought it would be better for the Land of the Fire Blossoms if her morepetent sister became the Priestess.
Miya likely didn¡¯t know that her choice would lead to the creation of a tyrant.
Isaac looked into the Nine-tailed Fox¡¯s eyes with indifference.
Now that the Nine-tailed Fox had regained its freedom from Miya¡¯s sister, Mei, and knew the truth, there was nothing to hesitate about.
It was time for the sleeping Miya, who avoided fate and responsibility, to finally awaken and confront the Land of the Fire Blossoms with the truth about serving someone unworthy of the Divine Maiden¡¯s qualifications.
This would undoubtedly cause significant political upheaval and public confusion, but it was a necessary ordeal for the Land of the Fire Blossoms to endure.
The Nine-tailed Fox¡¯s eyes widened.
[How do you know that¡]
At that moment, the Nine-tailed Fox realized.
From the first day of the entrance exam, Isaac had been extraordinary.
Indeed, her instincts had not been wrong.
[So, it¡¯s you¡]
Is he the Nameless Hero Mei had been searching for?
It must have been this man who had in the demon that emerged from the shadows.
A being who had reached the realm of an archwizard performed iprehensible acts as if they were only natural.
Especially if he was a Nameless Hero, he would be viewing this world from a higher realm, understanding even the iprehensible domains, far beyond the Nine-tailed Fox itself.
It made sense that he would be able to find out the true position of the Divine Maiden.
¡°See youter.¡±
[¡]
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae engraved the smile of the legendary archwizard in her eyes.
The freed fox magic beast turned into fox fire, soared into the sky, and began to depart somewhere.
If, just if, what Isaac said was true¡ it promised to repay that grace.
Everyone gathered at the outdoor dueling ground and watched the fox fire cross the night sky. It looked like a beautiful meteor.
Thus, the Nine-tailed Fox departed far away in search of a dear friend.
***
It was silent and cold.
mes were lit inside the dark abandoned pce. With every step, the sound of crumbling stones could be heard.
Upon closer inspection, a tiny hole hidden by a bookshelf was visible. Perhaps it was made to let air circte.
Pushing the bookshelf aside revealed a passage. Inside, there were stairs leading underground.
Descending the stairs to the basement, a gradual warmth was felt.
Upon reaching the basement, a crackling sound was heard.
In the center of the basement, amidst gently flowing, unusual blue mes.
A girl was suspended in mid-air, asleep as if time had stopped, with only her billowing ck hair quietly dancing.
As if longing to see her, the Nine-tailed Fox captured the beautiful girl¡¯s image in her teary eyes for a long time.
[Miya¡]
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae extended mes.
Whoosh!
The mes emitted by the Nine-tailed Fox damaged therge magic tool filling the surroundings.
Thefortably sleeping girl regained consciousness as the magic tool malfunctioned, causing a disturbance in its flow of mana.
Miya slowly opened her eyes.
She looked around in a daze. When the Nine-tailed Fox came into view, a gleam appeared in Miya¡¯s eyes.
Gradually, Miya¡¯s body descended to the ground.
Finally, as the blue mespletely died down, she could not muster the strength in her legs and fell to her knees.
It was because she had stepped on the ground for the first time in a long while.
¡°Mae¡?¡±
She had been wandering in a dream.
The times she had happily chatted with the Nine-tailed Fox were repeated countless times in her dreams.
To Miya, the Nine-tailed Fox was a precious friend.
The Nine-tailed Fox silently approached and rubbed her cheek against Miya¡¯s.
Taken aback, Miya soon smiled softly and embraced her long-lost friend, savoring the warm touch.
She could not tell what had happened.
But it seemed clear that the Nine-tailed Fox hade to rescue her, allowing Miya to smile.
[I missed you.]
¡°¡I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯te to find you sooner.¡±
Miya rode on the back of the Nine-tailed Fox Mae and left the ruins.
The sound of insects pierced her ears. Around them, there was nothing but broken building debris and bushes.
The night sky, seen for the first time in a long while, was incredibly beautiful. The ethereal moonlight and bright stars were dazzling.
She had been helplessly asleep since falling into Mei¡¯s trap, but leaving the Priestess¡¯s position to her sister was entirely Miya¡¯s own choice.
She wanted to see for herself the results of her choice¡
She was determined.
¡°Let¡¯s go, Mae.¡±
The Nine-tailed Fox Mae, carrying the true Priestess, moved forward.
The night deepened.
Chapter 194: The Grand Festival — Interlude (1)
Chapter 194: The Grand Festival ¡ª Interlude (1)
? The Grand Festival ¨C Interlude (1) ?
Horan, Land of the Fire Blossoms, was a nation deeply intertwined with religion.
The Priestess bestowed by the gods wielded immense power, and as a tyrant, her authority was unbreakable.
Though Miya became a Priestess because she was born with the sacred me.
The realization that the lives of so many people depended on her weighed heavily upon her.
However, Mei was different.
©¤ ¡®If it¡¯s too hard, let me know. I can take over as the Priestess for you. We look exactly the same anyway, so no one will notice.¡¯
Mei offered to ease Miya¡¯s burden.
She convincingly took over Miya¡¯s role and disyed the dignity of a Priestess to the people.Miya believed her twin sister Mei to be the most intelligent person in the world. She idolized her sister for her decisiveness, sound judgment, and swift execution.
Thus, Miya thought it was Mei, not herself, who deserved to be in the higher position and considered herself just a fool born with a mystical power.
That mindset was created by Mei.
Every day, she would subtlypare her sister¡¯s naivety to her ownpetence, undermining her sister¡¯s confidence. Mei would reassure her that it was okay, that she had her, and made her dependent.
It wasn¡¯t long before Mei, acting as the Priestess, lured Miya into a trap she¡¯d set for her.
She wanted the sacred me.
That power was the difference between Miya and Mei. The reason Miya, not Mei, had to be the Priestess.
Mei believed that with that power, she could be the true Priestess.
In reality, Miya had already found out her true intentions. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what Mei was aiming for.
But she willingly fell into such a trap.
For the sake of the Eastern nation, it would be better if her wise sister became the Priestess. That it would be fine if she shared her sacred me with her.
So, she nned to resolve the issue by talking to her.
However, she never imagined that it would lead to her being plunged into a deep sleep and exploited like a factory, having her power constantly drained.
Miya¡¯sst memories before being forcibly put to sleep were Mei¡¯s face twisting into a grotesque smile she had never shown before.
It was the moment when it became clear to Mei that she was merely a tool for her own sister¡¯s ambitions.
©¤ ¡®Sister, why¡?¡¯
©¤ ¡®Do you know?¡¯
Before being consumed by a magic tool farrger than herself, Miya couldn¡¯t forget what Mei had said.
©¤ ¡®Back when we were starving, all I could think about was selling you off for some quick cash.¡¯
©¤ ¡®You were nothing but an insurance.¡¯
Miya fell into a deep sleep.
During the years when her sister reigned as a tyrant, Miya was tormented in a nightmare.
Mei took everything Miya had built and made it hers.
The shrewd bureaucrats, who suspected whether the current Priestess was really Miya, sent men to assassinate her after Mei had them politically buried.
Mei focused on ensuring the security of her position.
Then, she thought.
She needed a strong force.
Authority and wealth were concepts that existed within human societies.
But to protect herself, she needed a force that was not part of societal structures¡ What she needed was pure power.
Eventually, she remembered the story of her sister, Miya, bing friends with the Nine-tailed Fox in the Forest of Death.
It might be useful. A me beast that even hunting parties couldn¡¯t defeat would serve as an excellent ally.
Mei approached the Nine-tailed Fox, pretending to be Miya, and presented an unfair familiar contract to the magic beast.
The fox, wanting to be with Miya, readily epted the contract and became Mei¡¯s familiar, raising her status as a Priestess.
She looked down upon the world from the top of the pce.
The ugly world she once looked up to when she was small felt too confined.
Mei¡¯s gaze stretched beyond the horizon.
Her ambitions only grewrger.
***
¡°You¡¯re usually unlucky, aren¡¯t you, Isaac?¡±
¡°Why do you ask all of a sudden?¡±
¡°Well, you were involved in both incidents during the Grand Festival. Pierre nche acted out in anger because you got him disqualified, and Miya called you out to settle a grudge from a previous duel¡ You seem to get tangled up in misfortune.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my fault, though¡?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not criticizing you. I just feel sorry for you.¡±
The Grand Festival ended on a sour note.
I gave my statement to the faculty as someone involved in the incidents. Not earnestly¡ but by mixing truth and lies.
I told the truth about Mei calling me out for a fight.
However, I imed not to know what happened after I fainted. I omitted the part where I activated [Hunter] and defeated Elmetona, pretending to be unaware of it.
The gap was filled by the appearance of the Nameless Hero, an archwizard who appeared on the clock tower with the White Dragon.
The faculty and the Imperial Knights witnessed this, indirectly proving that I was not the archwizard.
The Nameless Hero immediately fled from the clock tower. Naturally, that wasn¡¯t me.
It was Kaya, dressed in the magic cloak I had lent her. The already summoned Hilde had grown in size thanks to the mana I infused.
Fortunately, the academy and the Imperial Knights seemed to believe that it was the Nameless Hero. With Hilde¡¯s appearance, I would have believed it too.
¡®And¡¡¯
Hilde said that the Phantom Cat Cheshire hadn¡¯t followed.
I was certain because I paid close attention to mana detection.
Why hadn¡¯t it followed? It didn¡¯t know? Did it miss her? Or maybe because there was something more important it had to pay attention to?
Thinking about this naturally led me to question Alice Carroll¡¯s movements.
¡®Alice went straight to the dueling ground.¡¯
As if she decided it was more important to observe me than the Nameless Hero who had appeared on the clock tower.
It wasn¡¯t a good sign. It was necessary to assume the worst-case scenario.
In case Alice was convinced that ¡®Isaac is the Nameless Hero.¡¯
Before being interrogated, I was treated at the academy hospital. I wasn¡¯t badly injured, and thanks to Dorothy casting a healing spell on me, I was told that I only needed a few rehabilitation treatments for a while, so I was discharged fairly quickly.
The problem was Mei.
She was beaten badly by the demon Elmetona and was in terrible condition. Despite receiving advanced healing magic at the church, she couldn¡¯t move for about a week.
Now, I think it was time for her to leave the stage.
Early morning. The dim light pierced through the leaves.
¡°Sir Isaac, I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Sit here.¡±
I was sitting on a stump at Norhan Lake, inside Josena Forest.
After Kaya Astrea sat down on a chair I had prepared next to me, I took back the cloak from her and put it into my magic pouch.
¡°It must have been burdensome for you.¡±
¡°Not at all! I¡¯m fine with anything if it¡¯s your order.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t an order.
Kaya¡¯s unwavering loyalty was incredibly admirable.
I responded with a smile.
¡°What would you like as a reward?¡±
¡°A reward? That¡¯s absurd! I¡¯m your loyal follower, Sir Isaac¡! Just one smile from you is more than enough. I¡¯m prepared to do anything as long as I can see it¡!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Kaya answered passionately.
I was momentarily taken aback by the uniqueness of her response but realized she was projecting the contents of a novel she had recently read onto us, so I let it slide.
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°But Sir Isaac, will people really believe that the person on top of the clock tower was the real Nameless Hero?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it will fool everyone¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t really do much about skeptics or those who theorized about every single possibility.
The nagging question of why the Nameless Hero was surveying the academy from atop the clock tower remained unresolved.
¡°¡But It¡¯ll be okay.¡±
That much was enough.
It was far better than the arrows of suspicion being directed straight at me.
***
After parting ways with Kaya, I made my way to the academy¡¯s ssrooms. The festivities were over, and it was time for all students to return to their daily routines.
While heading to ss B for the second-years of the Magic Department, I organized the current situation in my mind.
I had defeated Elmetona the Ethereal, cleared the Priestess of the Red Lotus, and gained a significant amount of EXP. I leveled up a total of four times, bringing my current level to 122.
And with the achievement, [Dwindling me], my [Fire Resistance] increased by 30, reaching 50, making it B Grade.
I invested all the stat points I had gained into [vs. Human Combat Power], which was now at 68 or -A Grade.
¡®Now, all that¡¯s left for this semester is¡¡¯
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹.
I needed to prepare for a confrontation with Alice Carroll.
The Student Council President who always smiled, joked around with me, persistently asked me out on dates, and called me ¡®Baby¡¯ whenever we met.
¡I had no hesitations. I had already made up my mind from the start. I had to fight Alice with the intent to kill.
Alice had always been bloodthirsty and couldn¡¯t control herself when she saw blood. I had seen it firsthand in the Trial of Frost.
So, it was clear she was someone I had to deal with.
I just didn¡¯t want to leave any doubts in this journey. I wanted to know three things.
¡®Who Alice was, what she was hiding, and why shemitted suicide immediately after her defeat¡¡¯
As I thought about it, I naturally thought of the Priestess.
I reminisced about the faint memories and emotions that still lingered.
During the first round, I had to grapple with deep regret for not being able to protect the Priestess.
My aversion to the current Priestess, my indifference when Luce targeted her, my unhesitating revenge that left her nearly incapacitated during ourst duel, and my inability to feel even the slightest affection for her until now.
It was all because she was not the true Priestess who had been my ally.
The world would soon be in an uproar over Miya and Mei.
I crossed the wide hallway when I reached Orphin Hall.
But somehow¡ I felt the sharp gazes of the students passing through.
¡°That¡¯s Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°He¡¯s really handsome¡¡±
¡°But is he really worth all the fuss?¡±
¡°He¡¯s sexy, smart, cool, diligent, has a great body, and is hot¡¡±
My ears perked up. I wasn¡¯t sure why they were talking about me.
I had heard that the number of my admirers had increased among the freshmen, but I hadn¡¯t expected it to be this high. Feeling ttered, I quickened my pace to the second-year floor.
¡°The star has arrived.¡±
¡°He should have been beaten up yesterday. Kugh.¡±
¡°He¡¯s definitely good-looking¡¡±
¡°Good grades, and surprisingly a genius.¡±
No, what¡¯s this? I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re acting like this.
Is it because of yesterday¡¯s incident?
No, that couldn¡¯t be right. Complimenting my looks and grades, what did that have to do with battling Mei?
Even the few students who were talking about the Nameless Hero started talking about me when they saw me.
¡®What on earth is going on¡¡¯
I decided to ignore it and entered the ssroom. Many students in the room stared at me.
As soon as I settled through the ufortable atmosphere and found a seat, Mateo Jordana and a girl with ck rabbit ear ribbons, Amy Holloway, approached me.
¡°Hey, Buddy.¡±
¡°Hi, Amy and Mateo.¡±
¡°Yesterday was so crazy, right?¡±
¡°The appearance of the Nameless Hero?¡±
¡°Ah, there¡¯s that too.¡±
Amy sat on my desk and leaned forward to whisper.
¡°About the beauty contest.¡±
¡°Contest?¡±
What?
The beauty contest was an event aimed at lifting the spirits of the student body before the closing ceremony.
Dressed beautifully, female students from each gradepeted in a battle of beauty.
More focused on training, I was practicing magic in an empty training hall during the contest.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the beauty contest was merely a side event for character appeal. There was no reason for me to see it.
¡°It must be nice to be so popr. Man, my heart was racing yesterday.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡°Hehehe.¡±
Ignoring Amy¡¯s chuckling, I turned my head towards Mateo.
¡°Did something happen during the contest?¡±
Amy and Mateo were both surprised.
¡°¡You weren¡¯t there? You didn¡¯t see the absolutely wild finale?¡±
I nodded my head.
¡°My goodness¡¡±
Amy and Mateo rubbed their foreheads and sighed.
Soon, Amy began to tell what happened yesterday.
* * *
Before the closing ceremony of the Grand Festival. Thest event was the beauty contest.
In front of the entire academy, female students adorned with various ornaments took the stage.
Dressed in beautiful gowns, their beauty was enough to captivate the full admiration of the entire student body.
Hosted by Amy Holloway, the beautiful girls showed off their charms as theypeted in several recreational activities and talent shows.
A final vote was held to determine the ¡®M?rchen Academy Goddess of Beauty¡¯.
¡°The winner of the M?rchen Academy Goddess of Beauty is¡!¡±
Ta-dah.
It was Snow White Von Kairos Elfieto.
She was in a pure white dress which was adorned with a pink hairpin and golden ornaments.
Famous for being the most beautiful woman in the world, she had already captured students¡¯ hearts from the moment she first stepped on stage.
Her adorned appearance was so stunning that she almost didn¡¯t look human.
It was even jokingly said that the Lord Manha must have sculpted her and imed her as his magnum opus. Her beauty was truly unbelievable.
Following her in second ce was Luce Eltania and third ce was Dorothy Heartnova.
Amy stood next to White and brought her megaphone closer to ask how she felt about winning.
White, who had been tense and stiff throughout the whole pageant, suddenly thought of someone and showed a wistful expression.
Her response quickly caused a significant stir.
¡°There is someone I trust the most in this Academy. Someone who cares for me deeply. He loves me, sometimes reprimands me, but most importantly of all, he always keeps me on the right path. I¡ like this person the most in this academy. I dedicate all this honor to ¡®Senior Isaac.¡¯¡±
Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped open.
Next to her, Luce¡¯s expression turned icy. Her head turned toward White, creaking like a broken machine. Her lifeless blue eyes stared at the Princess.
Standing on the other side, Dorothy opened her mouth in astonishment.
Kaya, another contestant, felt like she was being pulled by the back of her neck. She felt dizzy and started to stagger.
Amy was flustered to hear her friend¡¯s name, but she naturally smoothed the situation and continued with the proceedings, thinking, ¡®Of course, Isaac is her mentor after all.¡¯
But the students, whose hearts had melted at White¡¯s cuteness, could not recover from their shock.
Next, Amy asked Luce how she felt.
Usually, the second and third ces had a standard response. They would say that they were disappointed for not winning, but they would graciously acknowledge the winner.
However, Luce ignored all that and red at White.
Luce was known for her adoration of Isaac. It seemed she was rendered speechless after hearing White¡¯sment.
¡°Ahaha¡! Luce, you seem too overwhelmed with emotions to express your thoughts, but that¡¯s okay, because you¡¯re really, really pretty!¡±
Caught off guard by Luce¡¯s murderous intent, Amy somehow managed to defuse the situation and move on.
¡°Okay, moving on! Lastly, Dorothy, please share your thoughts¡¡±
¡°Hiyaa!¡±
¡°Ack!¡±
Dorothy simply snatched the megaphone from Amy and shouted.
¡°I love my fans, my friends, and everyone else here! But in this academy, the most precious person to me is you alone¡!¡±
Dorothy stretched out her right arm, spreading her fingers and making a ¡®V¡¯ sign.
¡°¡Isaac! Aren¡¯t I the prettiest girl you¡¯ve ever seen? It¡¯s okay if you fall for me, you know. I don¡¯t mind. Nihihi.¡±
A radiant smile spread on Dorothy¡¯s face.
The entire student body was shocked once again.
* * *
¡°And that¡¯s what happened.¡±
In ss B¡¯s ssroom. Amy finished her story, holding up her index finger.
¡°My goodness¡¡±
I facepalmed my forehead.
Chapter 195: The Grand Festival — Interlude (2)
Chapter 195: The Grand Festival ¡ª Interlude (2)
Gastric fluids refluxed, and I poured the vomit into the bag I had prepared in advance.
My body shivered, fatigue swept over me, and my head ached. It definitely felt like overexertion.
"I''m really going to die."
I cleaned up the bag and gulped down water.
One more time.
Ignoring the strong aversion arising throughout my body, I devoted myself to training 7-star elemental magic.
It seemed like I was called a public enemy among the male students.
It was because of what White and Dorothy said during the contest. The rumor that ¡°Isaac is a yer¡± was highlighted again.
It was a dishonorable rumor for Princess White, so it seemed that rumors involving her were restrained.However, the rumors between Dorothy and I were spreading wildly.
The Dorothy fan club guys red at me with anger. I challenged them to a duel if they didn''t like me, but none of those guys actually epted my challenge¡
¡Instead, it was epted by people like Tristan Humphrey, who had no interest in my love life, or those who just wanted to fight for the fun of it.
It seemed like I had to endure ufortable stares for a while. I intended to live quietly until the rumors died down.
Suddenly, a squeaking noise rang in my head, and a strange sensation flowed through my entire body.
The moment I sensed trouble, I was immediately struck by a sharp pain that made me writhe on the ground without mercy.
"Ugh...! Aaagh...!"
A symptom that could suddenly ur from overusing mana.
A pain that covered my entire body urred briefly, feeling as if my flesh was being torn apart.
I hit my body hard several times. That made it a bit better.
I caught my breath andy sprawled on the floor.
It felt like I was going to die.
***
"Is my approach wrong? It doesn''t feel quite right..."
"..."
Lately, 7-star magic has been the main focus of my daily routine.
In the library, I upied half of a tablerge enough to upy several people with the books I had prepared. Behind me, Luce, on her tippytoes, rested her chin on my shoulder.
At first, she was a distraction, but since she helped with magic circle construction practice and form modification, I now found myself relying on her.
If someone asked why she was there, I honestly wouldn''t have known. She just appeared beside me at some point. It seemed like her ability to erase her presence was getting stronger by the day.
It wasn''t the exam period, and the aftermath of the Grand Festival was still in the air. Fewer students were roaming the library than usual.
Therefore, upying half of arge table wasn''t considered a nuisance. Nheless, my conscience made me take the most isted spot avable.
"It''s Senior Isaac."
"Can he even read like that?"
"Seems like a show-off."
asionally, students nced over as they passed by, due to the many books sprawled across the table.
A total of 13 books. Elemental Studies, Intermediate Elemental Specifics, Advanced, and higher-level stages, among others.
I had all the books open, speed-reading through the necessary parts to aid in theposition of forms. Without constructing proper forms, one couldn¡¯t use magic.
That was my routely.
First, familiarizing senses. To handle 7-star magic, it was necessary to practice harmoniously blending the sensations of using various spells. It was essentially groundwork. It felt like my head and mana circuits were going to explode, but I was repeating that dreadful task countless times on the training grounds every day.
Second, constructing forms. From 7-star magic onwards, my mana circuit conditions must also be considered when devising forms. That was hard enough, but the process of devising and mastering the basic forms, which are the foundation of magic, was incredibly difficult.
I repeated the task of drawing magic circles or creating forms that needed to be calcted on the parchment I brought in abundance. Given the number of books, it wasn''t a task that could be done sitting down.
Since the maximum number of books that could be borrowed at one time was 3, there was no helping it here. I wanted to master 7-star magic as soon as possible.
It was all to defeat the Evil God and survive.
I couldn''t afford to care about the students'' stares, now could I?
"Is it hard?"
"It will take some time to figure this out on my own. Mastering it is another issue."
Simr to someone trying to obtain a certification by attending online or academy lectures, it was a moment when the help of someone became crucial.
There were various reasons why talented individuals attended academies.
Psychological stimtion throughpetition,working, and acquiring a diploma that would set one up for life, among other reasons.
Among these reasons, there was also for purely learning proper and efficient methods of mana usage and spell casting. That was precisely why I was so focused on my sses.
At that time, I gained a lot by learning various operational methods for each elemental magic and acquired crucial magical knowledge. Self-teaching and developing incorrect habits would virtually be a waste of quality talent.
Here, a drawback of the academy became apparent. Students of simr levels received the same education. This was the biggest reason for the division between those who favored private tutoring and those who supported the academy. The only solution seemed to be receiving private tutoring during the vacations.
Even the high-level ss A currently had a curriculum specialized in training 5 and 6-star magic.
My current situation was akin to someone who scored a top grade in the social studies section of the high school entrance exam deciding to tackle aw exam problem set. No, it was even more absurd than that.
But if only I could grasp the direction of the operation.
Perhaps I, with my maxed [Magic Training Efficiency] and [Learning Efficiency], could manage the rest on my own.
Luce took her chin off my shoulder, looked at the parchment, and sighed softly.
"If only I had the ice element, it would have been better. I''m not of much help."
"You''ve been a lot of help. Sorry, but stay by my side a little longer. I''ll repay youter."
"I won''t say no to that."
Luce smiled gently, then fell into thought.
After a while, she said¡
"Isaac."
"Hmm?"
"I just thought of a good idea."
***
Crash!
"Ugh?!"
Luce barged into the Professor¡¯s office in Orphin Hall, dragging me along.
As soon as we opened the door, it looked like a zombie was there. No, not a zombie, but the graduate student Marco.
I was shocked at his dreadful appearance, but he seemed just as surprised, falling over in his chair.
Luce red at the fallen Marco, maintaining a poker face, and uttered just two words.
"Professor."
"Wha-?"
"Location."
"T-the..."
Overwhelmed by the ferocity of the second-year top seat, Marco, with a face full of fear, pointed towards the office.
Luce, holding my wrist, walked towards the inner office.
Luce began turning the doorknob even before knocking. Disregarding etiquette, she brazenly swung the door open.
As the door abruptly opened, Professor Fernando Frost, a handsome silver-haired man working on documents at his office desk, came into view.
"Is that Luce Eltania? And behind her... Isaac, I see."
Without replying as if to say, "What about it?" Luce dragged me towards the office desk.
Standing in front of the desk, Luce looked at Professor Fernando and got straight to the point.
"I need a teacher."
Though stillcking in manners, she had made significant progress.
This was Luce, who used to avoid even the slightest conversation with others unless it was an official asion. This much was considered a great leap forward for her.
The process might have been somewhat radical, but it was, nheless, a bittersweet development.
"So, Luce Eltania, you''re telling me you barged into my office without permission because you wanted to see me, your teacher?"
"Just a moment."
Still, manners should be minded. That was too brash of us. It would be best if I made amends now.
The n Luce suggested would be really beneficial for me if it worked out. Now that things hade to this, I couldn''t just be indebted to her.
I stepped in front of Luce, pushed up my sses, and put on a friendly smile.
"Professor, it''s been a while since I''ve be a second-year. Have you been well?"
"Unfortunately, it''s toote for formalities. State your business."
Professor Fernando was calm, but I could tell he was upset through [Psychological Insight].
I needed to get straight to the point.
"I would like to meet Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of Hegel Magic Tower."
Aria Lilias.
She was the mentor of Professor Fernando Frost, a person not easily essible under normal circumstances. However, she was someone who always made time for the professor.
I already knew this through my knowledge of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, and Luce said she found out by chance during her internship at the magic tower.
Professor Fernando frowned.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because, to my knowledge, she¡¯s the most proficient in magic theory on this ind, and she specializes in the ice element.¡±
To be precise, she specialized in both ice and water.
¡°Who told you that?¡±
When I subtly gestured towards Luce, who had undergone apprenticeship at Hegel''s Tower, Professor Fernando quickly understood.
¡°I wish to master 7-star magic. I¡¯m having trouble finding the right direction and was hoping for your assistance. Could you possibly help me, just this once, out of goodwill for being a ss D student of yoursst year?¡±
¡°...¡±
Most students graduate from M?rchen Academy having mastered up to 5-star magic.
While they did learn 6-star magic, academy students were still at a student level. Very few manage to master 6-star magic before graduating.
Even the 7-star magic was something that only the seniors in their third year, the final year, specifically those in ss A, barely managed to grasp in theory.
Initially, those proficient in handling and teaching 7-star magic were in such high demand that they wouldn''t settle for merely being professors at an academy.
However, the story changed with Aria Lillias.
Her mana mastery, as seen in various exams, was unparalleled. Moreover, it was hard to find a tower master who couldn''t handle magic of 7 stars or higher, even in a smaller-scale tower like Hegel''s.
"Last year, you were a poor student in ss D, and now, you want to learn 7-star magic, which even elite wizards might barely manage to master after thirty years... Are you out of your mind?"
Professor Fernando, seemingly incredulous, let out a chuckle of disbelief and leaned back in his chair.
He was well aware of the fact that I was considered a genius; I was known as someone whose talent blossomedte due to circumstances.
Perhaps for that reason, no one at the academy, including Professor Fernando, doubted my talent anymore.
"Privately providing unequal educational opportunities is something I, as a professor at the academy, could be censured for. Were you aware of this when seeking my help?"
"Isn''t it the duty of a professor to extend educational opportunities to students who wish to learn in-depth?"
I wasn''t suggesting bing a graduate student.
"I''m sorry for barging into your office without permission and being so direct with my request. But I really do need your help, Professor Fernando."
I bowed. Luce looked taken aback, but after I nudged her, she smartly bowed her head as well.
Though Professor Fernando might seem indifferent on the outside, he was actually quite generous and took great pleasure in seeing his students grow. So, there was a chance he would help.
A sigh from Professor Fernando followed.
"Thatment wasn''t meant to spark a debate about the responsibilities of a professor, you know."
Professor Fernando tapped his pen against the desk.
"Why go to such lengths? You''ve already achieved so much in such a short time. With your rate of growth, you''d be able to master 7-star magic much faster than most students. Wouldn''t it be better to hone your skills up to the 6-star level ording to the academy''s curriculum?"
Professor Fernando''s point was valid.
For example, knowing how to use [Frost Explosion] didn''t mean you had mastered everything about it. 5-star spells could be utilized in various forms, and their applications were plentiful.
Moreover, there were many spells up to 6-star that would have been beneficial to learn.
In essence, graduating after thoroughly mastering spells from 1-star to 6-star meant one had truly made the most out of the academy.
The problem was, that the enemy I must defeat was the Evil God. Within the three years, or rather, less than three years of my academy tenure, I had to reach a significantly higher realm.
"Well, my reasons are¡"
I straightened up and met eyes with Professor Fernando.
"...I aspire to reach an even higher realm, Professor."
There was no better excuse than the desire for improvement.
After making eye contact with me for a while, Professor Fernando blinked slowly and then turned his gaze back to the documents.
"In that case¡ª"
Bang
[It''s not a bad idea.]
Suddenly, a small magic tool, a messenger, hidden under the wardrobe, flew towards us.
Given the pretty decorations, it seemed to belong to someone of high status.
When Aria Lilias''s voice was heard, Professor Fernando was the most shocked. His poker face copsed as he widened his eyes.
"Teacher?"
[Student, bring these children to where I am in a week.]
"More importantly, why did your messenger pop out from there? This is almost like stalking..."
[There¡¯s no need to ask such useless questions.]
I remember reading in the setting of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? that Aria Lilias cherished all the students she had ever taught.
But that... As Professor Fernando said, it seemed almost like stalking. She had been listening in on how the professor had been in his office, right...?
[Student, your name?]
The messenger approached right in front of my face.
"I am Isaac."
[If you wish to be my student, passing a test is mandatory. Everything elseester. In a week from now, I will test whether you have the capabilities to be my student. Be prepared in advance. You too.]
The messenger also nced at Luce and spoke.
Why her?
With a click, the messenger''s transmission ended, and it went back under the wardrobe.
Professor Fernando abruptly stood up and created an ice rod using [Ice Generation].
He rummaged under the wardrobe with it, picked up the messenger, and headed towards the window.
The messenger activated again, and a voice flowed out.
[Ungrateful bastard. Do you dare to cast me aside so disrespectfully? Cease your actions this instant and reconsider¡!]
Whoosh.
Bang.
Professor Fernando threw the messenger out the window and immediately shut the window firmly.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to his original ce.
"...Is she always like that?"
"Haa. It¡¯s nothing new."
Professor Fernando¡¯s sigh reverberated throughout the /genesisforsaken
Chapter 196: The Grand Festival — Interlude (3)
Chapter 196: The Grand Festival ¡ª Interlude (3)
¡°Well, I was nning to ask you from the start.¡±
Professor Fernando turned his gaze to the documents on the desk and spoke indifferently.
¡°Let me point out that it is not only a Professor¡¯s duty to help out passionate students, but a responsibility. At least, that¡¯s what I believe. Fortunately, the situation was resolved quickly.¡±
I knew Professor Fernando¡¯s values well. His earlier dismissal was a test of sorts, but now, his words were sincere.
¡°Like any teacher, she also prefers disciples with exceptional talent in magic. I may havecked talent and only became a disciple because she favored me, but I believe she¡¯ll like you a lot.¡±
Considering what happened a little while ago, it was doubtful whether Professor Fernando really became her disciple because she favored him.
But that was beside the point.
¡°Anyway, do you know what will be on the test?¡±
¡°She¡¯d likely try to gauge your level. I¡¯ve heard that was the case for all the tests she has given; it was the same for me. Be prepared to be pushed to the limit.¡±¡°Can¡¯t you give me a hint?¡±
¡°My advice won¡¯t be of much help. It¡¯s up to her. I had to memorize dozens of books in three days. I heard another disciple had to decode a magic circle with over a hundred strokes within three days.¡±
¡°Were there many who failed the test?¡±
¡°Most did. They were all average. I might be considered average too, but I was lucky.¡±
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there were no routes for the yer to be a disciple of Aria Lilias.
Luce, who was not limited by the knowledge of the game, gave me the solution of ¡°bing Aria¡¯s disciple.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have thought of such a solution on my own.
I had no idea what kind of test I would face, but from the examples given by Professor Fernando, it was clear that it was going to be quite difficult.
Three days¡
Perhaps the only thing they had inmon was that it was that they had a duration of three days.
¡°...Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Professor. We will be on our way.¡±
I politely thanked him and then left the Professor¡¯s office with Luce.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I want to take this opportunity to say, your talent has excellently bloomed. You are a disciple I can be proud of.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Sniff.
To think I¡¯d receive such warm words from him.
Feeling pleased, I shed Professor Fernando a bright smile.
¡°With your abilities, you could contribute to the advancement of magical technology. If you have such aspirations, I hope you¡¯ll have time for me next time¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯ll see you in a week.¡±
I grabbed Luce¡¯s wrist and promptly left.
Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice the tant attempt to recruit me as a teaching assistant?
The thought of bing a graduate student hadn¡¯t crossed my mind, not even a little.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Walking through the halls of Orphin Hall, I stopped and turned to Luce when she spoke.
Maintaining her poker face, Luce only extended her fingers to make a V sign and ced it next to her face.
¡°Ta-dah.¡±
She wanted credit for the sess of our ns.
¡°Thanks. You¡¯re the best.¡±
I gave her a big thumbs up, and Luce grinned.
I met the requirements to learn the 7-star ice spells [Icebolt] and [Perennial Snow].
The condition of being ¡°level 120 and above¡± had been met after I defeated Elmetona the Ethereal.
However, that didn¡¯t mean I could immediately use those spells. These conditions were merely the prerequisites.
Spells like [Ice Wall] and [Frost Explosion], which only requiredplex mana mastery and simple calction, could be used right away after fulfilling the learning requirements.
The level of difficulty spiked significantly from 6-star onward.
It felt like jumping directly from an undergraduate to a Ph.D. program that requires highlyplex calctions.
The only reason I somehow managed to learn 6-star magic while solely relying on self-study and the asional help of others was due to me maxing out my potential. However, the difficulty of 7-star magic was on another level.
If only it were like a game where I could just type inmands to execute a skill¡ but I was doneining about thatst year. I¡¯d have to study hard.
Now, if only the Tower Master of Hegel could help me learn 7-star magic, everything would be perfect.
Pass the test first? I¡¯d make it through somehow. Gritting my teeth and forcefully achieving my goals was my specialty, after all.
So, I could only hope that the Tower Master¡¯s teaching skills were on par with a top-tier instructor.
I hope to master it before I have to confront Alice.
The final event of Year 2 Semester 1, ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹. Most of the enemies were human. There were too many enemies for Dorothy to handle by herself, so it was inevitable to divide the roles.
It was unpredictable what variables might arise.
At the very least, I needed to be capable enough to have a fighting chance against the Pdins. For that, high-level spells like 7-star magic would be necessary.
Also¡
I also need to prepare for The Abyss.
The boss during my third-year. The demon that transcends even providence, The Abyss. Its chains were already loosening.
As mentioned before, the appearance of the Abyss would trigger the bad ending for ¡¸Eternity¡¹.
Those devoured by the Abyss gained eternal life inside its body and must live in solitude in an infinite prison.
Eventually, those who lost their self-awareness were stripped of their souls, and the Abyss would forever y with those souls like toys.
The soul would forever experience acute pain with a vivid sense of awareness. By then, it would be irreversible.
Hence,¡¸Eternity¡¹. A fate worse than death.
To defeat the Abyss, we must unleash a power that transcends providence.
Something like Ian Fairytale¡¯s acquisition of the ultimate weapon of the light element, Luminous Sword, in Year 2 Semester 2.
However, what if the Abyss appeared before Ian obtained the Luminous Sword?
...I have to do something.
The one who was loosening the reins of the Abyss was the final boss of Year 3 Semester 1, Mephisto the Contractor. Or, more urately, his power.
If Mephisto was aware of the existence of the Nameless Hero and started unleashing the Abyss early¡
I had to equip myself with the firepower to take down the Abyss as soon as possible.
¡°What are you thinking about, Isaac?¡±
¡°Just¡ what kind of test it might be.¡±
I quicklyposed myself and smiled in response to Luce¡¯s worried voice. I should really pay more attention to my expressions. Though it might already be toote.
With her sharp eyes, Luce had already read my emotional state. The fact that she quietly moved closer to me said it all.
¡°I¡¯m d I can join in.¡±
I¡¯ll protect Isaac.
Luce whispered as if to reassure me
* * *
¡°Are you alright, Priestess?¡±
¡°I thought I said not to enter without permission.¡±
¡°But you haven¡¯t eaten anything for three days.¡±
¡°I know that. I don¡¯t care, so just leave.¡±
¡°...Understood.¡±
In the private room of the Academy Hospital, Mei growled as she sat on the bed and looked out the window. The escort wizard left the room with a worried look.
The room was filled with lonely silence once more. Mei looked down at her body.
It was wrapped tightly in bandages. She was still in intense pain.
Mei gritted her teeth and clutched the nket tightly. She couldn¡¯t understand why things had turned out this way.
The Nine-tailed Fox had left. The moment the magic beast revealed the truth or found Miya, it would all be over.
If the forces escorting her were to head to the Eastern Nation, they too would soone to know the truth.
The situation was dire. Things might improve if Miya forgave her, but that was doubtful.
It was practically certain that the Eastern Nation would turn against her. Her only option was to flee.
Yes, to avoid the worst possible future, she would have to escape to a foreign country and live in hiding. The sooner, the better.
¡°Damn it¡¡±
A small me sparked and flickered from her hand.
When she fought Isaac, her powers were drained by a demon. It would take over a week for her condition to improve.
In the end, she had to manage with her weakened body for the time being.
During the semester, the academy was closed off from the outside world. There were only two routes off the ind, thend bridge and the port.
To pass through thend bridge, she had to break through strict security. Unless she dropped out or received a royalmand, breaking through was difficult.
And since she had to be disciplined after her treatment, her request to withdraw from the academy would be withheld until she received her rightful punishment ording to the academy¡¯s regtions.
Her only choice was the port. The port was only open to students during vacation. Sneaking onto a cargo ship and hiding inside would be her only way out, but she would have to sneak past the detectionwork spread across the ship.
In other words, all escape routes were blocked.
At this rate, she could only wait while twiddling her thumbs¡ until the Eastern Nation learned the truth and asked the Zelver Kingdom for cooperation to hand her over.
¡°I¡¯m sick of this¡¡±
As Mei pondered ways to escape, she trembled with frustration.
A deep sense of despair washed over her.
¡°I¡¯m so sick of this¡¡±
Outside the hospital room door, the escort wizard lowered her head and listened quietly as Mei sobbed.
***
In the middle of the night.
A middle-aged man was staggering home, drunk. It was a small vige on the outskirts of the Zelver Kingdom.
There were low-rise residences surrounding him.
It was very dark at night in such a small town. Since most houses were unlit, the man had no choice but to rely on the moonlight as he walked. However, because of his drunkenness, the darkness didn¡¯t bother him much.
He huped continuously, humming a tune to himself. As he walked, he noticed a woman in a ck cloak staggering towards him from the opposite direction. He wondered if she was also drunk.
Even in the dark, the fluttering cloak and the woman¡¯s curvy silhouette caught the man¡¯s eye.
Intoxication made it difficult to exercise self-control. Giving in to his rising desires, the man spoke to her.
¡°Hey, Miss¡ Your body is really nice, hic.¡±
The woman in the ck cloak stopped in her tracks. Her face was hidden under the hood.
¡°Was there such a fine woman in our vige¡?¡±
She turned to look at the man.
¡°Uh, uh¡?¡±
As soon as the man saw the woman¡¯s face under the hood, his eyes widened in shock, and he froze in ce.
¡°Aaaack!!¡±
The effects of the alcohol dissipated. He screamed and stumbled back before running away in a panic.
She did not bother to chase after him.
The moonlight illuminated the woman¡¯s face. The gnawed flesh, torn eyelids, white eyes, and pale skin. She looked like a corpse.
She staggered across the vige again, her ck cloak fluttering with dark magic.
She left the vige, climbed the mountain, and entered an abandoned church. It was crumbling and had no ceiling.
Inside, corpses dressed just like the woman stood in orderly rows facing the altar as if they were devout believers.
In the ancient altar, a coffin oozed with dark mana.
[Gwaaaah¡!]
[Gueeeek!!]
A chilling aura was emitted from the gathered corpses inside the church, converging towards the coffin.
Rattle.
The coffin, concentrated with power, opened, releasing heavy mana.
Something arose. A skeleton about 2 meters tall, draped in an elegant ck robe. It unnaturally floated up from the coffin, then softly stepped onto the ground, scattering dark mana.
From its hollow eye sockets, a terrifying mana shone like eyes. In its right hand, dark mana condensed into the shape of a staff.
Arge magical staff embedded with a purple mana stone. It was his magic weapon.
[Arise.]
A strange, deep voice.
Kooooo
The ground rumbled. An entity that should not have awakened stirred to life, spreading vile mana all around.
Countless human cries echoed as something buried beneath the ground shattered the mound of soil, shooting toward the night sky.
It was a ck dragon made of darkened human corpses.
It was the Evil Dragon Orchis, who had been defeated by the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath and Thunderbird Galia.
[Praise him.]
The corpses bowed their heads in unison to greet their master.
The Lord of Death. The demon, Calgart the Necromancer.
He¡ has /genesisforsaken
Chapter 197: Teacher (1)
Chapter 197: Teacher (1)
"Merlin, what should I do?"
The colors of the once vibrant garden had since turned green. The sweet scent of spring had long since departed.
Around the time when the freshmen were getting used to academy life, Princess Snow White felt depressed.
White was sitting on the dry grass, leaning against the base of a tree near Orphin Hall, expressing her troubles to Merlin Astrea, who was standing right beside her.
It was a usual affair. Merlin was now unsure whether to consider this a part of her duties as a knight escort.
"It''s because of me that Senior Isaac is suffering from malicious rumors... rumors that he''s a yer. I didn''t mean it in a romantic way. I meant that I liked him out of respect... that was what I meant in my victory speech, but I never expected things to turn out this way..."
White, shook her hands tremulously, her face stricken with grief.
It was about the beauty contest held during the Grand Festival.
White was chosen as the Goddess of Beauty at M?rchen Academy during the Grand Festival, having won first ce.It seemed that her victory speech, dedicating her honor to Isaac, whom she trusted and respected the most, was unintentionally conveyed with a different meaning to the students.
©¤ ¡®I... like this person the most in this academy. I dedicate all this honor to ¡°Senior Isaac¡±.¡¯
The expression, ¡°I like this person,¡± was the problem.
¡°Like,¡± or, ¡°Love¡±.
Students love sensational topics, and many knew how attractive Isaac, the male student, was.
With a handsome appearance, outstanding talent, abilities, diligence, a promising future, and maturity beyond his years as a student... it would be a lie to say many female students did not find Isaac attractive.
However, as Luce¡¯s intimidating aura was so strong, most female students had no choice but to suppress their budding feelings.
White used the phrase, ¡°I like this person,¡± which ignited the fire among two female students, Luce and Dorothy, who were already heavily involved with him... This rekindled the rumor that had died downst year of, ¡°Isaac being a yer¡±.
As a result, White''s victory speech naturally came to be seen as her expression of ¡°Love¡± for Isaac.
It wasn¡¯t that Isaac did not seem like a potential romantic interest, but the feelings White had when she looked at him were much closer to ¡°Like¡±.
I should have been more careful with my words¡
White regretted it for days.
Without even knowing it, Isaac even got into a fight with the Priestess and was seriously injured. When White was called in as a person involved in the incident, she heard that the Priestess had brought up White and staged a drama.
Isaac must have fought with the Priestess, the ruler of the Eastern Nation and a genius with Grade S mana, for her sake.
Naturally, White felt tremendous guilt over everything. That was why she ended up confiding her troubles to Merlin.
"That should be okay, right? The Sir Isaac I know is a thoughtful person. Someone who would not be disappointed over such a matter¡"
Merlin couldn''t finish her sentence.
It was a terribly dishonorable rumor, after all.
If Merlin herself had been the subject of the rumor that she was a yer, she would have immediately wanted to find and cut down the person responsible.
It didn''t matter who took White''s victory speech properly or not. People interpret what they see and hear in their own way. The problem was that the rumor had already spread in such a manner.
What about this case? While it was true that White had been careless, Merlin struggled to decide if it should strictly be considered her fault.
"Wouldn''t the issue be resolved if you have a good conversation with Sir Isaac? After all, most conflicts are resolved through conversation."
Merlin managed to respond with difficulty.
Whatever the case, it was ultimately an issue between Isaac and White. If Isaac just let it pass without much fuss, the rumor would die down.
The problem was, had that been the case, White''s troubles wouldn''t have persisted until then.
With a sad face, White shook her head.
"But you''ve seen it too, Merlin. These days, Senior Isaac has been avoiding me. He hardly talks, and when he does, it''s always with short answers... I thought everything was resolved after my apology, but now it feels like we''ve grown even more distant..."
Lately, Isaac had only been formal with White.
A few days ago, White had exined the situation and apologized to Isaac. He told her not to worry about it because it wasn''t her fault, and he was actually grateful that she thought of him.
So, White had been relieved, believing that everything had been resolved...
But afterward, their conversations were brief and strictly about academics.
Whenever White tried to bring up a personal topic, Isaac would only respond with dry answers like "Yeah," "Uh-huh," and "Right," so they never had long, normal conversations.
In actuality, however, Isaac was just focused on mastering 7-star elemental magic.
White, being used to his kind demeanor, incorrectly perceived it as him being ufortable around her.
The person she could be mostfortable with in this academy was Senior Isaac. She couldn''t bear the thought of growing distant from him.
"There must be a reason. It will be okay soon."
"What if¡"
"Yes."
"...What If Senior Isaac feels ufortable around me and ends up wanting to leave me... what should I do?"
When people start feeling ufortable around someone they were close to, they gradually distance themselves until one day, they just leave. White was worried about this. At that time, Isaac seemed to be distancing himself from her, and she feared he might eventually abandon her.
"How could Sir Isaac abandon Princess White? He even fought the Priestess for you. He''s not someone who would do that."
"That''s true¡ isn''t it?"
"Even if that were to happen, so be it. There''s no need to hold on to someone who wants to leave."
"That''s also true..."
White let out a sigh of helplessness.
Merlin found her expression endearing and smiled silently before quicklyposing herself.
"Don''t worry too much. You''ll be receiving guidance from Sir Isaac soon, you shouldn''t be so disheartened."
"I''m not disheartened, just hurt. If I''ve done something wrong, I''ll have to make an effort to fix it..."
White spoke lifelessly as she got up from her seat.
"Should I go see Senior Isaac?"
* * *
At a corner of the Hydrangea Garden, White''s wind magic swept over theke.
"White, take a break."
"No, I think I''m still okay! I can do more... Uh-oh, nosebleed!"
"I said take a break."
White was more diligent in her training than usual. It was clear she was trying to show me her best, and regardless of the reason, it was a good thing, which brought a smile to my face.
"Time''s up. Good job."
"Haaa, haaa... It''s over...!"
After finishing training, I created a rock chair using [Rock Generation]. White, drenched in sweat, weakly sat down on the rock chair and caught her breath.
In the meantime, I brought over five pieces of parchment that I had prepared in advance and handed them to White. They were all rolled up in scroll form.
"Here, this is your homework."
Flustered, White fully embraced the parchment within her arms.
"Ah, Senior Isaac, why is there so much homework today...? You usually only give me one..."
"Sorry, but I don''t think I''ll be able to mentor you for a while."
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, White became as rigid as stone, as if she had heard a bolt of lightning out of the blue.
"It''s probably because my schedule won''t allow it."
"Why, why?!"
"Do you remember I said I was going to learn a 7-star spell?"
As I took off my sses and asked, White nodded.
"I got the opportunity to learn that from the Tower Master of Hegel. She said if I passed the test, she would take me as her disciple. The test will probablyst for three days."
He spoke calmly as he took off his sses and wiped the lenses with a cloth.
"If I pass the test, I won''t have much time. I''m nning to pass no matter what."
He was determined to do everything possible to pass the test set by Aria Lillias, along with Luce.
If he passed the test and started receiving training, he didn''t know how his schedule would be adjusted. What was certain was that his free time would be significantly reduced, making it difficult to continue teaching White.
"So, I think I need to focus on my own tasks right now. I''m sorry. Let''s disband for now..."
As he put his sses back on and looked at White''s face, he was suddenly lost for words.
A look of shock was on her face. From her mouth, a whining, ¡°Heeee¡¡± sound emerged, making her seem as if she had lost her mind.
Why is she acting like this?
"White?"
"I''m okay... I''m really, okay..."
She didn''t look okay at all.
I read her psychology.
What''s this? Is she worried that I might abandon her forever?
Why all of a sudden?
I rummaged through recent memories rted to White and guessed the reason.
Come to think of it, I haven''t been talking to her muchtely.
I had been preupied all day with constructing 7-star forms, which naturally reduced our conversations significantly.
Was she taking it sensitively? To think that she felt I was distancing myself just because of that...
...No matter how hard I tried to understand, it was futile. [Psychological Insight] couldn¡¯t make me fullyprehend the psychology of a teenage girl, after all.
Anyway, it would be better to reassure her before leaving. The problem was that I was too thoughtless, saying, ¡°Let''s disband,¡± when we wouldn''t see each other for a while.
"White."
"Yes..."
I took out a pudding bar from my pocket, unwrapped it, and held it out.
Whoosh!
Merlin sprinted over and, taking a bite of the pudding bar, ran past us. At that moment, a gust of wind arose, whipping her hair and the hem of her dress.
Done. I held out the pudding bar, about one-third of it gone, in front of White¡¯s mouth.
White looked back and forth between the pudding bar and me, bewildered.
"Study hard and improve your skills. Make me surprised when I return."
White had not been able to pay off her debt by thest due date.
So, I said that if we could circte and share our mana with one another, the time spent doing so would be deducted from her debt. It was a training method to enhance Mana Mastery and Elemental resistance, a direct way to tap into White''s potential power.
We talked about itst time and tried it out. Contrary to my expectations, White couldn''t withstand the mana bacsh and ran away in a panic to go vomit somewhere. Ultimately, we decided to extend the due date.
Because of that, White showed a mix of happiness and bitterness. The expression was adorable.
Regardless of White being a key figure in Semester 2 Year 2, I felt a deep affection for her. I couldn''t even joke about abandoning her.
"You''reing back, right...?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, White asked in a subdued voice, looking down. It seemed she was trying hard to gather her courage to ask a sincere question.
"You''re reallying back, right...?"
White slowly lifted her head and looked at me. Her eyes were moist, and tears were welling up around them.
White gently grasped the cor of my clothes.
"I''m such acking person... hic, a pest that only causes trouble for you, Senior... You''re not trying to distance yourself from me, right...?"
White''s voice choked up as if she was about to cry any moment.
I got goosebumps.
Why the self-deprecation?
"You have talent and you''re doing well, why would I leave your side?"
"Then, Senior Isaac, pleasee back soon... I''ll miss you..."
Her effort to hold back tears was so funny that I let out a chuckle. I nodded.
Finally, it seemed White rxed a bit as she took a bite of the pudding bar I offered and chewed happily.
"Sniffle, it''s delicious..."
White took the pudding bar entirely, savoring its taste with a sad expression.
* * *
[It''s quite funny, isn''t it.]
The sky was inked and the stars shone brightly.
In the student council room, only themp on the office desk emitted a soft glow.
Next to it sat a fat purple cat, Phantom Cat Cheshire, who spoke to the girl with pale gold hair in front of him. She was the Student Council President, Alice Carroll.
Alice sat in the president''s chair, gazing out the window and holding a cup of tea.
[Meow~. Let''s go over the situation once again!]
Phantom Cat Cheshire stood up abruptly and spread its front paws to the sides.
[The ck Monster, always swiftly defeating demons and running away, appeared on top of the clock tower as if it had been watching the academy...! As soon as people noticed, it ran away at once! But, you know, it''s strange.]
On thest day of the festival, the ck Monster, The Nameless Hero, was acting suspiciously.
Alice took a sip of her tea.
[The White Dragon flew to the ck Monster, didn''t it? So, the teachers and Imperial knights, looking at the White Dragon, naturally had to notice him. As if he wanted people to find him! As if to distract, to hide something, he deliberately drew their attention!]
Suddenly, the Phantom Cat''s head tilted to the side.
The magic beast''s eyes shone sharply, like the des of a knife.
[Isaac, let''s kill him.]
Alice stopped her hand from taking a sip of her tea.
[It''s clear he''s the ck Monster. He gave the cloak to his colleague and created an alibi¡]
"Cheshire, go back."
[Meow? Suddenly?]
Whoosh.
Alice reversed summoned Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Soon after, dark mana began to seep out from the inside of her choker. It rose above her head like smoke and took the form of a head, albeit a monster, it was closer to a female form.
Alice remained still, looking out the window without changing her expression.
Soon, the head made of dark mana moved its lips.
[Venerable Alice, how are you...?]
It was a bizarre female voice.
[It''s almost time... Enough with the games, don''t you think...?]
From the cheekbone area of the strange head, an arm surrounded by dark mana protruded. It was a skinny, frail arm.
A hand with seven slender fingers gently stroked Alice''s hair.
[For the sake of the kingdom you cherish¡]
The mysterious being whispered.
[Please... faithfully fulfill the contract.]
Soon, the figure made of dark mana disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Indifferently, Alice was about to sip her tea again but then ced the teacup back on the desk.
She touched her choker with her finger. Her hand gradually started to tremble.
Alice deeply scratched her choker with her fingernails. Despite the grating sound, her nails breaking, and bleeding, she paid no mind.
Eventually, Alice silently exhaled a deep /genesisforsaken
Chapter 198: Teacher (2)
Chapter 198: Teacher (2)
The rain was pounding on the wooden shutters of the carriage, threatening to break them. It was a gloomy and depressing day, fitting for the challenging test set by Aria Lilias.
Luce and I skipped ss for ¡°study purposes¡± with the permission of Professor Fernando and the authority of the Hegel Tower Master, who had a partnership with M?rchen Academy.
Missing a few sses should be fine. I had asked Amy and Mateo to take summary notes for me.
We were neatly dressed in casual clothes. We were meeting a very important person, and Professor Fernando had told us to dress nicely.
A few days ago, Professor Fernando rummaged through his office and imed to have found Aria¡¯s second messenger which he hadn¡¯t gotten around to disposing of. Before throwing it out the window, he asked, ¡°Why did you call Luce Eltania too?¡±
She said that she had heard of Luce¡¯s overwhelmingly talented and that she wanted to teach her because they share an attribute.
Good.
Luce was being considered for the Evil God yers. In other words, if Aria were to make Luce stronger, it would be good for me too.
After some time, we arrived at the Hegel Tower in Professor Fernando¡¯s personal carriage. It was a two-hour trip.¡°This is Hegel Tower.¡±
Hegel Tower was, as its name suggested, a tall building in the form of a tower. It was no exaggeration to call it the tallest building on the ind.
However, despite being called a tower, it looked quite shabbypared to the castle-like magic towers that were built in cities. It had a humble appearance and the shops that were a short distance away only added to the cozy charm of this ce.
Luce and I followed Professor Fernando inside Hegel Tower. The high ceilings gave it an old-fashioned design.
It had a serene atmosphere. As we entered, Professor Fernando exined various things as if he were a tour guide, mentioning the numerous magical researches conducted here and the achievements made. He was someone who enjoyed teaching.
As we walked by, we asionally saw wizards in robes. Their attire was so cool, so I nced at them curiously.
We took an elevator powered by telekinesis magic to go to the highest floor. ording to Professor Fernando, only a select few, like himself, were allowed to go up to the top floor.
When we reached the top, we found ourselves in a luxuriously decorated hallway. A short walk across the hallway brought us to arge door.
¡°Can we just enter?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. She already knows we¡¯re here.¡±
Creeeak.
As Professor Fernando opened the door, a vast library came into view. The circr space was filled with numerous books and magic tools floating around.
Looking up, we could see the high ss ceiling, beyond which rain was pouring down. The whole tower had a barrier that prevented rain from hitting the windows and causing noise.
Once we entered, we saw a petite woman sitting on a desk, swinging her legs as if waiting for us. She appeared bored.
This was the first time I had directly faced her since I was brought into this world.
¡°Greetings, Master.¡±
Professor Fernando bowed, and I followed suit.
Auburn hair swept to one side, tired eyes, and a wizard¡¯s robe.
It was Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of Hegel.
She stepped down from her desk and approached us.
¡°Follow me.¡±
Aria pushed past us and out the door.
Professor Fernando followed her without question, and Luce and I exchanged nces before following them.
We took the Tower Master¡¯s private elevator to the rooftop, where the sky was covered with gloomy dark clouds.
Aria created an invisible umbre using telekinesis over our heads. Then, she walked to the center of the rooftop and looked up at the sky.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Aria called for me.
¡°Can you exin to me what ice magic is?¡±
¡°...It¡¯s magic that freezes by taking away heat. That¡¯s why its more urate name is freezing magic, but that alone would make it less versatile, so it also creates ice using the mana from nature and the caster¡¯s mana. That¡¯s why it¡¯smonly known as ice magic.¡±
¡°No need for a detailed exnation. You¡¯ll see it with your own eyes.¡±
Why did she ask that?
Aria took out a magic tool from her robe and tossed it upward. The small, baseball-sized tool, a messenger. It fluttered like a swift bird and hovered under the dark clouds.
Then, she reached out her right arm towards the messenger.
A powerful mana enveloped the rooftop.
With a whir, seven pale blue magic circles unfolded behind Aria. Runes were engraved on them, each intricately detailed andplex.
¡°This is [Icebolt].¡±
Boooom!!
From the seven magic circles, a pale blue bolt of energy shot toward the messenger.
A beautiful frenzy was carved into the air, and a deafening roar rang out.
Booom!!
A cold explosion swept around the messenger. Cold air flew in all directions, and for a moment, it snowed.
Ohh.
Amazing¡
The st hit the constantly moving messenger with pinpoint uracy. It was like the work of a marksman.
If one¡¯s mana mastery wasn¡¯t properly trained, it would be difficult to aim at a target urately, let alone produce such a sophisticated spell. It was admirable.
Aria gathered the magic circles and turned to look at me.
¡°Apuse.¡±
Without hesitation, I apuded Aria¡¯s disy. Luce, catching my cue, also pped a few times.
¡°This is the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt] that I will teach you. Whether or not you can master it is up to you.¡±
I responded loudly with a, ¡°Yes!¡± my lips twitched with excitement.
Was Aria always this cool?
¡°Luce Eltania, the same goes for you. I will make you stronger, so follow me.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Luce didn¡¯t respond. She tended to avoid speaking unless absolutely necessary, except when talking to me.
Aria frowned.
¡°Respond.¡±
¡°Luce, answer.¡±
¡°...Okay.¡±
Luce answered reluctantly.
Aria held up three fingers.
¡°For the next three days, you will be tested. This is to determine if you are worthy of my teachings, so do your best without being arrogant.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
I replied loudly, and Luce answered forcefully with a frown.
¡°You should go downstairs first, Disciple.¡±
¡°Yes, well then¡¡±
Professor Fernando turned his back.
¡°Isaac, Luce Eltania, I¡¯ll be back in three days.¡±
He had fulfilled his role. Professor Fernando turned on his heel and headed down the elevator.
¡°You two.¡±
Aria raised one corner of her mouth.
¡°Brace yourselves.¡±
* * *
Three days passed.
Fernando Frost finished his lecture and immediately took his carriage to Hegel Tower.
Isaac and Luce Eltania must havepleted their test and were resting by now. They probably haven¡¯t eaten or washed properly in three days, so they must be exhausted.
For Fernando, Aria''s test was brief but it left a strong impression in his memory.
He believed Isaac and Luce would pass the test. He wanted to quickly take them back to the living quarters so they could restfortably.
Upon arriving at Hegel Tower and taking the elevator, he reached the top floor and slightly opened the door to Aria¡¯sb to peek inside.
¡°¡?¡±
Isaac and Luce were nowhere to be seen.
All he could see was Aria Lilias, hovering in midair, reading a book indifferently.
Fernando stepped inside. Aria nced up at him, then turned back to her book.
¡°Master, how are you? Where are the kids?¡±
Fernando asked as he approached her, and she let out a deep sigh.
¡°My disciple.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Those kids are monsters.¡±
***
After talking to Aria, Fernando headed to theb on the 15th floor.
He heard an unbelievable story. Isaac had passed the test in just 10 minutes, and Luce in 5 minutes.
So Aria went straight to teaching and realized¡
¡Their learning capabilities far exceeded her expectations.
Isaac was able to figure out how to construct [Icebolt] as soon as she gave him some directions.
No matter how difficult the mana control task was, Luce would correct it immediately after receiving feedback.
¡ª My umted knowledge, wisdom, and abilities are insufficient for them. There''s not much I can do for their growth, not as much as I thought.
She was impassive as usual. But for the first time, Fernando felt that she seemed disheartened.
It was a teacher¡¯s dilemma. A capable student was preferred because they were fun to teach, but if the student was too exceptional, the teacher could start to doubt their abilities.
Perhaps Aria experienced thetter this time.
Fernando quietly cracked open the door to theb and peeked inside, his eyes widening in surprise.
Threerge ckboards, several times taller than him, were filled with forms.
Isaac, with deep dark circles under his eyes, was reading a book and writing down forms.
He was surrounded by dozens of books. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Isaac had studied for three days and three nights without sleeping.
His level of concentration and stamina were frightening.
Unless it was a power bestowed by a fairy, like Kaya Astrea¡¯s nt element or Dorothy Heartnova¡¯s starlight element¡
Most elite wizards invest over thirty years to master 7-star magic. That boy was drasticallypressing that time.
Meanwhile, Luce Eltania was sitting at a desk, reviewing the forms Isaac had written and sharing her opinions. She also looked tired but seemed to be in better shape than Isaac.
They were provided with room and board. Aria had offered them one room as a joke, but it seemed like the two hadn¡¯t properly utilized the amodations yet.
¡°Hehe¡¡±
These kids are really something.
Fernando smirked and left the room. He figured it¡¯d be better toe backter.
***
After a week.
The sky was clear and tinged with the colors of sunset.
Fernando headed back to Hegel Tower. He received a summons from one of Aria¡¯s messengers in his office, instructing him toe to the tower immediately. He had heard that Isaac was on the verge of reaching the next level.
He took the elevator to the rooftop. The sky was a deep shade of blue, with stars beginning to shine.
Isaac, Luce, and Aria were standing on the rooftop.
¡°Master?¡±
¡°Shh.¡±
Isaac stood in the middle of the rooftop. He looked weary and exhausted, but his eyes were clear and sharply focused on the sky above.
Luce, Fernando, and Aria watched him from a distance.
Looking ready, Isaac silently released Aria¡¯s messenger. It flew into the sky and began to circle above.
Isaac concentrated on sensing the natural mana around him, taking into ount its strength, density, and the direction of the wind.
Like a craftsman assembling parts with precision, he meticulously drew the form for the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt], ensuring the lines were connected correctly.
Then, he reached out his right arm.
With a resonating sound, seven pale blue magic circles trailed behind him. Each had aplicated configuration.
¡°He really¡ deployed seven magic circles.¡±
Fernando¡¯s eyes widened in awe.
Seeing Isaac correctly deploy the magic circles for the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt] was unbelievable.
It was truly a phenomenal talent.
Considering he was once the academy¡¯s weakest, the endless manifestation of his potential felt dramatically impactful.
Isaac¡¯s eyes locked on the flying target.
He furrowed his brows. It was difficult to aim properly. The mana mastery needed tounch [Icebolt] was also difficult, making his mind feel extremely chaotic.
¡°Hooo.¡±
He took a deep breath.
Isaac extended his right hand, making the shape of a gun with his index finger and thumb. His index finger calmly chased after the messenger.
Soon, the pale blue magic circle glowed simultaneously.
Isaac unleashed a st of cold mana.
¡¸Icebolt (Ice Element, ¡ï7)¡¹
Boooom!!
In an instant, a beam of light carved through the air like a chain.
An explosion of bitter cold spread out, and a bolt of icy lightning stretched out and pierced the messenger.
Boom!!
There was an explosion of cold air. In an instant, a frozen ice ball flew into the distance. Inside it was the broken messenger.
Fernando¡¯s mouth dropped open. Aria lowered her eyes.
Isaac withdrew the magic circles. Even though his control was still chaotic and weak, he closed his eyes and savored the fact that he had managed to cast [Icebolt].
¡°Hehe¡¡±
A sob-like, joyfulugh escaped Isaac¡¯s lips.
That was so tough¡
The single phrase faded into the air.
Isaac, relieved, immediately lost consciousness and copsed.
¡°Isaac?!¡±
Luce and Fernando rushed to Isaac and looked at him. He seemed to be soundly asleep.
Considering he had hardly slept and had intensively delved into constructing the 7-star magic circle, it was remarkable that his stamina hadsted this long.
Moreover, a 7-star spell could not be cast just by mastering the form. He must have trained hard with mana mastery beforehand to manage [Icebolt].
¡°Tough bastard,¡± Fernando muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth twitching.
Luce smiled softly and sat down on the rooftop, gently cing Isaac¡¯s head on herp.
A gentle evening breeze caressed through his hair.
With Aria¡¯s help, Luce had a better idea of how to strengthen her water magic. She was grateful to Aria.
Feeling that she was growing alongside Isaac, Luce felt a ticklish sense of pride swelling within her heart.
¡°Well done, Isaac. You were so cool.¡±
Luce stroked Isaac¡¯s hair.
¡°¡¡±
Isaac and Luce. They were both terrifyingly talented. Surely, they would be figures to be remembered in history Aria thought to herself.
¡There was just one question in her mind, something she would have to ask tomorrow.
Aria turned her head towards the sea. The sun was setting, slowly sinking into the horizon.
¡°Isaac, Luce Eltania, this marks your graduation from here. It¡¯s gettingte, so you might as well leave tomorrow.¡±
Aria turned and walked away.
Luce looked up at the darkening evening sky and then turned to look at the departing Aria.
¡°What about our room?¡±
¡°I gave you one.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Luce looked at Isaac again and then spoke to Fernando.
¡°You go ahead. I¡¯m going to sleep here with Isaac.¡±
¡°Hmm. Fernando, you go home today and pick them up tomorrow.¡±
Aria tactfully chimed in.
¡°¡?¡±
Fernando was puzzled.
If that was the case, why couldn¡¯t he just take Isaac and Luce back with him¡?
However, Luce and Aria were adamant, and Fernando couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask the /genesisforsaken
Chapter 199: Teacher (3)
Chapter 199: Teacher (3)
I couldn''t move.
My arms trembled uncontrobly. My mana was so depleted that none of it coulde out properly.
Blood poured from my mouth like a waterfall. My thoughts were jumbled. Before I knew it, my vision blurred, making it impossible to distinguish objects clearly.
Yet, I barely managed to move and swung elemental magic at my still-intact enemy.
The enemy was the Land of Oz, The Floating Ind, Cavallion the Earthshaker.
The ground was covered with flowingva. Countless human heads emerged, taunting me with theirughter. Gritting my teeth, I drew upon everyst bit of my mana to unleash my magic, yet that infuriatingughter persisted.
If this continues we all die.
I can''t save Dorothy.
I screamed until my throat burst. It was nothing more than a tantrum, but I felt like I would go insane if I didn''t.When I was fighting so frantically.
Someone cried out my name, ¡®Isaac.¡¯
I regained my senses and stopped moving abruptly. A gentle touch caressed my cheek.
Dorothy, with ck spots all over her body, appeared. She smiled faintly and said to me,
¡®Isaac.¡¯
¡®Thank you foring to save me.¡¯
¡®...I''m sorry.¡¯
Dorothy squeezed out the meager amount of mana she had recovered and sent my body flying away.
A cluster of stars floated around. My body helplessly drifted away from The Floating Ind.
I yelled to stop immediately, crying out Dorothy''s name. But she did not cease her magic
Soon, a radiant glow emanated from her body.
A beautiful explosion of vivid colors swallowed the Land of Oz.
At that sight, I couldn''t help but scream and cry tears of blood.
Suddenly, a cozy energy wrapped around my body. The scene before my eyes disappeared like ash.
Staying in thatfortable sensation, I soon felt the sensation of returning to reality.
"...Ah."
I opened my eyes. Only then did I realize that I had been dreaming.
Maybe because I had slept deeply for the first time in a while, memories of the Trial of Sandstone vividly reyed in my dream.
It was a dream I often had. It was also the reason I couldn''t get good sleep.
By the way, am I lying in bed right now?
Hmm?
For some reason, something plump was enveloping half of my face.
My rational judgment was not yet functioning smoothly due to the remnants of sleep. However, I felt a sense of psychologicalfort.
What''s this?
Curious, I groped around to feel what it was.
It twitched suddenly.
The felt fabric and beyond that, the sensation of an incredibly soft mass was felt.
"Uh..."
After hearing a sticky sound that followed, I realized that I shouldn''t touch it anymore.
I snapped to attention.
I removed my hand from that plump thing and lifted my head. I saw Luce''s face, which was flushed red and pouty, ring at me from up close.
"...Isaac, you pervert."
Luce narrowed her eyes. Her tone was irritable, but her whispery voice made it sound enchantingly ticklish to the ear.
Luce didn''t show much resistance. I could tell from her demeanor that she didn¡¯t feel repulsed
Who''s the pervert here?
"Sorry... But what were you doing?"
"It seemed like you were having a nightmare."
"Ah..."
I see. That''s kind of her.
I sat up, rotating my stiff neck, and Luce also got up.
"Thanks for that. You''re right, I had a nightmare."
"What kind of nightmare?"
"...That''s unfortunate."
"What''s unfortunate?"
"Sadly, I forgot."
It was the memory of not being able to save Dorothy.
During my first round, I didn''t have Daikan, the Primordial Beast of Ice. So, I never thought of using the mysterious cer key to gain the power to defeat The Floating Ind.
In the end, Dorothy self-destructs with The Floating Ind with [Last Light of a Dying Star].
For a while, I fell into a slump, living in self-me whenever I felt the emptiness of Dorothy''s absence.
I was a foolish and pathetic guy.
Still, it was good that I properly regained that memory.
The more I thought about it, the more it made me struggle withoutpromise.
Since I never wanted to repeat such a failure again.
"Thanks for the hug. I might smell a bit right now though..."
"It''s okay. I actually liked it."
My scent?
Luce leaned in close to me and sniffed. Then, looking into my eyes with a gentle smile, she said in a soft tone.
"I like the smell of Isaac."
It seemed unlikely to be pleasant. I couldn''t understand Luce''s sense of smell.
"Is your nose okay?"
"Huh? It''s fine?"
"Never mind..."
That could be it.
I got out of bed and turned towards the window. It was still the middle of the night outside. Only themp on the desk was casting a soft light in the dark room.
I still felt tired, probably because of the nightmare and not sleeping well.
I scratched my tousled hair.
Ugh, I should take a shower immediately.
"Ugh, I feel gross. Luce, have you showered?"
"I did in the morning, but haven''t since. I couldn''t because I was hugging Isaac."
"Sorry, but I''ll shower first. I want to wash up quickly."
"Do you want to shower together?"
"...?"
"It''s a joke. Don''t get your hopes up, pervert."
I was momentarily taken aback.
Luceughed yfully, got out of bed, and entered the bathroom.
Huh? Wait a minute.
"Hey, I said I was going to shower first...!"
"If you have a problem with it,e in with me."
Luce peeked her head out of the bathroom door and gave a mischievous smile.
As I frowned and red, she waved her hand outside the door as if saying goodbye, then closed it.
It was cheeky, but since she had been holding me the whole night out of concern, I had to let it slide.
The sound of running water echoed from inside the bathroom. I also heard sshing and rubbing, it caused me to imagine Luce showering naked on the other side.
I don¡¯t know how to feel right now¡
I sighed and bowed my head. Then, I noticed my clothes had been changed. It seemed Luce had rummaged through my magic pouch, taken out a change of clothes, and dressed me.
It was fortunate that I had entrusted Kaya with the Cloak of Disguise beforeing to Hegel Magic Tower, in preparation for such a situation. Otherwise, irrefutable evidence of me being the Nameless Hero would have embarrassingly surfaced.
The clothes I had been wearing were draped over a desk chair. Inside the cor of that shirt, Hilde was hiding in the form of a small mana.
"Hilde, was everything alright?"
[Nothing happened.]
...?
Her voice seemed to quiver subtly.
What happened?
[Really, nothing! Just this old one felt a bit of excitement for the first time in a while. Heh heh.]
Is that so¡
Hearing her call herself ¡°old one¡± in such a young delicate voice was quite strange.
Anyway, even without further exnation, I felt I understood the sentiment. Truly, it must have been nothing significant.
Perhaps Luce had uttered some crazy one-liner while hugging me in my nightmare, something that could even excite a thousand-year-old granny white dragon.
"Ugh..."
For now, regardless of what Hilde heard, I was just very tired.
I''ll ask next time when I have the chance.
I flopped down on the bed. Despite having just woken up from a brief sleep, the fatigue didn''t leave me. Perhaps it was because I had been skipping sleep and overusing my brain. Whatever little energy I had left seemed to have vanished with my first use of [Icebolt].
Anyway, there was only one bed here.
I had already figured out that Aria maliciously crammed us into one room. But I didn''t expect there to be only one bed. How were we supposed to sleep¡?
Soon, the bathroom door opened. I could feel the humid air. Luce came out in a bathrobe, with steam rising around her.
Her rose-gold hair was damp. I couldn''t help but notice how sensual her body appeared. I swallowed involuntarily.
"...Why are you staring like that?"
Luce asked, avoiding my gaze. She seemed to know why I was staring.
"I¡¯m not¡?"
It was a feast for the eyes. Indeed, she was my second favorite character.
I barely suppressed the urge to hug her right then and there.
I passed by Luce and entered the bathroom.
Feeling refreshed, I showered, donned a bathrobe, and stepped out of the bathroom. Somehow, the room was filled with the scent of herbs.
Luce, also in a bathrobe, had just ced a warm cup of herbal tea on the desk. She had timed it perfectly for my exit.
While I showered, Luce seemed to have put on makeup. Her face was pretty even without it, but it appeared she did it with me in mind.
"Isaac, here. This should be good for your fatigue."
"Oh, thanks."
I cooled the herbal tea with a chill and gulped it down in one shot. I then ced the cup back on the desk.
Ah, my head wasn''t working. This was the first time I had felt so refreshed that I could die of sleepiness.
It might have been a side effect of using [Icebolt] for the first time. Anyway, I wanted to sleep as soon as possible.
I immediately sat on the bed. Luce, who had been sipping her herbal tea at the desk, looked at me and then quickly turned her gaze towards the window. She was deliberately avoiding my eyes.
It made things awkward for no reason.
"Luce, should I go sleep in theb?"
"Why?"
"There''s only one bed."
"No, sleep here with me."
Luce was calm and firm in her response.
I was fine with it. I was relieved there was no hesitation or difort.
Since I liked Luce, as long as she was okay with it, I didn''t mind.
"Alright, then..."
My eyelids kept drooping. I couldn''t stand it anymore.
I justid down on the bed. The bed wasrge enough that it wouldn''t be a problem for two people to sleep on it.
"I''ll go to sleep first."
As soon as I closed my eyes, my body rxed. It seemed like I would fall asleep quickly.
Ah, just one more thing before I drifted off to sleep. Luce had pulled me out of a nightmare, after all.
¡°Luce.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°Thanks for hugging me. Really.¡±
¡°...Yeah.¡±
Feeling Luce''s gaze, I immediately fell into a deep sleep.
And in my dream, I savored a feeling of warmth and /genesisforsaken
Chapter 200: Teacher (4)
Chapter 200: Teacher (4)
It was right after Isaac sessfully cast the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt] and fainted.
Professor Fernando Frost left in a carriage, and Aria told Luce to ¡°sleep ande to myb tomorrow morning¡± before she left.
Left alone with Isaac, Luce summoned Thunderbird Galia after breathing some evening air. It was to carry Isaac.
¡°Heave-ho¡¡±
Luce, along with the Thunderbird carrying Isaac, took the elevator down to the 14th floor.
There were amodations. Normally, towers had separate dormitories, but this ce was unique in that it was inside the tower itself.
¡°Here, Galia.¡±
Luce and the Thunderbird entered the room Aria had told them about. It was their first time actually staying in the room, having only used the bathroom up until now. Luce had wanted to stay by Isaac¡¯s side, so she had been taking naps in theb where he was.
The room was pretty snug with only one bed. Although Luce sensed Aria¡¯s impure intention, she didn¡¯t feel particrly displeased.¡°Careful.¡±
Luceid Isaac, who was carried by the Thunderbird, onto the bed.
Silence ensued. Luce leaned over and stared closely at Isaac, who was sound asleep.
He had a strong scent. It was a rare opportunity. Luce closed her eyes and breathed in Isaac¡¯s scent, a satisfied smile spread across her lips.
[You must be exhausted, Isaac.]
¡°Skipping sleep, meals, and showers to focus on devising the construction for [Icebolt]...¡±
Luce was amazed by Isaac¡¯s stamina.
¡°Your clothes¡ should be in here.¡±
Luce took the magic pouch from Isaac and searched inside. It contained a change of clothes.
While at it, she sneakily looked for any cloaks of disguise¡ but she couldn¡¯t find any.
The Thunderbird gently lifted Isaac¡¯s upper body with his beak. Luce then removed his top andid it across a desk chair.
Soon, Luce was mesmerized as if time had stopped.
Isaac¡¯s body. His muscles were distinctly visible, his veins pulsing. Though it wasn¡¯t very noticeable when he was clothed, seeing his unexpectedly well-defined physique made her involuntarily swallow.
Heat rose to her head, and the corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily. She vividly realized her biological reactions as a woman at the sight of Isaac¡¯s bare body.
Luce¡¯s hand reached for Isaac¡¯s upper body as if her instincts had taken control over her body.
Soon, she regained her senses and stopped her own hand with the other.
She couldn¡¯t just foolishly stare at Isaac¡¯s naked body. After changing his top, sheid him back down and carefully removed his pants as well.
Sneaking a nce toward Isaac¡¯s groin, Luce nodded and blushed, deliberately averting her gaze from his underwear as she put on new pants for him.
Finally, after covering him with a nket, Luce looked at him lovingly again.
Then, she lifted the nket, slid inside, and embraced him.
[¡!]
The Thunderbird¡¯s eyes widened.
He couldn¡¯t believe it and reversed his summoning. He didn¡¯t want to disturb the two.
¡°Galia?¡±
Luce didn¡¯t understand why the Thunderbird had reversed his summons, but it didn¡¯t matter anyway since his role was done.
¡°Hmm.¡±
For now, she just wanted to enjoy the sensation of lying next to Isaac.
Isaac¡¯s body odor was fragrant. She felt a warmth that made her want to stay like that indefinitely, but at the same time, her heartbeat sped up with excitement.
It was as if her instincts were cheering.
¡°Why are you so cute¡?¡±
Luce whispered softly, her head resting on the same pillow as Isaac¡¯s. Just looking at him made her smile. She felt overjoyed.
Luce had seen Isaac¡¯s efforts closely in the Hegel Tower. She rejoiced in his achievements as if they were her own.
However, she harbored a fundamental question.
Why is he working so hard?
Luce spected that Isaac¡¯s effort might be tied to the reason why the Nameless Hero, Greung, hid his identity.
She had long suspected, almost with certainty, that Isaac was Greung.
Then, why was there a discrepancy in power between Isaac and Greung?
It didn¡¯t make sense that Isaac was working this hard just to conceal his identity. So she came up with another hypothesis¡
What if Greung can only unleash his true power under certain conditions?
It seemed far-fetched initially, but now it seemed worth considering since it would resolve the contradiction.
For example, like a fairy bestowing mystical powers, it might be possible to grant conditional strength through a contract.
Even if it wasn¡¯t a fairy, there might exist beings of simr stature.
If that hypothesis was true, what could be the conditions for Isaac¡¯s abilities?
Great strength¡ limited to demons¡
¡As Luce pondered, the thought only grew stronger. What kind of ridiculous ability was that?
Greung was undoubtedly a mysterious being. However, there was a strong possibility that he was an academy student wearing a cloak of disguise¡ Assuming that was true, he would seem like a normal student at first nce.
Until the Grand Festival incident, Luce was aware of Isaac¡¯s n.
Given that Greung had always been running to hide his identity, standing atop the clock tower and having the white dragon draw attention would be something he¡¯d definitely avoid.
In other words, it must have been intentional.
To hide his identity.
The only person who would benefit from Greung appearing elsewhere was Isaac, who had fought with the Priestess.
A schr believed that ¡°if Isaac was the Nameless Hero, he wouldn¡¯t have been injured and fainted during his fight against the Priestess.¡±
Luce had been convinced that Isaac was Greung since the end-of-semester evaluation incidentst year.
She was the only one who felt that Greung¡¯s hands and Isaac¡¯s were simr.
So, what could be the reason why Greung would hide his identity? Probably because revealing it would lead to troublesome consequences.
If her hypothesis that Greung¡¯s power was conditional held true, the reason might be¡
Revealing his identity could put him in danger since he¡¯s weak normally.
There might be someone at the academy who would harm him if his identity was revealed. The basis for this though was the existence of the ¡°informant¡±.
Greung might have been concious of the informant.
However, it didn¡¯t exin how he knew when and where the demons would appear in advance.
Luce¡¯s theories were all hypothetical in the first ce, so there was still a lot of mystery about Greung.
What was certain was that Greung had to be the person before her eyes. All Luce needed was a smoking gun.
Luce tapped Isaac¡¯s cheek lightly.
In doing so, she found him incredibly lovely and charming. It made her realize that she had romantic feelings for the boy.
¡°...Haa.¡±
Then, Luce hardened her expression and pulled her hand away from him.
A vague feeling of dread came over her.
Regardless of the circumstances, she and Isaac were merely friends. Even if she confessed to him, there was no guarantee that it would lead to a romantic rtionship.
The worst thing that could happen was that Isaac would start avoiding her.
Isaac was decisive and not the type to take advantage of someone¡¯s affection for him.
If the only person she had opened her heart to became distant, especially if that person was her first love¡ the mere thought made Luce¡¯s heart ache.
Yet, staying passive made her uneasy about other girls. If a bitch like Dorothy snatched Isaac away while she hesitated, she¡¯d be writhing in agony, tears of blood streaming down her face.
Luce wished for Isaac to only look at her. Sometimes, she even fantasized about locking him in arge birdcage and making him look only at her.
However¡ that would break the promise she had made with Isaac.
Luce held up her left hand and stared at the ring on her ring finger. It was a symbol of their promise, amitment to achieve their dreams together and live side by side.
It felt like a proposal, and Luce always felt happy whenever she looked at the ring.
In the end, she had to push aside the childish fantasy of caging Isaac.
Luce lowered her arm and looked at Isaac again.
¡°Isaac, you have to stay by my side forever and ever, okay? If you leave me¡ I might just break.¡±
Luce muttered to herself. Because the future she envisioned for herself included Isaac, and she couldn¡¯t imagine a future without him.
And then.
Suddenly, Isaac broke out in a cold sweat and gasped for air. He looked distressed.
¡°Isaac? What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Luce was startled, sitting up abruptly and asking worriedly. However, Isaac remained asleep.
Is he having a nightmare?
Given how he usually gave up sleep to train, it seemed cruel for him to have nightmares when he finally got to sleep.
Luceid back down, pulling Isaac¡¯s head into her embrace. She whispered reassuring words, gently stroking his head.
Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.
It¡¯s okay. Isaac, it¡¯s okay¡
¡°...Go to sleep?¡±
Shaking out her memories, Luce looked towards the bed. Isaac, wrapped in a bathrobe, was fast asleep.
Luce chuckled softly and ced her teacup on the desk. She put the shade on themp, causing the room to be enveloped in darkness with nothing but the moonlight shining through the window.
Climbing into the bed next to Isaac, Luce pulled the nket over them, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She wanted to take onest look at his face.
Once she could see Isaac, Luce smiled gently.
¡°Goodnight, Isaac.¡±
There was a rustling sound. The covers rustled as Luce hugged Isaac.
Thinking there might not be another chance like this, Luce kissed Isaac¡¯s cheek.
Then, she closed her eyes. Luce could finally give in to the drowsiness that had overtaken her.
* * *
The light was blinding.
The bright ceiling came into view when I woke up. It was morning.
I was so amazed that I spaced out for a while. It had been a long time since I¡¯d slept so soundly.
I turned my head to the side. Luce was asleep, hugging me like a teddy bear, breathing softly. She must have fallen asleep while holding me to keep me from having nightmares.
So pretty.
Thanks to her, I seemed to had slept peacefully.
I turned towards Luce and gently stroked her hair.
Today was the day we would depart from the Hegel Magic Tower.
After washing up and getting dressed, Luce and I headed to the top floor and went inside theb.
Aria Lilias, dressed in her wizard robe, weed us.
¡°Good morning, Tower Master!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll conduct individual interviews right now.¡±
¡°...What?¡±
What¡¯s with the sudden individual interviews?
¡°Isaac, you go in first.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
Aria led me to a door on the opposite side of the entrance. Since it was an individual session, Aria told Luce to wait outside.
There was an office behind the door at the back of theb. Aria closed the door and walked towards the bookshelf.
What¡¯s this individual interview for? Am I going to receive feedback or something?
Aria walked over to a desk piled with documents. She sat down and looked at me with her usual droopy eyes.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to grasp [Icebolt] so quickly. There¡¯s nothing more I can teach you. Any further instruction would only hinder your talent.¡±
Aria began on a positive note.
It felt like a warm conclusion and my mood brightened.
I adjusted my sses before replying with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s not true, your guidance as the Tower Master has been a great help since the beginning. I¡¯m grateful, thanks to you¡ª¡±
¡°Well, those are just a bunch of empty words.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°This room ispletely soundproof, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ask you straight up, so listen carefully.¡±
The morning breeze fluttered the curtains.
After a brief silence.
Aria looked me in the eye and asked calmly.
¡°Tell me why you¡¯re hiding your identity, Nameless /genesisforsaken
Chapter 201: Teacher (5)
Chapter 201: Teacher (5)
I read Aria''s psychology.
She was convinced that I was the Nameless Hero who went around defeating demons.
I didn''t think I could cover up everything... but how did she find out?
"What are you talking about?"
"The demon appearance incident that happenedst year on Elt Ind."
Is this about the hunting evaluation?
"It was when they dug deep into the ground in the center of Elt Ind and found a mana trail. Mana trails disappear quickly when theye into contact with air, but those buried in the ground remain for a long time."
That wasn¡¯t a lie.
"They collected and stored those mana trails, andpared them with the mana trails collected from you during the academy exam. The result is as you can imagine."Really... it was not a lie.
I wanted to deny it, but [Psychological Insight] was telling me that what Aria was saying now was the truth.
So, indisputable proof has been out sincest year?
...I was convinced.
The underground of Elt Ind.
I defeated Kaya the Ravenous and killed Elphelt the Evanescent. Immediately after, the giant''s body disappeared, and the ce where its body had been was restored to its original state.
Thus, the mana trail left from fighting Kaya the Ravenous had to be buried in the soil immediately.
Since I was in the situation of fleeing with Lisetta Lionheart, I couldn''t take care of the aftermath.
In the end, it turned out that Aria Lilias had known for quite some time that I was the Nameless Hero.
So, she thought this was a good opportunity and called me.
Teaching him 7-star magic gave her the perfect excuse to approach him in a friendly manner.
Aria stopped talking to gauge my reaction and stared at me intently for a moment.
What should I say?
I organized my cluttered thoughts.
Despite there being evidence that I was the Nameless Hero, the truth hadn''t surfaced yet. It meant someone had deliberately hidden the evidence.
It wasn''t hard to guess that the person was Aria Lilias.
Naturally, this raised a question.
Why¡?
¡Why did she protect me?
Perhaps taking my silence as affirmation, Aria blinked slowly and while cing her hand on the t box on the desk, stared intently into my eyes.
She looked very calm andposed.
"I didn''t expect you to own up to it, but don''t worry."
Aria said in a calm tone.
"I''m on your side."
My side?
"Crucial evidence was concealed. The only things left to the public were clues that lead nowhere, even after pondering who the Nameless Hero might be."
"That''s illegal¡"
"If you''re going to say something pointless, it''s best if you shut your trap."
I said that out of concern.
Brave, to say the least, especially against the Imperial Knights.
I let out a small sigh. It seemed that a long conversation with Aria was necessary.
"...Come forth, Hilde."
I extended my left arm forward. The 8-star familiar contract circle engraved on my wrist emitted a faint blue light.
Above it, ice mana formed into the shape of a small white dragon.
It was Frost Dragon Hilde.
[Master?]
Hildended on my shoulder and showed a troubled look as she looked at me and Aria. It was because I had willingly revealed my own identity.
Frost Dragon Hilde. A mythical magic beast said to be handled by the primordial ice sovereign. It was one of my greatest strengths and proof of the fact that I was the Nameless Hero.
"It seems this serves as an answer."
Aria''s eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal. So, she could be surprised as well.
"Who else is there, besides you, who knows who I am?"
"Yo Headmistress... no, your Headmistress."
Aria changed the topic calmly.
"There might be others who suspect you, but as far as I know, it''s just the two of us. And your Headmistress is on your side as well."
Topare the mana trail collected from Elt Ind with mine, the academy''s assistance would have been necessary. Especially to collect my mana trail.
Therefore, if Elena Woodline, the Headmistress who led M?rchen Academy, was involved, there was no need for further exnation.
"Why are both of you on my side?"
"An archwizard who fights demons and protects humans. A mighty being with enough power to easily topple empires. And the expectation that he knows things unknown to me. I see more than enough reasons to choose a side, and Elena has simr thoughts."
The Nameless Hero defeated The Floating Ind and gained fame worldwide.
Thus, there would have been many who considered the pros and cons regarding the Nameless Hero and acted ordingly.
Aria was one of them.
"Isaac, you..."
Aria tilted her head.
"...If you''re so powerful, why pretend? The way you practiced [Icebolt] lookedpletely genuine to me."
I hesitated.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Aria had almost no screen time, so there was no way to truly know her character.
So, I gathered my thoughts and came to a conclusion.
Let''s not reveal everything.
Her assertion of being on my side was sincere, but I needed to ascertain if she could be fully trusted before proceeding.
After all, people could change at any time, and revealing all my secrets willingly was akin to handing over my weaknesses to them.
"I can''t tell you that yet. Hilde, go back in."
[Understood, Master.]
Hilde transformed back into a form of mana and dissipated like smoke.
The familiar contract circle that was shone on my wrist vanished.
"...If it''s difficult to answer, it''s alright for now."
I was relieved by her understanding demeanor.
Aria opened the t box on the desk. Inside was an old book.
She lightly waved her finger, lifting the book from the box with telekinesis. The book floated towards me.
The book opened mid-air. Its considerably worn pages were adorned with grotesque creature illustrations and inscriptions in an unintelligiblenguage.
"What is this?"
"An ancient text about demons from history."
Is this a book about ancient demons? I had never seen such a thing in the game.
The pages flipped with telekinesis. An illustration depicted what I assumed to be a demon I knew. This... clearly resembled The Floating Ind.
"Do you know what kind of creatures are referred to as demons?"
I only understood them as ¡°demons¡± because that was what they were called in the game system and by everyone else.
Of course, there was an academic distinction.
"Demonic creatures capable of using the dark element. A higher ss of Monsters."
Monsters,cking a magic circuit within their bodies, could not use magic and were no different from beasts that only harmed humans.
This was different from magic beasts. Magic beasts referred to non-humans capable of using magic, and except for a few evil ones, they were generally not hostile to humans.
asionally, a unique monster that utilized dark magic appeared, such creatures were ssified as demons. The level of danger was significantly different from other demonic creatures, and without exception, they were hostile to humans.
"Then, are you aware that these demons can reach a realm beyond that of an archwizard?"
"Pardon?"
"No, it''s not just the demons. Whether it be demons, heavenly beings, fairies, or perhaps even humans... the closer to the realm of gods, the more they have inmon."
"...And what is that?"
Thest page of the ancient text opened.
Looking at the illustration on that page, I narrowed my eyes instinctively frowning.
A demon that looked as though it was wearing a long dress at the bottom.
That was also a part of her body.
That part was embedded with many eyes, looking grotesque and abhorrent.
As seen in the Trial of Frost, was an illustration depicting the Evil God Nephid.
"The ability to manifest transcendent power and the presence of many eyes possessing mysterious powers."
Aria pointed to her own eyes.
Following the Evil God, what came to mind was the truth seen in the Trial of Sandstone.
When the Evil God brought about the end, the unknown creature that emerged in South Korea also had many eyes.
The question was¡ how did Ariae to know such information, where did ite from, and why was she bringing it up to me?
Magic towers tended to be closed off when it came to knowledge and information, as they represented apetitive edge. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Aria to possess knowledge and information known only to her.
However, I didn¡¯t expect it to be rted to demons.
"The eyes seemed to be a matter of appearance, but what about transcendent power?"
"Literal transcendent abilities. Creating sophisticated life forms, altering the soul of a creature, creating another sun and moon, intervening in other worlds."
I had already guessed as much.
I only praised it as remarkable, deliberately avoiding bringing up anything specific.
After all, it was something I held dear.
Dorothy¡
Dorothy avoided her predetermined death and embraced a future she was not meant to have.
She had already demonstrated abilities far beyond the realm of humans, observing and intervening in other worldlines.
It was as if she was acquiring transcendent abilities, like my minion, the Primordial Beast of Ice - Daikan, who broke down the boundaries between life and death.
A genius predicted to reach the realm of an archwizard within ten years. Such predictions were merely made by ordinary humans.
But Dorothy was more than that.
What made her so special was probably...
The fairy of the stars.
Star Fairy, Ste.
In the events of Semester 2 Year 2 ¡¸Fairy War¡¹, Ste never showed herself. No yer of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? knew what she looked like.
She was merely a plot device.
She granted Dorothy the power of starlight. That power must have been what was elevating Dorothy to higher realms.
¡°The information I mentioned earlier was gathered by sending out wizards from Hegel Magic Tower to collect data, obtain ancient texts, and study legends. This has been happening long before I became the tower master."
Is it information gleaned over a long period?
It was strange indeed. Why did such a person have no significant role in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen??
¡°So, I''m asking."
She crossed her arms on the desk and stared intently at me.
It was time for the main question.
¡°Have you, by any chance, been granted power by a being with many eyes?"
This is...
¡What is she talking about?
¡°I wanted to ask if a transcendent being had chosen you."
How would I know how many eyes the being that transmigrated me into this world and gave me the ''¡°status window''¡± had?
However, it was clear that the background of my transmigration was rted to Higgs, a gamepany in South Korea.
The system window UI I saw was exactly the same as the one in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
It was highly likely that they were the ones who had sent me here in the first ce. Yet, their true identity remained unknown.
"...If, as you say, I had received power from such a being, what would you do?"
"I would like to make a trade."
Aria pointed back and forth between herself and me with her finger.
"I will provide you with the information you need and help your endeavors. In exchange, you will provide knowledge I cannot discover. I am a wizard, a schr in pursuit of truth, a navigator sailing the sea of knowledge. To someone like me, you are a blessing of knowledge bestowed by a god, a treasure more desirable than sudden wealth."
Even if one were to read every book in this world, they couldn''t find the knowledge I possess.
For example, how could a resident of this world discover that Pizza Hut''s Ribsteak Pizza was delicious?
How could they learn of the existence of the gamepany, Higgs and the high-quality masterpiece ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, a game considered ahead of its time?
Not to mention the fact that the game was set in this world.
We looked at each other in silence. Eventually, she closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and leaned back in her chair.
"My disciple has arrived."
Professor Fernando hade.
"I need to meet with Luce Eltania as well, so we must end our conversation here. I hope you will consider my offer carefully. And, if youe to trust me, I hope you will share your purpose with me."
I nodded.
"Then... take care on your way."
Aria''s eyes seemed to be looking at something beyond me.
I thought to myself.
Aria Lilias. She did not beat around the bush with her statement, ¡°I''m on your side.¡± and her intentions were clear. [Psychological Insight] confirmed that her words were sincere.
It would be wise to keep an eye on her for the time being. She seemed worthy of favorable consideration.
"Yes. Thank you for everything. I look forward to seeing you again, Teacher."
I addressed her as ¡°Teacher¡± in the end.
After all, she had provided me with valuable guidance.
I bowed and said my farewells before leaving the room.
¡°Humph.
"To think I''d live to hear ''Teacher'' from an Archwizard."
It seemed absurd enough to be amusing.
Following Isaac, Luce Eltania entered for her individual meeting.
Luce looked around. A neutral spell, [Sound Obstruction], was deployed in the office. It was a spell often used for soundproofing.
"I have an important question, so listen well."
Aria, with a serious expression, posed her first question.
"Did you two... do itst night?"
Aria''s eyes sparkled.
Luce disyed a look of disgust on her /genesisforsaken
Chapter 202: Teacher — Interlude (1)
Chapter 202: Teacher ¡ª Interlude (1)
¡°What a disappointment.¡±
In front of the Hegel Tower.
As Luce and I were about to climb onto Professor Fernando¡¯s carriage, Aria Lilias pouted her lips, visibly upset.
Professor Fernando was taken aback as he tried to greet his mentor.
¡°Master, what do you mean¡?¡±
¡°I had hoped those two would have made historyst night. Such boring kids¡ Fernando, even your students are like you, they¡¯re no fun.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Professor Fernando had no idea what Aria was grumbling about. I felt the same. I couldn¡¯t understand what she was thinking, even after using [Psychological Insight].
Luce¡¯s ears turned incredibly red. As soon as she sat down in the carriage, she immediately turned her head to the other side, hiding her face. She looked extremely embarrassed.Aria exchanged nces with me through the open door of the carriage.
¡°Anyway, Isaac, Luce¡ take care of yourselves.¡±
¡°You too, Teacher!¡±
Aria waved her hand. Her youthful appearance made it look like a child waving goodbye, which made me smile. I waved back to her.
Professor Fernando also bowed before climbing onto the carriage and sitting across from me.
The coachman started to drive away, and Aria watched us for a moment before returning to Hegel Tower.
¡°Did something happen yesterday?¡±
Professor Fernando asked, crossing his arms and legs, looking at Luce and me.
Beside me, Luce flinched and kept her mouth shut. It seemed it was better for me to answer on our behalf.
¡°I guess it¡¯s because we fell asleep without saying goodbye, even though it¡¯s ourst day. Sorry, we were just too tired.¡±
I answered with a gentle smile typical of Isaac.
Such a thing wouldn¡¯t upset Aria. Professor Fernando looked at Luce and me alternately with a suspicious gaze but soon closed his eyes and gave up. He decided it wasn¡¯t important enough to dig deeper.
¡°Well, that¡¯s fine then. How was the ten days of training?¡±
Professor Fernando opened his eyes again and asked.
Until yesterday, we had spent a total of ten days at Hegel Tower.
I trained diligently to learn [Icebolt], but thanks to the time I spent at the tower, I was able to tie up loose ends much earlier. Aria helped me a lot.
From amoner¡¯s perspective, it was an incredible achievement.
For most elite wizards, it usually took an average of 30 years to learn basic 7-star magic.
Even the genius Tower Master of Hegel, Aria Lilias, took years to learn it.
And yet, despite still being an academy student, I have sessfully learned it.
How should I express what I was feeling? I don¡¯t really know how to exin it¡
¡°It was fun.¡±
To put it simply, I felt a sense of aplishment, like I had just solved an exceedingly difficult problem.
Throughout the 10 days, I felt chills running up and down my spine. I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was so excited.
And the thrill of finally finding the solution to the problem was indescribable.
Moreover, Luce was with me. The word ¡°fun¡± seemed quite fitting.
¡°For me too¡¡±
Luce replied in a hushed voice, her gaze fixed on the window. It appeared as though she had a sensitive discussion during our individual interview, considering she had been shy ever since we left.
Professor Fernando and I stared at Luce.
Time passed and we arrived at the academy. After spending each day barely sleeping and living on the edge, it felt like we had been gone for a long time. The scenery of the academy seemed nostalgic.
¡°Well done. Get some rest today.¡±
¡°Thanks to you, we had a great opportunity. Thank you, Professor.¡±
Luce and I gathered our belongings and got off, bowing our heads to Professor Fernando.
Professor Fernando smiled softly as he rode away in the carriage.
¡°Let¡¯s head back, Lu¡ª¡±
Swish.
As soon as I faced her, Luce whipped her head away so fast it created a breeze. Her ears were still zing red.
I kept a smile on my face, but I was sweating nervously.
I didn¡¯t know what exactly happened during her individual interview. I had already figured out Aria¡¯s sinister intentions, but still¡
What kind of indecent talk took ce for Luce to end up in such a state?
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go¡¡±
Luce replied timidly with her head down. It seemed like a good idea to give her some space to gather her thoughts.
Today was a day off, so fewer students were roaming the academy grounds than usual. Those who were out and about were all in casual clothes.
Luce decided to go back to her dorm to rest since she hadn¡¯t fully recovered from our stay yet.
We reached the crossroad leading to the dorms. Luce had to go to Charles Hall, the dorm for the top-ranked students, and I had to go to Elma Hall, a dormitory for the middle-high-ranked students, so we parted ways there.
I expressed my gratitude onest time. Thanks to her, I was able to sleep soundlyst night. Since I didn¡¯t get a lot of opportunities to rest properly, I felt that my thanks could not be enough no matter how many times I expressed it.
Luce simply responded with a ¡°yeah¡± and refrained from saying anything else. Her ears were red, still seemingly very conscious of me. It was cute.
Then, we parted ways.
I need to head out as soon as I get to my dorm.
I should start training right away.
I was in peak condition, and I was full of motivation because I had just learned [Icebolt] yesterday. I couldn¡¯t wait to master it.
I walked briskly toward Elma Hall, organizing my thoughts.
Now that I had learned [Icebolt], I needed to move on to [Perennial Snow] and then advance to [Abyssal cier].
Especially [Abyssal cier], I want to learn it before the vacation ends.
In Semester 2 Year 2, I would also need to prepare for heavenly beings and fairies.
Preparing for both races in a single semester would leave little room for stat distribution. Therefore, having magic that could neutralize attacks or protective magic that could serve as a sturdy shield would be crucial.
Like the 7-star ice spells [Abyssal cier], optimized for neutralizing attacks, or the unique skill of the Obsidian de [Eclipse], providing the ultimate defense.
Also.
When my unique trait [Hunter] was activated, I would be able to use the ultimate ice spell.
The 9-star ice spell, [Cocytus].
Although it wouldn¡¯t be as powerful as the one I used against Leafa the Illusive during the first-year duel evaluation, I would certainly be able to deliver a devastating offense.
As I was organizing my thoughts, Aria¡¯s words crossed my mind.
Transcendental state¡
There were only two people who have reached the transcendental realms ording to Aria, and they were both entwined with me.
One was my ultimate goal and the final destination of this journey, the Evil God Nephid.
The other was the Candy House Witch who took in Hansel and Gretel.
The Witch died in Luce¡¯s arms. Since then, she seemed to have ascended to a transcendental state, though the details were beyond my knowledge.
To be such a being¡ does one need to die first?
¡It was too big of a question to be answered by the single case of the Candy House Witch. Since I couldn¡¯t find the answers, I had to set it aside for now.
What needed immediate attention was the uing scenario.
The Alice Subjugation.
The scripture told the story of the Lord Manha scattering seeds of blessing in order to make thend of the Zelver Empire abundant. It was the origin of the holiday known as ¡°Red Day¡±.
It wasn¡¯t long until the day arrived. An annual ceremony would be held that evening.
As the atmosphere was reaching its peak, Alice¡¯s familiar, the Nightmare Dragon, Jabberwock, suddenly appeared over Bartos Hall and roared, signaling the start of the final event of Semester 2 Year 2, ¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹.
I was terrified when Alice brought the pdins so I was grateful that everything had progressed smoothly so far.
Well, I didn¡¯t expect things to proceed exactly as they did in the original scenario. My knowledge of the game was merely a guide. Predictions had be meaningless long ago.
My goal was to get through the scenario without anyone dying. With Dorothy alive, our forces were strong.
Still, what bothered me was¡
Why did Alicemit suicide?
Despite going on multiple dates with Alice,ughing and talking together, I still couldn¡¯t guess why she would choose tomit suicide after losing a battle.
I arrived at Elma Hall. I decided to set my worries aside for now. It was time to focus on mastering [Icebolt]. I needed to change and head out for training as soon as possible.
As I reached for the doorknob with that thought, a strange sensation swept through my entire body.
I froze in my tracks.
[Master.]
The voice of Hilde, who was hiding inside my cor in the form of mana, echoed in my head.
My eyes narrowed.
The doorknob felt cold as if it had been left out in a blizzard.
Someone has been in my room.
Can you sense Cheshire¡¯s or any of the Pdins¡¯ mana?
[If it were their mana¡ No, not at all. I only sense a somewhat ominous aura.]
I removed my sses and tucked them inside my pocket, preparing for a potential confrontation.
Hilde, go in and check it out first.
[Understood.]
Hilde¡¯s tiny form slipped through the crack in the door.
Soon after, she spoke.
[It is safe to enter, Master. It does not seem to be an intruder.]
Not an intruder after invading my room? What does that mean?
If it wasn¡¯t an enemy, then it was something I could confront directly.
I opened the door and entered my room, only to be greeted by an entity I had never seen before.
Standing before the window was a giant, seemingly over 3 meters tall, standing quietly.
Wrapped in what appeared to be a ck cloak, his elongated body was tightly bound. His bizarre face was hidden behind the brim of a wizard¡¯s hat. Not even the morning sun could hide his ominous aura.
I was met with his pale blue gaze. He had been waiting for me.
¡°...Who are you?¡±
He looked monstrous. Given that [Demon Detection] wasn¡¯t triggered, he wasn¡¯t a demon.
I opened its status window.
[Frost Spirit Merphil]
Lv: 180
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to serve you as its master.]
[He is an oldrade of mine.]
Hilde, the Frost Dragon, spoke in a faint /genesisforsaken
Chapter 203: Teacher — Interlude (2)
Chapter 203: Teacher ¡ª Interlude (2)
Frost Spirit Merphil. A 8-star ice spirit magic beast.
It could be found in the magic beast section of the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? setting book. It was a magic beast that did not appear in the game so I was seeing it for the very first time.
It too must be quiterge, simr to Hilde.
It was impossible not to remember that all 8-star magic beasts, with the sole exception of Phantom Cat Cheshire, were set to berge in size.
Then, could that form be for camouge?
[¡]
Frost Spirit Merphil approached.
Seeing its unnatural movement as if it were on a moving walkway, I realized it had no feet. It was floating in the air, moving like a ghost you''d see in a horror movie.
The Frost spirit stopped in front of me and looked down at me from a height that could reach the ceiling. His long and twisted facial structure gave off a bizarre impression.Then, the frost spirit bent its upper body as if to greet me and stretched out its skinny hand. Its four fingers were abnormally elongated.
The hand opened, and a dagger appeared.
A silver dagger.
The silver-white scabbard, engraved with beautiful patterns, sheathed a dagger with a silver handle.
"Are you giving this to me?"
Frost Spirit Merphil nodded its head.
I grasped the silver dagger. Despite it being cold it feltfortable in my hand.
[I have been waiting... for you.]
The Frost Spirit spoke in a strange voice that seemed to echo in my head.
[Please lead us. We will respond to your call whenever...]
Whoooosh.
After saying everything it wanted to say, Frost Spirit Merphil disappeared into a cold mist, flowed out the window, and soon dissipated.
That was the Frost Spirit''s unique magic, [Spiritualization]. A magic that allowed one to move by turning into a spirit after eliminating the physical body.
I walked to the window and looked outside. The faint blue powder fluttered away, effortlessly passing through the transparent barrier that enveloped the entire ind. That must be how it entered the academy.
"Hilde."
Chak
After drawing the curtains,
I infused more mana into Hilde, transforming her into the form of a small white dragon. Shended on the ground and looked up at me.
"What''s going on? Since the crack of dawn, some ghostly creature came and gave me something...?"
I was dumbfounded.
[Perhaps, my oldrades have noticed your existence.]
Hilde¡¯s oldrades would mean the familiars or minions handled by the primordial ice sovereign.
[They must have faintly sensed the aura of the [Ice Sovereign] that you emitted. Especially after summoning the primordial beast.]
"Did you know this would happen?"
[I did not!]
Hilde answered confidently.
[How could I know what they were thinking?]
"Is that so."
It made sense. This must be a first for her too.
Anyway, this meant that magic beasts on the level of national destruction had noticed my existence without me knowing.
[Ugh. Even so, the most sinister one came to find you.]
Hilde flew up andnded on my shoulder. Her gaze was fixed on the silver dagger in my hand.
I drew the dagger from its sheath to inspect the de. A chill flowed from it, giving a cool sensation.
There were three unique magic circles engraved on the de.
I touched it with my finger but didn''t feel anything special. It was just cold and hard.
[This dagger is a symbol of the ice sovereign''s qualification. Its name is the de of Frost Flowers. It is a Dagger of Oath and a Dagger of Pacts.]
Hilde exined as if she had been waiting for me to inspect it.
[It is not something you can handle easily. Even if you are the reincarnation of the ice sovereign, you are still far too weak¡ unless, of course, you are fighting demons.]
So what. Whether I can handle it or not is for me to decide.
Fate crawled in on its own. My heart fluttered with this unexpected gain.
I examined the silver dagger, the de of Frost Flowers, from various angles. It was impressively cool.
Hilde red at me with narrowed eyes and pressed my cheek firmly with her short forelimbs.
[Master? Can you hear me?]
"I heard you. How many times do I have to say I''m not the reincarnation of the ice sovereign?"
[Ugh, dagnamit. So stubborn.]
Hilde cursed quaintly and wore a disgruntled expression, her eyes questioning what else I could be if not the reincarnation of the ice sovereign.
I looked at her and said,
"Hilde, exin in detail what this is."
* * *
The top-ranked dorm, Charles Hall.
The killer whale familiar, Bello, and the crow-sized thunderbird, Galia, felt a surge of excitement as soon as they were summoned and stared intently at Luce.
They were curious about what had happened between her and Isaac in Hegel Magic Tower. After all, they had ended up embracing each other in the same bed the night before.
Luce sat on the bed, her cheeks flushed.
Bello and the Thunderbird approached her with pleased expressions.
[Uh, Master? Did things go well with, hehe, Isaac?]
"Hmm¡"
Luce sighed in frustration and covered her face.
Bello, who had tried to tease Luce with a sly grin, immediately shut his mouth with a flustered look.
This was... a situation they realized they shouldn''t have spoken about.
"Gallia, Bello. Just tidy up the stuff, briefly."
[Luce? Isn''t that something you should call a maid for?]
"No. I want to be alone."
Luce lifelessly covered herself with a nket andid down on the bed.
Bello and the Thunderbird, sweating profusely, tidied up the shoes and clothes that Luce had carelessly taken off.
[Hey, Gallia.]
[I know...]
Separated from Luce, Bello and the Thunderbird whispered to each other up close.
[It seems it''s still not the time to expect grandchildren...]
The Thunderbird''s sad voice dispersed mournfully.
Last night, how eagerly it had reverse summoned itself, filled with anticipation. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment turned out to be.
The Thunderbird sighed deeply.
Before leaving Hegel Magic Tower, during a private meeting.
Aria had taught Luce snippets of a new world.
Armed with all sorts of knowledge and sexual curiosity from erotic novels, Aria captured Luce with her calm tone while spouting erotic stories.
She had made Luce indulge in numerous risqu¨¦ fantasies involving herself and Isaac.
Had she ever so keenly realized that she was a frog in a well?
Just seeing Isaac brought Aria''s risqu¨¦ stories to mind, making it impossible for Luce to maintain herposure all the way to the dorm.
Aria''s erotic stories were too stimting for a girl who had barely emerged from puberty to endure. Luce had to forcefully swallow her desire to hear more.
"I need to rest today...!"
It wasn''t a choice but a necessity. She needed to calm her excited state immediately.
Luce desperately tried to fall asleep with her bloodshot eyes wide open.
* * *
This should be enough.
Daytime, at a corner of the Butterfly Garden. I took a deep breath while looking at the five rock pirs I had created.
I made a gun shape with my right hand and pointed my index finger at one of the rock pirs. Then, I started the calction to construct the magic circle for the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt].
Seven pale blue magic circles were engraved in the air, all aiming at the targets I had set.
From the direction my index finger pointed, I released [Icebolt].
Boom!!
The pale blue mana crossed the air at a lightning-fast speed. Simultaneously, as a recoil, a cold chill exploded outward.
Beams of light were engraved in the air, and [Icebolt] missed the rock pir.
"Ah..."
As expected. Due to myck of mastery, my uracy was low.
I could have easily hit the target up close, but I wanted to practice hitting targets from a distance. It was better for broadening my tactical range.
Once more. I fired [Icebolt] again.
A week had passed since I returned from Hegel Magic Tower.
Through Kaya and Dorothy, I heard about what had happened while I was at Hegel Magic Tower.
The inevitable happened.
An enormous incident urred in the Horan, the Land of the Fire Blossoms, causing an uproar across the world. The reason was the revtion of the true priestess.
the Nation of the Land of the Fire Blossoms requested the cooperation of the Zelver Imperial Family to capture Mei, who had deceived the nation.
Mei escaped from the hospital room, hid, and was eventually caught by the Imperial Knights. Due to her fierce resistance, several knights were injured.
Students nearby watched in silent agony as Mei was taken away, wailing miserably. It was the fall of the false priestess.
Now, Mei''s fate was entirely up to Miya, but considering their familial bond, she would likely be spared the death penalty.
She would probably be sentenced to lifelong hardbor with a part of her body removed.
It was karma. The time hade for her to pay for her merciless and cruel deeds.
Additionally, there was a question Kaya and Dorothy bothmonly asked me.
©¤ Sir Isaac, nothing special happened with Luce Eltania, right?
©¤ President, nothing happened with that stalker friend, right?
Since nothing special happened, I replied that nothing did. After all, Luce only helped me throughout our time at Hegel Magic Tower.
They looked at me with doubtful eyes, as if they were unsettled, but I had nothing more to say.
Meeting Snow White after a long time, she tightly held my hand and tearfully said, "I''ve missed youuu..."
Finding her absolutely adorable, I patted her head and then returned to mentoring.
The assignment I had given before leaving... I decided that the effort put into it was what mattered. The assignment she submitted showed signs of hard work butckedpleteness. It seemed to have been quite challenging to manage in two weeks.
Thanks to Amy and Mateo¡¯s well-organized lecture notes, I had no problem catching up with the sses I missed and quickly dealt with the backlog of assignments.
Time passed by immensely.
One day, after sses ended, and the sun gradually set.
On the bridge across theke in the Hydrangea Garden. I was leaning on the railing, holding a magic tool, training my mana mastery. Someone was waiting.
"Hey, Baby? What are you up to?"
A female student in a uniform with light gold hair popped her head out and greeted me in a yful voice.
She was the senior who had asked me out on a date.
"Ah, Senior Alice. Just doing some additional training."
"Oh, doing a bit of everything, aren''t you?"
I tucked the magic tool I was holding into my chest pocket.
"Ah, sorry I''mte. Got a bit behind on some work."
"It''s okay. You arrived quickly. I haven''t been here long myself."
The Student Council President, Alice Carroll, leaned one arm on the railing and rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at me.
"...Baby, didn''t you miss me?"
The sunset light reflected in Alice''s eyes and hair.
For a moment, I looked into those eyes and then smiled as I spoke.
"I missed you. You always take care of me, so of course, I would."
It was a false smile.
"That''s good to hear. I missed you too, Baby."
Alice let out her characteristically gentle smile.
Today was the day before ¡¸Act 9, Alice /genesisforsaken
Chapter 204: Black Tea
Chapter 204: ck Tea
It was an ordinary date.
We walked through the Hydrangea Garden, ate bread, roasted meat at a shop,ughed, and talked about silly things.
Had it not been for our hostile rtionship, there would''ve been nothing unusual about this date.
This afternoon, I read the psychology of a Pdin. It seemed they already had a n set for tomorrow.
This meant that Alice had already obtained the Phantasmal Clock, an item that could hasten the resurrection of the Evil God. By now, that clock would be in the hands of her minion in another world.
However, the fact that I was an enemy had not yet been finalized among the Pdins.
Looking back on the day of the closing ceremony, it was highly likely that Alice was convinced I was an enemy. With that being said, she hadn¡¯t yet informed her subordinates that I was a definitive enemy.
I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to know what Alice was really thinking. I thought that today might be myst chance...
We reached the seashore outside the academy grounds. Alice had said that she wanted to go there with me.The sky was inked in darkness. Thick clouds covered it so densely that not even the stars were visible. When the sky darkened, the rays of light, which breached the fortress of clouds, on the ground appeared even more beautiful. Our eyes were naturally drawn to such beauty.
As the waves swept across the sandy beach, the bioluminescent creatures flickered their magical light. It was as if multiple auroras were rippling through the sea. This ce was abundant with invisible luminescent creatures, simr to nkton, in the summer.
Alice took off her shoes and walked along the fine sandy beach. I followed her, barefoot.
¡°The night sea here is so beautiful in the summer. That¡¯s why Ie every year. Have you been here before, Baby?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s my first time. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±
¡°If only the weather were nicer, it would¡¯ve been perfect.¡±
The sky threatened to release its downpour at any moment. Alice''s expression was full of regret.
We walked along the shore, facing the sea breeze.
¡°¡Senior Alice.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Why did youe to M?rchen Academy?¡±
¡°What a boring question. It¡¯s just that life bes easier after graduating here. That¡¯s all¡ What about you?¡±
¡°I came for the same reason. Though, I¡¯m not as strong as you, Senior Alice.¡±
¡°Hmm, I believe you underestimate your value. So, what do you want to do, Baby?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a wizard, but I haven¡¯t decided on a specific path yet. What about you? What do you want to do?¡±
¡°I want to be revered like a Queen and I wish to live happily ever after with the person I love.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ not really a career, is it?¡±
¡°I never asked about career, I simply asked what you want to do.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s the case, I want something simr. To be revered like a King and live happily ever after with the people I love. Who wouldn¡¯t want that?¡±
¡°People, huh¡? You¡¯re quite greedy, Baby.¡±
Plop.
A raindrop fell at the tip of my nose.
My eyes naturally drew upward. The darkened clouds were ready to fulfill their threat.
Alice performed a simr action as the raindrops gradually intensified.
¡°It¡¯s starting to rain. Should we head back?¡±
Alice stopped and turned towards me, extending her hand.
¡°Give me your hand, Baby.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
It wasn¡¯t a trap. She simply offered her hand.
Curious, I took Alice¡¯s hand, and she immediately led me straight into the sea.
¡°Ah!¡±
Ssh!
We stepped into the water. The water glowed green and blue from our steps.
The raindrops grew heavier. The shower turned into a downpour.
The bioluminescent creatures were stimted every time the rain hit the ocean, glowing brighter before slowly fading away. The scene was utterly breathtaking.
¡°It¡¯s pretty, right?¡±
Soon, Alice¡¯s gold hair was drenched. Waves of beautiful colors ovepped at our ankles yet my eyes remained fixed on her.
¡°Yes¡ very much so.¡±
¡°Do you hate the rain?¡±
¡°I like it right now.¡±
Alice grinned.
Her soaked shirt revealed her underwear, so I draped a thin coat over her shoulders. Alice thanked me and closely embraced herself with the coat I had given her.
¡°Look at this.¡±
Alice chattered while repeatedly stomping in the water. Clear light surged from her every step.
I followed suit and light shimmered around me too.
Soon, we were both soaking wet, our clothes heavy and damp. Yet, there was a strange sense of freedom from beingpletely soaked, as if I had nothing to hide. My heart subtly trembled.
Alice yfully sshed water at me. I let out a surprised yelp, which made her burst intoughter.
Augh escaped my mouth as well, simply because of the fun I was having.
We continued frolicking in the water, yfully sshing each other.
¡°Woah!¡±
I lost my bnce and fell backward. My already-soaked body was submerged in seawater.
Alice burst outughing. Shimmers stuck to my body.
Alice approached me. At first, I thought she would offer her hand, but she flopped down beside me, soaking herselfpletely in the water.
Shimmers covered our bodies. The sight was so amusing that I burst intoughter.
¡°Hehe, help me up, Baby.¡±
¡°Come on.¡±
I took Alice¡¯s hand and helped her up.
Her hand appeared so smallpared to my callused one.
We gazed into each other''s eyes and chuckled for a while.
After frolicking in the sea for a while, we entered a coastal cave. I took out a pile of firewood from my magic pouch, activated a fire spell scroll, and started a bonfire. We needed to warm up unless we wanted to catch a cold.
Outside the cave, thunder rumbled asionally in the never-ending rain.
¡°That was fun~.¡±
Sitting by the bonfire, Alice spoke with a smile, genuinely enjoying the moment.
I sat opposite her, basking in the warmth of the fire.
I pulled a nket out of my magic pouch and handed it to Alice. She smiled softly, epting it and draping it over her shoulders.
I boiled water and brewed some ck tea with the leaves I had prepared beforehand. I handed her a cup, and she took it happily.
¡°When did you pack these?¡±
¡°I always carry them around. I like ck tea just like you do.¡±
Alice sipped her ck tea with a satisfied expression.
For a while after, we both remained silent, quietly watching the crackling bonfire.
¡°Senior Alice.¡±
I poked the kindling of the bonfire, ncing at Alice. Her pinkish eyes reflected the bonfire and my tiny figure.
¡°What is it, Baby?¡±
Her voice was still excited as if the joy was still lingering. It was a lovely voice.
I turned my gaze back to the bonfire.
There was something I wanted to ask.
¡°What type of man do you like?¡±
Alice chuckled softly.
¡°Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?¡±
¡°I thought it might be me.¡±
Alice wanted to bring ruin to this world.
However, even someone like her had a preference in men. The Phantom Cat Cheshire had said I was her type.
I wanted to ask because I couldn¡¯t understand how Alice, a human with genuine emotions, could be such an extreme viin.
Alice smiled yfully.
¡°...And what if it¡¯s you? Would you date me?¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
She did not anticipate my calm response, and the smirk on her face gradually faded.
I tried to probe into Alice¡¯s inner feelings with that answer. I wanted, no, needed to confirm her humanity.
Although I felt a bit guilty for exploiting someone¡¯s feelings¡
¡Tomorrow, we¡¯d be adversaries destined to kill each other. I judged that probing into her true feelings was of utmost importance.
Alice seemed to ponder for a moment before asking an unexpected question.
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Do you have more nkets?¡±
¡°I have two extra.¡±
¡°Then, shall we sleep here?¡±
¡°...Huh?¡±
¡What?
I looked at Alice. I thought she was joking to avoid an embarrassing conversation, but her face was serious.
Suddenly, Alice ced the cup of tea, the nkets, and the coat on the ground, and then stood up.
She stood next to me, her underwear still damp.
Then, cing her hands on the ground, she leaned in close to me.
¡°Senior¡?¡±
I reflexively pulled back, and she leaned in even closer.
Thinking that she might be seizing the opportunity to catch me off guard, I covered her hands on the ground with mine.
Alice nced at my hand, then looked back into my eyes.
An odd tension filled the air as Alice was poised like she was about to pounce on me, but I had no choice but to keep her in check.
And so, our eyes locked into each other mere inches apart.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Alice whispered.
¡°Would it be okay if you stayed the night with me?¡±
Time seemed toe to a halt.
Only the crackling of the bonfire continued to prove that time was still moving.
¡°...Why?¡±
¡°Nothing¡ I just want you to.¡±
I couldn¡¯t fully grasp Alice¡¯s intention. What was she thinking, and with what feelings did she say that?
What was clear was that I couldn¡¯t show any vulnerability. Even her seduction was ultimately for the sole purpose of killing me.
To Alice, my appearance represented an archwizard capable of destroying the world.
A formidable enemy and the highest obstacle she would have to ovee.
Therefore, it was an offer I couldn¡¯t ept.
I lowered my gaze.
Ultimately¡ I concluded that it would be difficult to know Alice¡¯s true feelings.
Blinking softly and smiling kindly, I looked back at her.
¡°...Alice, save such proposals for when you truly fall in love with someone.¡±
It was just an excuse.
But considering Alice¡¯s rash behavior in suggesting we spend the night together, it was also the most appropriate response.
At that, Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her seductive expression faded.
¡°You¡¯re quite firm. How boring.¡±
¡°I get that a lot.¡±
Mostly from the girl with a witch hat.
¡°Let¡¯s dry off our clothes and head back. The rain seems to have stopped.¡±
¡°...Sure.¡±
Alice pulled away from me and got up.
We looked at the cave entrance. The sound of the rain had indeed stopped.
Soon after, we gathered our things and exited the cave. For a while, Alice didn¡¯t say anything. So, we returned to the academy without uttering a single word.
Only the streetlights quietly illuminated the academy grounds. No students were roaming around at such ate hour.
Alice stopped outside Bartos Hall.
¡°I had fun today, Baby. Get home safe.¡±
¡°Huh? Senior, aren¡¯t you going inside?¡±
¡°I still have things to do.¡±
¡°Ah, that must be tough¡¡±
I waved my hand goodbye. Smiling onest time.
¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Senior.¡±
¡°Yeah, see you tomorrow.¡±
After parting with Alice, I headed to my dorm. She entered Bartos Hall.
As I walked, I looked back at Bartos Hall.
The light inside the student council room never lit up.
* * *
[Meow. Why didn¡¯t you try to kill Isaac?]
As soon as Alice Carroll entered the student council room, her fat purple cat familiar, Phantom Cat Cheshire, revealed itself.
In the darkness, the magic beast¡¯s body remained unseen.
[Even if Isaac is strong, shouldn¡¯t you have found a way to kill him? Why, oh why, didn¡¯t you kill Isaac?]
¡°¡¡±
Alice quietly made herself a cup of ck tea and sat down in the presidential seat with her steaming cup.
She sipped her ck tea.
¡°Our goal is to resurrect the Evil God. Everything will end tomorrow anyway.¡±
[Meow! That¡¯s right, tomorrow is going to be reeeally fun, so it doesn¡¯t matter! Hehe!]
The Phantom Cat became visible again and sat on the President¡¯s desk, its mouth tearing into a long, grotesque smile.
[But, why did you do that?]
¡°Do what?¡±
[Did you want somefort from Isaac before the fight? Since he¡¯ll be an enemy tomorrow and today¡¯s rtionship will endpletely? It doesn¡¯t seem like something someone who¡¯s about to end this world should be thinking, right?]
¡°...You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡±
Alice responded calmly.
¡°It was just for fun, onest bit of amusement.¡±
The Phantom Cat chuckled and began to fade away like smoke.
[I see. So that¡¯s it. I¡¯m looking forward to it. I can¡¯t wait to see the expression on Isaac¡¯s face when our dear Alice resurrects the Evil God tomorrow. I¡¯m really excited. Please, don¡¯t disappoint me, Alice.]
The Phantom Cat vanished.
Alice watched the ce where it disappeared, then she gently fiddled with the choker around her neck.
There were numerous scratches. She could feel the rough texture.
She turned her chair to look out the window. Between the clouds, a moon the size of a palm peeked out. She slowly sipped her tea while gazing at that scene.
After finishing her ck tea, she got up to brew another cup.
Her eyes, now ustomed to the darkness, peered into the tea leaf container. It was empty.
So that was thest one.
Alice muttered to herself as she put down the empty /genesisforsaken
Chapter 205: Alice Subjugation (1)
Chapter 205: Alice Subjugation (1)
A cool night breeze blew in. It was after a thunderstorm had drenched the ind.
Upon arriving at the dorm, I washed up. Then, after slightly covering themp on the desk to dim the light, I took out a silver dagger from the magic pouch. It was the de of Frost Flowers.
I scanned the magic circle engraved on the de. As Hilde had said, this dagger was not something I could handle easily.
Because it was the key to the ritual that summoned all thebat forces of D¨¹pfendorf.
This dagger was imbued with their will to make me their king.
D¨¹pfendorf. An ice kingdom founded on the harshnd where blizzards rage incessantly. I knew that nation-destroying ice magic beasts, which I had only seen in the settings book, called that ce home.
To use the Dagger of Frost Flowers meant to take on the troops of D¨¹pfendorf and those nation-destroying ice magic beasts. First off, the amount of mana consumed in summoning them would be tremendous. In other words, I had to be as strong as the primordial ice sovereign.
As of now, I wouldn''t be able to use it unless my unique skill [Hunter] was activated.
Suddenly, many thoughts covered my mind.My memories from the first round were blurry. I couldn''t know if I had received D¨¹pfendorf''s help then.
But, all that matters is who I am now.
The obvious fact was that I now had more forces at my disposal. In this journey to confront the Evil God, such an army was invaluable.
What came to mind next was Alice Carroll. I still couldn''t read her inner thoughts. But... doubts remained.
¡°Choker¡¡±
It was visible every time we met. The marks on the choker Alice always wore around her neck were gradually increasing.
At first, it wasn¡¯t noticeable unless one looked at it closely, but as the day of our destined battle approached, the frequency worsened. Just earlier, in the coastal cave, she came close enough for me to fully take in everything I needed to see.
Since I couldn''t see Alice''s choker in detail in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was a fact I hadn''t realized before.
Initially, I thought it was because Alice was mentally unwell.
Whether it was during¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, or during the Trial of Frost, Alice showed a psychopathic side. I thought that might be her true nature. It was not without reason that there were rumors on forums about Alice being a regressor. The setting where one went mad from repeated regression was quitemon.
Moreover, in the game, Phantom Cat Cheshire remarked that Alice''s heart was pitch ck. Being her familiar, it would naturally know its master best, and yet, Cheshire faithfully believed in and followed Alice¡¯s ambition for world destruction.
Everything pointed to Alice¡¯s true nature being evil¡
Thus, it wasn''t strange to assume that she scratched her choker due to mental defects and anxiety.
I had thought the image Alice showed me was all an act.
But is that correct?
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Amy Holloway used the spell [Heart Color Discernment] on White and became skeptical about the true darkness of her heart.
That made the yer feel anxious that White might be abnormal, but itter turned out to be a clue indicating the demon, The Abyss.
What if Alice is simr?
The dramatic psychological change Alice showed during the Alice Subjugation¡
¡Was it really her revealing her true self?
Unfortunately, I had no way of confirming if that was true or not.
The image of Alice from earlier just didn''t leave my mind.
I looked out the window. The capricious night wind kept brushing against my skin.
The clouds cleared, and a faintly shining moon appeared. Though obscured by dark clouds at times, the moon just kept orbiting in the same ce every day.
When that obvious fact suddenly came to mind, I thought of something that had to be done.
Ssshk.
I sheathed the de of Frost Flowers again. Calming my emotions, I quietly looked at the dagger.
Now, what I needed was resolve.
* * *
Seed Spreading Day.
It was a special day mentioned in the scripture of the Helize church, known as the day when the Lord Manha scattered the seeds of blessing to promise humans a prosperous life.
On this day, it was customary for the Helize Church to offer prayers of thanks to the Lord Manha.
Perhaps because of the downpourst night, the sky was clearer than ever.
Before long, the sky had turned navy blue.
The M?rchen Academy za was filled with faculty and students in uniform. Around the za, the academy''sbat forces and the imperial knights were on guard.
On the stage with an altar, the priests and members of the Helize church were conducting a religious ceremony.
During this, a few faculty members were muttering under their breath.
¡°Why us too¡¡±
¡°It''s the Headmistress order.¡±
¡°Exactly, why would she make such an order.¡±
Since the academy administration needed to continue uninterrupted, including on Seed Spreading Day, it wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary to only leave essential personnel in Bartos Hall, regardless of the event.
They were to perform their roles and offer prayers personally. Only students were obligated to attend this event in its entirety.
However, for some reason, Headmistress Elena Woodline had ordered all staff, except for a few security personnel, to attend the event in advance.
This event would take at least 2 hours. Only the current night shift workers, who had to brace for a backlog of work due to the 2-hour administrative gap, could understandably harbor grievances.
Meanwhile, Princess Snow White, standing among the students, was harboring doubts.
Senior Isaac is missing¡
Isaac was nowhere to be seen.
Despite therge number of students, they were organized by faculty and year, so she only needed to check the area for the second-year students in the Magic Department. Sneakily ncing around, but she only ended up making some unrted male students blush. There was no sign of Isaac anywhere.
There were several attempts on her life by her mother.
These were not moments she simply endured indifferently. The sharpness forged by her survival instinct yed a significant role.
And that peculiar sensation was stirring the same unease at this current moment.
It was because of events that day.
©¤ White, could you lend me that watch?
After mentoring ended earlier in the day, she had lent Isaac the tinum pocket watch. It was a small watch she had received as a gift from her mother.
The abnormal phenomenon urring in the watch was getting worse, and now the entire face was on the verge of turning pitch ck. Isaac had said he had a guess about the phenomenon and wanted to borrow the watch for just one day to analyze the definitive cause.
It was a watch with special significance. She regarded it as her mother''s only gift unrted to the assassination attempts. Therefore, she preferred it if it didn¡¯t pass through anyone else''s hands, but if Isaac could discover the cause of the anomaly, White thought she could manage the rest and repair it, so she decided it would be okay to entrust the watch to him for a day.
But¡
From time to time, Isaac had casually mentioned he was investigating the cause of the phenomenon appearing in the watch.
He imed it was out of interest in the intriguing phenomenon, but was that really the reason?
She thought back to Isaac during the joint practical evaluation.
Isaac had momentarily hardened his expression upon seeing White''s watch. White had pretended not to notice, but it seemed he knew something.
Why did you make that expression, Senior Isaac?
Isaac was a senior known for his deep consideration and vast knowledge; he was a reliable ally who always looked out for White¡¯s wellbeing.
Therefore, White felt a strong sense of unease at that time.
The timing was perfect, as Isaac, a model student, was absent from an event that all students were required to attend.
If there was a mechanism in that watch capable of killing, and the darkening of the dial pitch ck was a sign of its activation?
What if it turned out that the watch was a sort of assassination device made by magic?
Perhaps Isaac already knew what the abnormal phenomenon urring in the watch was?
Perhaps he spared White the knowledge, certain that something unspeakable was about to happen?
Could it be that the demonic spirit of her mother, who had already lost her life, extended to even the academy?
No, it couldn¡¯t be¡ It can¡¯t be.
Let¡¯s not entertain such fantasies.
It mustn¡¯t be so. White fervently hoped it was just her misconception.
Eventually, the event reached its final stage.
Followers, centered around Saintess Bianca Anturaze, reached the front of the altar. Wearing a pure white veil and holy garments, the saintly robe that enveloped Bianca''s entire body gave off an impression of purity and mystery, like untrodden snow.
As Bianca knelt in front of the altar, everyone bowed their heads and sped their hands.
Silence pervaded.
Lord Manha, your humble servant offers a prayer.
Bianca began to pray on behalf of everyone. Her voice spread through the loudspeakers.
In the past, you entrusted the future to us.
Headmistress Elena Woodline looked out the window from the top floor of Orphin Hall, the Magic Department''s lecture building, with a tense expression.
Her eyes stayed fixed on Bartos Hall, a pce-like building and the hub of academic administration.
In that room, Hegel Tower Master Aria Lilias sipped tea while sitting on a sofa.
You have sown the seeds of blessing in thisnd, promising us a life of abundance.
A powerful barrier began to unfold along the outer walls of Bartos Hall.
Injured security personnel hurried out of the building. They were following Headmistress Elena''s prior instructions to prioritize escape and avoidbat should any incident ur.
They reported to the Headmistress as messengers.
¡°A traitor has emerged! Student Council President, Alice Carroll! Alice Carroll!! That student is the culprit! We need backup immediately!¡±
A traitor has appeared.
Headmistress Elena Woodline narrowed her eyes.
Our prosperity was solely due to the divine grace of the Lord.
Somewhere in the academy, the Trump Pdins moved in unison, leading their troops.
Following the orders of Alice Carroll, they took their positions throughout the academy.
We follow the Lord and give thanks.
Suddenly, the clouds in the sky began to swirl around Bartos Hall. Beneath them, a dark violet magical circle traced its path.
Subsequently, a translucent golden barrier, constructed of time magic, unfolded atop Bartos Hall.
Allow us to praise you eternally...
GUUUUUUUUUU!!!
The prayer Saintess Bianca was chanting was swallowed by a ground-shaking roar.
Bianca stopped praying. No one questioned the sudden cessation of her prayer.
Everyone''s gaze turned towards Bartos Hall, right after a sinister mana had descended upon the academy.
A monster''s head emerged from the magic circle in the sky. As the creature pulled its entire body out of the circle, the figure of a massive dragon became visible.
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°A dragon¡?¡±
Sharp reptilian ws.
Large wings enveloped in reddish purple fire mana.
Sturdy-looking scales.
An 8-star ck dragon magic beast, the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock, roared as its four eyes gleamed.
[GRAAAAAAHH!!]
People in the za held their breath and froze at the sight.
The imperial knights, initially stunned by its overwhelming presence, quickly drew their swords, ready forbat.
Fear spread throughout the za.
While everyone was attending the Seed Spreading Day event, someone had taken over Bartos Hall. It was clear to everyone in the za that their intentions were malicious.
A terrorist attack had unfolded at the academy.
At that moment.
Chng!
KWAAAAANG!!
[GRAAAAGH!!]
A brilliantly shining starlight explosion enveloped the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock.
Soon after, a female student wearing a witch''s hat appeared around the dragon, surrounded by a swarm of stars, as if she had anticipated this very situation.
It was Dorothy Heartnova.
Dorothy unfolded a rainbow-colored magic circle and emitted several rays of starlight. The beams attempted to break the golden barrier deployed on the rooftop of Bartos Hall but dissipated as soon as they touched it as if they werepletely blocked.
It didn''t even feel like they were being blocked; it seemed as though the attack waspletely shut down at its source.
¡°It¡¯s not breaking through¡!¡±
Dorothy, with her witch''s hat firmly on, surveyed the rooftop of Bartos Hall. She could see a huge golden magic circle filling the rooftop beyond the translucent barrier, and Alice Carroll standing in the middle of it.
It seemed as if she was praying to a god. As if it was not the time to be concerned about Dorothy, Alice took out a peculiar pocket watch, which floated in mid-air and emitted a golden mana.
After that, an otherworldly monolith slowly took shape.
A forbidden magic that defied truth. A cornerstone for invoking a 9-star time-eleration spell, [Obelisk of Eternity].
¡°You¡¯ve finally shown your true nature, Alice!!¡±
A smile spread across Dorothy''s lips.
So, that¡¯s the Phantasmal Clock.
The Phantasmal Clock was an object found and kept by Alice¡¯s minion in another world, and destroying it was Isaac''s primary goal.
Isaac had said during the strategy meeting that there was a great risk of not even getting a look at the clock if they attacked when Alice hadn''t taken out the Phantasmal Clock. It would have been futile.
This meant that from the moment Alice took out the Phantasmal Clock¡
¡Dorothy was free to strike down the ¡°viin¡± Alice however she saw fit.
However, Isaac had entrusted Dorothy with the role of keeping the academy safe while restraining the Nightmare Dragon. She wanted to quickly defeat the giant dragon and move on to take down Alice.
Dorothy continuously deployed rainbow-colored magic circles.
Whooooosh!
KUUUUUH!
Struck by the starlight beam, the Nightmare Dragon, in agony, retaliated by spewing a broad expanse of reddish-purple mes.
To protect the academy, Dorothy deployed arge starlight barrier to block the mes.
[Meo!]
Then, from behind Dorothy, a chubby purple cat familiar, Phantom Cat Cheshire, appeared.
Dorothy turned her head back and stared nkly at the Phantom Cat. The Phantom Cat smiled creepily, its grin split ear to ear.
[Hello, Dorothy.]
¡°Hello, fatty.¡±
[I wish you wouldn¡¯t interfere.]
¡°Nihihi, what nonsense are you spouting?¡±
It was just as Isaac had said. Facing the Nightmare Dragon might mean dealing with someone like Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Regardless, the task at hand remained unchanged.
With her gaze fixed on the Phantom Cat, Dorothy extended her arm towards the Nightmare Dragon. Gradually, her hand grasped at the empty air.
A swarm of stars mercilessly swirled around the Nightmare Dragon. At the same time, with a crashing sound, gravity intensified from every direction and attempted to crush the Nightmare Dragon.
Had it been an ordinary creature, it would have instantly crumpled like a crushed can, but the sturdy-bodied Nightmare Dragon fiercely roared and resisted.
Beneath Dorothy''s witch hat, from the shadowed corners of her eyes,
Mysterious-colored pupils gleamed with an inner light.
¡°Somebody¡¯s going to die today.¡±
With a smile, Dorothy red at Cheshire.
"Sir Isaac, the enemies have dispersed."
I was hiding, holding my breath with Kaya Astrea, at a location some distance away from Bartos Hall.
Since the Phantom Cat Cheshire had cast detection magic in the area in advance, we couldn¡¯t stay close to Bartos Hall and decided to move with minimal personnel just in case.
So, we were secretly hiding in a spot untouched by the Phantom Cat Cheshire¡¯s detection magic, biding our time.
Since the academy''sbat forces and the Imperial knights were bound to converge, the Trump Pdins and their troops intended to defend Bartos Hall.
In the game, depending on which route one took toward Bartos Hall, you¡¯d face different mid-bosses. However, we had no intention of wasting time on such foes.
I looked up at the sky. As expected, Phantom Cat Cheshire had begun to engage Dorothy alongside the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock.
Dorothy was a formidable opponent. Even a powerful familiar like the Nightmare Dragon wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop Dorothy, so Alice had the Phantom Cat join in as well.
With Chesire focused on its own fight, I activated [irvoyance] to survey Bartos Hall. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
In the Alice Subjugation of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Alice killed all the staff remaining in Bartos Hall because they were in the way. After that, Alice showed a dramatic change, bing a psychopath who enjoyed killing.
To prevent such a shitty scenario, I had asked Aria Lilias, the Hegel Tower Master, to ensure Bartos Hall was emptied during the Seed Spreading Day event.
She ryed my request to the academy''s Headmistress, Elena Woodline, as a request from the Nameless Hero.
Thanks to her, all the staff remaining in Bartos Hall attended the Seed Spreading Day event and avoided death.
"Let''s go."
"Yes, Sir Isaac."
Kaya and I began to move together.
The destination was Bartos Hall, the pce-like building at the center of M?rchen Academy, now upied by Alice.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 124
Gender: Male
Year: 2
Title: Skilled Second Year
Mana: 49850/49900
¨C Mana Recovery Speed /genesisforsaken
Chapter 206: Alice Subjugation (2)
Chapter 206: Alice Subjugation (2)
The final boss of ¡¸Act 9, Chapter 3, The Queen of Hearts¡¹of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, was the Heart Queen - Alice.
She used her minions to search for the Phantasmal Clock in Wondend.
The beginning of ¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was marked by Alice finding the clock and revealing her identity as the informant by taking over Bartos Hall.
As seen in the Trial of Frost, the Phantasmal Clock was the catalyst for activating the 9-star time-eleration spell [Obelisk of Eternity].
Its purpose was the early revival of the Evil God. Today, Alice intended to resurrect the Evil God.
However, unlike during the trial, the [Obelisk of Eternity] had not yet been activated. Alice had only begun constructing the [Obelisk of Eternity].
Since the Phantasmal Clock would be used as a catalyst, it was time to make a move.
If Alice were apprehended before she even had the chance to reveal the Phantasmal Clock, I wouldn¡¯t have known what would be of it.
Moreover, she was prepared tomit suicide if she was cornered. I had to wait until she deployed the barrier and brought out the Phantasmal Clock.So, it began.
In the game, I had to face both Alice and the Nightmare Dragon at the same time, but with Dorothy taking on the Dragon, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue.
Meaning, if I could quickly destroy the Phantasmal Clock and prevent Alice from activating the [Obelisk of Eternity], it would be my victory.
As a side note, just like when Vera the Summoner was defeated, EXP was shared between the master and the familiar. By defeating Alice, we could also share in the EXP from creatures like the Nightmare Dragon and the Phantom Cat.
¡°Isaac, what is that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s Alice Carroll¡¯s familiar and her minions.¡±
I reached the vicinity of Bartos Hall with Kaya. We hid behind a tree to scout the building.
Like the rooftop, a strong golden barrier was deployed along the exterior walls of the pce-like Bartos Hall to prevent the building from copsing.
The arched doorways remained untouched.
Like in the Trial of Frost, the only route to get inside Bartos Hall was to climb up to the roof.
It was like retracing the route that Alice had nned to use as an escape. After activating the [Obelisk of Eternity], she nned to leave Bartos Hall and engage in battle herself.
Though I referred to it as an escape route, it was a straightforward route.
And in front of the building.
Numerous foot soldiers were lined up in front of Bartos Hall.
Positioned as their leader was the gray dragon, Tiger Dragon Bandersnatch. It was a grotesque beast with a massive head that resembled a tiger, jaws that seemed capable of crushing anything, and a long neck.
Atop the spire, a giant bird with red wings, the Jubjub Bird, was scanning the surroundings.
They were all minions that Alice had contracted upon acquiring the authority of the Queen of Hearts.
[Bandersnatch]
Lv: 167
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Intends to dismember any intruder it may encounter and scatter their entrails.]
[Jujub Bird]
Lv: 156
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Wind
Danger: High
Psychology: [Intends to snatch intruders and drop them into the sea]
The Tiger Dragon, Bandersnatch, was the final boss of Act 9, Chapter 1, and along with the Jubjub Bird, all the foot soldiers were its subordinate mobs.
In the game, they were known for their troublesome offensive tactics.
¡°Kaya, I¡¯ll say it again, but I¡¯m not forcing you. Can you do it?¡±
Kaya nodded as if it were a matter of course.
¡°If it¡¯s your order, I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ll bring them all down.¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as the power of Dark Kaya manifested.
I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her loyalty was a bit too fervent.
¡°...Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±
Anyway.
It would take quite a while for Kaya to withstand their onught or defeat them all.
Especially since the Tiger Dragon Bandersnatch, boasted high defense and tenacious vitality. Alice didn¡¯t make him the gatekeeper for nothing.
Thus, I had already informed Kaya that I wouldn¡¯t join the fight and would instead head to the rooftop of Bartos Hall to stop Alice.
I told her that there was something I needed to confirm about Alice and that we needed to talk alone.
Alice had fully revealed her identity as the informant. There was nothing left to hide from each other.
Heading to the rooftop of Bartos Hall alone would be thest chance for us to truly open up to one another
It might be foolish.
From the start¡ there was a fundamental issue. The fact that I would be of little use to Kaya against the enemies guarding Bartos Hall. There was a huge spec difference.
Against humans, my stats significantly increased thanks to [vs. Human Combat Power], and I could somewhat manage legendary weapons.
But I couldn¡¯t count on that against those guarding the entrance of Bartos Hall.
If there was a power that could not only exploit the weaknesses of demons but also ovee drastic spec differences with destructive force, like Divine Power the story would be different¡ but that was a privilege of our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, so it was out of the question for someone like Isaac.
Moreover, reinforcements were definitelying. Until then, I was confident that I could stall for time, even against Alice.
The most critical issue was whether I could prevent the activation of the [Obelisk of Eternity] within that time frame.
As I was pondering, Kaya suddenly kissed me on the cheek.
I looked at Kaya in surprise. She smiled lovingly and whispered.
¡°What are you thinking about, my dear Isaac?¡±
I read her psychology. It seemed she kissed me on purpose, seeing me lost in thought.
¡°I¡¯ll see you after it¡¯s over.¡±
¡°...Yeah, let¡¯s meet afterward. If it seems dangerous, run away immediately.¡±
¡°Understood!¡±
Kaya, wrapping herself with wind, charged toward Bartos Hall.
The Tiger Dragon Bandersnatch and the Jubjub Bird frumiously roared and simultaneously attacked Kaya. Numerous foot soldiers charged at her with spears in hand.
In the meantime, I sneaked toward the entrance of Bartos Hall.
Kaya, using the joint spell [Baphomet¡¯s Hymn], shed through the enemies, drawing their attention to herself. The defeated foot soldiers vanished as if they were summoned back.
I felt a sense of dissonance upon seeing that sight.
Reverse summoning?
In such cases, it wasmon for the summoned minions to be healed immediately after being summoned back.
In war, there was no such thing as a waste of forces. It wasn¡¯t a bad choice. It was a strategic decision for preserving forces, as it allowed one to save minions.
However, this scene did not align with my memory.
In the game or during the Trial of Frost, the foot soldiers were used until their demise.
Alice was in a life-or-death situation this time. Yet, why was she sparing her minions? I couldn¡¯tprehend it.
¡Let¡¯s go inside, for now.
I had to set aside my unanswered questions for the time being. I didn¡¯t have much time.
While Kaya drew the enemies¡¯ attention, I crept inside Bartos Hall.
* * *
There existed another dimension known as Wondend.
Many children end up falling into this world by ident.
The reasons were mostly simr.
First, they often dreamt of adventures in another world, only to forget about itpletelyter on.
Then, one day, they actually encountered a mystical animal or something from their suddenly remembered dreams, and while chasing after it¡
They inadvertently fell into Wondend.
It was a regrettable misfortune that befell the unlucky children who resonated with Wondend.
Some children lost their lives upon reaching Wondend.
Some children went crazy upon reaching Wondend.
After all, it was a world filled entirely with beings of mad minds.
Alice Carroll said she chased after an animal, a rabbit dressed in a suit, which was running in a hurry. Her curiosity was piqued by the fact that he looked at his watch and muttered to himself about beingte.
Thus, by chasing the mysterious rabbit, she fell down a rabbit hole, passed through a passageway with floating furniture and musical instruments, ate food that made her grow or shrink and went through a small door to reach Wondend.
There, Alice beheaded the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, seizing her power.
She obtained the Vorpal Sword and fought with the Nightmare Dragon, Jabberwock, defeating him.
Alice also asionally found humans who had fallen into Wondend like herself and gathered them under hermand.
The Spade Pdin never forgot the moment he was saved by her.
There was a stir.
The man with ck hair, who had been drifting through the past, slowly opened his eyes.
Avish and spacious hallway adorned with a red carpet.
Ornate chandeliers flickered as powerful magical forces shed from every direction outside the building.
He was dressed in a neat ck uniform with blue trimmings and wore a tidy military cap. Behind his shaded sses, his calm gaze reflected a man standing across from him.
It was a silver-blue-haired male student.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe alone.¡±
The ck-haired man, the Spade Pdin, spoke. His voice was deep.
Isaac, the silver-blue-haired man with Zhonya¡¯s Staff slung over his shoulders, read the status window of the Spade Pdin.
[Zenon]
Lv: 170
Race: Human
Elements: Ice, Lightning
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Intends to harm you.]
One of Alice Carroll¡¯s subordinates and the strongest Pdin.
The mid-boss of Act 9, Chapter 2.
The Spade Pdin, Zenon.
Isaac had used [irvoyance] to survey the interior of Bartos Hall and discovered Zenon¡¯s presence.
The Phantom Cat, Cheshire, was originally meant to be the final boss of Act 9, Chapter 2, but he went to confront Dorothy, so Zenon and Alice were the only enemies remaining in Bartos Hall.
As mentioned before, there was something Isaac needed to find out from Alice. To do this, he intended to talk with her alone.
His mind told him it was stubbornness.
But so what?
It didn¡¯t matter what it was. In this journey to defeat the Evil God, Isaac had no intention of leaving even the slightest bit of unease unaddressed.
Therefore, to meet Alice, he would have to get past the Spade Pdin blocking his path.
With [vs. Human Combat Power] and his elemental ultimate weapons, Isaac thought he could handle it.
Any semnce of Zenon as his junior from the academy was gone. Now, he appeared as an adult man older than Isaac.
It was Zenon¡¯s true form, unmasked.
¡°Are you here to interfere?¡±
¡°If interfering means stopping Alice, then yes.¡±
¡°Are you the Nameless Hero?¡±
¡°Who knows.¡±
Isaac shrugged his shoulders.
Zenon blinked slowly and let out a deep sigh.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If that¡¯s your purpose, I have no choice but to kill you.¡±
¡°Can you at least tell me why you¡¯re doing this?¡±
¡°I have no words for a dead man.¡±
Zenon took off his sses.
¡°Good, I¡¯m d that the talking is over.¡±
Isaac followed suit.
Zenon tugged at the ck gloves on his hands. From the back of his hand, the symbol of the Ace of Spades glowed brightly through the gloves.
Soon, deep blue mana condensed in front of him, taking on the form of a ck sword, Tachi.
He gripped the Tachi with his gloved hand.
It was the magic weapon of the magic knight Zenon, ¡°Zac¡±.
Waaah!
As Zenon lightly swung the Tachi, a gust whipped through his hair and clothes.
Frost crept along the de, and ice crystals began to form.
Whoosh!
Isaac struck Zhonya¡¯s Staff on the ground, drawing forth mana. A chill radiated from him, frosting over the corridor.
Neither man hesitated.
Zenon, gripping the handle of his Tachi with both hands, mmed the ground and lunged towards Isaac.
In response, Isaac quickly unleashed a pale blue magic circle at /genesisforsaken
Chapter 207: Alice Subjugation (3)
Chapter 207: Alice Subjugation (3)
It was an emergency.
The academy and the Imperial Knights never expected a terrorist attack, much less one orchestrated by students of the academy.
To be precise, all those students were undoubtedly on the side of the terrorists.
The Imperial Knights rode horses or their familiars toward Bartos Hall to stop the attack.
The Imperial Knights tensed up as their caution spiked. Some of them briefly exchanged words to calm their nerves.
"I don''t know either. But from my experience, if it''s a type of magic that no one has heard of and uses such a frightening amount of mana... it''s definitely extremely dangerous."
Eventually, the Imperial Knights had toe to a halt as the Clover Pdin, Pierre nche, and numerous Trump soldiers blocked their path.
Pierre, in uniform, had the appearance of a mature adult man rather than a student.
It was the moment it was revealed that the students who carried out this terror had infiltrated the academy disguised as young-looking individuals.The Imperial Knights drew their swords and charged toward their enemies without hesitation.
In another direction, Diamond Pdin Alexa led her own toon of Trump soldiers. She confronted thebat forces of M?rchen Academy approaching Bartos Hall.
The academy za was a cauldron of panic. To protect them, dozens of wizards set up barriers, and faculty, who had received prior instructions from the Headmistress, led the people in the za to shelters.
However, some students did not follow the directions of the faculty.
"Hey! What are you doing not evacuating quickly?!"
"Isaac, Isaac, where are you¡?"
Luce Eltania pushed through the fleeing students and moved in the opposite direction.
Isaac had been missing for a while now. Despite her keen eyesight, she could not see him anywhere.
Isaac was always at the center of trouble. He was, after all, the Nameless Hero.
By now, he would be heading towards Bartos Hall where the terror had urred. The timing was certain. He missed a mandatory academy event, suggesting he had likely foreseen this situation unfolding.
Luce inferred this and summoned Thunderbird - Gallia.
In an instant, thunderclouds covered the sky. With a loud crash, purple thunder rumbled, and from the ck clouds, a massive ck grouse revealed his majestic presence.
It was Thunderbird - Gallia, an 8-star lightning elemental magic beast.
Gallianded near Luce, who was running past the students. The people around were startled and ran away from the magic beast.
"Student Luce!"
"What, what are you trying to do?! Stop right now¡! Ack!"
When the faculty and Imperial Knights tried to stop Luce, she swung water magic around her to prevent anyone from approaching.
As Galia lowered his body, Luce climbed on top.
"Galia, over there! Isaac might be there!"
[Understood!]
Isaac''s power might be conditional. If that assumption proved to be true, it was imperative to protect him.
Even if it wasn¡¯t, Luce wanted to be by Isaac''s side. She had to be. If Isaac were even slightly injured, she would feel as though her heart was being ripped to shreds.
It was an undeniable attachment. Luce cherished that feeling.
Galia, carrying Luce, flew towards Bartos Hall.
Whirrr!
"Ugh?!"
Luce and the Thunderbird, overly focused on Isaac amidst their worries, were slow to notice the bombardment.
A deep pink fireball flew at high speed, attacking Galia¡¯s wing. With a fierce explosion, one of Galia¡¯s wings caught on fire. It was a me with a high density of mana.
Despite the searing pain, Galia remained unmoved and pped his wings to disperse the mes.
Numerous forces appeared in the sky and on the ground, blocking Luce and Galia. They were Trump soldiers riding winged horses.
Then, a cute-looking woman, who had fired mes at the Thunderbird from the ground, mounted her familiar and took the lead, flying high into the sky.
A red horse d in armor, striding through the air with deep pink mes at its hooves. The person mounted on the magic beast was none other than the Heart Pdin, Shera Hectolica.
As she reached the front of the Trump soldiers and deployed a fire magic circle, Luce set up a lightning magic circle and stood guard.
"We meet again?"
"..."
Luce scrutinized Shera. She was in a red uniform, unlike when she was a student. Although still youthful in appearance, she seemed more mature than during the joint practical evaluation.
"I''m sorry, what can I do? No one can pass through here!"
"Move aside."
"I said no."
Luce''s gaze chilled.
Many people were converging in their direction. As per the emergency instructions, they were the quickly-formedbat forces and Imperial Knights.
Somehow, several students, including Ian Fairytale, Tristan Humphrey, and Mateo Jordana also formed a team and secretly followed the adults. They were students united by the single-minded intention to protect the academy
They all fought against the Trump soldiers.
Shera thought that she was just buying time anyway.
It was okay. All she needed to do was hold on just a tiny bit longer. Until Alice revived the Evil God. Then it would be their victory.
It wouldn''t take much time.
Even if I die in the process... it doesn''t matter.
For Alice, Shera was ready toy down her life.
From the moment she was saved by Alice in Wondend¡
The other pdins felt the same. Amidst their somber mood, only Shera made an effort to appear cheerful. She thought they hade too far to let their spirits fall.
But now, she had to kill her emotions.
For the kingdom... no, to protect Alice Carroll, who had saved her.
"Who gave the order?"
"Our Queen."
"So you enrolled with this purpose from the beginning."
"Yes, we too have something to protect."
Luce did not hide her disgust.
Bzzzzzz!
She figured it would be fine to suppress an enemy of the academy.
Thinking this, Luce extended her left arm forward and unleashed lightning mana.
"...?"
Shera was surprised. The mana she felt from Luce was much stronger than during the joint practical evaluation.
Luce''s lightning mana surged. The magic weapon on her left ring finger, the Ring of the Abyssal Queen, amplified her power.
Did she not use her full strength when we foughtst time?
Amused by the thought, Shera scoffed.
At the same time, her heart faced in anticipation. If this was to be her final battlefield, how thrilling would it be to face such an unreasonably powerful genius with all her might?
"I don''t care about your circumstances."
Luce''s sarcastic voice settled.
Whatever their reasons might be, it all came at the expense of others.
"It wouldn''t be worth listening to.
"What matters is that you stood in my way. That... I cannot forgive."
"Then try to kill me, Luce Eltania!"
Excited, Shera summoned the red knight minion ¡°Heart Jack¡±, who was entrusted to her by Alice, along with deep pink mes.
Boom!!
Massive mes and lightning collided, causing a series of explosions.
Luce and Shera, riding their familiars, flew around casting elemental magic at each other.
Kooooh!!
Shera''s mes spread in every direction. Fireballs fell like rain on the academy''sbat forces, Imperial Knights, and Ian Fairytale''s group, who were advancing toward Bartos Hall.
They were just debris tossed about in the battle. Though getting hit would cause injuries, dealing with it was straightforward. The academy''sbat forces and Imperial Knights dodged, cut through, or eliminated the falling fireballs even as they fought against the Trump soldiers.
Mateo Jordana raised a [Rock Wall] to block the fireballs.
The vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, sent fireballs flying with a kick infused with wind mana and surveyed the battlefield.
One person, unable to dodge a fireball, was hit and thrown back. Tristan saw him, widened his eyes, and made faces.
"That fool!!"
"Ian!!"
Ian Fairytale, a student with the light element and unparalleled destructive forceid unconscious, steam rising from his body.
Meanwhile, in Bartos Hall.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: (159)
Currently, [vs. Human Combat Power] was at 76. For every 10 stat points invested, my level temporarily increased by 5. This meant my level would increase by 35 whenever I fought against a human.
My view constantly flickered from the disunfunctioning chandelier.
Whoosh!
A tachi infused with cold mana tore through the air in a moment of darkness.
Isaac, while casting a spell, twisted his body and narrowly dodged the sword strike aimed at his chest.
Frost encroached on his body as he urgently kicked off the ground to put distance between himself and Zenon.
"...This is crazy."
A piercing chill that exceeded Isaac¡¯s ice resistance enveloped his chest. He narrowly avoided freezing.
He shouldn¡¯t have relied solely on instinct to evade the de. He needed to deliberately widen the gap.
He absolutely could not let it graze him. The chill was at a level where even a close pass could freeze parts of his body.
Moreover, because it was a tachi, its de was long, making it much more difficult than anything Isaac had experienced in the game.
"Weren''t you the Nameless Hero?"
Zenon sheathed his tachi.
If Isaac had been the Nameless Hero, Zenon was determined to risk his life just to inflict even a minor wound on him.
Perhaps even that was a pipe dream, for the Nameless Hero was a champion among champions, beyond any norm.
But now, there was no need to even consider that assumption.
Though Isaac''s mana density had increased sharply, it was merely the effect of his magic staff.
"The Queen has harbored vain suspicions all along."
Zenon grabbed the brim of the military cap, pulled it over his eyes, and murmured a monologue.
This concludes it. Alice had suspected that Isaac was the Nameless Hero, but unfortunately, that suspicion turned out to be false.
The silver-blue-haired boy was simply the result of great talent and rigorous training.
Shhhck!
Brandishing his de, Zenon lunged at Isaac once more. The tachi struck like a bolt of cold lightning.
sh!
Boom!!
Isaac scrambled backward as he casted an ice spell, Zenon shed with the same kind of magic. Ice collided with ice, and cold grappled with cold, neutralizing each other.
As cold wind whirled about, two men exchanged blows in the flickering scenery.
The power of elemental magic, mana mastery, andbat experience¡ªall favored Zenon. However, precisely for that reason, the longer the fight continued, the more Zenon couldn¡¯t help but admire Isaac''s talent.
As if reading his attack, Isaac consistently made rational decisions, effectively evading and retaliating whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Moreover, his magic casting speed was extremely fast. His brain must be working at a terrifying speed.
This wasn¡¯t the level of a mere student.
Even if this silver-haired man wasn¡¯t the Nameless Hero, it was clear he was a genius born with extraordinary talent.
But... I''m sorry.
Surely, you would have blossomed into a great wizard in the future.
But I must kill you.
I must snuff your future.
For Queen Alice, for the kingdom I must protect,
Zenon thought this as he unleashed a fierce onught on Isaac.
Isaac''s movements slowed. The frost of Zenon¡¯s de was overwhelming Isaac''s body.
Crackle!
Zenon dodged Isaac''s elemental magic attack, infiltrated his defense, and swung his tachi.
Isaac, in an effort to avoid the first sword strike, forcibly widened the distance by jerking himself backward, inevitably making his movementsrger.
The second sword strike sharply cut through the air.
Isaac¡¯s eyes widened; he desperately drew a dagger from his robes.
Immediately, he braced the hand holding the hilt of the dagger with Zhonya''s Staff and guarded against Zenon¡¯s de.
ng!
Sparks flew from the friction of metal but were quickly swallowed by the surging cold.
Neither yielded. Both men continued their struggle, putting their weight into their des.
Simultaneously, the cold unleashed by them kept each other at bay. Their mana intertwined, each trying to freeze the other.
"Ugh!"
Isaac groaned.
Isaac realized that his dagger was gradually freezing.
As a result, the struggle increasingly turned against Isaac as his body gradually faltered.
Isaac gritted his teeth and strained his body as he tried to withstand being pushed back.
Zenon, without even breathing heavily, calmly narrowed his eyes and watched.
"...Impressive."
"What?"
Isaac furrowed his brow.
"You have remarkable qualities. It would be a pity for you to die here. But... it''s unfortunate."
"..."
"Curse me, Isaac."
Then, the Sheath of Disaster slid down the leg of his trousers and fell at Isaac''s feet.
Immediately, he kicked it with the tip of his shoe, activating the stored ice spell.
"...!"
Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, Zenon kicked the ground and fled backward.
However, the Sheath of Disaster had already detonated a st of ice at him.
Kwaaaaa!!
A five-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
Ice boulders erupted with the explosion. Zenon wailed in pain from his severely frozen leg. Although he had avoided a direct blow, he couldn¡¯tpletely evade the icy explosion.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Isaac dashed through the dense cold. Zenon''s eyes widened at the tremendous speed.
Zenon''s judgment was dyed.
Despite his unstable posture, Zenon hastily tried to swing his tachi.
Thump!!
However, Isaac''s fist was faster.
"Oof!!"
The fierce punch slugged Zenon squarely in the face with the force of a cannonball.
Whoom!
With that, Isaac''s punch sent Zenon flying.
Zenon''s body sliced through the air and bounced twice off the ground. He conjured a block of ice, stepped on it, and halted his momentum.
Zenon gasped for air. Blood streamed from his mouth and nose. He was constantly surrounded by a solid [Basic Protection Magic], but even that was negligible against the formidable and fierce punch from Isaac.
Zenon lifted his head with a shocked expression.
Blood dripped from Isaac''s fist.
"For a student, how could...?"
His voice fell silent and heavy.
In the swirling cold, Isaac''s chilling red eyes glinted ominously.
Contained within those eyes was a suppressed /genesisforsaken
Chapter 208: Alice Subjugation (4)
Chapter 208: Alice Subjugation (4)
¡°Distinguishing by student or adult in the middle of a fight¡?¡±
Isaac¡¯s voice was as cold andposed as frost.
¡°I don¡¯t need you to patronize me.¡±
Zenon spat out blood, straightening up to re at the sliver-blue-haired boy.
Though part of his leg was frozen, impairing his movement, he still believed himself to be superior to Isaac.
However¡
¡°Or, did you want to show some sympathy before killing me because I¡¯m a student?¡±
Whether it was the exceptionally talented boy, Isaac.
Or Zenon, whose years of training far exceeded Isaac¡¯s.¡°Here, it¡¯s all about who wins and who loses. Nothing else matters.¡±
In the end, this fight would destroy one of their futures.
¡°Does the process matter?¡±
¡That¡¯s right.
Zenon¡¯s expression softened. Those few words from Isaac had cleared the turmoil in Zenon¡¯s mind.
Did he pity the boy before him until just now?
Yet, he couldn¡¯t shake off this guilt.
¡°...You¡¯re right, Isaac.¡±
Zenon removed his military cap and dropped it to the floor, along with his ludicrous hypocrisy.
That¡¯s right¡ I shouldn¡¯t feel any guilt about trampling on this boy¡¯s future.
Neither needed to speak until this fight ended.
Zenon gripped the hilt of his Tachi in both hands, readying himself for battle again.
¡°...¡±
Isaac closely observed Zenon and adjusted his grip on Zhonya¡¯s Staff.
His body felt heavy. It was slowly freezing under the amplified coldness from Zenon¡¯s Tachi.
Dragging out the fight against Zenon would only put him at a disadvantage, especially when time was not on his side.
He decided to end the battle swiftly.
Isaac resolved himself and dashed towards Zenon with a kick off the ground.
Kkaang!
Boooom!
The two men shed elemental magic and swung their weapons at each other. The flurry of cold strikes drew countless lines in the air.
Then, Zenon retreated, thrusting his Tachi upward.
Heavy ice and lightning cloaked his de. Having already foreseen Zenon¡¯s next move through [Psychological Insight], Isaac immediately conjured a wall of ice infused with rock, [Fossilized Ice].
Soon, Zenon swung his Tachi downwards.
Kwagagagang!!
A cold sh wrapped in lightning tore through the ground.
Countless bolts of lightning whipped like chains and mercilessly struck the ground.
¡°¡!¡±
[Fossilized Ice] shielded Isaac¡¯s body and shattered into fragments as the cracked ground crumbled away.
With nowhere to stand, Isaac¡¯s body hovered in mid-air.
As he fell with the rubble into the vast first-floor hall, Isaac examined Zenon coldly.
Boom!
Zenonunched himself off the rubble and leaped towards Isaac.
This was the decisive moment.
Isaac shouted.
¡°Eden!!¡±
[Kyuuu!]
Koooooo!
As Zenon was about to draw a trail with his long de, charged with frost and lightning.
From the first floor, a pir of rock shot towards Zenon with fierce momentum. It was the 4-star spell, [Rock Avnche].
In a sh, Zenon spotted a small golem casting magic towards him from the first floor. It was Eden, a rock golem familiar that Isaac had summoned and kept on standby.
¡°Tsk!¡±
Zenon skillfully altered the trajectory of his sword.
A cold sh charged with lightning struck the [Rock Avnche].
Boooooom!!
The magic-dense pir of rock extending towards Zenon exploded, scattering debris in all directions.
However, Isaac¡¯s strategy wasn¡¯t to counterattack with [Rock Avnche], but rather to divert Zenon¡¯s attention elsewhere for a moment.
¡°¡!¡±
Zenon¡¯s eyes shed wide open.
He could counter magic. His mind was always processing magic forms, ready to use them at a moment''s notice.
Therefore, if Isaacunched a spell, Zenon could reflexively unleash his own magic to neutralize it.
But what Isaac intended to use wasn¡¯t magic.
Zhonya¡¯s Staff slipped from Isaac¡¯s grasp and plummeted to the hall on the first floor.
From the moment Eden activated [Rock Avnche], Isaac had been gripping something with both hands, ready to swing.
Topaz mana coalesced sharply.
Relying on instinct, Zenon swung his sword, twisting his head towards Isaac.
Kwaaak!!
¡°Kugh!!¡±
Before he could react, a rock greatsword lodged itself into Zenon¡¯s abdomen.
The chilling sound of innards bursting and bones shattering echoed as the recoil of the sword strike caused the topaz rock mana to burst out spectacrly.
A direct hit. It was a critical strike, fully utilizing Isaac¡¯s superior physical abilities.
Boom!
Zenon¡¯s body flew at tremendous speed and mmed into the wall.
The wall didn¡¯t copse due to the strong protective barrier.
Isaac slid down an ice slide he created,nding gracefully on the ground, and slung the Obsidian de over his shoulder.
Under normal circumstances, swinging the Obsidian de wrapped in rock mana would have turned his hand to stone.
Thanks to the boost in stats from [vs. Human Combat Power], only the tips of his fingers were petrified, leaving the rest unharmed.
¡°Uhugh¡!¡±
Zenon spat out blood from his mouth.
He had been careless.
Zenon had expected Isaac to have a hidden weapon and even ounted for a longsword¡¯s range, but he never imagined it to be a rock greatsword.
Or perhaps¡ was it really carelessness?
In truth, he felt it. Isaac¡¯s ability to make split-second decisions had already surpassed Zenon¡¯s ownbat experience.
Specifically, [Psychological Insight] yed a significant role.
Unaware of this, Zenon slumped against the wall and could only marvel silently at Isaac¡¯s talent.
He tried to stand, but couldn¡¯t. His body felt very heavy. Looking down, he could see the petrified remains of his abdomen.
A sudden wave of fatigue hit him. It felt like his consciousness would fade away at any moment.
Isaac¡¯s eyes, glowing yellow, turned towards Zenon. Behind him, a mysterious ring of rocks floated in the air. In his right hand was the rock greatsword, the defensive ability of the Obsidian de, [Eclipse].
Isaac approached Zenon.
Zenon did not give up and unleashed a barrage of ice and lightning magic. However, Isaac easily dodged or countered these attacks with his own magic or deflected them with his greatsword.
Because Zenon had allowed himself to be critically wounded, defending against his attacks was incredibly simple for Isaac.
¡°Uck¡!¡±
Zenon vomited blood onto the floor. The sudden onset of drowsiness made his vision blur.
Isaac stood in front of him and stared him down, without any expression.
Clearly, Zenon had the upper hand in terms of power.
Yet now, it was Zenon whoy bleeding and incapacitated.
Remarkable¡
Somehow, Zenon felt not inferiority or anger towards Isaac, but admiration.
He saw the younger version of himself, who used to wield a sword and train. But this boy¡ he was going to be far stronger than him.
Suddenly, he wanted to see this boy¡¯s future.
But Zenon thought that was a wish that would nevere true.
¡°...It¡¯s my loss.¡±
A mix of guilt for notpleting his mission, regret for not being able to see this man¡¯s future, and an odd sense of relief came together.
The bitter taste of metal lingered in his mouth, and a bittersweet emotion burst out as a hollowugh.
Lastly, with a voice choked with emotion, Zenon spoke.
¡°I¡¯m d you were myst opponent¡ Not a bad feeling at all¡¡±
Puuhk!
¡°Puhuk!¡±
Out of nowhere, Isaac delivered a spinning kick to Zenon¡¯s head.
Zenon copsed to the side, losing consciousness.
¡°Shut up.¡±
Isaac didn¡¯t want to hear anything from the loser.
He seemed to be lost in sentiment, but all Isaac could think was ¡°So what?¡±
The rock-powered form of the Obsidian de returned to Isaac¡¯s body. His eyes reverted to a dull red, and the ring of rock behind him vanished.
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 125!]
[You have gained 4 stat points!]
¡°Good.¡±
Isaac breathed a sigh of relief.
¡°Good job, Eden.¡±
[Kyuuu!]
Isaac gave a thumbs up to Eden. The little golem, Eden, responded by raising his right arm.
Then, Isaac reverse-summoned Eden.
¡°...Ah, right.¡±
Before moving on, Isaac remembered.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was an item drop after defeating Zenon.
Isaac quickly stripped the uniform off the unconscious Zenon and rummaged through the pockets.
¡°Oh.¡±
As seen in the game, he found ten small vials of healing potion. These potions, sourced from the Heart Kingdom, were quite effective.
Though not as effective as healing magic, they were good recovery items for emergencies.
He drank one. It was almost sweet but nd, with a strong bitterness rising before it went down his throat.
Isaac grimaced.
¡°I¡¯ll take the loot.¡±
He kept the remaining potions as extras and retrieved Zhonya¡¯s Staff and the Sheath of Disaster.
His petrified fingertips were slowly healing. The pain, as well as the parts of his body that had frozen due to Zenon¡¯s chill, slowly improved. The recovery speed was faster than he expected.
Isaac ran up the stairs. He needed to meet Alice as soon as possible.
¡°¡¡±
The first floor of Bartos Hall was left with piles of debris, and Zenon, who had his uniform stripped off, was left unconscious in a pitiful /genesisforsaken
Chapter 209: Alice Subjugation (5)
Chapter 209: Alice Subjugation (5)
I defeated the Spade Pdin Zenon and gained 1 level.
The newly acquired 4 stats were all invested in [Vs Human Combat Power].
Therefore, the total stat points currently allocated to [Vs Human Combat Power] were now 80. It remained Grade A, but now, whenever I recognized a human as an enemy and engaged them inbat, my level would temporarily increase by 40.
Now, it was truly beyond the point where I could make excuses using something like the buff I got from Zhonya''s Staff.
While ascending the stairs, I nced outside the building using [irvoyance]. It was truly a scene of chaos.
Fortunately, the academy''sbat forces and the Imperial Knights had a well-established battle system prioritizing survival. That was why they were able to respond to the Pdins and Trump soldiers without any casualties.
Moreover, since Trump soldiers were reverse-summoned upon receiving fatal wounds, it seemed rtively easier to win than in the game. It was essentially a numerical advantage.
In front of Bartos Hall. It seemed to take more time for Kaya to defeat the Tiger Dragon, Bandersnatch. The Trump soldiers and Jubjub Bird had disappeared, indicating that she had likely finished them all off.
Dorothy was still continuing her battle against Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock and Phantom Cat Cheshire.As expected, Luce also intervened, fighting against Shera Hectorica, Heart Jack, and Trump soldiers, wearing the Ring of the Abyssal Queen. Shera¡¯s forces could not win.
Before I knew it, I had reached the entrance to the rooftop of Bartos Hall. It was an arched doorway.
The surroundings were dark and eerily quiet.
A barrier that stopped the time of everything that made contact with it was deployed on the rooftop. This was likely why even sounds were blocked.
I felt the sensation of an immense amount of mana pressing down on my skin as if I were under a hydraulic press.
A forbidden spell that defied truth was about to be cast before my very eyes.
As I touched the door, Alice''s voice resonated in my head.
©¤ Isaac, would it be okay if you stayed the night with me?
As mentioned before, in ?Magic Knights of M?rchen?, Alice was a character shrouded in mystery.
The only question about Priestess Mei in¡¸Act 8, Priestess of the Red Lotus¡¹ was why she suddenly acted out, but when one thought about it, she was clearly portrayed as a sociopath. Therefore, there was already a unanimous opinion on the answer to that sole question.
That wasn¡¯t the case for Alice.
How she knew the times of the demons'' appearances, why she helped revive the Evil God, why she had tomit suicide in the end... none of it was known precisely. It was all a mystery.
The Forum often spected that Alice might be a Regressor, amon trope where characters go insane after repeatedly facing despair through many returns. This even provided a usible reason for how she knew when the demons would appear.
However, now there was no point in worrying about that...
Since the answerid beyond this door.
I opened the door.
Creak.
A radiance engulfed my vision, making me squint from the brightness.
Soon, the scene of the rooftop, painted with golden mana, came into view. A uniquely shaped golden magic circle filled the rooftop, emanating an eerie mana.
Numerous clock shapes floated around in a powerful barrier deployed in the vicinity.
In the middle of the rooftop, a mysterious monolith that I had never wanted to see again was about two-thirds of the wayplete.
In front of it floated an alien pocket watch, hovering in the air.
An astronomical amount of mana seemed to tear through space, flowing from the pocket watch and stitching up the monolith.
The mana, even possessing physical force, flowed like a gentle wind, softly fluttering my hair.
"...Alice."
The female student with light gold hair who was staring at the [Obelisk of Eternity] turned her head toward me.
Her expression was cold, her eyes hollow as if she hadn''t slept at all.
"Hello, Baby."
She greeted me calmly.
Despite her shadowed and tired face, her voice was the same as usual, the same voice I got to know as the one of Alice Carroll''s.
"Did youe because you missed me?"
"I came to stop you."
"Heh, I see you''re not nning to use honorifics anymore?"
"You''re not my senior anymore."
Now, Alice was not only facing expulsion but even the possibility of execution.
Why would I use honorifics with someone I''m in conflict with?
"That''s right. Indeed..."
Alice looked down with a regretful expression, then looked up at me again.
"So... are you the ck Monster, Baby?"
After pulling out a magic cloak of disguise from her magic pouch, she briefly wore a mask and then removed it.
For a moment, I must have appeared to Alice as the ck Monster, The Nameless Hero.
Alice blinked heavily, perhaps lost in thought.
"So it was true... You won''t ask why I did all this?"
"More importantly, I have something to ask. Did you manipte the priestess?"
Alice nodded.
"Do you hate me?"
"...Alice."
Whether or not I should resent Alice would depend on how she answered.
I pointed to my neck.
"Take off the choker."
Alice showed no change in expression, nor did she question the intent behind my words.
If my thoughts fromst night were correct, that choker wasn''t worn just for style.
It must have been worn ¡°to hide something¡±.
Just like the mother of Snow White, who always wore dresses that covered her neck whenever she tried to assassinate her.
How could White''s mother have passed on a pocket watch containing the worst kind of demon, The Abyss?
And who was the one unleashing The Abyss?
Click.
Alice swept up her hair and unfastened the choker.
"...You knew."
A strange mark, glowing with dark red mana, was wrapped around her neck like a wave.
* * *
There existed a demon that embedded fragments of its power and personality into others through contracts.
This demon marked the neck of the contractee as a token of the agreement, embedding fragments of its power and personality within, as it did with the mother of Princess Snow White.
The demon exploited the weaknesses in the mind and drew out the evil nature hidden within. Alice used the power imnted by the demon to amplify the malevolence of Priestess Mei.
How about the contradiction of Alice reverse-summoning her own minions to prevent their deaths, unlike what Isaac had seen in the Trials of Frost or the game?
The sole difference was that ¡°Alice hadn¡¯tmitted murder aftering to the academy¡±.
If Alice killed innocent people and felt extreme guilt over it, the demon would exploit the vulnerabilities created by this guilt to heighten Alice''s evil.
However, Alice had not killed anyone at the academy yet. Therefore, she was able to maintain her sanity without being consumed by malice.
The correct answer was often the simplest. The timing of the demon''s appearance, and involvement with Leafa the Illusive, it was all possible simply because ¡°that demon¡± who couldmunicate with the Evil God told them.
Phantom Cat Cheshire''s perception of Alice''s heart, too, was shrouded by the fragments of that demon''s power and personality, like the moon obscured by dark clouds.
The source of mana within a human body was structured in such a way that it couldn¡¯t be the subject of a familiar or minion contract, as if it were a contract made by a god.
Therefore, human familiars or minions could not exist.
However, there were demons in this world who were born with the power to manipte even thews governed by contracts and were capable of making absolute agreements.
The final boss of the Semester 1 Year 3 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, and an agent of the Evil God.
Mephisto the Contractor.
In addition to being cautious in order to eliminate the nuisance named Ian Fairytale, the demon also searched for ways to summon his master, the Evil God Nephid, a bit more quickly.
Eventually, he discovered an item called the Phantasmal Clock, which was located in Wondend.
Therefore, he took the citizens of the Heart Kingdom hostage and made a contract with Alice.
Alice just had toplete one of two tasks.
Either help the demon handle Ian Fairytale or if she failed, the citizens of the Heart Kingdom and Alice''s dear friends would all be annihted, ultimately leading to the destruction of the Heart Kingdom. It was an unfair contract, equivalent to a threat.
Alice was the hero of Wondend and a human. To Mephisto, there was no other candidate as suitable as her.
However, Mephisto could not control Alice''s will as he wished. This was generally why he tried to delve into the minds of beings to draw out their malice.
Therefore, to ensure Alice faithfully fulfilled the contract, Mephisto whispered in a sweet voice.
"After all, the world where the Evil God will be resurrected is apletely different world from Wondend. Only that world will be destroyed. If you just faithfully fulfill the contract, you can return to your ordinary lives."
That day, Alice became Mephisto¡¯s henchman.
©¤ On the contrary, I want to return home.
Isaac recalled what Alice had said.
Alice attempting to resurrect the Evil God to protect something dear to her was no different than killing all the innocent people in this world in order for her to ensure the survival of her own people.
No matter how much Alice and her subordinates were forced to do such heinous acts, the facts didn¡¯t change.
¡°You¡¯ve taken on a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details. It would be a big problem if I did.¡±
If the contents of the contract with Mephisto were disclosed, there would be a terrible penalty. Knowing this, Isaac did not probe any further.
Soon, Isaac swallowed his saliva.
If the Evil God was resurrected, it wouldn¡¯t just be this world that was destroyed. Alice was unaware of this fact.
Could Wondend be an exception?
Calming his emotions, Isaac asked in a calm voice.
¡°What will you do if, even if you seed this time, the result is the same as if you had failed?¡±
He couldn¡¯t be sure. Wondend might be a blind spot that could escape destruction.
But Isaac couldn¡¯t shake the thought that Wondend too would be destroyed.
¡°Baby.¡±
Alice looked down.
¡°If you really are the greatest Archwizard of this era, can you break this cursed contract and help me?¡±
¡°¡¡±
It was already the exerted power of the demon. If the contract with Mephisto had already been made, Isaac could not break its bond.
The only way to forcibly terminate the contract was through death.
Thus, he remained silent.
Alice looked back at Isaac as if she had expected this.
"If that''s difficult, then don''t say such things."
Alice had no intention of losing her motivation over a few words from Isaac.
She was well aware that she and Isaac stood on opposite sides.
The only thing she could trust was the contract with absolute binding power.
Even if she ended up looking foolish and guilty as a result.
Alice intended to resurrect the Evil God in order to protect what she wanted to preserve.
"...Yes."
Boom.
Isaac grasped a dagger in one hand and mmed Zhonya''s Staff onto the ground. From the tip of the staff, ice spread forth.
Whoosh!
He emitted coldness from his whole body and unfolded five magic circles.
The mixed emotions inside him began to regain order.
"I have no choice but to stop you first."
Ultimately, Isaac''s emotions reached a point of determination.
He resolved to stop Alice with his own hands.
Because that was what he could, no, must do now.
There was a practical consideration as well. No matter how strong Alice waspared to him, she was extremely exhausted from constructing [Obelisk of Eternity] and summoning her minions and familiars.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the Nightmare Dragon had helped Alice, making the difficulty higher. But now, since Dorothy was dealing with the Nightmare Dragon, he wasn¡¯t an issue.
Furthermore, since Alice had to fight while protecting the Phantasmal Clock, Isaac thought it was a battle worth trying.
"Thank you for understanding."
Alice smiled very kindly, as if it were herst, and soon lowered the corners of her mouth.
In the air, faint red mana blossomed, forming the shape of a divine sword.
When Alice grabbed the handle of the sword, mana flowed from the de, enveloping her body and forming armor.
The hero''s sword, the Vorpal Sword, which had subdued the Nightmare Dragon - Jabberwock.
Alice swung the sword, scattering beautiful faint red mana.
"It''s been fun."
"Likewise."
No matter how hard one tried, there was no guarantee that life would bloom beautifully.
However, that was not a reason for Alice to resurrect the Evil God and be a mass murderer of humanity.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Isaac''s mind. It was the scene of Alicemitting suicide.
After being defeated by Ian Fairytale and hispanions, she, with a hollow smile, slit her own throat.
Why did Alice choose tomit suicide after losing the battle?
Is it to atone for the innocent people who died?
Or did she make that choice out of a sense of despair?
Or is there a reason she felt she had no choice but tomit suicide?
Isaac intended to win the duel with Alice and learn the whole truth.
No one yet knew what end it would bring.
Boom!
Isaac leapt towards Alice.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: /genesisforsaken
Chapter 210: Alice Subjugation (6)
Chapter 210: Alice Subjugation (6)
Wondend. The other dimension Alice fell into.
This bizarre world, which she had only seen in her dreams, had one day be her reality.
In a ce where people and animals had lost their minds, Alice managed to keep her sanity and survive.
She beheaded the Queen of Hearts, who killed anyone who crossed her and seized her power.
She acquired the legendary sword, the Vorpal Sword, and defeated the Nightmare Dragon - Jabberwock.
Thus, Alice became the new Queen of Hearts and the hero of Wondend.
Her adventure didn¡¯t always sail smoothly. If someone were to write about her journey, many pages would be devoted to her longing to see her parents and her frustration at having to endure so many frightening and terrifying events.
But looking back, her journey had brought about many connections.
All of which had be exceedingly precious to Alice.Then, one day.
A demon, holding the lives of the foot soldiers, came to her. This demonmanded a formidable army as his minions.
He approached Alice and whispered.
Let¡¯s make a deal.
Boooooom!!
The explosion pulled Alice out of her painful memories.
Isaac, the silver-blue-haired man, came into her view. He was running towards her.
She unleashed the spell of death in the shape of a rabbit and her all-consuming [Voracious Deity] and aimed it all at him.
He quickly dodged or skillfully countered with his ice magic.
But his attacks were inevitably dyed because of Alice¡¯s fierce onught, preventing him from approaching rashly.
¡°It seems you¡¯re not nning to use your real power.¡±
The slightly desperate Alice could not guess Isaac¡¯s true intentions. Why wasn¡¯t he using his true power when he could easily defeat someone like her?
Was he determined to defeat her as Isaac, the one she had spent time with, and not as the Nameless Hero?
Or did he think that his current level of power was enough to defeat her?
Either way, it was such a ridiculous thought, that Alice couldn¡¯t help but smirk at it.
Hwaaaak!
Alice wrapped her sword with mana and swung. A fierce, yet noble, crimson sword energy quickly sliced through the air.
Isaac frowned. He felt an enormous amount of mana pressing down on him.
The power of the Vorpal Sword was to banish nightmares. However, if the sword¡¯s bearer harbored murderous intent, it could slice through an enemy¡¯s body, trapping them in an eternal dream and blurring the lines between dreams and reality. The end for anyone struck by it was certain death.
Knowing that even a touch of the sword¡¯s energy meant death, Isaac explosivelyunched [Frostfire], using the recoil to push himself away from the de.
Then, Isaac immediately cast the 6-star ice spell, [Frost Glitter].
A pale blue magic circle unfolded in the air and a heavy mass of cold air shot out. However, The Vorpal Sword¡¯s energy split the [Frost Glitter] in half, neutralizing it.
Poooong!!
[Frost Glitter] exploded. The countless icicles aimed at Alice scattered with fierce force. Alice deployed a telekic shield to deflect the icicles.
After using body buffing magic to increase her agility, Alice used telekinesis to create an invisible object in the air andunched herself off it. The spot she stepped on rippled and emitted a beautiful light.
Boooong!
Something intangible catapulted Alice forward, and she flew toward Isaac with terrifying momentum.
Landing on the rooftop, Alice elegantly swung her sword at Isaac, the de adorned with a crimson aura.
Suddenly, Isaac clutched at the air. His hand pulsed with rock mana, forming a greatsword.
The rock greatsword, once wielded by the primordial rock sovereign, the Obsidian de.
Alice narrowed her eyes. It was clear the greatsword was no ordinary magic weapon, imbued with immense rock mana.
Handling such a weapon proved that Isaac was indeed the Nameless Hero.
But Alice had no thoughts of retreating.
Pooooong!!
The Vorpal Sword shed with the Obsidian de. Although Alice was physically weaker than Isaac, the enormous amount of mana she possessed made up for it and then some.
The sword energy exploded up close, hurling Isaac¡¯s body like a ball.
Kuung!
Isaac crashed through the entrance and into the wall.
Kugh.
Isaac got up and shook off the debris from his body without a moment to spare. Thanks to the defensive skill of the Obsidian de, [Eclipse], he wasn¡¯t seriously injured.
Again, Alice mmed something intangible mid-air made from telekinesis. It flew like a rocket, scattering crimson mana.
A moment ago, during their sh, Isaac had realized that the power of the Vorpal Sword could be countered by the unique skill of the Obsidian de.
Recalling the basic swordsmanship techniques he had learned from Merlin Astrea, Isaac kicked off the ground and put his entire weight into a diagonal sh.
The dense rock mana-infused de collided with Alice¡¯s de.
Kuuuung!!
Kagagak!!
A torrent of rock mana erupted. Broad waves of stone surged in all directions.
The heavy strike of the greatsword sliced through Alice¡¯s sword energy, cutting down towards her. Alice hadn¡¯t been able to summon enough mana in time to block the blow. She was exhausted.
A sharp yellow sword energy surged along the sword¡¯s path. Sensing the danger beforehand, Alice used telekinesis to push her body away to dodge the sword strike.
However, rock fragments exploded and dug deep into Alice¡¯s body, and the powerful shockwave generated by the greatsword engulfed her.
[Stone Breathing - First Form]. Golden Wave sh.
Alice was thrown back, spitting blood, but she was able tond safely thanks to her telekinesis.
Isaac exhaled deeply and red at Alice, following the sword energy beyond the sharp rock formations.
Part of his fingers had turned to stone, losing all sensation. He was now unable to use the Obsidian de with the same finesse as before and even performing Stone Breathing would be difficult.
Isaac clicked his tongue and leaped towards Alice again.
Aliceunched dozens of crimson sword energies at the approaching figure. Isaac cut through or deflected them with the Obsidian de, not stopping his charge.
Alice was impressed. He was now starting to grasp how to handle the power of the Vorpal Sword.
Higher-tier neutral magic was also linked, but Isaac skillfully dodged or blocked it.
Momentum was building.
He adapted frighteningly as if he had fought Alice several times before.
Isaac¡¯s mind furiously processed the calctions for elemental magic. Behind him, several magic circles built and dissolved at a terrifying pace.
Ice and rock magic incessantly rained down on Alice and the Phantasmal Clock.
Isaac targeted the corners. His ultimate goal had always been the Phantasmal Clock. Since the clock was actively building the [Obelisk of Eternity], Alice couldn¡¯t shield it without interrupting the magical flow.
Instead, she focused on defending against Isaac¡¯s diverse strategies.
Gradually, Isaac was losing sensation in his hands due to petrification. It was a side effect of wielding the Obsidian de.
He partially summoned the rock golem familiar, Eden, whose power merged with Isaac.
A rock armor encased Isaac¡¯s arms, and the topaz ring of the Obsidian de on his back was coated with the same bronze armor. While this didn¡¯t alleviate the numbness in his hands, it did allow him to forcefully grip the Obsidian de.
Isaac moved even more swiftly.
The tide of the battle was rapidly turning.
If Alice could summon even one of her familiars, her victory would be nearly certain.
However, all her familiars were already engaged in a battle elsewhere, unable to join her.
Should she call up more of her foot soldiers? No. If Isaac unleashed a rock-infused sword energy even once, they would be obliterated in an instant. Besides, in the confined space of the rooftop, they would likely be in the way of her Vorpal Sword¡¯s energy.
Isaac gripped the Obsidian de and charged in. Alice gave up on evasion and pooled every ounce of her strength to draw out the power of the Vorpal Sword. Mana infused the de, igniting it like mes.
She swung.
Hwaaaaak!!
A scorching sword energy was unleashed with nowhere to dodge.
Isaac swung his rock mana-infused Obsidian de in response, but it was insufficient to cut through Alice¡¯s attack.
Kwaaaang!!
A beautiful explosion of crimson mana and yellow rock mana erupted.
The aftermath caused Alice¡¯s hair and clothes to flutter rapidly.
Whiiiing.
Isaac¡¯s silhouette, still wielding the greatsword, could be seen through the swirling dust. He drew rock mana, forming magic circles behind him.
Alice swung the Vorpal Sword once more, unleashing sword energy towards him.
Suddenly, someone rose through the cloud of dust.
It was Isaac.
Within the dust, there was another figure resembling him.
It was the rock golem familiar, Eden, who had grown into a form that resembled Isaac, holding the Obsidian de.
Floating mid-air, Isaac pointed his numb right index finger at the Phantasmal Clock. He gripped it with his other hand, ready to act.
Pointing with his index finger was meant to improve his uracy.
Behind him, seven pale blue magic circles unfolded. He had been calcting this magic while climbing the stairs, and now it was ready to use.
A sharp chill swept through.
Alice hastily shed at Isaac with her sword, but he dodged by twisting his body.
As she fired off a series of blows, Eden, cloaked in rock skin, lunged at her, swinging the Obsidian de.
Unable to wield it properly, Eden was helplessly repelled by Alice¡¯s magic.
Alice¡¯s gaze turned back to Isaac.
At that moment, Isaac fired the 7-star ice spell, [Icebolt], in the direction his finger pointed.
Kwakwagang!!
Kwaaaang!!
Several bolts of cold mana shot out like lightning, piercing through the Phantasmal Clock.
Golden mana scattered like a shattered hourss.
A series of pale blue explosions sent Alice¡¯s body flying, shattering the nearly formed [Obelisk of Eternity]. The Phantasmal Clock was utterly destroyed in an instant.
Isaac copsed helplessly onto the rooftop. Overuse of the Obsidian de beyond his capacity, along with various injuries sustained from fighting Alice, made it difficult for him to hold himself up. Gritting his teeth in pain, he barely managed to stand up.
He immediately took out a potion he had gotten from Zenon.
Unable to move his fingers, he shattered the cap and used [Rock Generation] to secure the vial in his hand, then drank the potion. The effect was immediate.
Next, he reverse-summoned Eden, who had been mmed into the wall. The Obsidian de, now reduced to rock mana on the ground, flowed back into Isaac.
Alice struggled to her feet.
A faint gasp escaped her blood-soaked lips. It was the only sound her ears could discern.
Alice lifted her head.
The barrier that had covered the rooftop crumbled into dust.
The magic circle of the [Obelisk of Eternity] slowly faded away.
And so, the golden mana gently caressed Alice¡¯s wounded skin as it naturally dissipated.
The clouds cleared, revealing a beautiful starry sky.
It was a sight she had seen so often that it no longer moved her, but tonight, the scene especially pleased Alice.
A terrible feeling of emptiness washed over her.
Isaac exhaled sharply and spoke in a calm voice.
¡°...It¡¯s over.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve lost.¡±
All that remained on the ruined rooftop were two people, each with something significant to protect.
There was an unbridgeable gap between them.
One had won and sessfully protected those he cared about.
The other had lost and had to face losing everything.
¡°Good boy.¡±
As if expecting it, she felt a pulsing sensation in her throat. Her expression hardened.
Alice did not want to pay the price of failure.
Even with the Nameless Hero present, many could die.
She lowered her eyes, releasing the protective magic cloaking her skin.
She raised her hand on her neck, drawing up mana.
It doesn¡¯t take a lot of mana to sever a human neck.
How ridiculous, she thought, that she could end a life with just this much power.
It was time to let everything go.
Her life included.
Just then, Isaac, who had rushed over, caught Alice¡¯s hand as she was releasing mana.
Thanks to the potion, some sensation and strength had returned to his hands.
Alice couldn¡¯tprehend what had just happened, Isaac had moved as if he had been anticipating this¡ As if he instinctively sensed her impending death and intervened.
Without hesitation.
Why?
Alice looked at Isaac questioningly as he caught his breath.
¡°...What are you doing?¡±
Isaac¡¯s voice was /genesisforsaken
Chapter 211: Alice Subjugation (7)
Chapter 211: Alice Subjugation (7)
Isaac''s grip on her wrist felt very oppressive.
Alice recalled the contract she had made with the demon to protect the Heart Kingdom and her dear colleagues and friends.
If she failed, she would have to face a price that would result in many deaths.
Therefore, the only way to prevent this was to break the bonds of the contract.
The method was simple.
Just die.
To act this way now was merely hypocrisy. After all, hadn''t she already tried to massacre many people?
Yet, if there was no longer a reason to fight.
Alice hoped that no one else would die."You see, don''t you?"
"Are you giving up on everything?"
"I have no choice."
"Why?"
"If I don''t die now, something truly dangerous wille."
Now that there was nothing left to hide, Alice spoke the truth.
Danger ising.
The doubts that had been obscured by a thick fog finally cleared. Only then could Isaacpletely resolve his dilemma about how to deal with Alice.
"So, there''s nothing I can do..."
"But still, don''t die."
"What?"
Alice had be a major traitor who would undoubtedly be executed by the empire. The situation had far exceeded what the academy could manage.
However, it was a choice forced upon her. Alice was driven by the need to protect the lives of her loved ones.
Dying so pointlessly just didn''t make sense.
"Don''t die in vain here."
"What do you know to say something like that¡ª?"
"And!"
After all, the Evil God will be resurrected soon.
Therefore, Alice. If you have failed to destroy this world, you are inevitably going to pay for your sins.
"Live beside me and atone. No matter how dangerous it gets, I''ll fend it off."
Join me and fight against the Evil God. Isaac intended to persuade her that battling the Evil God would be her atonement.
Knowing the full story, Isaac thought that he might be able to enlist the substantial force of the Heart Kingdom for the future battle against the Evil God.
He didn''t want to miss this perfect opportunity. He was determined to resolve any issues tied to the empire.
Alice''s eyes widened and her expression hardened. After a moment of speechlessness, she finally spoke.
"Why... do you say that?"
"Can''t I say it?"
"..."
Alice intently stared at Isaac''s face, heavily covered in both dirt and dust, riddled with wounds.
Suddenly, she remembered the previous day. It was the memory of ying with Isaac by the seaside.
It was very enjoyable. The feeling still lingered.
After drinking thest cup of ck tea, Alice was able to endure the profound loneliness with the memory of that time.
It was ironic. The time spent with an enemy had given her the strength to endure the final night.
But why?
Alice couldn''t quite discern the reason.
Yet, a self-mocking smile appeared on her lips unwittingly.
Surely because it was an utterly foolish and trivial reason, not even worth pondering.
"...Baby, this is a shameless request, but."
Alice tried to speak as naturally as possible with a smile, but she couldn''t suppress the emotions welling up inside her.
She knew the ending she was about to face.
Even if the man before her was the greatest wizard of his age, he couldn''t prevent the destined ending for her.
But if he could fulfill just one wish, a wish she could hardly dare to imagine,
Then Alice thought she could close her eyes in peace.
"Can you really... stop them?"
She barely managed to squeeze out those words. Tears formed and fell like rain in clouds a forced smile adorned her face, repeatedly twisting.
Could he defeat the impending dangers, protect the people, and strike back at the demon she had made a contract with?
Alice''s heartfelt plea,den with anger, despair, agony, pain, sorrow, injustice, and a desire for revenge, was conveyed to Isaac.
"..."
Isaac was given the power known as the system.
It was a power that could make him stronger than anyone else in the world.
Yet, he had lost dear ones, was defeated by the Evil God, and had to endure terrible loss.
But now, given another chance, what should he pursue?
Surely, it should be to achieve the best possible oue.
Despite the relentlesspulsion that pushed Isaac to endure, spilling sweat and blood daily, vomiting repeatedly, asionally fainting, struggling, suffering, and bing utterly exhausted¡
¡What started as a struggle for survival had now be a desperate fight for the best oue,yered with reasons.
And after struggling desperately, the ultimate oue he would finally grasp was clear.
"...I will block everything. So don''t you give up either."
Isaac concluded that Alice must be included as well.
It was clear that the impending danger was something the current academy couldn''t handle. It was obvious who had been threatening and using Alice.
They were enemies that had to be confronted eventually.
They will all be subdued here.
Alice smiled brightly as if reassured.
Crack.
Suddenly, Alice''s face twisted.
Her esophagus twisted and her throat writhed frantically.
She couldn''t hold it back anymore. Soon, something terrifying burst forth from Alice''s throat.
Whoooooosh!!!
"...!"
Isaac stepped back.
Alice felt excruciating pain as if her neck were twisting, and clutched at her throat, from which a dark red mana was oozing. She could no longer control her body.
The mana formed the shape ofrge wings.
Two ck arms burst through Alice''s back, stretching out like the arms of a beast.
A mark engraved on her neck rose up to her face, consuming Alice.
Alice, who could only make a hoarse sound as she tilted her head to the sky, abruptly stopped moving as if regaining herposure.
Her arms fell limply.
[A demon has been detected nearby.]
A system window appeared before Isaac.
A demonic aura emanated from Alice.
At that moment, feeling a chilling sensation, Isaac quickly drew his dark blue scythe, the Frostscythe.
Whoooosh!!
Alice lunged towards Isaac. Her dark red mana spread out like a torrent, moving at a speed invisible to the eye.
In the blink of an eye, the Vorpal Sword wrapped in dark red energy was swung fiercely.
Isaac grasped both ends of the Frostscythe, taking a defensive stance. Alice''s mana, mixed with dark mana, was like a flood.
ng!!
The Vorpal Sword shed with the Frostscythe. Alice forcefully pushed Isaac back.
Locked inbat, their bodies soared diagonally into the sky. The wings sprouting from Alice''s neck sted mana-like mes, propelling her forward.
Their hair and clothes pped wildly.
As Alice''s dark mana relentlessly sought to kill Isaac, he continually unleashed his chilling mana in resistance. Their mana shed tumultuously, maintaining a precarious deadlock.
To the people on the ind below, they appeared as a single meteor shooting backward into the sky, emitting dark red and pale blue lights.
The two quickly moved away from the academy. Isaac could clearly see the shape of the ind, surrounded by the sea.
Alice''s face, bearing a mark, was eerily calm. Her eyes, dyed dark purple, were etched with strange patterns.
[?]
Lv: ?9?
Race: Dem?
Elements: ??, ??, ??
Danger: ? High
Psychology: [?]
The status window could not properly read the information. It appeared that the demon possessing Alice''s body had directly inherited the unique trait [Red Queen''s Paradox] and made it its own.
As they shot towards the sky, cries from Alice''s familiars were heard. A vicious mana spread across the area.
Dorothy, who had been confronting Nightmare Dragon - Jabberwock and Phantom Cat Cheshire, widened her eyes as their mana suddenly intensified.
Kaya, who had defeated the Tiger Dragon - Bandersnatch, and was heading toward Bartos Hall, was greatly taken aback when the dragon suddenly grew in size, awakened, and charged at her again.
All of Alice''s familiars had lost their minds and were exhibiting tremendous power.
Koooooo!
The sky dyed itself with the blood of the world. Clouds formed and billowed from the remnants of dark mana.
Consecutively, innumerable magic circles conjured throughout heaven and earth. As dark mana flickered, demons were summoned en masse.
Shadows fell over the ind.
A monstrous creature,rge enough to cover the area and more, with wings shaped like human hands, looked down on the academy from above. The creature caused massive lightning that split the sky.
Freya the Dark-Winged. Level 184. Dark and lightning elements. Danger level: Highest.
A pot-bellied ck giant with numerous mouths on its belly tilted its upper body sideways, grinning twistedly at an ind it could swallow in one bite. The many mouths on its belly drooled in anticipation.
Hamon the Gluttonous. Level 185. Dark and water elements. Danger level, also Highest.
Simultaneously, soldiers with gills and winged knights in ck armor appeared one after another above the sea, each easily exceeding 3 meters tall.
All of them were a powerful army of demons summoned by the entity that had possessed Alice''s body.
Guaaaaaa!!
The demons'' shouts and roars resounded like thunder.
People at the academy who witnessed this spectacle felt a deep fear prating their cores.
Even Tristan Humphrey, who alwaysughed bravely and vowed never to fear any strong opponent, and Mateo Jordana, who tried to maintain his firm resolve, could not escape the fear incited by their survival instincts.
Students gathered in shelters turned pale, and neither the academy¡¯s faculty nor the Imperial Knights were exceptions.
To them, it looked like a scene from the end of the world.
Meanwhile, Isaac vividly recalled how Alice hadmitted suicide after being defeated by Ian''s party.
[Multiple demons have been recognized as enemies.]
Is this the scene you feared...?
Booooo!
Their bodies pierced through the dark clouds and soared upward. Isaac, intensifying the coldness of his aura, pushed back against Alice''s mana.
He steadied his fighting spirit.
[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!]
Isaac explosively released an extreme /genesisforsaken
Chapter 212: Alice Subjugation (8)
Chapter 212: Alice Subjugation (8)
The st of cold air dispersed the clouds of dark mana.
Sensing the impending danger, Alice retreated, and with her newly emerged crimson wings pping, she readied herself.
In the sky, a man and a woman faced each other at a distance.
Below them, a massive hole was punched through the clouds.
Six pale blue magic circles formed around Isaac, enveloping him in cold air. From each of them, a wing imbued with the aura of [Ice Sovereign] stretched out. The cold air gathered into three pairs of wings on the Ice Sovereign¡¯s back.
A gentle yet profound coldness flowed melodiously. The aura of [Ice Sovereign], the ultimate mastery over the ice element.
Whoooooo.
A chilling sensation.
The pale blue mana targeted the demon possessing Alice¡¯s body.From Alice, a chorus ofughter erupted in multiple voices. Yet, her face remained expressionless, as if she were a ventriloquist.
From her extended arms, several mouths ripped open and cackling maniacally. One of them moved its thick lips.
[The respectable Nameless Hero.]
A woman¡¯s voice resonated hoarsely. Isaac knew well whose voice it was.
Not Alice, but rather¡
Mephisto the Contractor spoke through Alice¡¯s body, observing human formalities.
[It is an honor to meet you like this. My name is Mephisto. Pardon my rudeness for not greeting you in my true form.
¡°¡¡±
[Oh my, you don¡¯t seem to understand your predicament, do you?]
More mouths continued to form on her grotesque arm.
Mephisto¡¯s mouths each uttered a word separately, while other lips twitched, chuckled, or muttered to themselves.
[I made a pact with the Queen of Hearts. She agreed to give up her body if she failed to fulfill the contract.]
¡°And now that body is?¡±
[It¡¯spletely mine now!]
The multitude of lips abruptly stoppedughing.
[Surely you don¡¯t feel pity toward the Queen of Hearts, do you? Did you wish to save her?]
Suddenly, more than a dozen lips stretched into a sly grin.
[That¡¯s too bad, then¡. The Queen of Hearts is no more.]
Alice¡¯s body was now overrun with personality fragments and dark mana of Mephisto the Contractor.
[She is as good as dead! The only way to get me out of this body is to bring it to rest.]
That meant death.
Yes, death was the only solution.
If the resurrection of the Evil God failed, nothing else could save Alice.
She could do nothing but lose all her powers and abilities, merely fueling the disaster.
Isaac briefly opened his mouth, then closed it. That was his only reaction.
[Oh, Nameless Hero, do notment! A world burdened by an inferior race will only be an inferior world. The sacrifice of the Queen of Hearts will be an excellent fertilizer for the new world Lord Nephid is creating. How noble is that¡!]
¡°There won¡¯t be such a thing.¡±
There was no need to pay attention to Mephisto¡¯s hoarse, third-rate conviction.
¡°Because I will eradicate you.¡±
Like squashing cockroaches, that¡¯s all demons are.
Mephisto raised Alice¡¯s head and scrutinized Isaac.
[It¡¯s a shame you don¡¯t understand. But you know¡]
The silver-blue-haired human was undoubtedly the strongest of mankind.
The thought of being able to eliminate such an opponent excited Mephisto.
[You¡¯re going to die here anyway, aren¡¯t you?]
Demons were roaring as they advanced toward the ind where M?rchen Academy was located.
Isaac looked down at the ind and the sea, blinking quietly.
Mephisto wasn¡¯t just any ol¡¯ demon. He was able to distinguish a difference in power, meaning¡
¡°...You seem sure of yourself.¡±
Isaac was confident that his predictions were correct.
The certainty of his predictions, the state of the current situation, and all the variables he had considered all converged in his mind all at once.
An outrageous idea shed through his mind.
He coldly gathered his thoughts.
Perhaps¡ there might be a way to save Alice. It¡¯s worth a shot.
¡°You¡¡±
Isaac pulled back the hood of his robe and red at Mephisto with eyes as bitter as the coldest ice age.
As mentioned before, Alice Carroll and her followers didn¡¯t seek the world¡¯s destruction out of greed or revenge. They were merely coerced.
In the end, the worst offender was someone else.
It was the demon before him, who had exploited everything about Alice Carroll and now sought to ravage her death and massacre everyone at M?rchen Academy.
¡°I will find you and kill you.¡±
He would find its main body and make it wish for death.
Let it suffer terrible pain, make it scream in agony, and let it die a death more terrible than what anyone could ever imagine.
I will make Mephisto pay for ying with people¡¯s lives.
[Go ahead and try.]
Mephisto¡¯s numerous lips taunted.
Gwaaaaah!!
A ck dragon, wreathed in crimson mes, flew in to protect Mephisto¡¯s back. It roared at Isaac.
It was the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock, enhanced by Mephisto¡¯s dark mana.
A suddenly stronger Phantom Cat Cheshire intercepted Dorothy and was unable to pursue the Nightmare Dragon. It was overtaken by the dark mana, losing its senses and unleashing a barrage of attacks on Dorothy.
At that moment.
Isaac pulled out a dagger. The white dagger emitted a silver light.
As he drew the de from its sheath, Mephisto¡¯s eyes caught sight of the three engraved magic circles.
The Ice Sovereign¡¯s Authority. The Dagger of Oath, and the Dagger of Pacts. It was the ¡°de of Frost Flowers¡±.
Isaac sliced his hand with the sword, and his crimson blood smoothly soaked the de.
¨C Hilde, how do I use this?
¨CIt¡¯s simple. Just coat the de with your blood, and say the phrase. What you say is¡
The Frost Dragon, Hilde, instructed him.
Isaac mouthed themand to activate the ¡°Ritual Circle¡±, ¡°Summoning Circle¡±, and ¡°Contract Circle¡± engraved on the de of Frost Flowers.
"Serve me, D¨¹pfendorf."
The three magic circles on the de resonated with the phrase and the [Ice Sovereign]¡¯s blood, glowing in a pale blue light.
[¡!]
Suddenly, Mephisto frowned in Alice¡¯s body.
After all, this body was stolen from Alice. Even if it died, its main body would still be unharmed. However, Mephisto felt a deep aversion. The ritual Isaac was about to perform invoked an overwhelming primal fear.
Something terrible was about to happen.
Whoooong.
An enormous magic circle traced its path beneath Isaac.
An immense amount of mana surged from Isaac,parable to the vast ocean. It spread out like a torrent in the sea, stirring up fierce winds and causing violent waves.
A blizzard raged.
A pure white radiance expelled the crimson mana that colored the sky, creating a White Night.
The unique skill of the Frostscythe, [Divine Authority - White Night]. A sudden chill swept through the sky.
[What¡?]
Feeling the impending crisis, Mephisto immersed itself in the mes of the Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock to ward off the cold.
It swung the Vorpal Sword at Isaac repeatedly, sending dozens of sword energy.
The Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock also spewed crimson mes at Isaac.
"Hilde."
Along with a fierce [Frostwind], the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave] surged, countering the attacks from Mephisto and the Nightmare Dragon.
Behind Isaac, a pearly white mana rose. The mana began to take the shape of a huge white dragon.
Isaac poured ice mana into the dragon, enhancing her power. Finally, a formidable ice familiar filled with a chilling cold that scattered beautiful pure white mana had appeared.
The mythical magic beast that was said to have been wielded by the first Ice Sovereign, the Frost Dragon, Hilde.
The white dragon unfurled her majestic wings behind Isaac.
Soon, the bitter sea froze over in an instant.
Some of the demon army, still marching toward the ind, were frozen to death as they were swept away by the rough waves. However, most of them managed to survive, thanks to their strong mana.
Hwaaaaa!!
Arge magic circle deployed under Isaac¡¯s feet poured out a brilliant radiance toward the ground.
Isaac closed his eyes.
[Your Majesty.]
In the realm of the mind, Isaac stepped into a mystical icebyrinth.
An ice beast, wrapped in what seemed to be a cloak, bowed deeply to Isaac in respect.
Frost Spirit, Merphil, the master of thisbyrinth and a nation-destroying ice beast.
[Greetings to the new king of D¨¹pfendorf, albeit in an unworthy body.]
The Frost Spirit spoke to Isaac on behalf of D¨¹pfendorf.
[Lead us.]
Kuuuuuuu!!
Isaac opened his eyes again and red at Mephisto.
Pale blue mana filled the area. This mana took shape in the air and over the sea of ice. Ice beasts and descendants of the frost tribe were summoned.
A massive ghost beast with a terrifying aura. The Frost Spirit, Merphil, revealed its strange body and spread its wings made of ice.
A white bear with a body as big as a mountain range with cial armor. The ¡°cial Bear Barbatoma¡± roared at the sky.
A giant dark blue crocodile, ¡°Icebound Crocodile Tugaros¡±, from the deep sea, disyed its threatening bulk as it exhaled its fury.
Each of these powerful ice beasts was considered an embodiment of natural disasters. However, throughout the course of countless centuries, they had sworn to serve only one being.
Chaos turned to order, and cmity turned into military might.
"Eden."
Kyuuuu!!
Dense ice and rock mana merged on the sea of ice, and a golem of terrifying size slowly rose to his feet.
In his hand, it held a giant rock greatsword.
The rock golem familiar ¡°Eden - The Breaker¡±, infused with ice mana.
He glowed in a pale blue light, along with the nation-destroying ice beasts.
On the sea of ice, these beings, each a disaster in their own right, roared in unison, following the majesty of one man.
The newly summoned beings were a knightly order in tinum armor, a horde of monstrous warriors wrapped in frost, and a legion of frost mages.
They knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.
They saluted the new Ice Sovereign, who spread three pairs of wings in the sky, overlooking thend.
The army of the Ice Kingdom, D¨¹pfendorf.
This was the moment they had longed for.
¡°Is that person¡ the Nameless Hero¡?¡±
Faculty, students, and the Imperial Knights of M?rchen Academy all bore witness to this scene.
High in the sky, the figure of the Nameless Hero could not be clearly seen with the naked eye.
Yet, many could guess who it was.
¡°Senior Isaac¡?¡±
In the shelter, Snow White couldn¡¯t contain her astonishment at the unbelievable sight.
Dorothy and Kaya nced sideways at Isaac, who appeared almost divine, continuing their battle with shocked expressions.
¡°Isaac¡?¡±
Luce, flying on the Thunderbird, caught a clear view of the Nameless Hero with her exceptional vision. Her eyes remained wide open, showing no signs of getting smaller.
"Imand you."
The Ice Sovereign, Isaac, extended his Frostscythe towards Mephisto.
The power contained in the de of Frost Flowers conveyed his will to the D¨¹pfendorf Army.
"Eradicate the demons."
His cynical voice fell.
Above the sea of ice, the D¨¹pfendorf Army roared as they shed with Mephisto¡¯s demon /genesisforsaken
Chapter 213: Alice Subjugation (9)
Chapter 213: Alice Subjugation (9)
At the zenith of each element, the four Elemental Kings sensed an immense ice mana.
In their respective nations, they turned their heads toward the ind where M?rchen Academy was located, with surprised faces.
Lightning Nation, ¡°Zabrok¡±.
In the pce, a man dressed in a ck robe. The Lightning Sovereign, Jaul Dragoniac, closed his eyes and cleared his mind.
Zzzzt!
Balkan, a gori familiar with lightning mana wrapped around its shoulders appeared. The beast knelt on one knee and bowed its head to show respect to its master.
Jaul opened his eyes again and looked at Balkan with violet eyes flowing with lightning mana.
[I, Balkan, havee at the call of the Lightning Sovereign!]
"A new Ice Sovereign has been chosen."Balkan was surprised, but soonposed his expression, having already heard that a new King would soon emerge from among the students of M?rchen Academy.
"Keep watch over M?rchen Academy in the Zelver Empire."
[Understood!]
Balkan disappeared as lightning mana.
Jaul looked at the brightly lit sky. Now was the time to face Isaac as King against King.
The northern part of the Empire, Duchy of Whiterk.
"Lady Aichel?! Please wait!"
Aichel Whiterk, the next Northern Grand Duchess, ran out in front of the mansion and looked up at the sky. Her maids hurriedly chased after her as she acted impulsively.
The Ice Sovereign''s brilliant white light was dispelling the darkness of the night sky. Aichel was certain that Isaac, a student and Archwizard of M?rchen Academy, had revealed his true identity.
Aichel gasped for breath. A smile spread across her lips.
"Come, O King of Ice. I have been waiting for you."
Aichel looked towards the brilliant light, lifting the hem of her dress and greeting politely. She whispered her greeting softly enough that no one else could hear.
She was extremely happy because the Ice King she was to serve, the master of the White Dragon, had descended.
The maids could not understand why the next Northern Grand Duchess was paying respect to the sky, where an anomaly had urred.
The Duchy of Astrea.
Gerald Astrea, a Sword Saint, was training as usual when he stopped and stared at the brilliant light shining in the night sky with a sharp gaze.
A powerful mana, so overwhelming that even he felt no will to oppose it, was spreading across the world.
"The Nameless Hero perhaps..."
The Ducal House of Astrea owed a debt to the Nameless Hero.
However, as the man was concealing his identity, Gerald was waiting for him to reveal himself first.
Gerald thought that it was time to start repaying his debt to him.
The East, Horan, Land of the Fire Blossoms.
In the Martial Imperial Court, Miya, a priestess with ck hair, was looking at the light illuminating the night sky.
"Mae, what is that light...?"
Miya asked Mae, the Nine-tailed Fox beside her.
The fox smiled wistfully.
[It seems our benefactor has revealed his true form.]
¡°¡¡±
Miya, with a thoughtful expression, quietly watched the shining night sky.
It was a beautiful light.
The Elfieto Imperial Court.
From the Imperial pce balcony, Emperor Carlos von Kairos Elfieto looked up at the sky of the white night with his knights.
The Imperial Magic Tower investigated the cause of this anomaly. The source of the immense power was not hidden, making it easy to determine the cause.
The only problem was that, even upon direct observation, the cause was hard to believe.
Soon, an Imperial Wizard hurried over and saluted the emperor.
"Speak. Who is in the sky?"
Normally jovial, Emperor Carlos, guessing that a serious situation had urred, asked the Imperial Wizard in a subdued voice. His gaze remained fixed on the sky.
The Imperial Wizard sweated, a reaction born of profound awe. Skilled in magic, he fully realized how incredible the current phenomenon was.
The Imperial Wizard cleared his throat silently and opened his mouth.
"The phenomenon of the white night originates from the magic of one person..."
When Emperor Carlos shook his head, the Imperial Wizard stopped his report.
"I¡¯ll ask again."
The emperor''s majestic gaze turned towards the Imperial Wizard.
"Now, who is the one ruling that sky?"
The Imperial Wizard swallowed dryly.
The Imperial Magic Tower observed the war urring around M?rchen Academy. There, a man with three pairs of icy wings was radiating brilliance.
Emperor Carlos had just one question. How should the empire define the individual?
The Imperial Wizard organized his thoughts and spoke.
¡°¡Some know him as the Nameless Hero. Others, as the Ice Sovereign. He is the new cial Emperor. The Elemental King of Frost. But at the same time, he is a student of Marchen Academy¡ A young boy by the name of ¡®Isaac¡¯.¡±
The bnce of power that made up the world began to shift.
Emperor Carlos closed his eyes. He was not surprised. He had anticipated this.
The Nameless hero was an unparalleled Archwizard. It was a natural conclusion that he would be the Ice Sovereign, the pinnacle of the element of ice.
Emperor Carlos thought of his daughter, Snow White.
M?rchen Academy was guarded by Isaac. White''s safety would be assured. Although he did not trust Isaac, it was clear he was on the side of humans.
"I will go to M?rchen Academy."
Isaac was the pinnacle of humanity, stronger than any Elemental King. The world revolved around him.
Last winter, the Imperial magic tower had detected that Isaac even controlled the primordial magic beast of ice. Only the head of the Imperial magic tower, two senior wizards, and the emperor knew this information.
As the representative of the empire, it was necessary to meet such an entity directly to maintain the nation¡¯s stability and peace. There was a need to act swiftly.
"Prepare the carriage immediately."
Emperor Carlos turned and walked away, his luxurious imperial robe fluttered.
Meanwhile¡
The fierce battle over the sea of ice was so grand that even therge ind housing M?rchen Academy seemed insignificant inparison.
Those on the ind watched the war between the Ice Sovereign''s army and the demon army, including the Trump soldiers who had surrendered after losing their reason to fight and the four captured Trump Pdins.
The ind was protected by a translucent ice barrier cast by Isaac. The battlefield surrounded the ind,prising the sky and the sea of ice.
The knights of D¨¹pfendorf and the ice monsters wrapped their weapons in coldness to slice through or strike down the demons, while the ice wizards wielded potent ice magic to shatter and freeze their enemies.
Frost Spirit Merphil unleashed arge-scale ice spell toward Freya the Dark-Winged, waging an extensive battle.
The cial Bear Barbatoma and the Icebound Crocodile Tugaros unleashed ice magic-infused punches toward Hamon the Gluttonous or breathed out frosty sts, tearing into their foes with tremendous biting power.
Massive explosions of mana urred everywhere; had the battlefield not been the sea, the area would have beenpletely devastated.
And in the sky¡
Kwagagagang!!
Hildeunched the 8-star ice spell [Hell of the Crimson Lotus] toward Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock.
The Nightmare Dragon countered with the 8-star neutral attribute magic [Phantasmal mes] wrapped in dark mana.
The collision of the ultra-cold silver beam and the dark purple, mysterious mes caused a fierce explosion.
Kwaaaaang!!
The surroundings filled with cold steam.
The cold continued to sweep the sky. Any ordinary creature approaching would lose its life.
Saaaaa!!
The Vorpal Sword''s energy, which was enveloped in an enormous density of mana, sliced through the steam. Isaac, spreading cold air, swung his Frostscythe, shing with the sword''s energy.
The sword''s energy was consumed by the cold and split by the scythe''s de.
Isaac and Mephisto, deploying numerous magic circles, crossed the sky pouring attacks on each other, causing all kinds of thunderous noises to shake the heavens and the earth.
For those looking up at the sky from M?rchen Academy, the scale of the battle was so vast that it couldn''t be fully captured in their field of view.
Swoosh!
sh!
Isaac ignored the repeatedly appearing level-up system window and charged at Mephisto with terrifying speed.
Crossing the sky, he intercepted Mephisto with magic, dazzlingly swinging his scythe. Within the relentless assault of ice magic, continuous streaks of silver trails were etched into the world.
Comcency quickly led to death. Mephisto realized that even a mere touch between weapons would certainly mean defeat.
Mephisto focused on dodging Isaac''s graceful attacks and countering with magic.
[Arrgh!!]
Isaac dominated the sky.
A deep cold pervaded Alice''s body. Over time, her body slowed, and underwent immense pain; her flesh froze, and her internal functions began to shut down.
In contrast, Isaac was unharmed, exuding an air of ease. The only wounds on his body were the ones he received in his fights against Zenon and Alice. Mephisto and the Nightmare Dragon hadn¡¯t managed to inflict any damage thus far.
Mephisto retreated quickly while watching Isaac, extending the Vorpal Sword upwards.
It gathered strength from its entire body. Mephisto gritted its teeth and released its mana at maximum output.
Kugugugugu!!
The de surged with dark red mana, elegantly unleashed a towering sword energy. A whirlwind of mana spiraled in the sword''s energy wake.
Behind Mephisto, Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock, stood guard, wrapped in the mes that led creatures into an eternal nightmare, [Phantasmal mes].
Mephisto prepared to unleash his sword energy. It was a force capable of splitting the sea of ice beyond the horizon. Anyone cut by the energy from the sword would be ensnared into an eternal nightmare until their death.
He wasn¡¯t just aiming for Isaac; cial Bear Barbatoma, a chunk of the forces of D¨¹pfendorf''s forces, and the ind housing M?rchen Academy were all in the direct path of the sword energy.
Can you block this without suffering any damage?
Mephisto taunted Isaac with these words.
However, as the chill cleared and revealed Isaac''s form, Mephisto was left speechless.
Holding a scythe imbued with powerful ice mana, his wizard''s robe fluttered, turning his back against the white night''s light. He looked at Mephisto with emotionless eyes.
Behind him, the mythical White Dragon, Hilde, spread her white wings and gathered mana. Faint blue coldness steamed off it.
Mephisto thought... it was an incredibly awe-inspiring sight.
A supreme being of unsurpassable power.
He was opposing him, harboring hostility. As the realization dawned on him, Mephisto felt an uncontroble terror.
The man''s words about how he would find and kill Mephisto''s true form felt increasingly real.
...Such a thing would not happen. Mephisto tried to erase these needless imaginations from his mind.
[You... must die here.]
Isaac. He was the man who had even vanquished the powerful Floating Ind, Cavillion the Earthshaker. He knew he was strong, but he had not fully realized to what extent.
For the Evil God Nepid, Mephisto thought the man must certainly be dealt with here.
Mephisto screamed and swung the Vorpal Sword.
The soaring sword energy was shot towards Isaac.
Kwaaaaaaaa!!!
A typhoon of sword energy rushed out like lightning, cutting through the sky and the sea of ice with terrifying speed.
It was an immense sword energy. No matter how many strong wizards from the empire gathered andyered protection magic, they could not stop the path of this sword energy.
"Is that all you''ve got?"
However, Isaac''s response to the sword energy was quite in.
"...My turn."
Swoooosh!!
The Frostscythe was imbued with a high concentration of ice mana. Soon after, Isaac swung the scythe forcefully, and a silver streak cut across the sky diagonally.
Cold surged.
[Absolute Zero].
The scythe¡¯s path cut through space unconstrained, and its unique skill, which poured intense coldness, was cast.
Chaaaaaaaah!!!
[¡!]
Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock swooped in with fierce momentum, spewed out [Phantasmal mes], and used its body to shield its master, following Mephisto''smand.
However, it was futile.
Fwooooosh!!!
The sword energy of the Vorpal Sword and the unique skill of the Frostscythe intersected into an X shape.
Space itself cried out in agony as shes erupted throughout the heavens.
Consecutively, Mephisto felt a tingling sensation as its body seemed to be sliced diagonally.
It intuitively knew that all the battles that could be fought with this body were over.
[So, it hase to this¡]
He had lost.
[...Heh.]
...Within the body of the Queen of Hearts, that is.
It wasn''t over yet. Before freezing, Mephisto smirked.
The seal on the pocket watch, hisst resort, was broken. Mephisto could sense it.
A supreme demon, beyond even Mephisto''s control, was now /genesisforsaken
Chapter 214: Alice Subjugation (10)
Chapter 214: Alice Subjugation (10)
The Nightmare Dragon¡¯s abdomen split more than half way open, and through the crevice, a fierce coldness rushed in.
The dragon¡¯s body froze solid and helplessly plummeted into the sea of ice.
Alice¡¯s body suffered the same fate. The unique skill of the Frostscythe, [Absolute Zero], wasn¡¯t constrained by space.
A powerful chill had seeped through the cuts in her body.
Alice¡¯s body quickly froze over. It happened in the blink of an eye.
The crimson wings extending from her neck scattered, and the grotesque arms behind her back turned into ashen dust and scattered in the wind.
The marks on her neck and face gradually faded.
Mephisto, no longer able to wield Alice¡¯s mana, began to fall.
Thud.Isaac swiftly flew to catch Alice, like a princess.
The power and fragments of Mephisto¡¯s personality turned into ashen dust and vanished, as Alice¡¯s body, having suffered a mortal wound, was entirely frozen, her bodily functionspletely halted. She was practically like a frozen human.
Thest thing Mephisto could do was to create a grotesque eye and mouth around Alice¡¯s eye that had mana.
Now, that demon could no longer exert any power.
Mephisto looked at Isaac with an eye created by mana. The eye held a chillingly cold gaze that seemed to freeze even the heart.
Mephisto let out a hollowugh.
[It¡¯s a pity¡. I couldn¡¯t defeat you with the body of the Queen of Hearts¡]
As Mephisto¡¯s mana waned, the demon minions could not exert their full strength. This led to the dominance of the disaster-level ice beasts and the D¨¹pfendorf army.
The shouts of D¨¹pfendorf grew louder. Eventually, Freya the Dark-Winged, having sustained a fatal injury, plummeted into the ice sea, and Hamon the Gluttonous copsed. They all turned into ashen dust and disappeared.
The war would soon be over.
¡It seemed so at that moment.
[But you know¡ this isn¡¯t the only trick I have up my sleeve.]
Mephisto chuckled with thest mouth it had left.
[Oh Nameless Hero, please listen to this story¡]
Whooooooo!!!
Suddenly, an immense dark mana filled the space above Isaac¡¯s head. The color was pitch ck.
Isaac squinted and lifted his head.
Paaaaaat!
The dark mana swelled and quickly spread in all directions, driving away the White Night.
Isaac swiped away the level-up system window that appeared before him and quietly observed the dark mana filling the sky.
Despite the D¨¹pfendorf army having wiped out the demon army, they didn¡¯t shout but instead looked up at the sky in silence. Tension rippled through the sea of ice.
[Among the humans who made a contract with me, there was a foolish woman who desired to be the most beautiful in the entire world¡]
Mephisto licked her lips.
Through our contract, the woman gained exceptional beauty, became famous, and won the heart of the emperor. Sheter became the empress.
Only Isaac illuminated the pitch ck sky. was the only one shining in the pitch-ck sky.
It was a radiance of sheer solitude.
Mephisto continued in a hoarse voice.
[Then, the mirror answered. It said that Princess Snow White was prettier than her¡ she was her daughter. Angered by its response, the woman sought to kill her daughter, simply because she was prettier¡ But after repeatedly failing in her assassination attempts, she came back to me. Her heart, already stained with anger, resentment, and inferiority, wished for her daughter¡¯s eternal misery¡]
Dorothy, who defeated the Phantom Cat Cheshire, Kaya, who defeated the Tiger Dragon Bandersnatch, Luce riding the Thunderbird, and many others at M?rchen Academy, all looked up at the sky.
A profound sense of dread washed over them.
¡°Isaac!!¡±
¡°Isaac¡!¡±
¡°Sir Isaac!!¡±
Their instincts warned them of the impending danger.
No matter how capable Isaac was, in the face of such a force, his survival couldn¡¯t be guaranteed.
Dorothy, who was in the sky, flew toward Isaac. Luce, riding the Thunderbird, and Kaya left the protective barrier deployed over the ind and flew towards Isaac as well.
It was a reflexive behavior. Their instincts screamed that they must quickly grab Isaac and flee.
¡°Kugh!¡±
¡°Ugh!!¡±
They were forced to stop and hold on as the pitch-ck sky unleashed an astronomical amount of mana like a storm.
That was just from releasing mana.
[Lastly, I gave the woman a clock. This clock contained a terrifying demon capable of subjecting Snow White to a fate worse than death. Sealed within it¡ was a demon endowed with the power to live forever in a bottomless prison¡ The woman was really pleased. To think her daughter would remain in eternal agony. Haha¡ Thinking about it again, it was truly a delightful reaction. I gave it to her thinking she could leisurely release the creature before the resurrection of Lord Nephid, as she was a human who had pleased me¡]
The pocket watch that Mephisto gave to the Empress.
It was the tinum watch that Snow White had treasured as a gift from her mother.
[But I didn¡¯t expect someone like you to appear. So I decided to release it earlier than nned¡ It took some time to loosen the reins because that creature was something even I couldn''t control¡]
Joy sparked in Mephisto¡¯s eyes.
[As soon as it¡¯s released, it will devour Snow White. It will devour other humans too, and finally, you, who will fall into despair¡! It¡¯s toote to stop it now. Hehe, what a delightful turn of events¡!]
Mephisto grinned with thest mouth it had left.
Farewell, Oh Nameless Hero¡ May you have a pleasant journey¡ in the eternal prison¡
Isaac lowered his head and looked at Mephisto again.
Caught up in her own story, Mephisto saw Isaac¡¯s expression and widened her remaining eye. Mephisto¡¯s fading mouth couldn¡¯t continue speaking.
On Isaac¡¯s face looking back at it¡ there was, somehow, a faint smile.
Whooooo!!
The pitch-ck sky spread a biting wind filled with dark mana.
Dorothy deployed a powerful starlight protective shield, Luce, along with the Thunderbird, created a highly condensed [Thunder God¡¯s Barrier], and Kaya used the power of blood and nts to form the [Blood Tree] to protect those around her.
However, the biting wind of darkness effortlessly prated even those defenses, leaving numerous cuts on their bodies.
The ind was precariously protected by Isaac¡¯s frost barrier.
Isaac, who was closest to the pitch-ck sky, endured the powerful cold with the increased [Wind Elemental Resistance] from his bracelet, maintaining his position.
The elemental bracelet had been set that way from the beginning, because Isaac didn¡¯t know when ¡°that demon¡± Mephisto mentioned would emerge.
Isaac had anticipated this situation.
¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±
Isaac¡¯s voice was as cold as frost.
¡°That I would find you and kill you.¡±
[You can¡¯t be serious¡?]
Even feeling this transcendental mana¡ you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll defeat the ¡°Abyss¡±?
¡°Wait for it.¡±
Isaac looked into Mephist¡¯s eyes with murderous intent.
¡°I¡¯ll kill that bastard first, then I¡¯ming for you.¡±
Whaaaaack!!!
From the pocket of Isaac¡¯s robe, a thick dark mana seeped out. Many eyes shed as the pitch-ck mana carved into the air, targeting the bodies of Isaac and Alice.
Why was the ¡°Abyss¡±, which was supposed to emerge by devouring Snow White, springing out from Isaac? Mephisto felt tremendous confusion.
[Why do you have that clock¡?]
As if he knew all along what would happen, Isaac had the clock containing the Abyss that was meant for Snow White.
Amidst the intense torrent of questions, Mephisto¡¯sst remaining eye and mouth could no longer endure andpletely disintegrated into ashen dust.
Only Alice, whose body was frozen, remained in Isaac¡¯s arms.
Isaac tightly embraced Alice with one hand and with the other, he pulled out the pocket watch. It was Snow White¡¯s watch. Once tinum, it had now turned ck.
The watch, which had sealed the demon known as the Abyss, was the leash. Finally, that leash had been set free, and the creature had regained its freedom.
Isaac released the watch. Emitting a stream of dark mana, it floated up into the sky.
Eventually, the pitch-ck sky opened wide like a gaping maw.
[Om the Eternal]
Lv: ¡ö¡ö¡ö
Race: De¡ö
Elements: Darkness, Wind, Eternity
Danger: Ext¡ö
Psychology: [¡ö]
The demon ¡°Om the Eternal¡±,monly known as the ¡°Abyss¡±.
One of the highest-ranking demons. It was an enemy that should not have appeared yet.
Isaac recalled his memories.
White¡¯s clock was already preparing to release the Abyss.
As Mephisto himself had said, it was because of the Nameless Hero.
Upon hearing that the Floating Ind had died, Mephisto began to release the seal of the Abyss prematurely to keep the Nameless Hero, Isaac, in check.
Isaac had been regrly checking the clock as the seal was being released. He judged that it was about time for the Abyss to emerge.
The timing was perfect. Mephisto had probably nned for the decisive battle today.
Seeing Mephisto¡¯s reaction, Isaac waspletely sure that the Abyss would burst out today.
Isaac looked at the pitch-ck sky, at the Abyss. His eyes were filled with a fighting spirit.
The Abyss, a pitch-ck entity, was excited to face Isaac, a delectable prey and a formidable adversary. That emotion was conveyed to Isaac.
Isaac spoke calmly.
¡°Alright let¡¯s fight.¡±
¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹.
Let the final battle begin.
Guuuuuu!!
Crack!
The Abyss, Om the Eternal, engulfed Isaac and Alice.
A deep shadow fell on the faces of Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya as they flew toward them.
In an instant, the enormous mana surrounding Isaac disappeared as if it were a /genesisforsaken
Chapter 215: Alice Subjugation (11)
Chapter 215: Alice Subjugation (11)
Four days have passed since Isaac was devoured by The Abyss.
The dark sky still stretched over the sea.
However, unlike at the beginning, it was no longer appropriate to call itplete darkness. It had taken on a perfect form, unting its dazzling mana imitating the starry sky adorned with the Milky Way.
Due to the demon blocking the sunlight, an early cold visited M?rchen Academy. Those remaining on the ind had to dig out their winter clothes.
Most people, including students, faculty, residents, and tower wizards, evacuated from the ind to escape the dark skies.
Princess Snow White was forcibly taken away in a carriage by some Imperial Knights, including Merlin Astrea, under an Imperial Order to protect her.
Saintess Bianca Anturaze remained at the church and prayed daily. Although the Pope sent a letter ordering her to evacuate, Bianca firmly refused, evacuating only the Priests and Believers. However, the Escort priest, Sylon, stayed by her side.
Bianca awaited The Nameless Hero, Isaac. She feltpelled to deliver the mysterious book she had found to him, believing it to be the will of the Lord, Manha.
Moreover, there were others who remained at the academy.First, faculty who felt a sense of duty remained as well as a very miniscule amount of students. These students were Dorothy, Luce, Kaya, and the Saintess.
Second, the Imperial Knights were entrusted with the protection of the empire.
Third, the Hegel Tower Master.
Fourth, D¨¹pfendorf forces and the ice magic beasts, who were guarding the ind after winning the war against the demon army. They were Isaac''s minions.
Fifth, the four pdins and Alice''s familiars were detained in prison. These aplices in the current crisis were restrained with handcuffs or ropes that interfered with mana cirction
The Trump soldiers all disappeared somewhere. Since it was impossible to track all of them, they could only restrain and imprison the Pdins and Alice''s familiars.
For four nights, Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya desperately unleashed their strongest spells toward The Abyss, sacrificing sleep in the process. They overused their mana to the point of bleeding from their noses, driven by the thought that Isaac was inside that dark creature.
Simrly, the Imperial Knights alsounched an all-out assault on The Abyss for four days.
Ian Fairytale helped by relentlessly unleashing light element attacks.
The remaining students and D¨¹pfendorf''s forces tried all kinds of tactical attacks together.
However, it was futile. The demon, not even tickled by their attacks, merely continued to imitate the starry sky.
Eventually, the situation led to evacuating Ian and waiting for the empire''s strongest force, the Subjugation Force.
"What are you nning to do?"
Department of Magic, Orphin Hall.
In the reception room, Headmistress Elena Woodline and Professor Fernando Frost sat facing each other.
Fernando hade to discuss with Elena what to do regarding the colossal being floating in the sky.
"The students? Have they all evacuated?"
Fernando shook his head.
There were a total of four students left at the academy.
Dorothy Heartnova, Luce Eltania, Kaya Astrea, and Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
Fernando persistently urged the students to flee for four days, but theypletely ignored his pleas.
Even the Saintess locked herself in the church, blocking everyone''s ess, which left no opportunity to even speak with her.
"Haa. So? How are the kids doing?"
"Luce Eltania and Kaya Astrea should be resting. Aside from the problem of overusing their mana, they seemed to be in a poor mental state. As for Dorothy Heartnova..."
Fernando paused, pondering how to exin, before speaking.
"To be honest, she is in a very dangerous condition."
Elena was puzzled.
"What? Why? What happened?"
"If she were a normal person, she would have to be prepared for death due to severe fever, and she sometimes shows signs of seizures. The bacsh from overusing starlight magic is so severe that even healing magic isn¡¯t working."
Fernando looked sympathetic as he recalled Dorothy''s suffering.
"We are currently forcing her to rest with the cooperation of the Imperial Knights."
"Wait, wait! Why did this happen to her...?"
"We suspect it''s a side effect of starlight mana."
Dorothy poured out her magic with all her might at The Abyss for four days and four nights.
Eventually, her overwhelming emotions and the overuse of starlight mana drove her into the worst physical condition.
Starlight mana was a special power bestowed by the Star Fairy. No one knew what the exact side effects were when the power was abused.
What was certain was that Dorothy''s physical condition was so serious that it would not have been surprising if she had died at any moment.
"Dorothy..." Elena said with a worried expression..
"Actually... I don''t really know."
"What do you mean?"
"The Nameless Hero, no, he has revealed his identity now. Yes, Isaac. Even he couldn''t do anything and was devoured. That extraordinary archwizard."
Now it was widely known that the nameless hero was Isaac. The news must have reached the imperial family as well.
"I can''t think of escaping because I don''t know if he is safe... After all, he is also our academy student..."
"...Is that so."
"I''m sorry, Professor Frost. It''s shameful that someone like me, the Headmistress, is showing such weakness."
Elena, as the Headmistress, felt a heavy responsibility. She would not allow herself to choose the option of escaping first while leaving even one academy student behind.
Fernando sighed.
"¡Emperor Carlos was on his way here in person. That extraordinary visit was interrupted due to the appearance of the demon in the sky."
"Yes."
"He should be staying in a nearby estate by now. If we flee here, we won''t be far from receiving the strong protection of the imperial forces. Moreover, you, as the Headmistress, are recognized by the Imperial family."
Fernando turned his head to look out the window. The demon still filled the sky, imitating the starry night.
"And since the strongest force, The Subjugation Force of the empire is on its way here, you will be forced to leave anyway. It''s only a matter of time before we have to leave this academy."
The Subjugation Force, a unitprised of the Imperial Guard, regarded as the empire¡¯s most formidable military force, was undoubtedly one of the strongest forces in the empire.
They were rushing to defeat the demon in the sky because the area where Isaac was devoured was directly above the ind.
If the Subjugation Force arrived, the ce would turn into a battlefield.
The academy, which many had grown attached to, would soon sumb to all the challenges it had faced.
However, this didn''t mean that M?rchen Academy would disappear. With the support of the empire and investors, another M?rchen Academy was being built.
Until the new campus waspleted, education could only continue in temporary facilities, so M?rchen Academy would not disappear.
"Therefore, I would like you, as the Headmistress, to focus first on making sure you survive."
"Professor Frost, what about you?"
"Unlike you, I am just a mere professor. If even one student decides to remain here, I intend to stay until the end."
"You are really stubborn... What was I even thinking talking to someone like you..."
Elena thought and sighed.
If the demon above tried to destroy the academy before the Subjugation Force arrived, Elena would cast protection magic to protect the remaining people.
It was a power that could distort even the most formidable attacks. Perhaps she could somehow block at least one attack from the demon imitating the starry sky.
***
M?rchen Academy Detention Center. Press Room.
The Imperial Knights decided to interrogate the four pdins separately. They kept them in separate buildings, each a significant distance from one another, that served as temporary detention centers.
The pdins, all highly skilled in magic, posed a risk if kept too close together, as they might unexpectedly utilize their powers. Just restraining them with handcuffs that interfered with mana cirction was not reassuring enough.
The Clover Pdin, Pierre nche did not respond at all to the Imperial Knight''s questioning. Pierre, who was always cheerful, now wore a very expressionless face.
The other pdins felt the same. They had failed, and ultimately, Queen Alice had been devoured by the demon.
All the pdins were so overwhelmed by a piercing sense of loss that they were left speechless.
"So, you won''t reveal anything? Not your motives for this incident, nor your true identities?"
As the Imperial Knight asked with an angry face, Pierre nche squeezed out a voice.
"...Kill me."
"What?"
It was an answer from someone who had already given up on everything.
"It''s all my fault. You can torture me. I don''t mind if you disy my head in Viyans za."
Viyans was the capital of the Zelver Empire.
"So just... kill me."
Having failed their mission and set to lose everything, they had even caused the emergence of the powerful demon that now filled the night sky.
They had no choice but to atone with painful screams and death. No, they wanted to. Otherwise, they felt they could not endure the loss and guilt.
The other pdins felt the same. They had long resolved toy everything down upon failure. They wished to die soon, to atone, and to serve their Queen in the afterlife.
...It was then.
Boom!!
A brilliant explosion sted the press room door, crumpling it like paper.
The Imperial knight, startled, jumped to his feet and immediately drew his sword.
The person who entered the press room was a female student with light purple hair.
Among the strongest in the empire, she was considered M?rchen Academy''s greatest force. She was Dorothy Heartnova.
She was drenched in sweat, gasping for air, and clutching her head in pain. Her face was twisted with the agony of a fever and a headache so severe that it could have killed an ordinary person.
Dorothy red at Pierre.
Having not slept for four days and the continuous casting of spells,bined with her dreadful physical condition, Dorothy''s appearance bore no trace of her former vitality.
"Should I...? Should I just kill you...?"
Dorothy spoke, her voice mixed with ragged /genesisforsaken
Chapter 216: Alice Subjugation (12)
Chapter 216: Alice Subjugation (12)
¡°Is anyone out there?!¡±
The Imperial Knight shouted urgently, but no response came from the hallway. It was because Dorothy had knocked out all the Imperial Knights who had tried to stop her.
Dorothy was like a ticking time bomb. M?rchen Academy treated her like a student in name only, but once she lost her reason and went berserk, she was a formidable force difficult to control.
Only Alice Carroll had naturally served as her restrainer. But now, she was gone.
Pierre looked at Dorothy with a startled face. Suddenly, a burst of force lifted him off the ground and mmed him against the wall.
Baaam!!
¡°Ugh!!¡±
Dorothy grabbed her head with her left hand and stretched out her right arm. Immediately, Pierre¡¯s body was pulled into her hand, and she grabbed him by the throat.
Pierre¡¯s head was bleeding. He was in agony from being choked. Dorothy red at him with bloodshot eyes.¡°You tried to kill Isaac during the Grand Festival, didn¡¯t you? What gave you the nerve toe crawling back? Did I go too easy on you¡?¡±
¡°Kuuugh¡!¡±
¡°Fortunately¡ even a bastard like you is useful now¡ Let¡¯s postpone death a bit, shall we¡?¡±
Pierre could only gasp for air, unable to breathe.
Dorothy¡¯s fever and headache ragged her breathing, her voice kept cracking and her sentences were broken.
¡°Dorothy Heartnova! What the hell are you doing?!¡±
¡°Shut your mouth.¡±
¡°Kugh!¡±
Kuuuuu!
A strong gravitational pull settled over the head of the Imperial Knight. The ground distorted. The knight gritted his teeth and endured the excruciating pain that threatened to crush his body.
He couldn¡¯t move. Dorothy had strengthened the gravitational pull just enough to keep him immobilized.
¡°The only business I have¡ is with this bastard¡ He was nowhere to be found, so I came looking for him myself¡¡±
¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡±
The Knight shouted, eyes wide open.
Dorothy hadn¡¯t slept for days and had been unleashing starlight magic at the Abyss. As a result, she was in a state where she could die at any moment. It was probably because her starlight mana had been congested.
Regardless, has she finally lost her mind?
No, that isn¡¯t it.
That alone isn¡¯t what had driven Dorothy to this point.
Despite his anger, the Imperial Knight was also worried about Dorothy. Even if she was one of the strongest in the Empire, she was still just a student.
However, Dorothy was now out of control and crossing the line, which was why the knight had decided to threaten her forcefully.
Dorothy narrowed her eyes.
Even if all the remaining Imperial Knights at M?rchen Academy were to attack at once, they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat her.
But the yers were converging this way. Soon, they would reach thend bridge.
Even Dorothy could not defeat them. In other words, if she made enemies of the Empire, Dorothy''s safety couldn¡¯t be guaranteed.
But Dorothy didn¡¯t care.
¡°I have no grudge against you¡ To me¡ Isaac is the most important¡¡±
¡°You really¡!¡±
¡°To save Isaac!!¡±
Dorothy shouted.
¡°I need these bastards¡!¡±
Even though her head felt like it was splitting apart, Isaac¡¯s face and voice were still clear in her mind.
For Dorothy, Isaac was more important than thew.
Isaac had be Dorothy¡¯s world. He had given her a future when she was facing death.
To Dorothy, Isaac was far more precious than her own insignificant life that should have already ended before.
Even using [Last Light of a Dying Star], a starlight spell that used her very own life as fuel for its overwhelming power, might not have been enough to make it up to him.
Of course, Isaac also harbored a strong power within him¡ But there was still a limit to the power he could use. Being on Isaac¡¯s side, Dorothy was aware of this.
Moreover, when Isaac was captured, his mana was also consumed. This was obvious to anyone on the ind at the time, as his mana had dramatically dwindled.
That was why Dorothy became impatient and changed her mind.
She would take the four Pdins and go to their world. She would use them as guides to find the one who summoned the demon in the sky. That was the idea.
The starlight mana flowing in her circuit boiled furiously. Her body felt like it was melting. However, this sensation elevated Dorothy to a higher realm.
Now, she was confident that she could take a few people with her to intervene in another world bathed in starlight.
It was a growth that came from four days of emotional turmoil and excessive use of starlight mana.
Dorothy decided to find the main body of the demon that had possessed Alice¡¯s body and learn how to counter the Abyss from it. She knew that the demon inside Alice was not the real body, thanks to the power of [All in the World].
It didn¡¯t matter if she was weaker than that demon. She could always exchange her lifespan for a powerful starlight spell.
¡°Kuuuugh¡!¡±
Dorothy suffered from a headache as if numerous daggers were continuously stabbing her brain.
At the same time, she felt a strange sensation akin to levitating in the air and a sense of omnipotence. It was as if she could do anything.
She had been seeing hallucinations that something was reaching out to her.
And if she took that hand¡ she had a foreboding feeling that she would be dragged to a distant ce from which she could never return.
That was why Dorothy ignored the hallucination.
Booooom!!
Dorothy smashed through prison walls, floating Pierre in the air.
She flew at a terrifying speed and reached the central square of the Academy.
She knocked down the walls of other buildings that served as makeshift prisons with starlight magic, sending only the Pdins flying toward her. She had already pinpointed their locations, making such a feat easy to perform.
¡°Ugh!¡±
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
¡°Kugugh!¡±
The Spade Pdin, Zenon.
The Heart Pdin, Shera Hectorica.
The Diamond Pdin, Alexa.
Like Pierre, they floated around Dorothy, dressed in straitjackets.
Amotion arose with a nging noise. All four Pdins seemed to be grasped by an invisible force, choking and struggling in pain.
¡°Dorothy Heartnova! What are you doing?!¡±
¡°Will you stop this immediately?!¡±
The Imperial Knights reacted quickly and surrounded Dorothy with weapons drawn. Headmistress Elena Woodline and the Professors from Orphin Hall were taken aback by Dorothy¡¯s sudden actions and immediately headed to the square.
A yerposed of the Royal Guards was currently crossing thend bridge. The Imperial Knights wanted to avoid unnecessary chaos during such a time.
Dorothy¡¯s lifeless eyes scanned the knights who were pointing weapons at her.
Hwaaaa!!
Soon, a distinct radiance flowed from Dorothy¡¯s body.
The power of [All in the World] and the transcendent ability to traverse worlds filled with starlight attempted to erase her and the Pdins from the Academy Square. The Imperial Knights were astonished by the mysterious sight.
Over the past four days, Dorothy had been using her powers of observation to track which world the foot soldiers had been sent back to. In addition to pouring her power into the Abyss, this was the undue task she had undertaken.
The Imperial Knights rushed in and unleashed their attacks to stop her.
¡°Don¡¯t¡ interfere¡!¡±
However, Dorothy¡¯s colorful starlight magic blocked all their attacks and pushed them back.
At that moment.
Purple lightning struck Dorothy.
Kwagagagang!!
aaang!!
Dorothy deployed a starlight shield to block the lightning. However, the intensity of the lightning disrupted her concentration.
The glow emanating from Dorothy faded. Her gaze wavered and then turned toward the female student who had struck her with lightning.
The Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knight, Magrio, gently raised his arm to stop the knights. He wanted to observe the situation.
¡°I hated you from the start.¡±
A female student with rose-gold hair nonchntly walked past the Imperial Knights and stopped in front of Dorothy.
A student from the Magic Department who, like Dorothy, had spent four sleepless nights pouring magic onto the Abyss.
It was Luce Eltania.
¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±
Luce asked Dorothy. She was like an emotionless doll, yet a cold cynicism could be felt from her expression and voice.
Dorothy, clutching her splitting head, gasped for air as she red at Luce.
Both girls had dark shadows under their /genesisforsaken
Chapter 217: Alice Subjugation (13)
Chapter 217: Alice Subjugation (13)
Before long, Headmistress Elena Woodline, along with a few remaining professors, had ridden a familiar and arrived at the Academy za.
Vice Commander Magrio stepped in front of them and quietly suggested they watch the situation unfold. Headmistress Elena nodded her head, sweating nervously.
In the middle of the za, Luce, and Dorothy both looked unwell. A murderous intent filled their eyes and they appeared as if they could kill each other at any moment.
It was a connection formed through Isaac. The two disliked each other. Although Dorothy had always been kind towards her, it would be a stretch to say their rtionship was even remotely good.
"Why... do you try to take them away without saying anything? Who are you to do that?"
Luce hated the Pdins enough to want to kill them.
She couldn''t let Dorothy take away those detestable people as she pleased.
"Luce Elta- Ugh!!"
Dorothy tried to cry out Luce''s name but felt a severe headache as if her head was being hacked to pieces. A groan of pain escaped her lips.Starlight mana seethed like a furnace, bubbling intensely. This was perhaps even more pronounced because she had tried to wield transcendent power just moments ago. It showed no signs of calming down.
Starlight mana leaked, causing a swarm of stars. Dorothy gritted her teeth trying to suppress the mana, but the chaotic surge of mana was more than she more than she could handle.
Wrapped in a swarm of stars, Dorothy, breathing roughly, soon struggled to speak.
"I will find a way to cut through the demon''s belly... For that, I need a guide... To find where the one who summoned that demon is...!"
"How can you be sure it will go as you think?"
"There''s nothing else I can do... for Isaac...!"
Isaac wasn¡¯t perfect. So, Dorothy was convinced that she could make up for his imperfections.
But in the end, Isaac was devoured by a demon stronger than the Floating Ind.
Dorothy felt a relentless stirring of helplessness and self-reproach in her heart.
It was to the point that her emotional distress intensified the potency of the starlight mana and caused her pain, thus making it impossible for her to calm down.
Luce scoffed.
"Does it hurt so much it''s made you stupider than usual?."
"What...?"
Dorothy red at the provoking Luce with murderous eyes, but Luce remained calm.
Luce gently blinked, then slightly bowed her head and pursed her lips.
"Isaac wille back. He''s stronger than anyone."
"..."
"Stop this nonsense and hole yourself up in your room. If you keep doing such stupid things and the empire ends up turning against you, what of Isaac then?"
Luce said in a sardonic tone.
If Isaac did not return, regardless of the Imperial Investigative Authority, the Pdins would die by her hand.
But Luce decided to believe that Isaac would return. It seemed unbearable believe he wouldn¡¯t.
Therefore, she assumed Isaac would return and thought ordingly.
"If Isaac is saddened because of you, the only thought that will fill my mind is of killing you, Dorothy."
Dorothy flinched and struggled to clear her pain-clouded mind.
She acknowledged she hadn''t considered Isaac''s feelings.
But despite that, all she wanted now was to save him. Dorothy thought that rescuing him was the priority.
Dorothy wanted to voice hopeful words like Luce.
But... no matter how much she thought about it, the demon above was too strong. As mentioned before, the power of [All In the World] had made that clear.
Because of that, she became impatient.
So, she had to do her best to save Isaac.
"Still, I... Ah...!"
The starlight that had been flowing in Dorothy''s eyes flickered vividly
Something that appeared dreamly in Dorothy''s vision suddenly grabbed her hand forcefully.
Paaaaah!!
Her starlight mana began to bubble like molten hotva.
A chilling mana spread from Dorothy.
The only thing Dorothy could manage to do before sumbing the pain was to cast a starlight barrier to protect the Pdins who could be the guides to Wondend, the innocent Luce, the Imperial Knights, and the faculty members who hade to the za.
"Guh, ugh!!"
Dorothy screamed. She clutched her head with both hands and screamed.
Luce and the Imperial Knights were all shocked. They reflexively took upbat stances.
Stars filled the za, and the strange mana settled like gravity. The structures and stage of the za were shattered and crushed.
Chararang!!
Around Dorothy, a swarm of stars violently rose. The colorful swarm of stars gradually became duller.
At first nce, Dorothy''s body reflected through the star cluster, and several eyes shone out. Luce couldn¡¯t understand what this phenomenon could be.
On the top floor of the Hegel Magic Tower. Aria Lillias, while alone in the tower, felt Dorothy''s mana. Feeling strong anxiety, she hurriedly left the tower and headed for the Academy za.
The D¨¹pfendorf forces guarding the ind also turned their heads in Dorothy¡¯s direction.
Even the demon imitating the night sky writhed. The demon, who had been still for four days, reacted to the strange mana Dorothy was emitting.
"Just what the hell are you...?"
Luce quietly voiced her question as she watched Dorothy struggling to suppress her starlight mana.
The Star Fairy, Ste.
Fairies were beings shrouded in mystery. Like demons, their origins and the reasons for their special powers were unknown.
Among them, if asked who the most mysterious fairy was, everyone would unanimously say the Star Fairy.
The starlight element was a power that manipted all kinds of physical forces. It was hard to deny that it possessed the greatest potential and destructive power among all elements.
The existence of such a powerful Star Fairy was known only because of a girl said to have received the power of starlight in the distant past and a prodigious genius named Dorothy Heartnova.
The first Starlight Wizard suddenly disappeared one day.
On that day, records indicate that tsunamis and typhoons struck the world.
Luce quietly gathered her mana, recalling the story told by the Candy House Witch.
She realized that starlight mana was not entirely on Dorothy''s side.
Then she had to stop Dorothy, who was on the verge of losing control, right here and now.
Kiiiaaaaah!!
Above Luce, lightning branched out in hundreds of directions, revealing Thunderbird Galia. Luce summoned lightning with the aid of the Thunderbird.
"Don''t resent me if this hurts. I intend to subdue you."
Luce, along with the Imperial Knights, deployed a magic circle. However, they were sweating coldly, for the superiority in power was clear.
Nevertheless, everyone gathered in the Academy za instinctively felt that if they did not subdue Dorothy now, something terrible would happen.
A tense situation.
It was then.
Kwagagang!!
A purple lightning bolt streaked across the sea and fell before Luce, taking the form of a man.
Bazzzzt!
A man with dark purple hair quickly deployed a lightning magic circle in an instant and stretched out his arm toward Dorothy. His eyes, flowing like an electric current, locked on Dorothy.
The Elemental King of Lightning. The Lighting Sovereign, ¡°Jaul Dragoniac¡±.
Luce, the Thunderbird, the Imperial Knights, Headmistress Elena, and the faculty were greatly startled by the arrival of the Lightning Sovereign.
"W-why is the Lightning Sovereign here...?!"
Fwooooosh!!
Following that, a fireball flew at tremendous speed and fell onto the Academy za, it burst into mes and transformed into a human form.
An elderly man with a full snowy white beard, dressed in a wizard''s robe, had his hood pulled down over his head and deployed a fire magic circle while leaning on his magic staff.
With a serious face, his eyes, filled with me, focused on Dorothy.
The Elemental King of Fire. The Fire Sovereign, ¡°Andersen Versando¡±.
Puuahhhh!!
A whirlpool of water rose from the sea, crossed the sky, and struck down into the Academy za.
With a click, the whirlpool vanished and the water mana spread beautifully, revealing an elegant woman with navy blue hair.
She deployed a water element magic circle and looked at Dorothy with her aquamarine eyes, a faint smile on her lips.
The Elemental King of Water. The Water Sovereign, ¡°Siren Silivian¡±.
Whooosh!!
A light green tornado stretched out and poured into the Academy za.
The tornado instantly condensed and was grasped in the hands of a short girl whonded on the spot.
She was a girl wearing an eyepatch over her right eye and a hat.
She deployed a wind magic circle and created arge wind bow, aiming an arrow of light green mana at Dorothy.
Holding the bow was arge arm made of mana, crafted from condensed wind.
The girl stood still, looking at Dorothy expressionlessly.
The Elemental King of Wind. The Wind Sovereign, ¡°Erin Campbell¡±.
The pinnacle of each element and the strongest humans in the world. The sight of the four Elemental Kings gathered as if they had made an agreement left the onlookers speechless.
Luce felt their mana. Each one of them possessed immense mana, its depth was unfathomable.
Even she, who wielded the Thunderbird, felt like mere dust before them.
The Elemental Kings, each maintaining a distance, surrounded Dorothy. All were wary of her.
"How did the Elemental Kings appear all at once...?"
"Run."
When Vice Commander of the Imperial Knights Magrio questioned, Fire Sovereign Andersen responded solemnly.
"If something like that goes berserk, who knows what could happen."
Dorothy was still groaning and suffering, unable to control her starlight mana.
"We thought to stop the demon in the sky if the empire fails in its subjugation... but not you, Dorothy Heartnova. If you can''t suppress that mana right now, we don''t know what disaster may strike."
Dorothy''s name was world-famous. She had received the blessings of the Lord Manha and was chosen by the Star Fairy. The Elemental Kings were all well aware of her.
Since the Ice Sovereign revealed himself, the Elemental Kings had been keeping a watchful eye on M?rchen Academy. They all came here together upon sensing the chilling mana emanating from Dorothy.
If Dorothy couldn''t suppress her mana and it were to run wild¡
the Elemental Kings couldn''t predict how dangerous a being might emerge.
"It feels unsatisfactory to do this to a student... Hey kid, can you try to calm down? We don''t want to be doing this either."
The elegant woman, Water Sovereign Siren, said this with a kind smile.
In contrast, Lightning Sovereign Jaul couldn''t say a word. He only furrowed his brows.
That...?
Jaul recalled the unknown being with many eyes hidden within Isaac.
The intimidating aura the being emitted... was now being felt from the rampaging Dorothy. Jaul felt a sense of discord from this fact.
It felt as if Dorothy was in the process of bing such an entity.
¡°...?¡±
Luce moved even closer to Dorothy. Thanks to the starlight protective barrier, she could approach safely.
The intense and erratic gravity around Dorothy would have distorted anybody who approached without protection.
Luce turned her back to Dorothy and extended her arms to the sides.
The onlookers in the za were greatly rmed by this, and Dorothy was startled as well.
"Honestly, I don''t even understand what''s happening, and I dislike you. But still..."
Thunderbird shot into the sky, spreading shes of lightning. He was solely following his master''s will.
Luce showed her determination to the Elemental Kings.
"If something happens to you, wouldn''t Isaac be sad?"
While that was a valid reason, Luce hoped that no misfortune would befall Dorothy.
After Isaac, she was the one she could most easily talk to. Although there were still aspects of her she disliked, it wasn''t as if she outright hated Dorothy.
Thus, Luce had chosen to stand by Dorothy without hesitation.
Dorothy, gasping for breath and in agony, watched Luce''s back with her eyes bulging with strained blood vessels. She wanted to scream at her to get away, but she couldn''t muster the voice to do so.
"...I''m sorry about this."
Wind Sovereign Erin said calmly with her eyes closed. She didn''t know how close Luce and Dorothy were, but she couldn''t just stand by and watch Dorothy''s rampage.
Dorothy needed to be subdued. The will of the Elemental Kings were unified, and the magic circle they deployed emitted a powerful light.
At that moment.
The storm settled.
Whooooo!!!
Suddenly, a sharp blood-wind swept around Dorothy and Luce, as if intent on protecting them.
It was a wind so sharp that it could slice through flesh upon contact.
The wind magic was intended as a threat, so it harmed no one. However, because of the wind, the Elemental Kings ceased their magic and observed the situation.
A girl with light green hairnded near Luce and Dorothy. With bloodshot eyes, she scanned the Elemental Kings, her expression hardened.
It was Kaya Astrea. She too appeared worn out, having not slept for four days.
Kaya casted [Blood Tree] around herself and Dorothy to protect them from the overflowing starlight mana.
She attempted to heal Dorothy while resisting the rebellious starlight mana.
And then, taking a deep breath, she shouted loudly.
"Can''t you all sense it?!!"
Just moments ago, Kaya had been near The Abyss because she didn''t want to rest without doing anything.
And just now, she had faintly felt the burgeoning ice mana emanating from the demon in the starry sky.
Kaya extended her right arm upwards, pointing at the demon.
"In the sky!! Ice mana!!"
The people in the za, except for the Elemental Kings, didn''t understand what Kaya was saying. Even the Elemental Kings were slow to catch on, as they were focused on the out-of-control starlight mana.
Soon, an anomaly urred.
Kuuuuung!!!
The sky trembled. No, The Abyss itself began to shudder.
At that moment, a terrifying amount of ice mana descended upon the area.
The Elemental Kings, the imperial knights, Headmistress Elena and the faculty, and Dorothy and Luce felt chills run down their spines and quickly looked up.
It was the moment that confirmed the survival of a man.
"Everyone, prepare to wee him!"
Even the [Blood Tree] shield was insufficient to block Dorothy''s mana.
Kaya endured the pain of her body twisting and her flesh tearing as she stayed by Dorothy''s side, rapidly healing her injuries with the power of the nt element.
With a resolute face, she eximed,
"Sir Isaac will return...!"
Isaac is alive. Thus, he will defeat the demon and return.
Such a belief was reflected on Kaya''s face.
-
It was four days ago.
It was after Isaac had been devoured by the Abyss while holding Alice Carroll.
"...Baby?"
Alice slowly opened her eyes, feeling a sense of weightlessness.
She was being held in a princess carry by a man. Silver-blue hair filled her vision.
"Are you awake?"
Isaac shed Alice a gentle /genesisforsaken
Chapter 218: Alice Subjugation (14)
Chapter 218: Alice Subjugation (14)
I endlessly fell in the eternal prison alongside Alice.
I took a portablemp out of my magic pouch and attached it to my clothes. The light from themp brightened our surroundings.
Alice seemed to feel secure as I held her tightly.
However, she looked dazed, like she had just woken up from a deep sleep. She looked dubious, wondering how she hade back to life.
I looked around. Something that looked like a giant was emitting a chilling aura from a great distance.
Then, I looked in another direction. Alice¡¯s head followed my gaze.
In the distance, a massive human head was visible. It was made of eerily flowing dark mana, and its eyes and mouth were filled with pitch-ck darkness, making them appear hollow.
The human head figure had four heads stuck back to back, each facing north, south, east, and west. It reminded me of Asura from Buddhist mythology which I hade to know about in my previous life.
Those four heads attached together formedyers uponyers¡ forming a column that stretched endlessly, with no end in sight above and below.It was hazy.
Apart from that, there was only pure pitch-ck darkness.
¡°What¡ is this ce?¡±
¡°The inside of a demon¡¯s belly.¡±
Alice¡¯s eyes flickered briefly.
The demon, ¡°Om the Eternal¡±,monly known as the Abyss. This was his world.
The Abyss, a demon sealed inside Snow White¡¯s pocket watch, when released from the seal, would devour any living being with mana it encountered.
After it had eaten enough mana to satiate its voracity, it would pause its feeding frenzy for a few days like a feast-and-famine predator.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, after it had devoured Ian Fairytale, Snow White, and other strong beings, it mimicked the starry sky and remained still.
Ian couldn¡¯t touch the Abyss without the Luminous Sword. The Abyss was incredibly strong. Conversely, having the Luminous Sword meant that it was possible to defeat this demon.
¡°Haa.¡±
Alice sighed and activated her telekinesis.
Whoooong.
Tap.
¡°Hmm?¡±
Our fall slowed down thanks to Alice¡¯s telekinesis. Soon, we stepped on something tangible that was formed midair.
It felt as if we were stepping on a crystal-clear ss floor. Beautiful ripples of light spread out from the tips of my feet.
¡°It¡¯s made with telekinesis.¡±
We were standing in the middle of a space without a floor.
¡°Ah¡¡±
Alice¡¯s legs gave out, and she copsed right then and there.
I could roughly guess why. She must have remembered what happened before being devoured by the Abyss and felt a tremendous sense of emptiness.
Alice took a deep breath, hugged her knees, and buried her head in them.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
The back of Alice¡¯s shirt was torn, exposing her skin. Mephisto¡¯s arm had pierced through her clothing earlier.
I took off my cloak of disguise and draped it over Alice¡¯s shoulders. She showed no reaction as the navy blue robe covered her small back.
I set down the portablemp I had fixed to my clothing and sat behind Alice, with my back against hers. When I lowered my head, only pitch-ck darkness filled my sight.
This ce was a bottomless eternal prison. If we didn¡¯t do anything, we would fall forever.
It was frightening. When I looked out at the vastness of the universe, I felt a sense of emptiness upon realizing the insignificance of human life. But thanks to the effect of [Frozen Soul], that emotion quickly settled down.
Silence followed. It was suffocatingly quiet.
The sound of fabric rustling and faint breathing were the only things filling the suffocating void.
In that ufortable silence, Alice eventually spoke up.
¡°Why didn¡¯t I die, Baby?¡±
It was about time she asked.
Given Alice¡¯s situation, it must have been bewildering. Whatever happened, she was supposed to die.
I paused before responding.
¡°It seems like we¡¯re forced to live forever here. Maybe that¡¯s why.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand¡ How can you say something like that so casually?¡±
¡°Because it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ I guess I can¡¯t understand what an archwizard like you sees and feels.¡±
Alice spoke in a subdued voice. There was no need to be entirely honest, so I left her to think for herself.
Like I said, inside the Abyss¡¯s body was a ce that granted eternal life.
Such was a ce that could imprison living beings forever¡ for tens of thousands, millions, and even billions of years. That was why it also served as the backdrop for the bad ending ¡¸Eternity¡¹.
Creatures that lived for ages in this prison had eventually lost their selves and their souls were taken by the Abyss, bing the demon¡¯s eternal toys.
All of this was part of the transcendental powers of the demon, Abyss.
That was why I thought that entering the Abyss would allow Alice to live.
Inflicting a fatal wound on Alice and turning her into a frozen human was for that reason. Sending Mephisto away and getting devoured by the Abyss was also part of the expected course.
It worked seeing as how Alice was alive and well.
I touched the scar on my cheek that I got while fighting Alice and Zenon. It had healedpletely, leaving only a trace of the wound.
Broken bones had also healed. It was a recovery speed that couldn¡¯t be attributed just to potions. It must have been thanks to the life force provided by the Abyss.
The problem was mana.
I had used up a lot of mana during the fight against Zenon, Alice, and Mephisto. Especially when I was in the Hunter state, using the de of Frost Flowers required a significant amount of mana.
Of course, I still had plenty of mana left at that time, but the Abyss ended up devouring much of it.
Alice was in a simr situation. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take much mana to create tangible objects using telekinesis. Alice was incredibly powerful after all.
This meant that the rate at which Alice¡¯s mana was recovering was faster than the rate at which it was being consumed to maintain this transparent telekic object.
I need to recover my mana quickly.
For now, my sole focus should be on recovering my mana as soon as possible.
The Abyss was on a mystical and transcendental level, higher than that of an archwizard. It was stronger than the Floating Ind and was one of the highest-ranking demons, just below the Evil God.
¡°¡¡±
In the silence, I could feel the gaze of the Abyss.
It was likely waiting for my mana to fully recover. It patiently awaited our inevitable duel.
Seeing me now, not ready to fight, I must seem really unworthy and tasteless. That was why it was just observing.
I wasn¡¯t sure what it expected of me when I was fully ready, but I was confident I could offer more than it expected.
Time passed and Alice broke the silence.
¡°In the end¡ it turned out like this.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°I lost, and you got devoured by this demon with me¡ It was my fault so only I should have been punished¡ It¡¯s a bad ending for all of us.¡±
I didn¡¯t bother to answer. I wanted her to reflect on her feelings of guilt.
¡°¡¡±
It quieted down again.
¡Maybe I should do some physical training.
***
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you find it strange that I call you ¡®Baby¡¯?¡±
¡°Not really, I didn¡¯t think much of it.¡±
¡°I see¡¡±
¡°...Now that you mention it, I¡¯m curious. Why do you call me that?¡±
¡°It was just a nickname. I didn¡¯t think much of it either.¡±
¡°Is that so¡¡±
***
¡°What are you thinking about?¡±
¡°Whether my people are okay or if they all died because of me.¡±
¡°I guess so¡¡±
¡°...Aren¡¯t you worried, Baby? There must be a lot of people worrying about you right now.¡±
¡°I do worry. But there¡¯s nothing I can do at the moment.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±
***
¡°Baby, why are you waving your hand in the air like that?¡±
¡°Do you know what a status window is?¡±
¡°Huh¡? What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s like a window of the mind that shows my current state. It¡¯s something that only I can see.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m some weirdo¡ I¡¯m just kidding.¡±
***
¡°You know what, Baby?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I was actually a Queen. I had a kingdom that I ruled over. It¡¯s a bit far away though.¡±
¡°Wow, that¡¯s really quite something.¡±
¡°...Your reaction is so underwhelming. What¡¯s with the theatrical tone?¡±
***
¡°Alice.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°How do you think you would have lived if the demon hadn¡¯te?¡±
¡°Probably¡ peacefully in my kingdom. I don¡¯t know if I would have met a man I liked, but I think I would have lived quitefortably.¡±
¡°...That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m someone who¡¯s only done bad things to you.¡±
***
¡°You have more muscles than I thought, Baby?¡±
¡°Well, yeah.¡±
¡°But is there any point in working out here?¡±
¡°...Huh?¡±
***
¡°Your goal was to defeat the Evil God¡ So you came to the Academy?¡±
¡°Something like that. I¡¯m not yet skilled enough to defeat it yet.¡±
¡°Even someone as strong as you can¡¯t defeat it, and here I was trying to resurrect it¡¡±
¡°...Remember that guilt.¡±
¡°¡¡±
***
¡°No muscle pain.¡±
¡°See.¡±
***
¡°Can¡¯t really feel the passage of time here, can you? I¡¯m not even sleepy.¡±
¡°It must be the demon¡¯s power keeping us awake. It¡¯s been about¡ two days now.¡±
¡°Huh? How did you know?¡±
¡°I have a watch.¡±
¡°I see¡¡±
***
¡°I¡¯m curious about something, Baby.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Do you like Dorothy, Luce Eltania, or Kaya Astrea?¡±
¡°I like them all.¡±
¡°I meant romantically.¡±
¡°My answer is the same.¡±
¡°Really¡?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°Is the rumor that you¡¯re a yboy true¡?¡±
¡°It¡¯s half true. Psychologically, it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°Pfft¡ A psychological yboy¡¡±
¡°What are youughing at?¡±
¡°Just because, it¡¯s unexpected. It¡¯s really funny.¡±
¡°Is that so¡ that¡¯s the first time you¡¯veughed since we got here.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. Thanks to you.¡±
***
¡°It¡¯s quite a romantic setting.¡±
¡°Why bring it up all of a sudden?¡±
¡°It feels like we¡¯re the only two left in this isted world.¡±
¡°Do you still think that after seeing those weird faces?¡±
¡°Baby is so strong yet so scared?¡±
***
¡°Do you think we can get out of here?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
***
¡°I miss my mom and dad¡¡±
¡°...What were they like?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a boring story, do you want to hear it?¡±
¡°Yeah, tell me.¡±
¡°I should start from when I was young. I haven¡¯t seen them since we parted when I was little.¡±
***
¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend everything is okay. The people of your kingdom, your subordinates, they¡¯re all very worried about you.¡±
¡°Hee, that¡¯s right¡ If only I wasn¡¯t so weak, none of this would have happened. I¡¯ve only caused harm to you¡¡±
¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if your kingdom still stands. It might be irresponsible to say this, but I think¡ it might be okay.¡±
¡°Thank you forforting me. Even though I¡¯m your enemy.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not like that anymore.¡±
¡°...Yeah.¡±
***
¡°Waaaaaah!!¡±
¡°Waaaaaah!!¡±
¡°Waaaaaah!!¡±
¡°Waaaaaah!!¡±
***
¡°Can I ask you something?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to ask permission for that.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°What do you want to know?¡±
¡°Did you really like me?¡±
¡°...Let me correct that. If you¡¯re going to ask that kind of question, ask permission first.¡±
***
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°This might sound strange, but thank you for being by my side.¡±
¡°...Is that so?¡±
***
Swoosh.
I swiped away the status window with my finger.
While waiting for my mana to recover, Alice and I shared many stories we had kept inside.
I remembered everything she had told me, and I vowed to never forget it, even the most minor of details.
We started from different beginnings and met at a crossroads called tragedy.
And fortunately, now I might be able to overturn that tragedy.
¡°So¡¡±
My mana and condition were perfect.
Now I had to defeat the Abyss before it started feeding again.
Kaya, Luce, Dorothy, White¡ I was worried about them too. I wanted to see them soon.
I stood up and walked forward, stepping on the tangible ground Alice had created.
¡°Baby?¡±
¡°Get ready, we¡¯re about to leave.¡±
¡°What do you mean¡?¡±
I turned my head back to look at Alice and pointed upwards with one finger.
Then, I answered calmly.
¡°I¡¯m going to hunt this demon.¡±
Alice¡¯s face stiffened like stone.
¡°What¡?¡±
You were serious when you said you were going to hunt this demon?
Alice was confused, but she soonposed herself, knowing Isaac was not one to joke about such matters.
After casting the protective spell [Frost Barrier] on Alice that neutralized his own ice magic, Isaac turned his head towards the giant pir with human heads.
He gathered his mana. The gentle aura of [Ice Sovereign] rose from Isaac, flowing like a river.
Isaac focused.
He intended to unleash the greatest firepower he had ever mustered in a single burst.
Screeeeech.
The human heads all turned simultaneously, staring at Isaac with their hollow eyes. The Abyss sensed his hostility.
Isaac simply looked back at it with a cold gaze.
[Kuhahahaha!!]
Suddenly, the human heads began tough grotesquely. The ear-splittingughter startled Alice, causing her to cover her ears.
The hollow mouth of the one directly in front of Isaac spat out a ck orb.
It floated in the air and transformed into a giant. The giant¡¯s pitch-ck body was followed by mystical rings made of purple mana, casting an alien halo that helped delineate its form.
It was adorned with ornaments made of various body parts of humans, animals, magic beasts, and demons. They were made out of those who had been devoured by the Abyss and lost their selves. The number was countless.
Those turned into ornaments were still feeling vivid pain. The sight of many creature heads that made up the giant¡¯s ne crying or drooling seemed to heighten the terrifying stature of the giant.
The pitch-ck giant spoke. A profound and deep male voice emanated.
[I¡¯ve been waiting, Ice King.]
¡°You have my gratitude.¡±
Compared to the colossal pitch-ck giant, Isaac, who was significantly smaller, shrugged his shoulders and responded calmly.
The two beings had sensed each other¡¯s intentions without words.
Alice couldn¡¯tprehend the situation at all.
¡°What in the world¡?¡±
¡°He was waiting for me.¡±
When the Abyss devoured Isaac, it was delighted with the taste of his mana, for it had never tasted anything so delicious.
However, the Isaac it had devoured suddenly changed to an indiscernible level.
The Abyss greedily decided to devour Isaac¡¯s mana once he was fully restored, expecting it to be heavenly.
Moreover, Isaac was a man of great power. The Abyss was burning withpetitive spirit having such a formidable enemy in front of it.
All it needed was a brief moment.
A blink of an eyepared to the long years the Abyss had lived.
Thus, the Abyss chose to wait for Isaac, and Isaac understood its intention.
¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±
Isaac finished stretching.
It was time to repay the Abyss¡¯s anticipation.
Kooooong!!
Above them, an enormous iron gate of immeasurable size appeared.
Alice doubted her eyes when she saw the gate. It felt alien, as if it wasn¡¯t of this world, apanied by an unfathomable amount of powerful ice mana.
Why did it suddenly appear¡ What could it possibly be?
One thing was clear, the one who summoned the gate was Isaac.
Isaac slowly raised his right arm.
Then, in a calm tone, he murmured softly.
¨C A life full of /genesisforsaken
Chapter 219: Alice Subjugation (15)
Chapter 219: Alice Subjugation (15)
Hwaaaaa!
Isaac exhaled an icy chill.
Following a low-pitched chant, arge number of pale blue magic circles began to form behind him, stacking up like cogs.
The magic circles continued to build up, higher and higher.
Finally, a single gigantic magic circle epassed all the others, forming a trajectory in the air.
¡°Ack!¡±
Alice let out a short scream. The invisible floor couldn¡¯t withstand Isaac¡¯s mana and it copsed.
Isaac and Alice began to fall.
At that moment, Isaac extended his left hand to Alice.Seeing this, Alice flinched. Isaac¡¯s words echoed in her mind.
¨C Still, don¡¯t die.
Alice grabbed his hand, and Isaac pulled her into his embrace. The [Frost Barrier] enveloped them both.
A massive magic circle followed Isaac.
Crackleeee!
Isaac spread out three pairs of wings with the chill of [Ice Sovereign] and hovered, ring at the pitch-ck giant.
Whooooo!!!!
Over Isaac¡¯s outstretched right hand, pale blue cold air swirled and gathered, forming a gigantic ice sun. It was an overwhelming show of magic that even trivialized the caster, appearing as a mere insect in its majesty.
Alice¡¯s eyes widened at the wondrous sight.
¨C And! Live beside me and atone. No matter how dangerous it gets, I¡¯ll fend it off.
The 9-star ice spell, [Cocytus], formed in Isaac¡¯s right hand.
Alice witnessed the world-ending magic she had only heard about in stories for the first time in her life.
Meanwhile, the numerous human heads gathered purplish mana in their mouths. The mana gradually condensed into a high-density sphere.
Simultaneously, the pitch-ck giant deployed six massive dark magic circles around him. Each magic circle produced fierce, jagged spheres of darkness.
The power of the void, capable of annihting even souls.
Each sphere wasrger than the continent epassing the Zelver Empire. The size alone was a result of repeatedlypressed mana, making them dangerous cmities.
In response, the zing ice sun in Isaac¡¯s right hand emitted a strong radiance.
The world, shrouded in pitch-ck darkness, gradually began to brighten.
Screech!
A massive iron gate opened in the distance, releasing a cold that embodied the absolute zero covering the abyss.
Inside the gate was a transcendental ice beast, unbound by life or naturalw.
When first summoned, it was suppressed by thews of the Nether, but here, there was no such restriction. This ce was merely the independent space of the Abyss, an eternal prison.
In other words, it could exert its full power.
From within the gate, a ck monster with several red glowing eyes grasped open the gate and revealed its humongous body.
[Kaaaaaaaa!!!]
Isaac¡¯s minion, the Primordial Beast of Ice, Daikan, let out a roar that echoed through the Abyss.
Alice¡¯s eyes trembled.
What kind of being did Isaac have as a minion?
Alice could hardly believe the existence of such a creature, even as she witnessed it firsthand.
The sheer mana emanating from Isaac and Daikan began to warp the very space around them.
The pitch-ck giantughed eerily and shouted joyfully at the sight.
[Excellent! Not even during my wanderings through the distant skies did I encounter an adversary like you!]
Inside the Abyss, the life that had passed in what seemed like an eternity was meaningless to look back on. It was all just emptiness.
He was too strong. Thus, he decided to seal himself until the day the Evil God, Nephid, resurrected and entrusted everything to Mephisto.
And upon awakening, he met this human.
Since a very distant past, now forgotten, the Abyss had longed to face an opponent so strong that even his immortal life felt threatened.
Now that wish hade true.
How exhrating to feel such excitement after countless years. How could he contain this boiling fighting spirit?
[My name is Om!]
The Abyss wanted to know the name of the one who brought him this feeling.
[What is thy name?]
Isaac answered in a calm voice.
¡°Isaac.¡±
[Ice King, Isaac. At the end of this battle, such a name will forever be immortalized in my memory.]
Isaac and the 9-star ice spell [Cocytus], along with the transcendental ice beast Daikan, filled the nothingness of the Abyss with their chill.
Though the Abyss was made of an eternal prison, even that demon had limits as a living being.
No one had ever surpassed the Abyss¡¯s limits, which was why he had remained ¡°Eternal¡±.
To defeat the Abyss, it was necessary to unleash a force that could surpass his power and distort the veryws of nature.
Kwaaaang!!!
The pitch-ck giant and the columns of human heads simultaneously fired beams of purplish mana with the power of the void.
¡°Me too¡ I¡¯ll remember you.¡±
Isaac murmured as he watched the Abyss¡¯s attack fill his view with no escape, then swung his right hand to unleash the ice sun [Cocytus].
At the same time, the Primordial Beast of Ice, Daikan, fired the extremely cold mana from its mouth.
At the moment of collision.
Isaac¡¯s coldness swallowed even sound, drowning everything else out, and the pitch-ck giant was enveloped in an immense light in the midst of stillness.
Feeling the extreme cold and the sensation of dying, a satisfied smile spread across the pitch-ck giant¡¯s lips.
Having thought he would never die, he poured all his strength into battling the Ice King and achieved a glorious defeat.
[What a wonderful death¡!]
The Abyss vanished.
The countless souls he had imprisoned regained their freedom.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!!
The body of the Abyss, riddled with holes, allowed cold sunlight to pour through the gaps.
A thunderous roar echoed across the sky, apanied by a grand icy explosion that enveloped the starry sky.
The chilling cold spread gently.
And then.
Against the backdrop of the dazzling explosion in the sky, a young man descended, holding a woman with light gold hair in his arms.
Everyone witnessed this scene.
Emperor Carlos, who had been observing M?rchen Academy from somewhere nearby with the help of an Imperial wizard.
The students and staff who had evacuated, as well as Snow White and her escort knights.
The Subjugation Force traversing M?rchen Academy.
Saintess Bianca and her loyal follower, Sylon.
The people gathered in M?rchen Academy square.
Screech!
Boom!
The iron gate, which was almost already closed, shut firmly with a resounding noise.
Beyond the icy explosion was a huge iron gate that seemed to have no end.
The Emperor and the Elemental Kings recognized the Primordial Magic Beast residing beyond that gate.
The rest were filled with questions about what it was, along with feelings of awe and fear.
The only certainty was that the massive iron gate was the result of the power of the young man with silver-blue hair falling from the sky.
As the gate faded into the sky like a mirage, the true night sky revealed itself.
The ice beasts guarding the ind roared in a triumphant chorus.
The D¨¹pfendorf army kneeled on one knee in reverence.
[Behold.]
Themander of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s knights extended his frosted silver sword towards the sky, addressing his knights.
[The great one who has driven away the demon of the night sky and brought forth light.]
Through the moniker of the ck Monster, he was called the Nameless Hero.
He was reborn as the Ice Sovereign and the Ice Elemental King.
[He is our new King.]
The Ice Sovereign, Isaac.
This was the moment he reappeared after defeating the Abyss.
¡°Isaac¡?¡±
¡°Sir Isaac!!¡±
Luce¡¯s astonished cry and Kaya¡¯s joyous shout echoed.
Isaac noticed the many people gathered in the Academy Square.
He wanted to adjust his descent using the momentum of [Frostfire], but he couldn¡¯t. His mana waspletely exhausted after defeating the Abyss.
¡°Alice, help usnd in the square.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡±
Alice, still in Isaac¡¯s arms, couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened, but she nodded with a relieved expression.
What an extraordinary man.
She thought, feeling a deep sense of admiration.
Alice¡¯s telekinesis gently guided them to a safending in the middle of the Academy Square.
Thus, Isaac and Alicended next to Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya.
The Abyss disintegrated into gray dust, and the remnants of pale blue mana fell like gentle snowkes. The mana was so dense that even its remnants didn¡¯t disappear easily.
The people gathered in the square had never seen such a beautiful sight of mana remnants falling like snow.
Luce was at a loss for words, her throat tight, as she saw Isaac, who had defeated the demon in the starry sky, return.
Kaya gazed at Isaac with sparkling eyes, tears welling up at the corners. She was relieved that Isaac had returned safely.
Dorothy¡¯s eyes widened as Isaac came into view. A profound sense of relief washed over her, and her starlight mana gradually regained stability.
¡°Huh¡?¡±
The hallucination of someone pulling her hand vanished as if the grip had been released.
Dorothy used the power of [All in the World] to identify the multiple-eyed unknown entity lurking within Isaac¡¯s essence, and she realized it was growling.
Chararang¡
The rampaging starlight mana calmed down as if it had been a lie. Dorothy concluded that the unknown entity within Isaac had resolved it.
How? More importantly, why?
She couldn¡¯t fathom the reason.
The four Pdins who had been floating around Dorothy copsed to the ground, gasping for air and clutching their throats.
¡°What on earth happened¡?¡±
The four Elemental Kings, the Imperial Knights, Thunderbird Galia, Headmistress Elena, the faculty, the Tower Master of Hegel, Aria, and¡ the strongest subjugation force in the Empire, who had arrived at the Academy Square briefly and witnessed the rampaging starlight mana, all showed shocked expressions.
The appearance of Isaac had caused the starlight mana that was distorting the surrounding terrain to subside.
Those who witnessed this scene could only conclude that Isaac had somehow resolved Dorothy¡¯s mana outburst with an unknown power.
¡°¡¡±
Despite therge crowd gathered in the square, a heavy silence hung in the air.
Isaac saw Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya¡¯s faces and swallowed a gasp.
They looked terrible. Isaac felt a tightening pain in his chest.
He gently set Alice down and surveyed the surroundings with chilling, cold eyes.
Many structures were warped by starlight mana. Multiple craters marked the area.
The four Elemental Kings and the Imperial Knights were facing off against Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya.
Although he couldn¡¯t fully grasp what had happened, he could grasp the general picture.
There must have been a justified reason for this situation. Isaac understood that much.
But, no matter how much he tried¡ he couldn¡¯t suppress his rising anger.
The forces of this world were trying to harm those he cared for?
¡°What¡ do you think you¡¯re all doing?¡±
Isaac asked, trying to restrain his emotions.
Yet his icy tone seemed to freeze the Academy Square.
On the outskirts of the ind, the disaster-level ice beasts sensed their master¡¯s reaction and disyed hostility towards those gathered in the square.
By now, a part of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s army had surrounded the square, and the top-ranked soldiers formed up behind Isaac, exuding a chilling aura.
Although the movements of the D¨¹pfendorf soldiers were unexpected, Isaac didn¡¯t mind. He needed to demonstrate his authority from now on.
The Subjugation Force and the Imperial Knights swallowed hard.
Isaac¡¯s disyed emotions seemed like hostility. It felt like a warning not to cross the line any further, or there would be consequences.
The silver-blue-haired boy who had returned after defeating the mighty demon that had surrounded the sky, the Ice Sovereign¡ they realized they couldn¡¯t recklessly oppose him. Even a flick of his finger could turn the area into ruins.
Such was the vast disparity in power between the Ice Sovereign and themselves, the Subjugation Force and the Imperial Knights concluded with cold rationality.
As the silence continued, Isaac walked forward alone.
The Lightning King, the Lightning Sovereign, Jaul Dragoniac, watched Isaac with sharp eyes.
The Fire King, the Fire Sovereign, Andersen Versando, regarded Isaac solemnly.
The Water King, the Water Sovereign, Siren Silivian, smirked at Isaac.
The Wind King, the Wind Sovereign, Erin Campbell, nkly gazed at Isaac.
With Isaac at the center of it all, a thick tension enveloped the Academy /genesisforsaken
Chapter 220: Alice Subjugation (16)
Chapter 220: Alice Subjugation (16)
I realized that people were afraid of me. Even I realized I had gone too far.
However, I seeded in saving Alice. The disappearance of the stigma of restraint on her neck was proof of that.
Additionally, I had preemptively mastered 7-star magic in anticipation of facing the Abyss and seeded in defeating it.
All that remained was to resolve the situation with the Empire.
It was one of the reasons I had summoned D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s army without hesitation. I wanted to prevent even one person from getting hurt and to achieve the status of ¡°Ice Sovereign¡±.
I had thought my very existence would serve as a powerful bargaining chip.
As expected, I had now be a figure of terror.
Iposed myself. Even though the current situation made me angry beyond rational thought, there must be a valid reason for how things turned out. I tried to suppress my anger as much as possible in my spontaneous remarks.
However, It seemed that my voice had sounded quite threatening to the people.¡°Isaac¡¡±
Suddenly, someone embraced me tightly from behind.
D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s army knew which side I was on. In other words, they let me be since I wasn¡¯t someone they needed to stop.
¡°Isaac¡ Isaac¡±
I turned my head back to look at her. Rose-gold hair. It was Luce.
¡°Luce, what are you doing¡?¡±
¡°I really hate you¡¡±
Luce buried her head in my shoulder and tightened her embrace as she continued to tell me how much she hated me.
It was then.
¡°Everyone, please calm down.¡±
A gentle voice. A girl led a group of escorts into the Academy Square.
A veil on her head. A pure white saint¡¯s robe wrapped tightly around her body. Helize Church¡¯s Saintess and a first-year student at M?rchen Academy, Bianca Anturaze.
The Imperial Knights, yers, and faculty members all bowed their heads in respect to the Saintess.
Bianca stood at a distance from me and sped her hands in prayer, then smiled sweetly. She was blind, so her eyes remained closed.
[Bianca Anturaze]
Lv: 70
Race: Human
Elements: Light
Danger: X
Psychology: [Harbors favor towards you.]
¡°The divine guidance that led you here must be the will of the Lord, Manha.¡±
The Saintess, Bianca, unexpectedly mentioned the name of the Lord while defending me.
¡°Greetings, Nameless Hero and the new Ice Sovereign. I am Bianca Anturaze. As the Saintess of Helize Church and a proxy of the Lord, I wee you.¡±
With the authority of the Holy Kingdom of Bardio and the Lord, Manha, backing her, Saintess Bianca preemptively epted me.
How should I react?
It was an unexpected situation, so I just quietly observed her.
Gradually, the tension in the square had eased considerably. Perhaps it was because of Luce and Bianca.
The Lightning Sovereign, Jaul Dragoniac, closed his eyes and withdrew his magic circle.
¡°I have no intention of fighting you.¡±
I turned towards Jaul.
It seemed that he had decided there was no need to keep up the hostility since the reason for the intrusion of the four Elemental Kings had all been resolved.
The Imperial Knights sheathed their weapons, and the yers continued to watch the situation cautiously.
¡°I agree.¡±
The elderly Fire Sovereign, Andersen, also dispelled his magic circle and stroked his beard as he spoke.
¡°There¡¯s no need for unnecessary fighting here. Dorothy Heartnova¡¯s rampage and the demon in the night sky have all been handled by you.¡±
[Andersen Versando]
Lv: 200
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Wind
Danger: ???
Psychology: [???]
Dorothy went on a rampage?
Looking around, it seemed certain that an incident beyond Dorothy¡¯s control had urred, which was why she looked so worn out.
¡Let¡¯s prioritize the incident. Now that Dorothy has calmed down, it would be better to find out why she rampagedter.
¡°The excitement has died down. It was quite intense for a while, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
The Water Sovereign, an elegantly dressed woman, also deactivated her magic circle as she spoke.
[Siren Silivian]
Lv: 199
Race: Human
Elements: Water, Ice
Danger: ???
Psychology: [???]
¡°¡¡±
The Wind Sovereign, who looked like a young girl, silently retracted her magic circle and wind bow.
[Erin Campbell]
Lv: 198
Race: Human
Element: Wind
Danger: ???
Psychology: [???]
Except for the Fire Sovereign, the Elemental Kings had each embraced the power of [Eternal Youth]. It was said that upon reaching the level of an Archwizard, one typically got the opportunity to acquire this power.
The elderly-looking Fire Sovereign had chosen not to ept the power of [Eternal Youth] of his own volition.
The ages of the other Kings could not be determined just by their appearances. Even in the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? guidebook, the ages of the Elemental Kings were not disclosed.
Incidentally, a very small number of people, even those who weren¡¯t Archwizards, sometimes fortuitously obtained the power of [Eternal Youth]. Headmistress Elena was one such person.
¡°It¡¯s also not quite right to do this in someone else¡¯snd. I guess I¡¯ll have to settle with the fact that the new Ice Sovereign is cute, and I got a pretty good look at him.¡±
The Water Sovereign, Siren, giggled, then turned her back and waved at me.
A sly grin crossed her face.
¡°I¡¯ll see you again, Ice Sovereign.¡±
Puuuuuu!
Siren transformed into swirling water, whirling away in a beautiful spray of mana.
This was the realm of an archwizard. The ability to transform oneself into an elemental form, while still being human.
Suddenly, the Wind Sovereign, Erin, had approached and stood before me. She wore an eyepatch over her right eye and an expressionless face.
I lowered my head to look into Erin¡¯s left eye. Her eye, filled with wind mana, looked mystical.
¡°New Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°Arrogant.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Whoooosh!
Erin pouted her lips and left those words before turning into a green whirlwind and left the Academy Square.
What was that all about?
¡°It seems we¡¯re out of ce¡ Ice Sovereign, I¡¯ll formally greet you another time. Let¡¯s meet again soon.¡±
Crackling!
The Fire Sovereign, Andersen, wrapped in zing mes, turned into a fireball and shot up into the sky.
Soon, the Lightning Sovereign, Jaul, approached me. We stood close, facing each other.
¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ remember you didn¡¯t pay me?¡±
¡°Pay? Hmm.¡±
Last summer break, I had gotten involved with the Lightning Sovereign, Jaul, over a part-time job. He had dashed off without paying.
Jaul pondered for a moment before finally responding.
¡°...I¡¯m afraid I forgot.¡±
This guy, his brazenness was quite something.
As I narrowed my eyes, Jaul gently ced a finger on my forehead. There was no sign of an attack of illusion magic.
¡°I have a message for you.¡±
At that moment, Jaul¡¯s message flowed into my head.
It was brief. Jaul quickly lowered his hand.
Luce, who was still hugging me from behind, sensed Jaul¡¯s mana and red at him coldly. She was warning him not to mess with me.
However, the message Jaul conveyed to me was not something that would anger Luce.
Council of Kings?
I invite you to the Council of Kings.
Seek out Aichel Whiterk of the Whiterk Duchy.
She is the moderator of the Council of Kings.
That was the message.
¡°That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±
Jaul turned away. His body transformed into purple mana and then, like lightning, he crossed the sea and left the ind.
Where Jaul had passed, a trail of lightning remained like an afterimage. Luce and I watched as he disappeared into the sky.
¡Were they conspiring among themselves? If this fact became known, it would undoubtedly turn the world upside down.
Informing me and inviting me to such an event meant they epted me without question as the Ice Sovereign.
It seemed that I would merely make an appearance here, and the real discussion would take ce during the Council of Kings.
¡°...Ah.¡±
A sudden thought shed through my mind.
I hadn¡¯t considered it before, but could I recruit the Elemental Kings as members of the Evil God yers?
Their psyches were unreadable, and they were all entric characters who couldn¡¯t be trusted hastily. However, if they could be a part of the Evil God yers, it would certainly be reassuring.
¡Let¡¯s consider this matter carefully.
Ignoring Luce, who clung to me like a tortoise shell, I turned around.
I looked at D¨¹pfendorf¡¯smanding forces bowing to me, including Dorothy, Kaya, Alice, and the Thunderbird Galia.
I smiled awkwardly, trying to reassure them.
The reason things had turned out this way wasrgely due to the fact that I had been devoured by the Abyss.
There was no guarantee I could defeat the Abyss, so it was an all-or-nothing situation. Fortunately, my firepower exceeded expectations, and I managed to defeat the Abyss.
Even so¡ the fact I hadn¡¯t properlymunicated with Dorothy or Kaya and let the situation escte to this was entirely my fault. There surely could have been a better way.
I should apologize properly.
To Dorothy and Kaya.
And to Luce, who worried about me like they did.
¡°Sir Isaaaaac¡!¡±
Seeing my smile, Kaya, wrapped in wind magic, flew next to me and clung tightly. Then, floating in the air, she wrapped her arms around my shoulder and rubbed her cheek against mine.
It was smooth and soft to the touch. She continuously sobbed ¡°Sir Isaac,¡± looking adorably relieved.
Dorothy staggered over and leaned into my embrace, saying, ¡°Presideeent¡ I¡¯m exhausted¡¡± in anguid voice. She looked as exhausted as she sounded.
Like someone with the flu, Dorothy felt very hot. When I asked her what happened, she said she didn¡¯t know, and I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised as this was an improvementpared to before.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, President. I caused trouble¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, too. I waste.¡±
Emotions subsided, and my voice was subdued. I felt a sense of guilt pricking at my heart.
Although I was depleted of mana, I could still conjure a light chill in my hand. I ced my cold hand on Dorothy¡¯s forehead to cool her down. Dorothy closed her eyes and rested her forehead against my hand.
With Luce, Kaya, and Dorothy clinging to me, Alice watched us silently with a smile full of emotion.
However, that smile didn¡¯tst long.
¡°Alice Carroll.¡±
Led by the Vice-Commander Magrio, the Imperial Knights approached Alice, but D¨¹pfendorf¡¯smanding forces blocked them. Magrio frowned.
¡°Hold on,¡± I said, carefully separating myself from Luce, Kaya, and Dorothy to intervene in the confrontation.
Standing in front of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯smanding forces, I faced Vice-Commander Magrio. The atmosphere was tense.
The Imperial Knights ced a hand over their heart and the other behind their back, saluting me with knightly decorum.
¡°I formally greet you, new Ice Sovereign. I am Vice-Commander ¡®Magrio Halpent¡¯ of Fenrir, the Fourth Order of Knights.¡±
Although I should use formalnguage as a student of M?rchen Academy towards this person¡
Knowing their intention, I decided to interact with them using my newly acquired status.
As the Nameless Hero and the Ice Sovereign.
¡°The incident involving Alice Carroll urred within the borders of the Zelver Empire. Given the seriousness of the incident, our Empire cannot simply overlook this matter.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Thus, we request that you hand her over.¡±
I frowned and red at Magrio.
Alice Carroll¡¯s case against the Empire.
This was the challenge I had to /genesisforsaken
Chapter 221: Alice Subjugation (17)
Chapter 221: Alice Subjugation (17)
The Alice Carroll incident urred within the territory of the Empire.
The situation was too grave for M?rchen Academy to handle alone. Therefore, it was only natural for the Empire to take charge of the Alice Carroll incident.
I felt the wariness of the Imperial Knights towards me. The same was true of the Royal Guards, Imperial Knights, and the Imperial Wizards that made up the Subjugation Force.
They were all sentinels of the Empire. Regardless of who their opponent was, they were resolute individuals who would draw their swords and staffs without hesitation for the sake of the Empire.
However.
¡°I¡¯m the one who resolved this incident.¡±
I responded with a cynical tone.
¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, the Empire would have suffered massive casualties and astronomical property damage.¡±
Honestly, I was the one who summoned Mephisto and plunged the academy into a near-crisis.But Mephisto¡¯s army was bound to invade sooner orter. Without me, who had been granted power by the system, a catastrophe would have undoubtedly urred.
Moreover, I made the choice to strategically bring Alice Carroll into the battle against the Evil God, thus strengthening our forces.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? hell difficulty required extreme levels of control over the main character, Ian Fairytale.
To guard Ian while confronting the Evil God and minimizing casualties, I needed as much strong support as possible, like that from the Heart Kingdom.
In other words, my actions were entirely for the Empire. Even if I acted tough, I had nothing to lose.
¡°So hand over the suspects. I¡¯ll decide what to do with them.¡±
My assertiveness made Vice-Commander Magrio frown.
¡°Are you serious? It will be troublesome if-¡±
¡°Magrio.¡±
The Subjugation Force Captain and Royal Guard, Jacule Calix, stepped forward.
The Imperial Knights and Vice-Commander Magrio made way for Jacule, and he stood before me. Considering who I was, it seemed that the highest-ranking member of the Imperial Knights present had personally intervened.
A middle-aged man with a sturdy build, appearing to be around 190 cm tall. Deep wrinkles were etched into his face like the waves of an ocean.
The sword at his waist marked him as a member of the Royal Guards, a top-tier force of the Empire.
Jacule red at me with narrowed eyes.
[Jacule Calix]
Lv: 178
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Fire
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Prepared to fight you.]
Danger level ¡°low¡±. Being rated low at Level 178 meant that Jacule had no immediate intent to fight.
If necessary, he would aim for my neck with the treasured sword of the Empire at his waist.
Whether Jacule¡¯s danger level would disappear or increase depended on how the situation would unfold.
¡°I greet the mighty Ice Sovereign. I am a Royal Guard, Jacule Calix, of the Imperial Knights. I sincerely thank you for resolving the incident. If you have any desired rewards, the Empire will do its best to fulfill them. However¡¡±
Jacule emphasized the ¡°however¡± as he continued in a deep, respectful voice while still ring at me.
¡°We cannot hand over Alice Carroll. She is central to understanding several demon-rted incidents that have urred within the Empire, including this one. She holds critical information on the appearance of demons, their collusion, their objectives, and the truth behind these events. There are numerous aspects that vite thews of the Empire.¡±
From the Empire¡¯s perspective, it was indeed difficult to give up Alice Carroll. I understood that.
¡°So if you intend to obstruct the enforcement of the Empire¡¯sws and regtions¡ Forgive me, but even if you are the Ice Sovereign, we will risk our lives and use force. Do you understand?¡±
Jacule¡¯s hand hovered over the sword at his waist.
¡°¡¡±
I widened my field of vision as I stared at Jacule.
A white eagle adorned with golden ornaments was observing us from a nearby rooftop. It was the familiar of Emperor Carlos.
He was likely receiving real-time reports of the situation in the Academy Square through his familiar. I had anticipated this. After all, a new Elemental King like ¡°me¡± had appeared.
Emperor Carlos of the Zelver Empire sought to maintain amicable rtions with all Elemental Kings because each one was excessively powerful.
However, Emperor Carlos¡¯s deference to the Elemental Kings stemmed from his prioritization of order and peace. If an Elemental King tantly disregarded Imperial Laws and acted recklessly, he would go to any lengths to oppose them.
Emperor Carlos possessed the decisive judgment befitting an Emperor.
What I had done so far was fundamentally aimed at stopping the Evil God.
And the ce where the Evil God would resurrect was here, in M?rchen Academy, on the Empire¡¯s soil. The key elements for the Evil God¡¯s subjugation were also gathered here.
In other words, if I, bearing D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s mantle, were to antagonize the Imperial Knights and strain rtions with the Empire by spilling blood here¡
It would be challenging for me to remain at M?rchen Academy, the most crucial stage, and seek the Empire¡¯s help for the Evil God¡¯s subjugationter on.
This would greatly hinder my objective.
In that case¡
I needed to navigate this situation peacefully and bring the Emperor or at least a high-ranking representative to the negotiation table.
We both had nothing to gain from shedding blood.
¡°Isaac.¡±
While I was contemting, Alice¡¯s voice came from behind. Jacule¡¯s gaze shifted to Alice.
I turned around.
¡°Make way.¡±
The ranks of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s elite soldiers split in half almost instantly.
I walked straight ahead and stood face-to-face with Alice. She held the cloak of disguise I had given her around her shoulders, gently clutching the cor.
I looked into Alice¡¯s light pink eyes, trying to gauge her thoughts.
In a small, calm voice only I could hear, she spoke.
I expected those words. The unnecessarily understanding smile as well. She must have arbitrarily weighed the pros and cons.
If Alice were captured by the Empire, she would have to brace herself for torture, inhumane treatment, and possible execution. The same went for the Pdins.
Given their current predicament, they should be desperately defending themselves instead of epting any oue humbly.
¡°And, I have something I must-¡±
¡°Hey, Alice.¡±
I had no intention of allowing that.
¡°Do you remember what I told you? To live beside me in atonement.¡±
Alice¡¯s expression hardened. She nodded.
¡°Then stay put. I¡¯m not giving up on you.¡±
I said coldly, making sure she understood.
Alice lowered her head, looking like she was deep in thought.
I sighed, patted her shoulder, and turned to face Jacule Calix again.
Then, Alice grabbed my hand from her shoulder and ced it against her neck.
¡°¡?¡±
The chill from Alice¡¯s neck. She gently rubbed my hand against her skin, as if wanting me to feel its texture.
Alice then looked up again with her usual gentle smile, but her eyes were resolute.
¡°Baby.¡±
At that moment, the sensation I felt when I made a contract with the D¨¹pfendorf army vividly surged through me again.
My eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but understanding Alice¡¯s intention, I quicklyposed myself.
¡°I¡¯ll surrender myself to you. Take me.¡±
Her gentle voice softly resonated in my ears.
I recalled the conversation we had in the Abyss.
I had revealed that my goal was to defeat the Evil God, instructing Alice that if she sought redemption, she should devote her life to this cause.
I¡¯ll surender myself to you.
She was essentially saying she would be my strength to defeat the Evil God.
I turned back to Alice and gazed at her steadily. My calm face was reflected in her eyes.
¡°...Are you sure about this?¡±
¡°If you won¡¯t give up on me, it seems like this is the best way for me to atone. And it looks like¡ I lost our bet too.¡±
I organized my thoughts. It took a while.
Then, Alice spoke up.
¡°Will you promise me? To stay by my side from now on.¡±
I nodded.
¡°...I promise.¡±
Alice smiled softly, gently caressing my hand that was on her neck.
Our intentions aligned.
Whoooooo.
A pale blue light flowed from my hand, encircling Alice¡¯s neck and forming a stigma.
The new stigma on her neck glowed subtly with the color of my mana. It was a sign that Alice Carroll belonged to me.
This was the moment when Alice and I formed a contract.
¡°¡!!¡±
Everyone in the square was shocked. Especially Dorothy, Luce, Kaya, and the Pdins.
Humans couldn¡¯t be someone else¡¯s familiar or minion, not due to moral issues but because their mana sources were not configured to allow such contracts. It was fundamentally impossible.
But Alice was an exception.
Mephisto the Contractor had manipted Alice¡¯s mana source to enable her to be a minion, which was why she had Mephisto¡¯s stigma until ¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹.
So, Alice had just attempted to form a servant contract with me, and we both felt it was possible. Her mana source remained in the manipted state.
Thus, we aligned our intentions and established a master-servant rtionship.
Alice became my ally and minion. She was mine and had to unconditionally obey mymands.
This also meant that Alice was now affiliated with D¨¹pfendorf, effectively making the Heart Kingdom a vassal state under our control.
I stepped away from Alice and turned around.
Facing the Imperial Knights and the Subjugation Force, I disyed the stigma on Alice¡¯s neck as clear evidence.
I shouted loudly.
¡°Listen!¡±
It was an official deration.
¡°Alice Carroll is now my minion! Therefore, her familiars and all those who serve under her are all mine!¡±
Heart Queen, Alice.
Phantom Cat, Cheshire.
Nightmare Dragon, Jabberwock.
Tiger Dragon, Bandersnatch.
The Pdins.
Magic beast minion, Jubjub bird.
The foot soldiers.
All of the Heart Kingdom¡¯s forces were now mine.
Vice-Commander Magrio Halpent trembled with clenched fists. His reaction was aplex mix of bewilderment, anger, and fear. Who wouldn¡¯t react in such a way after witnessing a human form a minion contract with another human, a feat never before seen in the history of the world.
The legitimacy of this act was backed by my new identity as the ¡°Ice Sovereign¡±. Archwizards often performed feats that defied human logic.
Why would an Ice Archwizard be an exception?
The Royal Guard, Jacule Calix, narrowed his eyes even more, ring at me.
I walked forward again, facing Jacule and the vanguard of the Subjugation Force and the Imperial Knights.
I met his resentful gaze head-on and spoke sharply.
¡°So, the punishment and their treatment will be determined by me. Any action against them will be taken as a challenge against D¨¹pfendorf and myself.¡±
I intended to protect the people while opposing the Evil God.
No matter how unrealistic, reckless, arrogant, or foolish it might seem, I was determined to achieve it.
And such an ideal included Alice.
Jacule clenched his teeth, his jaw muscles visibly tightening.
¡°...Please reconsider.¡±
Eventually, Jacule spoke with a slightly trembling voice, still ring at me.
¡°By taking Alice Carroll under D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s protection, you are assuming full responsibility for this incident. As I reiterate, Alice Carroll is also suspected of colluding with demons. All incidents of demon appearances in thisnd may be rted to her. Are you prepared to take responsibility?¡±
I understood Jacule¡¯s intent. Since it was no longer a matter he could decide, he was trying to intimidate me by bringing up my liabilities.
But the opinion of someone who couldn¡¯t make decisions on this matter didn¡¯t concern me.
¡°Take responsibility¡? Who are you to hold me ountable?¡±
Know your ce.
The one I had business with was Emperor Carlos. Given that this situation had escted to a diplomatic issue, Jacule, as a Royal Guard, had no choice but to await the Emperor¡¯s decision.
Jacule frowned.
Then it happened.
The white eagle, adorned with golden ornaments, flew down into the Academy Square.
It was Emperor Carlos¡¯s familiar, which had been watching us from earlier. It seemed the Emperor had decided it was time for him to intervene.
The Subjugation Force and the Imperial Knights, including Jacule, reflexively saluted in a knightly fashion, and the eagle familiarnded on Jacule¡¯s shoulder.
The familiar whispered something to Jacule in a small voice before flying away again. It looked like Emperor Carlos had given an order.
Jacule bowed his head to me.
¡°His Highness, the Emperor, has stated that he will arrive here within three nights. He wishes to meet with the Ice Sovereign.¡±
Traveling from the Imperial Capital, Viyans, in three days was nearly impossible.
Unless he was riding a fast andrge magic beast, the Emperor would most likely being in a grand carriage.
It seemed he had been nning toe to M?rchen Academy for a while.
¡°The individuals involved in the Alice Carroll incident will be handed over for now.¡±
¡°Is that an Imperial Order?¡±
¡°Yes, His Highnessmands that we do not touch the Ice Sovereign¡¯s people. The specifics will be discussed directly between His Highness and yourself.¡±
It appeared Emperor Carlos had concluded that there was no benefit in antagonizing me any further.
After all, Alice, used of colluding with demons, and I, who had defeated demons and protected the people, were in fundamentally conflicting positions. Given our alliance, Emperor Carlos seemed intent on understanding my intentions first.
¡°Apologies. Please forgive our rudeness earlier.¡±
With Jacule¡¯s apology, the Subjugation Force and the Imperial Knights all bowed their heads to me. It seemed they had received stern words from the Emperor.
I observed them coldly for a moment, then turned my back.
I walked leisurely through the path created by D¨¹pfendorf soldiers standing in /genesisforsaken
Chapter 222: Alice Subjugation — Interlude (1)
Chapter 222: Alice Subjugation ¡ª Interlude (1)
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the end of the Student Council President Alice Carroll was tragic.
Aftermitting suicide, she was denounced as a traitor and a criminal, getting insulted and cursed. She was purely vilified, and her gravestone was ced in a shabby corner of a mountain.
The Pdins were captured by the Empire and were nowhere to be seen. However, there were clues from exploring the map that suggests they were tortured and eventually took their own lives.
In themunity, it became an established fact that the Pdins did not yield to the Empire¡¯s torture and questioning, maintaining their silence until they finally ended their lives.
In the end, this is how it turned out.
Alice and the Pdins survived and became my subordinates.
It was an unexpected oue. I had envisioned an equal partnership, not a hierarchical one, but it turned out well for me.
Additionally, Alice summoned a foot soldier and received reports that the Heart Kingdom was safe. Alice and the Pdins were relieved.
About a yearter, as the Evil God was about to resurrect, Mephisto the Contractor was getting ready somewhere in this world. Since I had appeared after defeating the Abyss, I had to consider the possibility that it had fled.I informed the Frost Spirit, Merphil, and some soldiers about where Mephisto might be its characteristics, and its appearance. Then, I ordered them to search for it.
They left the Academy in high spirits, eager to carry out mymands.
Thus,¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹ came to an end.
The next day, the sun rose naturally over the horizon. As if nothing had happened.
The yers remained at the academy with the Imperial Knights. They had beenmanded to stay there.
The center of the Alice Carroll incident, Bartos Hall, was off-limits to preserve the scene. Additionally, a few damaged buildings were immediately repaired by the academy.
With the return of the students, faculty, Hegel Tower wizards, and ind residents, the academy¡¯s atmosphere had been restored. However, the academy announced a temporary suspension of sses to address the Alice Carroll incident.
I had a brief meeting with Headmistress Elena Woodline. She exined in detail the events that transpired while I was in the Abyss and the circumstances of Dorothy¡¯s rampage.
Why did that happen?
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there had never been an incident of starlight mana running amok until Dorothy¡¯s death. It waspletely unheard of.
For now¡ that¡¯s something I have to figure outter with Dorothy. I need to rest first.
Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya were so exhausted after the situation was resolved that they immediately went to their dorm to sleep. They slept for two days straight.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad since they had exhausted themselves to such an extent to save me.
In consultation with Vice-Commander Magrio, I decided to temporarily take sole possession of one of the academy¡¯s detention buildings for Alice Carroll and the Pdins.
Alice voluntarily stayed in the detention center, wishing to sort out her thoughts. I respected her wishes and provided her with a cell.
Meanwhile, some of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s forces were stationed to guard the academy detention center on rotating shifts.
The rest of the forces returned to D¨¹pfendorf. They were to share the good news with the people and prepare for the coronation ceremony.
They seemed very happy.
I couldn¡¯t send them back to D¨¹pfendorf because I had made a contract with them after summoning them. This was also why I could keep them here without expending any mana. I felt a little apologetic.
Meanwhile.
D¨¹pfendorf¡
I had taken on a great responsibility for my purpose. It didn¡¯t feel real yet.
Naturally, I had no intention of running away from it. On the contrary, I was happy to be treated as a King.
I nned to visit D¨¹pfendorf during the vacation for the coronation ceremony. I wanted to meet their expectations to make their long wait for a ruler worth it.
cial Bear Barbatoma and Icebound Crocodile Tugaros each returned to nature somewhere. Considering that theserge and fearsome creatures had be my minions, they now looked quite cute to me.
Saintess Bianca Anturaze said she had a message for me, and asked me toe to the Church when things had settled down and I had some free time. She told me there was something urgent we needed to discuss.
What¡¯s up with her?
Saintess Bianca. Although I¡¯d prefer to avoid her, I acknowledged her request as I knew she had no sinister intentions.
In front of the academy¡¯s bulletin board, students were buzzing. The notice of suspension wasn¡¯t the only important announcement posted.
The informant has been captured, and in coboration with the Imperial Knights, we are investigating the true nature of the incident.
It was only natural for the students to start talking about the informant.
Arguments erupted among those gathered at the bulletin board, some saying it was unlike the Student Council President to do such a thing, others urging them to look objectively at the facts.
Were there any dropouts at that time?
I remember after the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹ in the game, a few students dropped out, saying they couldn¡¯t stand the academy anymore due to constant scandals and gave up on their diplomas.
Maybe a few? It was quite a small number. Many students believed things would now be alright since the ¡°informant¡± who was thought to be the root of all problems had been captured.
It was a sense of relief born from ignorance.
If they knew what the true nature of the [Obelisk of Eternity], they wouldn¡¯t be so calm.
If they knew the effects of the [Obelisk of Eternity] that Alice was about to activate, they would realize that something terrifying was about to be resurrected here.
Only a few people knew what that magic was. When I asked Alice, she said she learned it through Mephisto.
In the game, it was only after numerous investigations that the nature of that magic was revealed, and the authorities immediately ssified that information as top secret.
It made sense.
It would minimize the chaos, allow them to evacuate people at the right time, and prepare for the subjugation of the Evil God.
So.
It¡¯s better to keep it under wraps.
Otherwise, it would cause tremendous chaos.
I wasn¡¯t sure I could handle the negative consequences that such chaos would bring.
It seemed necessary to coordinate our stories with Alice and the Pdins in advance.
With no sses, students spent their days as if it were a holiday. However, as I walked through the campus, passing students sent me awe-inspired nces.
Having shown the activation of [Hunter] to all students and having attained the status of Ice Sovereign, it was to be expected.
Even the news that Emperor Carlos was nning to visit the academy added to the buzz about me among the students.
Who else could be the reason for the Emperor¡¯s personal visit to the academy?
That was why I used less crowded paths as much as possible. The excessive attention was overwhelming.
The thought of sses resuming soon was daunting.
That¡¯s¡ still a bit far off.
While walking through the academy grounds, I took out a pocket watch.
The tinum-colored pocket watch of Snow White, and the broken seal that housed the Abyss.
Up until the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹, it had turnedpletely ck, but it was gradually regaining its tinum color.
I had snatched this pocket watch using magic just before being consumed by the creature summoned from the Abyss, as I had promised to return it to White.
However, I didn¡¯t n to return it immediately. I had to share the story associated with this watch with Emperor Carlos.
***
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 150
Gender: Male
Year: 2
Title: Ice Sovereign
Mana [¡ù Mana is depleted.]
- Mana Recovery Speed (A+)
- Stamina (A+)
- Strength (A+)
- Intelligence (A)
- Willpower (S)
Potential ??Details??
[Combat Abilities]
Elemental Series 1: Ice
- Elemental Firepower (A)
- Elemental Efficiency (A+)
- Elemental Synergy (A)
Elemental Series 2: Rock
Elemental Firepower (A-)
Elemental Efficiency (A-)
Elemental Synergy (B+)
[Unique Traits]
- Hunter
- Weapon Master
- Ultra Magic Knight
- Rapid Growth
¡°I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Wee, Baby.¡±
There was still some time left before the arrival of Emperor Carlos.
I visited Alice¡¯s room in the academy detention center every day. She had asked the Pdins to keep her confinement a secret, so she was secretly detained.
The academy detention center, a ce for detaining students who cause major trouble, didn¡¯t feel grim at all.
Perhaps it was due to its old charm. Since the inmates were students, the focus was more on rehabilitation than on punishment.
It seemed like we hadn¡¯t spent enough time in the Abyss, as we shared many stories. Weughed while ying together, and I cooked and shared meals with her.
¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be treated so luxuriously by the Master.¡±
¡°What¡¯s with the title¡?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you my Master?¡±
¡°This is awkward.¡±
¡°Then, did you prefer it when I called you Baby? Huh, Baby?¡±
¡°You never called me that affectionately.¡±
Alice treated me like she used to, constantly joking around. It seemed she understood why I came to visit every day.
When we ran out of things to say, we would sit side by side against the wall, passing the time. During those times, I held a magic tool and practiced my mana mastery, even if by a minuscule amount, and kept herpany.
Alice casually made puns, and I yed along with her jokes.
She must have had a lot of time to think. That was why I wanted to be by her side, especially now that she had be my subordinate.
Should I do a status check?
I decided to organize my thoughts next to Alice.
The ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹ brought tremendous achievements.
My level went up by 2 after defeating Alice, by 8 after defeating Mephisto¡¯s clone and the demon army, and by 15 after defeating the Abyss. A total of 25 levels.
Although my mana was still depleted, given my current growth rate, my maximum mana should be around ¡°95,300¡±. From level 151 onward, the rate of mana increase would sharply rise.
My title had changed to ¡®Ice Sovereign,¡¯ likely due to using the de of Frost Flowers.
Whether the system bestowed this title to match my situation¡ was unknown.
Moreover, I earned 2 achievements.
I earned the [Guardian of Time] achievement by sessfully destroying the Phantom Clock while fighting Alice, gaining a bonus of 15 stat points.
By defeating the Abyss, I achieved the legendary achievement [Eternal Transcendence]. The reward was¡
¡This.
I checked the skill list. A new neutral magic had appeared.
8-star magic, [Labyrinth Creation].
As the name suggested, it was a spell that created abyrinth. This spell flowed into my mind immediately after defeating the Abyss.
[Labyrinth Creation] could be merged with domain expansions like [Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost]. In other words, I could create an icebyrinth.
The required mana would be extremely high, but it was manageable with [Vs. Race Combat Power].
If I had any regrets...
I could have achieved the legendary achievement [Conqueror] by defeating Mephisto and the demon army. However, since I did not defeat Mephisto¡¯s real body, the conditions weren¡¯t fulfilled.
When I find him, I¡¯ll make sure his end is as brutal as it is permanent.
By then, the [Conqueror] achievement would naturally follow.
[Vs. Race Combat Power] is¡
[vs. Human Combat Power] was still stuck at 80. [vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power] was at 0. [vs. Species Combat Power] was unnecessarily marked at 1.
Currently, I have a whopping 115 stat points, thanks to defeating Mephisto¡¯s demon army and the Abyss. This achievement helped reduce the anxiety about the next semester.
Next semester¡¯s appearances included Heavenly Beings and Fairies, and demons like Calgart the Necromancer and Thanatos the Ruination.
Thanatos the Ruination couldn¡¯t be harmed unless Ian used [Expelled from Paradise]. Therefore, Ian¡¯s role would be crucial.
Now it¡¯s the Heavenly Beings and Fairies that are the problem.
To prepare for them I decided to hold off on distributing stats. Things could get tangled up again.
Therefore, maximizing [vs. Human Combat Power] would have to be postponed.
If I seriously fought against humans, my temporary level would rise to 190, and my abilities would strengthen ordingly.
That should be enough.
Of course, there mighte a time when I¡¯d feel the need to maximize [vs. Human Combat Power].
Such a situation should be avoided if possible.
¡°Ah.¡±
It was time to leave. Emperor Carlos would be arriving soon.
¡°The Emperor will be here soon, I have to go.¡±
I rose to my feet, and Alice followed suit.
¡°Yeah, take care. Thank you foring.¡±
¡°...Also.¡±
Before I left, there was something I wanted to give to Alice.
¡°Is this okay?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I took out an essory from the wrapping paper and handed it to Alice. It was a ck choker.
I bought itst night as the store had reopened.
I chose the most neutral design, but if she didn¡¯t like it, I nned to go shopping with herter for a new one.
¡°I bought it because you can¡¯t go around showing your stigma. Do you like it?¡±
I didn¡¯t put it on her directly and waited for her reaction instead.
It might trigger a trauma. If so, I was prepared to apologize and throw the choker away. I bought it only because I thought it suited Alice¡¯s taste.
Alice silently stared at the choker. Her face was expressionless for a moment as if many thoughts were crossing her mind.
It was an ufortable silence.
Should I get rid of the choker now¡?
¡°...Hee.¡±
Eventually, Alice, with her usual gentle smile, epted the choker. Then she reached inside her cor and put it around her neck.
The choker covered the pale blue stigma on Alice¡¯s neck. It suited her quite nicely.
¡°I¡¯ll wear it, Baby.¡±
Alice¡¯s cheeks flushed lightly.
I smiled, feeling relieved at her gentle smile, and walked away.
***
The ce Isaac had left.
A deep silence lingered.
With a stoic face, Alice touched the choker around her neck while looking at the mirror on the wall.
It was soft to the touch.
¡°Ah, this¡¡±
She was still bound by someone else.
But now, it was no longer a resentful or cursed bondage.
Alice lowered her head.
¡°I¡¯m happy¡¡±
Unconsciously, the corners of her mouth lifted.
Alice really liked the feeling of the choker, the slight pressure against her /genesisforsaken
Chapter 223: Alice Subjugation — Interlude (2)
Chapter 223: Alice Subjugation ¡ª Interlude (2)
The majestic Imperial carriage passed through the gates of M?rchen Academy.
The faculty and Imperial Knights weed the arrival of the carriage.
As the escort soldiers formed a formation around the carriage, an elderly man in luxurious attire stepped out. It was none other than Emperor Carlos.
The people gathered in front of the carriage bowed their heads in unison before the Emperor.
Emperor Carlos, guided by Headmistress Elena Woodline and the Imperial Knights, proceeded to the multi-purpose building, Marzio Hall.
The Royal Guard Jacule Calix, three skilled Imperial Knights, and an Imperial Wizard who apanied the carriage joined as escorts.
They entered the conference room of Marzio Hall, which was spacious, luxurious, and pristine. Arge, long table upied the center of the room.
At the farthest end from the entrance, a bespectacled boy in a school uniform, as well as a formidable-looking knight of ice, greeted Emperor Carlos.
¡°Pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I am Isaac.¡±¡°Greetings, new Ice Sovereign.¡±
A heavy tension hung in the air.
Isaac, being a student of M?rchen Academy and a citizen of the Zelver Empire, was expected to bow his head.
However, given his status as the Ice Sovereign, he merely stood and gave a slight nod in greeting.
Isaac was apanied by a single Ice Knight who was d in tinum armor and stood over 3 meters tall.
Pale blue cold air seeped through the gaps of his armor. His name was Morcan, and the captain of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s Knights.
Everyone in the room immediately recognized the mighty presence of the Ice Knight.
¡°P-please, have a seat, Your Highness¡!¡±
Headmistress Elena¡¯s voice trembled with nervousness.
Emperor Carlos took a seat opposite Isaac, and Royal Guard Jacule stood behind the Emperor to protect him.
The Imperial Knights, Imperial Wizard, and Headmistress Elena waited near the entrance.
The discussion between Emperor Carlos and Isaac would determine the future direction of the academy. Therefore, Headmistress Elena had agreed to remain in the meeting room after consulting with them beforehand.
¡°First, let me congratte you on bing the new Elemental King of Ice¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°I hear you¡¯re a second-year student at the academy. Is it true that you¡¯re 18 years old?¡±
¡°That¡¯s correct¡±
Isaac smiled kindly.
Emperor Carlos was struck by the fact that such a young boy was the Nameless Hero and the new Elemental King. He exuded an air of innocence befitting his young age.
Considering that the world¡¯s most powerful individuals were often entric, his first impression did not align with his reputed strength.
Moreover, an investigation into Isaac¡¯s past revealed nothing remarkable.
He came from the barony of Ropenheim and had led a life of poverty. Both of his biological parents were deceased and his only sibling was and his only sibling had been adopted by the Baron of Ropenheim when she was a child.
Additionally, the boy had entered M?rchen Academy based on his academic abilities, not his magical skills.
His ordinariness made him all the more mysterious.
Nevertheless, it was undeniable that this boy was the strongest human among mankind, possessing the power to destroy the world.
Emperor Carlos felt both a sense of incongruity and awe.
¡°Ice Sovereign, let me state the Empire¡¯s position clearly. Our Empire wees you. We wish to maintain friendly rtions with the Ice Kingdom, D¨¹pfendorf.¡±
The fact that Emperor Carlos had personally attended this meeting indicated his willingness to conciliate.
Isaac adjusted his sses, maintaining a genial smile. There was a stark contrast between him and the intimidating and stoic Ice Knight behind him.
¡°We feel the same.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Then let us begin our discussion.¡±
Emperor Carlos began speaking earnestly.
You are known as the Nameless Hero and have resolved various incidents involving demons at M?rchen Academy. It is hard to believe someone like you attends the academy solely for academic purposes. Hence, I would like to ask.¡±
¡°Please, go ahead.¡±
¡°Is there¡ some secret hidden in this academy? I¡¯ve heard that the spell Alice Carroll had attempted to use was also mysterious. I wonder if there is a connection between that and your purpose.¡±
Isaac had consistently resolved the various incidents caused by the appearance of demons as far back asst year. His ability to handle them despite their increasing frequency was akin to the ability to see the future.
Emperor Carlos wanted to resolve his doubts about this.
¡°Well, I could roughly predict when demons would appear. It¡¯s difficult to exin, but you can think of it as having some foresight into dangerous futures.¡±
¡°¡¡±
It was an unbelievable statement, but Emperor Carlos did not question the validity of it.
Despite his appearance, he was the youngest archwizard in history. Debating his mysterious and iprehensible abilities would be pointless.
¡°So, I enrolled in M?rchen Academy after realizing that demons would appear here. I wanted to uncover the source. Naturally, I also discovered that there was an informant.¡±
¡°I see¡ that makes sense.¡±
Hearing this, Emperor Carlos surmised that Isaac had many reasons for keeping his identity hidden.
There were many other questions he wanted to ask.
The goal of Alice Carroll and the demons, why Isaac had made Alice his minion, and the issue with Alice¡¯s treatment.
But first, he wanted to ask Isaac.
¡°...You have protected the people of the Zelver Empire at the Academy. We are grateful for that. However, I cannot help but wonder about a fundamental issue. Why did youe to the academy to deal with the demon problem ¡®personally¡¯?¡±
Was it due to a sense of sacrifice or justice?
Or was it rted to the extraordinary individual with the light element, Ian Fairytale?
At the time when demons began appearing frequently, an exceptional individual with the light element named Ian Fairytale appeared. Is this a coincidence?
Emperor Carlos wanted to understand this point.
¡°Do I need a reason to protect my home?¡±
Isaac replied calmly, without changing his expression.
Is he evading?
Emperor Carlos stared at Isaac, then decided to change the subject.
He judged that it would be wise to refrain from probing the Ice Sovereign further at this point.
¡°Understood. Next, I¡¯d like to discuss Alice Carroll. What exactly was she nning to do at this academy?¡±
¡°She intended to resurrect the Evil God.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Several people gasped.
¡°Evil God¡? Are you referring to the Evil God spoken of in legends?¡±
Emperor Carlos stared at Isaac with a wary expression.
There was only one being referred to as the ¡°Evil God¡±.
It was the Evil God of Destruction, said to rule over demons.
It was sealed a very long time ago, with no information about who, how, or where the seal was ced.
The limited information that was known came from ancient records and traces of preserved mana over the ages.
¡°¡¡±
Isaac found their reaction to be very natural.
Just like in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, yers only learn about the resurrection of the Evil God and the legend of the Primordial Elemental Kings in Semester 2 Year 2.
¡°Alice Carroll attempted to resurrect the Evil God prematurely. She inscribed the magic circle on the rooftop of Bartos Hall and had the catalyst necessary to make it possible.¡±
¡°¡®Prematurely,¡¯ you say¡?¡±
¡°The Evil God will resurrect eventually. I don¡¯t know the exact date, but I¡¯ll be able to sense it before it happens. The catalyst has already been destroyed, so you don¡¯t need to worry about an early resurrection anymore.¡±
¡°What grave treason¡¡±
Emperor Carlos murmured to himself.
He recalled the testimony of the Imperial Knights. They mentioned that the unknown spell Alice Carroll had tried to cast involved an astronomical amount of mana.
Add to that Alice¡¯s collusion with the demons and the frequent demon appearances sincest year.
It would be easy to convince anyone that all of these actions were aimed at resurrecting the Evil God.
Detailed investigations would be needed, but Emperor Carlos found it hard to believe that Isaac would be lying.
Emperor Carlos took a deep breath and calmed his emotions.
¡°Are you saying the Evil God could resurrect at this Academy?¡±
¡°It¡¯s hard to say for certain. Alice was merely following the demon¡¯s orders. The demons might have simply wanted to make this ce their sanctuary.¡±
¡°You¡¯re being evasive.¡±
¡°Personally, I hope the academy remains as is, so please don¡¯t misunderstand me. Since Alice¡¯s capture, the demons¡¯ movements have slowed down. There are no signs of demon appearances likest year. If something crucial were here, Alice¡¯s capture wouldn¡¯t have changed the situation so drastically.¡±
¡°Is that also something you learned through your foresight?¡±
Isaac nodded.
He couldn''t tell if Isaac was telling the truth or not.
However, he had been fighting demons and protecting the people all this time. Considering his actions, his story wasn¡¯t hard to believe.
¡°Then¡ why did you take such a treacherous individual as your minion?¡±
¡°Alice Carroll is also a victim.¡±
Isaac answered calmly.
¡°She was threatened and forcibly used by the demons. The terrorist acts shemitted at the academy weren¡¯t done of her own volition.¡±
¡°...Even so, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Alice Carroll attempted to cause great harm to the Empire. Cold as it may sound, if she was threatened by the demons, she could have chosen to sacrifice herself. You must remember that Alice Carroll tried to take the lives of many citizens of the Empire.¡±
He implied that while there might be extenuating circumstances, being threatened and used by the demons did not absolve her of her crimes.
¡°You must be aware of this. How do you propose to make Alice Carroll atone for her crimes?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll use her as reinforcement.¡±
¡°Reinforcement?¡±
Isaac continued.
¡°As I mentioned, the Evil God will resurrect someday, and when that timees, I n to have Alice risk her life in the subjugation of the Evil God. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided.¡±
¡°...That¡¯s hard to ept. While I appreciate your sense of justice, saying that you¡¯ll use Alice Carroll to subjugate the Evil God, which may appear at any time, it sounds like you won¡¯t punish her at all.¡±
Isaac¡¯s eyebrows twitched.
¡°Then, are you saying you¡¯ll imprison Alice Carroll in D¨¹pfendorf until the Evil God appears?¡±
¡°She will continue to attend the academy and graduate safely.¡±
¡°New Ice Sovereign, we need to discuss this issue further. Alice Carroll¡¯s welfare, to be precise.¡±
Emperor Carlos propped his chin on his hand, his voice mixed with a sigh.
¡°Alice Carroll is a key witness with information on the numerous demon appearances in our territory. Our Empire cannot easily give up the chance to extract that information by handing her over to you immediately.¡±
¡°...So what are you proposing?¡±
¡°We need to interrogate Alice Carroll about the incidents in our territory. We also have the right to punish her. So, we will impose the minimum penalty ording to the Empire¡¯sws and extract the information before transferring her to youter. I¡¯ll make sure that D¨¹pfendorf doesn¡¯t suffer any loss. And if it does, we willpensate for it.¡±
¡°I already mentioned that Alice Carroll is a member of D¨¹pfendorf and my minion. I cannot hand her over. I ask for your cooperation to allow Alice Carroll to attend the academy without any issues.¡±
Emperor Carlos furrowed his brow and involuntarily let out a snort, finding the situation absurd.
¡°Hmm, letting a woman guilty of such treachery attend the academy as if nothing happened¡ Ice Sovereign, you seem to be mistaken. That¡¯s¡¡±
Before he could finish, Isaac swiftly stood up and swung his arm.
Thud!
¡°¡?¡±
There was silence after the sudden burst of sound.
Emperor Carlos looked down at the table. Right next to him, a dagger was deeply embedded in the table.
Isaac had thrown the dagger.
Royal Guard Jacule had drawn his sword and held it out to block the dagger from reaching the Emperor.
Emperor Carlos looked at Isaac in shock, while Jacule¡¯s face was filled with displeasure.
¡°You seem to be having trouble understanding the situation. Seeing as you¡¯ve made me repeat myself.¡±
Isaac had abandoned his friendly smile and was now removing his sses with a cold, stern /genesisforsaken
Chapter 224: Alice Subjugation — interlude (3)
Chapter 224: Alice Subjugation ¡ª interlude (3)
Isaac chillingly red at Emperor Carlos.
The Royal Guard, Jacule Calix, and the Imperial Knights had their hands on the hilt of their swords.
The Ice Knight, Morcan, also prepared to draw his white-silver sword at any moment.
The sound of des moving inside their scabbards urred almost simultaneously.
¡°Huh, w-wait?! Ahhh¡!¡±
Isaac spoke in a sarcastic tone.
He did not deny what Emperor Carlos had said. Rather, he thought it was a reasonable opinion from the Emperor¡¯s perspective.
But that was a mere farce inparison to what truly mattered.
Here, the logic of power prevailed, and it was clearly favoring Isaac.In terms of justification, cause, and actions, Isaac had every right to stand confidently before Emperor Carlos.
¡°It would be troublesome if you continued to proceed in such a manner.¡±
Using [Psychological Insight], Isaac read the Emperor¡¯s psychology. Seeing Isaac¡¯s young age and his boldness, the Emperor tried to use this attitude to steer the pace of the meeting to his advantage.
At the same time, he was wary of the strengthening power of D¨¹pfendorf. After extracting information from Alice, he pondered how to pre-emptively manipte her to benefit the Empire. His offer topensate for any losses was motivated by this intention.
Isaac understood that as well.
Whether the opponent underestimated him or not, as long as their thoughts did not tantly surface, Isaac could generously overlook them. After all, the Emperor was human, it was only natural for him to harbor such thoughts.
However, it was difficult for Isaac to ept the Emperor¡¯s condescending and sneering attitude, which suggested that Isaac should yield.
Moreover, Emperor Carlos was someone who pursued the well-being and peace of the Empire.
Facing Isaac, who no one could oppose using force, the Emperor was certainly not a person who would wage war just because he felt offended.
As mentioned before, Isaac had been granted extraterritorial rights by an archwizard. Isaac also considered this aspect of his character.
Therefore, Isaac decided he needed to assert himself strongly to awaken the Emperor¡¯s sense of urgency, and that was why he threw the dagger.
¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±
¡°What¡¯s with the outrageous words to the Emperor?¡±
As Jacule questioned with a voice filled with murderous intent, Isaac red at him fiercely.
¡°Who are you to intervene?¡±
¡°Jacule.¡±
Emperor Carlos lightly raised his hand to prevent Jacule from speaking further.
Jacule, observing the tense Emperor, frowned and took a step back.
¡°I apologize.¡±
Emperor Carlos took a breath and closed his eyes.
¡°My words were a bit aggressive. I¡¯m sorry for provoking your anger.¡±
Opening his eyes again, Emperor Carlos looked at Isaac.
Isaac paused, then softened his voice a bit.
¡°I understand your point. After all, we don¡¯t know when the Evil God will be resurrected.¡±
While the Heart Kingdom was in another world, Alice and the Pdins felt guilty. Therefore, it was necessary to share information about the resurrection of the Evil Got to recruit them as allies.
But that wasn¡¯t the case with the Zelver Empire.
You¡¯re doomed anyway if you don¡¯t cooperate.
In the end, the Empire would have no choice but to join the fight against the Evil God. Therefore, maintaining a cooperative rtionship was sufficient.
Once information had been ryed to someone, it could not be taken back, and there was always the risk that it could be misused or lead to confusion. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t a deep trust established yet.
Isaac did not want to take such uncontroble risks. There was still a need to be cautious with information.
¡°However, I have my own unyielding intentions.¡±
¡°What might those be?¡±
¡°To protect the people. As I mentioned, Alice will be used for that purpose.¡±
¡°...I truly appreciate your noble intentions.¡±
Emperor Carlos looked into Isaac¡¯s eyes, admitting that he had been imprudent, and decided to take a step back.
He was facing a being capable of destroying the world at any moment andmanded an army that included great magic beasts. Such a being had protected the Empire¡¯s valuable talents and was explicitly stating his intention to continue protecting the people.
Looking back, it almost seemed absurd.
It was already a grace that such an archwizard was negotiating with them. The mere act of throwing a dagger should be overlooked.
However, Emperor Carlos had no intention of giving up on what would benefit the Empire.
¡°...But, be that as it may. Our Empire is¡¡±
¡°I have something I want to show you.¡±
Emperor Carlos stopped talking.
Isaac pulled out a pocket watch and handed it to the Ice Knight, Morcan.
¡°Pass this on.¡±
Morcan handed the pocket watch to the Royal Guard, Jacule, then returned to his position.
Jacule examined the watch to ensure it was safe before approaching Emperor Carlos and presenting the watch to him.
¡°¡!¡±
Emperor Carlos¡¯s eyes wavered.
Although part of the watch turned ck, it was unmistakably Snow White¡¯s cherished pocket watch.
The Emperor stood up abruptly, his face filled with shock.
¡°Why do you have this watch¡?¡±
¡°I¡¯m d you recognized it immediately.¡±
¡°How could I not? It belongs to my daughter, Snow White¡!¡±
Isaac pointed to the ceiling.
¡°The demon that filled the sky. It emerged from this watch.¡±
Everyone in the room was startled by Isaac¡¯s shocking statement.
Emperor Carlos¡¯s eyes widened, and he quicklyposed his expression, looking at Isaac with a wary face.
¡°What are you implying?¡±
¡°If you have any doubts, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of evidence to investigate. Go ahead, there¡¯s nothing stopping you, is there?¡±
¡°¡¡±
The Emperor gestured to an Imperial Wizard waiting by the entrance to examine the pocket watch.
¡°Inspect it.¡±
The Imperial Wizard approached nervously and closely examined the watch using a magic tool equipped with a magnifying ss. A magic circle appeared in front of the wizard¡¯s eyes as he looked through the magnifying ss.
It was soon apparent that the watch was no ordinary object.
¡°It¡¯s definitely Princess Snow White¡¯s watch. Moreover¡ the capacity to contain mana is immeasurable. There are also traces of dense dark mana. It has now lost all functionality and can only be used as a regr watch, but¡ this is extraordinary¡¡±
¡°Get to the point.¡±
¡°It appears that this contained the Starry Sky Demon that we observed in the Imperial Tower. There is no doubt about it.¡±
Concealing something with perception inhibition magic was entirely possible, and misleading someone was something Isaac could do.
However, the measurements of the Starry Sky Demon¡¯s mana already conducted by the Imperial Tower were undeniable and could not be falsified or embellished. This was proof that Isaac had not tampered with the pocket watch.
Emperor Carlos tightly closed his eyes.
It was the pocket watch Snow White had received from the Empress.
He had never doubted the watch. In fact, when it came to light that the Empress had been scheming Snow White¡¯s assassination, he had ordered a thorough investigation of the watch.
That was why he had returned the watch to White, knowing how much she cherished it and how much meaning it held in her heart.
But¡ it seemed that the real purpose of the watch was cleverly hidden from the start.
Perhaps there was a perception inhibition magic of a level beyond the capabilities of the Imperial Tower, or maybe a simr mechanism.
¡It made sense. A formidable demon like the ¡°Starry Sky¡± demon had been contained within it. Whatever miracle had been performed on the watch wouldn¡¯t surprise anyone.
Suddenly, he remembered the body of the Empress. She, who never showed her neck even in bed due to an unsightly scar, had revealed an unidentified mark on her neck only after her death.
The Empress¡ what kind of dangerous demon had given her a watch like this?
¡°I see¡ You may go.¡±
The Imperial Wizard bowed his head and returned to his position.
Emperor Carlos organized his thoughts and blinked slowly.
This watch was a disgrace to the Imperial Family.
More importantly, he realized that Isaac had resolved a potentially dangerous element that could have harmed the Imperial Family and countless citizens, which he himself had failed to detect.
Isaac had acted quicker than the Imperial Knights in various demon incidents, striving to prevent any deaths.
Ultimately, he even thwarted the Empress¡¯sst assassination attempt, saving a member of the Imperial Family.
The Empire owed Isaac a tremendous debt.
Remembering this, Emperor Carlos lowered his gaze.
¡°I¡¯ve heard that Snow White is safe¡ it was all thanks to you. Had you anticipated that the watch was out of the ordinary?¡±
Isaac nodded.
Emperor Carlos calmed his troubled heart. It only took a moment of silence to do so.
¡°I apologize once more. I owe you too much. Thank you¡ for protecting Snow White.¡±
Isaac sat back down.
¡°I will keep quiet about the watch.¡±
¡°...Thank you.¡±
After all, now that the Abyss was gone, the watch could no longer perform its original functions and was just an ordinary watch.
If someone here secretly talked about the watch and exposed the Imperial Family¡¯s disgrace, it was not Isaac¡¯s concern.
He just needed to show a considerate demeanor.
Isaac firmly stated his position in a calm voice.
¡°Your Highness, Emperor Carlos, as I mentioned before, we too wish to have a friendly rtionship with the Empire. Moreover, I want to protect the citizens of this academy and the Empire.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°I will share any information the Empire needs from D¨¹pfendorf as much as I can, and I also promise that Alice Carroll will be used to protect the academy and its people, which is why I wanted to keep her at the academy, so¡ please.¡±
Isaac bowed his head.
Emperor Carlos closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and slumped back into his seat.
***
Emperor Carlos had rescinded his earlier statements and had expressed his intention to cooperate with me. As a result, Alice Carroll¡¯s personal safety was fully in my hands.
Moreover, Emperor Carlos expressed his intention to, ¡°Cooperate in clearing Alice Carroll¡¯s name as much as possible, but could change his position depending on future developments.¡± I epted his intentions.
Emperor Carlos decided to bend his will after weighing on what was best for the Empire. Known as an Archwizard, I have beenmitted to protecting the Empire, so he would not want to oppose me outright.
It was worth noting that the Emperor¡¯s will existed above thews of the Empire. If the Emperor firmly decided, there was no need to discuss legal matters.
After all, what we do is protect the Empire.
As the scenario progressed, Alice would help me, and as a result, we would save many people. Since the main stage was within the Empire¡¯s territory, our actions inevitably involved protecting the Empire.
In addition, I discussed various matters with Emperor Carlos. I also mentioned that I would continue to study at M?rchen Academy with Alice, share useful information with the Imperial Family, and protect the Academy as I had been doing up til now.
I had several reasons to stay at the academy.
The most significant reason was that the key to clearing the scenario was concentrated at the academy, which was the focal point of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Enemies that could not be defeated by brute force would now appear. Even if I wanted to leave the academy, I couldn¡¯t
Eventually, Emperor Carlos and I concluded our meeting and agreed to a cooperative rtionship.
¡°Your Highness!¡±
¡°Snow White?¡±
At the academy''s gate.
As Emperor Carlos was about to leave in the Imperial carriage escorted by guards, Snow White and her escort knight, Merlin Astrea, rushed over.
I was there seeing off the Emperor with the faculty and Imperial Knights, so my eyes met with White¡¯s.
White looked surprised when she saw me, then appeared confused. She seemed unsure of how to treat me.
White and Emperor Carlos faced each other.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t greet you beforehand! I didn¡¯t know you wereing¡!¡±
¡°That was my intention, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
The Emperor approached the flustered White.
He was a doting father. He was worried that meeting White at an event to meet the new Elemental King mightpromise the asion¡¯s solemnity. That was why he did not inform White of his schedule.
¡°Your Highness?¡±
Emperor Carlos embraced White.
White looked puzzled, not understanding what was happening.
¡°Thank you for being alive, my dear daughter.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
After saying that, Emperor Carlos looked intently at White for a while before getting into the carriage. An escort closed the carriage door.
The Imperial carriage left the academy, apanied by escorts, and the faculty and Imperial Knights all bowed their heads in respect.
¡°¡?¡±
I considered talking to White, but then turned and walked away.
It seemed White hadn¡¯t yet decided how to treat me, so I wanted to be considerate of her.
Not to mention, there was something else I needed to do first.
¡°Ah.¡±
White¡¯s voice.
I could feel White and Merlin¡¯s eyes on me, but I ignored them and continued on toward the academy detention center to see Alice and the Pdins.
It was then.
¡°Senior Isaac!!¡±
I stopped. I hadn¡¯t expected White to call out to me so openly.
White ran towards me, Merlin following closely behind.
I turned around. White was kneeling in front of me, gasping for breath.
Ah, this situation. It seems like I need to say something, especially to ease any burden on White.
Given the events that had urred, I decided to start with something formal¡
¡°White, I¡¯m d that you¡¯re safe¡¡±
¡°Are you leaving¡?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
What is she yapping about?
White¡¯s voice was soaked in tears. She caught her breath and straightened up. Tears were about to spill from her eyes.
¡°Why are you walking away after seeing me¡? Why are you avoiding me¡?¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not-¡±
¡°H, don¡¯t hide it¡ Suddenly, you spoke less with me, was it because of this¡?¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
Confused by what ¡°this¡± meant, I read White¡¯s psychology.
The reason I had been quietertely was due to spending all my time learning 7-star magic. It wasn¡¯t because I was preparing to leave her after revealing my identity.
I thought I had reassured her, but White, harboring a new misunderstanding, sobbed. Her voice trembled.
¡°Senior Isaac, you really are an amazing person¡ Now that your identity is revealed, there¡¯s no reason for you to stay at the academy, right¡? I knew it¡ You were preparing to leave me¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s not it¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t lieeee¡! Waaaah¡! I won¡¯t let you go!¡±
¡°Hey, White?!¡±
Suddenly, White burst into tears and hugged me tightly, burying her head in my chest.
What do I do with such an affectionate kid?
Apparently, I had made White too dependent on me while living at the academy. I needed to maintain a proper distance.
Merlin and the Imperial Knights, along with the faculty, were shocked. It would be troublesome to be seen touching the Princess in front of them, so I cautiously raised my hands.
This was a tricky situation. I needed to diffuse this quickly.
¡°No, really, I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m not going anywhere¡ I still have things to teach you.¡±
¡°Whaaaa¡! You¡¯re lyingggg¡!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not lying¡¡±
Why would I lie?
Screeeeech!
Suddenly, the Imperial carriage drifted sharply.
The carriage returned to the academy gate at an incredible speed.
Emperor Carlos frantically flung open the carriage door.
¡°W-what on earth is going on?!¡±
¡°Princess White, please step back! Maintain your dignity¡!¡±
¡°H, Senior Isaaaac¡!¡±
¡Just let it /genesisforsaken
Chapter 225: Alice Subjugation — Interlude (4)
Chapter 225: Alice Subjugation ¡ª Interlude (4)
The Imperial carriage crossed thend bridge and headed towards the capital, Viyans.
Inside the carriage, Emperor Carlos looked deste, as if all the years had finally caught up to him.
¡°My God¡¡±
Regaining hisposure, Emperor Carlos rested his forehead on his hand.
He never expected Snow White to be involved with the Ice Sovereign.
Realistically speaking, White was a shy girl with no ambitions and no outstanding qualities other than her beauty.
She might have tried to form a good rtionship with the Priestess and Saintess of the academy.
But the thought that she could have recognized and befriended the Ice Sovereign on her own had never crossed his mind.
Yet¡They were already close enough to embrace¡!
It was shocking.
His daughter, Snow White¡ embracing the Ice Sovereign and crying desperately in front of everyone was etched in his mind.
Moreover, the Ice Sovereign did not seem to question her embrace.
Anyone could see that the two had already formed a significant bond, perhaps something greater.
The mystery of how the Ice Sovereign came to possess the watch that Snow White cherished was solved. They were that close.
Emperor Carlos clenched his eyes shut and gripped his fists tightly, his body trembling.
He cried out inwardly with determination.
Well done, Snow White¡!
Discussing matters with the Ice Sovereign and having White enter a romantic rtionship with him were separate issues.
The thought of his precious daughter leaving for another man¡¯s arms pained him, but if it was the Ice Sovereign, he would dly ept him as his son-inw.
Age, appearance, status, and abilities. Everything was exceptional. He was someone even the Empire could not touch and had a history of protecting White from great danger.
It was an incredible benefit to the nation.
Could this be the guidance of the Lord, Manha?
Emperor Carlos looked out the window. The clear sky greeted him.
¡°Who could be my son-inw?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
Excellent.
Emperor Carlos couldn¡¯t help but smile.
The escorts on horseback were startled by the eerieughtering from inside the carriage.
***
On my way back from consoling Snow White. After repeatedly emphasizing the fact that I wasn¡¯t leaving, I finally managed to reassure her.
She was relieved but then looked around and blushed deeply.
She had been so focused on her emotions that she only realized what she had done muchter. She must have been incredibly embarrassed.
White kept apologizing to me, and I had to exin our rtionship to Emperor Carlos.
With so many prying eyes, rumors about me and Snow White were likely to spread within the Imperial court. I could only hope that the Princes and Princesses vying for the throne wouldn¡¯t take unnecessary actions upon hearing the news.
But still.
White had somehow made up her mind about how to regard me.
We¡¯ll just go back to how things were.
That was such a relief.
In the Academy Detention Center.
I sought out a four-person cell to speak with the four Pdins.
The cell, like a typical prison, had one side lined with iron bars.
However, being focused on rehabilitation, the facilities inside were clean and well-maintained.
The four Pdins were on alert as soon as they heard my footsteps. This was our first meeting since the¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹.
¡°How have you all been?¡±
I greeted them calmly, cing a chair in front of the iron bars and sitting down.
A tense atmosphere hung between the Pdins.
Even though they were all wearing cuffs that disrupted their mana flow, they could easily escape this detention center if they so wished.
The problem is that the one they have to get through is me.
Two Ice Knights in silver armor stood behind me.
¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask.¡±
The first to speak was the Spade Pdin, Zenon.
¡°Go ahead.¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡±
¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to.¡±
I wanted to avoid taking human lives as much as possible.
Moreover, at the time, I still had unanswered questions about Alice, and I wanted to avoidmitting needless ughter in such a restless state.
I also considered the situation and anticipated that Zenon would remain helpless until the end of the ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹.
Of course, if Zenon had harmed anyone from the start, I would have made him pay the price.
Zenon narrowed his eyes.
¡°Then¡ why didn¡¯t you use your full strength when fighting me?¡±
¡°Would you have known how to fight me if you felt the full extent of my mana?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Zenon lowered his gaze. He seemed dissatisfied, but he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I was the Nameless Hero.
¡°You.¡±
Suddenly, the Heart Pdin, Shera Hectorica, looked up.
¡°What are you going to do with Queen Alice?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°You made her your minion!¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°T-then that means you can do whatever you want with her! I know all about your reputation as a womanizer. If you so much asy a finger on the Queen, you won¡¯t get away with it! Surely¡ you haven¡¯t already¡?¡±
Shera¡¯s face turned red as she raised her voice, perhaps imagining something inappropriate.
Then, she bit her lip. She knew well that she couldn¡¯t beat me and that Alice was nowpletely mine.
¡°Your loyalty is admirable.¡±
I considered teasing her for a moment but ultimately decided against it.
These were people who had been willing to sacrifice their lives for Alice. It wasn¡¯t something to joke about.
It was better to answer seriously.
¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±
I adjusted my round sses and answered calmly.
¡°I will cherish and take care of Alice, just as much as you all do. You don¡¯t need to worry about the things you¡¯re concerned about.¡±
¡°I-I don¡¯t believe you.¡±
¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±
I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. No matter what you say, Alice belongs to me now.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Shera groaned.
I could only imagine how exhausting it must have been for Alice to manage these fools.
¡°Ah, by the way. Pierre,e here.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
The Clover Pdin, Pierre nche, cautiously approached the bars at mymand.
¡°Closer.¡±
I gestured with a smile, and Pierre brought his face closer.
Kwaak!
¡°Kugh!¡±
I swiftly reached through the bars and grabbed his nose, twisting it sharply.
Pierre squeezed his eyes shut and screamed, startling the other Pdins.
¡°Hold still, you need to learn some manners.¡±
¡°Ack¡!¡±
This bastard, I had been waiting for this.
I tormented Pierre¡¯s nose for a while before pushing him away.
He fell backward, clutching his nose with cuffed hands, and groaned.
However, the other Pdins didn¡¯te to his defense, merely watching him quietly.
Thinking about Pierre¡¯s previous actions during the Grand Festival when he had suddenlyshed out at me, it was hard to feel sympathy for him.
¡°W-what are you doing?!¡±
¡°Do I need to spell it out? Do you want toe back here?¡±
¡°No, I get it. It¡¯s fine¡¡±
Pierre meekly lowered his head.
He used to be so eager to fight me, but now it seemed he had lost that desire.
¡°...What are you going to do with us?¡±
The Diamond Pdin, Alexa, ignored Pierre and asked dryly.
¡°What do you want me to do?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care. Kill us, torture us, do whatever you want¡ I¡¯m ready for it.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say such grim things. That won¡¯t happen.¡±
Alexa looked doubtful.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re on my side now.¡±
The four Pdins stared at me intently, without saying anything.
I spoke calmly.
¡°You belong to me. You need to act for my sake and be ready to risk your lives for my cause. Why would I mistreat you? It would only be a loss for me.¡±
Alexa looked sullen.
¡°We follow Queen Alice, not you.¡±
¡°...Pierre,e here again.¡±
Pierre hesitated, knowing he would suffer the consequences of Alexa¡¯s defiance.
¡°Noting?¡±
Pierre reluctantly approached the bars.
¡°Aaaaaack!!¡±
I grabbed and twisted Pierre¡¯s nose again before shoving him back.
Pierre fell to the ground once more, but the other Pdins didn¡¯t seem particrly upset.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stand up for me¡?¡±
Pierre¡¯s nose turned red, but the other Pdins averted their gaze.
Zenon ignored Pierre and stepped closer to the bars, locking eyes with me. I understood what he was thinking and watched him silently.
Eventually, Zenon knelt on one knee and bowed his head to me. The other Pdins looked surprised.
¡°That day, Queen Alice genuinely looked happy. It was all thanks to you. We were unable to bring back her smile.¡±
No one wanted to be helplessly manipted.
The Pdins had also been forced to act under the influence of the demons.
¡°If you can be our new master, I have noints. For now, I just want to give you my gratitude.¡±
¡°...I see.¡±
I looked at Zenon for a while, then stood up from my chair.
¡°I''ll give you a choice.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
The four Pdins looked at me with puzzled expressions.
I spoke with a smile.
***
The next day, the damp dawn air filled my lungs.
It was the time with the fewest people wandering around the academy grounds.
We arrived at a forest near the campus. I was with Alice Carroll and the four Pdins.
They wanted to return to the Heart Kingdom in peace, so I had brought them here to fulfill that wish. This had already been discussed with Emperor Carlos and Headmistress Elena.
Up until now, Alice couldn''t return to Wondend due to her contract with Mephisto.
Even when she was imprisoned in the academy detention center, she didn¡¯t return to Wondend.
She said it was partly because of my order, and because she wanted to decide whether to go back or not after her situation was settled and she was at ease with her fate.
But Alice had decided to continue her studies at the academy until she graduates, so she promised to return soon. This was her own decision.
The Pdins, however, were not. They had enrolled at the Academy against the age regtions, and they themselves had no desire to continue their studies there. They were now leaving the academy for good.
Of course, if I gave the order, the Pdins would have toe back here and assist me at any time. They were all now my subordinates.
¡°Ohh.¡±
There was a small cave under arge tree, big enough for an adult to enterfortably.
A gate shimmering with mana had formed there, alsorge enough for an adult to pass through.
Inside the gate was a mysterious passage where all sorts of furniture, instruments, and paintings floated in the air.
¡°You can return to Wondend through here.¡±
Alice, who had created the gate, gave her usual gentle smile.
It wasn¡¯t quite the same as the Floating Ind¡¯s ability to warp to desired locations, but it was a simr ability nheless.
Even though Alice had exined it to me before, seeing it with my own eyes was truly impressive.
¡°So¡ Mephisto gave you the coordinates of this world, and that¡¯s how you were able toe here with this spell?¡±
Alice nodded at my summary.
It seemed that Mephisto had provided Alice with the ¡°coordinates¡± of this world that was necessary for her magic. Thanks to that, Alice was able to travel between this world and Wondend.
If I used the gate Alice created, I could also visit Wondend.
¡°It¡¯s a shame that I can only transport up to five people at a time. That¡¯s my limit.¡±
Even moving just one person is already incredible¡
In any case, if Mephisto ever came back to the Heart Kingdom, I could go there to deal with him myself.
Soon, the Pdins in their attires and Alice in her academy uniform stood with the glowing gate behind them, looking at me.
Alexa, with a dry expression.
Shera, feeling grateful to me even if her pride was hurt.
Pierre, with his nose still red.
Zenon, with a faint smile.
Alice, with her kind smile.
One by one, they began to step into the gate.
¡°It¡¯s¡ a bit embarrassing to say this, but thank you.¡±
Alexa left through the gate.
¡°This is a warning. If you ever think aboutying a finger on the Queen, I won¡¯t let you get away with it! Keep your word!¡±
Shera left through the gate.
¡°Go easy on my nose next time¡ I mean, please¡¡±
Pierre left through the gate.
¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡±
Zenon left through the gate.
¡°¡¡±
Alice started to step towards the gate but then turned back to look at me.
I had been waving my hand, but seeing Alice¡¯s smiling face, I lowered it. She gazed at me intently.
¡°What?¡±
Without a word, Alice walked closer and stood in front of me.
¡°Fix your necktie, Baby.¡±
¡°My necktie?¡±
Suddenly?
I had hurriedly tied my necktie this morning because sses at the academy were resuming today.
As I tried to fix it, Alice started to adjust it properly for me.
I watched her quietly. She smelled so nice. It was the same Alice, still smiling sweetly.
¡°By the way, I forgot to tell you something.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
Alice neatly fixed my tie.
¡°Congrattions on winning our bet.¡±
Suddenly, she grabbed my tie and stood on her tiptoes.
¡°¡?¡±
Something sweet and moist touched my lips. My eyes widened.
I felt her warm breath.
Alice was gazing at me lovingly from up close.
She lowered herself, her face still slightly flushed, and stepped back.
¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Take care until then, baby.¡±
Alice smiled like a blooming flower, showing the whites of her teeth.
Then she turned and entered the gate.
Soon, the gate vanished, and only the sound of chirping insects filled the air.
¡°¡¡±
I turned around and started walking.
By now, the morning sunlight was filtering through the leaves, illuminating the /genesisforsaken
Chapter 226: Popularity
Chapter 226: Poprity
The end of the semester assessments. It was the final stretch of the Year 2 Semester 1
The academy was eager to end the suspension of sses as soon as possible for the students.
So, immediately after my discussion with Emperor Carlos ended, it was decided that sses would resume the following day.
Before ss, I contemted.
Considering the Heavenly Beings, Fairies, and the EX-level variables, consistent training and growth were still vital.
This time, I had hastily learned the 7-star spell, [Icebolt], in preparation for the Abyss, which resulted in a somewhat superficial mastery of the spell.
It was necessary to delve deeper into each magic as an intensive course. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to pursue mastery over other 7-star ice spells, and I also needed to hone my rock magic.
In this respect, instead of solely focusing on training, taking advantage of the prestigious lectures at M?rchen Academy was beneficial.
This was why I had been diligently attending sses and became known as a model student.For the record, I didn¡¯t enroll in courses that didn¡¯t help me with my training such as Magic Beast Ecology.
Considering the future, it would be good to take such courses, but I had to deal with the immediate challenge of the Evil God first.
The periods for courses I didn¡¯t sign up for were considered free time.
In other words, I only took courses that were practical magic courses. It was all about selection and concentration.
¡°I¡¯ve finished something huge¡¡±
In Elma Hall Dormitory.
I sat on the floor and leaned against the bed to relish the aftermath of ¡¸Act 9, Alice Subjugation¡¹, which had finally concluded.
The thought that I didn¡¯t need to be wary of Alice or the Phantom Cat Cheshire was a relief.
Now¡ no one can stop me.
However, the realization that I still had a long way to go pulled me back to reality. It seemed my mind couldn¡¯t fully rx yet.
I leaned my head back andid it on the bed. Always looking down at books, the ceiling somehow seemed unfamiliar.
It was quiet.
Suddenly, Alice¡¯s face came to mind.
¡°I ended up kissing her¡¡±
I was caught off guard.
I had noticed that Alice saw me as a man, but I hadn¡¯t expected her to actually end up kissing me.
Due to her unique trait, [Red Queen¡¯s Paradox], I was unable to read her psychology. Even though the effect had weakened since she became my subordinate, it was still difficult to read.
The stimtion from the kiss was stronger than I had anticipated. Perhaps it was because it was my first sober kiss despite a doubtful kiss with Dorothy.
Maybe because Alice hadpletely be my ally, I felt a deep affection built up from the time we spent together. That made the aftereffects of the kiss even more intense.
The blissful sensation of Alice¡¯s smiling face lingered in my mind. It was the scenario I had feared the most. This would definitely disrupt my concentration during training.
With no other choice, I sang the national anthem in my mind to calm myself. It was better to keep this as just a pleasant memory for now.
When the time came, I grabbed my books, writing tools, and bag and left the dorm.
The time hase.
Finally, the moment to face the ufortable stares had arrived.
And as soon as I stepped out of my dorm, the situation I had dreaded urred.
¡°Hubh¡!¡±
¡°Gasp¡!¡±
As befitting the scale of the middle-high ranked Elma Hall, there were many students in uniform leaving the dorm.
They were all chatting and heading towards the gate, but it suddenly fell silent when I appeared.
Only the asional nervous breath could be heard.
The students, sweating, looked at me as if they were seeing someone frightening.
Despite the wide path, like the parting of the Red Sea, the students split to the left and right, opening a clear way to the gate of the dorm.
¡°¡¡±
I continued on my path, feeling a tremendous amount of pressure.
As I exited the dorm gates, I locked eyes with a female student with rose-gold hair standing in front of the roadside trees holding her bag.
She had a dainty, gracefuldy demeanor, but there were dark shadows around her eyes. Her stern gaze made me stiffen up.
¡°Hello, Isaac.¡±
¡°Hello, Luce¡ Are you feeling better now?¡±
***
As we walked towards Orphin Hall of the Magic Department, I exined my situation to Luce.
It wasn¡¯t much different from what I had told the Emperor. I had exined that I came to M?rchen Academy because of the demons and that I nned to continue protecting the people.
Going into more detail would onlyplicate things. I thought this exnation should be sufficient for Luce to understand and support me.
However¡
I had umted a lot of karma over time. I knew perfectly well that Luce liked my disguised appearance, yet I pretended not to notice.
Fortunately, I was now stronger than Luce.
I wasn¡¯t too worried anymore, but if Luce were to suddenly enact the bad ending¡¸Bird Cage¡¹, it wouldn¡¯t be too big of an issue.
Yet, Luce seemed very calm even after hearing my story.
¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised.¡±
¡°Yeah, actually, from the beginning¡ no, I waspletely shocked.¡±
Luce maintained her poker face and hurriedly changed the subject. Her tone was awkward as if she was reading from a textbook.
It seemed like she was avoiding saying, ¡°I had suspected from the start,¡± because it would mean admitting she had liked me, Isaac, from the beginning.
¡°Is that so?¡±
She looked adorable. It helped ease my tension, making me smile.
¡°I heard you slept a lot these past few days? What did you do after waking up?¡±
¡°I confronted Galia. I asked why he hadn¡¯t told me about your identity. He yed dumb.¡±
I¡¯m sorry, Galia.
¡°Anyway¡ why did you train so hard if you were that strong, Isaac? It always seemed like you were pushing your limits. It didn¡¯t seem like an act¡¡±
¡°I have my reasons. I¡¯ll exin when it¡¯s just the two of us.¡±
Exining things like ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, possession, or the status window might be too difficult to understand.
So, it seemed better to vaguely tell Luce that I had a unique constitution to make it believable.
The difficult parts could be ignored just as Galia had done¡ with a dismissive attitude.
Anyway, it¡¯s not like anyone can stop me from training if I don¡¯t exin.
People would naturallye up with their own reasons that made sense if I just lived as usual.
¡°Just the two of us¡¡±
Meanwhile, Luce seemed pleased at the thought of being alone with me.
Soon, we arrived at Orphin Hall of the Magic Department.
Even as we passed through the corridors, students nced at me out of the corner of their eyes, holding their breath. They were either scared of me, admired me, or thought I was cool¡ all their thoughts revolved around me.
Luce, generally indifferent to people¡¯s stares, didn¡¯t seem to care. I tried to ignore it too.
¡°Isaac, you can¡¯t sleep in ss just because you don¡¯t need to study.¡±
¡°Why would I doze off?¡±
Luce tossed a yful joke and giggled.
Since we had different ssrooms, we had to part ways here.
Usually, Luce liked to stay by my side until ss started.
However, for the time being, I had told her I needed some time to exin things to my ssmates, so we couldn¡¯t hang out together.
Luce seemed displeased but tried to understand. I could tell she had grown in her own way.
¡°Luce.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
It was awkward, but it seemed the right time to speak my mind.
¡°I heard about what happened when I was swallowed by the demon.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Thanks, I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡±
¡°Umm¡¡±
Luce seemed unsure of what to say, then she came closer and gently tapped the back of my hand with her finger.
Her head was slightly lowered, and through her cascading hair, I could see her cheeks flushed a subtle red.
¡°...Then, return the favor. When it¡¯s just the two of us.¡±
Luce whispered then turned around and headed towards the ss A room.
¡°What favor?¡±
Luce didn¡¯t answer my question and went into her ssroom.
It seemed like she was hoping for something romantic that could cross the line of friendship. Unfortunately, it was still too early for that. I¡¯d have to find something nice to give her instead.
I entered the ssroom of ss B. The ssroom, which had been noisy, fell silent as soon as I entered.
Tristan Humphrey, who often picked fights with me, Mateo Jordana, who I was close with, and Amy Holloway, who had always been affectionate towards me.
All of them just looked at me with tense faces without saying a word.
I walked robotically to an avable seat in the middle.
This is so ufortable¡
As I reached my seat, I reflected on how I had lived in the academy.
Am I a deceiver?
To them, I might have seemed like nothing more than someone pretending to be a student.
Of course, I had been protecting the academy, so everyone should understand my situation.
I just hoped this suffocating vibe would dissipate soon.
I sat down and pulled out a book from my bag.
¡°Tsk.¡±
Tristan, sitting at the front, nced at me, then clicked his tongue and turned his head toward the professor¡¯s desk.
He was someone who aimed to surpass me. I knew well that he had been tirelessly training to catch up to me.
But now that it was revealed I was the Nameless Hero, he seemed to be experiencing a myriad ofplex emotions.
I was quietly observing the back of Tristan¡¯s head as he was lost in thought, when¡
¡°Uhm¡¡±
A female student approached me.
We had hardly spoken in ss. She was just a regr NPC in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
But her nervous demeanor with hands sped together was unusual. It seemed she felt a mix of admiration, guilt, and affection towards me.
¡°How should we address you from now on¡?¡±
I see. She must be torn.
Whether to use informal or formal speech.
What to address me as.
Just calling me Isaac might seem too casual now that my status has risen.
I knew what being an Elemental King entailed. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the Elemental Kings were the central force of this world.
Since the students¡¯ attention was focused on me, it might be a good time to rify things.
¡°Just do as you usually do. Call me Isaac.¡±
¡°I-Isaac¡ Then, uhm¡ I¡¯m really sorry, no, I apologize¡ I¡¯ve wanted to say this for a while¡ I didn¡¯t recognize youst year and ignored you, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±
She stammered a lot.
I didn¡¯t realize she had been part of the group that ignored me during the first semester of my freshman year.
I wasn¡¯t particrly bothered by it.
¡°It¡¯s okay. And don¡¯t bother speaking formally, it¡¯s too burdensome.¡±
Her expression gradually brightened as I treated her normally.
She handed me a small gift as an apology, telling me it was cookies that she made herself.
Suddenly, I remembered Luce trying to sneak into my room to leave cookies and couldn¡¯t help butugh.
It was a gift that clearly contained affection, so I thought I shouldn¡¯t ignore it. I thanked her and epted it, and she was filled with joy.
¡°Isaac.¡±
This time, a male student I was somewhat friendly with approached.
He was one of the guys who used to hang around Mateo¡¯s group during the first semester of my freshman year. After Mateo¡¯s group disbanded, he seemed to have gained some insight and matured.
¡°The demon that appeared in the sky, the Starry Sky Demon¡ You were swallowed by that demon but you were able to defeat it.¡±
The students seemed very tense.
The Empire referred to the Abyss as ¡°Starry Sky¡±, simr to the ¡°Floating Ind¡±. Since the inside of the Abyss was unknown, it was named based only on its appearance.
¡°What happened then?¡±
The students hesitated to approach me but showed great interest.
I was thankful they asked.
¡°Are you curious?¡±
¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to tell us¡!¡±
¡°I might be able to tell you guys a little bit.¡±
I said smugly as I pushed up my sses. Encouraged by my approachable response, the students gradually let down their guard and slowly gathered around.
I mentioned the inside of the Abyss as much as it was safe to share.
Before I knew it, all my ssmates from ss B, except for Tristan, had gathered around me, bombarding me with all sorts of questions.
The atmosphere gradually softened. Everyone seemed to be letting go of their reservations about me. Some students praised my fighting prowess.
Questions about the Nameless Hero, my secrets, and demons came one after another. However, I refused to answer questions about sensitive information, stating they should be discussed with the Empire and the academy. They seemed to understand.
¡°Hey, Isaac, is the academy still in danger?¡±
A serious question from a female student got everyone¡¯s attention.
For them, now that the traitor was exposed and major incidents were resolved, whether the academy was safe was their most pressing concern.
Well.
Viins would emerge outside of the academy, unlike before.
The main bosses of the Semester 2 Year 2¡
Vuel the Treacherous Celestial.
Rachnil the Iron Fairy.
Calgart the Necromancer.
Thanatos the Ruination.
I n to find and defeat the final boss of Semester 1 Year 3, Mephisto the Contractor.
The Abyss was supposed to be with Mephisto during our junior year, but I¡¯d already dealt with him, so if I could just get the dangerous bosses from the second semester of our sophomore year taken care of, there would be a few scenario gaps during our junior year.
It was uncertain whether the Evil God would fill those gaps. It might be starting to prepare for its resurrection, so maybe I should save up my mana¡
But, I¡¯d dly ept more EXP to take down the Evil God.
I shook my head and reassured everyone that demons wouldn¡¯t be popping out of the academy anymore.
Of course, there was still the Evil God, but that wasn¡¯t something to mention here.
The students cheered. They must have been quite anxious.
Finally, the atmosphere turned into one of praising my greatness.
I¡¯m enjoying the poprity I never had in my past life¡
Recalling my quiet school days in the past brought a new sense of nostalgia.
It wasn¡¯t a bad /genesisforsaken
Chapter 227: Change (1)
Chapter 227: Change (1)
There was a saying that reality was stranger than fiction.
Since returning to M?rchen Academy, Eve Ropenheim had encountered an unbelievable reality.
A female student with silver-blue hair tied in a side ponytail, Eve was peeking around the second-year floor of Orphin Hall.
In ss B for the second-years.
Eve poked her head around the corner and peeked inside, her head barely visible from the entrance. Students passing by in the hallway nced at her curiously.
Eve was secretly watching her younger brother, Isaac. Except for one blond male student, all the students of ss B were gathered around Isaac, chatting excitedly.
Isaac is so popr¡
She could catch glimpses of Isaac¡¯s profile as he turned his head, talking with his ssmates. He had an amiable smile on his face.
Eve felt an overwhelming urge to run up and hug Isaac right then and there.Suddenly, she made eye contact with a female student near Isaac and she quickly pulled her head back, leaning against the wall.
The hallway window came into her view. Outside, she saw green trees, a clear sky, and several birds flying.
¡°Phew.¡±
Eve rounded the corner of the hallway and leaned against the wall.
She let out a hollow sigh, squatted down, and hugged her knees. Now her view was of the pristine hallway.
Isaac.
He was her beloved family she thought she needed to protect because he was weak and talentless.
But love didn¡¯t put food on the table. What was needed was money to escape their relentless poverty.
It was then that Baron Adrian Ropenheim, who had recognized Eve¡¯s magical talent, decided to adopt her. Even though he had abandoned her once, she was his biological daughter, and he had kept an eye on her.
Eve believed that if she seeded, she could provide for her family. So, she epted the Baron¡¯s proposition for adoption in exchange for financial support.
Baron Ropenheim ordered her to sever ties with her family, deeming them useless.
Her mother understood the situation and let her go.
Eve had to leave home after saying harsh words to Isaac, who cried and begged her not to go.
At the time, the Baron had servants secretly watching to ensure that Eve clearly severed ties as he had instructed.
Now, a small spider was hidden in Eve¡¯s clothes. Though small and unable tomunicate properly, it was a magic beast that would fulfill its contract with Baron Ropenheim.
The spider¡¯s role was to observe Eve¡¯s every move and report any breach of agreement when she returned to the mansion during holidays.
He must resent me a lot¡
Naturally, Isaac resented Eve. This made her feel depressed, but she endured by imagining a happy future.
Once she graduated from M?rchen Academy, which would pave the way for a sessful life, she nned to sever ties with the Baron and return to Isaac.
It was to take responsibility for him and care for him. When that time came, she would beg for his forgiveness and shower him with love.
However, during the time she hadn¡¯t seen him, Isaac had enrolled in M?rchen Academy and disyed impressive magical skills she could never have imagined before.
And then.
He was so cold back then.
Duringst year¡¯s joint practical evaluation.
Eve had gained a few hours of freedom from the spider. The exam rules prohibiting familiars had worked in her favor.
She had tried to protect Isaac, albeit awkwardly.
¨C Isaac! Since mom passed away¡ what happened over the past two years?
¨C Nothing.
Since then, all Eve could do was watch Isaac from a distance.
She gave that up too after a while. She was sure Isaac would hate her. She thought it was shameless of her.
However¡
Why is my brother an Elemental King?
As it turned out, the talentless and powerless Isaac she had known as a child¡
Was actually the Nameless Hero who single-handedly defeated the powerful Floating Ind demon that had gued humanity for a thousand years.
He was the youngest archwizard in human history.
Now, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the strongest beings in the world as the Elemental King of Ice¡
The difference in their worlds was so vast it gave her chills.
Is that person really Isaac?
_She had wondered if he was someone else, but she couldn¡¯t deny it was her brother. The handsome underssman with silver-blue hair was undeniably her younger brother, Isaac.
The most reasonable exnation was that Isaac had been hiding his true identity from his family all this time.
Isaac was now someone who didn¡¯t need any protection from her.
Besides, Isaac was surrounded by sessful women, making any worries about his marriage prospects pointless.
Eve had be someone whom Isaac only resented and hated.
If she tried to exin now, saying, ¡°I joined the Ropenheim family to take care of you,¡± and begged for forgiveness, it would onlye off as insincere.
It was undeniably her fault for choosing the Ropenheim family and failing to take care of her brother. She would just appear as a pathetic woman.
Just like during the joint practical evaluation, she didn¡¯t have the courage to face Isaac¡¯s cold gaze. It would be unbearably painful.
Maybe it¡¯s best if I just disappear¡
She couldn¡¯t understand why Isaac had never revealed his true identity.
But given that he possessed such terrifying magical talent to be called an archwizard, he must have had his reasons.
Eve felt cursed. Her disappearance now seemed like the best thing she could do for Isaac.
Two students passing by the hallway were surprised when they saw Eve. At the sound, Eve quickly stood up and casually moved towards the third-year floor.
What should I do¡
She was at a loss.
As she walked, her eyes began to fill with tears.
What should I dooo¡
The more she loved Isaac and envisioned a happy future with him, the more hopeless she felt.
***
I had nned to meet with Saintess Bianca Anturaze the next day after ss. Bianca had mentioned that there was an all-night vigil tonight.
Bianca had insisted that it didn¡¯t matter and that she wanted to spend time with me even at dawn. But since it was a matter requiring a long conversation, I suggested meeting leisurely after ss the next day.
I didn¡¯t want it to affect my condition.
Considering my lifestyle, I didn¡¯t want anything to negatively impact my sleep.
Bianca agreed to my suggestion albeit reluctantly.
Now, there was something else I needed to do.
In the outdoor dueling ground. I arrived at a spot closer to the academy ground than where I had previously fought with the Priestess of the Red Lotus, Mei.
I ced a folding chair on the dueling ground and sat down, watching the sunset. Normally, I would create a chair with elemental magic, but since I was out of mana, I had just brought a regr chair.
Next to me stood the Ice Knight, Morcan, the only minion I had intentionally left at the academy.
¡°Isaac!¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡±
A male-female couple approached the dueling ground.
The girl waving her hand energetically was Amy Holloway.
Herpanion was our main character, Ian Fairytale.
Unlike Amy, who was chatting lively earlier in the ssroom, Ian looked nervous.
As soon as Ian stood in front of me, he bowed at a precise 90-degree angle.
¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet the esteemed Ice Sovereign¡!¡±
¡°Isaac doesn¡¯t like that!¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Amy tapped Ian¡¯s back.
Ian straightened up, looking confused.
¡°So, Isaac, why did you call Ian here?¡±
¡°I have some business with him. I need to borrow your boyfriend for a bit.¡±
¡°Uh¡? Huh¡?¡±
Amy¡¯s smiling face gradually stiffened. Her eyes trembled uncontrobly.
What strange thoughts is she having¡?
I stood up from my chair. Ian looked around and seemed to grasp my intentions right away.
I adjusted my sses and smiled as I asked.
¡°Ian, don¡¯t you want to improve your fighting skills quickly?¡±
Ian looked at me seriously. Finally, Amy¡¯s expression softened.
I had already revealed my identity as the Nameless Hero, and the storyline was long since messed up.
In other words, it was better for me to personally train Ian from now on.
Ian¡¯s biggest problem was his reflexes. Let¡¯s focus on fixing that.
¡°Are you really willing to help me?¡±
¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re ssmates, so drop the formalities.¡±
¡°Got it¡ But why do you want to help me?¡±
Well, the stronger you be, the easier it will be to achieve my goal.
¡°Ian, why do you think only you can grow the power of light, unlike the Saintess?¡±
¡°Well¡ I don¡¯t really know. Why am I the only one who can do it?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re special.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡°There will surely be many things that only you can do. I believe your power will be crucial in protecting people in the future. That¡¯s why.¡±
Ian didn¡¯t fully understand what I meant, but he put on a determined face nheless.
¡°Something only I can do¡¡±
He looked down at his palm. He looked like he was deep in thought, fitting for the main character.
Being the Ice Sovereign was incredibly convenient. People tended to assume my words had profound meaning.
Even vague reasons like, ¡±It will be crucial in protecting people,¡± could sound noble and weighty. That was how Ian and Amy were feeling now.
¡Is that right?
Since the main goal is to defeat the Evil God, it does have a somewhat noble purpose.
Anyway.
When I pointed to the Ice Knight, Morcan, Ian and Amy turned to look at him.
¡°Try sparring with my minion. Every day.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Ian¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°In time, I¡¯ll let you spar with my other minions too.¡±
This would ensure his reflexes would improve, whether he wanted them to or not.
I just needed to let my minions train him and then go focus on my physical training.
I needed to get on with my physical training.
The Heavenly Beings had an absurd level of elemental resistance due to certain gimmicks. To counter them, having strong physical abilities was essential.
This was one of the reasons I had been working hard on my physical training.
Now, with my mana depleted, it was even more efficient to focus on my physical training.
But since today is the first day, I¡¯ll observe for a bit.
¡°Are you really¡ okay with this?¡±
Ian shuddered, his blood was boiling.
He looked excited at the thought of training against the Ice Sovereign¡¯s minion.
When I nodded leisurely, Ian smiled brightly and exchanged nces with Amy.
He turned back to me and shouted enthusiastically.
¡°I¡¯m grateful! Come at me!¡±
Like a true main character, Ian clenched his fists with determination.
Seeing his expression, I felt reassured.
¡°Morcan, go easy on him.¡±
[Understood, Master.]
And five minutester, Ian had passed out.
I rested my forehead on my /genesisforsaken
Chapter 228: Change (2)
Chapter 228: Change (2)
¡°Ian passed out again.¡±
From the stands, Amy Holloway casually munched on chocte as if Ian Fairytale fainting was an everyday urrence for her.
Morcan and I looked down at Ian, who was sprawled out on the dueling ground, eyes rolled back.
This isn¡¯t right¡
Although I sometimes jokingly called him an SSS-ss Master Fainter, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad. This was too much¡
Morcan initially dodged or parried Ian¡¯s sword strikes, but after five minutes, he counterattacked.
It wasn¡¯t fair for him to swing his weapon weakly like a child. Morcan moved quickly, but Ian was able to get in a single blow after his head was hit and he fainted.
¡°¡¡±
A certain suspicion popped into my head.Ian was the protagonist in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but he only moved ording to the yer¡¯s control.
The Ian I had thought of was always just the Ian from the game.
But this world isn¡¯t just a simple game world.
I had always thought that the real Ian had outstanding reflexes and was good at fighting. It was purely my misunderstanding.
Is this the real Ian?
Then what about the game scenario centered around Ian?
If Ian¡¯s skills weren¡¯t guaranteed, didn¡¯t that introduce a w in the scenario?
I had always sensed it, but it was a clear contradiction.
Even though I took over Ian¡¯s role, I umted EXP, cleared achievements, and was able to allocate stat points to further my potential.
It felt like I had to follow a scenario for that to happen.
As if I had a predetermined track to follow.
And as long as I cleared obstacles and moved forward, rewards were given.
Maybe it¡¯s like a cliche¡ like the gods were ying?
No¡ what a ridiculous thought.
I shook my head.
Why would a divine being bother to transmigrate me for their amusement?
Unless it was the amusement of the ultra-wealthy. For me to assume that a divine being would be entertained by a show I was putting on myself, following a predetermined scenario, was quite the stretch.
Surely there must be another purpose, and it definitely revolved around ¡°defeating the Evil God¡±.
Or maybe¡
The hypothesis that ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was merely a ¡°message¡± urred to me.
This coincided with the possibility that all the stories I knew about Ian could be false.
Anyway¡ I still didn¡¯t know the answer.
After all, I had to defeat the Evil God, and Ian needed to get stronger soon.
¡°Wake up, Ian.¡±
I crouched down and tapped Ian¡¯s cheek lightly. However, it took him a few minutes to wake up.
¡°Gasp! W-where am I?¡±
Ian¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he looked back and forth between Morcan and I, yelling.
¡°The dueling ground.¡±
¡°Ah¡ sorry. Did I pass out¡?¡±
¡°How are you? Want to stop?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m fine! Let¡¯s go again!¡±
It was a good thing that he was motivated.
¡°Go easy on him, Morcan.¡±
[As you wish.]
Five minutester, Ian fainted again.
***
¡°I knew you¡¯d be here!¡±
¡°Senior Dorothy?¡±
The lonely moon hung in the middle of the sky.
I had told Morcan to go on his own once Ian got tired.
I went to a corner of the Butterfly Garden to do some intense bodyweight exercises. I was currently taking it easy, doing one-handed push-ups.
I had neatly arranged my sses and clothes in front of a tree. I was bare-chested, wanting to enjoy the breeze while I exercised.
Just as I passed 200 push-ups, a female student wearing a witch¡¯s hat approached me with a smile.
It was Dorothy. I thought no one woulde here at this hour, but I was mistaken.
¡°What brings you here at this time?¡±
¡°I was just bored. Thought I might find you here. Can I sit on your back?¡±
¡°I¡¯m all sweaty right now, you know¡?¡±
My body was drenched in sweat. I probably smell pretty bad, too. It would be unpleasant to touch me right now.
However, Dorothy just smiled naturally.
¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m going to showerter anyway. I was nning on washing these clothes today.¡±
¡°Then by all means. I could use the extra weight.¡±
¡°Nihihi, I came at the right time! Heave-ho!¡±
Without hesitation, Dorothy sat on my back.
¡°Presideeent, aren¡¯t I as light as a feather?¡±
¡°Please release your magic.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t fool you, huh¡?¡±
Dorothy had weakened the gravity on herself using starlight magic, significantly reducing her weight.
¡°Hey, President. I ate two chicken for dinner today, can you handle it?¡±
¡°Even better.¡±
¡°Uh, that¡¯s kind of embarrassing¡¡±
Dorothy released her starlight magic and entrusted her full weight to me.
¡°Huh?¡±
Oh, what¡¯s this?
I staggered for a moment. She was heavier than I expected.
¡°What¡¯s with that reaction¡? Are you making fun of me?¡±
Dorothy asked in a slightly annoyed voice.
Dorothy¡¯s weight was supposed to be as light as a feather, so I quickly adjusted my expression.¡°I was just momentarily surprised because the weight shifted slightly. You¡¯re still as light as a feather.¡±
¡°Nihihi, look at this smooth talker. I¡¯m in a good mood, so I¡¯ll let it slide.¡±
Something soft pressed against my lower back through her skirt. I felt a squeezing sensation. Dorothy¡¯s butt was bigger and heavier than I expected.
My posture didn¡¯t falter. I continued with the push-up.
It seemed she still had some heat left in her body.
¡°It¡¯s damp and bouncy¡ this is quite a strange sensation.¡±
Dorothy chuckled mischievously.
Aren¡¯t you ufortable?
¡°You can get off now.¡±
¡°No, this is fun.¡±
¡°Well then¡¡±
If she said it was fun, then I guess it was alright.
¡°By the way, how are you feeling, Dorothy?¡±
¡°Better than that time, but still a bit dizzy.¡±
¡°Do you still have a fever?¡±
¡°Still running a high fever, but my body temperature has dropped a lot.¡±
¡°Why aren¡¯t you resting then?¡±
¡°I wanted to talk to you. It¡¯s not even a cold. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m much better now.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±
It seemed that Dorothy wanted to stay with me.
There was no need to send her back to the dorm.
Dorothy had been cooped up in her dorm for a while, so it was probably good for her to get some fresh air today. Her condition was improving, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.
Soon, Dorothy spoke in a calm tone.
¡°...President.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I heard I¡¯m going to be disciplined tomorrow. Because of this incident.¡±
Dorothy was used of causing a disturbance with the four pdins of the Heart Kingdom.
The incident of her starlight mana outburst was treated as an ident, but the deliberate actions taken by Dorothy were not overlooked.
Although the four pdins had be my subordinates, Dorothy was referred to the disciplinarymittee.
¡°Yeah, I heard.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, there are many extenuating circumstances. I¡¯ve heard that there''s a lot of consideration for a light punishment. It¡¯s likely to just end with a few days of confinement.¡±
It was an issue that would have normally led to severe punishment or even being taken by the Empire, given that it involved interfering with Imperial Knights and disturbing public affairs.
However, I had heard from Headmistress Elena that the level of discipline would most likely be reduced due to various factors such as Dorothy¡¯s role in the Alice incident, her cooperation with the Imperial Knights in a joint offensive against the Abyss, and her extremely unstable condition at the time.
The Empire had turned a blind eye. It seemed that my influence had yed a significant role.
¡°You¡¯ve practically be an unofficial power behind the throne, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not the case¡ I just discussed various things rted to this incident.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just kidding¡ I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay as long as you¡¯re safe. I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine as long as you¡¯re safe too, nihihi.¡±
The crickets were chirping loudly around us.
It was time to bring up that matter.
¡°Dorothy, what do you think about what happened then?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±
Dorothy immediately understood what I meant and answered concisely.
Before her starlight mana had rampaged, Dorothy had experienced a hallucination like someone was grabbing her hand and dragging her away.
There must be a secret in the power granted by Ste, the Star Fairy.
¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about old times, back to the day I first met Ste. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the Land of Oz, and it felt simr to that time. Well, everything got better right after you returned¡¡±
Dorothy paused.
¡°The one inside your body. When that threat was there, the hallucination of someone holding my hand and the outburst both stopped.¡±
I stopped doing push-ups.
Dorothy had mentionedst time that some unknown entity resided within me.
She couldn¡¯t perceive its exact form, but it definitely had many eyes and possessed an immense amount of mana.
Suddenly, I remembered what the Tower Master of Hegel, Aria Lilias, had said. She said that all beings who were close to a transcendental state had many eyes.
I wasn¡¯t blindly trusting her words, but it seemed worth considering.
Is it the system?
Dorothy mentioned that she saw the entity from the first time we met. That was what sparked her interest in me.
Could it be the entity giving me power, like a game system?
I¡¯m not sure yet.
Right now, nothing was certain. I could only hope to find the answer at the end of this journey.
¡°Thanks for telling me. I¡¯ll think about it too.¡±
I continued with my push-ups.
¡°You¡¯re really focusing on strength training today.¡±
¡°Because my mana is depleted.¡±
¡°Mind if I interrupt?¡±
¡°Please hold off.¡±
¡°Nihihi, I¡¯ll let it go just this once.¡±
Dorothy chuckled quietly and then became silent.
I sneakily turned my head to look up at her. She was perched on my back, gazing intently at the moon hanging in the night sky.
Is she lost in thought?
I turned my head back down to the ground.
Soon, Dorothy spoke up.
¡°There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve known all along that the President of my fan club wasn¡¯t you.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I wondered when she would catch on.
It actually made no sense that she hadn¡¯t found out until now. It seemed she had been pretending not to know.
Then, why bring it up now?
¡°You can¡¯t lie like that even if you¡¯re a big fan. Fraud is a serious crime, you know?¡±
Dorothy leaned over from my back toward my head, her voice yful and close.
¡°...I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you all this time.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re really sorry, can I ask for a favor~?¡±
Herees the main point.
¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with my training, anything is fine.¡±
I was willing to do anything as long as it didn¡¯t interfere with my training.
Not only to Dorothy, but to Luce, and Kaya¡ I¡¯ve caused them emotional turmoil, so it felt right to make it up to them somehow.
That way, naturally, I¡¯d fulfill any favor and clear out any lingering guilt between us.
So we could go back to normal, and that would be that.
I listened attentively to Dorothy¡¯s voice.
¡°Let me stay in your room tonight.¡±
¡°Heok¡!¡±
Thud.
I crashed down. All my strength drained from me.
It was far beyond my control.
* * *
[Are you nning to leave already, Alice?]
In the Heart Kingdom, in Alice¡¯s room.
The Phantom Cat Cheshire, with only its head floating in the air and its body transparent, asked Alice.
Alice Carroll smoothed her hair back and nodded.
¡°Yeah, I promised to return as soon as possible. I have important duties now, and Mephisto has not been subdued yet.¡±
The Heart Kingdom was operating in an emergency mode in anticipation of Alice¡¯s absence.
Alice had stopped by the Heart Kingdom to quickly exin the situation and reassure her people.
It was time for her to leave.
¡°Get ready, Cheshire.¡±
[Meow! I am ready to leave anytime.]
Alice and the Phantom Cat Cheshire set off for M?rchen /genesisforsaken
Chapter 229: Change (3)
Chapter 229: Change (3)
¡°I¡¯ll just hold your hand and sleep.¡±
Traditionally, the chances of that being a lie were one hundred percent.
As I tried to get up, Dorothy moved away from me.
I stood and looked at Dorothy. I was about to firmly decline, but when I saw her face, my words got caught in my throat.
She was breathing raggedly and her face was flushed red.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Isaac?¡±
I ced the back of my hand on Dorothy¡¯s forehead. I brought my other hand to my own forehead.
Her temperature was high. I knew it was high, but it was higher than I had expected.
Her condition is still this bad?My heart ached, and I sighed heavily.
¡°Haa¡¡±
I went to the tree, picked up my clothes, and put them on.
¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t get caught?¡±
Dorothy seemed surprised that I had agreed so quickly, but she soon smiled brightly.
¡°Of course, sneaking around and breaking the rules is my specialty.¡±
That didn¡¯t seem like something someone with full demerits should say.
***
¡°Do you have a bathrobe?¡±
¡°Yes, I do.¡±
¡°Nihihi, I¡¯ll take a quick shower!¡±
In the middle-high-ranked dorm, Elma Hall.
I went to my room and washed up. Meanwhile, Dorothy nned to sneak in through the window I left open.
I hadn¡¯t been to the hideout in a while, and it would need cleaning first if I went there. That was why I came to the dorm.
As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, Dorothy, who had already snuck into my room, cheerfully went to take a shower. I had expected her to wash up in her own room.
First¡
While Dorothy was in the shower, I decided to prepare a few things.
On the dresser beside the bed was a bottle of aromatic oil. When I opened it, a pleasant scent filled the air.
It was an alchemical tool I used to help me get a good night¡¯s sleep.
I quickly threw on some clothes and grabbed a basin. I filled it with cold water and soaked a towel.
Preparationsplete.
I leaned against the wall next to the bed, waiting for Dorothy.
¡°That feels great¡!¡±
Dorothy came out of the shower while humming a tune. She was wearing nothing but a bathrobe, giving me eye candy.
Though she tried not to show it, I could tell she had applied some makeup in the bathroom.
As she dried her wet hair with a towel, Dorothy caught my gaze and smiled mischievously.
¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look that sexy~?¡±
Dorothy teased, deliberately exposing one of her delicate shoulders.
I quickly approached Dorothy and pushed her back.
¡°Oh? I-Isaac?¡±
Dorothy¡¯s voice was flustered.
Without her magic, Dorothy couldn¡¯t resist my strength and was easily pushed back.
¡°Get on the bed.¡±
¡°A-already? I¡¯m not ready yet¡!¡±
What is she talking about?
Iid Dorothy down on the bed.
Looking down at her, I saw her face flush red. Her eyes, which were staring into mine, trembled as if there was an earthquake.
The usually talkative Dorothy was silent. She swallowed nervously and settled into the silence.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy¡¯s trembling eyes shifted to the side. Though she appeared tense, she gradually rxed. She seemed to have made up her mind.
Her bathrobe loosened, revealing her cleavage. When I pulled the robe back up, Dorothy flinched in surprise.
I then got off the bed and covered her with a nket.
¡°Huh?¡±
Dorothy looked dumbfounded.
I took the towel I had prepared, wrung out the water, folded it neatly, and ced it on Dorothy¡¯s forehead.
Only then did Dorothy seem to understand my intentions, ring at me with wide eyes.
Alright.
I checked her temperature with a thermometer.
As expected, she has a high fever.
It was better than when her starlight mana had rampaged, but still painful. Her headache must be severe.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me, Dorothy? You still have such a high fever. You should have sent E to let me know.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Dorothy?¡±
Dorothy let out a quiet sigh.
¡°Today is not the day¡¡±
Since Dorothy was my ally, I had already made it clear to her, just as I had to Kaya.
Until I achieved my goal in my third year, I nned to avoid openly dating or engaging in a serious romantic rtionship.
Despite knowing this, she still tried to seduce me. It wasn¡¯t just because she was lonely. It was disheartening, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.
To lighten the mood, I brought up something silly.
¡°...You ate two chickens even though you¡¯re sick.¡±
¡°They were delicious. And I thought eating more than usual might help me get better faster.¡±
Since the day her starlight mana had rampaged, Dorothy had spent several days alone in her dorm, feeling sick. She even set up a barrier, fearing another outburst of starlight mana.
Her starlight mana repelled healing spells from the Church and the hospital, so she waited alone for her body to recover naturally.
Surely, she had also denied the academy maids ess.
Being alone while sick was incredibly lonely. Dorothying to mete at night to talk likely had a lot to do with the lonely days she had spent while she was sick.
This makes me feel even more sorry for her.
I adjusted themp to create a soft glow that gently illuminated the dark room.
Soon, the towel on Dorothy¡¯s forehead warmed up. I soaked it in water again, wrung it out, and cooled it with my ice mana before cing it back on her forehead.
¡°Still¡ this doesn¡¯t feel too bad.¡±
Dorothy quietly stared at the ceiling. Her voice became more rxed as the tension eased and the atmosphere became cozier.
Time passed.
I pulled up a chair next to Dorothy and sat down to read a book, then she spoke.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you.¡±
I looked up from the book and stared at Dorothy.
¡°Did you know I have another name?¡±
¡°Another name?¡±
Dorothy¡¯s true name. I knew it, but I pretended I didn¡¯t.
¡°My real name is ¡®Dorothy Gale.¡¯¡±
¡°Gale¡? Why do you go by Heartnova now?¡±
¡°That was the adventurer¡¯s name I used when I was younger. After losing my family and home, and being left alone with only a little time left¡ I found a way to make a living as an adventurer, thanks to the power Ste gave me. The power of a fairy doesn¡¯t requireplex calctions, so it was possible. So I went by the name Heartnova, the adventurer, Heartnova.¡±
Dorothyughed softly.
¡°It was a bit unusual, considering I came up with it when I was a kid. It was too painful to even think about my Aunt, Uncle, Toto, and the people of my hometown. I thought maybe if I abandoned my name, it might hurt a little less. I hoped that by gradually forgetting everything, I might be able to handle it better.¡±
With only a few years left to live, Dorothy had to endure the harshness of life alone.
Every time she thought of her family and hometown, her heart must have felt like it was shattering.
¡°Eventually, I became numb to it. I knew I¡¯d follow them soon, so I stopped hesitating to think about them.¡±
Until the vivid pain became faint and distant, Dorothy lived steadfastly.
She walked a dark path alone without any light. At the end of that short journey, there was nothing weing her but a high cliff, a ce where she could join those who had gone before her with nothing more than a single step.
Even though her life seemed meaningless, it didn¡¯t deter Dorothy.
Although it was precarious, she decided to enjoy the journey until the end.
And finally, Dorothy reached the edge of her life.
¡°And then I met you.¡±
I had met Dorothy at the edge of the cliff.
Because I loved and admired her journey.
¡°Do you know what I call that?¡±
¡°What do you call it?¡±
Dorothy was still running a high fever.
Staring at me with a flushed face, Dorothy smiled beautifully.
¡°A miracle.¡±
***
Dorothy fell asleep.
I sat in the chair beside the bed, reading a book on rock magic, and asionally refreshing the towel on Dorothy¡¯s forehead to keep it cool.
As the night deepened, my usual routine caused me to feel drowsy at this hour. I struggled to keep my head up, and the book in my hands felt increasingly heavy.
Should I sleep?
The bed in Elma Hall was quite spacious. I considered lying down next to Dorothy.
Then.
Knock knock.
There was a knock on the window.
What is it?
I was startled¡
Outside the window, the Phantom Cat Cheshire was floating in the air.
I got off my chair and opened the window. The monster grinned widely with its torn mouth.
[Meow. How have you been Isaac?]
¡°Cheshire, you¡¯re back so soon?¡±
[I was eager to see you! So I flew here as fast as I could.]
The Phantom Cat Cheshire perched on the windowsill and noticed Dorothy.
[Dorothy? Why is that scary woman here?]
¡°Something happened. Where¡¯s Alice?¡±
[Of course, she¡¯s with me.]
The academy nned to publicize that Alice had been used by the demons, to clear her name.
Thanks to Alice¡¯s previous good conduct, she could gain a lot of support from the student body.
However, since the investigation was still ongoing, Alice needed to stay out of sight until things were settled.
¡°Sorry, we haven¡¯t settled Alice¡¯s issue yet. I didn¡¯t expect you toe back so soon.¡±
[It¡¯s alright. Can I bring Alice inside? We have nowhere else to go right now.]
¡°Huh?¡±
[Alice, it¡¯s okay.]
I hadn¡¯t given my permission.
But since I had no better solution, I couldn¡¯t directly argue.
Alice couldn¡¯t return to her room, which was now off-limits, and the hideout was dirty. Leaving her outside wasn¡¯t an option either.
Alice Carroll floated up using telekinesis. I reluctantly let her into my room.
¡°Hello, Baby.¡±
¡°Alice¡¡±
Alice approached me with a smile.
The memory of our kiss made my face flush, but I kept a calm expression.
The Phantom Cat Cheshire closed the window.
¡°You came back quickly.¡±
¡°You told me toe back soon. Is it okay if I stay here for a little¡¡±
Alice nced at the bed and paused.
¡°Dorothy?¡±
Alice spoke with a hint of displeasure.
¡°She¡¯s not feeling well, so I brought her here.¡±
¡°I can tell just by looking at her.¡±
Alice walked over to Dorothy, sat on the bed, and gently stroked her cheek,
¡°She still has quite the fever, I see.¡±
¡°Yeah, and her starlight mana repels healing spells.¡±
¡°That¡¯s odd.¡±
I went to Alice¡¯s side, changed the towel on Dorothy¡¯s forehead, and then sat on the chair next to the bed.
¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t take care of you even though you just got back.¡±
¡°Hehe, it¡¯s fine. Just saying that means a lot. But you look really tired, Baby.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty exhausted. I¡¯d usually be asleep by now¡±
I kept yawning.
Seeing this, Alice smiled brightly and got off the bed.
She came behind me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me close to her.
My head ended up nestled against Alice¡¯s chest, and my eyes widened. The incredible softness involuntarily made me submit tofort, despite my usual mental fortitude.
I tilted my head back and met Alice¡¯s gentle gaze, looking at me with a tender smile.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? You look like you need to lean on something¡ Shall I sing you a luby?¡±
¡°This feels weird, you¡¡±
¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±
She seemed quite ted.
The distance between Alice and I had shrunk considerably.
¡°Ah¡ feeling a lil¡¯ shy? Doing this in front of your beloved Dorothy?¡±
Pretending to realize, Alice spoke in a breathy voice.
¡°Baby, Dorothy is¡ asleep right now.¡±
Her voice oozed seduction.
Her usually kind smile looked particrly sultry today.
¡°What are you thinking about, Alice?¡±
¡°Naughty thoughts.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Her bold answer made me choke on my breath.
What is she saying¡?
Just then, there was a rustling sound from the bed.
Alice and I turned our heads toward the bed.
[¡]
¡°...E?¡±
Somehow, a white cat magic beast was now ring at me from the bed.
It was Dorothy¡¯s familiar, E.
¡°Kugh¡¡±
Dorothy groaned, clutching her head with one hand as she slowly sat up.
The cool towel that was on her forehead fell off.
Through her disheveled light purple hair, her cold starlight eyes stared directly at Alice, who was holding me.
¡°Good morning, Dorothy.¡±
Alice chuckled as she locked eyes with Dorothy and pulled me tighter to her chest.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
I felt like I was walking a tightrope and was on the verge of /genesisforsaken
Chapter 230: Change (4)
Chapter 230: Change (4)
While suffering from a fever and confined alone in her dorm, Dorothy could think of nothing but Isaac.
It dawned on her just how precious Isaac had be to her, more than anything else.
The thought of having lost Isaac to the gluttonous Abyss for days on end plunged Dorothy into a hellish anxiety.
Dorothy had once embraced death and it was Isaac who ripped her from its grasp and gave her a new future.
He had be her driving force, the meaning behind her continued existence.
This led her to impulsively attempt to seduce Isaac¡ but ultimately, he pushed her away.
Dorothy regained her senses and felt relieved, yet the disappointment was inevitable.
However, she soon felt reassured, realizing that Isaac too was forcibly suppressing his desire to pounce on her.
It seemed everything would have to wait until after the Evil God was defeated. Comforted by this thought, Dorothy enjoyed Isaac¡¯s tender care and fell into a peaceful sleep.But then¡
¡°Good morning, Dorothy.¡±
Hidden in the shadows, the cat familiar, E, rmed Dorothy of Alice¡¯s appearance in her mind.
Because of that, Dorothy woke up just in time to catch Alice attempting to seduce Isaac.
¨C I¡¯m curious, what would you do if Baby became mine?
¨C _So, I¡¯m wondering. If you, who openly dislikes me, were to find that my baby truly likes me¡ I wonder how you¡¯d react. _
Remembering Alice¡¯s words made Dorothy feel nauseous.
¡°It¡¯s not morning, is it?¡±
Dorothy retorted gruffly.
It was deep into the night. Saying, ¡°Good morning,¡± was hardly appropriate given the darkness outside.
¡°Are you okay, Senior Dorothy?¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±
Dorothy kindly answered Isaac¡¯s concern, but¡
¡°Why is Alice here?¡±
Her tone turned scornful when she asked her next question.
With a rxed expression, Alice gently stroked Isaac¡¯s shoulder while locking eyes with Dorothy.
Her casual demeanor and her delicate hand motions seemed like the tricks of a cunning vixen to Dorothy.
¡°I just got back.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it too early? Don¡¯t you care about your kingdom?¡±
¡°Well, my master told me toe back early. Isn¡¯t that right, Baby?¡±
¡°Master¡?¡±
Dorothy was shocked.
Baby, and now Master¡ clearly referred to Isaac. These tantly fox-like antics were unbearable. Dorothy felt blood rush to her head.
She couldn¡¯t read Alice¡¯s mind due to her unique trait [Red Queen¡¯s Paradox]. However, she could see through her sinister intentions like the back of her hand.
Dorothy clenched her fists hidden under the nket.
The problem was¡ Dorothy wasn¡¯t in a position to criticize Alice¡¯s pretense. Hadn¡¯t she herself mustered the courage to seduce Isaac today?
Yet, she was still bothered by her opponent.
Dorothy had no intention of quietly watching Isaac be seduced by Alice.
¡°Sorry if I came too early and interrupted you. Were you having a good time with my baby?¡±
¡°Not really¡? Good time? It wasn¡¯t like that. Isaac was just putting me to bed because he was really worried about me. Except that my headache got a bit worse since you came. I guess I¡¯m a bit frazzled. Isaac¡¯s struggling because of me, and I feel sorry for that.¡±
Dorothy emphasized ¡°headache¡± in her response.
¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. I¡¯m Baby¡¯s minion, and I¡¯m supposed to stick to him. But you know, humans are creatures of adaptation? Even if you¡¯re feeling crazy right now, you¡¯ll get used to it soon and it''ll be fine, so don¡¯t worry. Or Dorothy, why don¡¯t you go to your room and rest? Being from Charles Hall, you should have an academy maid at your disposal, there¡¯s no need to be here, right? That would also be rude to my master.¡±
Alice emphasized the word ¡°rude¡±.
Dorothy wanted to respond but found herself speechless.
Soon she murmured, ¡°Ah,¡± with her finger on her chin, and pondered seriously.
That makes sense. I can¡¯t logically argue with that¡
Dorothy knew Isaac¡¯s situation well and being from Charles Hall, she could ask an academy maid for care. Moreover, there would be academy maids on night duty at Charles Hall by now.
Initially, she had ended up receiving Isaac¡¯s care unintentionally. Staying here idly, making Isaac worry about her, seemed shameless.
If she considered Isaac, leaving here immediately was the better option for him.
However¡
I can¡¯t leave¡!
Leaving here would mean leaving Isaac alone with Alice.
As much as she hated to admit it, Alice was strikingly beautiful. At the Grand Festival Beauty Pageant, Alice didn¡¯t participate because she was the Student Council President, but if she had, Dorothy might not have ranked.
Moreover, unlike the reckless Dorothy, wasn¡¯t Alice more charming?
Just a moment ago, she had been tantly flirting with Isaac, nurturing lewd thoughts.
There were times in one¡¯s life when one absolutely mustn¡¯t back down. Dorothy decided that now was one of those times.
Using her brain, which seemed to grind with rusty gears due to infrequent use, she frantically tried to think of what to say.
¡°¡¡±
Just then, guessing that things were not going well, Isaac forced himself off of Alice¡¯s chest.
Isaac turned his head to look at Alice.
¡°Alice, I¡¯m the one who agreed to take care of Senior Dorothy.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Dorothy looked at Isaac.
¡°I wanted to take care of her myself. It¡¯s not a bother, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
Isaac¡
Dorothy felt touched. Confident that Isaac was indeed on her side, she looked triumphantly at Alice.
However, Alcie simply smiled lightly and shrugged.
¡°I see. Sorry, Dorothy. I misunderstood.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good that you know.¡±
¡°Then, Baby.¡±
Alice leaned in close to Isaac¡¯s side and looked at him closely.
Dorothy¡¯s heart nearly sank, thinking Alice was about to kiss Isaac¡¯s cheek.
¡°Where shall we sleep?¡±
What the hell is she up to now?
Dorothy frowned.
However, Isaac only responded with an exhausted sigh as he lifted himself from the chair.
¡°That¡¯s enough, I¡¯m getting sleepy now.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
The brief attention to the women¡¯s rivalry was only momentary. Isaac was so tired that he had no time to gather his wits. He lifted the nket andid down next to Dorothy.
Dorothy¡¯s body heated up at the fact that she was in the same bed as Isaac. The memory of Isaac climbing on top of her earlier only fanned the burning me within her.
Isaac looked at Alice disinterestedly, weakly blinking his eyes.
¡°Alice, where will you sleep? If you¡¯re going to sleep elsewhere, I¡¯ll get you a nket.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll sleep next to you.¡±
¡°Okay, sleep beside me then.¡±
The bed is indeed the best option.
Isaac muttered quietly and snuggled closer to Dorothy, making room on the bed. The bed seemed big enough to fit three people.
Once heid down, his consciousness began to fade. Isaac closed his eyes.
Dorothy, now pressed closely to Isaac, involuntarily tensed up her body. Perhaps because she was wearing a bathrobe, she was feeling a strange sensation.
¡°¡¡±
In the silence, Dorothy and Alice stared at the sleeping Isaac.
His breathing was calm. Isaac quickly fell asleep, and the atmosphere settled.
The two girls looked at each other again.
Then, Alice smiled her characteristically gentle smile.
¡°Dorothy, now that it¡¯se to this, why don¡¯t the three of us sleep together nicely?¡±
¡°Uh, no¡¡±
Dorothy didn¡¯t want Alice in the bed, but she couldn¡¯t just dismiss Isaac¡¯s wishes on her own.
Dorothyid back down.
Once Isaac was asleep, Dorothy¡¯s courage and desire resurfaced. She subtly moved closer to his side, hugged him, andfortably closed her eyes.
[Meow? Meoow!]
At some point, the Phantom Cat Cheshire, had gone back from the bathroom after washing up.
The Phantom Cat, wearing only a white towel, stepped out of the bathroom and then his eyes sparkled upon seeing the white cat familiar, E.
[E, my love! It¡¯s been a while!]
[Kyaa!]
The Phantom Cat passionately cried out and rushed toward her, and E panicked and quickly reversed her summoning. She quickly fled from the Phantom Cat¡¯s unsightly appearance.
The Phantom Cat stopped mid-air and sighed dejectedly.
[Eaa!]
¡°Cheshire, go see E next time. I¡¯m going to wash up too.¡±
Alice went into the bathroom to wash up.
With no spare robe left, Alice wrapped a towel around her body and came out of the bathroom. Thinking it was a rare opportunity, she decided to wear the shirt of Isaac¡¯s uniform.
It was considerablyrge and baggy for her frame, making pants unnecessary.
¡°Ah.¡±
A thought crossed Alice¡¯s mind and she closed her eyes and sniffed the sleeve.
¡°Baby¡¯s scent¡¡±
A faint blush rose on Alice¡¯s cheeks, a mix of excitement and satisfaction.
On the bed, Isaac and Dorothy were sound asleep. By now, the Phantom Cat had also fallen asleep on top of the covered Isaac.
Its round belly rose and fell with its breaths. A single tear rolled down its cheek, belonging to a pitiful suitor.
Alice unconsciously chuckled. She considered reversing the Phantom Cat¡¯s summon for a moment but decided against it. Somehow, this scene was quite pleasing to her.
She then dimmed the light in the room. The room was filled with shadows and moonlight. Alice then climbed onto the bed, lying next to Isaac, on the opposite side of Dorothy.
She could see Isaac¡¯s side profile. Alice gently caressed his cheek.
It was oddly miraculous how this man in front of her had drastically twisted the trajectory of her life.
She had received an immeasurable favor from this man, one that was difficult to repay.
¡°Hmm¡¡±
Suddenly, she recalled a conversation she had shared with Isaac.
Isaac liked many women, he was a bit of ady-killer. But as an Elemental King, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to have multiple wives or even dozens. It would have been odd if he hadn¡¯t.
So, what should she do now that Isaac was firmly ced in her heart?
Alice¡¯s conclusion was simple. To capture Isaac¡¯s affection, to be his top priority over any other woman.
It seemed Isaac was putting off having proper rtionships due to his deep intent to defeat the Evil God, so there were still many opportunities.
Alice quietly smiled, hugged Isaac closer than Dorothy, and closed her eyes.
¡°Thank you, Baby. Sweet dreams.¡±
And with that, Alice fell soundly asleep.
***
The night was filled with stars, as if sugar had been sprinkled across the sky.
In one of the training buildings at M?rchen Academy, the lights were still on.
The wind howled. A blond man, his hair blowing in the wind, repelled demonic illusion after demonic illusion as they charged at him.
His body was drenched in sweat. His breathing was rough, and his clothes and skin were caked in dirt.
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
Tristan Humphrey bent over, retching. But he gritted his teeth and once again summoned his wind magic.
¡°Not yet¡¡±
He could still hold on. Tristan continued trainingte into the night.
He had reduced his sleeping hours. He had also cut down the time he spent boasting to his subordinates.
He spent more time training.
These days were hard, but remembering Isaac reigning supreme in the sky during the incident with the Student Council President, he couldn¡¯t just stand by.
At that time, Tristan could only stare in awe at Isaac¡¯s true form.
¡°Damn it, kugh¡!¡±
He thought that Isaac hade from the bottom.
That was why he secretly admired Isaac.
Having blossomed his talents in a harsh environment, he couldn¡¯t help but respect him.
That guy¡ turned out to be a rare archwizard.
Isaac had already reached heights Tristan could never achieve in this lifetime.
His efforts, their sparring, all of it was a mere facade.
The Nameless Hero had been ying the role of ¡°Isaac, the Academy¡¯s Weakest who triumphed over every obstacle that came his way through sheer human effort¡±.
He must have had his reasons for doing so. Tristan understood that. After all, making Isaac his goal was nothing but his own ego.
Thus, Tristan had to swallow his directionless anger and immerse himself in training. He wouldn¡¯t be able to contain it if he didn¡¯t.
¡°Haa, haa¡¡±
After defeating all the demonic illusions, Tristan looked down at the ground, gasping for air. He was in pain, he felt like his limbs were about to fall off.
He wiped his bloody nose, a side-effect of mana depletion.
Logically, it wasn¡¯t a big deal.
Under the protection of the archwizard Isaac, graduating from M?rchen Academy safely would solve everything.
Removing the absurd goal of surpassing Isaac from his mind and setting a new realistic goal would clear all his problems.
I can¡¯t do that.
Yet, Tristan had no intention of yielding.
Changing a goal once would surely lead to a cycle of settling for less.
Such reversals would tarnish the times of training and dreams of bing an archwizard he had built. He couldn¡¯t allow it until his deathbed.
¡°That damn Elemental King¡¡±
Tristan swung his wind magic irritably and exited the training area.
He resolved to train to death until the semester¡¯s end and then challenge Isaac to a duel.
There were things he earnestly wanted to ask.
Facing the truly powerful Isaac seemed like it could clear his clouded mind.
It was now /genesisforsaken
Chapter 231: Change (5)
Chapter 231: Change (5)
I fell asleep surrounded by human warmth. How well I slept told me so.
Morning sunlight streamed in, and I naturally woke up as if my internal rm had gone off. Beside me, Dorothy was sleeping with her bathrobe slightly askew.
I sat up and looked around. The other side of the bed was empty, but I noticed a strand of pale gold hair. Alice had slept here too.
That smells nice.
The scent of food wafted from the kitchen. It was obvious Alice was preparing breakfast.
I checked the clock. There was still time before sses started.
I straightened Dorothy¡¯s bathrobe and ced my hand on her forehead.
Oh.
Good, her fever has gone down.Whether it was thanks to my care or just the natural course of recovery, it was a huge relief.
I shook Dorothy¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Dorothy, wake up. It¡¯s morning.¡±
¡°Hmm, Presideeent.¡±
Half-asleep, Dorothy mumbled and wrapped her arms around my waist.
It was a lovely sight, and for a moment, I felt a surge of happiness. But I snapped back to reality, knowing I had to wake her up.
I shook her shoulder a little harder.
¡°You need to go to the Disciplinary Committee this morning. If you don¡¯t go now, you won¡¯t be able to sneak out in time before the students go to the academy.¡±
¡°...Ah!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s eyes shot open, and she quickly sat up.
¡°Themittee¡! It smells delicious¡!¡±
Dorothy mumbled her stream of thoughts, then she looked at me. Her light purple hair was tousled. She giggled.
¡°Nihihi, Isaac, your hair is a mess. It looks like a bird¡¯s nest!¡±
¡°So is yours.¡±
¡°Ah, this is not the time¡!¡±
Just as I was about to ask if she slept well, Dorothy hurried off the bed and went to the closet to change into her uniform.
The Disciplinary Committee was in the morning. She needed to return to her room and prepare before the other students arrived.
¡°Isaac, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll leave the bathrobe here! I slept well thanks to you!¡±
¡°Ah, sure. Be careful, Dorothy.¡±
Dorothy pulled her witch¡¯s hat down and wrapped herself in starlight mana, then flew out the window.
I didn¡¯t know how many days of probation she¡¯d receive. I¡¯d check on her after the punishment was decided.
And Alice¡
Even though she must have heard us waking up, she hadn¡¯t said anything.
I got off the bed and headed to the kitchen.
I saw the back of a girl with light gold hair wearing nothing but my shirt. It was loose on Alice Carroll.
Alice was making stew. The red apron she wore wasn¡¯t from my room, so she must have brought it herself.
As I approached, Alice noticed me and turned around.
¡°Pfft, look at your hair.¡±
A bright smile spread across her face, illuminated by the morning sunlight streaming through the window.
Alice came closer and gently patted my messy, wavy hair.
¡°Did you sleep well, my baby?¡±
[Meow, Isaac! Good morning!]
The fat purple cat familiar, Phantom Cat Cheshire, with a small bowler hat, floated in the air and greeted me. I returned the greeting calmly with a, ¡°Good morning.¡±
¡°I think I slept well for once.¡±
¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t greet you right away. Dorothy doesn¡¯t like me, so I stayed out of the way.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
I was well aware of how much Dorothy despised Alice.
I didn¡¯t know how Alice felt about it, but I doubted she had any positive feelings toward someone who disliked her.
¡°So, what were you doing?¡±
¡°I¡¯m making stew. I wanted to make breakfast for you, Baby.¡±
¡°It smells great.¡±
I usually had a light breakfast or skipped it altogether. Having stew as a meal sounded perfect.
I sat at the table. Soon, Alice ced a bowl of stew with a spoon in front of me.
The stew was filled withrge chunks of meat and mushrooms, and plenty of vegetables. Despite it being breakfast, the aroma was quite appetizing.
Alice sat down across from me with her own bowl of stew. She then scooped some up, blew on it gently, and held the spoon out to my mouth.
¡°Baby, say aah.¡±
Her voice had a sweet tone.
I stared at Alice for a moment, a bit dazed. Compared to Luce¡¯s ¡°open your mouth,¡¯ this was an incredibly gentle gesture. It felt like we were a newlywed couple.
When I opened my mouth, Alice carefully fed me the stew.
¡°Wow, it¡¯s really good.¡±
I was surprised. It was exactly to my liking.
¡°Right?¡±
I looked at Alice in surprise and then eagerly started eating the stew. Only then did Alice begin to eat her own stew.
Ah, right.
¡°You said you¡¯d stay here, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really have anywhere else to go right now.¡±
It would take at least a week to reintegrate Alice back into her academic life with the help of the Imperial Knights.
In the meantime, Alice intended to stay hidden in my room.
¡°You¡¯ll have to stay quiet and not go outside. Why not stay in the hideout instead? You¡¯d have more freedom there.¡±
¡°I want to be with you.¡±
Alice''s smiling face was resolute. She seemed determined to stay here regardless of the existence of the hideout.
¡°You care about managing your time well, don¡¯t you? And you don¡¯t have a personal maid, so I thought I could at least help you with your meals for a while.¡±
It wasn¡¯t a bad proposal.
Most of my minions werebatants, and I didn¡¯t have a personal maid yet.
Moreover, this ce was the safest.
Having Alice close by where I could keep an eye on her was also good.
¡°...Alright, let¡¯s try that for now then.¡±
However, having Alice in my personal space would be an adjustment.
For the time being, I¡¯d have to stop humming in the shower since that would be embarrassing.
Also, there was a risk I wouldn¡¯t be able to fully concentrate on studying before I go to bed.
I decided to give it a try for a day or two and see how it went. If it became too much of a distraction, I could send her to the hideout then.
¡°By the way, don¡¯t you have any clothes? That¡¯s my shirt.¡±
¡°Hehe, I thought it was a rare chance, so I tried it on. When else would I get to wear your clothes? Ah¡ it probably smells a bit like me now. Sorry about that.¡±
¡°No¡ I don¡¯t really mind.¡±
The academy maids could take care of theundry.
Alice then propped her chin on her hand and gave me her usual kind smile.
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t we look like newlyweds?¡±
I almost choked on my stew, coughing repeatedly.
It felt like she had read my thoughts.
***
¡°What were you thinking, revealing your true identity?¡±
During break time, in front of Orphin Hall.
On my way to buy a drink, I ran into Lisetta Lionheart.
Second-year, ss A, ranked 4th in the Magic Department. She still had her orange hair in a ponytail and left her uniform unbuttoned to reveal her chest.
Unexpectedly, Lisetta spoke to me first. Maybe she had developed some attachment to me. I felt good about it so I bought her a drink.
We sat on a nearby bench. I sat at the opposite end of the bench, respecting Lisetta¡¯s space.
She sat cross-legged with the drink I had bought her in her hand.
I took a sip and answered Lisetta¡¯s question.
¡°There are many reasons. I thought it was the right time to reveal my identity.¡±
¡°Well¡ someone like me wouldn¡¯t understand the intentions of the Ice Sovereign. Haha, my ssmate is an Elemental King¡ If I told anyone this, they¡¯d think I¡¯m crazy. It¡¯s so absurd, I couldn¡¯t help butugh, pfft, shi¡¡±
¡°If you¡¯re not going to drink that, give it to me. It¡¯s good.¡±
¡°You gave it and you¡¯re taking it back, you bastard.¡±
Lisetta scowled and grumbled, and handed the drink back to me. I drank it too.
¡°...What¡¯s going to happen to the Student Council President?¡±
¡°She¡¯s going to keep attending the academy.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Lisetta scoffed.
¡°Are you serious? She was the insider, the main perpetrator behind this terror attack. She almost brought down the academy, didn¡¯t she?¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t her will. She was forced. I¡¯ve also figured out a way for her to atone. It¡¯s all for everyone¡¯s benefit.¡±
After taking another sip from the drink I took from Lisetta, I continued in a calm tone.
¡°The academy will make an announcement soon. The Imperial Court also agreed to help.¡±
¡°Oh, even the Imperial Court is doing whatever you want.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just epting their help¡ it¡¯s not what you think.¡±
¡°What about the people who are unhappy about this?¡±
¡°They canin to me. If they¡¯re weaker than me, they should just keep their mouths shut.¡±
¡°Pfft! I like that about you, you bastard.¡±
Lisetta and Iughed together, but then her expression suddenly turned stiff.
¡°Don¡¯tugh. It¡¯s annoying.¡±
¡°Yeah, you too.¡±
Lisetta chuckled again.
Today, Lisetta was being unusually friendly with me, probably because of the gap between me and the people around me.
From now on, people at the academy wouldn¡¯t be able to treat me as just Isaac.
I appreciated her thoughtfulness.
* * *
The sky had grown dark.
Isaac arrived at the Church located on the hill within the academy grounds and opened the door.
The view of the chapel immediately greeted him. The Church had a barrier to ensure soundproofing.
Isaac adjusted his sses and walked forward.
A girl with light pink hair stood quietly, looking up at the symbol of the Helize Church. It was the Saintess, Bianca Anturaze.
In the shadowed pir, her escort, Sylon, had his hands together and bowed to Isaac.
Bianca turned towards Isaac and with her hands sped together, she bowed to Isaac.
Her eyes were closed, for she was blind. However, with the aid of divine power, she could see without relying on her eyes.
¡°Nice to meet you, Ice Sovereign. This is the first time we¡¯ve met face-to-face.¡±
They were both from the Magic Department of M?rchen Academy. And they were both in their uniforms.
However, Bianca was addressing Isaac as a Saintess to an Elemental King. Her use of ¡°Ice Sovereign¡± instead of ¡°Senior Isaac¡± indicated that this was a formal interaction.
Bianca was a figure called to represent the Lord in both the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, so Isaac also bowed his head to show respect.
¡°Nice to meet you too, Saintess.¡±
¡°I apologize for making youe all the way here. But this is a conversation that should be held in secret.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright. What is this about anyway?¡±
Isaac still didn¡¯t know exactly why Bianca had called him here.
Reading her psychology, Isaac realized that Bianca had something very important to tell him.
¡°I have something to give you. Sylon.¡±
At Bianca¡¯smand, her escort, Sylon, stepped out of the shadows and handed Isaac a book.
The book was incredibly old, showing the marks of time. There were no markings on the cover, and it was rtively thin.
¡°Do you recognize this book?¡±
¡°No¡ what is it?¡±
¡°Sylon, could you open it?¡±
She instructed Sylon.
Sylon opened the book.
¡°¡!¡±
At that moment, Isaac¡¯s eyes widened.
He felt like he had been struck heavily at the back of his head. He had a hard time using his usual acting skills.
It was the first time sinceing to this world that he doubted his own eyes.
¡°This is¡?¡±
Bianca smiled silently, her lips curling upwards. Isaac¡¯s reaction confirmed the value of the book.
Inside the book was an illustration that looked like a rainy, icyke.
And¡ Korean characters.
What? Seriously, what is this¡?
It felt as if only he and the book existed in the entire world.
Isaac turned back to the first page.
The writing was more chaotic than on any other page. It seemed like whoever wrote it did sost.
The first page was like a letter.
Isaac read through it.
To my dear benefactor,
To Isaac,
I hope you have found this book.
I ask for your understanding that circumstances prevent me from assisting you as much as I would like.
I have filled this book with all the truths I havee to know, in anguage that only you can read.
Isaac understood.
The author had discovered some truths and wanted to convey them to him.
The writer did not seem to be affiliated with the gamepany ¡°Higgs¡± that created ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Before I lose my sanity, I hope you wille to know every truth in this world.
¡°Even¡± my sanity.
It suggested that the writer had lost many things. Mentioning ¡°sanity¡± implied the losses were mostly mental.
For example, ¡°memories¡± would fall into that category.
After reading this book, immediately seek out the Tower Master of the Hegel Magic Tower, please.
She will surely be your ally.
Aria Lilias?
Certainly, Aria had been supportive of Isaac, but¡
However, if someone were to ask Isaac if she had provided enough help to be specifically mentioned in such a letter, he would have shaken his head.
In other words, this meant that there was something about Aria that Isaac did not know.
And upon seeing the name of the author in thest line.
Isaac¡¯s mind had to stop for a while.
Sincerely, Dorothy Gale.
/genesisforsaken
Chapter 232: Change (6)
Chapter 232: Change (6)
I left the church. The moon was high in the sky, shining brightly.
I was in deep thought as I looked at an old book illuminated by the moonlight.
Carly Hall, the secret library¡
That was the answer I got from Saintess Bianca Anturaze when I asked her where she had obtained the book.
She had said that there were old books ced in that location, which she thought would be of no use. If Bianca hadn¡¯t found it for me, I would have never known of its existence.
Bianca exined that the book was not of this world and that even space and time were meaningless before it. The fact that it was written in Hangul already suggested that it was no ordinary book.
Then Bianca asked for something in return for giving me the book.
¨C Ice Sovereign, would you consider making me a part of your crusade against the demons?
Make me your ally.She dressed up her request with the noble intention of fulfilling her mission as a saintess.
But I could sense her dark desire to kill demons and the pleasure she felt from brutally taking lives.
Bianca was not someone I had considered as an ally. She had significant personality ws and herbat abilities weren¡¯t that impressive.
But she was better than having no one, so I said we¡¯d discuss it next time.
¨C Ice Sovereign, you seem a bit perplexed¡ Okay, let¡¯s talk another time.
Bianca sent me on my way with a satisfied smile.
As I headed towards the secluded corner of the Butterfly Garden, the Frost Dragon, Hilde, summoned in the size of a baby dragon, flew to me.
Although my status window still showed that I was depleted of mana, handling the Frost Dragon to this extent wasn¡¯t too much of a strain.
[Master, I have asked around.]
¡°Where¡¯s Teacher Aria?¡±
[She had some business at the Imperial Tower.]
¡°Some business?¡±
What awful timing.
But then again¡ Aria often went on trips, so maybe this was to be expected.
¡°When is sheing back?¡±
[They said they are not sure. Even if she makes haste, it will take at least a month.]
I chewed on my lower lip, lost in thought.
I had used [irvoyance] to find out that Aria Lilias was not at Hegel Tower. That was why I had sent Hilde to ask the wizards at the tower where Aria had gone.
Now that my identity as the Ice Sovereign was made public, people understood and epted seeing the ¡°Ice Sovereign¡¯s Familiar¡± when they saw Hilde. Moreover, it was well-known among the tower¡¯s wizards that I had a connection with Aria.
Nevertheless¡ activating [irvoyance] to reach the Imperial Tower would be too taxing in my current state due to the distance and the amount of mana it would consume.
Besides, the Imperial Tower was practically a city in of and itself, and finding Aria there would be challenging.
Moreover, the high level of defense in the Imperial Tower could potentially detect my [irvoyance].
The Imperial Tower was known for its secrecy and strict information security. Even the Emperor could only receive reports about its activities without any direct involvement.
I didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary friction by snooping around or asking the Imperial Court to contact Aria.
An uninvited guest wouldn¡¯t be allowed in any way, so sending a minion would be pointless.
It was impossible to send a letter to the Imperial Court.
If that¡¯s the case¡
¡°Hilde, can you call Dorothy for me?¡±
[Leave it to me, Master.]
I transformed Hilde into a small ball of mana, and she flew toward the living quarters.
***
¡°What¡¯s this about? It¡¯s scary¡!¡±
The Disciplinary Committee¡¯s sanction for Dorothy was very mild, just a week of confinement.
Since the punishment would start tomorrow, I could call Dorothy now.
It was still dark. I met Dorothy in a secluded corner of the Butterfly Garden.
Concerned that Alice and I would be living together for a while, Dorothy initiated the conversation with, ¡°Isaac, about Alice¡¡± but I immediately presented the old book, asking if she knew anything about it.
Dorothy said she had no clue what the book was about.
We sat together and examined the old book. With the help of a portablemp, we had no trouble inspecting its contents.
As expected, Dorothy couldn¡¯t read Hangul.
When I told her that thest line on the first page read, ¡°From Dorothy Gale,¡± she was utterly shocked.
¡°You really have no clue?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ I swear, I¡¯m seeing this for the first time today. It¡¯s definitely not a book I wrote. After all, I don¡¯t know thenguage from your previous world.¡±
Dorothy confirmed as she flipped through the book.
¡°And if I had written it, it would say ¡®From Dorothy Heartnova.¡¯ That¡¯s my name now.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a part that mentions the loss of memories. Maybe you wrote it under your old name then?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never lost my memory. Not even on days I drank too much.¡±
¡°Is that so¡?¡±
My mind raced. Various hypotheses ran through my mind.
But at the moment, I couldn¡¯t definitively confirm any of them.
¡°Hmm¡¡±
Suddenly, I remembered Dorothy¡¯s rampage.
Is the Star Fairy involved?
¡°Senior, do you remember what the Star Fairy looks like?¡±
¡°She doesn¡¯t look like anything.¡±
¡°What?¡±
What does that mean?
Dorothy spoke seriously, not a hint of mischief present in her face.
¡°Exactly as I said. She had no physical form.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Ste dragged you away a long time ago?¡±
¡°That¡¯s just how I described it. She doesn¡¯t really have a ¡®look.¡¯ She just exists, adorned with starlight¡ Sorry, that¡¯s the best I can exin it.
¡°¡¡±
I despise metaphysical stories. I imagined the Star Fairy, Ste, as something akin to an invisible person glowing with starlight.
Dorothy and I continued to specte about the book. There were some usible guesses, but none provided a clear answer due to theck of concrete evidence.
¡°Whoo.¡±
I sighed deeply, gazing up at the sky.
It seemed like deciphering the contents of this old book¡ would have to be put on hold for now.
¡°What are you thinking about?¡±
Dorothy asked, looking at me.
¡°Just thinking that, in the end, the task remains the same.¡±
Regardless of how things turned out, I ultimately needed to defeat the Evil God.
My purpose remained unchanged.
¡°That¡¯s refreshingly straightforward.¡±
¡°Nihihi, right?¡±
Together, Dorothy and I looked up at the starry sky.
The dark heavens were brightly speckled with stars.
[ 1 ]
Greetings, Ceremonial Aide.
Regrettably, I hold no memories of you.
However, I hope you can hold on to your memories of me.
I clearly remember the depths of your love for me.
I know all too well the pain and grief of someone you love leaving.
But, I have be a being who cannot return.
Time has be meaningless before me.
I am¡ at the very bottom, in an icyke, unreachable.
[ 2 ]
I saw the old you who lived in the world above.
I learned thenguage of the ce you once called home.
I often think about the songs you liked and hummed. They are splendid.
[ 3 ]
Recently, It has been raining nonstop.
They say it is because the clouds are made from the blood shed by someone who fell, continuously pouring down.
They want to be purified.
They hope to be cleansed from this bottom one day.
But now, they are sealed by the Evil God and can do nothing.
[ 4 ]
Those who sent you to that world remain in the world above.
I am sorry, but I do not know why you were chosen as the Ceremonial Aide.
But one thing is certain.
A tremendous responsibility has been ced upon you.
The fate of everyone depends on you.
That includes mine as well.
And even¡ the fate of those who sent you to that world.
[ 5 ]
They are unable to assist you because of the Evil God.
If they intervene in your world, they would inevitably be consumed by the Evil God, which would guarantee its victory.
All they can do is observe.
I am in a simr situation.
Which is why I have sent this book to a secret ce in your world.
Hoping it reaches you.
[ 6 ]
Do not seek out the secrets of that world.
There is nothing good to gain from it.
[ 7 ]
While the specifics are unclear, there is someone in the most direct form assisting you.
You must ensure that this person is never discovered by the Evil God.
But do not blindly trust her.
[ 8 ]
You may share the contents of this book with your allies.
However, please keep this information to yourself.
Kaya Astrea is¡
***
In the outskirts of Zelver Empire, the barony of Ropenheim was stirred by ominous rumors.
It started with a man.
He was heavily intoxicated and he imed to have seen a walking corpse while wandering the streets at night.
Subsequently, there were two more sightings of walking corpses.
And a series of child disappearances followed.
Deep into the night at the Grand Manor of Ropenheim Barony.
Baron Adrian Ropenheim watched as two carts loaded with goods passed through the garden into an underground passage.
Adrian smirked and took a sip of red wine.
It was an offering to Calgart the Necromancer.
Calgart was wary of the newly emerged Ice Sovereign. Although it was unclear who the Ice Sovereign was, news of his emergence in the Empire¡¯s territory had spread far and wide.
To avoid detection by the Ice Sovereign, Adrian had to discreetly gather children. After all, it was for this purpose that Calgart had sought him out.
Calgart¡¯s special magic circle was expected to bepleted in the next couple of months.
By then, Adrian nned to have gathered enough children, topping the sacrifices off with a human of high mana quality to present as a final offering.
The moonlight shimmered in his wine ss, casting a reflection of his silver-blue-haired daughter.
¡°She¡¯ll do.¡±
Eve Ropenheim.
She was a child he had already disowned once.
She was brought in only for her magical talents for the Baron of Ropenheim¡¯s gain. He did not feel any emotional connection with her.
She nned to leave the family after graduating from the academy. But he wouldn¡¯t let her. The child was seen as unutilized potential.
Such a child would be perfect for a final sacrifice.
¡°Come to think of it¡¡±
Eve had a half-brother.
The world was full of useless people, like Eve¡¯s frail half-brother, Isaac. Just another unremarkable child living in the manor.
After their mother died, Isaac mysteriously disappeared without a trace. He had been missing ever since.
The thought of sacrificing Isaac suddenly seemed appealing. Eve might know his whereabouts.
If they were disposable, might as well use them as kindling to the fire.
Adrian drank his wine, contemting these thoughts.
Not much time was left.
God had chosen him and blessed him. Adrian Ropenheim looked forward to ¡°the day¡±.
It was all about the revival of the Ropenheim family and his rise to power.
***
A few dayster, in a corner of the Butterfly Garden, under the twilight sky.
A thought crossed my mind as I was doing a one-armed handstand pushup.
Mephisto the Contractor had noticed my presence and was prepared.
But what about the others?
It can¡¯t hurt to be cautious.
If Thanatos the Ruination were to awaken, the whole world would take notice. That meant he hadn¡¯t yet.
But not Calgart the Necromancer. He could rise any day unnoticed.
My [irvoyance] couldn¡¯t reach the Church where Calgart was supposed to appear. So¡
¡°Cheshire.¡±
[Meow.]
As if on cue, surrounded by a swirl of smoke, the purple feline magic beast, Phantom Cat Cheshire, appeared next to me.
Inded on my feet and crouched, looking at the Phantom Cat.
¡°You appeared like a ghost.¡±
[Why did you call? Is it work?]
I nodded.
¡°I need a favor.¡±
Excitement flickered across the Phantom Cat¡¯s face.
[Meow! Absolutely! No one¡¯s been ying with me, I¡¯ve been dying of boredom. What do you need?]
¡°I need you to stop by /genesisforsaken
Chapter 233: Change (7)
Chapter 233: Change (7)
A new announcement about Alice Carroll was prominently disyed on the M?rchen Academy bulletin board.
The notice, solidified with mana, bore the Imperial seal. This indicated that the Imperial Court was baring its teeth. Opposing this decision would be seen as challenging the Imperial Court¡¯s power, a clear warning.
Students gathered in crowds to read the announcement. The investigation results stated that while Alice Carroll was indeed the informant, she had been forced by the demons. There were no casualties, and therefore, she would not be held ountable. This was exactly as I had predicted.
Debates naturally ensued. But they had to be cautious in front of the Imperial Knights.
Alice Carroll. She was undoubtedly the most renowned student at M?rchen Academy.
Her excellent performance as Student Council President,bined with her seemingly untarnished and kind personality, made her highly respected. Many students admired her.
Therefore, public opinion leaned in her favor.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Haa, this isn¡¯t right¡¡±What?
The students murmured.
¡°Professor?¡±
¡°Perfect timing. Mateo Jordana,e forward.¡±
Professor Daisy quickly gestured to Mateo.
Mateo Jordana, a boy with short brown hair, stepped up to the podium.
Professor Dairy ced her hands on Mateo¡¯s broad shoulders like a bolt of lightning, causing him to flinch.
¡°Exin this!¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Why on earth am I teaching an Elemental King¡!?¡±
Professor Daisy pointed at me, raising her voice. She seemed to be in a state of panic.
Mateo, as well as the rest of the students including myself, were all astounded.
¡°In my 12 years of teaching, I¡¯ve never felt so conflicted¡! I should be the one learning from you! Why is an Elemental King attending my ss? What am I supposed to do with this pressure?!¡±
Professor Daisy trembled, her eyes tightly shut, her frustration palpable.
¡°Exin, Mateo! Please!¡±
¡°H-how can I exin that?!¡±
Professor Daisy, true to her profession, was proficient in magic theory and had a knack for making her sses entertaining. Her personality was just as unique.
She often made dramatic entrances, announcing her arrival with, ¡°Professor Daisy descends,¡± or ¡°Appear like the wind, Professor Daisy.¡±
She frequently shared useful magical tips during her lectures, which made her sses very satisfying.
Her unorthodox approach and disregard for strict formalities won her a mixed reception among students. If she had been a tutor in Sillim-dong, she would have been a top instructor. In other words, she was a favorite of mine.
I adjusted my sses and offered a gentle smile.
¡°I really enjoy your sses, Professor. I¡¯m learning a lot from you.¡±
¡°Kyaaaaa!¡±
Professor Daisy had a mild seizure.
***
Lately, I felt that Professors were particrly mindful of me during lectures.
I understood. Although it wasn¡¯t true, from their perspective, I was a legendary archwizard. It would be like teaching high school math to a genius mathematician like John von Neumann or high school science to a genius scientist like Albert Einstein.
However, they couldn¡¯t just kick out a student eager to learn.
I can¡¯t reveal the truth either.
It was doubtful anyone would believe me, and it was a risky move. I would only share my secret with trustworthy allies.
For now¡ I exined that I continued to attend the sses because ¡°there¡¯s still much to learn.¡± It wasn¡¯t a total lie.
The students cheered, ¡°Ooh,¡± understanding my intentions in their own way.
It seemed like I was perceived as a martial arts master returning to the basics to perfect fundamental techniques in pursuit of ultimate mastery. The direction was very different, but the conclusion was the same, so it didn¡¯t matter.
Indeed, people¡¯s perception has changed a lot.
Their attitude towards me, their feelings when they looked at me, and their overall perception of me. Everything had changed. The atmosphere at the academy felt noticeably different than before.
A few days ago, during a special joint ss between sses B and C, I remember Rose Red Rivera breaking into a cold sweat as she avoided eye contact as soon as she saw me.
¨C I¡¯m sorry. I-I was wrong¡ I¡¯ll do anything you want, please, please¡ Forgive me¡
Being in the same group, I greeted her during the break and Rose immediately started apologizing in a trembling voice, using honorifics. She couldn¡¯t even look me in the eye, her head bowed low, radiating intense fear.
In a way, it was a normal reaction. She had been one of the main instigators of my bullyingst year.
Underestimating the Ice Sovereign, bullying the Ice Sovereign, even pping the Ice Sovereign through her older brother. Considering my objective position, she must have been terrified of the retribution for her childish misdeeds.
I had no intention of exacting revenge on Rose. I simply wanted us to ignore each other from now on. So, I lightly patted her shoulder as a way of conveying that.
However, Rose seemed to interpret this gesture negatively, her face contorted in even greater terror.
During ss, Rose put in her best effort as a group member, doing her utmost to avoid causing any inconvenience to me.
The next day, Rose volunteered to be my errand girl.
¨C May I clean your shoes for you¡?
¨C Just say the word, and I¡¯ll get you a snack¡!
Feeling ufortable, I told her to stop talking to me. Despair washed over her face when I said that.
It was probably Rose who made me realize the extent of the change in people¡¯s attitudes and perceptions toward me. Perhaps because it was so dramatic.
Between sses, during our break.
I was walking down the hallway of Orphin Hall, gripping a small magic tool in one hand to train my mana mastery, on my way to the store to buy a drink.
My mana depletion had recovered, allowing me to freely use mana again. Having gone through ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹ and even surviving the Abyss, I felt considerably stronger.
With my mana restored, I reviewed how much mana I would need to summon the Heart Queen, Alice. I expected it to be high, but it still surprised me.
The summoning cost is insane.
The mana required to summon the Heart Queen, Alice, was a staggering 175,000. Even at my full strength, it was far beyond my capacity.
Minions only needed to be summoned once, but the amount of mana required to summon them was much less efficientpared to familiars. Given that the Heart Queenmanded powerful familiars and a horde of minions, the high cost made sense.
This was the primary reason I wanted to keep Alice close. There was no need to summon her. Alice was an unusual case of a human minion, so there were no issues with her apanying me.
¡°Hello, Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°Hello.¡±
After buying a drink from the store, my juniors greeted me. I responded warmly.
Just beyond them, walking along the outdoor hallway, I spotted a girl with green hair. It was Kaya Astrea.
Her hair was in twin tails¡ but tied low. It was a calmer style than usual. I didn¡¯t know what had prompted this change, but it was a fresh look I hadn¡¯t seen in the game.
Feeling happy to see her, I stepped past my juniors and quickly walked towards Kaya.
¡°Kaya!¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Kaya gasped, ¡°S-sir Isaac..!¡±, and slowly backed away. I knew this wasing.
As I approached, Kaya got scared and trembled like someone diagnosed with mria.
¡°Waaaaa¡¡±
¡°Your hair suits you. Trying out a new style¡?¡±
¡°I-I¡¯m sorryyy!!¡±
Kaya turned around and fled at an incredible speed, leaving a gust of wind that ruffled my hair and uniform.
¡°¡?¡±
The juniors who had greeted me earlier exchanged nces, whispering among themselves, curious about what had happened between Kaya and I.
She¡¯s doing it again¡
When can we talk again?
I sighed quietly as I sipped my drink.
I wasn¡¯t surprised because something like this happenedst year.
Kaya tended to avoid me for a while whenever something shameful or embarrassing happened. She was the type to hold onto such feelings for a long time.
It was the day I returned from defeating the Abyss.
Realizing that she had greeted me with her unwashed, bare face after four days seemed to be the cause of her behavior. She felt ashamed for having shown her unarmed self to me. On top of that, she had been teary-eyed, grimacing, and even clinging to me¡
Sometimes, I¡¯d see her in a deserted corridor, lightly bumping her head against the wall. I felt bad but I still watched her secretly.
She¡¯s still beautiful.
Her beauty wasn¡¯t going anywhere.
It would be troublesome if this continued until vacation. I¡¯d have to catch her and talk it out.
¡°¡¡±
I found myself lost in thought.
The content of the old book that Saintess Bianca had given me began to cloud my mind.
[ 8 ]
You may share the contents of this book with your allies.
However, please keep this information to yourself.
Kaya Astrea is capable of bing the vessel of the Evil God.
I am unsure of the specefics, but I do know this is the worst-case scenario.
You must do everything in your power to prevent the birth of the Evil God of Life and Destruction.
Vessel of the Evil God¡
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, and from my memories of fighting the Evil God in the first round.
The idea that Kaya could be the vessel for the Evil God was absurd. In the first round, Kaya had lost her life.
I didn¡¯t mention it to Dorothy to avoid unnecessary conflict. The writer seemed to have been concerned about that as well.
If I hadn¡¯t stopped the blood wizard, Kaya the Ravenous, it would have led to the bad ending, ¡¸Gluttony¡¹. In that ending, Kaya became a demon and eventually the Demon Lord. Themunity called it the Demon Lord ending.
It was undeniable that the power of Kaya the Ravenous, which drew from her nt mana, had demonic roots.
Clearly, the current Kaya was unmistakably human, and in the happy ending of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, she remained human throughout.
However, there was still a risk that Kaya could be a demon due to factors I didn¡¯t know about.
I crushed the empty drink bottle and tossed it into the trash bin.
During the final chapter,¡¸Evil God Subjugation¡¹, nothing dangerous would happen to Kaya. if there were any signs of danger, I would stop it.
I was done watching demons toy with humans.
***
¡°Good job, Ian. Drink this.¡±
¡°Ah, thanks.¡±
After sses, the sun was setting.
Ian Fairytale had been sparring with Morcan in the outdoor dueling ground and had copsed.
Morcan had gauged the appropriate level to train Ian and repeated the sparring sessions. Thanks to this, the frequency of Ian fainting had significantly decreased.
However, Ian¡¯s reflexes had not shown significant improvement. It became more apparent that trying to elevate his reflexes to expert levels within a year was realistically impossible.
I handed Ian a drink. He gulped it down.
¡°What about mine, Isaac?¡±
¡°I have it, here.¡±
¡°Awesome!¡±
I also handed a drink to Amy Holloway, who was in the stands. She was delighted.
I looked down at Ian.
¡°Can you manage?¡±
¡°Just barely. The skill gap is too big.¡±
¡°Like I said before, I¡¯ll have you spar with the others next time. And try not to rely too much on your sword. You¡¯ll get better.¡±
¡°I know¡ but it¡¯s not as easy as it sounds.¡±
Ian sighed deeply and looked at me with a smile after finishing his drink.
¡°Isaac, I really appreciate you giving me this opportunity.¡±
As the main character in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was inevitable that I grew fond of him quickly.
I gave a faint smile and turned my back.
¡°I¡¯ll get going. Good luck.¡±
Master-level control wasn¡¯t relevant here. Ian only needed to have the minimalbat ability to defeat the Evil God. I would handle the rest.
In the end, both Ian and I just needed to reach a peaceful ending.
After waving goodbye to Ian, I left the outdoor dueling ground to continue my training.
***
I ended my magic training with a run. At the same time, I reviewed what I had studied in my head. asionally, the contents of the old book woulde to mind, leading me into deep thought.
When I returned to the dorm, Alice greeted me with a, ¡°Wee back.¡±
I washed up and read a book. Alice either brought me snacks or read a book elsewhere, spending time with me. It felt like she was trying her best not to disrupt my routine by taking care of small matters.
Late at night, the room was dark. Themp cast a faint light.
Today was thest day of cohabitation before Alice resumed her academy life.
Iid in bed, while Aliceid on the floor next to the bed, covered in nkets. After the first day she came here, we had been sleeping like that.
The quiet emptiness settled in. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep.
¡°Baby.¡±
Hearing her voice close by, I turned my head to the side. Alice peeked her head over the bed, quietly looking at me.
¡°Shall we sleep together? It¡¯s thest night, and I feel a bit lonely without you nearby.¡±
Her words didn¡¯t match her yful smile at all.
¡°My baby¡ you haven¡¯t forgotten your promise, have you?¡±
Alice asked, pretending to be disappointed.
She was referring to the promise to stay by side until the end. There were no other promises between Alice and me.
I shifted to make space next to me on the bed.
¡°Alright,e up.¡±
Alice smiled brightly, climbed into the bed, andid down next to me under the nket.
A moment of silence passed. Just as I closed my eyes to sleep, her gentle voice tickled the air.
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Do you want to pounce on me?¡±
Flinch.
Sleep had escaped me.
Understanding her meaning, I red at Alice with widened eyes. Her usual gentle smile seemed sly today.
¡°I¡¯mpletely defenseless right now.¡±
¡°You¡ Are you serious?¡±
¡°Hehe, your reaction is so adorable. Of course, I¡¯m joking.¡±
I stared up at the dark ceiling. Soon, Alice¡¯s voice, filled with emotion, broke the silence.
¡°Tomorrow morning, I have to leave your room. It must have been nice for you, right? Having someone as pretty as me take care of you every day.¡±
¡°How narcissistic. Well, I can¡¯t have you staying here forever¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re taking this quite seriously, huh?¡±
¡°I really liked it. Thank you.¡±
¡°...Really?¡±
Like a ghost knowing exactly where I needed to be scratched, Alice readily provided what I needed. She even knew to avoid what I worried about.
She lightened the mood with trivial stories before bed and often made meugh with her jokes.
So, I liked it. I was satisfied and felt happy.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Alice turned toward me. She smiled softly yet slowly. Her eyes, softened and glowing like moonlight, looked at me with longing.
Herfortable breaths, her slow blinks, and her slightly flushed cheeks conveyed her feelings.
¡°I¡¯m also grateful¡ for making me happy.¡±
Alice asked me to hold her hand as ast request for the night, so I took her hand.
And that was how we fell /genesisforsaken
Chapter 234: Challenge
Chapter 234: Challenge
The Imperial Tower had architectural knowledge based on magic, featuring rapid construction speeds, solid durability of structures, and technical knowledge that also epassed aesthetics.
The new M?rchen Academy was being built using this technology. This was possible due to the support of the Imperial Family.
The buildings damaged during the Alice Carroll incident were also restored using this technology, resulting in a cleaner exterior than before.
Soon, the staff who had been using Marzio Hall as a temporary administrative office returned to Bartos Hall.
In the afternoon, the door to the Student Council room in Bartos Hall opened.
A female student, who was temporarily handling some of the President¡¯s duties, turned towards the door. Her eyes widened.
¡°President¡?¡±
Alice Carroll had returned.
* * *The swift repairs of Bartos Hall and the return of the Student Council President quickly resolved the administrative disruptions.
Alice handled the backlog of work fluidly, and the Student Council operated systematically, reinforcing administrative recovery.
Right after her disciplinary action ended, Dorothy came to see me to subtly inquire if anything had happened with Alice. When I said nothing had, Dorothy, who could detect lies, was relieved and moved on.
Before long, the end-of-semester evaluations werepleted and the time for the holiday ceremony approached.
After adding up all the scores from the evaluations conducted over the semester, I was ranked third in the academy within the Magic Department. It was a fairly satisfying result.
My residence in the top-level dorm, Charles Hall, for the next semester, was confirmed. If I had performed well in the ss assignment evaluations, I would likely be ced in ss A.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for holding you back.¡±
¡°No! I should be the one apologizing for avoiding you all this time¡!¡±
Near the campus, at a hideout in Josena Forest.
Sitting at an outdoor table, I brewed tea for Kaya, who sat rigidly, her body stiff as if she were at a job interview.
I sat across Kaya, sipping tea.
Usually, Kaya avoided me when I approached and secretly watched me from a distance like a girl with a crush. Lately, I had heard she was even singing my praises.
So I grabbed her wrist and forcefully brought her here.
¡°I¡¯ll ask you straightforwardly.¡±
Setting aside Kaya¡¯s bare-faced embarrassment.
¡°Your other personality hasn¡¯t been showing uptely, has it?¡±
¡°How did you¡?¡±
Kaya was surprised.
Why wouldn¡¯t I know? Considering Dark Kaya¡¯s personality, there was no way she would have let Kaya continue avoiding me.
Normally, Dark Kaya would suddenly show up andunch into disys of affection. Especially now that my identity was revealed, it would be impossible for her not to interfere in my daily life.
¡°...Actually, she hasn¡¯te out since the Alice Carroll incident. It¡¯s simr to the symptoms fromst year¡¯s joint practical evaluation. It might get better again if I consume a demon¡¡±
¡°Are you going home during vacation?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Try eating a magic beast with high mana. It might help.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Creatures swirling with mana were not tasty. Especially those with high-quality mana.
Theycked nutrientspared to ordinary animals and didn¡¯t bring any positive effects to the mana of those who consumed them.
That was why magic beast meat was not very popr and practically unavable.
But in the vastnd of the Astrea dukedom, there were ferocious magic beasts that were dangerous to humans. Since such monsters needed to be hunted anyway, I suggested that it might be worth cooking and trying one.
Even that should be enough to properly restore Dark Kaya¡¯s personality.
Kaya¡¯s mouth dropped open, and she eximed in her usually sweet and cute voice.
¡°You really know a lot, Isaac¡! Even discerning things about my personality¡¡±
¡°I noticed it during the joint practical evaluation.¡±
Thankfully, Kaya seemed rxed enough to continue the conversation.
I apologized for the trouble I caused when I was eaten by the Abyss. I also exined that enemies would continue to emerge outside the academy. I alsoplimented her beauty in a roundabout way, causing Kaya to blush and fidget.
Kaya tends to view our rtionship as hierarchical. She looked up to someone she admired like they were on a different level, like how someone would treat their favorite celebrity.
This perspective influenced her behavior, making it challenging for me to interact with her as casually as I would with Dorothy or Luce.
It¡¯s cute though.
She¡¯s cute like an adorable character, but who cares?
After our conversation, Kaya timidly sipped her tea, holding the cup with both hands, clearly pleased by thepliment about her appearance.
***
Most students were preparing to go home and rx. The empty training ground was evidence of this.
As evening approached, the sky darkened and began to drizzle, adding a damp chill to the already somber atmosphere of the training ground.
I began training by firing my 7-star ice spell, [Icebolt], at a target.
I hit the target easily at 50 meters but struggled with the uracy beyond 100 meters.
The sensation of mana spreading out was something I wasn¡¯t used to. I realized I stillcked the mana mastery to handle 7-star spells.
I also ran through several waves of demonic illusions, using minimal magic and focusing on hand-to-handbat to prepare for the Heavenly Beings. Dodging, blocking, and counter-attacking.
During one wave, as thest demonic illusion attacked.
Whoosh!
Kwagak!
A de of wind sliced through the demonic illusion, disintegrating it into dust.
It was the 3-star wind spell, [Wind Sword]. I caught my breath and turned towards the source of the magic.
There stood the vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, ring at me.
¡°Got something to say?¡±
Is he here to pick a fight again?
Tristan approached me. His slow, distant steps echoed through the training ground.
Finally facing me, he spoke earnestly.
¡°Fight me, Isaac.¡±
I wasn¡¯t surprised, having read his intentions through [Psychological Insight].
I examined Tristan. His uniform, though neat, could not hide the cuts and bruises on his neck and hands, they were signs of his rigorous training that no amount of healing couldpletely recover.
Tristan had always targeted me as his goal. Perhaps the revtion of my identity had shocked him the most, as his demeanor had seemed particrly troubledtely.
I felt no affection for him outside our previous encounters in the game. I felt no camaraderie with him and he was certainly not someone I would confide in.
However, I feltpelled to honor his resolve before the start of vacation.
As if we had agreed upon it beforehand, we left the training ground.
The night sky, covered in dark clouds, continued to pour rain as we protected ourselves with elemental shields and crossed the grounds.
Following Tristan, we arrived at an outdoor dueling ground.
We stopped atop the dueling ground.
And I quietly observed Tristan from behind.
* * *
¡°How did it make you feel?¡±
¡°What are you bbing about?¡±
Tristan¡¯s voice cut through the sound of rain, reaching Isaac.
¡°All this time, I¡¯ve shed with you with all my strength, and you¡¯ve been matching me from your position as an archwizard. How did that make you feel?¡±
¡°...What are you trying to say? Why does my feeling matter to you?¡±
Tristan turned away, creating distance between them.
The two stood facing each other.
Tristan¡¯s mouth curled into a sneer.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
Whooooosh!!
Tristan gathered his mana, creating a fierce whirlwind around him, and in the blink of an eye, he suddenly disappeared.
A brilliant emerald wind swept the rain aside, performing a violent dance in the air. Tristan¡¯s speed had increased, swirling wildly to trick Isaac¡¯s eyes.
Tristan kicked off the stands and the dueling ground, elerating and showing Isaac the results of his intense efforts.
Isaac calmly watched as Tristan dashed towards him.
Whoooosh!!
Whaaack!!
Tristan flew at incredible speed behind Isaac andunched a powerful kick.
The kick was apanied by a st of wind mana, however, Isaac easily dodged it by stepping aside.
¡°Do you have eyes in the back of your head?!¡±
Tristan was flustered but his wind mana did not falter and he continued to elerate.
He unleashed a barrage of wind mana at Isaac.
Isaac easily avoided the sharp [Wind Sword] and [Gale Fang], and Tristan¡¯s physical attacks.
A wide [Zephyr] was blocked by raising an [Ice Wall].
¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡±
Isaac¡¯s indifferentment fueled Tristan¡¯s anger.
¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you!!¡±
Grinding his teeth, Tristan charged at Isaac, concentrating wind mana in his right hand, ready to swing.
At that moment, Isaac extended his hand toward the direction Tristan was charging, intending to show an overwhelming difference to give Tristan a chance toe to terms.
Isaac condensed ice mana in front of him with his thumb securing his middle finger, constructing the magic circle for the 5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
The reaction speed, magicputation speed, and mana mastery were all at unbelievable levels. Tristan was momentarily amazed but continued his assault on Isaac.
Simultaneously, Isaac flicked his finger.
Kwaaaa!!!
A cold explosion and fierce ice barrage hit Tristan. The high-density wind mana he had gathered was instantly dispersed.
Although the [Frost Explosion] was moderated in power, Tristan¡¯s body was helplessly swept by the st and mmed into the wall beyond the dueling ground.
An ice block had formed in the direction Isaad had struck. Isaac immediately dissolved it, and the rising bluish powder was washed away by the rainwater.
Below the stands, Tristany slumped against the wall.
A deep chill prated his body to the bone, causing him to shiver violently from the intense cold.
¡°I¡¯m not done yet¡!¡±
Drenched in the pouring rain, Tristan struggled to rise from the muddy ground.
But his body was at its limit, and it took all of his remaining strength to hold on to his drifting consciousness.
His vision was blurry. He looked up and saw Isaac standing majestically as the Ice Elemental King.
An insurmountable gap seemed to lie between them, like the height of heaven and earth.
¡°It¡¯s my win, Tristan.¡±
Isaac¡¯s calm deration was something he had heard before.
Like he was urging him to give up.
This scene was reminiscent of theirst duel.
Back then, Tristan could boldly dere he¡¯d soon surpass Isaac.
But now, he couldn¡¯t make such a im against the vast disparity before him.
Tristan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He red at Isaac, ignoring his immense pain.
Believing this was enough, Isaac turned and left the dueling ground.
Tristan watched Isaac¡¯s back as he walked away. Rain trickled down his hair and cheeks. He gritted his teeth, but no useless miracle would happen.
However, his mind slowly gained rity.
A faint smile crossed Tristan¡¯s face. As he thought about what that smile meant¡ he realized it was self-mockery.
It was okay tough at his ridiculous self. Had he not already disgraced himself by aiming for an unachievable goal?
So for now, it was time tough off the foolishness of aiming for an Elemental King.
Just stand up.
Standing up was enough.
¡°Ha!¡±
With a deliberate chuckle of confidence, Tristan eximed.
Isaac paused and looked back at Tristan, who was struggling to stand, even with the support of the wall.
Tristan¡¯s face, marked by scars from the [Frost Explosion], bore his usual prideful smile,ughing like a third-rate viin.
¡°The great archwizard, the Ice Elemental King, the Ice Sovereign¡! What¡¯s the big deal?¡±
Tristan was determined.
He would get a true victory over that bastard.
He was going to risk his life, challenge Isaac, and win.
¡°Isaac!!¡±
Tristan¡¯s voice was filled with rage, but he took a moment to clear his tearful voice.
¡°Someday, I will be a great wizard and challenge you again! Remember that¡!¡±
He firmly dered.
¡°I will surpass you.¡±
He aimed to be a greater wizard, surpassing even an archwizard.
This was his first andst deration to the Ice Sovereign Isaac, not Isaac, who was once the weakest and grew rapidly.
Isaac gave Tristan a cold look.
¡°...Give it your all.¡±
Isaac spoke indifferently and walked /genesisforsaken
Chapter 235: Vacation Ceremony Again
Chapter 235: Vacation Ceremony Again
¡°It feels strange.¡±
It was the day before the vacation ceremony.
In the corner of the Hydrangea Garden, I finished thest lesson of the semester with White.
After exining the assignments for the vacation, we sat on the stone bench and talked while looking at theke.
¡°Thanks to you, Senior Isaac, I¡¯ve gotten noticeably stronger. It was like being taught by an archwizard. It¡¯s an opportunity you couldn¡¯t get even for a thousand gold coins¡!¡±
¡°I wanted to get you to at least master 4-star magic.¡±
¡°Ah, is that so¡? I was such a pest, right¡?¡±
White suddenly became depressed.
¡°No, I¡¯m worse than a bug¡ I¡¯m sorry for being such a worthless student¡¡±¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±
I meant that I¡¯m sorry for not being able to teach you better.
I patted White¡¯s head and smiled.
¡°Thank you for following along so well. You did great.¡±
Every time I patted her head, White¡¯s sad expression gradually softened. She feltforted by my touch.
¡°Senior Isaac, you¡¯re going to stay at the academy, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m nning to, but I might go out for a while to get some fresh air.¡±
I had to go to D¨¹pfendorf for the coronation ceremony and visit the Whiterk Duchy for the Council of Kings.
At the academy, I was nning to get special training with the help of the Stone Turtle, Gormos.
Also, if Calgart the Necromancer had already been resurrected, I was nning on hunting him down during the vacation. Although the Phantom Cat, Cheshire, hadn¡¯t returned yet from gathering information.
The destination, Baron Ropenheim¡¯s territory, was too far for my [irvoyance] to reach. Even if it could, it would still be difficult to locate the Phantom Cat.
I was worried about the Phantom Cat, but Alice reassured me that she felt there was nothing wrong with him.
¡°Then, Senior Isaac, please visit Viyans whenever you have time.¡±
Viyans was the capital of the Zelver Empire.
¡°It¡¯s alright even if it¡¯s after you graduate. We¡¯ll treat you very well.¡±
¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll think about it. Also, about the watch¡ it was unfortunate.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s nothing new anyway¡¡±
I had already exined to White the true nature of the pocket watch.
The watch was taken by the Imperial Court and was being thoroughly investigated by the Imperial Tower.
White was shocked when she first heard my story.
She thought it was the only decent gift given by her mother, who had tried to assassinate her until her death, but it turned out to be the most dangerous of all, a hidden trump card.
She looked down for a few days, but she quickly epted the truth as it was not the first time.
¡°I was foolish to almost fall for a dead person¡¯s trick¡ Now, I¡¯ll just try to live diligently.¡±
Putting the past behind her, White smiled and held out her small fist to me.
¡°I¡¯ve received so much grace sinceing to the academy. Thank you, Senior Isaac. I¡¯ll miss you during the vacation.¡±
¡°You too. You¡¯ve worked hard this semester. I¡¯ll miss you too.¡±
I fist-bumped White.
***
¡°We will now begin the M?rchen Academy Vacation Ceremony.¡±
The blue sky was clear during thest day of the first semester of my sophomore year. All the students were gathered in the Academy Square, and the vacation ceremony began.
The Student Council President¡¯s retirement ceremony was also held. When elected as the M?rchen Academy Student Council President, you would need to serve for three semesters before stepping down.
On the stage, Alice Carroll gave her retirement speech, which was very straightforward, nothing special. At the end of it, she bowed and the students apuded.
The retirement ceremony was conducted ording to tradition during the vacation ceremony, but Alice would still serve as the Student Council President until the end of this vacation.
However, Alice told me that it wouldn¡¯t be burdensome as she only had to handle very minor tasks in the final stage.
When the next semester started, an election for the new Student Council President would be held. The movement of the Four Constetions, a student faction involved in academic administration, was already unusual.
Before long, the vacation ceremony ended, and the academy gates were fully opened. Many students boarded carriages and traveled to the continent, but I stayed at the academy.
An imposing Imperial carriage arrived at the gate, escorted by guards. I sent off Snow White and Merlin.
When I asked Merlin if it was okay not to see her sister, she answered that it was fine because she was here to perform her duty as an escort knight.
¡°I¡¯ll get going, Senior Isaac! See youter!¡±
When I said goodbye to White, for some reason, the Imperial guards bowed to me politely.
It seemed like a friendly gesture from the Imperial Court, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.
I also spotted Tristan Humphrey passing through the gate, but he pretended not to see me and boarded his family carriage.
Afterward, I spent time with Kaya.
Without the personality of Dark Kaya, she had be very timid, but her indecision about whether to kiss my cheek was quite cute. I patted her shoulder and told her to be careful, then saw her off.
Then, while I was walking through the empty training ground, thinking about taking it easy.
¡°Hey.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
A female student called out to me, and I stopped.
Her short blue hair flowed like waves, and she had a petite frame.
It was Ciel Carnedas, the 3rd ranked student in the Magic Department.
Judging by her casual attire, she seemed to be leaving the academy soon as well. It felt like her half-open sleepy eyes were open just because they could be.
A bright smile spread across my face because Ciel was also an official heroine in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, so I felt some affection for her.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ciel. How does it feel? Must be sad to lose third ce to me, huh?¡±
¡°You make me want to start a bloodbath the moment I see you.¡±
¡°You said you¡¯re taking Ian?¡±
¡°Seems like you picked that up somewhere.¡±
It was now time for Ian to obtain the legendary ultimate weapon of light, the Luminous Sword, with the help of Ciel.
Ciel must have offered Ian a special training environment in exchange for the opportunity to study his Divine Power. They must have discussed how to conduct the research as well.
Ian would have readily epted Ciel¡¯s proposal to strengthen his rtionship with the Carnedas family and to be stronger.
While training at the Carnedas Mansion, Ciel would pass down the family¡¯s long-standing promise to Ian.
She would show him the token of their promise, persuade him, and then take him to the divine realm where the Luminous Sword resided.
Fortunately, the trial to obtain the Luminous Sword was not a regr battle but a test of mental strength, so there was no need to worry.
The Ian I know is mentally strong.
Ciel continued speaking in her usual calm and emotionless tone.
¡°Well, whatever I do with Ian Fairytale is none of your business. More importantly, I have something to tell you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a trade secret. You understand, right?¡±
It was about the end-of-semester evaluationst year, during the first semester of our freshman year. I remember her mentioning trade secrets when we were having a hard time looking for Fell Cards using mana perception.
I had forgotten about it, but the memory suddenly resurfaced like a shback, bringing a smile to my lips.
¡°So?¡±
¡°The Carnedas Family wees you. Other families will do the same, trying to impress you in every way possible. They¡¯ll try to marry off their daughters to you, and all sorts of diplomatic gifts will pour into D¨¹pfendorf. The world will revolve around you.¡±
Ciel shrugged her shoulders as she recited fluidly in her emotionless voice.
It was a forewarning.
I was only strong duringbat, not during regr hours. I couldn¡¯t always detect and prepare for danger in advance.
¡°Get to the point. You want to make a deal, right? And your family will fulfill such a role.¡±
¡°Correct.¡±
Ciel pointed at me with her index finger and nodded.
¡°Our family is infamous for that. Thanks to this, we hold the weaknesses of many families. You won¡¯t regret it.¡±
¡°Then, what do you want from me?¡±
¡°To back the Carnedas Family.¡±
It was easy to understand.
Ciel wanted to graduate safely under my protection and also secure benefits for her family.
For either of us, it wasn¡¯t a losing deal.
¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±
¡°I hope you give a favorable response.¡±
I passed by Ciel but stopped as something came to mind.
¡°Ah, Ciel.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll leave Ian and Amy to you, make sure they don¡¯t get hurt.¡±
I could feel Ciel¡¯s gaze on the back of my head.
Her voice was wary as she realized something suspicious.
¡°You¡ knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Who knows.¡±
¡°¡¡±
With that, I headed to the training ground.
* * *
The Carnedas Family carriage picked up Ciel, Ian, and Amy. Ian was brimming with enthusiasm, imagining how strong he would be with the Carnedas family¡¯s help over the break.
Amy, finding Ian¡¯s excitement adorable, smiled but couldn¡¯t help but be mindful of Ciel.
Ciel covered her yawning mouth with her hand and slightly lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought. Amy debated whether to speak to her but decided against it, not wanting to interrupt.
Where did you get that information?
Ciel recalled her conversation with Isaac.
¨C I¡¯ll leave Ian and Amy to you, make sure they don¡¯t get hurt.
¨C You¡ knew, didn¡¯t you?
¨C Who knows.
Isaac seemed to be aware of the secret promise passed down through the Carnedas family.
The promise to take the Child of Light to the divine realm.
An archwizard with iprehensible abilities.
Had Isaac already deciphered that promise from an unreachable level?
Or maybe¡
Taking Ian to the divine realm might have been Isaac¡¯s intention all along.
While Ciel believed no danger would befall them¡
She resolved to protect Ian if anything did arise.
After all, it was her decision to follow the family promise and take Ian to the divine realm. If she didn¡¯t take responsibility for Ian¡¯s safety from start to finish, she would only feel more unsettled.
Especially if protecting Ian aligned with Isaac¡¯s goal of protecting the world.
Ciel nned to graduate from M?rchen Academy under Isaac¡¯s protection and live proudly.
With these thoughts, Ciel ended her contemtion.
¡°...It¡¯s time for a nap.¡±
She muttered to herself as she looked at her watch. Her drowsiness was creeping in. Napping at the same time every day was crucial for her.
Ciel pulled out a pillow that could make anyone fall asleep from her magic pouch andid down. The special design of the Carnedas Family carriage, with seats as spacious as beds, became evident.
¡°You two. I need to take a nap, so no talking.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to sleep here¡?¡±
Ciel soon drifted off to sleep.
Ian and Amy, seeing her sleep soundly despite the bumpy ride, were taken /genesisforsaken
Chapter 236: Preliminary Inspection
Chapter 236: Preliminary Inspection
Eve Ropenheim decided to see Isaac one more time before returning to the Ropenheim Barony.
Judging by the direction Isaac was heading, he was clearly on his way to the training grounds. It was quite unusual for an archwizard to be so focused on training even on the day of the vacation ceremony.
But that didn¡¯t matter.
The moment Eve secretly saw Isaac¡¯s face from behind a tree, her heart melted.
So cuute¡
She felt an overwhelming urge to shower his face with kisses. She had a strong desire to hug her brother like a teddy bear all day long.
Even though it might be rude to treat an 18-year-old, who was also an Elemental King, like a child, she couldn¡¯t help but still find her younger brother as cute as ever.
However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to approach him. She could only hope that Isaac woulde to her first.
She had heard that Archwizards possessed a transcendent level of mana perception that could sense even undischarged mana. She hoped Isaac would sense her presence with that ability.Eve desperately hoped he would speak even a word to her.
But Isaac merely crossed the academy grounds indifferently.
Soon, Isaac entered the training grounds.
¡°Haa¡¡±
Eve hugged the tree and sighed deeply.
* * *
I had noticed Eve Ropenheim watching me earlier, but I ignored her.
I wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with Isaac¡¯s sister.
It was clear that Isaac and Eve did not have a good rtionship until hemitted suicide.
Isaac still had a lingering sense of rejection towards Eve. So, I didn¡¯t want to get involved inplicated family matters that wouldn¡¯t help in the fight against the Evil God.
I began my training after arriving at the empty training grounds. Shortly after, I confirmed with my [irvoyance] that Eve had left the academy in a carriage.
So she¡¯s from the Ropenheim Barony?
Eve was adopted into the Ropenheim Barony and took on the Ropenheim name. The ce where I had sent the Phantom Cat Cheshire was also on the outskirts of the Zelver Kingdom, in the Ropenheim Barony.
However, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the Ropenheim Barony had nothing to do with Calgart the Necromancer.
It just so happened that the ce where Calgart appeared was an abandoned church in the Ropenheim Barony.
Well, that was that.
From now on¡
With the troublesome person gone and almost no students remaining at the academy, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem summoning arge familiar.
¡°Hilde.¡±
Hwaaaaa!
A massive creature appeared. Although it was still smaller than its true form, it was muchrger than its usual hatchling state.
[You called, Master?]
Hilde gazed at me closely with her pale blue eyes and spoke with a beautiful voice.
I stroked Hilde¡¯s head when she lowered it. The sensation of her cold, hard scales covered in frost was satisfying. She closed her eyes, savoring my touch.
¡°I¡¯ll keep you summoned from now on. You¡¯ll have more freedom than before.¡±
Since I was going to train anyway, I wanted to focus on solidifying my synchronization with Hilde as I had before.
At the very least, I wanted to max out my synchronization before I reached my third year.
The closer the familiar was to its true form, the faster the synchronization would increase. Since I had already revealed my true identity at the academy, summoning it at this size should be fine.
I might need to go to a more spacious ce to asionally summon Hilde at her full size.
[Does this mean you will be touching my body every day? I like that. In return, I will show you my cuteness¡]
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±
I replied curtly.
Hilde¡¯s elegant and noble voice didn¡¯t suit the ¡°cute¡± archetype. It would be like wearing an ill-fitting outfit.
Hilde narrowed her eyes and spoke in a slightly sulky tone.
[¡Fine, do not regret it when you want me to be cute and I refuse.]
Finally, some good news.
***
[Meow, I¡¯m tired¡]
A few dayster, early in the morning.
I was jogging along a deserted path lined with trees when I felt a weight on my shoulder and heard a distinctive meow.
Stopping in my tracks, I turned to see the Phantom Cat Cheshire floating in the air, resting its chin on my shoulder.
¡°Cheshire? You¡¯re back.¡±
I grabbed its plump waist and gentlyid it on the ground as I squatted down.
It had no injuries, as far as I could tell, it just looked tired.
¡°It took you quite a while.¡±
[There was more to check out than I thought, and it was very far.]
¡°You did well.¡±
[Meow¡! No matter how charming I am, don¡¯t stroke my belly.]
The Phantom Cat narrowed its eyes and red at me.
While Hilde enjoyed being petted, this cat seemed to be the opposite.
The Phantom Cat stood up and looked at me.
[To report, there were traces of many humansing and going at the church you mentioned. It seemed to have been going on for quite some time.]
The old abandoned church where Calgart the Necromancer appeared was supposed to be a ce long abandoned.
So, if there were many traces of human activity, it meant that Calgart had already appeared.
¡°Traces, you say¡¡±
[There was no sign of any demon like the one you described. It seems to have already left.]
Typically, Calgart would appear during Semester 2 Year 2 and march through the kingdom¡¯s territory to M?rchen Academy.
It would mercilessly destroy anything in its path, taking countless lives and turning them into its own undead soldiers. This would soon cause an emergency in the kingdom.
It was a bleak scenario.
But right now, everything was quiet. I used [irvoyance] to check out the usual path of Calgart in the game, but there was nothing unusual.
Therefore, Calgart was likely hiding somewhere, biding its time and plotting.
Is it wary of me?
In the game, Calgart could simply go after Ian, but now I was here.
Calgart wasn¡¯t the type to act rashly like other demons, so it was likely preparing for me. It was probably also strengthening its forces.
Perhaps Mephisto, the Evil God¡¯s proxy, was aiding Calgart.
For now, I need to protect Ian.
I didn¡¯t know what threats mighte after Ian, Amy, and Ciel. It would be wise to secretly send in troops from D¨¹pfendorf.
[And Isaac, as you said, I checked the surrounding area for anything strange and I found something suspicious!]
¡°What is it?¡±
[Baron Ropenheim is gathering babies and young children.]
Baron Ropenheim?
[I watched secretly at night. Several carriages brought children to an underground location where they were confined. There was a dangerous barrier, so I couldn''t go inside.]
Even the Phantom Cat Cheshire found the barrier dangerous and hesitated to approach.
It was hard to imagine Baron Ropenheim, who ruled a small pasture on the outskirts of the kingdom, setting up such a barrier. He wouldck the resources and manpower.
¡°Did it seem like there was a demon underground?¡±
The Phantom Cat shook its head.
[If there was, I would have noticed it. But approaching the Baron directly seemed tricky, so I secretly followed the returning carriages. It seems the Baron has several outposts and is transporting babies and young children.]
Is it human trafficking?
It was alling together in my head.
Calgart possessed a power known as the Curse of Instant Death. It was a transcendent ability that could kill anyone except for Heavenly Beings or someone like Ian, who wields the power of light.
To activate this power, two things were necessary.
First, pure sacrifices of the same species as the intended victim.
Second, approximately two months to set up the magic circle.
Calgart had to move without being detected by me or the kingdom, so he would need the cooperation of a human with adequate wealth and power.
A person with power but low authority, someone who would not be noticed by the Empire. It would be someone who lived close to where he had awakened.
Baron Ropenheim fit the bill perfectly.
They must be nning to use the curse on me.
I defeated high-ranking demons, including the Floating Ind and the Abyss, and Mephisto the Contractor, who knew my full power, was still alive and well.
The timing was perfect. If I were in their position, I would have awakened Calgart the Necromancer in advance and would use the Curse of Instant Death to take me out.
[What will you do now?]
¡°Get ready to leave.¡±
I couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate.
I stood up, and the Phantom Cat¡¯s eyes sparkled at my words.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the Ropenheim Barony.¡±
[Meow! Great! Let¡¯s go, partner! I¡¯ll rest for now, but make sure to tell Alice to summon me during interesting moments!]
It was time to hunt Calgart the Necromancer.
* * *
The carriage passed along the paved road and arrived at Baron Ropenheim¡¯s mansion
Eve Ropenheim stepped out of the carriage and was greeted by two servants.
¡°Wee back, Miss Eve. The Master is waiting for you.¡±
Following the servants inside, Eve swallowed hard.
Reporting her academy life to Baron Adrian Ropenheim was always a hateful and nerve-wracking task.
In the mansion¡¯s study, a servant knocked and announced her arrival before letting her in.
Eve entered the study, and the servant closed the door from the outside.
In the deep silence, a middle-aged man stood by the window, gazing at the view outside. Though nearing fifty, he still exuded the noble elegance that Eve had once admired.
It was Baron Adrian Ropenheim.
Something¡¯s off¡?
Eve sensed a different aura about Adrian. It was an unsettling feeling, like a primal instinct warning her. It was separate from her dislike for him.
She dismissed it as her imagination and greeted him properly.
¡°I¡¯ve returned, Father. Have you been well?¡±
¡°Thank goodness¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
Adrian turned to look at her.
For some reason, his right eye was emanating a sinister dark mana.
¡°You qualify.¡±
A pure sacrifice was needed.
With the power of Calgart the Necromancer, Adrian knew that Eve met the conditions for a suitable sacrifice.
¡°Father¡?¡±
Seeing the unexpected dark mana, Eve was terrified and stepped back.
Eve quickly ran for the door, but Adrian swiftly deployed a barrier and prevented her from opening it.
¡°Ugh!¡±
Adrian approached her and grabbed her chin.
¡°Weren¡¯t you nning to leave anyway? Prove your worth by sacrificing yourself for me.¡±
Despite her struggles, Eve felt her jaw might break under the pain and she eventually lost consciousness, as she was consumed by dark /genesisforsaken
Chapter 237: King of the Dead Subjugation (1)
Chapter 237: King of the Dead Subjugation (1)
In a vast underground space.
Each candlestick lined along the walls flickered with an eerie blue me. This ce had transformed into a grand underground throne room, creating a bizarre scene.
Arge man dressed in a neat robe sat on a throne adorned with skulls.
It was Calgart the Necromancer. The demon who led the Undead Legion and was once called the King of the Dead.
Resurrected with a skeletal body, Calgart gradually regained his strength and gained flesh over his form, transforming into a muscr man with copper skin.
The long, curved horns protruding from either side of his head and his entirely ck eyes proved that he was definitely not human.
Surrounding him, the Undead Legion, imbued with dark mana, stood in formation. As a white-haired man suddenly entered the underground throne room, they all assumed a defensive stance.
Despite the acrid stench of decay filling the air, the white-haired man continued unperturbed and stopped before the throne.
Calgart red at the man standing before him with emotionless eyes.[This is no ce for a mortal.]
The white-haired man, with skin so pale it appeared eerie, was an adult male.
He had eyes on his cheeks, giving him a grotesque appearance typical of demons.
He scoffed and locked his mysterious silver eyes on Calgart¡¯s pitch-ck ones.
[How dare a mere demon judge where one of noble birth should stand.]
Calgart extended a long finger toward the white-haired man.
[Kill him.]
At themand, the Undead Legion directed ck magic circles toward the white-haired man.
The air was filled with an array of magic circles that unleashed dark magic.
Kwagagagang!!
The dark magic raged like a me, storm, and shower, assailing the white-haired man, tearing at him relentlessly, leaving nothing but shreds of his form.
But the white-haired man stood still, smiling, absorbing all the attacks.
Even the massive undead warriors charged at him, swinging fists and weapons the size of human bodies.
When the relentless assault finally ceased, a dark, dusty cloud formed from the remnants of dark mana.
The white-haired man¡¯s body, mostly gone, swayed like a reed in the wind.
Saaaaaaa!
Then.
Suddenly, a sacred light, a divine power, swirled like a vortex.
The undead warriors who had approached the white-haired man quickly retreated, instinctively reacting against the light.
Divine Power dispersed the dark dust and instantly restored the white-haired man to his original form.
Kwaak.
[Gwaaaa!]
The white-haired man extended his long arm and grabbed the head of an undead warrior who had swung at him.
Divine Power surged from his hand.
The undead warrior groaned and writhed in agony.
[What a barbaric wee.]
The white-haired manughed leisurely.
Calgart¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Rational thinking made it clear that this man could not be killed.
It wasn¡¯t due to ack of firepower. The enemy was simply an immortal.
Clearly, this was a heavenly being blessed with the power of immortality.
[¡Who are you?]
When Calgart asked, the white-haired heavenly being threw aside the undead warrior and made a gesture as if to sit.
Divine Power coalesced in the air, transforming into a chair emitting a gentle sacred light from the divine realm. The white-haired heavenly being sat down and crossed his legs.
In the underground throne room, he alone shone serenely.
[I am Vuel.]
The heavenly being, Vuel, extended his arm forward and pointed at the ground with his index finger.
To achieve his goal, Vuel had something he must aplish in this world
[Summon Mephisto, Calgart. We have matters to discuss.]
***
The Ropenheim Barony was located in the opposite direction of M?rchen Academy.
It was a pleasant pasturnd on the outskirts of the Empire. However, contrary to the peaceful scenery, sinister and dark events frequently urred.
Human trafficking organized by Baron Adrian Ropenheim was conducted across various regions under his control. Many children had yet to be transported.
Isaac had dispatched his minions to various branches involved in the trafficking under Baron Ropenheim¡¯s jurisdiction. These locations were all disguised as taverns but were actually secret hideouts.
Using his [irvoyance], Isaac had already identified the locations of the captured children. He intended to rescue them all.
One such ce was a small vige directly on the route from M?rchen Academy to Ropenheim Barony.
Isaac entered the tavern to gather information and rescue the children.
Apanying him, Alice Carroll waited patiently, leaning against the tavern¡¯s outer wall.
The tavern had a clean exterior. The two-storey establishment was bustling with men enjoying the night. It was unusually crowded for a tavern in a remote area.
The air was thick with the smell of delicious food and alcohol. The loud, boisterousughter and rough conversations of men filled the tavern continuously.
¡°Welco¡¡±
A young waitress caught her breath upon seeing Isaac. He was a rare handsome sight in this vige.
She smiled slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she approached him.
¡°Wee, Sir. Are you alone?¡±
¡°Yes, can I sit over there?¡±
Isaac smiled and pointed towards the bar where the middle-aged tavern owner was standing.
The waitress smiled and led him to the table in front of the tavern owner, where he pointed. Isaac took a seat.
The tavern owner, pouring drinks, spoke to Isaac.
¡°A young face I¡¯ve never seen before. You look like you¡¯re still in your teens. Are you a traveler?¡±
¡°Yes, you could say that.¡±
To the tavern owner, Isaac, the bespectacled boy, seemed very gentle.
However, his neat clothes didn¡¯t appear particrly expensive. The hands sticking out of his sleeves showed signs of hardbor. He certainly wasn¡¯t raised in luxury.
The conversations of the burly men in the bustling tavern gradually quieted.
¡°What¡¯s your order?¡±
¡°Before that, I have a question.¡±
Isaac asked calmly with a smile.
¡°Are all these people your men?¡±
¡°¡¡±
The tavern owner¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±
¡°That answer is good enough on its own.¡±
Isaac used [Psychological Insight] to get the answer he wanted.
¡°And do you know how many children have been sent to Ropenheim Barony? I thought you might know.¡±
Isaac couldn¡¯t prate the barrier in the basement of the Ropenheim Barony mansion with his [irvoyance]. Calgart¡¯s power was undoubtedly involved.
Knowing how many children were in the basement could help gauge how long it would take for Calgart¡¯s curse to activate.
Flying directly to Ropenheim Barony on the Frost Dragon, Hilde, and raiding the basement was a prudent move. It was too conspicuous.
If Calgart, whose location was still unknown, detected the Ice Sovereign¡¯s approach, he might flee with the children or prepare for an ambush.
The tavern owner stopped moving and silently stared at Isaac for a while
The atmosphere grew tense. The owner could no longer let Isaac leave unscathed.
The waitress watched the scene with a frightened look. She felt the same as the tavern owner.
A muscr man at one of the tables stood up, drew an axe from his belt, approached Isaac, and sat next to him.
Isaac met the burly man¡¯s gaze with his own dark red eyes. The man ced his hand, gripping the axe, on the table and raised an eyebrow.
¡°Up close, you¡¯re even younger than I thought.¡±
The burly man chuckled.
¡°You seem to already know what this business is about, but since you¡¯re asking about the number of kids already shipped, it looks like you¡¯re not one of us.¡±
Theughter and chatter in the tavern died down.
The tension in the air thickened as everyone¡¯s hostile gaze focused solely on Isaac.
¡°Kid, who sent y-¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question yet.¡±
Isaac cut him off in a nonchnt tone.
The burly man next to himughed in disbelief, and the otherrge men in the tavern smirked.
¡°Haha! Hey, look at this oblivious kid¡ I was just as fearless when I was your age. Back then, I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between courage and recklessness. Kid, you should know your ce, don¡¯t you think so? Well, how about I teach you a lesson about the harsh realities of life?¡±
He asked mockingly.
The men in the tavern roared withughter, making jokes like, ¡°Did you really have a childhood?¡± and ¡°That kid looks like he¡¯d break with a tap!¡±
While Isaac became the target of the men¡¯s ridicule, the young waitress whispered to the burly middle-aged man who could be described as rugged.
She asked him to subdue Isaac, finish their business, and then lock him up in a back room.
The man, understanding her lustful intentions, grinned and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±
Soon, the expression of the man next to Isaac hardened.
¡°No more talking. If you want to die painlessly, speak up now, kid. Who sent you?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you know how to answer a question?¡±
¡°Huh, you little punk. Fine, let¡¯s see if you can say the same thing after losing an arm!¡±
Swing!
The burly man swung his axe at Isaac.
In a split second, Isaac lightly ducked backward to dodge the axe and unsheathed a dagger with a cut.
A sharp tearing sound rang out. Isaac drove the dagger into the burly man¡¯s hand, pinning it to the table.
The burly man let out an ear-piercing scream.
¡°Kaaaargh!!¡±
He couldn¡¯t move his hand that was holding the axe, and theughter from the others in the tavern ceased.
The man¡¯s wrist was pinned to the table by the dagger, blood gushing from the wound.
¡°Arrrgh!!¡±
Isaac twisted the dagger, causing the man to scream even more desperately.
The man tried to swing his other fist, but Isaac easily caught his thick wrist and held on to it tightly.
There was a crunching sound as his bones broke. The man¡¯s wrist turned dark with bruises and was deformed, before finally crumpling like a sheet of paper.
His strength was ruthless, unmatched even by a beast.
¡°Stop, please stop¡!!¡±
The burly man copsed on the table, begging.
¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time.¡±
Isaac asked cynically.
¡°How many children are there right now?¡±
The sound of chairs scraping the floor echoed from all directions.
All the men drew their weapons and approached Isaac /genesisforsaken
Chapter 238: King of the Dead Subjugation (2)
Chapter 238: King of the Dead Subjugation (2)
A man swung his sword in tandem with his step.
Isaac evaded, letting go of the dagger lodged in the burly man¡¯s hand, and then punched the face of the man swinging the sword.
The man¡¯s face caved in for a moment.
Kwajik!!
With the sound of something shattering, the man¡¯s body flew through the air.
Kwadadang.
The man¡¯s flying body overturned several tables and bounced off the ground, before finally mming into the outer wall. He was already unconscious.
For a moment, the atmosphere froze. Such overwhelming force was not something easily witnessed in a rural area like this.
However, the group of men quickly regrouped. Not knowing exactly how strong Isaac was, they decided to rely on their numbers and their size to overwhelm him.Soon, Isaac kicked off the ground.
For a few minutes, all sorts of noises leaked out from the tavern. The sound of wooden tables and chairs breaking, ss bottles shattering, and shouts. But above all, the most prominent sound was the screams of pain.
Alice was nning to stop anyone who tried to flee from the tavern, but that didn¡¯t happen.
A momentter, Alice stepped inside the now-quiet tavern.
¡°Baby, are you done?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
Inside the wrecked tavern, human traffickersid scattered, their bodies encased in ice. All had broken limbs or were bleeding heavily, with no part of their bodies left unscathed.
Moreover, the chilling cold from the ice restraints seeped into their bodies, causing them to groan in pain.
Isaac stood over the burly man with a dagger stuck in his hand, peering down at him. Tears streamed down his face.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡! I¡¯m sorry! Please, stop this¡!¡±
Isaac firmly twisted the dagger lodged in his hand.
¡°Aaaaargh!!¡±
The burly man let out a scream mixed with sobs.
¡°I still haven¡¯t been given an answer.¡±
Isaac adjusted his sses. The cold demeanor of the young boy instilled fear in the burly man.
¡°S-sixty five¡! I saw them four days ago! ording to my estimate and the records, that¡¯s how many there are¡!¡±
¡°How many people are transported, and how often?¡±
¡°Every five days¡! It doesn¡¯t matter how many. The more, the better, they said they¡¯d pay more¡!¡±
It was quite a progress. Although the number of sacrifices was not yet sufficient, if left unchecked, Isaac would have died suddenly within two weeks.
Isaac looked at Alice.
¡°Alice, stay here and keep things under control when people arrive.¡±
¡°Take care.¡±
Isaac created ice restraints to secure the burly man and then headed to the tavern basement. He had already mapped out the route with [irvoyance].
The eerie basement had several cells. There were only seven adults and five boys and girls imprisoned.
The adults, haggard and worn out, brightened at the sight of Isaac. They desperately pleaded to be rescued, promising to do anything.
Kwang!
Isaac shattered the cell doors with a weak [Frost Explosion], breaking the restraints that bound the prisoners in the same way.
¡°Go now.¡±
¡°Thank you, thank you¡!¡±
They hurriedly fled the basement.
Next, Isaac broke the cell door where the children were held and entered. All but one flinched and trembled in fear.
Isaac leaned down and smiled brightly.
¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±
The faces of the terrified children showed a mix of relief and suspicion. Isaac tried his best to reassure them.
He told them that there was no need to stay here any longer and that they could go up to the prettydy waiting upstairs. Though they couldn¡¯t fully understand the situation, they rushed out of the cell and escaped the basement.
However, one girl remained rooted to the spot, as if her feet were glued to the ground.
A kid¡ she was too old to be called a child. She appeared to be in her mid-teens at most.
¡°¡¡±
Isaac waited for the remaining girl to leave the cell, but she just stared at him intently.
Isaac couldn¡¯t sense any fear from the girl.
It wasn¡¯t that shecked a sense of reality. The girl knew exactly what situation she was in. She simply didn¡¯t feel fear.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡±
The girl pointed at Isaac.
¡°You¡¯re a Prince from a fairy tale.¡±
The girl smiled,paring Isaac, who hade to rescue her, to the Prince from a storybook she had read.
Isaac was actually relieved. If she saw him as a Prince, it might help mitigate the trauma this ordeal could have caused.
The girl wore a red cloak and had an elegant appearance. However, unlike her looks, there was no hint of nobility in her attire.
If she had been brought here, she likely wasn¡¯t from a high-status or wealthy family.
Isaac asked.
¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡±
¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±
¡°Your father?¡±
¡°Dead.¡±
¡°...Are you from this vige?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°How did you get here?¡±
¡°I rode a magic beast.¡±
¡°Where¡¯s the magic beast?¡±
¡°Dead.¡±
The girl answered with a constant smile on her face, obviously enjoying the situation. Isaac realized that her heart was broken.
Isaac sighed and apologized for asking about her parents. But the girl just tilted her head and asked, ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±
There was no need to exin. Isaac grabbed the girl¡¯s wrist.
¡°Let¡¯s go for now.¡±
¡°Prince, your hand is big.¡±
Isaac left the underground prison with the girl.
* * *
¡°Thank you for your hard work, Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°Please take care of them.¡±
¡°Leave it to us.¡±
The group of men that had used the tavern as a hideout and the people rescued from the basement were handed over to the followers of the Helize Church, who had followed from afar.
The saintess who had chosen to be my ally assigned her most trusted followers to me. These followers were all affiliated with the Academy Church.
The Holy Kingdom of Bardio was founded to separate religion and politics, but like the Empire, it was responsible for its citizens. Therefore, it was better to leave the matters concerning the Empire¡¯s citizens to the Helize Church, which constituted Bardio.
The followers were spread across various branches that I had given them. We had agreed beforehand that the Helize Church would handle the aftermath whenever my minions attacked a branch.
Now, it was time to head straight to Ropenheim Barony. Alice and I were about to board a carriage.
At that moment, the girl in the red cloak approached me.
¡°What¡¯s your name, Prince?¡±
She seemed to want to say hello before we parted ways.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°I¡¯m ¡®Michelle''. Isaac oppa, can I give you a gift?¡±
The way she called me, ¡°oppa." didn¡¯t bother me... at all.
¡°What is it?¡±
She gestured for me toe closer.
I bent down to meet her eye level, and she gently ced her hand on my forehead and closed her eyes.
¡°May the blessing of the incarnation be with you.¡±
She murmured softly and then opened her eyes again.
I didn¡¯t feel anything special.
¡°What was that?¡±
¡°I prayed for you.¡±
Michelle smiled.
She was just an ordinary girl, in terms of both level and constitution. Her heart was in tatters, which made her psychological state seem strange.
Well, let¡¯s take that as a good thing.
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re grateful, then marry me in the future.¡±
¡°...?¡±
So suddenly¡?
¡°I fell for you at first sight.¡±
It was quite bold to entrust her future to a man she had just met today.
However, her innocence made me smile.
¡°Michelle, marriage isn¡¯t something you decide so easily-¡±
¡°Baby.¡±
Alice suddenly appeared by my side, grabbed my hands with both of hers, and pressed her ample chest against my arm.
¡°It¡¯s time to go now. We don¡¯t have much time, do we?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
I was just about to leave anyway. I said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go¡± and turned around and boarded the carriage.
¡°Was it Michelle? How did a kid like you¡ it must have been terrifying. It¡¯s okay now, you can rx. Since you¡¯re young, people will take good care of you.¡±
Alice spoke kindly, patting Michelle¡¯s head covered by the red cloak.
The two girls looked at each other. Alice smiled gently, while Michelle let out a cold, suddenugh.
I watched Michelle through the open carriage door and said, ¡°Take care. If you need anything, tell the Church.¡± And with that, Alice boarded the carriage and closed the door.
Soon, the carriage departed.
For a while, Michelle quietly watched the departing carriage.
* * *
¡°What is this¡?¡±
The carriage had flipped over, its wheels spinning aimlessly. The followers of the Helize Church had been subdued and were unconscious, with bright red blood sttered around.
Only one follower regained consciousness quickly. Enduring the severe pain in the back of his neck, he assessed the surroundings. His mind was a jumble, but the situation was clear.
They were transporting the people Isaac had handed over in a wagon. Then someone attacked the driver, knocking him out, causing this unexpected disaster.
The human traffickers had already turned into cold corpses.
A fluttering sound apanied by a fearful groan was heard. The follower turned his head toward the sound.
A girl, wearing a red cloak, walked through the puddle of blood. In her hands were strange hatchets of unknown origin.
A muscr man, missing an arm, was crawling away from the girl. However, her steps showed no hesitation.
Michelle¡¯s golden eyes glinted.
¡°S-save me¡! Please¡!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t beg.¡±
Michelle shook her head coldly and raised her hatchet.
¡°You¡¯re no different from the foolish wolf.¡±
Kwajak.
Michelle swung her hatchet in a sh.
The de split the man¡¯s throat and embedded deeply into his body. The man barely managed to let out a scream before he lost his life.
Michelle¡¯s billowing cloak was the color of blood. The dark memories and sworn vows it contained were deeply embedded within.
Michelle wiped the blood off her face with the back of her hand. She was quite calm, like she was already used to this.
These men were wolves that devoured people. Michelle had purposely gotten herself captured by these wolves to get to their leader. She was going to get rid of them all.
But Isaac, that man, seemed intent on doing what Michelle had nned to do. If that was the case, Michelle decided there was no need for her to act. Even while being imprisoned, she realized his incredible strength
Now, there was little left to do.
Just trim the branches.
Michelle¡¯s hatchet transformed into a form of mana and seeped into her body. She made eye contact with the follower who regained consciousness.
Suppressing the overwhelming fear flooding in, the follower quietly prayed, ¡°O Lord, please protect this foolish one¡¡±
Michelle ignored him, adjusted her red cloak, and walked away.
***
Deep in the night, someone repeatedly knocked on the entrance to Baron Ropenheim¡¯s mansion.
The attendant grumbled about who could possibly be knocking at this hour as he went to open the door.
Standing at the door was a young man with silver-blue hair, Isaac. The attendant felt a sense of unease at his familiar appearance.
¡°Excuse me, is Baron Ropenheim here?¡±
Isaac asked politely, with a smile on his face.
Despite the unease, the attendant showed a disgruntled expression towards Isaac, who was looking for the Baron in the middle of the /genesisforsaken
Chapter 239: King of the Dead Subjugation (3)
Chapter 239: King of the Dead Subjugation (3)¡°Damn knights, letting people through in the middle of the night...?¡±
At the gate of Baron Ropenheim''s mansion, two knights stood guard. The servant was fed up with the knights who exchanged sexual jokes all the time.
Even if they performed their duties well, how could they let such a boy pass through the mansion?
Soon, a young woman with light gold hair approached. She stood next to Isaac and gave a gentle smile.
What is it now?
The servant had a brief headache but soon felt a twinge of doubt.
Letting these two young people in just like that? No matter how negligent they were in their duties, did that even make sense?
Or...
Did these two, perhaps, knock out the knights?
...No, how could such young kids possibly do that?The servant shook his head. It was a ridiculous thought.
But the servant''s thought was indeed true. Isaac had knocked out the guarding knights in an instant and, together with Alice, had crossed the garden to reach the mansion.
"Hey, do you think it makes sense to meet the lord at this hour? If you do this, the lord won''t take it kindly either."
At that moment, a tall man appeared behind the servant.
Hearing a hum, the servant was startled. She quickly stepped aside and bowed deeply to the man.
The man stepped forward, basking in the moonlight.
His illuminated figure oozed dignity, he was a middle-aged man of excellent posture and with his hair slicked back. It was Baron Adrian Ropenheim.
"Sorry for causing a disturbance...! They wanted to see you in the middle of the night, so I tried to chase them away...!"
"It''s alright."
Adrian made eye contact with Isaac.
"Did you say your name is Isaac?"
Adrian had been eavesdropping on Isaac''s conversation with the servant from the beginning.
He hade out to greet them because he had already realized that the knights on guard had been knocked out by Isaac without a chance to report.
Isaac smiled with a kind face.
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Baron Ropenheim."
"And thedy beside you?"
"This person is my-"
"Wife."
Alice Carroll, with a gentle smile, preemptively wrapped her arms around Isaac''s arm and hugged it to her chest.
"¡"
Not wanting to make a fuss over such a matter, Isaac let out a low sigh.
It didn''t matter to him what role Alice yed.
Adrian, as if uninterested in their rtionship, raised no questions and turned his back.
"Come in."
Adrian readily let Isaac and Alice into the mansion.
All Adrian needed at the moment was as many sacrifices as he could get his hands on.
And now Isaac suddenly appeared, an orphan who happened to be Eve''s brother
He had once thought Isaac would make a good sacrifice. Luck was currently on his side, he¡¯d make good use of Isaac.
Alice was a variable, but to Adrian, who had received power from the King of the Dead, she was merely a pleasing sacrifice.
"¡"
Isaac had predicted Adrian''s thoughts, and he was right, but he didn''t really care what happened.
If entry was restricted, he nned to force his way through.
Meanwhile, the servant couldn''t understand why Baron Ropenheim had let Isaac and Alice into the mansion.
Normally, he would have seized the youngsters and thrown them in jail for their atrocities.
Noticing the servant''s puzzled expression, Adrian gave a simple exnation.
"He is Eve''s brother."
"Ah."
The servant immediately understood the situation, as the household staff knew about Eve''s family affairs.
An invited guest. That exined why the guard knights let them in and why Baron Adrian Ropenheim came out to greet them.
Moreover, it made sense that a lowly servant like himself wouldn''t be aware of a guest to be received at midnight.
They walked down the dark hallway, relying on the small light of the portablemp held by the servant. Meanwhile, Alice interlocked her fingers with Isaac''s hand.
"Be careful in the dark, Darling."
Isaac, unable toin, simply said his thanks.
They entered the reception room.
"Bring some tea."
"I''ll bring it right away."
The servant went to prepare the tea, and Adrian sat on the sofa. Isaac and Alice sat side by side on the sofa across from him.
Themp on the table spread its light, faintly illuminating the room. Thanks to this, Adrian could closely examine Isaac''s face.
"You do look alike¡"
Eve and Isaac had different fathers, yet they had some resemnces. The influence of their mother was significant. Adrian realized this anew.
Before long, the servant brought the tea.
"Thank you."
"Many thanks."
Isaac and Alice greeted politely.
The servant ced the teacups and then quickly left the reception room.
Isaac carefully swirled his teacup before speaking.
"I''m sorry for visiting sote at night."
"You don''t need to apologize. I''ve already seen you knock out my knights, and if you consider me an enemy, there''s no need to apologize, is there?"
Even though Adrian had watched through the window as Isaac took down the knights, he had taken no action.
He had a good idea of the situation.
Adrian had abandoned Eve''s mother and taken Eve from Isaac. He had always thought it wouldn''t be surprising if Isaac sharpened his sword and came for revenge at any time.
"Then this will be quick."
Isaac red at Adrian with a grin.
"...Where¡¯s my sister?"
Earlier, Isaac had scanned the mansion with [irvoyance] and discovered that Eve Ropenheim wasn¡¯t there.
He already had an idea of where she might be. He just asked Adrian to gauge his reaction.
"I''d like to start with this conversation first."
Adrian smirked and leaned back against the sofa.
"I wholeheartedly believe that there are many worthless, human trash in this world. Especially in remote rural areas like this."
Adrian sipped his tea.
"You, in particr. Your magical abilities were inferior, you had a bad birth, and you were desperately poor."
"You remembered that."
"I had to. At one point, while investigating Eve, I couldn''t help but learn of your existence."
Adrian''s unrestrained words were all provocations meant to belittle Isaac.
They essentially meant, ¡°You especially fit my definition of trash,¡± and, ''I had no choice but to learn your name.''
"You seem to have honed your fighting skills quite a bit, but where can your lowly origins go? Even if you¡¯ve gotten stronger over the past few years, your best is knocking down a few knights of my house. Your effort ismendable. Although I''ve spoken harshly, I do thank you. Foring to me of your own ord, and... for the both of you remaining pure.."
Isaac and Alice exchanged sideways nces.
A barrier with dark mana was subtly shimmering in the reception room.
"You mean to tell me a young couple such as yourselves haven¡¯t fornicated yet? You''ve done me a great favor."
"¡"
"I''m in a good mood. Let me reward you with a piece of information."
Adrian smiled and spoke as casually as if they were making small talk.
"I was the one who killed your father."
Adrian sipped his tea and ced the teacup back on the table.
For a moment, Alice winced and furrowed one brow slightly.
"There were two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to break Eve psychologically. In the end, she said harsh words to you and left, just as I instructed. Secondly, I didn''t like the fact that he coveted my discarded possession. So, I killed him."
Isaac''s father was an ordinary lower-ss man with nothing to his name, a husband who loved his wife dearly.
He was also the savior of Isaac''s mother, who had been abandoned and hurt by Baron Adrian Ropenheim.
But he lost his life when Isaac was still young. It must have been a world-shattering moment for Isaac''s family.
If Isaac''s father had lived, his mother wouldn''t have died early from overwork and worsening illness.
If not for Adrian''s cruel orders, Isaac wouldn''t have experienced the devastating feeling of being abandoned by his sister.
Isaac was left alone, tried to survive with no one to rely on, and eventually, in despair, took his own life.
And now, Isaac saw that the cause of all his misfortuney with the nobleman before him.
This man, drunk on power, hadpletely ruined, trampled on, and destroyed the life of the real Isaac, amoner.
So that''s how it was.
Isaac quietly muttered to himself.
Only then did Isaac fully understand the family history experienced by the original owner of his body.
"But you can rest assured. Unlike your father, your life will be put to good use. What could be more worthwhile than being born a piece of trash and bing the foundation for me?"
Adrian grinned slyly. Dark mana welled up in his right eye.
That eye had originally been non-functional due to severe burns from long ago. But now, it was perfectly fine.
Calgart the Necromancer could empower decayed parts. He had imbued Adrian''s right eye with dark mana.
Adrian exined to the residents of the mansion that he was fortunate to be healed by a skilled cleric, and only a few who knew the truth trembled in fear.
Several eerie, dark mana spikes emerged behind Adrian with a rumbling sound.
Adrian''s dark mana began to pervade the air.
"¡?"
However... Isaac remained calm. As if he felt nothing at all.
Adrian furrowed his brow. He had expected Isaac to fall into despair and fear upon hearing the truth, but his reaction was disappointing.
Was he in shock and unable to grasp reality?
As Adrian harbored such doubts, Isaac removed his sses and spoke.
"Baron Ropenheim."
At least until he captured the Evil God, he had no intention of getting involved inplicated family matters.
That was why Isaac felt truly fortunate.
Because a bastard like this hade along for the ride.
"Is the barrier strong?"
"What?"
A gentle, pale blue coldness flowed from Isaac''s body.
The moment Adrian witnessed the chilling coldness that began to freeze everything around him, his eyes widened in astonishment.
It wasn''t the typical coldness emitted by an ice elemental wizard. That highly dense coldness was something Adrian had never seen before.
The aura of the [Ice Sovereign]. Isaac decided to exert his dominance over Adrian as he channeled a hint of his brewing anger.
A massive surge of mana descended upon Adrian like a strong pressure.
Adrian, by instinct, felt fear creeping in.
In an instant, a pale blue magic circle unfolded behind Isaac, and in front of it, ice mana condensed.
Adrian desperately extended numerous dark mana spikes.
Kaaaaaah!!!.
A pale blue light shed and a booming sound rang out.
5-star ice spell [Frost Explosion]. Isaac''s process of condensing and exploding his mana had shifted from taking a few seconds to being a blink of an eye.
The sudden explosion of coldness drove back the dark spikes and demolished the building''s outer wall, sending sharp ice masses outward with great force.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
The massive ice mass, extending outward, pierced Adrian''s body and settled beyond the copsed outer wall.
"Ugh...!"
Adrian spewed blood from his mouth like a waterfall.
It only took a few moments for his foggy mind to clear.
Soon, he realized that he had been pierced by the sharp end of an ice mass, leaving arge hole in his upper body.
The extreme cold prated his bones.
Pain beyond imagination surged through him.
Adrian''s body, struck by the explosion of cold, was in a state of severe disarray.
The extreme cold dominated his body.
Adrian gasped for breath.
The dark mana struggled to keep Adrian''s vital functions going.
He continuously endured the terrible pain as he was forced to live.
"How did this happen...?"
The dark power, which had made him feel omnipotent and capable of oveing anything, had been so futilely consumed.
Isaac and Adrian. There was a vast difference in skill between the two.
Adrian couldn''t believe that fact.
Thud.
Isaac climbed up the sharp ice mass and walked forward with heavy steps.
Under the bleakly shining crescent moon, Isaac approached Adrian, who was hanging limply from the ice mass, and peered down at him.
The night breeze caressed Isaac''s silver-blue hair and skin.
Adrian looked at Isaac with a shocked expression.
"Let me ask you one thing."
Isaac asked coldly.
"Where is Calgart?"
Adrian''s eyes trembled.
The otherworldly pale blue aura emanating from Isaac. The immense mana. The unbelievable strength.
And... even asking about the whereabouts of Calgart, he couldn''t fail to recognize Isaac''s identity.
"Could it be... you are...?"
The title ¡°Ice Sovereign¡± filled Adrian''s mind.
It was hard to ept, but the sight before him was too clear to deny.
In Adrian''s memory, Isaac was a talentless, worthless being.
So, the sight before him was hard to believe, but thinking rationally, he began to understand.
Unless he had been an archwizard hiding his power all this time, there was no way he could have reached this level in just a few years.
Adrian concluded. He could never defeat the Ice Sovereign. He was a walking catastrophe, in essence.
It was more than just being unable to win; thend was on the brink of annihtion.
He had trampled on the precious people of the great Elemental King. He had be the object of the king''s resentment.
That realization gnawed at Adrian''s sanity like a rat.
He heard the sound of the reception room door being roughly pounded on. However, the door, obstructed by a dark barrier, did not open easily.
Isaac crouched down and extended his right hand in front of Adrian''s left arm. In front of that right hand, ice mana condensed and a pale blue magic circle unfolded.
Adrian, terrified, urgently shouted, "W-wait a moment...!"
Boom!!
"Arghhh!!!"
A weak [Frost Explosion] mercilessly struck Adrian''s left arm.
Adrian squeezed his eyes shut and screamed, only to gasp for air.
His left arm was twisted grotesquely, but no blood flowed. The torn and ripped flesh had frozen, forcibly stopping the bleeding.
The dark mana trying to regenerate Adrian''s body was powerless before Isaac''s resolute ice.
No longer could any noble dignity be found on Adrian''s viciously contorted face.
"Let me ask you again."
Isaac''s voice was even colder than ice.
"Where is Calgart?"
Isaac had a burden to bear. Thepulsion to defeat the Evil God had always weighed heavily on him.
So, if it was clear that the opponent he had to face on this journey to defeat the Evil God had embraced malice...
For Isaac, who had already withstood intense pressure, there was nothing to hesitate about.
The knights stationed there all rushed out to the garden. They were horrified as they looked at Adrian impaled on the ice mass.
"T-that is...!"
Adrian couldn''t answer hastily. Revealing Calgart''s location would drive thisnd to ruin.
Boom!!
"Aaaargh!!!"
[Frost Explosion] struck Adrian''s right arm as well.
"Your answer?"
"Please, stop... please, just stop!"
Boom!!
"Arghhh!!"
Isaac used [Frost Explosion] again, mangling Adrian''s right leg.
In the garden, the knights hurled their weapons at Isaac. However, Alice intercepted all of them using telekinesis.
Isaac''s gaze remained fixed on Adrian.
"Speak."
Isaac red at Adrian up close. His voice was firm and mocking.
When Adrian, consumed by pain, couldn''t respond, [Frost Explosion] was cast on his remaining leg.
Boom!!
Isaac grabbed Adrian''s screaming head.
His limbs could no longer function properly. Adrian copsed.
Finally, Adrian, who was shedding tears as he gritted his teeth in pain¡
"I''m sorry, I''ll tell you... just please stop. Please..."
He confessed everything.
Chapter 240: King of the Dead Subjugation (4)
Chapter 240: King of the Dead Subjugation (4)Eve Ropenheim was restrained with her arms outstretched.
She was in this state of regained consciousness after being struck by dark mana. She could feel the lingering traces of the dark mana wriggling like worms under her skin.
She hadn¡¯t been able to wash for days, making her feel grimy.
Everything just felt unpleasant.
She couldn¡¯t understand the situation.
Is Baron Ropenheim a demon? Or perhaps he¡¯s allied with them since he didn¡¯t look like a demon.
Eve looked around.
She was imprisoned. The ce was a damp underground cer for criminals whomitted crimes in the mansion.
A strong barrier, flowing with dark mana, was set up at the entrance, preventing most from entering or leaving. This was why Eve couldn¡¯t summon her white tiger familiar, Devon, to attempt an escape.
There was another room with a firmly shut door, where many children were imprisoned.A few days ago, she had witnessed men she didn¡¯t recognize shoving the children into that room.
These men had shown interest in Eve, but Baron Ropenheim had forcibly intervened. There seemed to be a reason, and it likely wasn¡¯t a good one.
So why was Baron Ropenheim colluding with demons and gathering children?
Human experiments, or sacrifices for ck magic¡ it had to be something like that.
Eve could only think of the worst scenarios, and she lowered her head helplessly.
¡°Isaac¡¡±
The only one she could think of was her beloved younger brother.
The image of young Isaac trying to stop her from leaving haunted her every night.
Eve reflected on her past choices and wandered through her thoughts.
She had thought she would only leave his side for a few years to ensure a better future for Isaac.
Enduring the harsh abuse and cold stares at the Ropenheim Barony was all for Isaac¡¯s sake.
But now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to return. Whatever fate awaited her, she would never see Isaac again.
This fact made her unbearably sad and distressed.
Sometimes tears welled up, but Eve bit her lips and held back her sobs.
¡°I miss you¡¡±
If she had onest wish, it would be to see Isaac onest time.
***Eve felt a tremor.
She heard the children in the other room scrambling around in a panic.
A littleter, the barrier shattered like ss.
A woman entered the cer.
Eve¡¯s eyes widened. It was someone she never expected.
¡°Student Council President¡?¡±
It was Alice Carroll, the Student Council President of M?rchen Academy. She walked down the corridor.
Following her were knights in tinum armor. They were powerful individuals Eve had seen before.
They were the forces of the Ice Kingdom, D¨¹pfendorf.
All of them were minions of the Ice Sovereign, Isaac.
Soon, a familiar man entered the cer. He easily cast [Frost Explosion] to break the cell and walked in to stand before Eve.
The cold air around him, themp illuminating the corridor, created a halo around him.
The chaotic noise faded from her ears. Eve couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sister.¡±
¡°Isaac¡?¡±
Eve felt as if she was dreaming.
* * *Eve Ropenheim.
Isaac and Eve shared the same mother but had different fathers.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, she was an insignificant NPC. A lunatic who looked at Ian with lifeless eyes and told unpleasant lies.
However, unlike my memories, the Eve I saw throughout Semester 1 Year 2 seemed perfectly sane.
Why hadn¡¯t Eve be a lunatic? One of the most significant differences from the game that came to mind was Isaac¡¯s death.
Isaac had taken his own life, and as a student of M?rchen Academy, Eve would have naturally heard the news.
It was said that Baron Ropenheim had put psychological pressure on Eve, likely giving her a reason to leave Isaac¡¯s side.
I wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the reason.
However, it was clear that Eve had immense affection for Isaac.
She must have been devastated by the loss of Isaac, showing how special he was to her.
Given this, it was hard to believe she had agreed to be adopted into the Ropenheim Barony just to enjoy wealth and glory.
Kwaaaah!
I broke Eve¡¯s restraints. She stumbled, unable to move properly after being restrained for so long and I caught her by the shoulders.
Eve couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. She clung to my clothes and sobbed.
¡°Isaac, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡ I missed you so much¡¡±
She repeated the words she had kept locked away. I nodded once, unsure of what to say.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
I pulled out a coat from my magic pouch and draped it over her shoulders, then carried her on my back toward the garden.
Eve spoke in a low, calm voice.
¡°Why did youe here, Isaac?¡±
¡°I had some business to take care of.¡±
¡°...I was scared.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°I missed you so much.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ for not being there when you needed me. I¡¯m so sorry for being so helpless¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
Eve buried her head in my shoulder, repeatedly apologizing.
The one who deserved her apology was not me, but the previous Isaac, who had sumbed to despair and ended his own life.
Therefore, as the current Isaac, I didn¡¯t ept her apologies and remained silent.
Meanwhile, Alice and the knights of D¨¹pfendorf had led all the children outside.
There were sixty-five children, just as I had heard. I scanned the area thoroughly with [irvoyance] to make sure no child was left behind.
Alice had subdued and restrained the knights and wizards of the Ropenheim Barony with ease.
Adrian Ropenheim had fainted after I destroyed his right eye, causing him to lose his dark mana. His body was now encased in ice.
Adrian would be handed over to the Imperial Court to pay for his crimes.
The dy in the Empire¡¯s response to this incident was due to the scheming of Calgart the Necromancer, who had moved people in secret.
Unless a major event urred, the Empire wouldn¡¯t be immediately informed of every little thing happening in a remote Barony.
Even I had only uncovered the situation by checking and investigating based on my knowledge of the game, so it was unlikely the Empire had already figured it out.
I guess the Empire owes me another favor.
I sat Eve on a garden chair. She looked at the miserable Baron Ropenheim with a mix of satisfaction, relief, and all sorts ofplicated emotions.
I didn¡¯t know the full context, and I didn¡¯t feel much affection for Eve.
But she was the only surviving rtive who had also been trampled by Baron Ropenheim, so I felt a strong desire to take care of her.
¡°Stay here, Sister.¡±
¡°Isaac? What about you¡?¡±
¡°I have things to take care of. People wille soon. In the meantime, my minions will protect you, so you can rx.¡±
As I said this, Alice approached Eve.
Even though they were ssmates, Alice was someone Eve admired from afar, making Eve feel awkward and self-conscious.
Alice greeted Eve politely.
¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯re properly introducing ourselves. Are you alright, Sister?¡±
¡°Sister¡?¡±
What on earth is she saying?
Eve looked bewildered.
It was natural for her to react that way, suddenly hearing Alice calling out to her as ¡°Sister¡±.
¡°Oh¡!¡±
Understanding what Alice meant, Eve blushed and covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.
I quickly grabbed Alice¡¯s wrist and led her away from there.
¡°Oh my, Darling¡±
¡°Stop calling me that¡ it¡¯s over.¡±
Alice was my minion and had the responsibility of being at the forefront, so she apanied me.
We needed to head to the ce Adrian had informed us about.
Using [irvoyance], I discovered the underground kingdom and the undead legion. Realizing I had spotted him, Calgart seemed to prepare for battle, deeming it toote to escape.
If he intended to face us, we should dly oblige. But we had to be wary of possible traps.
In the open area in the middle of Ropenheim Barony¡¯s garden, the moonlight shone brightly. Alice and I stood side by side.
Though I felt the gaze of people on us, I ignored it, knowing we would leave soon.
¡°Baby.¡±
Alice spoke to me.
Her usual gentle smile was still on her face, but there was a hint ofplex emotions. After living with Alice for a while, I could sense the changes in her mood.
Her soft, slender fingers gently slipped into mine, and our hands interlocked.
¡°I heard about it for the first time today.¡±
Isaac¡¯s family history.
¡°It¡¯s not something I wanted to share, and honestly, I didn¡¯t know much myself. I¡¯m in a simr position to you¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
It was just one of those things. I mumbled this as I tried to summon Hilde. Since I knew where Calgart was, I nned to fly there quickly.
At that moment, Alice suddenly pulled my head onto her shoulder.
The summoning process was disrupted and it stopped. I was taken aback.
¡°Alice?¡±
¡°Baby, actually, my heart hurt a little earlier.¡±
Alice whispered softly as she gently stroked my hair.
She was still smiling, but her damp eyes and furrowed eyebrows showed a hint of tenderness.
¡°I hope you know what you mean to me.¡±
I remembered Alice¡¯s reaction when we spoke with Baron Ropenheim. Her expression had grown cold, and I even sensed a strong murderous intent from her.
But Alice¡¯s duty was always to protect me. She didn¡¯t impulsively interfere with my family matters and faithfully followed my orders.
¡°Let me spoil you sometimes. I¡¯m yours, you know?¡±
Alice knew thatforting me now was what I needed. I realized once more how precious I had be to her.
I pulled away from Alice¡¯s embrace. She met my eyes with a gentle smile.
Saying I was okay or that I wasn¡¯t sad seemed unnecessary. I only needed to say one thing.
¡°...Thanks.¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee, Daaarling~.¡±
Alice responded yfully, trying to lighten the mood.
Alice and I summoned our familiars.
Whoooo!
Mana gathered in the air.
Hilde appeared, scattering a pale blue chill as she spread her white wings.
Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock loomed menacingly, wrapped in crimson mes around its ck wings.
Soon, Hilde and the Nightmare Dragon lowered their heads. I climbed onto Hilde and Alice mounted the Nightmare Dragon.
¡°Hilde, we¡¯re going to hunt demons. Prepare for battle.¡±
[Yes, Master! I will crush them all!]
Hilde eagerly gathered her mana.
¡°Jabberwock, I¡¯m counting on you too.¡±
The Nightmare Dragon flinched when I spoke. Memories of me defeating him seemed to resurface.
Hilde and Jabberwock pped their wings and took to the sky. The resulting wind fiercely shook the nts in the garden.
The knights of D¨¹pfendorf saluted as we left, and the remaining people watched us with their mouths agape.
Alice and I soared through the sky toward the ce where Calgart the Necromancer awaited.
Chapter 241: King of the Dead Subjugation (5)
Chapter 241: King of the Dead Subjugation (5)In the Kingdom of Zelver, a vast wilderness upied arge part of the territory, as if it had a hole punched through it.
About 10 years ago, The Floating Ind had swept through the area once. The damage from that day remained like a scar.
Manynds were like that, and the Barony of Ropenheim also bordered the wilderness.
The underground kingdom was located somewhere in that area.
Once Calgart the Necromancer had revived it received a message from Mephisto the Contractor.
Someone is protecting our target, the Child of Light. It''s the Elemental King of Ice, the Ice Sovereign.
He seems to be aware of our ns and has acted ordingly.
I do not know by what ability he aplished such a task, however...
You cannot defeat the Ice Sovereign with mere brute force.
So kill him with your power.If you get caught, it''s over.
[The fuss...]
Mephisto was an agent of the Evil God. He didn¡¯t spread unnecessary lies or exaggerated facts.
Nevertheless, he couldn''t help but think he was making a fuss. It sounded as if he were praising the Ice Sovereign.
Soon, Calgart felt an intense gaze and squinted his eyes. He immediately realized that Ice Sovereign had discovered him.
Even so, he felt no particr emotional agitation. It was because he wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of man the Ice Sovereign, whom Mephisto had boasted about being strong, really was.
Yes, he felt anticipation.
And, he was curious to see how the Ice Sovereign would react to the choices he would present.
In the underground kingdom, from his throne, Calgart rose and touched the ground with his magic staff.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the wilderness.
The heavenly being, Vuel, sat on a hill, watching from a distance as Calgart set up camp with his army of corpses. The busy movements suggested he had been discovered by the Ice Sovereign.
Behind Vuel stood a female heavenly being dressed in a sacred white robe. She gazed at the same scene as Vuel.
The deal with Mephisto was concluded. However, before leaving, Vuel wanted to see with his own eyes the human called the Ice Sovereign, who might be an obstacle.
How strong is the Ice Sovereign really?
Vuel couldn''t help but shake in anticipation.
* * *?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 10, King of the Dead¡¹.
From Semester 2 year 2, the scale of the events expanded to a global level.
The Evil God Nephid deemed that no matter how many demons were inefficiently spawned in the academy, it would be impossible to defeat Ian.
So the Evil God decided to take the time to awaken powerful demons spread across the world.
Thus, in ¡¸Act 10, King of the Dead¡¹, Calgart the Necromancer was revived. He led the army of the dead across the Empire towards M?rchen Academy.
M?rchen Academy and the Imperial Knights crossed thend bridge, set up ast-ditch defensive position, and engaged in battle.
At this time, they requested the cooperation of Ian Fairytale, who was the weakness of the demons and deployed him to the battlefield.
Of course, since Ian was a student and needed protection, he received priority protection from the academy and the Imperial Knights while fighting the army of the dead.
The mid-bosses were Mangled Qilin Molikarth and the Evil Dragon Orchis. Both were dead magic beasts but were revived as demons through Calgart''s power.
The final boss was Calgart the Necromancer.
¡¸Act 10, King of the Dead¡¹was also a scenario where one could truly feel the power of the Luminous Sword.
However, in reality, Calgart appeared before Ian obtained the Luminous Sword to defeat me.
In other words, Act 10, which was supposed to be the first part of Semester 2 Year 2, would end today.
In the middle of the vast wilderness, arge army exuding dark mana could be seen. It was an army of corpses.
Their appearance was deformed to the point that they could be considered a mass of demon soldiers rather than zombies.
Among them, a group of neatly arrayed wizards simultaneously deployed dark magic circles. The targets were Alice and I, flying on our dragons.
In an instant, numerous dark magic circles arrayed in formation pushed away the moonlight filling the wilderness.
"Hilde, attack."
I calmly gave themand.
Hilde, who was carrying me, roared fiercely and drew a huge magic circle above her back.
Soon, the corpse wizards fired arge amount of dark magic.
Bwaaah!!!
The pitch-ck darkness extended toward Alice and I, resembling the thick smoke emitted by an erupting volcano.
The strange currents of the numerous dark spells were remarkably consistent. Eventually, they all merged into one and swirled fiercely. The impact scattered dark lightning in all directions mercilessly.
The army, true to its nature of being united by Calgart''s power, had excellent Mana Mastery.
There was no ce to evade. But it didn''t matter.
I¡¯ll just break through.
[Kaaaah!!]
The magic circle deployed by Hilde shot out a line of pure white light.
It pierced through the wave of darkness, rapidly growing and transforming into a massive beam of light.
Kwoaaah!!
8-star ice spell, [Hell of the Crimson Lotus].
The dark mist shed with [Hell of the Crimson Lotus].
Kwoaang!!!
A cold, dark blue explosion, infused with dark lightning, burst forth mercilessly.
The area began to freeze rapidly with a crackling sound. Before long, the destend transformed into a frost-covered icy terrain.
There, Hilde and Jabberwocknded.
Alice and I jumped off our respective dragons. Alice was already holding the Vorpal Sword, the sword that banished nightmares, and was d in armor made of mana.
The army of corpses faced us. Seeing the sheer number of troops that couldn''t fit in my view all at once, it was clear how many corpses Calgart had defiled to strengthen his forces since his early awakening.
To Calgart, the ws of the corpses didn''t matter. They could be supplemented with the forms of demons. This was why the army of corpses had transformed into monstrous forms.
I have to return peace to all of them.
It seemed like an opportunity to gain EXP, but such a mindset should be restrained in front of the corpses.
Alice and I walked towards the army of corpses side by side.
[You must be Ice Sovereign.]
The one who spoke to me stood at the forefront of the army of corpses. Their voice was clearly heard, possibly amplified by magic.
It was a familiar figure.
Dressed in a neat ck robe. A sturdy adult male with broad shoulders.
Copper skin, curved horns protruding from both sides of his head, and pitch-ck eyes.
A bizarre staff rested in one of his hands.
It was Calgart the Necromancer.
Calgart the Necromancer
Lv: 186
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Revival
Danger Level: Highest
Psychology: [Intends to drive you into despair.]
"Do you enjoy defiling corpses?"
[Needless chatter is unnecessary.]
Calgart''s deep and grotesque voice resounded in my ears.
[Finding me ismendable, but you have focused too much on what is right in front of you. Surely, there are things you must protect as well?]
"¡?"
[Ice Sovereign, you are an inferior creature bound by unnecessary emotions such as affection. No matter how strong you are, you cannot be wless.]
What nonsense.
[...I have sent my soldiers to the ce where the Child of Light is and to M?rchen Academy. While you are here, everything you must protect will be destroyed.]
Calgart''s voice maintained a consistent pitch.
[Choose. Will you let those you must protect meet their deaths, or will you leave now to save one of them? Let this be the moment you realize that your strength cannot solve everything.]
The mansion of the Carnedas family.
M?rchen Academy.
It seemed he had sent mid-bosses and corpse forces to both locations.
From here, my [irvoyance] couldn''t reach M?rchen Academy. Fortunately, it could reach the Carnedas County.
A bizarre demon in the form of a qilin, Mangled Qilin-Molikarth, was leading corpse soldiers in that direction.
"Haa."
A sigh escaped me.
What a childish dilemma and threat.
The Imperial family had already begun to act, but it was difficult for them to detect and stop Calgart''s movements in advance.
Well... it doesn¡¯t matter.
I created an ice chair with [Ice Generation] and sat on it. Hilde stood guard behind me.
[What the...?]
Calgart expressed suspicion as he saw me sittingfortably in a chair in the middle of the battlefield.
"Alice."
"Yes, Master."
"I''ll take care of that guy, so sweep away the rest of them."
I pointed my chin at Calgart as I spoke.
Alice was my minion. Her exploits would be my EXP.
"As youmand."
Alice swung the Vorpal Sword to her side and walked forward.
The Nightmare Dragon Jabberwock roared as it flew up, apanying Alice from above.
Calgart frowned.
[Did you not¡ understand my words at all?]
"I think there¡¯s something you¡¯ve misunderstood."
I answered nonchntly.
"You''ve been too focused on me."
[What do you mean...?]
I knew from the beginning that there was a clear limit to what I could do alone.
No matter how strong I became through the system''s power, I couldn''t be arrogant because I couldn''t be omnipotent.
But what about now?
Although it was a cheesy expression, I already had reliable people who would support me in my journey to defeat the Evil God.
Fwoosh!
Soon, Alice grasped the Vorpal Sword with both hands and kicked off the ground.
The corpse warriors, each holding their weapons, rushed towards Alice, and the corpse wizards unleashed elemental magic infused with dark mana.
The sight of my subordinate, Heart Queen Alice, charging alone toward the numerous troops was extremely majestic.
A reddish purple aura imbued the de of the Vorpal Sword. Alice raised the sword and shed upward.
Kwaaang!!!
The reddish-purple sword energy exploded upwards and swept across the ground like a storm, grandly extending towards the horizon.
The corpse battalion caught in the path of the sword energy was cleaved in half and stopped dead like broken machines.
Even the soldiers nearby were blown away like balls by the wind pressure emitted by the passing sword energy.
One after another, the horizontal shes of sword energy flew sharply and struck the corpse army.
Kwaaang!!
The soldiers at the front raised their shields, but they were swept away by the explosion caused by the collision of the sword energy.
The formation of the corpse army copsed in an instant.
The Vorpal Sword''s power to banish nightmares turned into a power that drew in nightmares when Alice infused it with her will.
However, the concept of dreams didn''t exist for the corpses whose life activities had already stopped. They would find peace in death once again.
The concentrated bombardment of dark magic was blocked by Jabberwock¡¯s 8-star neutral spell, [Illusion me].
Whoosh!!!
The mysterious reddish-purple mes surged fiercely, driving away the dark magic and roughly tearing through the frosty wilderness.
Meanwhile, Calgart was only staring at me. He believed that if he moved, I would move as well.
Thus, Calgart remained wary of me.
* * *Inside the mansion high up in the County of Carnedas.
Amy Halloway was anxiously pacing while using a magic tool simr to a telescope to watch the demon army approaching the lord''s castle.
The sight of the demon army bringing clouds made of dark mana reminded her of the terror from the Student Council President incident that happened only about two months ago.
The most frightening and dangerous-looking entity was the massive ck qilin in the middle of the demon army.
Its neck was so long it seemed to reach the sky, and its face had teeth that pierced through its cheeks. It was a terrifying appearance.
"What should I do? What should I do...?"
With Ian Fairytale and Ciel Carnedas having gone to some strange ce like the celestial world, only the Carnedas family''sbat forces were left.
Everyone was tense. They didn''t know how long they could hold out against the demon army.
The Imperial Knights swiftly moved towards them. They had to hold out until the knights arrived at the very least.
That day might have been their grave. However, they vowed to honorably defend their lord''s castle with their lives.
Whooosh!
At that moment, a surge of ice mana swept forward, transforming into ice knights d in tinum armor and ice wizards.
Thebat forces of the Carnedas family were startled, drawing their weapons in rm. However, the ice knights, appearing indifferent, turned their backs to the wall and faced the demon army.
A squad of ice wizards in navy blue robes provided support from the rear.
Subsequently, four pdins from the Kingdom of Hearts appeared and joined the ice army.
The knightmander of the Carnedas family asked with a wary expression.
"Who are you lot?"
"We are followers of the Ice sovereign."
Zenon, the ck-haired Spade Pdin in full uniform, answered while drawing his tachi, Jac.
A pale blue chill slowly imbued Jac.
"He sent us here. Our orders are to defend this ce if the demons attack."
"Why? Exin what''s going on."
"The King of the Dead has sent troops in multiple directions. Our purpose is to stop them, and thus, we are here to protect you. Is that exnation sufficient?"
"..."
It was clear that the army standing before them were subordinates of the Ice Sovereign, judging by their appearance and the icy aura they exuded. These were the soldiers of D¨¹pfendorf, known only from records.
Although the exact identity of the Ice Sovereign was unknown, it was widely known that he was called the Nameless Hero who strived to protect humanity.
Sometimes, such great heroes emerged.
If such a person stood up to protect the people against the demons, it was understandable.
"I see, Ice Sovereign... But can you stop that?"
No one could be certain if they could defeat that terrifying ck qilin demon on their own.
The aura emanating from the creature was already beyond anything the strong ones here could produce.
At that moment.
Whooosh.
Thud.
A tall woman descended from the sky andnded on the ground. She hade riding a familiar.
A burst of dense, fierce cold emanated from her, cushioning the impact of hernding.
Even those with low mana perception could clearly sense her immense mana. The knights of the Carnedas family swallowed dryly with shocked expressions.
Dressed in a uniform harmonizing navy blue and white, the tall woman stood at the forefront of the D¨¹pfendorf army.
The subtle rising chill made her light blue bob and white cloak flutter.
A long, old scar ran across her face. She exuded the overpowering presence of a formidable predator.
The ice soldiers and pdins saluted her in unison. Only Heart Pdin, Shera Hectoria, muttered, "Who is that sister?" as Zenon forced her head to bow.
"Haven''t I already exined? Figure it out."
Zenon scolded in a whisper.
The tall woman red at the advancing demon army.
"Amazing. How far has our new lord foreseen...!"
She admired with a husky voice.
She clenched her fists and her body trembled. It was out of a sense of deep admiration.
"He is the only one who could make us set foot on thend of the Empire and elevate D¨¹pfendorf''s stature in this world. I can''t wait to see his noble presence...!"
The new Ice Sovereign had anticipated the appearance and marching routes of the demons as if he knew the future, positioning his forces ordingly.
He was truly an inscrutable Archwizard.
On the surface, it seemed they were doing good for the Empire, but in reality, the gains and losses were clear.
The new Ice Sovereign quickly allied with the Empire, erasing any debts, and globally elevating the name D¨¹pfendorf.
The battle to be fought here was no different. The Empire had no choice but to cooperate with D¨¹pfendorf.
The tall woman contained her excitement and changed her expression to that of a beast on the hunt. She extended her right arm to the side.
In her hand, a pale blue mana condensed into arge silver two-handed axe. It was the magical weapon, ¡°Farahorn,¡± which formed a core of extreme ice.
She mmed the end of Farahorn onto the ground.
"Everyone! Prepare for battle!"
As the woman shouted fiercely, the ice soldiers and the pdins of the Hea raised their weapons and channeled their mana.
¡°Isabel Silverwolf¡±, themander of D¨¹pfendorf''s 3rd Legion.
She infused a massive amount of ice mana into her two-handed axe, Farahorn.
"Charge!!"
The army of D¨¹pfendorf let out a roar and charged towards the demon army.
Thebat forces of the Carnedas family followed suit.
Chapter 242: King of the Dead Subjugation (6)
Chapter 242: King of the Dead Subjugation (6)[Whooooo!!]
Mangled Qilin Molikarth roared.
This creature, once a ferocious beast in the form of a ck giraffe, had been in by the Sword Saint, Gerald Astrea.
Now it had been resurrected and turned into a demon. Empowered by Calgart, its appearance was even more vicious than when it was alive.
The Third Legion of D¨¹pfendorf shed with the demons.
Ice wizards exchanged spells with the demon army, while Ice Knights swiftly cut down enemies with weapons infused with cold mana.
The four pdins unleashed a barrage of elemental magic, gracefully cutting through their enemies.
The knights and wizards of the Carnedas family were impressed by thebat prowess of the D¨¹pfendorf soldiers.
¡°What is that?!¡±
A knight shouted.Suddenly, gaps opened up in the long neck of the Qilin, which seemed to reach the sky. All these gaps started to suck in the surroundings with tremendous force.
Whooooo!!!!
The dark mana infused in its neck enhanced the suction power to a higher level.
Like a typhoon, the surrounding trees were uprooted and pulled towards the Qilin.
With the exception of the dark army shrouded in a dark veil, the others had to brace themselves by nting their weapons into the ground or relying on their magic.
At that moment, a woman flew towards the Qilin without hesitation. It was Isabel Silverwolf, themander of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s Third Legion.
¡°Huph!¡±
She imbued herrge silver ax, Farahorn, with a frigid mana.
Using the suction force of the Qilin to increase her speed, she swung Farahorn with monstrous strength.
Kwaaaaaaa!!!
The de of Farahorn crashed into the neck of the Qilin.
The chill spread like an infection, freezing its neck.
Though its neck was tougher than most steel, making it impossible to sever in one blow, she seeded in inflicting a deep wound.
[Wooooooo!!!]
The Qilin screamed.
As the Qilin violently thrashed its neck in resistance, Isabel made a hasty retreat.
However, the feeling of weightlessness was fleeting. A white familiar flew in and she rode on its back.
A creature with the head of an eagle, wings wrapped in cold air, four legs, and arge body. It was her white griffin familiar.
With half of the Qilin¡¯s enormous neck frozen solid, many of the gaps were blocked with solid ice.
The forces of D¨¹pfendorf and the Carnedas Family regained their footing and resumed their fierce battle with the demon army.
¡°This is getting interesting!¡±
Isabel chuckled as she rode her familiar and flew toward the Qilin once more.
The Qilin spewed an even thicker dark mana and swung its long neck.
A heavy, crashing sound reverberated.
Its swinging neck was like a sturdy, blunt weapon. Anybody that took a direct hit would be shattered instantly.
The gaps on its neck sucked in the surrounding air with a strong force, making it easy to lose bnce and be pulled in, bing the Qilin¡¯s prey.
Yet Isabelughed cheerfully even in the face of grave danger.
¡°For the Ice Sovereign!!¡±
Isabel spurred her familiar, using the suction force of the Qilin to increase her speed again.
The way to defeat the Qilin was simple. Utilize its sucking force to gain speed and unleash a force that surpasses even steel.
Isabel swung herrge silver ax, Farahorn, with all her might.
¡°For victory!!¡±
Kwaaaaang!!!
Farahorn¡¯s de collided with the Qilin¡¯s neck, releasing a cold shockwave.
It dug deeply into its tough neck, and the remaining unscathed part began to freeze solid.
The Qilin staggered precariously, screaming in agony.
The Cardenas soldiers were astonished.
Isabel, fighting that ck giraffe, was practically a monster herself. How had such a woman not made a name for herself in the world until now?
The Ice Kingdom, D¨¹pfendorf, was a secludednd buried in harsh winters. Due to its geographic istion, it was known as a quiet nation with limited diplomatic rtions.
However, there had always been rumors that the nation was like a bomb, with terrifying military power concentrated within its small force.
The Carnedas soldiers realized the truth of this rumor at that moment.
They were monsters.
Meanwhile, at M?rchen Academy.
M?rchen Academy dered a state of emergency. They had detected a horde of demons rapidly approaching through the dark clouds.
The academy¡¯s battle forces and the Imperial Knights were crossing through thending bridge to confront them.
After the battle forces departed, a massive barrier was erected around the ind where the academy was located.
It took considerable resources and high-level wizards to put up such a sturdy barrier around the entire ind. With the support of the Imperial Court and some investors, M?rchen Academy had no trouble doing so.
¡°Who are they¡?¡±
Magrio, the Vice-Commander of the Fenrir Knights, the 4th Order of the Knights, noticed two female students at the front of thending bridge.
One had light purple hair and wore a witch¡¯s hat. It was Dorothy Heartnova, sitting on the bridge¡¯s railing.
The other had long rose-gold hair adorned with morpho butterfly hairpins. It was Luce Eltania, standing still and watching something approach the Academy.
Everyone knew who they were. Both were renowned geniuses and powerful figures at M?rchen Academy.
¡°They¡¯re almost here.¡±
Dorothy adjusted her witch¡¯s hat and jumped off the railing to stand beside Luce.
¡°Hey, Stalker, don¡¯t get in my way, okay?¡±
¡°Shut it.¡±
Luce, who had been warming up her lightning mana, responded coldly without even ncing at Dorothy.
A little after the vacation started, Isaac had asked them for a favor. He had to go hunt demons and requested that they protect the academy in case of an emergency.
Luce observed the approaching horde of enemies.
A ck dragon made of human corpses. The Evil Dragon Orchis was leading winged demons toward them. Besides the dragon, the horde of demons also seemed to be made of corpses.
At first, the sight had shocked her, but she now had regained control of her emotions.
¡°What a persistent bastard¡¡±
Luce muttered in anger.
The sight of the resurrected Evil Dragon brought back memories of when she was still Gretel.
Her brother Hansel¡¯s brutal death, the heart-wrenching end of the Candy House Witch, and the fierce rampage of the Thunderbird were all because of that cursed dragon.
But¡ she saw dark mana flowing from the mouths of the human corpses forming the dragon¡¯s body.
Demons.
The dead dragon had been revived as a demon.
Luce lowered her eyes. Strands of her rose-gold hair fell, covering her eyes.
Perhaps this was for the best.
It was a chance topletely end that cursed dragon with her own hands.
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy read Luce¡¯s emotions and smiled generously.
¡°Alright! Then I¡¯ll sweep away these small fries like dust!¡±
Dorothy shouted confidently, cing her hands on her hips.
¡°...What?¡±
Luce looked at Dorothy with a cold expression.
¡°I don¡¯t like that freaky corpse dragon, so why don¡¯t you take care of it?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t want to?¡±
Dorothy tilted her head and smiled mischievously.
Luce stared at Dorothy, then closed her eyes and shook her head.
¡°I was nning on doing that in the first ce, even if you didn¡¯t say anything.¡±
¡°Nihihi, you little prude! Take care!¡±
Dorothyughed heartily, and with a cloak of colorful starlight mana, she flew swiftly towards the demon army.
Soon, a dazzling starlight explosion filled the sky from a distance.
Boooooom!!!
The explosion swept through the demon army. The resulting gust of wind blew Luce¡¯s hair wildly.
Though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, it was a power befitting the second strongest at M?rchen Academy, after Isaac.
The Evil Dragon counterattacked, but Dorothy dodged and focused on dealing with the other demons.
Now, Luce had only one task left.
To defeat that damned Evil Dragon.
Luce stretched out her left arm, gathering lightning mana. The summoning circle on her wrist glowed purple.
¡°Galia.¡±
Kuuuuuuu!!
Luce softly uttered the name, and dark clouds quickly formed in the sky and began to swirl.
The Imperial Knights felt the powerful mana and looked up at the sky.
Kwagagang!!
A fierce screech. Purple lightning flickered within the storm clouds.
Piercing through the storm clouds, a ck Thunderbird, wrapped in lightning, revealed itself to the world.
Thunderbird Galia spread its wings wide and roared above Luce.
[Kiyaaaaa!!!]
Galia sensed Luce¡¯s cold, refined anger.
The Thunderbird¡¯s emotions were no different.
[Guooooo!!]
The Evil Dragon Orchis noticed the Thunderbird¡¯s lightning amidst its skirmish with Dorothy and instinctively revived the grudge it had when it was alive.
The human corpses forming the dragon¡¯s body emitted dark mana from their mouths, spreading cries of vengeance.
Soon, the dragon extended its long body and charged towards the Thunderbird.
Seven lightning magic circles expanded above Luce¡¯s head. Her mana surged, as she stretched out her left arm forward, the gemstone embedded in the Ring of the Abyssal Queen on her ring finger glowed beautifully.
The effect enhanced the water and lightning magic of the caster. Luce felt the concentration of mana circting through her mana circuits intensify.
The clouds formed by the Evil Dragon¡¯s dark mana shed with the Thunderbird¡¯s storm clouds, darkening the sky.
ck and purple lightning shed and tore at each other from the two clouds.
Kwagagagang!!!
This was the cliff connecting to thending bridge.
Behind it was thending bridge and the sea.
The storm clouds scattered purple lightning across the sea like pouring rain. Each strike of lightning sent powerful mana like a storm, sweeping across the ground and sea.
The waves roared violently.
Those crossing the bridge had to stop and brace against the strong wind.
¡°Damn, ugh¡!¡±
Magrio was impressed.
Is this truly the power of a mere student?
It would take several high-ranking Imperial Wizards to match Luce¡¯s power.
He realized once again how unreasonable geniuses were. Hidden in the shadow of the Ice Sovereign, Luce Eltania was also a formidable monster.
¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
The Evil Dragon had soon approached.
Its stench pricked the nose.
With a calm greeting, Luce lightly waved her arm, and several lightning magic circles fired purple lightning.
Pajijijijik!!
Tsupapapapa!!!!
Lightning split into dozens of branches like tree roots, tearing through the air.
It took the form of chains as it chased after its target, the Evil Dragon.
The five-star lightning spell, [Chain Lightning].
To counter Luce¡¯s attack, the dragon unleashed dark magic, screaming in countless human voices.
ck lightning shed.
From the dragon¡¯s body, dark lightning stretched out like dozens of chains towards Luce.
Kwaaaaang!!!
The ck lightning shed with the purple lightning, erupting in a brilliant explosion.
Luce sneered coldly.
¡°Weak.¡±
The dragon, engulfed in dark mana, had lost its overwhelming strength from the past.
It had lost its true power when it cursed the Thunderbird before dying.
Luce felt two emotions.
She was angry that she couldn¡¯t fight the dragon at its true strength.
And she found itughable that the dragon had been resurrected so grotesquely with dark mana.
Luce stretched out her arm towards the Evil Dragon once more. Purple lightning mana surged around, beautifully ruffling her rose-gold hair.
[Chain Lighning] was just a warm up. The next attack would be the real deal.
The remnants of lightning in the air paved the way. For a moment, everyone watching their battle saw nothing but a sh of light.
Luce¡¯s magic circle erupted with a tremendous roar, shooting out a colossal lightning bolt.
Kwaaaaaang!!!!
The lightning beam extended like a ray, engulfing the dragon with no escape. Amidst the ear-splitting noise, the dragon screamed.
Seven-star lightning spell, [Thunderstorm Annihtion].
The beam¡¯s momentum diminished. The [Thunderstorm Annihtion] gradually became a thin line and faded.
However, the Evil Dragon did not die. Writhing in pain from the [Thunderstorm Annihtion], its long body smoked and twisted.
The corpses making up the dragon¡¯s body, now charred and unrecognizable, began to fall off like chunks of burnt flesh. Yet, there were still plenty of corpses left.
Suddenly, dark purple magic circles formed around each of the corpses making up the dragon¡¯s body. Surrounded by magic circles, the dragon flew towards Luce and the Thunderbird.
As Luce fired another [Thunderstorm Annihtion], the dragon¡¯s numerous magic circles simultaneously unleashed hundreds of branches of back lightning.
The two lightning magics collided.
Kwaaaaaang!!!!!
A massive explosion and a deafening roar rang out.
A powerful shockwave spread out, uprooting the surrounding trees.
Luce shielded her face with her arms, but the force of the explosion swept her slender body far out towards the sea.
The Thunderbird swooped in. Using basic lightning magic, Luce used a maic force to pull herself onto the Thunderbird¡¯s back.
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
Luce clutched her chest and coughed repeatedly. Blood trickled down from her head.
She realized then that the sharp, thin branches of lightning had pierced parts of her body.
Fortunately, thanks to the sturdy [Basic Protection Magic], she hadn¡¯t been hurt badly enough to lose consciousness.
However, the sensation of her insides tearing and the ck current coursing through her skin caused her body to convulse continuously.
[Luce, are you alright?!]
¡°I¡¯m fine¡¡±
The pain was good somehow.
As Luce flew over the sea on the Thunderbird, the Evil Dragon, once again surrounded by magic circles, charged towards her. Despite being weakened, it was still as tenacious as ever.
The reason the Candy House Witch and the Thunderbird struggled against the Evil Dragon Orchis was its relentless persistence.
Kwagagagang!!!
The Thunderbird crossed the sea, and the dragon chased after it.
They exchanged lightning attacks and defenses, engaging in a fierce battle over the sea.
Among the battle forces crossing thending bridge, the wizards with flying familiars crossed the sea,unching attack spells at the dragon.
The corpses making up the dragon¡¯s body fell into the sea one by one. Though effective hits were made, the dragon seemed unfazed, focusing solely on the Thunderbird.
Instinctual obsession.
In the Evil Dragon¡¯s eyes, there was only the Thunderbird.
The dragon intended to make the Thunderbird pay for killing it.
¡°Show some more spirit. This is boring.¡±
Using amplification magic, Luce provoked the dragon in a low, calm voice.
Even from a distance, there was a strong rotting smell. It reminded her of the time the Candy House Witch died. Recalling the pain of that day, Luce unleashed lightning magic at the dragon.
The sea was struck by countless bolts of lightning.
Each sh of ck and purple lightning sent heavy mana shockwaves that pushed back the academy¡¯s battle forces and the Imperial Knights.
While performing a vast array of purple magic circles, Luce sharpened her senses.
Her blood-tinged aquamarine eyes were fixed on the dragon and brimmed with an intense bloodlust.
Her heart pounded wildly. The mana circting through her surged and twisted strangely.
As she continuously forced herself to unleash lightning magic, drawing up mana repeatedly, Luce¡¯s mind raced, constructing new spells at an incredible speed.
Memories of losing Hansel and crying out while holding the Candy House Witch shed through her mind.
The regret clung to her body, not letting go.
But now, she looked towards the future.
Luce reminisced about her daily life with those she loved.
Should I view regret as a terrible shackle?
No.
Luce decided to embrace her regret and live with it.
She would cherish her memories of her loved ones and face the future head-on.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Luce stretched out her left arm upwards.
¡°For giving me the chance to kill you with my own hands.¡±
Lightning magic circles and water magic circles formed a grand trajectory, harmonizing beautifully.
Those called geniuses often achieve new heights instinctively.
At this moment, Luce¡¯s will constructed a new high-level magic spell.
Pwaaaaaaa!!!
As if responding to the lightning strike in the sky, numerous waterspouts arose in the sea.
Hundreds of branches of purple lightning merged beautifully with every waterspout that touched the Thunderbird¡¯s storm clouds.
The magic circles Luce had unleashed radiated light.
Indescribable mana ravaged the sky and sea.
¡°Fall.¡±
Luce lowered her arm.
The storm clouds swirled, and a massive whirlwind wrapped in lightning descended.
Kwagagagang!!!!!
Paaaaaaaa!!!!!!
A dark blue sh.
A deafening thunderp.
The whirlwind of thunder and lightning engulfed the dragon, and hundreds of thick branches of purple lightning split the sea.
The 8-star joint spell, [Leviathan], abination of water and lightning.
A heavy, powerful current shattered the dragon, and the strong lightning pierced through its entire body.
The Evil Dragon crashed down, meeting its second demise in an instant.
Chapter 243: King of the Dead Subjugation (7)
Chapter 243: King of the Dead Subjugation (7)
Crash!!!
Isabel Silverwolf swung her silver double-handed axe, Farahorn, in a continuous attack, striking down at the neck of Mangled Qilin Molikarth.
As the Qilin violently swung its neck, Isabel''s body was flung away, shooting up into the sky.
Isabel grinned and created a massive chunk of ice with a sharp, pointed bottom.
She kicked off it, plummeting towards the Mangled Qilin at tremendous speed.
"It''s over!"
With the axe de of Farahorn imbued with [Frostfire], Isabel put all her strength into striking down at the Qilin''s neck.
Kwaaaaaaaah!!!!
A pale blue beam pierced through the Qilin''s neck, driving into the ground.
Following its trajectory, the Qilin''s long neck, harder than steel, split in two.
Boom!!!
One after another ice masses fell and crushed the Qilin''s body.
The Qilin''s body, having lost its neck, crashed to the ground.
Landing forcefully, Isabel slung Farahorn over her shoulder and smiled victoriously.
With Isabel''s roar, the Qilin died a second time.
Meanwhile, in the wilderness of the Zelver empire.
The sound of the Vorpal Sword''s de cutting through the wilderness. The thunderous roars caused by pouring dark magic and the roars of corpse warriors.
Amidst it all, Calgart the Necromancer, who was opposing Isaac, instinctively sensed that the Evil Dragon and the Qilin had been defeated.
©¤ You''ve been too focused on me.
Isaac''s words shed through his mind.
Mephisto had said that Isaac somehow knew of the demons'' ns in advance with an inexplicable ability.
Could he even foresee the future? If that were possible, it would be tantamount to transcendence.
Even a man of his caliber was not intoxicated by his own power. From the beginning, he epted his own shorings and trusted hispanions.
[How intriguing...]
Calgart''s lips curled up.
Vrooooom!
Dark mana surged from Calgart. Dozens of dark magic circles deployed in an instant, glowing dark green and ck.
Alice felt the tremendous mana and flinched in surprise.
The King of the Dead''s two eyes emitted a dark green glow like a haze. When he raised his staff, the magic stone at its head emitted a sinister ckish-green mana.
Rumble!!!!
Cracks appeared on the ground, splitting the earth.
Alice used telekinesis to push her body back quickly.
A fierce earthquake.
The ground shook violently, and the cracks grewrger. Eventually, a creature imbued with ckish-green mana broke through the ground''s fissure, thrusting its massive upper body out.
Half of the army of corpses flew towards the creature that had emerged from the ground, sticking to it. The rotting flesh melted and formed the creature''s body.
Gradually, the creature took shape, with ckish-green mana flowing through it.
But its face was that of a skeleton.
[Hahaha!!!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It burst intoughter with a grotesque voice, looking down at Isaac.
[Heksek the White Skull]
Lv: 180
Species: Demon
Elements: Dark, Revival
Danger Level: Highest
Psychology: [ - ]
Heksek the White Skull.
A minion of Calgart, the final boss of ¡¸Act 10, King of the Dead¡¹in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?
A demon whose mana allowed it to quickly restore itself to its original state no matter how severe the injury.
It followed its master''s orders without question.
Only its massive upper body protruded above the fissures that crisscrossed the ground, but its ability to elongate its body gave it a wide attack range.
Isaac had been waiting for the EXP-rich Heksek the White Skull. He had used Alice to sweep through the undead army, provoking Calgart for this very reason.
Now it was time for him to step in.
"Alice, step back now."
Alice followed Isaac''s order and stood beside the ice chair.
"Before you die, let me ask you one thing."
Isaac addressed Calgart.
"Where is Mephisto?"
[I have nothing to tell you.]
It sounded like an aggressive answer on the surface.
Isaac realized through [Psychological Insight] that Calgart''s answer was literally the truth.
Mephisto had sensed Isaac''s pursuit and fled, without telling Calgart his hiding ce.
It was a prudent move.
"...Useless."
Isaac sighed.
[You should worry about yourself first.]
[Attack.]
Calgartmanded.
The undead warriors roared, their teeth chattering as they charged towards Isaac.
Heksek the White Skull roared, preparing to swing its massive arm wreathed in ckish-green mes.
Whiiing!!
At that moment, the force of Isaac''s 9-star passive skill [Ice Sovereign] became apparent.
A gentle pale blue mana softly rose from Isaac''s right eye.
From the tip of his foot touching the ground, pristine ice crystals spread out. A gue of frost infected those near mana, enveloping the area and quarantining those inside.
From a distance, Vuel, watching the scene, sensed the gravity of the situation.
[Run.]
[What...?]
Vuel urgently reverse-summoned his subordinates.
He tried to flee, but an imprable wall had already formed, blocking his path.
Domain Expansion.
He fused the power stolen from the Abyss into the [Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost], creating a newbyrinth.
A brilliant light enveloped everyone''s vision.
Chararak.
As they blinked, a freezing sound apanied the sight of a new scene.
The advancing undead soldiers hesitated and looked around.
[Where is this...?]
Calgart could not hide his bewilderment.
A dim, eternal prison that stretched out endlessly before them.
Beautiful ice massesy in harmonious disarray.
The distant sky was filled with dazzling ice mirrors.
The ground, emitting brilliant colors, was engraved with strange patterns.
The sense of distance was altered.
In Calgart''s view, far off, an ice mass rose high, forming the shape of a pce.
Above it, a star of ice radiated a brilliant light.
Mysterious ice masses and crystals floated around, revolving around a single ice throne.
The path to the throne was a brilliant uphill road, symbolizing hardship.
At its end, the one sitting on the ice throne, resting his chin on his fist, indifferently peered down at Calgart.
It was Isaac, the Ice Sovereign.
A blue light shone around Isaac. Behind him, a beautiful white dragon roared.
Spatial creation.
Domain reconstruction.
An endlessbyrinth.
The 8-star spatial creation magic [Timeless Pce of the cial Realm], born from enhancing [Divine Sanctum of Blooming Frost].
Raging de-like winds howled. A churning, frigid blizzard engulfed the corpse soldiers.
The undead soldiers'' bodies gradually froze, but they followed Calgart''s orders and continued to charge at Isaac.
Despite their numbers, the undead army appeared utterly insignificant before the majesty of the king.
Calgart couldn''t believe it. This was not a spatial magic that an ordinary human could wield.
Only the highest-ranking demons, like ¡°Om¡±, could achieve such a level.
Then Calgart remembered a fact, even ¡°Om¡± had been defeated and killed by this man.
One must see things with their own eyes to truly grasp them.
[No... Have you already surpassed human limits...?]
The Ice Sovereign''s overwhelming dignity made even Calgart, an enemy and a demon, feel a sense of awe.
The minions guarding Isaac, Queen of Hearts - Alice, and Nightmare Dragon - Jabberwock, were shielded by a [Frost Barrier].
They couldn''t withstand the cold emanating from Isaac up close.
Only the familiar, Frost Dragon - Hilde, who could share Isaac''s power was free from his cold.
"So, you were here too."
Isaac murmured softly to himself.
Before using [Timeless Pce of the cial Realm], he scanned the area with [irvoyance] to avoid creating victims. As a result, he discovered Vuel the Treacherous and his subordinates in the distance.
They hadn''t yet been involved with each other and couldn''t be defeated due to the blessing of immortality, but they were bound to be enemies.
Isaac trapped Vuel in the [Timeless Pce of the cial Realm].
Anyway, Vuel must have felt the gaze of [irvoyance]. Isaac intended to preemptively threaten him to prevent any foolish actions in the future.
[Wonderful...]
Vuel was impressed.
Before being trapped in the [Timeless Pce of the cial Realm], he felt Isaac''s gaze. It was clear that Isaac had the ability to scope things from a distance.
And without hesitation, he trapped Vuel.
Vuel realized that Isaac harbored hostility towards him.
[Unless he¡¯s just treating me like a passing stray dog...]
Is it a warning?
Heavenly beings had a treaty that restricted them from infiltrating the human realm. There was no reason for the heavenly beings to take an interest in the human realm in the first ce.
Whether the human realm perished or not was like a stranger''s story to them.
However, Vuel had a purpose. To achieve that purpose, he broke the treaty and secretly infiltrated the world.
In other words, the Ice Sovereign was surely going to make Vuel pay the price.
Otherwise, it wouldn''t make sense.
He didn''t know how he knew about the treaty, but it wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility for a man of the Ice Sovereign''s stature to be aware of it.
Vuel watched the Ice Sovereign''s imposing presence with a slight smile.
Meanwhile, Calgart grew anxious. The cold enveloping his body would soon consume him.
At that moment, Isaac began to murmur something.
Behind him, pale blue magic circles unfolded endlessly, like gears connecting to gears.
They umted continuously, eventually forming a huge arc that epassed all the magic circles in a circr shape.
"I knew you were trying to kill me."
The magic circle of utter annihtion.
The ultimate technique that the Primordial Ice Sovereign dedicated a lifetime perfecting came into Calgart''s view.
"Did you think that was possible?"
When Isaac asked calmly, Calgart felt a chilling sensation.
Isaac raised his index finger. Cold mana swirled and gathered above his finger, starting to form a sphere.
Casually and effortlessly.
An unimaginable amount of mana condensed above Isaac''s finger, creating a majestic orb.
Koooooooooooo!!!
The air shuddered.
If it weren''t for [Timeless Pce of the cial Realm], the entire world would have screamed at the cold.
A beautifully shining cold sun.
The ultimate ice spell, [Cocytus], creating an icy hell, hovered above one man''s finger.
It wasn''t manifested with the full power used against the Abyss. This level was enough to annihte Calgart''s army.
Despite therge number of undead soldiers charging at Isaac across the [TimelessPce of the cial Realm], Calgart couldn''t harbor any hope of victory.
It was like a swarm of ants charging at an elephant. No, even an army of ants would have had a better chance.
[Ice Sovereign...]
Suddenly, Calgart felt a sense of doubt.
[What exactly are you?]
What exactly is this man?
It was an abstract question, but Isaac answered firmly.
"Your enemy."
That was the only answer Isaac could give to Calgart.
Calgart closed his eyes, gathered his thoughts, and then reopened them to re at Isaac.
This was... excessively beyond the norm.
[I acknowledge it. You are a worthy enemy for whom I would give my life over and over again...!]
He poured out his full power.
The charging undead soldiers simultaneously hurled spears imbued with dark mana at Isaac.
The undead wizards remaining behind Calgart simultaneously deployed dark magic circles.
Heksek the White Skull extended its body, swinging its massive arm wreathed in ckish green mes toward Isaac.
Calgart, along with the undead wizards, cast a massive dark spell capable of drawing in and devouring everything it touched.
Kaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!
"..."
However, none of those attacks reached Isaac.
Chaaaarr!!!!
Whoooosh!!!!
The heavy cold emanating from Isaac and [Cocytus] spread out, freezing everything solid, repelling and neutralizing all attacks.
It was a formidable cold, densely packed with mana, that could even seize physical force.
The swinging arm of Heksek instantly froze, then shattered to pieces under the onught of the cold.
The massive dark magic was helplessly consumed by the cold, and all the frozen weapons shattered, scattering fragments everywhere.
Calgart''s eyes widened. His full power was utterlyughable before Isaac.
"Now, it''s my turn."
A cold, detached tone.
Isaac, with his back to the spell of death, lightly flicked his index finger.
The cold sun left his finger and began to descend toward Calgart and the undead soldiers.
A dazzling radiance.
The cold of absolute zero pierced through their entire bodies.
Suddenly, Calgart felt a smoldering warmth rising from deep within his chest.
The overwhelming sight that filled his vision made Calgart feel helpless in the face of an irresistible apocalypse.
He felt the fear of death.
But at the same time, it captivated him.
Boom!!
Finally, the cold sun gently settled on the ground.
A blinding sh covered the vision.
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.
Boom!!!!!
An immense explosion of cold swept through Isaac''sbyrinth.
:"
Chapter 244: King of the Dead Subjugation — Interlude (1)
Chapter 244: King of the Dead Subjugation ¡ª Interlude (1)A cold wind blew across the wilderness like a lingering echo.
Somewhere in that ce.
With a soft rustling sound, divine power gathered and formed the shape of a heavenly being.
[Phew.]
It was Vuel.
He let out a deep sigh,id down on the ground, and gazed at the starry night sky.
Swept away by the ultimate ice spell, Vuel¡¯s body had temporarily dissipated, but thanks to the blessing of immortality, he did not die and regained his original form.
Vuel lifted his head and looked around.
It seemed the Ice Sovereign, Isaac, had erased all traces of his magic and left. However, due to the aftermath of the magic, an untimely cold wind swirled through the vast wilderness.
Thanks to the [Timeless Pce of the cial Realm], there were no dramatic changes in the wilderness, only therge crack where Hexek the White Skull had appeared remained.Calgart and his army had vanished without a trace. No matter how superior their regeneration abilities were, it was impossible to withstand a 9-star ice spell unscathed, so the result was expected.
In the end, the underground kingdom built by Calgart¡¯s power must have also disappeared.
[Amazing, so that¡¯s what kind of human he is¡]
Vuel muttered in admiration.
Truly, it was impossible not to be impressed.
He had underestimated humans. He admitted his ignorance.
How many of the highest-ranking heavenly beings would be needed to match the Ice Sovereign? He couldn¡¯t tell.
The power the Ice Sovereign had shown was truly overwhelming. Moreover, what Vuel witnessed wasn¡¯t even the Ice Sovereign¡¯s full strength.
[It was worth watching.]
Vuel sprang up and left.
As he walked through the cold wilderness, Vuel recalled the conversation he had with Calgart in the underground kingdom.
¨C We do not oppose the Heavenly Gods. There is no reason for you toe here, nor to fight us, is there?
¨C Calgart, you and I are not so different¡ I heard there was a demon who tried to be noble. He was powerful enough to manipte time itself, yet he was sealed away by your god, wasn¡¯t he?
¨C What about it?
¨C I respect his will. Nobility is something to be attained.
¨C ¡Heavenly beings are a race that pride themselves on their nobility, are they not? It seems you don¡¯t consider yourself noble.
¨C That¡¯s right. I am noble, but not of noble character. Therefore, I strive to be noble.
At that moment, Calgart immediately knew Vuel¡¯s intentions.
¨C Are you nning to oppose the Heavenly God, Tianus?
Heavenly God, Tianus.
The ruler of the Divine Realm, the god whom the heavenly beings worship and serve daily, the highest-ranked heavenly being, and the god Vuel nned to kill. How could he consider himself noble after plotting to kill the god he served?
Surely, those questions must have crossed Calgart¡¯s mind.
Vuel pulled up the hood of his white robe.
He recalled his purpose.
To achieve this, he needed the cooperation of the Evil God who had the ¡°Power of Godyer¡±.
That was why Vuel sought out Mephisto, the agent of the Evil God.
He made a deal with Mephisto to deal with the Ice Sovereign, who was hindering the demons.
The Evil God of Destruction, Nephid, intended to eliminate the Child of Light before the time of her resurrection.
Even if Vuel wanted to help the Evil God, he could not directly harm the Child of Light.
If those with Divine Power harmed each other, their life forces would forcibly intertwine. This was designed by the Heavenly God to prevent internal conflicts among the heavenly beings.
There would be no problem if he didn¡¯t use the power of light, but the Ice Sovereign would not stand idly by.
Even if humans attempted to harm the Child of Light, they would be thwarted by the fairy¡¯s blessing passed down through the Fairytale family.
Moreover, with the Ice Sovereign around, trying to capture the Child of Light would only invite danger.
Ultimately, the only ones who could kill the Child of Light were the fairy who granted the blessing or the demons.
Once the hindrance, the Ice Sovereign, was dealt with, it would be easier for the demons to kill the Child of Light.
[Ice Sovereign¡]
The image of the Ice Sovereign effortlessly using world-ending level magic came to his mind.
Dealing with such a monster? It sounded so ridiculous one couldn¡¯t help butugh, but it wasn¡¯t entirely out of the question.
Although preparations were not yetplete, if everything went ording to n, it might be possible to handle the Ice Sovereign within half a year. It was worth a try.
However, Vuel had no intention of resorting to despicable acts like taking the people around the Ice Sovereign hostage. He aimed to kill the heavenly god in order to be noble.
He didn¡¯t want to harm anyone unless someone needed to be sacrificed or someone was getting in his way.
He wanted to avoid causing harm to arge number of people.
It would only be a loss for him otherwise. It would ruin his n and dig his own grave.
In the end, the Ice Sovereign Isaac was a necessary sacrifice to gain the cooperation of the Evil God.
For the greater good.
Vuel resolved once more to deal with the Ice Sovereign.
* * *
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 154!]
[You have gained 16 stat points!]
[You have unlocked the achievement ?Put to Rest?! You have gained an additional 10 bonus stat points!]
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 154
Gender: Male
Year: 2
Title: Ice Sovereign
Mana: 73550 / 143800
- Mana Recovery Rate (A+)
¡°You must be sleepy¡±
¡°A little.¡±
Inside the carriage provided by the Helize Church.
My head was nodding off as drowsiness set in. As if my biological clock was precisely adjusted, I became extremely sleepy at dawn.
Alice, who had lived with me, knew this tendency well. That was why we were returning in a carriage instead of riding our familiars.
¡°Come here.¡±
¡°...Thanks.¡±
Alice sat beside me and gently pulled my head onto herp. Thus, I used Alice¡¯sp as a pillow.
Thinking of her as purely on my side made it less ufortable. In fact, I found myself leaning on Alice more.
Even as the carriage rattled, the softness behind my head made me feel sleepy.
Beyond my field of vision, I caught glimpses of Alice¡¯s soft smile. The expression on her face was akin to a loving mother.
It suits her.
For some reason, Alice gently stroked my stomach.
¡°Baby, shall I sing you a luby?¡±
¡°...Hmm?¡±
Alice leaned towards me as she asked, her ample chest softly covering my respiratory orifice.
It pleasantly took my breath away.
When I tapped Alice¡¯s arm, she straightened up and moved her chest away from my face.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t see you.¡±
Her droopy eyebrows and gentle smile.
I couldn¡¯t tell if she was pretending or sincere.
¡°Be careful¡¡±
I warned with a sharp look. Alice nodded with a soft smile and stroked my hair and ear.
Before falling asleep, I activated [irvoyance].
The Imperial Knights had arrived at the Ropenheim Barony. They were a special unit that had flown on their familiars.
It seemed Baron Adrian Ropenheim was being escorted to the capital, Viyans. Eve Ropenheim and the children who had been locked up were staying at the mansion for the investigation.
Next was the Carnedas County.
It was safe and sound as well, thanks to the efforts of Isabel Silverwolf, themander of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s Third Legion.
So that¡¯s what she looks like.
She looks strong. I wonder what her level is.
Since she had defeated the mid-boss, Mangled Qilin Molikarth, who was level 172 with the dark and wind element, she must be quite powerful.
I had heard a lot about D¨¹pfendorf from the Knight Commander Morcan.
Out of the four legionmanders, Isabel Silverwolf was favorable towards me, so I entrusted her with this mission.
The other threemanders still didn¡¯t trust me. Their stance was that they couldn¡¯t blindly follow a new king they hadn¡¯t even met. It was a cautious and rational judgment, so I didn¡¯t feel bad about it.
Well, the loyalty issue could be resolved at the coronation ceremony.
The academy is still out of reach as I expected.
I still couldn¡¯t reach M?rchen Academy with [irvoyance].
The Evil Dragon Orchis, who had the dark and lightning element, would likely have gone there. It was level 174.
Though dangerous, Dorothy, Luce, and the Thunderbird should have been able to handle it.
I was eager to see them.
Now¡ I¡¯m level 154.
My level rose to 154. By defeating Calgart the Necromancer and his subordinates, I achieved the general achievement [Put to Rest] and gained bonus stat points.
Now I had a total of 141 remaining stat points.
It was an ambiguous amount, sufficient in some ways, but stillcking in others.
One never knew when and how a scenario might unfold. Moreover, thorough preparation was needed for battles against Vuel or the Fairy War.
I didn¡¯t expect Vuel to be making a move already.
That must be why Calgart the Necromancer appeared earlier than he was supposed to. That information was a significant advantage.
Vuel was a heavenly being nning to oppose the Heavenly God, Tianus.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, he allied with the demons and helped them to easily defeat Ian.
There were also heavenly beings who followed Vuel. Ultimately, the heavenly beings we must fight were Vuel¡¯s faction.
They couldn¡¯t be defeated by Ian¡¯s Divine Power. Their elemental resistance was incredibly high.
Therefore, physicalbat or using the raw power of weapons was the only way to deal with them.
Moreover, Vuel was currently protected by the blessing of immortality, so no matter what we did, he couldn¡¯t be killed.
Of course, there might be a way to render himpletely powerless, but that would be suicidal.
Since Vuel¡¯s rebellion n hadn¡¯t been fully revealed yet, if he reported Vuel remotely to the Heavenly God through a self-destructive act, it would be the end.
The Heavenly God would punish anyone who interfered with a heavenly being. The risk of encountering the bad ending¡¸Judgment of the Gods¡¹was high.
In that case, Vuel would also face punishment for viting the treaty that prohibited interfering with the human realm.
Vuel could simply postpone his rebellion. On the other hand, I would be left with the consequence of not being able to stop the Evil God.
Anyway, Vuel had no choice but to endure the [Cocytus] attack. What he feared was incapacitation.
In other words, if we provoked each other now, it would be a mutually disadvantageous game of chicken.
The Vuel issue must be resolved when we reach the heavenly being scenario.
And then.
Heavenly God, Tianus¡
Like the Nether King, he was an entity that must never be provoked.
Conflict with divine beings must be avoided at all costs.
The only god I must confront is the Evil God who will descend on this world.
After organizing my thoughts, I closed my eyes, feeling Alice¡¯s hand stroking my head.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll sleep for a bit.¡±
¡°Yeah, sweet dreams.¡±
I soon fell into a deep sleep.
* * *Inside the carriage, amp with a light shade cast a faint glow.
Alice Carroll gently stroked Isaac¡¯s silver-blue wavy hair as she gazed at him, seemingly entranced by his peaceful breathing.
This imposing archwizard, who had used 9-star magic with ease.
Such an astonishingly powerful being had now transformed into an adorable boy, soundly asleep on herp.
The sound of the carriage wheels turning. The chirping grasshoppers.
Suddenly, Isaac¡¯s voice, urging her to live beside him, echoed in her ears.
No matter how firmly she resolved and tried to hope, she believed that nothing would change in the end and had given up on everything.
That nightmarish reality had changed because of this man.
Whenever she thought about how everything had changed because of him, a tickling sensation filled her heart.
Alice couldn¡¯t stop smiling. She closed her eyes and savored Isaac¡¯s touch, his warmth.
Hoping these moments alone with him wouldst even a tiny bit longer.
Eventually¡ Isaac stirred in his sleep.
¡°...Huu.¡±
Suddenly feeling a warm sensation in her lower abdomen, Alice shivered and let out a faint moan.
Startled, she opened her eyes and looked down at Isaac.
Isaac¡¯s face was nestled near Alice¡¯sp. With each breath, his warm breath traveled along her thigh and softly brushed against her lower abdomen, tickling her.
Unconsciously, Alice squeezed her legs together. Despite her intentions, a flush of warmth rose to her cheeks, staining them red.
¡°¡¡±
She was embarrassed, but it didn¡¯t feel bad.
With her usual gentle smile, Alice softly stroked the back of Isaac¡¯s head.
¡°Cheshire, keep watch for me, will you?¡±
[Meow, I¡¯m already watching.]
The Phantom Cat Cheshire replied from atop the carriage.
With each exhale from Isaac, Alice felt a shiver run down her spine.
Since there was nothing special happening, she shouldn¡¯t disturb her master¡¯s sleep.
Determined, Alice decided to endure Isaac¡¯s breath, stifling her moans.
¡°Looks like I won¡¯t be sleeping tonight.¡±
Alice whispered to herself with a smile.
Chapter 245: King of the Dead Subjugation — Interlude (2)
Chapter 245: King of the Dead Subjugation ¡ª Interlude (2)The carriage that had been running all night stopped at a nearby vige. It was scheduled to be briefly serviced in the vige before departing again.
Upon waking up, I saw Alice Carroll looking down at me, just as she had before I fell asleep. I realized she had not been able to sleep because of me.
I got out of the carriage. The coachman left first to take a break, and Alice and I got off the carriage.
For some reason, Alice took out a thin coat and wrapped it around her waist.
She leaned on the carriage, bent over slightly, and took a deep breath.
¡°What''s wrong?¡±
"Nothing... I just feel a bit weak. I''ll stay here and rest."
Alice lifted her head and forced a smile.
She seemed to have difficulty walking.
Maybe her legs were numb. It seemed the blood cirction in her thighs wasn''t good because I had been using her as ap pillow continuously.Did I treat her too harshly as a minion?
I felt apologetic.
[Meow! Isaac, bring me my gift!]
On the carriage, Phantom Cat Cheshire waved its front paws.
"What do you want?"
[A big fish bone!]
I''ll have to pick it up from the food waste bin.
Though it couldn''tpare to a lord''s castle, it was a bustling vige. There were many buildings made of bricks, and the streets were well-paved.
After buying food and returning to the carriage, I had a meal with Alice. Feeling obligated to give a gift of good manners, I handed over a fish bone I got from a fish shop. Cheshire was quite pleased.
After stopping at a bathhouse to wash up with Alice, we boarded the carriage again and departed. Being holed up in the academy made the outdoor experience feel quite refreshing.
On the way, I offered to lend myp as a pillow to Alice. She said she was fine, but when I pressed her, she admitted she wasn''t, so Iid her on my thighs.
As Alice had done for me all night, I stroked her light gold hair.
Alice, feeling sleepy, soon fell asleep.
I spent the time training with one hand holding a magic tool that greatly resisted mana cirction.
The carriage headed towards M?rchen Academy without any issues.
* * * In the forest, an old cabin.
A girl with grayish-brown hair woke up from her sleep.
The girl rubbed her eyes, got off her old bed, poured herself a cup of cold water in the kitchen, and drank it.
Her drowsiness quickly disappeared.
The girl crossed her arms on the windowsill and looked out the window.
The sunlit forest was as lush and green as ever.
"Prince..."
The girl, Michelle, muttered as she looked at the red hood hanging on the drying rack.
The man with silver-blue hair she saw a few days ago filled her mind.
He had dealt with a noble who was engaged in human trafficking and even defeated a dangerous demon army with terrifying strength.
She had also seen him sharing affection with a woman with pale gold hair and bathing naked in the bathhouse.
Someone showed her the whereabouts of the man with silver-blue hair in her dreams every night.
To Michelle, the scenes where a prince appeared in fairy tales were incredibly captivating.
The man with silver-blue hair, Isaac, was just like that.
A man with outstanding appearance, strength, and charisma who came to rescue her from a crisis (or so she believed).
Their meeting could rightfully be called destiny.
Michelle could feel the same heart-pounding sensation she felt while reading fairy tales every time she thought of Isaac.
She had never experienced the love that often appeared in fairy tales, but Michelle was certain that the emotion she was feeling at the time was surely love.
"Is it towards M?rchen Academy?"
Isaac was heading towards M?rchen Academy.
Michelle usually had no interest in the academy, but thinking it was where the prince was, she couldn''t help but be interested now.
How wonderful a ce could it be?
Thinking it was the ce that housed such a strong prince made M?rchen Academy seem very prestigious to her.
"I want to see you again, Prince..."
Michelle decided to pursue what she believed to be love.
Because the enchanting emotion might have be Michelle¡¯s reason to live.
However, Michelle did not yet realize that the emotion she was feeling wasn¡¯t love.
*** South Korea. An enigmatic building stood in Ilsan.
A clean 30-story building with tall screen walls that was swiftly constructed.
The building proudly bore thebel "HIGGS" at the top1
It was the building of ¡°Higgs,¡± the gamepany that developed the RPG game ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, which was said to be ahead of its time.
The entrance always had a ¡°No Entry¡± warning, and residents who passed by the building imed they had never seen anyone associated with it.
The owner of the building and the head of Higgs, a game developmentpany, had registered the property under the name ¡°Dante¡±. It was a clean title, with no mortgages, suggesting it was built with pure capital.
On the other hand, the registered directors listed in themercial registry all hadmon Korean names.
When their real names were checked, they could not be identified. Their listed addresses were either vacant lots or uninhabitable ces, indicating false registration.
The gamepany''s customer service could not be reached by phone; only messages could be exchanged.
The suspicious facts came to light due to spective reports that children had gone missing after entering the Higgs building, along with severalints of strange noisesing from the building.
The police smelled something fishy and began investigating the game developmentpany, Higgs.
Higgs did not answer the phone. Lacking clear evidence and legal grounds for a search warrant, only one detective sneaked into the restricted Higgs building.
¡He went missing.
As soon as the detective entered the building, he sensed danger and called his colleague.
Due to the poor signal, there was static noise, and he said, ¡°I''m at the Higgs building... I came to rescue the kids... Hey, fuck...! You must nevere in here¡¡± and then the call was abruptly cut off.
The police were dispatched to find the missing detective. They all forced open the entrance to the Higgs building and entered.
¡They too went missing.
The police who infiltrated the building left their final transmission, "Fuck, what is that...! There''s a monster, a monster...!" before disappearing.
The breached entrance to the building was restored in an instant. It was an inexplicable phenomenon.
A broadcastingpany, like hyenas smelling a fresh carcass, immediately reacted to the police''s noticeable activity and delved into the incident.
The South Korean media reported on the mysterious disappearance at the Higgs building, a game developmentpany.
The videos Higgs had posted on the video tform also saw a surge in views.
As time passed, police units smashed the windows of Higgs'' building to gain ess to each floor in an operation to rescue the missing children and officers.
Then, something unbelievable happened.
The windows that had been smashed by the police force were restored in the blink of an eye. The crowd of police and onlookers were bewildered.
As if time itself had reversed.
Or as if the building, taking the form of a living organism, exhibited incredible regenerative abilities.
"Hey, did we really break all that...? I''m not seeing things, right?"
"Yes, definitely..."
The police officers waiting at the entrance realized the situation was serious and radioed their colleagues inside the building, but theirmunications were already dead.
The only one who was able to get through was a colleague, albeit with a patchy connection.
[Monster... there is... don''t...e in... here...]
With those words, themunication was cut off.
Many citizens and broadcast reporters watching the police unit''s entry from a distance murmured. They too witnessed the same mysterious scene as the police.
At that moment, a man shouted.
"Higgs is broadcasting!"
"What?!"
The broadcast station staff and citizens live-streaming the scene all simultaneously took out their smartphones and essed the video site.
"Higgs has just started a live broadcast."
"At this timing? Are these bastards just going all out?!"
A few of the police officers tuned into the Higgs channel on their tablets and yed the live broadcast to report on the situation.
The screen with the Higgs logo continued for a while, and then suddenly, a tall woman in a suit appeared on the screen.
She was in a dark room.
As in some videos, she spoke in a consistent, indifferent tone, as if she had no emotion.
"Is this damn thing even a human?"
However, today, the woman in the video felt excessively uncanny and indescribably repulsive, even more so than usual.
It felt too eerie to be simply considered acting.
Unexpectedly, humans could instinctively distinguish something mimicking a human.
The viewers felt a creepy sensation while watching this inte broadcast.
"It looks like a ghost pretending to be a human¡ Hey, but what''s she saying?"
"Savior...?"
Title: We WIll Warn You
Channel Name: Higgs
Subcribers: 36.6 Million
[Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt]
[Hello, everyone.]
[I am Alletz, the head developer of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.]
[Lately, there has been an increase in people encroaching on our domain.]
[However, the only ones who suffer are you.]
[We are not beings you can contend with.]
[You do not have the right to reach the truth.]
[Those without the right who enter our domain will only make their soul miserable.]
[Only the savior we have chosen has the right.]
[Only the man who struggles alongside my servants to save both us and you has the right to face all the truths of this world.]
[Please act ording to your ce.]
With a high-pitched beep, the screen returned to the Higgs logo.
The broadcast ended.
A few dayster, the missing individuals were found unconscious in the same location.
It was a closed railway tunnel.1. ED Min Note: Chicken Boy actually writes out "Higgs" in english here so Hix will now be tranted as Higgs going forward. I already change it in previous chapters.
Chapter 246: King of the Dead Subjugation — Interlude (3)
Chapter 246: King of the Dead Subjugation ¡ª Interlude (3)¨C Luce Eltania overexerted herself.
As soon as I returned to M?rchen Academy, an Imperial Knight informed me of what had happened.
I entrusted Alice Carroll with the brief report of the situation. I¡¯d ry the details myselfter.
My priority was the ones I cared for. I immediately ran to the Academy Hospital.
Luce, along with Dorothy, had fought against the demon army and won the fierce battle against the Evil Dragon. However, she overexerted herself.
For someone with such immense mana to reach a state of mana depletion, it must have been pretty severe.
Thankfully, the treatment was sessful, and all she needed now was rest.
The Academy provided Luce with a private room for defeating the Evil Dragon.
When I opened the door to her room, I saw Luce sitting on the bed, looking out the window.
¡°Luce.¡±Sunlight streamed in through the open window, casting a golden glow on Luce¡¯s rose-gold hair. She turned her head toward me.
She had her usual poker face.
But then, she reached out an arm toward me, forming a V-sign with her fingers, a sign of victory.
That hand gesture,monly used by Dorothy, was something I had often mimicked from her. Consequently, it had spread to Luce as well.
Seeing that gesture, I felt a sense of relief and couldn¡¯t help but smile.
I approached Luce.
¡°How are you feeling¡?¡±
As I tried to sit on the chair next to her bed, Luce suddenly grabbed my arm like a fisherman reeling in a catch.
¡°Whoa!¡±
She pulled me onto the bed, and with my guardpletely down, I fell down.
¡°Come here, Isaac.¡±
A soft voice befitting a refined youngdy.
Her intimate tone tickled my ears.
¡°...What are you doing?¡±
¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a while. I did as you asked, so I think it¡¯s only right to get a reward from you.¡±
¡°And the reward is me?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Considering she wanted to be by my side all day, every day, it made sense that she felt this way after not seeing me for a while.
Feeling ufortable with my position, I got into the bed andid down next to Luce, and looked into her eyes.
A faint breeze blew in through the open window, the subtle scent of perfume and her alluring skin tickled my nose. Luce seemed to have done a bit of peparation before I had arrived.
¡°How¡¯s your body?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡±
Luce whispered, looking into my eyes.
¡°Isaac, I exhausted my mana fulfilling your request, so you have to take responsibility. You need to take good care of me now.¡±
¡°You said you were fine.¡±
¡°I¡¯m still feeling weak.¡±
¡°...Alright. How should I take care of you?¡±
¡°Feed me, tuck me into bed, hug me, cherish me¡¡±
¡°Ask your maid for those things¡¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you be my butler, Isaac? That would solve everything.¡±
¡°Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Or how about we wear handcuffs together? So we can never be apart.¡±
Luce whispered teasingly in a seductive voice.
A shiver ran down my spine reflexively, but I quicklyposed myself.
¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±
Luce gave a faint smile, gently stroking the back of my neck and lightly rubbing her thumb against my ear.
She pretended it was a joke, but Luce actually saw being handcuffed together as a kind of romantic dream. She was just restraining herself.
¡°Isaac, I¡¯ve been thinking while I was staying here.¡±
Still holding the back of my neck, as if to prevent me from pulling away, Luce leaned her head close to my ear.
Her intimate whisper pleasantly enveloped my ear, making my body shiver, but I forced myself to suppress the reaction.
Luce knew her voice was my weak spot and did it on purpose.
¡°What?¡±
¡°How about you try kidnapping me?¡±
What kind of nonsense is this?
I turned my head to look at Luce. She was looking down at me with a smile, clearly having dangerous thoughts.
It was like the whisper of a devil. Luce¡¯s voice had an inherent power to mesmerize.
It seemed Luce harbored some rather unwholesome desires. She couldn¡¯t forget how she felt when I restrained herst year.
¡°Or we could do it the other way around.¡±
That¡¯s even worse¡
I red at Luce with a stern look.
¡°Let¡¯s stop with the unfunny jokes. That¡¯s not something friends should do.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±
A firm response.
Her rose-gold hair fell, brushing her cheeks and casting a shadow over her eyes. Her fingers softly caressed the back of my neck.
Her aquamarine eyes, now lifeless, gazed deeply into mine. Luce¡¯s lips moved softly.
¡°Do you still see me as a ¡®friend¡¯?¡±
A whisper mixed with a deep sigh.
It seemed to mean, ¡°You should know better by now.¡±
Luce¡¯s feelings had beenid bare ever se it had be clear that I was the Nameless Hero. There was no more confusion or hidden emotions.
Her cold gaze was filled with deep affection and a twisted desire for me. I didn¡¯t know how to respond to her.
A sweet yet menacing silence filled the room.
Suddenly, a heavy mana brushed against my skin.
Chararang!
¡°¡!¡±
A cluster of stars filled my vision.
The flow of gravity on my body changed in an instant.
My body was lifted by an invisible force, moved off the bed, and naturally seated in the chair.
Realizing what was happening, Luce sat up and narrowed her eyes, ring towards the window. I turned my head in the same direction.
¡°Hey, friend, you shouldn¡¯t do that!¡±
By the window.
Dorothy, squatting with her knees together like a strict elder, scolded us. She had entered through the open window from the outside.
¡°Senior?¡±
Dorothy saw me and greeted me with a yful smile.
¡°Heave-ho.¡±
Pressing down on her witch¡¯s hat, Dorothy entered the room and approached Luce, pointing her finger upward as she exined.
¡°Did you forget that you¡¯re a patient? You could get into some serious trouble if you don¡¯t keep a certain distance from others! Patients need to focus on resting their minds and bodies.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Got it~?¡±
Luce, with a dissatisfied expression, silently red at Dorothy.
As usual, Dorothy was far from being on Luce¡¯s good side.
Ignoring Luce¡¯s reaction, Dorothy looked at me and smiled brightly.
¡°You¡¯re here, President?¡±
She addressed me the same way as before, in front of Luce.
I had missed her as much as I did Luce and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
After that, we talked about what had happened at the academy.
We shared a short but pleasant conversation. Although Luce seemed annoyed, her expression softened when I smiled at her.
***I reported the situation to Elena Woodline, the Headmistress of M?rchen Academy. I needed to exin why the demons had marched to the academy and what had caused it.
I exined that a Necromancer that led the demons had appeared, how I defeated him, and that the demon¡¯s army¡¯s march wasn¡¯t limited to the academy. There was no need to hide anything, so Iid it all out.
I also reported the situation to Magrio Halpent, the Vice-Commander of the 4th Order of Knights. My intention was to instill a sense of debt into the Imperial Knights for my efforts.
There was plenty of evidence. With Baron Ropenheim being escorted to the capital, Viyans, a trial would be held soon.
Magrio bowed his head to express gratitude on behalf of the Empire.
The children who had been held captive were sent to an orphanage, and Eve Ropenheim was scheduled to return to the academy once the investigation was over.
With no ce to stay at the Ropenheim Barony, the academy was the only ce for Eve to go.
She was my only family left, and there were many things I needed to discuss with her due to various circumstances.
Then, an unexpected variable arose.
¡°A surprise attack?¡±
I met with Saintess Bianca Anturaze at the Church in M?rchen Academy. She exined what had happened.
Someone had stopped the Church¡¯s escort carriage and ughtered all the human traffickers.
¡°Yes. Do you know someone among those rescued who wore a red cloak?¡±
A red cloak. I remembered. Her name was Michelle.
She was the girl who had suddenly called me a Prince from a fairy tale and said she fell in love with me at first sight, talking about all sorts of things in a straightforward manner.
¡°Yes, I remember.¡±
¡°It seems that person did it.¡±
She did?
¡°With a hand ax, no less.¡±
¡°A hand ax¡?¡±
Could she have had the strength to kill all those adult men with a hand ax given her physique?
Even if they were restrained, it was hard to believe. ording to her status window, she was definitely just an ordinary girl.
Wielding a hand ax with insufficient strength could result in injuring one¡¯s hand. It wasmon for criminals who were inexperienced with handling knives to injure their hands when stabbing someone.
Moreover, there were many of them. It was questionable if she had enough stamina to handle them all.
¡°My follower was both a victim and a witness, so it¡¯s not a lie. He said he witnessed the killing himself.¡±
¡°What about the injured? How are the Church members and children?¡±
¡°They¡¯re safe. I heard they were all knocked out skillfully. She doesn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary person.¡±
¡°Then where is she now?¡±
¡°Regrettably, we don¡¯t know her whereabouts¡¡±
Of course, they wouldn¡¯t know.
Suddenly, I remembered Michelle¡¯s prayer.
¨C May the blessing of the incarnation be with you.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was an RPG game considered ahead of its time.
One of the reasons I yed that game for years without getting bored was the abundance of hidden elements and enjoyable content.
It was spected online, even until I possessed Isaac, that not all the secrets of the game had been revealed.
Could Michelle have been one of those hidden elements? I couldn¡¯t be sure.
At the very least, if it were rted to the main story, it wouldn¡¯t leave any questions unanswered, but Michelle was outside of the story. Realistically, it didn¡¯t seem wise to put a lot of effort into uncovering Michelle¡¯s identity.
However, I had to remain cautious.
***¡°A demon was scheming something? And the Ice Sovereign stepped in to stop it?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Gerald.¡±
In the Astrea Duchy.
A shirtless Gerald Astrea, who was in the training grounds, received a report from an Astrea Family Knight about the Ice Sovereign¡¯s exploits.
A powerful demon leading an army of corpses, the Baron Ropenheim who had cooperated with him, and the powerful demon soldiers who had crossed the kingdom.
Had it not been for the Ice Sovereign¡¯s foresight, the kingdom would have faced a great disaster. As expected, his abilities were befitting of an archwizard. Gerald was impressed.
Whenever he heard the news about the Ice Sovereign, Gerald pondered how to repay the debt for resolving the demon incident in the Astrea Duchyst year.
That evening, during dinner, Gerald spoke up.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°Yes, Father!¡±
Gerald, Historia, and Kaya Astrea. The three of them were having dinner.
At Gerald¡¯s call, Kaya put down her knife and fork, straightened her back, and responded briskly. She appeared well-disciplined.
On Kaya¡¯s te was a well-cooked piece of monster meat. Although Gerald didn¡¯t understand why she wanted such a low-quality, nutrient-poor meat prepared, she had asked to try it, so he granted her request.
Putting that aside.
Gerald asked in a serious voice.
¡°By any chance, are you acquainted with the Ice Emperor?¡±
¡°¡!!¡±
Since Kaya was attending M?rchen Academy, he asked, thinking she might have seen the Ice Sovereign. He was looking for ideas on how to repay their debt to the Ice Sovereign.
Of course, he also had considerable hope that his daughter had built a good rtionship with the Ice Sovereign. What parent wouldn¡¯t want their child to form beneficial connections? Gerald was no different.
But for some reason¡ Kaya¡¯s face started to blush.
¡°Well, we do have some connection¡¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes shifted to the side, and her cheeks turned red. Her voice trembled slightly as she was terrible at hiding her emotions.
As usual, she was nervous around her father.
Hearing the name of the person she likes from her father¡¯s mouth made her feel embarrassed. It couldn¡¯t be helped, it was her clumsy first love.
¡°Oh, my?¡±
Historia, who grasped the situation, covered her mouth in amazement.
Gerald couldn¡¯t miss her reaction either. It was an unexpected response, and his eyes widened in surprise.
¡°Oho¡¡±
Gerald¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest.
If Kaya reacted like that, the situation had now changed.
Understanding who her daughter liked was a significant matter, separate from repaying a debt to his benefactor.
An awkward silence fell over the dinner table for a while, and Kaya, ncing around, picked at a piece of monster meat with her fork and ate it.
¡°I suppose I should visit M?rchen Academy.¡±
¡°Kehek¡!¡±
Kaya choked on her food and coughed at Gerald¡¯s sudden deration.
Chapter 247: Hilde (1)
Chapter 247: Hilde (1)¡°Princess White, why are you suddenly packing your bags?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t stay here anymore¡¡±
While packing in her room, White looked at her escort knight, Merlin, with teary eyes.
Recently, Emperor Carlos''s attention had be unusual.
The emperor was known for treating his children equally. His affection would only be tipped for a few days when someone made significant contributions to the national interest.
However, despite White not having aplished much, she recently received an unusual amount of attention from the emperor.
The emperor would make time from his busy schedule to visit White, give her advice on everything she did, and provide her with rare foods that were beneficial for a woman''s body.
The emperor''s love for his daughter had be noticeably intense.
It was too extreme to be attributed to not seeing her for half a year due to her attending the academy. Clearly, the weight of his affection was different.
Even three years ago, when the crown prince joined the subjugation force and defeated a dangerous group of monsters, he wasn¡¯t coddled this much.It was natural for the princes and princesses, who were all aiming for the next imperial throne to keep White in check.
¡°I feel too self-conscious¡¡±
When rumors had spread around in the imperial family that Emperor Carlos might be nning to pass the next imperial power to White, she decided she needed to escape quickly.
White had no interest in the position of emperor and knew her ce well. She firmly believed that her colder and wiser older siblings were far more suited for the emperor''s role than her.
From the beginning, she couldn''t understand why the emperor was taking such good care of her...! Even when she asked him why, he would just smile, making White break into a cold sweat.
¡°Run, we have to run, Merlin...! I''m scared¡¡±
Her father''s extreme devotion was instead cornering his daughter.
Merlin was confused about whether to take this positively or negatively.
¡°Don''t worry, Princess White. There will be no problem. And before you pack your bags, shouldn''t you get permission for an early return to the academy? If His Majesty the Emperor knows what you''re doing now, he might be displeased.¡±
¡°But still¡¡±
Merlin was confident that the emperor would quickly grant permission for an early return.
ording to Merlin''s conjecture, the emperor had recently been interested in the close rtionship between the ice Sovereign Isaac and White. Otherwise, it was hard to exin his special affection for White.
No, it was actually strange not to notice it.
So if White mentioned an early return to M?rchen Academy where Isaac currently resided, the emperor might not only grant permission but also help her prepare willingly.
He would push her, implying that she should have a good time with Isaac.
¡°What I''m really scared of are my older brothers and sisters. If I run into them, they re at me now... Huh, I miss Senior Isaac¡¡±
¡°Yes, let''s go see him. Isaac should also be at the academy now.¡±
"...Okay, hehehe."
When Merlin supported White''s wishes, her expression brightened quickly.
Since childhood, White had suffered from various assassination attempts and nders, so she tended to avoid people who showed her sudden kindness.
It was trauma. When she saw people treating her well, she would prematurely assume they might assassinate her.
Even if it was clear that wasn''t the case, something deeply ingrained in a person''s psyche couldn¡¯t easily be forgotten.
White said she felt morefortableter with the fake Priestess who treated her harshly and hurt her rather than with the students who ttered her to get on her good side, So, how bad must it have been?
On the other hand, Isaac effortlessly established the ideal human rtionship that White had longed for.
Due to this, White tended to rely on Isaac, and without realizing it, she would happily talk about him every day, as if she had gained a reliable and loving older brother.
Is the ability to prate someone''s heart also a skill of an archwizard?
Merlin didn''t know.
Even now, White was smiling brightly at the thought of seeing Isaac.
The most beautiful woman in the world now wanted to see a man around her age. If the man whom she wanted to see wasn''t Isaac, such a man wouldn''t have missed such an opportunity.
Merlin didn''t quite like Isaac''s womanizing ways, but she liked the way Isaac treated White.
Isaac''s issues with the opposite sex were not something Merlin should worry about in the first ce. Public and private matters needed to be clearly distinguished.
¡°I should bring a gift. What would Senior Isaac like?¡±
White happily pondered what gift to give Isaac.
***In the past, on the day of the closing ceremony. I sent a letter to the Imperial Tower.
It was to find out when Aria Lilias would return.
Although I mentioned the names of D¨¹pfendorf and the Ice Sovereign, the Imperial Tower was such a closed group that I doubted whether they would allow the exchange of letters.
They might be even more cautious since I wasn¡¯t from their country. I had to consider the possibility that the letter would be intercepted at the entrance of the tower.
I still didn''t know the identity of ¡°Dorothy Gale¡± who wrote the book for me. At the very least, I needed to find out the reason for sending me to Aria.
Recently, I received a letter. The sender was not Aria, but the Imperial family of Zelver Empire. The luxurious envelope and the imperial seal symbolized the emperor''s power.
The letter contained information about the investigation into the collusion between the demons and Baron Ropenheim.
Adrian Ropenheim made a deal with Calgart the Necromancer, who visited him one day. Calgart promised to help him seize power in the empire if he secretly gathered and offered sacrifices.
Recognizing Calgart''s strength, Adrian epted the proposal and received dark mana as an advance payment. The dark mana gave Adrian a sense of omnipotence, which was ridiculous.
The Imperial family said they would severely punish Baron Ropenheim and wished to bestow a high reward upon me for my role in resolving this matter.
For some reason, the reward list naturally included a betrothal with White, but I ignored that.
KABOOM!!
BOOM!!
[Sess, Master!]
¡°Oh! I hit it!¡±
[Woohoo!]
¡°Ooooo!¡±
At a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
I sessfully hit a rock target 100 meters away with the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt].
I grabbed the forepaw of the Frost Dragon Hilde, who was summoned in the form of a small white dragon, and weughed together in excitement.
One might think 100 meters wasn''t much, but when [Icebolt] was activated, the mana fluctuated wildly, often causing the spell to shoot off in unintended directions. Simply put, it was difficult as hell to control.
In other words, hitting a target I couldn''t before was a tremendous achievement.
The next goal was 150 meters. As my body grew stronger, the power exerted when [Vs. Race Combat Power] was activated would be even greater.
Let''s work hard.
Come to think of it¡
A sudden doubt arose.
It had been a question for a long time.
What is the source of this power?
What exactly is this system that allows me to use 9-star magic so easily and makes me stronger as if I were in a game?
It felt unsettling, like I was recklessly spending funds I identally got from a bank loan.
It was hard to exin the dissonance. A usible hypothesis was that something might have been mimicking the format of a game system.
The system was extremely ¡°intuitive¡±.
Rather than painstakingly detailing how I became stronger and how much more impressive I waspared to the past.
It was much simpler and clearer to just see ¡°my mana increased by a thousand¡± in the system window.
ording to the records left by Dorothy Gale, there was someone who helped me intuitively. I spected, no, I was convinced it was the system.
It was referred to as ¡°Her¡±.
The system was described as ¡°Her¡± as if it were a living being.
There were still many questions about the game developer Higgs, the system, and Dorothy Gale¡¯s identity.
I just hoped to find all the answers to those questions before the journey ended.
[I am happy these days, Master.]
¡°What?¡±
Hilde¡¯s chatter pulled me out of my thoughts. She was looking at the rock target I had broken with [Icebolt].
[I can now roam freely outside in this body. I can closely watch my master grow and feel like I am traveling as we did in the old days, so I am incredibly happy.]
¡°Is that so?¡±
Hilde smiled brightly.
If it was talking about the old days, she must be talking about traveling with the Primordial Ice Sovereign.
Since my identity was revealed, Hilde could also freely roam outside with me without hesitation.
When I trained at the training ground, I sometimes met students who stayed at the academy during the holidays to train. They would sometimes approach me to see Hilde up close
At those times, Hilde would puff out her chest and show off her jade-white scales.
[So, about that.]
Hilde flew away from me, pping her wings in the air, and stretched her forepaws to the sides.
[Now, will you fulfill your promise?]
¡°Promise?¡±
A promise with Hilde.
I adjusted my sses and tried to recall.
Did I make a promise to her?
¡°Oh, the dress?¡±
That''s right. I remembered.
Last year, when I could only summon Hilde as a small orb, I promised to get her a dress once she could take her full form.
Hilde nodded with satisfaction.
[Indeed. I want to wear a beautiful dress too! I want to unt my beauty at the next social gathering!]
¡°You can''t attend a social gathering.¡±
[What? Why not?!]
Hilde was taken aback.
It''s obvious that you can''t attend.
¡°Because you''re a dragon.¡±
[How could this be¡! Are modern people discriminating against dragons now¡?]
Hilde became dejected.
[I was once a magic beast famous in myths. I should not be subjected to such discrimination¡]
Hilde clicked her tongue softly, saying that there was ack of respect for elder dragons.
¡°No, it''s because only students can attend here.¡±
[If that is not discrimination, then what is it!]
¡°¡Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡±
I recalled reading Hilde¡¯s psychologyst year.
She eagerly anticipated the day she could wear a dress.
This was undoubtedly an important promise to her.
Perhaps she considered herself female; she had a tendency to pursue beautiful things.
I never considered a dress for a dragon.
Hilde had done so much for me that I was more than willing to repay her.
Not keeping a promise would weigh on my conscience, and having a dress made was not an unreasonable task.
There wouldn¡¯t be a dress suitable for her original size, so I shouldmission a dress tailored to her current, smaller form.
Since it wouldn¡¯t require much fabric, it shouldn''t cost much. That should be fine.
¡°Although the social gathering might be out, showing off to the kids should be fine.¡±
Hilde¡¯s expression brightened again.
[Not bad. Ah, when my dress is ready, I should show it off to Gormos too!]
¡°That sounds good. As for getting the dress made... let¡¯s go in about a week.¡±
[Understood, Master!]
There was still time before the coronation, and it was uncertain when Aria Lilias, the head of the Hegel Magic Tower, or my sister Eve Ropenheim would arrive.
About a week was suitable for monitoring the situation.
Anyway, I nned to visit Stone Turtle - Gormos, for training. Hilde wore a pretty dress, it would also provide a trivial conversation topic, which was fine by me.
In the second semester, there was an event where one could obtain the 8-star familiar contract circle. After acquiring that contract, I nned to have a serious battle with the Stone Turtle.
My n was to win that battle and make the Stone Turtle my third familiar, so I wanted to get as close to it as possible beforehand.
***After finishing my daily tasks, I would either bathe with Hilde and engage in light conversations, or we¡¯d fall asleep holding each other.
Hilde eagerly anticipated the day her dress would be made, pondering deeply every day about which color and design would be best.
Before I knew it, the day before going to the clothing store had arrived. After finishing training with Hilde, we returned to Elma Hall.
I went into the shower to wash up, while Hilde sprawled on the desk.
During those days, I always kept Hilde summoned to develop Synchronization.
Hilde¡¯s current level was 188. The total amount of mana required to summon her in herplete form was 36,000.
It was an excellent familiar in terms of practicality, so the umtion of Synchronization was slow. Like in many games, enhancing higher-grade items was more challenging and costly than lower-grade ones.
Therefore, maintaining Hilde¡¯s summoned state became an important task.
Should I drop by the clothing store after lunch tomorrow?
I was looking forward to seeing the small white dragon in a dress. It seemed like it would be fun.
Whoosh.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡What was that?
Just now, it felt like a bit more mana than usual was being drained to maintain the familiar''s summoning.
Is it just my imagination?
After washing my body, I stepped out of the shower naked.
When I was with Alice Carroll, I modestly covered my private parts with a shower gown, but now, with only Hilde around, there was nothing to be concerned about.
Hilde was like a pet, so it had always been like this.
However, the moment I stepped out of the shower, I gasped.
[Oh, Master! Are you done washing?]
¡°...?¡±
Who is that?
A woman was standing in front of the full-length mirror, wearing nothing but my shirt.
Her silver bobbed hair, reaching her shoulders, sparkled like a snow-covered field.
What stood out were the familiar-shaped horns protruding from both sides of her head and a thick tail emerging from her tailbone, lifting the hem of her shirt.
Judging by appearance, she was a young woman in her early twenties. She seemed to be examining her body with her arms stretched out to the sides.
Her mysterious light blue eyes turned towards me. She was smiling broadly...
She¡¯s the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.
[Ah. Tomorrow is finally the day to get the dress fitted, so I tried changing my appearance in advance. For now, I just put on Master''s clothes casually, but how do I look? Am I not beautiful?]
The appearance was certainly unfamiliar, but the voice was very familiar.
I couldn''t quell the confusion that surged in my mind.
I quickly approached the silver-haired woman and experimentally touched her horns. She closed her eyes and enjoyed my touch.
[That feels good. Keep stroking me¡]
The woman gently stroked my hand as I stroked her horns.
There was only one being that came to mind.
¡°Hilde...?¡±
[Yes, Master. You called?]
No, what is this? Why is she like this?
The silver-haired woman, Frost Dragon Hilde, opened her eyes again and looked at me.
Seen up close, these eyes were definitely hers.
¡°You could transform into a human...?¡±
I was confused.
[Huh? Did I not tell youst time? I can transform into a form that goes unnoticed by humans.]
Hilde seemed to not understand why I was so surprised.
How was I supposed to know she was talking about being a human?
I remembered how, sincest year, she had asionally said things that didn''t make sense, hinting that she could transform into forms other than a dragon.
[Hmm, while you are at it, could you pet me in other ces too?]
As I petted her head, she melted with joy. There was no doubt; it felt like human hair.
Since our first meeting, Frost Dragon Hilde had always liked being petted like a pet dog. Even in human form, she seemed to enjoy being touched just as much.
Seeing her close her eyes and blush while enjoying my touch gave me a strange feeling.
Hilde, who I had always regarded as a puppy, now looked nothing like that, and it even made me feel a bit ufortable. It was very unfamiliar.
[Meow! Is Isaac here?]
At that moment, Phantom Cat Cheshire entered through the window.
[Alice said she would be busy with organizing tasks from tomorrow, so I came to ask if I could see you for a moment tonight... Meow?]
The Phantom Cat alternately looked at me, who was naked, and Hilde, who was wearing only a white shirt, and couldn''t continue speaking.
[Oh, Cheshire. Nice to see you!]
Hilde, unable to read the atmosphere, just waved her hand and greeted it like a friend.
Chapter 248: Hilde (2)
Chapter 248: Hilde (2)[I thought Isaac was about to do something indecent with a girl he just met.]
¡°Are you crazy¡¡±
In the dorm of Elma Hall.
I dressed the Frost Dragon, now in human form, and had her sit on the bed. I was asking her various questions.
I was also dressed. I sat in the chair, with the Phantom Cat Cheshire on myp, looking at Hilde.
As I petted Cheshire on myp, Hilde shot a cold nce at him.
It was jealousy. Her eyes seem to say, ¡°That should be me.¡±
However, Hilde in human form was so unfamiliar that I had no desire to pet her.
¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be with Alice?¡±
[It¡¯s fine, this is more fun! Alice is probably really bored with her work right now.]¡°Is that so?¡±
Cheshire was all about having fun. There was no need to question its mindset.
[So, Hilde, what about that form? Is it modeled after the Primordial Ice Sovereign?]
[No, Cheshire. This is just my human form. My previous master had ck hair and was thin.]
I didn¡¯t know what the Primordial Ice Sovereign looked like. So, she had ck hair and was thin.
[Were you always able to transform into a human?]
[I learned the transformation magic to be human because I wanted to be closer to my previous master. Although, I failed to get close to her.]
In themunity in my past life, this wasmonly referred to as Polymorph.
There were fan art circting online imagining what the human version of Hilde might look like, and some seemed to have urately guessed her appearance.
This wasn¡¯t just a simple disguise. Changing the nature of one¡¯s body was a very high-level spell. It wasn¡¯t something just anyone could just pick up.
Aside from her horns, mystical light blue eyes, and swaying tail, Hilde looked like an ordinary human.
Her typicallydylike, delicate voice matched her current form perfectly.
Perhaps it was because she had such a voice that she ended up with this appearance.
¡°You want to get your dress fitted in that form, right?¡±
[Is that not obvious, Master? Did you seriously believe I would want to get a human dress fitted while in my original form?]
¡°...¡±
Is that sarcasm? How was I supposed to know that?
Anyway.
I was flustered at first, but in retrospect, it was probably a good thing.
¡°Okay, but can you hide your horns and tail?¡±
[Do you mean aplete human form? Yes, I can. But the horns and tail are the source of my mana. I am unable to use magic when they are hidden, which is a bit inconvenient.]
That¡¯s a relief. It means she can live like a normal human.
¡°You mentioned wanting to live normally like the people here. It seems possible in that form, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
[¡Huh? Ohh!]
Hilde¡¯s expression brightened.
She had helped me so much, and I wanted to return the favor. At the very least, I could fulfill Hilde¡¯s wishes.
Since I was going to keep her summoned, I wanted to make her happy.
[Cheshire returns~.]
¡°You¡¯rete.¡±
In Charles Hall, the dorm for high-ranked students.
Alice, working at her desk by themp, greeted the Phantom Cat Cheshire as he entered through the window.
From tomorrow, Alice would begin organizing her duties to smoothly hand over her presidency to the next Student Council President. This included creating a work manual that she was currently drafting in advance.
The organizing would only take a few days, but those few days made her long to see Isaac tonight.
So Cheshire went to ask Isaac to meet her tonight, but he arrived muchter than Alice had anticipated.
[Something interesting happened.]
Cheshire grinned while sitting by the window.
Curious, Alice stopped what she was doing and looked at the Phantom Cat.
¡°Something interesting?¡±
[I went to Isaac¡¯s room and saw himpletely naked, petting a girl! I was really shocked!]
¡°¡?¡±
The words and context didn¡¯t quite fit together in Alice¡¯s mind.
Why would ¡°Isaac,¡± ¡°naked,¡± and ¡°girl¡± be in the same sentence¡? And he did what to the girl¡?
Alice had epted Isaac¡¯s harem and had feelings for him. However, she had decided she would be his priority.
Isaac seemed determined not to be swayed by romance until he defeated the Evil God, so Alice nned to slowly win his heart. Rash actions would only hinder Isaac.
But who could have beaten me to it at this timing¡?
Suppressing the storm of emotions within her, Alice tapped her finger lightly on the desk and formed her usual gentle smile.
¡°Who¡ could have seduced Isaac? Was it Dorothy, or Luce Eltania?¡±
The only two people still at the academy who posed a threat were Dorothy and Luce.
For now, she could rx. Even if someone had seeded in getting close to Isaac, the Phantom Cat Cheshire¡¯s interruption meant they had been thwarted for now.
However, the Phantom Cat¡¯s response waspletely unexpected.
[Eh? It was neither of them.]
What?
Alice¡¯s fingers stopped tapping the desk.
¡°Neither of them?¡±
Alice leaned slightly forward towards the Phantom Cat.
An unforeseen variable was trying to sneak up on her.
¡°Then¡ who was the girl with my baby?¡±
[It was Hilde.]
¡°Hilde?¡±
Alice¡¯s thoughts froze for a moment.
Hilde.
The Frost Dragon, Hilde?
¡°Wait, you mean Isaac¡¯s familiar? But Hilde is a dragon¡¡±
[She can transform into a human.]
¡°A human?¡±
[I just found out today too. Isaac was talking about getting Hilde a pretty dress and treating her like a human.]
The initial, perverse thoughts faded, but she still had to sort out herplicated thoughts.
Let¡¯s think about the situation.
The Frost Dragon Hilde could transform into a human, and Isaac, who was naked, had been petting her.
Isaac, while naked, promised to get the Frost Dragon Hilde a pretty dress.
Isaac, while naked, seemed to be treating the Frost Dragon Hilde kindly as if she were human¡.
[Alice?]
¡°¡¡±
Each of these statements seemed to lead to impure conclusions.
A cold sweat trickled down Alice¡¯s cheek.
Could it be¡ that Isaac¡¯s desired harem is not limited to humans?
Did treating the Frost Dragon Hilde as a familiar mean there would be no romanticplications?
This was unexpected.
[Huh? Alice?]
As Student Council President, Alice had calmly handled any unexpected situations, but this one was so shocking that she struggled to process it.
The appearance of an unexpected obstacle stirred a wave of emotional turmoil within her.
¡Let¡¯s calm down.
Alice took a deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from her cheek, and smiled warmly.
¡°Cheshire, would you mind secretly keeping an eye on my baby tonight?¡±
[Huh? Secretly? What about Isaac¡¯s privacy?]
Why is the cat making sense right now?
Of course, Alice respected Isaac¡¯s privacy.
But this was an exception. It was an emergency.
¡°We have a master-servant rtionship with Isaac, don¡¯t we? Sometimes, for our master¡¯s well-being, we have to slightly intervene in his privacy. Isaac will understand.¡±
Isaac was an archwizard. He would easily notice if the Phantom Cat was secretly watching.
In other words, it was possible to keep an eye on Isaac and the Frost Dragon tonight.
If Isaac were to confront her and ask, ¡°Why are you spying on my room?¡± then she would have no choice but to back off. But doing something was better than just sitting around and worrying.
The Phantom Cat Cheshire realized that Alice¡¯s order was intended to keep an eye on Hilde. The Phantom Cat answered excitedly and left.
That dawn, the Phantom Cat reported back to Alice.
The Frost Dragon had returned to her small dragon form and was sleeping peacefully with Isaac.
Only then did Alice, who had unintentionally stayed up all night, feel a sense of relief.
¡°Hilde is getting a dress? That sounds fun! Can Ie? Let mee with you!¡±
[I¡¯m curious about that too.]
It was lunchtime. I usually ate lunch with Luce, but she went to Hegel Tower this morning due to her usual apprenticeship duties.
So, after finishing my meal alone in the Academy Cafeteria, I left the building.
As I headed straight to the clothing store, I ran into Dorothy.
As if she had been waiting for me, Dorothy suddenly popped out from a tree and greeted me cheerfully while hanging upside down from a branch. The white cat magic beast, E, was with her.
It was amon urrence, so I wasn¡¯t surprised.
With a small dragon form of the Frost Dragon Hilde perched on my head, I returned the greeting and exined that we were on our way to get a dress fitted for Hilde.
Dorothy and E thought it would be fun and decided to tag along.
¡°Hilde, leave it to me to choose your clothes. No one in our department who suits elegant clothes better than I do. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll help.¡±
[Oh, really! I will entrust myself to you, Dorothy!]
¡°Nihihi, just leave it to me!¡±
Hilde was very excited at the prospect of wearing a dress.
She had been posing in front of a full-length mirror since this morning.
[But Hilde, you¡¯re a dragon. Why do you want to wear a human dress?]
The white cat, E, asked in a refined tone.
At that moment, a floating purple cat appeared beside my shoulder and flew towards E.
[Meow! There¡¯s a reason for that!]
[Kyaah!!]
E reflexively screamed and quickly fled to Dorothy¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Cheshire?¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s Cheshire!¡±
We stopped walking.
Suddenly, the Phantom Cat deactivated its invisibility, stood on its hind legs, and ced its front paws on my leg.
It seemed like the Phantom Cat was now used to E avoiding him and remained unbothered.
[Hilde would look really beautiful in a human dress! Though she can¡¯t quitepete with E¡¯s beauty!]
[Hissss!!]
Cheshire winked and made a flirty remark to E, who responded fiercely, raising her tail in hostility.
[That was very inappropriate, Cheshire! I am as beautiful as E, if not more so!]
[Yeah, yeah. But you¡¯re not a cat, are you?]
Hilde challenged the Phantom Cat, but he nonchntly responded without even ncing at her.
Believing she was the most beautiful, regardless of the race, Hilde trembled slightly and looked down at me.
[Master, keep walking! We must go and get my dress fitted, do we not?!]
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. Cheshire, do you want toe along?¡±
[Meow! Of course, that sounds fun!]
With the Phantom Cat joining us, we retraced our steps.
We chatted along the way. Dorothy and Cheshire seemed to get along well despite once fighting with the intent to kill each other.
Maybe it was because they were now on the same side? There was a refreshing senseing off of them.
On the other hand, E clung to Dorothy¡¯s shoulder, avoiding eye contact with the Phantom Cat. It was obvious that she didn¡¯t like him.
[Meow! E, you¡¯re as beautiful as always!]
[Yeah, and you¡¯re as ugly as ever.]
[Would you like to go see some fish with me next time? I found a niceke.]
[How about going to the Styx instead? By yourself.]
[Meow, I¡¯ve never been there, but going to see the fish sounds nice! A ce E thought of for me, I feel like I¡¯m dreaming.]
[And I feel like I¡¯m having a nightmare.]
[So, E, when are you free? I¡¯d love to spend time with you!]
[I have plenty of time, just none to spend with you!]
[Oh, you must be very busy. It can¡¯t be helped, then. Is there anything you want? I¡¯d love to give you something.]
[Your death.]
[Meow, you¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re being coy! I like how extreme you are!]
With tears in its eyes, the Phantom Cat continued to express its unwavering affection for E with a smile.
Feeling pity for it, I stopped looking at the Phantom Cat.
We arrived at the clothing store in the academy shopping district. It was filled with vintage dresses and suits.
¡°Wee¡ Oh! It¡¯s been a while, Isaac! No, wait¡ I must be crazy. Should I call you¡ the Ice Sovereign¡?¡±
The woman who owned the shop weed us. She was one of the people I had gotten to know while working in the Magic Departmentst year.
This was also the store I had visitedst year to rent a suit for a social gathering.
She seemed confused on how to address me now because my status had changed.
¡°Please treat me like you did before. It¡¯ll only make me feel ufortable otherwise.¡±
¡°Is that okay¡?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡°Hehe, that¡¯s good for me too.¡±
This is how I prefer it.
¡°So, what kind of clothes are you looking for, Ice Sovereign?¡±
¡°We¡¯re here to look at dresses. For women.¡±
The shop owner¡¯s gaze naturally turned towards Dorothy.
¡°Is it for her? Is she your girlfriend, perhaps?¡±
¡°Nihihi! You¡¯ve got that right.¡±
¡°Oh my! Really? You two look great together!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s yful attitude made the shop owner believe her joke.
¡°She¡¯s just joking.¡±
¡°Ah¡ really? But you two look good together.¡±
The shop owner expressed her positive impression.
It seemed like they got along well. I thought so too. I¡¯d remain a regr here until graduation.
Dorothy looked at me mischievously, covering her mouth and snickering as if she had read my emotions.
¡°Isaac, you seem a bit stiff. Were you excited because of m¡ª Ouch!¡±
I flicked Dorothy¡¯s forehead.
¡°Let¡¯s not joke about things like that.¡±
¡°You¡¯re so cold¡ You¡¯re making Big Sis sad.¡±
Dorothy puffed her cheeks slightly and made a disappointed expression.
As I gently rubbed the spot where I flicked her, Dorothy closed her eyes and smiled, epting my touch.
¡°For now, it¡¯s her who wants to look at dresses.¡±
I pointed to Hilde, who was perched on my head. She stood up on her hind legs, cing her front paws on her waist, and struck a pose.
¡°Oh, uh? Huh¡?¡±
The shop owner was flustered.
She seemed to have a lot to say but wasn¡¯t sure where to start.
¡I get you.
Meanwhile
An Imperial carriage carrying White and Merlin and a carriage from the Astrea Duchy carrying Gerald and Kaya departed for M?rchen Academy.
Chapter 249: Hilde (3)
Chapter 249: Hilde (3)He handed over the clothes he had prepared in advance to Hilde.
The shop owner had a puzzled expression, and Dorothy seemed to have a question mark above her head.
Hilde entered the fitting room.
[I will change ande out.]
For a brief moment, light leaked out from the fitting room.
Soon, when the silver-haired woman dressed in my clothes came out of the fitting room, the shop owner was astonished.
"What? What''s this? Hilde...? Is that you, Hilde?"
Dorothy was equally surprised.
[Indeed. Am I not beautiful?]
Hilde gracefully turned her body, showing off her appearance.Since she was wearing clothesrger than her physique, her voluptuous figure appeared less defined, but it was clear she was a beautiful youngdy.
With her horns and tail hidden, she looked exactly like a human.
Dorothy''s trembling eyes turned towards me.
"Hilde, you could be a human...? Wasn''t the dress supposed to fit your little dragon form?"
"Yeah, well..."
You thought so, too, huh? I was the same at first.
"I only found out yesterday that she could transform into a human."
"Amazing!"
Dorothy eximed in admiration.
Dorothy immediately approached Hilde and examined her closely from different angles. Hilde was slightly taller than Dorothy.
[What is the matter, Dorothy?]
"You''ve really be human. You use quite advanced transformation magic, didn''t you?"
[For someone like me this level of magic is as easy as eating cold stew. Hmph, do kids these days not even know how to use transformation magic?]
"These days, you can just use disguise tools or disguise magic, right? There''s no need to change your actual body."
[¡!]
The arrogant Hilde flinched at Dorothy''s response.
"Well, if your body is weak, you can just enhance your protection magic."
Hilde tried to rebut, but Dorothy''s follow-upments left her speechless.
Hilde''s advanced transformation magic was problematic to learn within the span of a normal human lifetime, and there was no need to painstakingly master it.
It was more beneficial to learn or master an additional elemental magic instead.
[Am I the one who is outdated....]
Hilde felt a sense of doubt.
"First, let''s measure your size."
The shop owner approached Hilde, skillfully took her measurements, and informed her of the size. Perhaps because Hilde was epted as my familiar, the shop owner quickly epted the spectacle of her bing human.
After all, Hilde was a white dragon, an extraordinary magic beast from the start.
"How about blue for the clothes? It seems like it would suit you best."
[Blue, you say. The color of kings...! I like it!]
Hilde looked at my hair upon hearing Dorothy''s question. It was unclear if she considered it the color of kings because my hair had a bluish tint.
There was no need to custom-make a dress. Dorothy and E chose a dress and went into the fitting room to help Hilde put it on.
Each time, Hilde proudly showed off her dress to me and Phantom Cat Cheshire.
Holding a magic tool in one hand and practicing mana cirction, I seriously observed Hilde''s appearance. From party dresses to everyday dresses, Hilde wore them all splendidly.
So, everything looked fine, but Dorothy and E kept feeling something was missing and continuously changed Hilde''s clothes.
I''m getting tired...
"Everything seems to suit her well."
[Meow... Isaac, I''m getting a bit bored.]
I was sitting on a chair brought by the shop owner with Cheshire on myp. The cat seemed to have gotten bored by now.
"I think this one is the best after all!"
Dorothy brought back the blue dress that Hilde had first tried on. It was more suitable for everyday wear than for a party.
In the end, Hilde changed back into the blue dress. Cheshire and I were left in awe. Then what was all that about until now...?
[How do I look, Master?]
"It suits you best."
[Your answercks spirit...]
She really was pretty. But whether Hilde''s human form was beautiful or not, I hoped the fashion show would stop already. I was utterly exhausted.
[Done. I will go with this. I like it the most as well!]
"Right? Oh, and let''s do something simple with your hair!!"
Dorothy braided some of Hilde''s hair on both sides of her face and tied it back. Satisfied with her work, Dorothy nodded, and Hilde looked pleased in the mirror.
Finally, it''s over.
[Dorothy, how about this? As a reward for helping me, I will choose some clothes for you too!]
"My clothes? Hmm... Isaac, is that okay?"
¡!
My nerves were on edge.
But I answered as calmly as possible.
"Yes, go ahead and choose."
"Nihihi, great!"
Hilde went with Dorothy to choose clothes, and each time Dorothy changed into a new outfit, she showed herself to me.
"How about this one?"
"Hmm, try this one on too."
"This one?"
"Hmm, next try that one too."
"How is it? Does it suit Big Sis well?"
"Umm..."
Well, I¡¯d be damn...
This is Dorothy after all.
It was hard to keep my lips from curling up into a huge smile.
Just watching her made me so happy.
My body trembled. A thrilling current flowed through me, and I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Everything about her was cute and lovely. How could a person be so beautiful?
Whatever she wore suited her so well that it was hard to give any of them up.
[Master, why do you react differently to Dorothy?]
Hilde protested.
What are you talking about?
"What? It''s all the same."
[It ispletely different! You nced at me carelessly, but you were sparkling at Dorothy?!]
Hilde stomped the ground in frustration.
I guess it showed.
Sorry, it¡¯s beyond my control.
Dorothy covered her mouth andughed slyly.
"Heh heh heh. President, you can''t seem to keep your head straight because Big Sis is so pretty, huh?"
"What are you talking about... It''s not like that. How about trying this one on next? Oh, and that one too..."
Ah, this feeling. It''s been a while.
This is the happiness of being a fan.
***After buying clothes with Hilde, Dorothy did Hilde''s makeup beautifully and then left, saying she had some errands to run with E.
Since the ¡¸Alice Subjugation ¡¹, Dorothy had been intensifying her training to avoid being swayed by her starlight mana.
She would meditate in quiet ces or strongly circted starlight magic.
The power bestowed by fairies did not requireplex calctions like other magics. The strength depended on how well one adapted to magic and the strength of their mana. The training methods were also very different from those of conventional elemental magic.
Meanwhile, Hilde, enjoying her blue dress, quietly hummed a tune.
We went to find Stone Turtle-Gormos and introduced Cheshire and Gormos to each other.
[Look, Gormos. Am I not beautiful? Every passing human praised my beauty!]
[Hmm... is that so?]
Stone Turtle-Gormos the magic beast with a rocky mountain shell, showed an indifferent reaction to Hilde''s appearance.
In reality, the only person who praised Hilde''s beauty was the shop owner. Not every passing human did so. She seemed to exaggerate to boast about herself.
After walking around with Hilde in her dress and training, it soon became night. Cheshire returned to Alice, and I intended to take Hilde back to the dorm.
However, Hilde suggested we go to the top of the nearby tower.
Today, I wanted to do everything Hilde wanted. After all, it was a special day for fitting her dress.
Hilde seemed to want to walk around outside a bit more in her dress.
We climbed the high tower and looked down at the scenery of the academy. When we looked up, we could see the tranquil night sky stretching out far into the distance.
Hilde seemed to have something she wanted to say to me. As her master, I could sense her feelings.
So I stood silently, holding the magic tool in one hand and training, Hilde spoke to me.
[Master, can I talk about something serious?]
"It''s okay. What is it?"
[About my previous master¡]
Is it about the Primordial Ice Sovereign?
I was d she didn''t say something like, ¡°Can I talk about your past life?¡± There was no need to pointlessly dig into that.
Besides the fragmentary information from the setting book, I didn''t know much about the Primordial Ice Sovereign. She was someone from a distant past who I didn''t need to know about.
[She was gloomy for a human. Her emaciated body looked like it could copse at any moment, and she spoke so little that it seemed like she was lost in her own world.]
Hilde leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky.
[She took many lives. Betrayers, marauders, demons, and ferocious magic beasts were her enemies, and the more blood she shed, the less she spoke... Oh no, I have said unpleasant things.]
Hilde paused.
[There was an ice valley where any creature that approached carelessly would lose its life to the cold. My previous master was the human who came to me, living alone there, and reached out her hand, asking me to roam the world with her.]
"That must be a memory."
[Indeed. She had a cold expression, but hehe, I was lonely then, and I really liked her. It was a day I will never forget.]
"..."
[She never gave affection to anyone. My feelings for my former master were entirely one-sided. I longed for the voice that called my name, the battles we fought together, her touch. And then a thousand years passed, and I met you.]
Hilde gazed deeply into my eyes.
"...Today, you''re not saying I''m the reincarnation of that woman?"
[This does not mean my thoughts have changed, Master. I still believe you are the reincarnation of my previous master. But... if you are truly someone with no connection to her.]
Hilde''s expression darkened as if she recalled something unpleasant.
She seemed to be about to say something she had hesitated to mention.
[Would you listen to my previous master''s message?]
"A message?"
There was a message?
[My previous master and the Primordial Elemental Kings made a prophecy. ''In the future, an Evil God of destruction will be resurrected to bring about the end of the world, but a Brave Hero will appear to stop the Evil God.'' This is the message rted to that prophecy.]
As soon as I heard those words, my eyes narrowed involuntarily.
It was the prophecy mentioned in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
I had overlooked it and didn''t think deeply about it, but when Hilde brought up the prophecy, an indescribable sense of unease surged within me.
Questions began to brew.
The prophecy left by the Primordial Kings was based on fragmented visions of the future.
But this world...
This is the world where I am...
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the yer was Ian, and since Ian stopped the Evil God, it was natural to think that the ¡°Brave Hero¡± in the prophecy was Ian.
After all, the only one who could defeat the Evil God was Ian Fairytale, the one dubbed ¡°Child of Light¡±.
But...
If that was the case, why was it expressed as ¡°Brave Hero¡± and not ¡°Child of Light¡±?
Moreover, unless I died, it was clear that I would be the one to stop the Evil God.
How could Ian, whocked the power of the system andbat prowess, stop the Evil God?
There was no way to defeat the Evil God other than for me to take the lead in subduing it, and for Ian to deliver the final blow.
it raised the question of whether the ¡°Brave Hero¡± in the prophecy was really Ian.
"...Keep talking."
[Master. If you are not the reincarnation of my previous master, you might be the ¡°Brave Hero¡± prophesied by the Primordial Elemental Kings.]
"..."
Could the Primordial Elemental Kings have foreseen the current situation?
...Let''s not jump to any conclusions. Everything is still just logical spection.
However, it was difficult to calm the boiling suspicions.
[If that brave hero appears, my previous master asked to deliver this message.]
I listened intently.
The message left by the Primordial Ice Ice Sovereign.
Finally, Hilde spoke the words that the Primordial Ice Sovereign had uttered a thousand years ago, words that only Hilde had kept for a millennium.
[''Please, with a calm heart, destroy me.'']
At that moment, a sense of dread trickled down my spine.
"What...?"
What could it mean?
For a while, we just looked into each other''s eyes, feeling the cool night breeze.
Chapter 250: Father-In-Law
Chapter 250: Father-In-LawI had many questions.
Late at night, Iid in bed next to Hilde, who had transformed into her small dragon form.
The dark ceiling filled my vision. My mind drifted through various thoughts.
The contents of the book left by Dorothy Gale.
Aria Lilia¡¯s secret.
The game developer, Higgs.
The system.
The unknown entity within me.
The message left by the Primordial Ice Sovereign for Hilde.
Each of these questions felt like a step in a series of processes leading to a conclusion.[Agu¡]
Hilde leaned against me and murmured in her sleep.
The message she conveyed to me further muddled my already chaotic mind.
But no matter how much I tried to organize my thoughts, I couldn¡¯t find any answers, and I only kept sighing.
Tap tap.
Suddenly, a bird with a bag flew to the window and tapped on the ss. It was V, the messenger bird.
V was a docile magic beast used by those in urgent need to send letters quickly.
I got out of bed and opened the window. V pulled out a letter from its bag with itsrge beak and handed it to me.
After receiving the letter, V squawked and flew away.
I examined the seal on the envelope.
¡°...It¡¯s here.¡±
The seal of the Hegel Magic Tower.
This letter was from Aria Lilias.
***The Imperial Magic Tower was shaped like a city, with the central tower sprawling outwards.
At the heart of the towering main building of the Imperial Magic Tower, Aria Lilias had rented an entireboratory to devote herself to her research.
The Academic Forum of the Imperial Magic Tower was held spontaneously and was held once a week for about two months.
The primary attendees were the masters of Magic Towers. Among them, only about twenty who were recognized for their abilities attended the forum.
In preparation for her presentation, Aria focused on exploring the research disclosed by other Tower Masters in previous forums.
During this time, a wizard from the Imperial Magic Tower visited herboratory.
It was an hour before she sent the letter to Isaac.
¡°Tower Master Lilias, you have been summoned.¡±
¡°Summoned?¡±
The wizard of the Imperial Magic Tower wore an elegant robe with gold trimmings.
As a member of the Zelver Empire, the authority held by the Master of the Imperial Magic Tower was immense. The person who summoned Aria must undoubtedly be the Imperial Tower Master.
Aria followed the wizard to the office of the Imperial Tower Master. She thought the room was far too luxurious for one person to upy.
Sitting in the center of the office in a chair was an elderly female wizard with long white hair. She was the Imperial Tower Master, Johanna Calix.
Aria stood before Johanna and bowed her head respectfully.
¡°We have two matters to discuss.¡±
Without returning the greeting, Johanna went straight to the point. She disliked unnecessarily wasting time.
Aria, familiar with her manner, raised her head without much of a reaction.
¡°First, why have you not reported the research you are conducting in secret to the Imperial Magic Tower?¡±
Aria tried to maintain a calm expression, but Johanna noticed the fleeting tremble in her eyes.
¡°...Because it¡¯s not a major project.¡±
Aria was on guard.
Had she been found out?
She was dealing with the Imperial Tower Master. It wasn¡¯t surprising if she had found out somehow.
The problem was what action Johanna would take.
¡°Thew states that ¡®small-scale personal research does not need to be reported.¡¯ However¡ are you sure this is truly small-scale research?¡±
¡°In my judgment, it is.¡±
Aria evasively responded to Johanna¡¯s interrogation.
¡°I see¡ I¡¯ll keep that in mind for now. But be aware that if it turns out your research exceeds the established criteria, you may face punishment depending on its nature.¡±
¡°¡¡±
It was a warning.
The Imperial Magic Tower desired to monopolize information. Unless the research was something trivial, all research conducted in any Magic Tower within the Empire was controlled and managed by the Imperial Magic Tower.
A single genius could bring about miracles that change the era. They wish to control such miracles.
In that sense, the Imperial Magic Tower was undoubtedly wary of Aria¡¯s research.
Aria realized that they had not yet discovered what her research was about.
The Imperial Magic Tower must have detected subtle and strange mana blending into nature near the Hegel Tower. That was Aria¡¯s mistake.
However, if the Imperial Magic Tower had the authority, they could investigate the Hegel Tower immediately. Why hadn¡¯t Johanna done so?
The answer soon became clear.
¡°And secondly.¡±
Johanna took out an envelope.
¡°A letter has arrived for you.¡±
¡°A letter¡? Why is it with Tower Master Calix?¡±
¡°Because the sender is the Ice Sovereign.¡±
It was Isaac.
Aria couldn¡¯t understand why Isaac would send her a letter.
¡°In typical circumstances, letters are not allowed in the Imperial Magic Tower for security reasons. However, since the Ice Sovereign¡¯s business needs to be prioritized, I personally took the time to examine it.¡±
¡°How did you confirm it was from the Ice Sovereign?¡±
¡°It was identified as being from Isaac of M?rchen Academy. By detecting the fingerprints on the envelope, such things are quickly known. The Academy-rted information within the Empire is shared with our Tower.¡±
The Imperial Magic Tower could detect andpare fingerprints.
Johanna lightly shook the envelope.
¡°What I checked was whether the Ice Sovereign had ced any spell on this envelope, and it turned out that it was just an ordinary letter.¡±
¡°...What does it say?¡±
¡°Nothing much. It just asks you to return to M?rchen Academy as soon as possible. Here you go.¡±
With an expressionless face, Aria approached Johanna.
As Johanna was about to hand over the letter, she suddenly leaned in closer to Aria.
¡°You¡ aren¡¯t involved in something with the Ice Sovereign, are you?¡±
The reason why the Imperial Magic Tower couldn¡¯t easily investigate Hegel Tower, or deliberately didn¡¯t, was clear.
Even with the power of the Empire behind them, someone they couldn¡¯t touch was closely connected with Aria.
That someone was the Ice Sovereign.
If Aria¡¯s research were dangerous, the Ice Sovereign would have noticed and wouldn¡¯t have let it be.
He was known as the most powerful archwizard among mankind.
For wizards with a strong desire for intellectual exploration, it was natural to take an interest in the Ice Sovereign, and Johanna was no exception.
Would Aria be an exception? Certainly not.
Therefore, it was only natural to suspect that the Ice Sovereign and Aria might be conducting some secret research together.
Aria showed a displeased expression.
¡°It¡¯s not like that. I don¡¯t know why the Ice Sovereign is looking for me.¡±
Johanna scrutinized Aria¡¯s expression.
She wasn¡¯t lying.
¡°...I see.¡±
Johanna handed over the envelope and Aria put it in her robe pocket.
¡°The Imperial decree is to follow the Ice Sovereign¡¯s wishes as much as possible.¡±
Johanna straightened Aria¡¯s robe cor.
¡°Return, Aria Lilias.¡±
Aria nodded, bowed, and left the office.
Back in herboratory, Aria read the letter and quickly wrote a reply.
The letter was dyed because it was inspected by the Imperial Magic Tower.
I will depart at dawn.
She sent the reply to M?rchen Academy through the messenger bird, V.
Although the distance was great and the cost would be high, she didn¡¯t want to dy her response to the Ice Sovereign.
***The next morning.
Aria, having packed her belongings, departed the Imperial Magic Tower by carriage.
¡°What on earth is that?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Aria sensed a familiar mana and suspicion, so she opened the carriage window to look outside.
Around ten D¨¹pfendorf soldiers were forming a line around the carriage.
Each one of them possessed a power more formidable than the Hegel Tower Master, Aria Lilias.
[Greetings, Tower Master.]
Morcan, the captain of the knights in tinum armor, approached the carriage window and saluted.
Aria stared at Morcan with wide eyes.
¡°Is this an order from the Ice Sovereign?¡±
[Yes, he ordered us to escort you safely to your destination.]
The entry procedures for the Imperial Magic Tower were rigid.
It was the center of information and a symbol of knowledge of the Empire.
Even though the D¨¹pfendorf soldiers, as allies, were permitted to roam within the Empire, entering the Imperial Magic Tower rashly would have caused conflict with the Imperial Authorities.
Thus, the D¨¹pfendorf soldiers had waited outside the Tower to meet Aria.
¡°...Heh.¡±
Aria smiled contentedly.
Having someone like the Ice Sovereign send his subordinates to take care of her put her in a good mood.
¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±
[Yes!]
Morcan saluted again and joined the formation.
Aria turned her gaze back toward the Imperial Magic Tower.
Are you watching, Imperial Tower Master?
This is my backing.
The carriage, apanied by D¨¹pfendorf soldiers, set off for M?rchen Academy.
Meanwhile, Johanna Calix, the Imperial Tower Master, watched the scene from her office through the Tower¡¯s external surveincework.
The D¨¹pfendorf soldiers had stepped in to escort Aria.
This was clear evidence that Aria was under the protection of the Ice Sovereign.
Although the escortprised only ten soldiers, the Imperial Magic Tower¡¯s mana detection system easily sensed the immense mana they possessed.
Even these soldiers were just a small part of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s formidable military force.
D¨¹pfendorf was known as the Ice Kingdom with powerful military capabilities.
The one they served as King was the current Ice Sovereign, Isaac.
The Ice Sovereign¡¯s movements would hold terrifying influence and could easily alter the politicalndscape.
¡°Surely¡¡±
It was truly threatening, Johanna realized.
Meanwhile, in the direction of M?rchen Academy.
¡°Father, we have arrived¡¡±
The carriage of the Astrea Duchy passed through the guard post and entered M?rchen Academy.
Inside the carriage, Kaya reported in a low, timid voice.
Gerald Astrea, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
Chapter 251: Father-In-Law (2)
Chapter 251: Father-In-Law (2)During my military service, I really hated the morning runs we did every day.
Now, I felt as if my day hadn¡¯t started until I went for a run in the damp morning air.
I ran down a tree-lined street. Running alone wasn''t enough, so I also held a magic tool in both hands and practiced mana cirction. It was the most challenging magic tool avable here.
When this started to feel easy, I''d have to find a more rigorous magic tool outside the academy.
A few days ago, Aria Lillias, the master of the Hegel Magic Tower, set off for the M?rchen Academy in a carriage. I learned this from the report of the Ice Knight.
After reading Aria''s recent letter, I assigned trustworthy members of the D¨¹pfendorf army to escort her.
At that time Aria seemed to be holding an important secret, I wanted to keep her under my surveince. There was also the purpose of protecting her from unforeseen dangers.
Aria was to arrive at Hegel Magic Tower within the next two days.
Until then, I nned to train relentlessly and then greet Aria.
Also, White wasing. I learned that from a letter she sent. The letter mentioned that she was ufortable with the Imperial family and would be returning early.As previously mentioned, White was the key to the¡¸Fairy War¡¹.
Sorry, but when she got here, she¡¯d have to go through some tough training. She¡¯d understandter, as it was necessary for clearing the scenario.
[Isaac, you really lead a boring life.]
The Magic beast, a fat purple cat, grumbled as it flew by my shoulder in a lying position. It was the Phantom Cat Cheshire.
[Can''t you live a bit more carelessly? Isn''t it funny that even with that much power, all you do is train, train, and train?]
"What can I do? This is how I have to live."
[Ugh, that''s horrible... I could never live like that.]
I had be obsessed with training, but knowing that the Evil God herself was insanely strong, I didn''t want to take it easy. The Phantom Cat Cheshire knew my intentions.
I sped up and ran quickly down the tree-lined street before returning to my dorm.
Hilde, just awakened from sleep, staggered groggily to greet me and bumped her head against the wall.
Despite it being vacation time, many students chose to remain at the academy. United by a strong desire for self-improvement, they were dedicated to training hard almost every day.
They were from different departments and different years. Normally, we wouldn''t encounter each other during the semester, but seeing each other often, we gradually became friendly, greeting each other and engaging in small talk.
As time passed, I was deploying a magic circle and was in the midst of executing a wave of demonic illusions.
Suddenly, an unusual event urred.
"...!"
For a moment, chills ran down my spine. My eyes widened.
I stopped in my tracks and withdrew my magic circle.
What I felt just now was not mana. It was a clear killing intent.
The killing intent quickly dissipated, but the surrounding students only felt a momentary difort and resumed their training.
As I turned my head back, I saw a man approaching me from the entrance of the training ground.
He looked familiar.
A sharp-looking middle-aged man with slicked-back bangs and the same light green hair as Kaya Astrea.
He had deepugh lines, and some parts of his hair were turning gray.1
He stood in front of me and spoke in a deep voice.
"You have sharp senses for a wizard."
"..."
One by one, the students began to look our way.
They all looked surprised.
What the...?
Why is this man here...?
The man who approached me was one of the top warriors of the empire, known for his skill with a sword.
It was the Sword Saint, Gerald Astrea.
[Gerald Astrea]
Lv: 192
Race: Human
Element: Wind
Danger Level: X
Psychology: [Wants to test if you are a suitable son-inw.]
Son-inw?
The reason for Gerald¡¯s sudden appearance. The answer to that mystery was quickly deduced after reading his psychology.
Kaya¡¯s family must have discovered that she likes me.
Oh, Kaya...
I almost sighed while propping my forehead on my hand, but I restrained myself.
"Greetings. I am Gerald Astrea, head of the Astrea ducal family. I came to see you, Isaac."
Gerald bowed in the manner of noble etiquette.
I adjusted my sses and turned towards Gerald.
It didn''t seem like the right situation tofortably adopt an ¡°Oh, father-inw¡° attitude.
"...What is your business here?"
Gerald red at me with eyes as threatening as an eagle''s.
"Do you intend to take my daughter, Kaya Astrea?"
This...
It seemed like a rather troublesome situation was about to unfold.
It was obviously not a situation to lie, and I had no intention of doing so in the first ce.
Considering he tested me from the start, it wasn''t exactly a pleasant first meeting.
I said firmly.
"Yes. If you have a problem with that then do something about it?"
The air in the training ground grew heavy.
The ss watched the standoff between me and Gerald with tense faces.
* * *"...?"
It was when the Imperial carriage passed through the guard post and reached M?rchen Academy.
Inside the carriage, Merlin Astrea noticed the ducal carriage of the Astrea family through the window.
She wondered if Kaya had returned but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be the head, Gerald''s, personal carriage.
Merlin, startled, stuck her head out the window to get a better look at the carriage.
That was definitely her father''s carriage.
"Merlin? What''s wrong?"
Asked Princess Snow White, who was sitting opposite her.
"What?"
White''s eyes widened.
"The Sword Saint, Duke Gerald Astrea?! How did you know that?"
"That carriage is my family''s head''s personal carriage. For some reason, he seems to be visiting the academy."
White''s eyes sparkled as she noticed the Astrea ducal family''s carriage parked.
Gerald was one of the Empire''s greatest warriors and was known as the Sword Saint. Many admired him, and White was one of them.
However, Merlin couldn''t bring herself to like him. She was simply distressed because her father scared her.
Meanwhile, Kaya Astrea was scanning the campus using wind magic to move through the air.
She was trying to find her father, Gerald Astrea.
"Father, where on earth have you gone...?"
As soon as Gerald arrived at the academy, he visited the Headmistress''s office to meet Headmistress Elena.
He told Headmistress Elena that he wanted to stay at the academy for a while. The conversation went well.
After receiving the Headmistress''s permission and leaving the building, Gerald vanished in an instant.
A clear sense of unease engulfed Kaya. There was only one reason Gerald woulde to the academy.
"Oh, found him...!"
Soon, Kaya spotted Gerald.
Gerald was already entering the dueling ground with a silver-blue-haired male student, Isaac.
Kaya''s face turned pale. She had a bad feeling.
"Ahhh...!"
Kaya hurriedly descended and rushed into the dueling ground.
Inside the facility, Isaac and Gerald stood facing each other, maintaining a distance in the quiet dueling ground.
A faculty member was present to observe, indicating that the academy had permitted the duel between Isaac and the outsider Gerald.
Some students, having heard about the duel between the Ice Sovereign and the Sword Saint, upied the audience seats. They all watched the two men on the dueling ground with keen interest.
Isaac warmed up lightly.
Gerald swung the wooden practice sword a few times with ease.
"It''s too light."
Gerald thought it felt as light as a feather.
It had been a while since he had wielded a wooden practice sword, and it didn''t feel satisfying to swing. It seemed like it would break easily if he didn''t control his strength.
"Father, Isaac!"
Kaya, having entered the facility, shouted towards Isaac and Gerald.
"Wee, Kaya."
Isaac greeted her calmly. He had guessed that Kaya woulde since Gerald was here.
He was very d to see Kaya after a long time, but with Gerald, who had emitted killing intent towards him, standing before him, he decided it wasn''t the right time to greet her with a smile.
Kaya had her hair down and was wearing earrings. Isaac thought she seemed to have been trying to transition into a more mature senior image. The signs had been visible since the end of Semester 1 Year 2.
"You two, w-what is going on? Why are you suddenly dueling?"
"Don''t interfere, Kaya. This is for your sake."
Gerald was resolute. He didn''t even spare his daughter a nce.
Isaac had just finished stretching. He looked at Gerald.
Kaya couldn''t understand the two of them.
[Hello? It''s Cheshire the Exiner!]
Out of nowhere, Phantom Cat Cheshire appeared next to Kaya, greeting her with a wide grin.
Kaya, having been overly focused on Isaac and Gerald, almost screamed when she btedly noticed the Phantom cat''s approach.
[You see, that man seems to want to determine if Isaac is suitable as his son-inw through a duel! Isaac has epted his challenge.]
"What?"
[Do I need to spell it out more? Isaac is dueling to earn the approval of his prospective father-inw, to be with you!]
Kaya was in a daze but soon understood the Phantom Cat''s words.
"Gasp...!"
Kaya covered her suddenly flushed face with both hands.
"Ahhh..."
A sigh escaped her lips.
It was because she was struck by waves of embarrassment and shame.
That day was truly the worst day of her life.
"Isaac. There is a debt to pay to you."
Gerald only focused on Isaac, his duel opponent, and assumed abat stance.
Even the simple act of holding his sword and observing his opponent exuded deep experience.
"Debt¡? Ah."
Isaac recalled the time he had dealt with Babel in the Astrea duchy.
There was nothing else that Gerald would feel indebted about other than that incident.
"But that''s beside the point. I will personally confirm, here and now, whether or not you are suitable for my daughter."
His voice was dignified yet sharply honed.
Gerald never judged someone he hadn''t personally faced inbat.
He didn''t care about titles like King of D¨¹pfendorf, Ice Sovereign, or Extraordinary Archwizard.
The only thing he nned to judge was the potential son-inw he was to face in the duel.
This duel was essentially an interview.
Kaya whimpered, "Father..." The presence of students in the audience only intensified her shame.
This was practically a public execution.
"Anytime."
Isaac stood in the dueling ground as a prospective son-inw. He had no intention of giving up his affection for Kaya.
Moreover, this was not just a test from his prospective father-inw but also a duel with the Sword Saint. It was surely a good opportunity to grow stronger. Isaac didn''t want to miss this chance.
"Please teach me, Father-inw."
"..."
When Isaac bowed his head and casually called him, ¡°Father-inw,¡± Gerald narrowed his eyes, showing his displeasure.
His thoughts slipped out of his mouth.
Oops.
Isaac realized¡ that was a mistake.1. ED Min Note: Wasn''t enturely sure what "Laugh lines" reffered to so I googled it. They''re basically the wrinkles around the eyes.
Chapter 252: Father-In-Law (3)
Chapter 252: Father-In-Law (3)It was easy to learn about the duel between Isaac and Gerald.
Princess Snow White and Merlin Astrea headed to the dueling ground.
Despite it being the vacation period, students who stayed at the academy and some faculty members who had taken a break from work were watching the duel from the stands.
¡°What is this¡?¡±
Unlike White, who was excited about the duel of the century, Merlin was extremely confused.
Why are Isaac and Gerald fighting?
Why was Kaya watching the duel with such a serious expression?
Whatever the reason, it was clear that this was not a good situation.
¡°The duel between Isaac and Duke Gerald Astrea has been arranged. Isaac¡¯s goal is to gain the Duke¡¯s approval. The Duke¡¯s goal is to test Isaac. Any objections?¡±
To the judge¡¯s question, Isaac removed his sses and answered, ¡°No,¡± Gerald Astrea nodded in agreement.The idea that an Elemental King would duel for someone¡¯s approval seemed contradictory.
But this duel was different. Kaya Astrea was at the center of it.
Isaac was willing to use the logic of power even in front of the Emperor if it helped in his journey to defeat the Evil God.
However, he had no intention of disregarding Kaya¡¯s family by taking her away and bringing them humiliation. Therefore, he sought Gerald¡¯s approval.
As a result, Gerald naturally held the upper hand as Kaya¡¯s father and his potential father-inw.
On the other hand, Gerald couldn¡¯t easily let it go once he confirmed Isaac¡¯s intentions.
If Isaac was involved with his daughter, it was only natural for Gerald to take a firm stance.
This was the man who was supposed to take care of his daughter.
The man who would be responsible for her life.
Even if the opponent was an Elemental King, Gerald was determined to firmly assess this man¡¯s character.
¡°Well then, prepare¡ begin the duel!¡±
As the observer stepped back, the duel began.
Isaac released a chilling cold from his entire body. The raw chill exuding from Isaac, already at a high level, was so intense that it created a haze.
His opponent was the Sword Saint of the Empire. Crossing swords with him alone was considered an honor within the Empire. Gaining experience from facing him was undoubtedly a valuable opportunity.
He was determined tond a hit on his future father-inw.
With that resolve, Isaac kicked off the ground.
Swoosh!
Straight and fast.
¡°Hmm?¡±
Gerald felt puzzled.
A wizard attempting closebat right from the start, especially against him.
His athleticism was excellent. Just by observing his movements, one would think he was an honor student from the Academy¡¯s Knight Department.
However, Gerald¡¯s experienced eyes detected something deeper.
Though agile, he was expending more energy than he needed to. It was this observation that made him feel Isaac¡¯s movements were only at the level of an academy honor student.
Whoooosh!
In Isaac¡¯s right hand, cold mana swirled into the shape of a ball. A pale blue magic circle followed.
It was the form for the 5-star ice spell [Frost Explosion].
The faint chill flowing from Isaac¡¯s body condensed into a heavy stream of ice mana.
Due to Isaac¡¯s swift movements, many students couldn¡¯t discern any difference, but Gerald noticed the peculiar flow of cold air gathering in Isaac¡¯s right arm.
Is it to enhance the power of [Frost Explosion]?
There wasn¡¯t much time to think. Isaac was closing in.
¡°You underestimated me.¡±
He had no intention of receiving the attack head-on.
Gerald had the advantage in speed.
Gerald sidestepped. He intended to test Isaac.
To Isaac, it seemed as if Gerald had vanished in the blink of an eye.
In reality, Gerald had deftly slipped out of his sight in an instant.
It was a movement as precise as teleportation.
At that moment, Isaac¡¯s keen hearing caught a sharp sound.
It was behind him.
aash!
A de approached menacingly from behind his head. A horizontal sh.
The swordsman who had been in his sight a moment ago suddenly appeared behind him in a highly unconventional manner.
If Gerald had shown movements that could be logically exined, he wouldn¡¯t have reached the status of a Sword Saint in the first ce.
What are you going to do?
Gerald slipped behind Isaac to see how he would handle an attack from that position.
He wanted to see the reason behind Isaac¡¯s attempt at closebat, which was uncharacteristic of a wizard.
In that instant.
The audience, watching the duel from the stands, could neither follow nor perceive what was happening.
A strange sense of pressure touched Gerald¡¯s instincts.
This guy¡?
Isaac clearly couldn¡¯t keep up with Gerald¡¯s movements.
Yet, Isaac¡¯s right hand, filled with concentrated frost mana, was already positioned behind him.
Gerald couldn¡¯t immediately identify the direction of Isaac¡¯s right hand. It was maxed by the chill concentrated around his arm.
It was a deliberate tactic. Isaac had increased the flow of cold air to conceal the direction of his right hand.
Whoosh!
The concentrated ice mana exploded.
Kwaaaaaa!!!
A pale blue radiance pushed through the cold air.
A brilliant st of ice, apanied by a shockwave, engulfed Gerald.
Sasasak!!
Gerald¡¯s reaction was swift. The sword he was wielding instantly changed its trajectory, and his slightly bent knees extended, generating a deft burst of energy.
Sharp rays of light.
In an instant, several sword strikes were unleashed, slicing and splitting the overwhelming ice st.
Chunks of ice shattered and scattered in all directions.
Gerald, having moved back to create distance from Isaac, was now difficult to follow with the naked eye. He casually brushed the ice and mana residues off his shoulders, appearing remarkablyposed.
¡°What did I just see¡?¡±
¡°Was it always possible to cut through [Frost Explosion]...?¡±
The students in the audience couldn¡¯t fully grasp what had just happened due to the speed of the exchange.
One thing was certain. Gerald had demonstrated an incredible skill by neutralizing [Frost Explosion] with his sword despite it being made of wood.
The practice sword Gerald had picked up was designed to be difficult to cut through objects. Its de was thick and not sharp. Essentially, it was more like a blunt instrument.
However, any tool in Gerald¡¯s hands could transform into a deadly weapon.
Isaac turned to face Gerald, his murky red eyes locking onto him directly.
Impressive.
Gerald was genuinely impressed.
When dueling, one could often infer the opponent¡¯s next move from their gaze and actions.
Moments ago, Isaac couldn¡¯t keep up with Gerald¡¯s movements. Gerald had confirmed that.
But at the moment Gerald vanished, Isaac had already directed his frost mana-infused right hand behind him.
In other words, Isaac hadn¡¯t read Gerald¡¯s movements.
He predicted my movements¡
Gerald realized that Isaac wasn¡¯t merely relying on magic for closebat.
¡°Was that foresight a skill of an archwizard or something?¡±
¡°...No, it was just a hunch.¡±
Isaac was deliberately avoiding reading Gerald¡¯s psychology.
His future opponents wouldn¡¯t easily reveal their intentions. Relying on [Psychological Insight] in battle needed to be avoided.
This allowed Isaac¡¯s enhancedbat senses to shine through. He only had to focus on his five senses.
Gerald felt a tingling sensation in his chest.
¡°Are you displeased?¡±
¡°Quite the opposite, I respect it. Each person has abat style that suits them. However, I do have a question.¡±
Geraldposed himself.
¡°I know you enrolled in the academy to protect it from demons. But why are you still here? With your skills, isn¡¯t seeking further education at the academy a waste of your time?¡±
¡°Learning never ends. I¡¯m still learning a lot here.¡±
¡°Is that a trick?¡±
¡°Think what you will. I¡¯m simply stating what I see and feel.¡±
Isaac took out Zhonya¡¯s Staff from his magic pouch.
Gerald¡¯s eyes widened for a moment before calming down.
Zhonya¡¯s Staff was a magic weapon owned by the Astrea Duchy.
Since it had been passed down to Kaya, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she would give it to the man she loved.
¡°Besides that, I¡¯m staying here to protect the academy from potential threats. There¡¯s still an unknown threat I¡¯m wary of. I n to stay here until I fulfill my role.¡±
The young man before him was an archwizard. His intentions were beyond humanprehension.
Isaac had resolved numerous bizarre incidents and prevented many casualties as if he had foreseen the future. If such a man remained at the academy, there had to be a good reason.
The Imperial Court hade to the same conclusion.
He suddenly thought of something.
Gerald Astrea, being one of the Empire¡¯s greatest powers, was privy to all the threats that the Empire deemed significant.
One of these threats was the prophesied return of the Evil God Nephid, as foreseen by Isaac.
Isaac had revealed his n to the Empire to hunt down the Evil God. He imed he could foresee the time of its resurrection.
This was closely rted to why Isaac remained at the academy.
¡°You speak as if you were a messenger of the gods.¡±
Geraldposed himself again.
¡°I acknowledge your abilities. Even so, isn¡¯t your attitude excessively arrogant, Isaac?¡±
¡°...Is that so?¡±
Boooooo!
Isaac emitted a dense chill and used the 2-star ice spell, [Snow Pellets].
When he was weak, he had to use water magic scrolls to create a fog for deception.
But not now. As mentioned before, Isaac¡¯s mana density was very dense, so it was now possible for him to release a very thick mist if he wanted to.
The chill billowed out like steam, filling the arena.
The [Snow Pellets] that ttered onto the floor distracted Gerald.
It was a tactic Isaac had frequently used.
¡°Such a petty trick.¡±
Gerald was prepared to take the attack.
Whoosh!
Rumbleee!
Pirs of rock extended from the ground, aiming at Gerald, but he deftly dodged the magic.
The thick mist obstructed his vision. His opponent was a wizard bombarding him with magic.
The constant pattering of the [Snow Pellets] created a noisy environment, and the 4-star rock spell [Rock Avnche] attack forced the opponent to focus on sensing the mana.
This tactic exploited such distractions.
Swish!
A silver trajectory cut through his blind spot.
ng!
Without even ncing, Gerald blocked Isaac¡¯s strike with his practice sword.
Isaac was wielding a dagger.
He braced the dagger with Zhonya¡¯s Staff to apply more force.
He¡¯s not like an archwizard.
He did not expect him to attack with a dagger. It felt off to consider him a Magic Knight. He was something of an anomaly.
Gerald met Isaac¡¯s cold gaze.
The key to his strategy was to deliver physical attacks based on his superior physical abilities.
If Gerald dispelled the chill from the beginning, he could have broken the strategy, but it was likely that Isaac had prepared for that.
Moreover, for anyone with a lower mana density than Isaac, it would be difficult to dispel the chill of such high-density mana.
What an interesting fellow.
Even after exchanging only two moves, Gerald felt a refreshing impression.
The supposed Elemental King used the tactics of the weak. He didn¡¯t indulge in or blindly trust his power but cautiously cornered his opponent.
Gerald found the peculiar contradiction rather enjoyable.
Unfortunately, such shallow tricks wouldn¡¯t work on Gerald. He was adept at sensing presences and didn¡¯t rely solely on mana detection.
He could have blocked Isaac¡¯s attack even with his eyes closed.
It was a good tactic¡ for anyone but him, of course.
¡°So what if I¡¯m arrogant?¡±
The dagger and practice sword continued their struggle for dominance.
¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect what I love while trying to live my life. Archwizard¡ what a joke. Strip away the titles, and I¡¯m just a man. Struggling to stay alive, fortunate enough to have some luck on my side, but still just an ordinary man.¡±
Those words carried weight. Gerald found them intriguing.
Despite his young age, Isaac was a figure whose presence was widely known around the world. What trials he had gone through to achieve what he had done were beyond anyone¡¯s knowledge.¡±
But the words Isaac just spoke wereden with the struggles he faced learning the ways of the weak.
Gerald¡¯s curiosity about Isaac grew.
Swordsmen understand each other by crossing des. Although his opponent was an archwizard, the fact that he wielded a de changed everything.
Ssssss!
A chill flowed quickly and intensely from Isaac¡¯s hand.
The condensed chill exploded, attempting to engulf Gerald like a wild beast.
Whoosh!
ng!
He wasn¡¯t just going to take it quietly.
Gerald deflected Isaac¡¯s dagger with a sideways swipe andunched a graceful counterattack.
Isaac wasn¡¯t caught off guard. He swung his dagger once more, shing des with Gerald.
ng!
ng!
ng!
Isaac retreated while deflecting Gerald¡¯s sword, counterattacking with ice and rock magic.
He repeatedly condensed ice mana at the tip of his dagger to create explosions, a technique difficult for mere students to imitate, showcasing his incredible mana mastery andputational ability.
Even while swinging his practice sword, Gerald had to dodge Isaac¡¯s magic as much as possible to minimize damage to the de.
Not shing des was an option, but Gerald chose not to. He had grown interested in Isaac.
¡°Did you just say that an archwizard is a joke?¡±
Gerald¡¯s response was swift. While mercilessly driving Isaac back with continuous strikes, he dodged or deflected elemental magic without showing any openings.
Sparks flew and the dagger shuddered as the de cut through the chill.
Whenever Isaac retreated and blocked with his de, Gerald¡¯s sword pursued relentlessly like a ma.
Kwagagang!!
Sureung!!
¡°Did you say you are just an ordinary man when stripped of your titles?¡±
Gerald instinctively identified and cut through the tiny gaps in the elemental magic Isaac cast.
As the saying goes, a master did not me his tools. Gerald proved this with a practice sword. He had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, known as the Sword Saint.
The sound of air being sliced and explosions constantly assaulted the ears of the two men. Sparks flew intermittently as their swords shed, cutting through the chill.
¡°Did you dismiss your uniqueness as mere luck?¡±
Gerald¡¯s strikes were extremely experienced and even beautiful in their efficiency.
Isaac found that mere defensive magic was insufficient, so he had to use Zhonya¡¯s Staff not only to cast spells but also to block attacks.
Each sh sent a biting chill surging through the air, gradually clearing Gerald¡¯s field of vision.
¡°Many struggle to survive, working until their skin peels off, but only a few achieve greatness!¡±
Boooom!!
A powerful strike sent Isaac flying with his dagger. Isaac caught the blow with Zhonya¡¯s Staff, supporting his hand holding the dagger.
Boooong!!
The air pressure from Gerald¡¯s strike cleared away the remaining chill. Gerald had swung his sword with deliberate force.
Isaded in the dueling ground, raising up an ice wall behind him to support his back.
Isaac, leaning on Zhonya¡¯s Staff, still showed no signs of being overexerted.
And then.
Crack.
Crackle!
Gerald¡¯s sword shattered.
Each sh had incrementally damaged the de with Isaac¡¯s precise mana explosions.
Gerald didn¡¯t even look down at his sword because he had expected this. Despite minimizing the damage from Isaac¡¯s chill, the practice sword had its limits.
The students, faculty, White, and Merlin in the audience were all visibly shocked.
¡°That¡¯s not luck. It¡¯s a result of your efforts. If you are to be the man to take my daughter, throw away that kind of attitude.¡±
Gerald didn¡¯t know about status windows or systems, or Isaac¡¯s circumstances.
But objectively, Isaac had achieved tremendous feats and was now in a position to take charge of D¨¹pfendorf.
Despite this, Isaac was still not ustomed to his position, and his unspoken thoughts had slipped out.
Thus, Gerald had pointed this out as a prospective father-inw.
Don¡¯t diminish your achievements as luck.
Understand exactly where you stand.
An Elemental King, the Lord of D¨¹pfendorf, and the man who would take care of his daughter¡
¡Aren¡¯t there other things to be humble about?
¡°...I will keep that in mind.¡±
Understanding Gerald¡¯s intention, Isaac replied in a subdued voice.
Gerald took a deep breath and spoke.
¡°...It¡¯s my loss.¡±
As soon as Gerald uttered those words, a slow apuse slowly began to ripple through the audience.
Soon, everyone in the audience was cheering and apuding.
¡°Merlin?¡±
White, happily pping, looked at Merlin with a puzzled expression.
Because Merlin¡¯s face had gone pale.
:"
Chapter 253: Father-In-Law (4)
Chapter 253: Father-In-Law (4)¡°Duel ends! Isaac wins!¡±
The observer dered.
With Gerald''s deration of defeat, the duel ended.
¡°...¡±
Gerald Astrea turned his back and walked off, ncing sideways at Isaac.
Isaac. It was astonishing to see such an innately talented yet humble mindset in someone of his age.
Moreover, his unconventionalbat style was remarkable.
Gerald inadvertently sensed that Isaac had not been indulging in his talent but had undergone rigorous training.
The reason Gerald had pressured Isaac was because he had taken a liking to him. He didn''t think Kaya''s judgment of men was wrong.
Gerald had no intention of admitting that he liked Isaac. With his defeat confirmed, there was nothing more to be said.Gerald left the dueling arena, and Isaac''s eyes followed his back.
¡°Crazy.¡±
¡°How is that possible with a practice sword...?¡±
¡°Did you see the way he subtly released mana every time the swords shed? I''ve never seen such precise mana mastery.¡±
¡°But did he really have to do it that way?¡±
¡°It seemed like he was intentionally adjusting the force to keep shing swords because If he used a big spell, it might have backfired.¡±
The students were excited. The duel between Isaac and Gerald taught them that such feats were possible at a high level of magic and swordsmanship.
Even if the practice sword Gerald held didn''tst long.
It was certainly a high-level duel that was rarely seen anywhere.
¡°Ugh...¡±
Kaya looked back and forth between Isaac, who stood motionless in the dueling ground, and Gerald, who was leaving. She was troubled.
Who should she go to?
Realizing her feelings, Isaac nodded and gestured in the direction Gerald had gone. It meant she should talk to Gerald first.
Kaya said, "I''m, I''m sorry...! I''ll see youter!" and bowed to Isaac before chasing after Gerald.
The fat purple cat, Phantom Cat Cheshire, made eye contact with Isaac and raised its paw. It was a gesture of appreciation for the spectacle. Soon, Cheshire turned into smoke and disappeared.
The [Ice Wall] crumbled into powder, leaving only the cold wind which lingered like an echo.
Isaac also left the dueling ground shortly after.
He cut through magic.
Isaac reyed the duel in his mind.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was no asion to fight Gerald.
There were many characters with various titles who didn''t y significant roles in the game. Gerald was one of them.
He could only visit the Astrea Ducal house and disy the status window.
So, he knew Gerald was strong, but he never imagined he could cut through magic so easily.
As he recalled the duel, Gerald''s reprimands pricked at his heart.
He had made a contract with D¨¹pfendorf. As someone they served, he had not fulfilled his responsibilities properly.
His self-deprecating behavior was tantamount to disrespecting D¨¹pendorf. Gerald''s criticism surely meant just that.
He never forgets what he realizes.
I won''t forget this lesson, no matter what.
Isaac put his sses back on.
***"Senior Isaac!"
"White?"
As he left the dueling grounds, White approached.
White spread her arms wide, smiling brightly like a blooming flower. Though she wasn¡¯t usually in the habit of hugging, White often mimicked asking for one. It seemed to be a habit.
Then, "Ah," she said, lowering her arms.
It seemed she remembered the time she was severely scolded for hugging me before.
Even as an academy student now, there was a dignity she had to maintain as a princess. She always had to show modest behavior, but it seemed difficult for White to adhere to it.
Merlin was apanying White. She looked incredibly serious for whatever reason.
¡°You came back early.¡±
¡°Yes, it''s been a while!¡±
¡°Have you finished your assignments?¡±
¡°Hehehe. Senior, it''s still vacation.¡±
Sheughed, but the firm nuance was that she didn''t want to discuss assignments any further. It was also an indirect way of saying she hadn''t finished them yet.
It was my mentee''s way of making sure she got the most out of the deadline.
¡°More importantly, Senior Isaac! You were incredible earlier! Both the Duke of Astrea cutting through magic and your skills were amazing! But how did you two end up dueling? Did two strong individuals recognize each other and head to the dueling ground...!¡±
White showed an excited and curious expression.
In White''s imagination, Gerald and I had gone to fight in style, just like the great martial artists in a martial arts novel.
In reality, it was more like a battle of love and war to see if I was suitable as a son-inw.
¡°Just, it happened by chance.¡±
I answered evasively.
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
Just as White was about to press further, Merlin suddenly spoke up.
White and I looked at Merlin.
¡°Can I ask you just one question?¡±
¡°Go ahead, Lady Merlin.¡±
¡°Do you perhaps have any rtionship with Kaya Astrea...¡±
Merlin couldn¡¯t continue her sentence.
¡°¡It¡¯s nothing.¡±
Finally, she averted her gaze, giving up on speaking. It seemed she wasn¡¯t ready to hear the answer yet.
Merlin must have had a rough idea of the situation.
In time, she was going to hear about it from Kaya or Gerald. It wasn¡¯t something to worry about now.
White stared at Merlin with a curious expression.
¡°Well then. White, do you have time?¡±
White turned her head back to me and smiled again.
¡°Yes. Senior Isaac, since it''s been a while, how about some tea¡¡±
¡°Change your clothes ande out. Let¡¯s train.¡±
¡°What?¡±
White froze on the spot.
The smile on White¡¯s face turned into confusion. Cold sweat started to trickle down her face.
¡°I thought mentoring sessions were on break during vacations?¡±
¡°If you start the second semester in your current state, you won¡¯t avoid being in the lower ranks. You need to train whenever you have time.¡±
I sounded like a bossy elder, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. White had to get stronger.
¡°Senior Isaac, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to rest a bit during the vacation¡?¡±
¡°No.¡±
White had endured the tough training during the semester because she had established a routine. Besides, she had a desire to grow.
But when vacation started, White left for the Imperial Court, and her training routine was broken. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant about the tough training.
It¡¯s like going to the gym. A person who¡¯s not a gym enthusiast might go to the gym every day, but if they stop for some reason, they find it hard to return to the tough workouts. White is the same.
However, that isn¡¯t an option. We can''t rest.
Of course, I nned to adjust the intensity of today''s training. She had a long journey, after all. I just wanted her to get back into the training routine as soon as possible.
¡°Oh, right. Merlin, there are pressing matters we need to discuss urgently and thoroughly with the Imperial Knights¡¡±
¡°Phew.¡±
Merlin sighed. She seemed to be collecting her thoughts.
¡°Let¡¯s go, Princess White.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing as effective as training under Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Merlin¡¡±
White tried to find an escape, but the way was blocked.
White sent Merlin a pitiful look as if asking why she wasn¡¯t taking her side.
It seemed Merlin wanted to help me with White''s growth and to keep an eye on my movements.
I appreciated it.
White took a step back.
¡°I, I didn¡¯t escape from the Imperial Court for this¡!¡±
¡°Princess White, there is no paradise where you can escape to.¡±
Princess White, there is no paradise you can flee to after arriving.
¡°Eeeeh¡!¡±
Tears welled up in White¡¯s eyes.
***It was night.
Bang!!
In a corner of the Butterfly Garden, I set up a rock target and repeatedly fired the 7-star Ice spell [Icebolt].
Today¡¯s mentoring session went well. White had whined, but once she resigned herself and started training, she showed focus. When she reviewed, she realized her growth, which seemed to motivate her.
It''s the same with anything.
It was before entering the Judicial Research and Training Institute, during a meeting with the sessful candidates.
Someone who had taken a year off due to a major slump said this. They almost fell into despair, thinking they had forgotten everything they studied for the exam, but when they started preparing again, studying went smoothly.
You can do it if you try.
Someone who had passionately and diligently done something before could do it again, even after a break.
So I forced White, who showed reluctance, to train. Fortunately, she was motivated.
After that, I hoped to have a conversation with Kaya, but it seemed Gerald wasn¡¯t making it easy for her.
So, I focused on my training for the past four hours.
¡°This damn thing won¡¯t aim right.¡±
I sat down on the ground. I had overexerted my mana. After learning 7-star magic, the intensity of my training definitely increased.
I decided to take a five-minute break to catch my breath.
At that moment, I heard footsteps behind me.
¡°¡This time, there''s no killing intent.¡±
I said after realizing the identity of the one approaching me.
I turned around. As expected, it was Gerald Astrea.
It seemed he hade looking for me.
¡°Your mana is significantly different from when we dueled.¡±
During the duel, I was buffed by [vs. Human Combat Power].
I didn''t bother to answer. It was well-known that manipting maximum mana was the domain of an archwizard. There was no need to lie and exin.
I stood up and turned towards Gerald.
¡°You¡¯re treating Princess Snow White quite harshly.¡±
¡°Well... as her mentor. There''s something we do at the academy, and I''m in a teaching position.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
When did he see¡?
¡°More importantly, you came to talk about Kaya, didn¡¯t you?¡±
There was no need to read his psychology. What other reason would he have to seek me out besides Kaya?
But Gerald shook his head.
¡°I thought we were done talking about Kaya.¡±
...Then why did youe?
As I quietly looked into his eyes, Gerald continued.
¡°I have one question.¡±
Gerald stood in front of me, looking down at me.
¡°You could rely solely on magic, so why did you learn suchbat techniques?¡±
So it¡¯s about the duel.
By ¡°suchbat techniques,¡± he seemed to refer to my fighting style that didn¡¯t rely solely on magic.
¡°Because I can¡¯t rely on magic alone.¡±
Gerald narrowed his eyes.
¡°A person who has reached the level of archwizard doesn¡¯t trust magic? How ironic.¡±
Then Gerald came up with a new idea.
¡°No... rather, is it because you know magic better than anyone that you can¡¯t trust it? If that¡¯s the case, it makes sense. I didn¡¯t expect to learn something here.¡±
My future father-inw was having a self-dialogue.
It was simply because I couldn''t safely clear this journey with just one type of magic.
One couldn¡¯t just have magic to get them through this journey.
Since I couldn¡¯t exin such things, I was d he understood on his own.
¡°I will give you a gift.¡±
¡°...?¡±
I blinked, and Gerald vanished without a trace.
Only the sound of footsteps on the grass could be heard.
I sensed a presence behind me. When I turned my head, I saw Gerald¡¯s back.
Was it that incredible movement I saw earlier during the duel... which looked like magic?
It wasn¡¯t even magic. It was just an extraordinary movement, and I found it fascinating how he could do that.
¡°It¡¯s Footwork.¡±
As if answering my question, Gerald turned his head towards me and spoke coldly.
¡°Footwork?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll teach you this while I¡¯m staying here for a few days.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°It will surely help yourbat techniques. Whether you can master it depends on your ability. Will you ept it?¡±
My jaw dropped.
I hadn¡¯t expected this at all.
¡°Are you serious?¡±
Gerald nodded.
Joy surged up. I was incredibly happy.
¡°Yes, if it¡¯s such a gift, definitely¡!¡±
A wide smile spread across my face.
I bowed vigorously to express my gratitude.
¡°Thank you for looking after me, Father-inw!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t call me Father-inw.¡±
Gerald frowned.
He was still sensitive about being called ¡°Father-inw¡±.
Chapter 254: Individual Growth
Chapter 254: Individual GrowthIn the basement of the Carnedas family¡¯s mansion, there was a hidden room.
In that room, a strange swirling door opened, and a man and a woman staggered out.
¡°Kugh!¡±
¡°Uhh¡!¡±
It was Ian Fairytale and Ciel Carnedas.
Both of themy sprawled on the floor, groaning. The door automatically closed, and the swirling phenomenon subsided.
¡°Haa, ahh, we did it¡!¡±
¡°Shut up.¡±
Ian barely managed to sit up and looked at the sacred sword in his right hand, chuckling.
Ciel buried her head on the floor and grumbled in annoyance.The two had just returned from the divine realm. Ian had undergone trials and received the recognition of a Great Heavenly Being, obtaining the Luminous Sword, while Ciel was overwhelmed by the memory of the imposing presence she had seen at the end.
Even for a brief moment, they had encountered a Heavenly God.
Ciel felt as if she had been reduced to nothing more than dust. The Heavenly God was far away yet distinctly present and incredibly immense. Its mana pulsed like a heartbeat, evoking a primal fear.
She shuddered just thinking about it, yet this oblivious man was grinning widely, proud of obtaining a formidable magic weapon. He was annoyingly carefree.
¡°Ian! Ciel!¡±
¡°Lady Ciel!¡±
Hearing the noise, Amy Holloway went down to the basement with a Carnedas family maid.
Amy immediately knelt in front of Ian, while the maid assisted Ciel.
¡°Are you okay? Are you really okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine! Look at this, Amy. I¡¯ve be stronger¡!¡±
¡°You¡¯re covered in wounds!¡±
Amy tearfully hugged Ian.
¡°You idiot. I told you not to overdo it. Do you know how worried I was?¡±
¡°..I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡±
¡°...Wee back.¡±
¡°I¡¯m back.¡±
Ciel frowned as she watched the couple, lost in their own world.
It was like there were hearts floating above their heads. A cross-shaped vein popped on Ciel¡¯s forehead, and a shadow fell over her eyes.
As if she was saying, ¡°How dare they be affectionate in front of me?¡°
¡°Should I kill them¡?¡±
¡°Please restrain yourself, Lady Ciel.¡±
The maid stopped Ciel as she began to gather her mana.
This kind of pure love, devoid of drama, only fueled Ciel¡¯s anger.
Ciel liked blood, love, and war. Something as stimting as Isaac¡¯splicated romantic rtionships.
¡°More importantly, I have something to report.¡±
The maid spoke in a serious tone.
She reported that demons attacked while Ciel and Ian were away. Fortunately, the forces of D¨¹pfendorf had helped, so there were no casualties.
Amy chimed in, vividly recounting the events of that day.
¡°¡¡±
Ciel fell into deep thought.
* * *¡°Ugh¡!¡±
¡°You missed.¡±
In a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
Just likest night, Gerald Astrea tried to teach me footwork this morning.
It had a name that sounded like something straight out of a martial arts novel, but it was actually a technique using mana.
After only a short distance, intense pain shot through my thighs, knees, and calves. I tried to grit my teeth and endure, but I lost my bnce and fell.
Sweat poured down my entire body. The unfamiliar training was extremely exhausting.
¡°First, your mana must harmonize with your muscles and joints. As if they were one from the beginning. It will be quite difficult at first. It¡¯s not just about being good at magic.¡±
Gerald exined as I staggered to my feet.
Gerald didn¡¯t have a natural talent for magic. However, he had mastered the method of imbuing his muscles and joints with mana to enhance his movements. He had figured it out on his own.
It was much more challenging than the usual physical-enhancement magic, but Gerald had a high understanding of his own body, which made it possible.
In any case, seeding in this process was a prerequisite for learning the ¡°Footwork¡± Gerald mentioned.
¡°Let me repeat. This is a method to infuse strength within your body. If done correctly, you can achieve quick movements with no effort. The effect increases as your body grows. The key is to harmoniously blend your mana with the movements of your muscles and joints. It requires some trial and error, but with your capabilities, you should be able to do it soon.¡±
Gerald¡¯s technique, if mastered, could reduce the strain on the body and enable effective rapid movements. It felt like raising the upper limits of physical capabilities.
However, Gerald¡¯s method wasn¡¯t widely practiced.
¡°It¡¯s difficult¡¡±
Due to the insane difficulty of the technique.
Having a natural talent for magic wasn¡¯t enough. It was clear that this technique was for those with exceptional talent who had trained both their bodies and their magic.
Without a proper understanding of one¡¯s body structure, it was hard to use. So, I didn¡¯t know how to do it either.
Gerald seemed to have mastered it thanks to his remarkable physical talent.
Anyway.
I needed to appropriately infuse mana into the muscles and joints, but any misstep would cause imbnce and pain.
I had to find the fine line where mana could be infused and operated only in the muscles and joints.
It was like pouring soju into a soju ss using surface tension to fill it to the brim.
In this analogy, the soju ss was the muscles and joints. But at the moment, I felt like I didn¡¯t even know the size of the ss.
¡°Try again, Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Still, I was very motivated. It was a coveted technique.
Once I seeded, I would qualify to learn Gerald¡¯s footwork.
Pain didn¡¯t matter. I had already endured so much of that already.
I gathered my mana again.
* * *Mateo Jordana had be a recognized and promising talent.
Amoner from the countryside who had entered the Empire¡¯s top academy and became a top student.
The vigers had pooled their resources to cover his tuition. His town was that affectionate.
Mateo aimed to be amoner who wouldn¡¯t lose to nobles. He was determined to ovee the inequalities brought by social status.
Thus, he was bold even at the academy filled with nobles, to the point ofmitting the atrocity of kidnapping the noble Amy Holloway.
He had been foolish. Thanks to Isaac and Ian Fairytale, Mateo realized his mistakes and repented.
Now, he vowed to prove that amoner could surpass a noble through skills alone.
However, the academy was full of students whose talents far exceeded Mateo¡¯s.
Not only did he have to contend with geniuses like the top seat Luce Eltania or the second seat Kaya Astrea, but the literal Ice Sovereign, Isaac.
¡°Hoo.¡±
Mateo took a deep breath. His body was drenched in sweat.
The sun was setting. A wide in stretched out around him.
His lover, dressed in a in dress, sat at a distance, watching Mateo¡¯s back.
¡°Mateo, isn¡¯t it time to stop? The sun¡¯s almost down.¡±
¡°Not yet. Just 300 more times.¡±
Mateo clenched his fist.
Realistically, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be the best at M?rchen Academy.
But Mateo was determined to achieve his goal.
He nned to use everything he had seen and learned at the academy.
He remembered seeing Isaac swinging his rock fist while concealing his true power. That had inspired him.
Mateo wondered if there was abat style better suited for him, rather than just using magic.
He thought of his sturdy body.
Mateo had never neglected his physical training. He believed that no matter what he did, physical strength was fundamental.
Like Isaac, Mateo decided to be stronger by utilizing his trained body.
Rumble!
Rock mana swirled around Mateo¡¯s fist. Fragments of rock floated around his fist.
Then, he unleashed his power.
Whoosh!!
Rumbleeee!!!
The rock mana spread out, and rock fragments surged forward.
The wind pressure blew through his lover¡¯s hair.
¡°...Oh!¡±
Mateo¡¯s eyes widened.
The rock mana kept spreading out in a fan-shaped pattern, dispersing its power.
Again. His goal was a straight line.
Hundreds, thousands of times a day. Mateo, drenched in sweat, thrust his rock-mana-covered fist forward.
***In the training grounds of the Humphrey family mansion.
Despite thete hour, Tristan Humphrey was still whipping around the training grounds, the wind coiling around him.
Panting heavily, Tristan drew out his mana.
An elderly butler, who had served his family for years, watched from a distance as Tristan trained relentlessly.
¡°Young Master¡¡±
Tristan subjected himself to hellish training every day without rest.
Harnessing wind mana, he moved at incredible speeds, smashing training dummies with skill beyond his years.
However, suchbat techniques ced immense strain on his body and caused intense pain.
For hours each day, Tristan trained, often to the point of nosebleeds or vomiting, yet he never stopped.
¡°More!!¡±
Tristan shouted, trying to push his speed even further, his frustration clear as if something wasn¡¯t quite right.
The usually arrogant Young Master revealed his true self during training.
As if he were being chased by something.
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
Tristan coughed up blood, his body trembling violently.
The butler quickly rushed over and wiped the blood from Tristan¡¯s mouth with a towel.
¡°Young Master, please stop. You¡¯re overexerting yourself.¡±
¡°Not yet, I¡¯m fine. I can¡¯t stop yet.¡±
¡°Why are you doing this?¡±
Tristan grinned.
¡°It feels like I¡¯m close to a breakthrough.¡±
Using wind mana to move quickly puts tremendous strain on the body.
If he continued, he would inevitably suffer severe aftereffects.
So, Tristan needed to find a way to reduce the strain on his body.
¡°What do you mean¡?¡±
¡°I¡¯m practicing channeling mana into parts of my body that don¡¯t usually imbue mana.¡±
¡°What?¡±
The butler was shocked.
¡°Like muscles and joints. If I do it right, I might be able to control my power more effectively.¡±
The butler, once a mercenary wizard, could fully grasp the absurdity of what Tristan was doing.
Channeling mana into his muscles and joints? No one could tell just by looking.
It would likely cause severe imbnce and pain as if his limbs were breaking.
¡°If you continue like this¡ you could end up with irreversible injuries.¡±
The butler¡¯s voice trembled with concern for Tristan.
¡°Such pathetic talk. That¡¯s what this training is for. Do you think someone as superior as me can¡¯t ovee this?¡±
Tristan snickered and lightly brushed off the butler¡¯s hand, which was holding the towel to his mouth.
¡°Enough, return to your post.¡±
Tristan turned his back and resumed his training. The butler watched him with pity.
He felt good about his desire to improve himself. For the butler, who had pledged to serve the Humphrey family, seeing the future head, Tristan, work hard every day was indeed admirable.
But¡ if he trained this intensely, his body would give out before his spirit.
Still, Tristan trained with a smile, driven by the anticipation of reaching new heights, his heart raced with excitement.
In the end, the butler couldn¡¯t help but voice the question that had been on his mind.
¡°Young Master.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Why¡ do you push yourself so hard?¡±
Why is he striving to be strong?
Why did he study and train with all his might, driving himself into extreme pain?
Isn¡¯t he already more than capable of bing the head of the family?
As a butler, it wasn¡¯t his ce to ask. What could be more admirable than the next head who strives to grow every day?
The butler regretted asking the question.
He lowered his head.
¡°I misspoke. Please forget what I just said¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s only natural.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
Since enrolling in M?rchen Academy, receiving education, meeting many people, and experiencing numerous humiliations at the hands of Isaac.
Tristan had learned a lot.
¡°I used to think I was the brightest. But looking back, I was just covered in dirt.¡±
He felt ashamed of having been so proud of his talents and the little skill he had umted.
He felt ashamed of hiscent belief that his efforts and achievements were the right way.
He wasn¡¯t a brilliant person at all. He was just a clueless, dirt-covered beggar.
Those damn guys who made him realize this were shining annoyingly bright.
I will outshine them all.
I will be a great wizard, lead the Humphrey family, and surpass and crush the likes of the Ice Sovereign Isaac.
¡°How could I possibly stay still?¡±
His heart was pounding.
Tristan walked forward, the wind swirling around him.
The butler closed his mouth and quietly watched Tristan¡¯s back. Then, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
¡°Indeed¡¡±
The butler bowed his head to the one he would serve until the day he died.
And then, at dawn.
Whooosh!
As Tristan flew, surrounded by wind, he realized he was moving faster than he had expected.
A gentle sensation. The wind spread like petals. He reached a point further than he intended in the blink of an eye.
He clearly felt the unfamiliar sensation of the speed.
He didn¡¯t feel his body¡¯s reflex that used to weigh him down and disrupt his body.
Surprised, Tristan stood dazed for a moment.
Soon, his lips curled into a smile.
¡°Kehehehe¡ Kuhahaha!! I did it!! I did it, didn¡¯t I?!¡±
In a surge of exhration, Tristanughed loudly, only to start coughing after a while.
The butler, who had been watching, sparkled with joy as if it were his own achievement.
With the sense of aplishment came a heavy fatigue that drained Tristan of his strength. He chuckled quietly before copsing powerlessly to the ground.
Tristan had reached new heights.
Chapter 255: Secret Research (1)
Chapter 255: Secret Research (1)¡°Slow.¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
¡°Slow.¡±
¡°Gah!¡±
¡°Slow.¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
Morning. In a corner of the Butterfly Garden.
Isaac was continuing his training to keep up with Gerald''s movements.
Gerald moved with footwork, striking Isaac with a wooden sword whenever he failed to keep up.
Although the wooden sword wasn''t swung with full force. Intentionally stopping the use of [Basic Protection Magic], Isaac felt pure pain. This was Gerald''s instruction for training.It was a method of education meant to instill an obsession with quickly mastering the technique by inflicting physical pain.
It was a violent but effective method.
Isaac focused on the flow of mana running through his body. He was gradually getting a feel for it.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the academic building overlooking the corner of the butterfly garden.
Dorothy sat on the railing with her white cat familiar, E, watching Isaac and Gerald.
She had flown to meet Isaac but stopped at the top of the building upon seeing Gerald.
¡°That person, isn''t he the Sword Saint? What is he doing with Isaac?¡±
[It looks like they''re training for something.]
¡°Ugh, that must hurt¡¡±
Dorothy was appalled seeing Isaac being struck with a wooden sword.
She then stroked her smooth chin, looking at Isaac as if examining him closely.
¡°But Isaac, his movements are really irregr. One moment he moves like a drunk person, and the next he''s swift and sharp.¡±
[It looks like he''s trying to learn something new.]
Dorothy''s range for sensing mana was extensive. However, she couldn''t sense any mana from either Isaac or Gerald.
Just when he swung his hand, moved half a step, or turned his body.
"Is he training to infuse only the necessary parts inside his body with mana for movement? That would increase his mobility, but..."
Dorothy grasped it instantly.
She had never imagined trying it nor felt the need to, but she felt she wouldn''t be able to do it even if she tried.
Such a technique wasn''t achievable with just high mana mastery.
"He¡¯s doing something difficult."
[We''d just get in the way. What do you say, Dorothy?]
"Hmm."
Dorothy pondered for a moment.
Isaac is training hard. Soon, he¡¯ll probably get hungry.
Alright, she decided.
"Shall we secretly bring him a snack?"
Dorothy¡¯s thought process was very simple, but E didn¡¯t realize it was that simple and tried to guess Dorothy¡¯s true intention.
[Are you trying to warn them that he¡¯s your man?]
Dorothy red at E.
"Goodness, that''s absurd¡ Do you really think that''s the case? Is this cat constantly making people feel creepy?"
[Hmph, is that so?]
Eughed slyly.
***Someone secretly left a basket with sandwiches. Along with a note saying, ¡°Isaac! Enjoy your meal!¡±
Judging by the poor handwriting, it was clear that Dorothy had left it.
Gerald gave me a suspicious look. It sent shivers down my spine.
¡°Who sent this?¡±
¡°This is¡¡±
¡°I''ll ask again. Which ''woman'' sent this?¡±
The interrogation began naturally.
I didn¡¯t know how to answer. It was like finding out there were other women when one was trying to entrust their daughter to their son-inw.
Since I wasn¡¯t nning to mislead him and was hesitating, Gerald sighed.
¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Considering your status, it¡¯s not strange to have several women. I never thought you would only embrace Kaya.¡±
Surprisingly easy, huh?
Contrary to the rigid impression, he seemed to be epting.
¡°Is that so¡?¡±
¡°That''s a strange reaction.¡±
¡°I was worried you might be upset.¡±
¡°I can only speak to you about matters concerning Kaya. I won¡¯t overstep. But promise me one thing.¡±
Gerald red at me with a cold expression.
¡°No matter how many wives you have, cherish Kaya for life.¡±
¡°¡Of course.¡±
¡°Then that¡¯s settled.¡±
Contrary to my expectations, Gerald let it go smoothly.
We ate the sandwiches and talked a little about Kaya before resuming training.
I was slightly nervous, wondering if Gerald would swing the wooden sword harder with his emotions getting the better of him.
That didn¡¯t happen.
***Ah, it hurts so much...
The sky scattered a cozy sunset glow.
Bruises were all over my body from being hit so much with the wooden sword.
To master Gerald¡¯s footwork, I had to learn the technique of appropriately channeling and maintaining mana through my muscles and joints.
Gerald said he wasn¡¯ting back until I could master the technique. In other words, that day would be thest day he would be concerned about me.
My goal at that point was to master the technique and learn his footwork before Gerald left.
I had finished mentoring White and was running across the campus. Despite the numerous bruises making it ufortable to run, it wasn¡¯t enough to hinder my movements.
Aria wasn''t going to arrive untilter at night, so I''d have the rest of the day to train.
Whooosh!
Suddenly, I felt wind mana from the sky. I stopped.
A gentle light green wind flowed around and caressed my skin.
A female studentnded softly and hugged me from behind.
¡°Kaya?¡±
¡°¡¡±
It was Kaya.
Before she hugged me from behind, I checked her eyes. Blood-red pupils. It was her Ravenous persona.
The one who always tried to seduce me whenever we met had been resurrected after a long time, yet she said nothing. It was surely because of the Gerald issue.
A warm mana of life swirled around my entire body. It emanated from a small tree that sprouted from the magic circle above Kaya''s hand, scattering its mana.
Oh.
The sensation of stiffness from the bruises faded away. My skin returned to its original state, and the nt magic withered afterpleting its role.
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°¡Say something.¡±
¡°I feel too ashamed to face you¡¡±
A sigh escaped me.
We went to the fountain za and sat on a bench. The sunset tinted the trickling fountain water with its sunset glow.
The sound of flowing water and the gentle breeze were the only things that could be heard. I decided to keep silent until Kaya spoke.
Eventually, Kaya spoke.
¡°Um, Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble. I tried to stop my father somehow¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s fine.¡±
¡°No, it''s not fine. That''s nonsense! The bruises on your body earlier were because of my father, weren''t they?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true, but I took them willingly.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°He offered to teach me how to move quickly without straining my body. Getting hit was part of the training.¡±
¡°Ah, that method¡¡±
Kaya must have known Gerald¡¯s footwork. She was his daughter, after all. But she probably didn¡¯t learn it herself.
Understanding the situation, Kaya gave an embarrassed smile. She looked relieved.
¡°It¡¯s not perfect yet, but I think it¡¯ll work out somehow.¡±
¡°I was worried you got hurt because of me... My father tends to go all out, regardless of who he¡¯s dealing with.¡±
Is she dissing Father-inw?
He did have a tendency to go all out.
I didn''t bother saying that out loud though.
¡°Up until yesterday, my father had forbidden me from meeting you. So I didn¡¯t know anything¡¡±
¡°Do you think I would just take a beating willingly¡? By the way, are you going to keep holding my hand?¡±
Kaya had been holding my hand, fiddling with my fingers, and stroking them.
Like she was handling a toy.
¡°I can¡¯t help it, it¡¯s because I have ack of affection.¡±
Isn¡¯t it a bit shameless to admit that?
...It didn¡¯t matter. It was obvious she was lying anyway.
¡°Fine, keep touching them.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°No¡ I mean, in moderation.¡±
¡°Oh, no.¡±
Kaya looked disappointed. If she lost her restraint, who knew what she might attempt.
Kaya still had her hair down, styled with half of it tied back. The golden earrings she wore peeked through her hair.
¡°You¡¯ve changed your look a lot.¡±
¡°Oh, how is it?¡±
Kaya smiled, pleased that I noticed the change.
Seeing her up close felt different. She always wore her hair in twin tails, so it was even more striking. I¡¯d say she looked more innocent than usual.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t the only one changing.
Everyone was steadily growing, and those traces were naturally reflected in their appearance.
¡°You feel more mature¡? You don¡¯t lookpletely young anymore.¡±
¡°Are you saying I look old¡?¡±
¡°I meant it in a good way. Now you look more like a second-year senior. It suits you.¡±
Seeing Kaya¡¯s shocked expression, I hurried to smooth things over.
Maybe I should change the subject.
¡°And don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand your father¡¯s feelings. I¡¯ve received a lot of help thanks to him. It¡¯s rather fortunate we can meet like this.¡±
¡°¡You¡¯re really kind, Isaac.¡±
Kaya naturally leaned on my shoulder and hugged my arm tightly.
¡°¡What are you doing?¡±
¡°Showing affection.¡±
It was so random.
It was so out of context and straightforward that I didn¡¯t know how to respond.
Kaya rested her chin on my shoulder and looked at me closely with a sly smile.
¡°By the way, Isaac. I heard you called my father ¡®Father-inw.''¡±
Kaya tilted her head and asked yfully.
She was testing me.
¡°Do you like me that much?¡±
¡°It just turned out that way. Are you teasing me?¡±
Kaya looked lovingly into my eyes.
After a brief pause, Kaya spoke in a sincere voice.
¡°I like you. I missed you.¡±
¡°¡I see.¡±
As always, Kaya expressed her feelings without hesitation.
***Late at night.
A carriage, escorted by Ice Knights, passed through the guard post and arrived at the Hegel Magic Tower.
Under the protection of the Ice Knights, a petite woman stepped out of the carriage. She used telekinesis to effortlessly lift a luggage bag as big as herself.
Her reddish-brown hair was tied to one side. It was Aria Lillias, the master of Hegel Magic Tower.
The D¨¹pfendorf forces that escorted the carriage all saluted sharply toward the silver-blue-haired boy standing by the tree.
Aria¡¯s calm gaze also turned towards the boy.
¡°Wee, Teacher.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe out to greet me yourself. What is it that you wanted to see me for?¡±
The silver-blue-haired boy, Isaac, approached Aria.
The height difference between the two was considerable, so Aria had to tilt her head back to the point of hurting her neck to look at Isaac.
¡°¡Ah.¡±
Realizing his mistake, Isaac bent his knees to match Aria¡¯s eye level.
Aria frowned.
¡°There¡¯s no need to match eye levels.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
Aria snapped. Her short stature was aplex for her.
Isaac¡¯s consideration unintentionally made Aria feel humiliated.
Chapter 256: Secret Research (2)
Chapter 256: Secret Research (2)As expected, she knew.
Aria Lilias was aware of why I had sought her out. She merely asked to confirm if her assumptions were correct.
This made our talk quicker.
¡°You¡¯re hiding something from me, right?¡±
Aria seemed to dislike any gesture that would highlight our height difference, so I nonchntly stood up and asked her a question.
With a deep sigh, as if expecting this question, Aria walked past me.
¡°Follow me.¡±
We were greeted by the tower¡¯s wizards as we entered Hegel Tower and went up the elevator.
Even as the elevator ascended to the top floor, Aria remained silent. Perhaps she was being cautious about discussing any secrets. I deliberately kept quiet as well.
When we reached the top floor, we entered the Tower Master¡¯sboratory.Using telekinesis, Aria adjusted the light shields on themps mounted high on the walls, illuminating the spacious, library-likeboratory.
She checked the barrier by touching the bookshelf.
¡°It was damaged¡ as expected.¡±
Her tone suggested she had already anticipated that the barrier waspromised.
I deduced that someone other than me had already questioned Aria about what she was hiding. It was likely the Imperial Tower.
¡°The barrier? Did someone break in?¡±
Aria shook her head.
¡°It wasn¡¯t broken by anyone. It was simply a malfunction of the magic tool. I didn¡¯t pay proper attention to it while preparing for the Academic Forum.¡±
Reading her psychology, it was evident that something that shouldn¡¯t have been exposed had briefly leaked through the recently damaged barrier.
Aria quickly restored the barrier by infusing her mana. She also set up a soundproofing barrier.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You were right. I¡¯m conducting secret research.¡±
Aria flew telekically towards a section of the vast bookshelf.
So, she had been working on some secret research.
¡°Can you show it to me?¡±
¡°I never thought I could hide it from you forever, nor did I intend to keep it a secret from you. But¡ this is a very important matter to me. I¡¯ll show you my secret, but first, you need to tell me yours.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°The main reason you enrolled in the academy. Why you¡¯re still here and what you¡¯re waiting for. Reveal it all to me.¡±
Aria had protected people from the academy, and strictly speaking, she had been on my side all this time. In other words, she was an ally.
Even Dorothy Gale, the mysterious figure, had told me to seek out Aria, indicating that Aria¡¯s secret was something I had to uncover. The mysterious book outright dered she would be on my side.
Naturally, I couldn¡¯t resort to harsh methods to pry a secret out of an ally.
After all, Aria would be on humanity¡¯s side in the fight against the Evil God, not on the demon¡¯s side.
I decided there was no need to hide my goal from her.
¡°Alright.¡±
Aria¡¯s calm gaze met mine and I approached her.
Silence. Stillness. After a brief moment, I stood before her and spoke.
¡°The Evil God will be resurrected.¡±
Aria¡¯s eyes trembled lightly.
¡°I don¡¯t know exactly when, but when the timees, I¡¯ll be able to sense it.¡±
¡°The Evil God¡¡±
As we had discussed before, Aria seemed very interested in demons and heavenly beings.
She likely understood the threat posed by the Evil God Nephid.
¡°So, the ce where the Evil God is sealed is¡?¡±
¡°In this area.¡±
It was the first time I saw Aria¡¯s shocked expression. Her eyes widened briefly before returning to normal.
¡°The Evil God is desperately trying to eliminate any obstacles before its resurrection. So far, it has caused incidents centered around the academy, and now it¡¯s starting to awaken dangerous beings scattered around the world.¡±
¡°Like the Floating Ind or that demon who tried to mimic the sky?¡±
I nodded.
¡°Although those beings weren¡¯t awakened directly by the Evil God, it is true that it is trying to awaken simrly dangerous entities. And I like the academy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to protect this ce. Also, I¡¯m trying to find out when the Evil God is going to be resurrected as soon as possible.¡±
¡°That secret¡ If the students were to learn about this beforehand, the information would spread uncontrobly, and people would panic¡¡±
Aria muttered quietly to herself. Her mind came up with a lot of reasons besides the ones she said out loud.
Of course, I didn¡¯t reveal the real reason. Specifically, that there was still much for me to learn at the academy and that the key to clearing the scenario was there.
That¡¯s part of it, but¡
I had been living there since I first possessed this body. Wanting to protect M?rchen Academy was simply my own will.
I had never calcted loss or profit, I had simply grown attached to this ce and the people in it.
¡°...I understand the situation.¡±
Aria remainedposed even after hearing about the Evil God¡¯s resurrection. She was surprised for a moment, but she quickly regained herposure.
¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I am on your side. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
Is she trying to reassure me?
I appreciated it, so I smiled.
Aria pulled out a book from somewhere on the bookshelf. The section of the bookshelf from which the book was taken was empty inside, but Aria reached into it.
There was a keyhole hidden by a disguise spell. Aria inserted a key into the keyhole.
Rumble.
¡°Huh?¡±
A section of the bookshelf split open, revealing a hidden passage.
It was surprising. It felt like a scene from a movie where the police discover a secret passage in a criminal¡¯s hideout.
¡°Now, I¡¯ll show you my secret.¡±
Aria took a glowingmp and gestured towards the passage. She wanted me to follow.
We entered the secret passage. Though it was dark inside, themp Aria carried allowed us to see our surroundings. The colors were dull, and it was narrow, it was only as wide as our shoulders.
We climbed up a spiral staircase that led to a spacious room. It was a hidden area between Aria¡¯sboratory and the rooftop.
¡°What¡ is this?¡±
Various mana stones were neatly arranged. High-level magic beasts and monster body parts used in alchemy were scattered around, and in the center of the room was a mysterious magic circle I had never seen before.
In the center was a small rift of strange turquoise-colored mana.
It was tiny, about the size of a finger.
The mysterious flow of mana resembled a ck hole, absorbing light.
Due to theyered barriers, not even the sound of mana flowing could be heard. It was extremely quiet.
I had never seen anything like this, even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°This is my work. It¡¯s going to be a rare masterpiece.¡±
Aria approached the turquoise mana rift.
Standing before it, she turned to look at me.
¡°It¡¯s a rift connected to the Nether.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
What absurd nonsense¡?
¡°Excuse me¡? What?¡±
I needed a moment to collect my thoughts.
Aria wasn¡¯t one to tell boring lies. There was direct evidence to support her im.
The faint sensation on my skin felt like mana from another world.
The feeling I experienced when I went to the Nether to fight the Floating Ind, Cavallion the Earthshaker¡ That unsettling sensation was unforgettable.
I was feeling the same sensation now.
¡°Seeing your reaction confirms that my research is progressing well.¡±
Aria wore a satisfied expression.
It seemed she hadn¡¯t been entirely sure if the rift was indeed a connection to the Nether.
It was expected because she hadn¡¯t been there herself.
¡°Isaac, before I die, I want to explore the Nether if it really exists, and if it does, I want to know what kind of ce it is. I wanted to observe the divine beings there.¡±
Aria stroked the barrier as if it were a precious object.
¡°Even so, I can¡¯t die yet. I hadn¡¯t yet discovered the secrets of this world. But I couldn¡¯t bear my curiosity about the afterlife and the existence of a god there.¡±
I looked around again.
Dried and twisted body parts of high-ranking magic beasts and monsters were scattered around. These were rare materials that were hard toe by. The floor was stained with dried blood.
The method of creating a passage to the afterlife was certainly not normal.
This was clear.
¡°Is this ¡®ck magic¡¯...?¡±
It wasmon knowledge that there were countless types of magic around the world, many of which remain undiscovered. Just as humanity had not yet found all marine life.
There were also unssified types of magic, and among them were those that should never be used, strictly forbidden byw, collectively referred to as ¡°ck magic¡±.
For example, magic that could permanently turn a creature into a rat, enable a human to bear a monster¡¯s child, summon forbidden entities, or create creatures by merging various body parts of different beings.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was a setting that could even be found in the library, and among the quests that could be taken from the adventurer¡¯s guild, there were ones to thwart the nefarious ns of wizard groups that used ck magic. So I knew about it.
Aria shook her head.
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ck magic. Such things are only pursued by malignant cults or malicious dark wizards. This is a method I established myself through hints from ancient books and my own research.¡±
Thanks to the effect of [Frozen Soul], my emotions did not re up over this.
I responded calmly.
¡°That¡¯s your opinion. Anyone can see this is not something thew would allow. It¡¯s dangerous¡¡±
¡°I have no intention of harming anyone.¡±
¡°What if somethinges through from the Nether? Do you think you can control it with your will?¡±
¡°...I suspected as much, but it seems you also know things about the Nether.¡±
Of course I did, I had been to the corner of the Nether where the dead squabble.
¡°Well, in any case, that¡¯s not going to happen. The passage is narrow. This is my limit. My goal is just observation, so this is enough.¡±
She meant observing the afterlife like microorganisms through a microscope.
In reality, the rift might not be a problem.
If it had caused an incident, it would have been a major one, and it would have been mentioned in the game. But as I mentioned before, I had never seen anything like it in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
In the ending credits, Ian lived well and prospered. That meant the rift either disappeared naturally or Aria peacefully observed and discarded it.
Of course, it couldn¡¯t be viewed entirely optimistically. I didn¡¯t know what kind of end the extra Aria met.
Regardless, if the Empire found out, it would be a grave crime.
However¡
Dorothy Gale, who wrote the unknown book, specifically told me to find Aria. She said Aria would be my ally.
Is it because of the rift?
But what did defeating the Evil God have to do with the Nether?
¡°It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re not being aggressive¡¡±
Shortly right after.
A buzzing noise suddenly came from inside the barrier.
The swirling mana in the rift surged violently as if it was trying to expel something. As if it had been waiting for me.
I felt a sense of crisis and I shouted urgently.
¡°Teacher! Get away!!¡±
Aria was greatly surprised. She looked at the rift with disbelief.
And then.
Bang!!
The rift fired something like a gunshot.
It pierced straight through theyers of barrier and the sound of ss shattering could be heard.
¡°¡!!¡±
Something fired from the rift went through my forehead.
A chilling, eerie sensation soaked into my brain.
At that moment.
In the blink of an eye, ake adorned with ice appeared in my sight. A rain of blood fell from the sky. Since my body¡¯s sensations hadn¡¯t changed, I hadn¡¯t been moved.
This was a hallucination.
It was something I could break free from if I wanted to.
However, I couldn¡¯t immediately dispel the hallucination.
Because I saw a woman standing in a small house in the middle of the icyke.
My body froze. I couldn¡¯t close my eyes.
The woman had long, light purple hair that had faded to white. She looked at me, smiling gently.
Though she had a mature appearance, I couldn¡¯t fail to recognize her.
Dorothy¡?
I was immediately convinced.
The woman was Dorothy Gale.
Chapter 257: Secret Research (3)
Chapter 257: Secret Research (3)I silenced the sound.
Instinct pulled out the memory. The face I had often seen in my nightmares ovepped with the woman in front of me¡ Dorothy¡
¡Lost her life alongside the Floating Ind.
I couldn''t protect her.
I instinctively realized that the Dorothy I first met was this woman.
[Hello, Benefactor.]
Surely¡ this is a hallucination.
¡°Dorothy¡¡±
Dorothy Gale approached across the iceke. With each step, ripples spread across the calm waters that not even the chill of the wind could freeze.
The flowing white dress remained pristine even under a rain of blood. The starlight magic surrounding Dorothy''s skin repelled the rain.It was noble and sacred.
I used to jokingly call Dorothy a goddess, but the Dorothy before me truly looked close to the concept of a goddess.
Dorothy stopped in front of me. Despite looking older, her beauty was unchanged. Her lips were vividly colored as if she wore red lipstick, and her eyes held mysterious clouds where new stars were born.
[Hoping this message reaches you someday.]
¡°¡?¡±
[This is not a conversation, so even if you speak, I will only say what I have to. As long as the Evil God lives, this is all I can convey to that world. I apologize, but I am unable to help you properly.]
Of course... I expected that.
In the book written by Dorothy Gale, there was a mention that she was ¡°on the verge of losing her mind.¡± Therefore, the Dorothy before me must be her from the past.
One of the reasons Dorothy told me to find Aria seemed to have been to convey the message to me.
There was no way they wouldn¡¯t have noticed Aria''s arrogant research challenging the truth in the Nether. It seems she exploited the rift with the Nether.
I recalled what I read on page 5 of the unknown book. It said that if any god intervened in this world, the ¡°victory¡± of the Evil God was guaranteed. I didn''t know what it meant, but that seemed to be why the message was left.
I quietly faced Dorothy.
[I do not remember who you are. But I know you tried to save me. I know you saw me as a woman, and that you loved me. So I dressed up a little. How do I look...?]
Dorothy fiddled with her hair, embarrassed.
How does she look? She looks utterly adorable.
[Ahem, putting that aside¡]
Dorothy cleared her throat and looked to the side.
[This is the iceke. The end of all ces. The very bottom of all ces. It is somewhere far, far away from where you are.]
The view of the iceke filled with icebergs. There was an unfathomablyrge hole in the sky, above which was filled only with pitch-ck darkness.
The iceke emitted a glowing mana, making it as bright as midday.
The rain of blood couldn''t soil the iceke, which was as clear as the azure sky, and with each drop, it sank beneath theke.
The contrastingbination of the eerie sky and the beautifulke evoked a sense of mystery and awe.
[Anyway, let us get to the main point.]
Dorothy looked at me again. Her expression became serious.
[It is sad to say, but if things continue like this, you will be unable to defeat the Evil God.]
What?
[You must be confused¡ Let me exin this first. Powerful demons are born with abilities. The Evil God is no exception.]
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the Evil God''s abilities weren¡¯t revealed.
It was just overwhelmingly powerful, and its abilities weren¡¯t revealed throughout the battles in the game.
What kind of abilities would the pinnacle of demons, the Evil God, possess?
[The power that the Evil God possesses is the ''Authority of Godying''. If a god sets foot in that world, it can instantly take their life, absorb them, and be stronger. All gods are at a disadvantage against the Evil God. That is why no one can directly help you.]
¡°¡¡±
What is that?
It was an absurd story.
But it made sense. In the Evil God''s subjugation battles, Gods never intervened. In the game, only the Lord, Heavenly God, and Evil God were mentioned. Even the Lord was just a religion. There was no opportunity for the Evil God''s ability to manifest.
Hearing that, I could understand. Why divine beings remained still when all worlds were perishing, and why it was said that the Evil God''s victory was certain if a god intervened.
[If the Evil God revives, everything will be over. So, someone has to defeat the Evil God, and that someone must not be a god. That is why you were chosen. I do not know the selection criteria, though.]
Dorothy extended her right index finger upwards. Above it, a cluster of stars formed a vivid, tiny figure of the Evil God. It looked like a small doll.**[But in the countless futures the gods saw, there was no way to defeat the Evil God. It was inevitable that you would fail to defeat the Evil God initially. So the gods thought of this method.]**
Dorothy then extended her left index finger upward, causing a cluster of stars to form.
Above her left index finger, the starlight magic sculpted a small figure of the Evil God. She clenched her fist and destroyed the Evil God she created on the right.
[To reverse time entirely and find a way to be saved from inevitable failure.]
Reverse time?
[They say there is a being here that can control time. It is currently sealed by the Evil God and is unable to move, but when the Evil God destroys everything, the seal was broken. I had heard it has already reversed time once.]
A being that can reverse time.
I remembered the system window I saw in the Trial of Sandstone. The content of the system window was to survive until the reset.
The being that made that possible was now in the Ice Lake.
[There was a huge risk that you had to be defeated by the Evil God and somehow survive, but fortunately, things turned out well.]
First attempt, second attempt.
Those terms were just a way for me to understand easily.
Even reversing time was part of the route to defeat the Evil God. It wasn''t a retry; it was a continuation.
Of course, I couldn''t understand all the details, but Dorothy''s continuous words helped clear some of my doubts.
[The reversed flow of time cannot affect someone like me. I think I have be quite an extraordinary person after dying... No, even calling myself a person does not seem right anymore.]
Dorothy gave a forcedugh.
Even if everyone''s time went back, it didn''t for Dorothy.
Recalling Dorothy''s abilities I had seen, it wasn''t hard to deduce what she had be.
One of the conditions for those who could attain a transcendental state to finally reach it is death.
Having used [Last Light of a Dying Star], she lost her life. Dorothy had be like the Candy House Witch that Gretel loved.
[I remember meeting someone after I died. Everything I am telling you now, including your situation, was told to me by someone. But no matter how much I think about it, I am unable to remember who told me...]
It must have been "Higgs". The developers of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. Who else could it be?
I couldn''t understand why Dorothy couldn''t recall her conversation partner.
Did Higgs deliberately make Dorothy forget? Or did she simply forget?
If it was the former, for what reason?
[Anyway, I promised to help you. And when I woke up, the time in that world had already been reversed once.]
Dorothy ced her hand on her chest.
[I was the one who sent the Primordial Magic Beast from the iceke to aid you. It was free and unbound by anything. I judged it suitable to be your strength. It also chose to serve you as its master on its own.]
In the first attempt, The Floating Ind was not subjugated.
However, in the second attempt, thanks to Magic Beast Daikan the Primordial Beast of Ice, serving me as its master, I was able to subjugate The Floating Ind.
How is that possible?
Dorothy was now saying that she was the answer to that question.
I, who tried to save Dorothy, was instead receiving help from the Dorothy standing before me.
So that I could defeat an unbeatable enemy.
[Did you manage to save me well?]
Dorothy was just a character in a game.
[Actually, if you don''t mind... there is one thing I really want to know.]
Dorothy had lost everything.
[Are the two of you in love with each other now?]
But she still asked me with a sly smile.
My fists trembled, and my throat tightened. Dorothy''s question turned into a sharp awl, tearing through my chest.
[Nihihi. Unfortunately, I am unable to hear the answer anyway...]
Dorothy came closer to me. Soon, her expression turned serious.
[But even with the Primordial Magic Beast, you will still meet defeat at the hands of the Evil God. No matter how many strongrades you bring, no matter how strong the Child of Light bes. It is true that the situation improves the stronger you get, but still, it is not enough to defeat the Evil God as you are.]
So, in the end, it was Higgs who transmigrated me into this world and said that, right?
¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡±
If I can''t defeat the Evil God even after sacrificing Dorothy in front of me and going through hell, what am I supposed to do?
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ian defeated the Evil God. Did they downgrade the difficulty of the Evil God in the game, or what?
A feeling of frustration surged within me.
[I am not saying there is no hope. I am trying to tell you that there are two ways to increase your chances of winning. These are the methods I have heard of. It will be my mission to convey those methods to you.]
Dorothy lowered her eyes.
[This is... something that could not be recorded in a book.]
If it were recorded in a book, someone could see it.
It seemed like she was about to talk about something so important or cruel that even the slightest possibility had to be eliminated.
After a brief pause, Dorothy spoke.
[The first of the two methods is the most realistic. If sessful, your chances of winning will increase significantly. It is also the reason I gave you the power to save another version of me.]
I had a bad feeling.
[It is to strike the Evil God with [Last Light of a Dying Star].]
¡°No way.¡±
I rejected it firmly.
The condition for casting the 9-star starlight spell, [Last Light of a Dying Star], was Dorothy''s life.
Sacrifice the current Dorothy, whom I''ve managed to save, in the final showdown?
So, the power of the Primordial Magic Beast was given to me to create the option of sacrificing Dorothy in the final battle?
I couldn''t ept it.
No, I would never ept it.
[¡You probably will not agree.]
Dorothy seemed to have already guessed my feelings.
Even if she didn''t remember who I was, she remembered that I liked her.
[But the second method is nearly impossible.]
¡°Tell me.¡±
Since the first method involved sacrificing Dorothy it was absolutely out of the question.
Then the second method was the only choice.
[The second method is for you toe to the iceke.]
The ce I see before me now?
[Toe here alive and obtain the ultimate ice magic.]
Dorothy continued.
With your living body, go against the truth and head to the Nether.
Everything in the Nether will target you.
Even the Nether King will block your path.
Throw yourself into hell.
Defeat the gatekeeper, Veronica Aslius, the Primordial ice Sovereign, and reach the iceke.
There, meet the Transcendent Being sealed by the Evil God and master the ultimate ice magic.
That is the way to increase your chances of defeating the Evil God without sacrificing anyone.
The second method.
[That is about all I wanted to say. I hope this message reaches you.]
Dorothy stepped back from me and stared at me silently for a while.
She seemed deep in thought. Since it was a hallucination, no status window appeared, so I just gazed into Dorothy''s mysterious eyes.
[Well then.]
Soon, Dorothy waved her hand in farewell, turned around, and walked toward a small house.
I was lost in thought, quietly watching Dorothy''s back.
Dorothy suddenly stopped and eximed, "Ah."
[Let me emphasize one thing.]
Dorothy turned to look at me.
[Never trust her, the one who is helping you in the most intuitive manner.]
"What?"
As expected, there was no answer.
Dorothy hastened her steps again.
As she walked away, the view of the iceke in my sight quickly receded and faded.
Next, my vision was filled with pitch-ck darkness.
"...Isaac!"
Then, a familiar voice called out.
"Isaac!"
"...!!"
I opened my eyes.
In my vision was the worried face of Aria Lilias looking down at me.
Chapter 258: Secret Research (4)
Chapter 258: Secret Research (4)I must have cked out.
Aria Lilias told me what happened when I was hallucinating.
When something suddenly shot out from the rift and pierced my forehead, I fainted.
It didn¡¯t take long. Although it felt like over ten minutes to me, Aria said it was less than thirty seconds. I regained consciousness while Aria was trying out various means to bring me back.
¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. But the message from the Nether¡ it¡¯s unbelievable.¡±
In the spacious, library-likeboratory.
Aria and I were sitting against a bookshelf.
The secret passage was once again hidden by the bookshelf.
I briefly recounted what I had experienced. However, I didn¡¯t specifically mention that the person who left the message for me was Dorothy.
¡°The fact that Transcendent Being is aware of my research and orchestrated for you to find me¡¡±¡°She wanted to tell me that I can¡¯t defeat the Evil God as I am now.¡±
¡°Because of the Authority of Godying¡ In the end, the gods are gambling on you?¡±
¡°Probably.¡±
I, who was once an ordinary game yer, had be a pawn in the god¡¯s ns.
This game against the Evil God was so vast in scale that even time and countless fateful crossroads were mere cards to be yed.
I was just a small, insignificant human. So, I couldn¡¯t fully grasp the game board set by the gods.
Even now, I still don¡¯t.
There were many mysteries that would remain unsolved unless I could speak directly with the game developers, Higgs.
One thing was clear, my choices were limited.
¡°...I¡¯m going to the Nether.¡±
Aria¡¯s eyes quivered slightly.
Naturally, I decided to choose the second method that Dorothy had mentioned.
¡°I¡¯m going to find a way to defeat the Evil God, and there¡¯s someone I need to meet.¡±
¡°I have a lot to say¡ but first, there¡¯s something you need to know.¡±
Aria turned towards me.
¡°How do you n to go? You¡¯re not thinking of dying to get there, are you?¡±
¡°The person who sent me the message told me how.¡±
Dorothy had exined how to get to the Nether while talking about the second method.
¡°I¡¯m going to widen the rift and go through it.¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
Aria¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.
¡°I need to find a sure way to widen the rift. I¡¯ll be assisting in your research if that¡¯s alright with you?¡±
I recalled the contents of the mysterious book. She said that Aria was on my side.
However, if a god encouraged rather than scolded her, this arrogant wizard would undoubtedly indulge her instincts without restraint.
Our interests aligned, and she could even satisfy her intellectual curiosity.
Aria would be my most loyal ally.
Did Dorothy see through this?
If ites to this, am I dabbling in ck magic too?
Well, since I was now in the same boat as Aria, I decided to adopt the same mindset as her, boldly believing that what we were doing was not ck magic.
After all, we had a noble cause for this research. It was to defeat the Evil God and protect the world.
¡°Hee, hehehe¡.¡±
Gradually, an uncontrobleughter came out of Aria¡¯s mouth and her body trembled.
It was a peculiarughter.
¡°That sounds truly wonderful¡ Seriously perfect¡.¡±
Aria¡¯s voice was filled with such ecstasy that it seemed she might sob with joy.
It was the most lively and joyous expression I had ever seen on her face.
***¡°Isaac!¡±
When I left the Tower Master¡¯sboratory and was about to leave Hegel Tower¡
I ran into Luce in the hallway. She was wearing a Hegel Tower wizard robe.
We headed to the rooftop. Thanks to the Tower Master¡¯s permission, we could ess the rooftop anytime.
We stood next to each other on the rooftop railing, looking at the night view of M?rchen Academy.
The night breeze was cool.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing? You know I¡¯m doing my apprenticeship here.¡±
¡°It waste. I thought it might be rude toe see you.¡±
¡°Isaac¡ I hate you.¡±
Luce murmured softly, almost like a whisper.
¡°How did you know I was here?¡±
¡°Your familiar came to see the Tower Master before, didn¡¯t she?¡±
¡How did she know that?
¡°When I heard the Tower Master was returning today, I figured you¡¯de.¡±
¡°Really¡? Sharp as always, I see.¡±
Luce gave me a meaningful look.
¡°Is something going on?¡±
¡°Huh? Nothing.¡±
¡°If you came to see the Tower Master as soon as she returned, it must be something urgent.¡±
Luce¡¯s specialty, interrogating, had begun.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°I just had a few things to ask Teacher.¡±
Luce looked at me skeptically.
I can¡¯t tell her the truth.
That I was nning to go to the Nether and had decided to work with Aria.
To tell her this? No way. It would sound like I was throwing myself into danger.
Suddenly, I fully understood why Dorothy, from the first cycle, mentioned in the mysterious book that Aria would be on my side.
Someone like Luce, who had affection for me, wouldn¡¯t let me take a dangerous path.
Nor would the others.
In the end, there was no one as perfectly aligned with my interests and optimized to help me as Aria.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s really nothing.¡±
¡°...Alright. I won¡¯t ask again.¡±
She backed down surprisingly easily.
I looked at the night view with that thought, and Luce suddenly pulled my head towards her.
Luce held my face to her chest.
A soft sensation enveloped my chin and both cheeks.
What¡¯s this, all of a sudden¡?
¡°Why are you suddenly doing this¡?¡±
¡°You like my chest, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this an inappropriate time to say that? Seriously, why are you doing this?¡±
¡°...Isaac.¡±
Luce whispered as she stroked the back of my head.
¡°Why have you been looking so sad since earlier?¡±
Despite my efforts to manage my expressions, it must have leaked without my knowledge. I was careless.
If Luce noticed, then there was no hiding it. I decided to tell her.
¡°Well¡ it happens. Not everything in life is always good, you know.¡±
¡°¡¡±
The more I pondered on Dorothy Gale¡¯s words, the deeper my regret grew.
She was the Dorothy I first met. The person I liked.
Everyone¡¯s time turned back, but only Dorothy was sacrificed as a pawn in the game.
It was a truly messed-up situation.
¡°But it¡¯s okay. Really. It¡¯s not something to worry about.¡±
I smiled nonchntly. I had no intention of sharing such worries with Luce.
Luce stroked my head and turned her gaze towards the night view.
¡°The forest path looks very dark.¡±
Luce brought up a different topic.
¡°It does.¡±
¡°Do you want to stay over? It¡¯s dangerous out there at night.¡±
¡°I¡¯m¡ not really someone who needs to be warned about the dangers of the night, am I?¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s stay like this a little longer. I promised to do this when you¡¯re having a hard time.¡±
Luce leaned her cheek against my head, her warmth enveloping me.
¡°We¡¯re going to live together, so you¡¯d better get used to myfort.¡±
Such a considerate person¡
It¡¯s quiteforting.
¡°Thank you, Luce.¡±
¡°Even when we have our eldest daughter, Adriana, and our son, Hamel. If you want, I¡¯ll always hold you first before our kids.¡±
¡°...Huh?¡±
I was confused.
What is she talking about?
***[Is that really true¡?]
I arrived at the dorm.
As I entered the room, I was greeted by the Frost Dragon Hilde, who was cleaning in her human form.
Usually, the academy maids did the cleaning, making this unnecessary, but Hilde said she wanted to try mimicking humans.
The only light in the dark room was the soft glow of themp.
I sat Hilde on the bed and told her everything that happened at Hegel Tower, except for one thing.
I left out the part where the Primordial Ice Sovereign was guarding the icyke.
I had already given Hilde a lot of information. That alone would be overwhelming.
If I mentioned the Primordial Ice Sovereign now, I didn¡¯t know how this would affect Hilde, who had longed for her former master for a thousand years, emotionally.
So it would be wiser to talk about the Primordial Ice Sovereign issue at another time.
¡°Yeah.¡±
[We need to find Dorothy immediately, Master!]
Hilde was restless. She seemed to prioritize rescuing Dorothy over the dangers of the Nether.
My feelings were the same, but there was nothing I could do at the moment.
¡°I still need to improve my skills. It will take some time. I need to prepare thoroughly in the meantime.¡±
I knew exactly what I had to do.
I needed to calm my emotions and avoid being impatient.
If I didn¡¯t prepare thoroughly, it would be a meaningless death.
The reason was¡
The bad ending ¡¸Wanderer of the Nether¡¹...
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was a character that always leads to a game over. One of them was the Nether King.
If one used the ¡°Key to Mysteries¡±¡¯ to head to the edge of the Nether in the game.
If one remained in the Nether until the key¡¯s effect wore off, they would meet the conditions for the bad ending.
While wandering the Nether, at some point, a giant pair of eyes would appear in the sky.
The owner of those eyes would introduce himself as the Nether King.
This overwhelming presence brought death to Ian, who had defied the truth.
In the end, Ian became a wandering soul in the Nether.
That was the bad ending¡¸Wanderer of the Nether¡¹.
Dorothy from the first cycle said I had to defeat the Nether King.
If I went to the Nether with my physical body, I would inevitably catch the Nether King¡¯s attention, and facing him was unavoidable.
Thinking about confronting a bad ending element I thought I¡¯d never have to face made my heart pound with secret fear.
[Master¡ will you really be alright? Can you handle it?]
She meant, ¡°Can you endure it with a good heart?¡±
I pulled out the silver dagger, de of Frost Flowers. When I drew the de from its sheath, I saw the three pale blue magic circles activate.
I needed to look far ahead.
I had to do my best.
I had to reap the maximum benefit.
That was the only thing I could do now.
¡°...Honestly, I¡¯m not alright.¡±
But I wasn¡¯t okay.
Especially considering Dorothy¡¯s situation, my heart felt like it could burst with anger.
I sheathed the de of Frost Flowers again and looked at Hilde.
Hilde was looking at me with aplicated expression.
¡°As I said, I¡¯m going to prepare thoroughly and go to the Nether.¡±
It was no different from before.
Just like when I worked tirelessly to bring down the Floating Ind to save Dorothy.
Clearing scenarios and relentlessly bing stronger.
Let¡¯s prepare to traverse the Nether.
¡°There, I¡¯ll meet someone who will impart the ultimate ice magic to me. And then¡¡±
©¤ Are you two in love with each other?
The distant icyke.
At the bottom of everything, alone in that small, shabby house.
¡°I¡¯m going to see Dorothy.¡±
I steeled myself.
Chapter 259: Coronation Ceremony (1)
Chapter 259: Coronation Ceremony (1)A few dayster, during the day.
I called Gerald and brought him to a corner of the Butterfly Garden. Gerald had decided to stay at the academy for a while, so it was easy to find him in the guest lodging.
Gerald and I both held wooden swords. I wasn''t much of a swordsman, let alone a match for a Sword Saint, but that didn''t matter. This wasn''t a swordsmanship duel in the first ce.
I stretched my legs out long and pressed down on my knees firmly to loosen up my body.
"You''re full of enthusiasm."
Gerald said, looking at me with eyes like an eagle.
I gave a gentle smile.
"I need to hit my father-inw once."
Gerald''s lips twitched. It seemed he found it funny.
Gerald pressed his lips together to pretend he wasn''tughing."Don''t call me father-inw."
Gerald said firmly, taking abat stance with his wooden sword.
Does he have apulsion to do this?
"Come on."
I took off my sses and tucked them into my clothes.
I took a deep breath, lowered my upper body, and bent my knees slightly.
I infused mana into my muscles and joints, paying close attention to Gerald''s movements.
Silence.
A few seconds passed.
Whoosh!
Gerald disappeared from sight.
I didn''t rely on my sight. My eyes couldn''t keep up with Gerald''s movements anyway.
But no matter how fast he was, it was about the footwork.
The quietly flowing wind. The swaying grass.
I sharpened my senses and instinctively caught the sound of Gerald''s footsteps on the grass.
The process of judgment was slow, so I skipped it. I had to move my feet before any thought crossed my mind.
I had to not move my body naturally. I had to abandon the familiar senses.
I focused on the flow of mana and fully understood the structure of my entire body.
There you are.
I leaped with a new sense.
Whoosh!
"...!"
In an instant, Gerald came into view. I caught up with him.
I swung my wooden sword in one go. Gerald had promised not to attack, so he stepped back and easily dodged my strike.
As Gerald gazed at me, a unique light shimmered in his pupils.
Gerald kicked off the ground again.
I pursued him.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
I gave chase and caught up with Gerald''s movements again and again, whipping through the grassy field. Once might be a coincidence, but if it happened repeatedly, it was anything but.
My speed was slower than Gerald''s. Well, it was clear that Gerald was going easy on me. He was slowerpared to our duel.
But the important thing was that I was seeding in the technique at that moment.
"...!"
At some point, I lost track of Gerald''s movements.
Only an afterimage lingered in my sight for a brief moment. It was because Gerald had shown his true speed.
Thud!
From behind, Gerald struck the crown of my head with his wooden sword.
"Ugh!"
It hurt terribly because I didn''t have [Basic Protection Magic] active.
I stopped moving and groaned, rubbing the top of my head.
"...Hehehe."
Laughter burst out soon after.
I seeded.
I couldn''t celebrate in front of my father-inw, but inside, I was cheering loudly.
I looked at Gerald. Since I had seeded, it meant that he should quickly teach me the proper technique.
Gerald was staring at me silently.
"Isaac."
"Yes."
"Lift up the hem of your trousers."
"...?"
It wasn''t sudden. It seemed he recognized it immediately from experience.
I rolled up the hem of my pants. Below my knees were filled with hideous marks spreading like tree roots.
Every time I failed the technique, the mana would burst and leave stretch mark-like traces on my body.
The marks engraved by the bursting mana couldn''t be dealt with by ordinary healing spells. Even if my body healed, the marks would remain clear. I heard they would gradually fade over time, so I had no choice but to leave them be.
Gerald sighed softly, as if he expected this, without any sign of agitation.
"It took me a year to learn that technique. It took me well over 20 years to master it. I didn''t have the magical talent. You aplished it in just a week."
Gerald looked into my eyes.
"That''s talent, Isaac. It''s like iron. Only you can forge that iron into any sword through a period of endurance."
"..."
"But anything in excess will break."
Gerald nted his wooden sword into the grass.
"I''m no expert in magic, so I can''t say much about that, but if you push yourself too hard, your body will break down quickly."
"I''ll keep that in mind, Father-inw."
"Don''t call me father-inw."
Soon, Gerald shrugged his shoulders up.
"...You passed."
I had been waiting for those words.
I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and savored the afterglow.
God, it hurt like hell every time I failed. Later, I got the hang of it and learned to dull the pain, but it still hurt.
So, Gerald trained for over a year to learn this technique¡
He''s really tenacious.
"I''ll teach you ''Shadow Step .'' You''ve crossed the initial barrier, so it won''t be difficult now. A day''s training will be enough. Mastering it is up to you."
Shadow Step. That was the name of the footwork technique Gerald mentioned.
Iughed.
"It would be great if it''s just a day."
"Do you have something to do?"
"I have somewhere to go."
I had an appointment.
The coronation ceremony in D¨¹pfendorf.
Morcan had said that everything was ready, and I just needed to make the journey. It would be best to depart as soon as possible.
"I see... Then it would be good to settle things quickly."
"Settle? What do you mean?"
"For protecting the Duchy of Astrea. May I repay you? You won''t be disappointed."
"Oh."
Now that I think about it, he mentioned before our duel that he owed me a favor.
I nodded.
¡°If that''s the case, I''d be happy to.¡±
There was no reason to refuse something good from my father-inw.
***Eve Ropenheim was heading to M?rchen Academy by carriage.
She was released after a long investigation into the Baron Ropenheim incident. It wasn''t psychologically difficult for her because imagining the daily life she would spend with Isaac filled her with happiness.
She had conveyed her honest feelings to Isaac, who came to rescue her, and there was room for conversation. Just the thought of having a normal conversation with Isaac made Eve happy.
"I''m telling you, my brother is amazing. He''s the youngest archwizard, has many followers, and even hangs out with the Elemental Kings. Any strong person in this Empire would be finished with just a flick of his finger."
"Well... I''m not well-educated about the wizarding world, but that sounds too far-fetched, Student."
"Why don''t you believe me? It''s true!"
Eve went on and on bragging about Isaac to the coachman.
With the baron of Ropenheim''s confinement lifted and his familiar gone, there was no need for Eve to hide her affection anymore.
Eve bragged about her brother to everyone she met, but no one fully believed her stories.
The coachman could only give a forcedugh. Eve''s tales seemed too far-fetched to be true.
"He''s grown taller than me now, and he''s be so handsome... He was so cute when he was little, and I used to hug him all the time. Those were good times... He''s grown up so well."
"You have such profound love for your brother."
The coachman smiled thoughtfully. Listening to Eve''s praises about her brother, he could infer that their past had been challenging.
As the carriage arrived at M?rchen Academy, Eve''s endless bragging about her brother finally came to an end.
Eve gathered her belongings, got off the carriage, and paid the coachman.
"Take care of your brother, Student!"
"Goodbye!"
The coachman drove away.
Eve, humming a tune with a smiling face, entered the gates of M?rchen Academy.
If her conversation with Isaac went well, she intended to cherish and love him all the more for the time they had missed each other.
However.
"Isaac is currently away."
"What...?"
"He filed for leave and passed through the gate two days ago."
In the Bartos Hall administrative office.
At the ce where she''d stopped to report the news of her return, Eve stood dazed.
She¡ missed Isaac?
"Hmm? Miss Eve?"
The faculty member waved a hand in front of Eve''s face to check if she was fully conscious.
***I was traveling across the territory of the Empire in a carriage.
Flying would have been faster, but I didn''t want to vite the Empire''s airspace unless it was an urgent matter.
Inside the carriage, Hilde, in her human form, sat next to me, looking out the window. It seemed it was her first time leisurely enjoying the scenery from a carriage.
I had her in human form to avoid drawing unnecessary attention and any trouble it might bring, which might happen if she were in her usual white dragon form. Keeping her summoned was to build her Synchronization.
I was holding a high-intensity magic tool, training in my spare moments.
Well, anyway...
"Dorothy, aren''t you ufortable?"
"Why? I''mfortable right now."
Opposite me, Dorothy and Alice were sitting side by side.
Dorothy was clinging to the wall as much as possible. She looked very ufortable and was openly avoiding Alice.
On the other hand, Alice remained calm. Whenever our eyes met, she gave me a rxed and friendly smile.
"Well then..."
If she says she''sfortable, there''s nothing I can say.
On the way to D¨¹pfendorf.
I was perplexed as to how Dorothy and Alice ended up apanying me.
Chapter 260: Coronation Ceremony (2)
Chapter 260: Coronation Ceremony (2)The carriage had been prepared in D¨¹pfendorf.
The white, luxurious carriage was durable enough to traverse the harsh, frozennds, and the horses pulling it were all white magic beasts marked with ice crystals all over their bodies.
D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s soldiers served as the escort. The nging sound of armor was heard regrly outside the carriage. It was the sound of Ice Knights moving. The constant high-level treatment still felt very unfamiliar.
I had told Luce, Kaya, Dorothy, and White that I was going to the coronation ceremony.
The only person I had nned to bring to D¨¹pfendorf was Alice. Since she was my minion and effectively a part of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s forces, I thought it made sense to bring her along.
As we were leaving the academy and crossing thending bridge, Dorothy suddenly flew andnded on top of the carriage.
Eventually, Dorothy was brought into the carriage, leading to the current situation.
This is so ufortable¡
Dorothy and Alice did not get along. The atmosphere was tense.
As we traveled for some time, early snowkes began to fall, dancing in the air.[Master, it¡¯s snowing.]
¡°We must be almost there.¡±
The northern part of the Zelver Empire, where it snowed year-round, was indeed far. This was clearly the influence of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s territory.
D¨¹pfendorf was and of severe cold, not far from the academy.
In the distance, the walls built by the Empire with significant manpower and resources using rock magic were visible. The vast wall, stretching beyond the field of view, served as a breakwater against D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s cold.
To cross the border, we had to reach the only section where the rock wall was not built. This area was guarded by the Border Patrol of the Empire and D¨¹pfendorf. The security was tight, but since D¨¹pfendorf maintained friendly rtions with the Empire, as long as certain requirements were met, crossing was rtively easy. This was the entry procedure.
Well, the friendly rtionship was only for now. Who knew what the future held?
***¡°Should we stay here for the night?¡±
¡°I think we should, it¡¯s cold and I¡¯m sleepy.¡±
It waste at night. As they approached D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s territory, the cold became as severe as midwinter.
Isaac and his party stopped at a lodging facility in a nearby vige.
There weren¡¯t enough rooms to amodate everyone, so Isaac, Alice, and Dorothy used the facilities first. The coachman went to find another lodging, and the escort troops set up a temporary camp and decided to sleep outdoors.
And then.
¡°...¡±
Dorothy and Alice ended up sharing a room.
A two-person room. In the dark room, Dorothy and Alicey side by side on a double bed.
Dorothy was lying on the edge of the bed, facing away from Alice. Meanwhile, Alice was lying neatly, staring at the ceiling.
¡°How did this happen¡?¡±
¡°Did you want to sleep with Isaac?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Why do I have to share a bed with you?¡±
¡°This is not the first time. We¡¯ve slept together before. If you really don¡¯t like it, why not sleep on the floor?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not giving up the bed.¡±
Dorothy yawned.
She didn¡¯t like it, but she was too sleepy to argue.
¡°I¡¯m just going to sleep. Don¡¯t talk to me anymore.¡±
¡°Dorothy, you know¡¡±
¡°I said don¡¯t talk to me¡¡±
¡°Did youe after us because you¡¯re so nervous I¡¯m going to take Isaac away from you?¡±
¡°...Are you out of your mind?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±
Aliceughed yfully and then cautiously asked.
¡°You followed us because you¡¯re worried about Isaac, right?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy narrowed her eyes.
¡°You can read people¡¯s emotions. I can¡¯t do that, buttely, Baby seems to be in a rush.¡±
¡°...It¡¯s true that Isaac is not fine right now.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s voice subsided.
¡°Isaac carries a heavy sense of responsibility, saying he has to defeat the Evil God. He¡¯s living without even realizing how much it¡¯s tearing up his own heart. Lately, he¡¯s been really sad.¡±
¡°Sad?¡±
¡°Yeah, even though he¡¯s always been tough, something¡¯s made him really sad recently¡ I can¡¯t help but worry.¡±
No matter how strong-willed Isaac was, she couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch him wither alone.
Dorothy wanted to be afort to Isaac. She wanted to naturally ease away any unspeakable sorrows he had.
Alice looked at the back of Dorothy¡¯s head with a gentle smile.
¡°I see. You¡¯re so thoughtful, Dorothy.¡±
¡°...I don¡¯t feel good when you say things like that, seriously.¡±
Dorothy grumbled and closed her eyes.
***After spending a night at the lodging, we set off on the open road towards the border checkpoint.
It was a point along the rock wall lined up to block the cold winds of D¨¹pfendorf. There, the g symbolizing the Empire was fluttering.
Alice, Hilde, and I changed into the thick clothes we had prepared. Hilde didn¡¯t need thick clothes, but she said she didn¡¯t want to feel left out, so she wore them anyway. It was the same for me.
Dorothy wore the white fur coat we brought from D¨¹pfendorf.
¡°Velon, over there.¡±
¡°Yes, my Lord.¡±
The coachman, Velon, responded to my call. He was a middle-aged man. I had learned his namest night when we arrived in the vige.
Velon was dressed in what was essentially spring clothing.
¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m from the Frost Tribe, so I¡¯m resistant to the cold. This much is nothing.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
The Frost Tribe, huh?
He looked like a human, but maybe they had evolved to withstand the cold.
¡°Let me know if you get cold.¡±
¡°Thank you very much for your concern.¡±
Before long, we arrived at the border checkpoint.
The checkpoint was aplex of several buildings, almost like a small vige.
¡°Greetings, Ice Sovereign! I am Martin, Commander of the Border Patrol, the 3rd Order of Knights.¡±
Having received notice of the D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s forces¡¯ reason for entry, the Border Patrol lined up to greet me formally.
I disembarked from the carriage, wanting to show my respect.
I approached the Commander of the Border Patrol. Behind me stood the D¨¹pfendorf forces, along with Dorothy, Alice, and Hilde.
¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Isaac.
¡°We¡¯d like to pass though. Could you open the gate?¡±
Havingpleted the inspection procedures when entering the checkpoint, there was nothing more to do.
Now, we just needed to pass through the giant gate that the Patrol was guarding.
¡°Understood, please wait a moment.¡±
The Border Patrol lined up at both ends and opened a path. Their meticulousness was impressive.
Though it was an unnecessary formality, I appreciated the hospitality.
Goooong.
Creeeeak.
The giant gate slowly opened. As the two doors parted, a snowstorm crept in as if it had been waiting.
Finally, the gate was fully open, and the blizzard rushed in, ruffling my hair and clothes. The sound of the wind whistling filled my ears.
It wasn¡¯t particrly cold. It was just a chilly breeze.
¡°Nihihi, it¡¯s so cold.¡±
Dorothyughed cheerfully.
Alice silently crossed her arms and hunched her body.
¡°Well then, please proceed with caution.¡±
Commander Martin of the Border Patrol stepped aside and bowed his head.
[My Lord, perhaps you should return to the carriage¡]
¡°It¡¯s fine. My body feels stiff, so I¡¯ll walk for a bit.¡±
I answered Captain Morcan, who spoke from behind. Being cooped up in the carriage was suffocating.
We passed through the wide-open gate. The Border Patrol lined up in front of the gate once again to watch us from behind.
And so, we set foot on D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s territory.
¡°Amazing¡!¡±
I heard Dorothy¡¯s voice full of admiration.
It was like and of pure white.
White sky. White nts reflecting a blue hue.
Although there was a visible path, the surroundings were covered in snow. It was nothing short of a field of snow.
There were blue mana stones intermittently ced on the open path, seemingly to prevent snow from umting.
¡°Nyahaha! It¡¯s beautiful but it¡¯s so cold!¡±
Dorothy shouted excitedly and giggled as she left her footprints in the white snowfield.
This ce was also called thend of death. Trying to traverse it deliberately was an act of suicide because of the intense cold that was unbearable for anyone other than the citizens of D¨¹pfendorf.
The cause of this was the pervasive fierce blizzard. It was not just an ordinary blizzard. It was mild and beautiful because it was made of mana.
In any case, Alice and Dorothy must have been very cold
Due to these blizzards, D¨¹pfendorf had difficulty trading and inevitably became an isted nation. The chilling air that governed thisnd could not be controlled by anyone until a new ruler emerged.
But now, I was here.
¡°Everyone, hold on a moment.¡±
¡°Baby?¡±
Alice called out to me in a doubtful voice as I moved forward. The Border Patrol also watched me.
I could feel it. This blizzard belonged to me. It was mana I could control.
I had contracted with D¨¹pfendorf through the de of Frost Flowers and became the new Ice Sovereign.
I extended my right arm forward. As I tried to control the blizzard, pale blue mana flowed around me.
I whispered softly.
¡°Stop.¡±
Hwaaaaa!!
My will was conveyed to the blizzard.
Amid the sound of the raging storm, the blizzard rapidly subsided beyond the horizon.
The visibility brightened. I could see the sunlight pouring through the white sky. D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s whitend turned even whiter.
I turned around and saw people looking greatly surprised.
¡°Senior Dorothy, how is it now?¡±
¡°It¡¯s perfect!¡±
¡°Good to hear.¡±
I smiled brightly.
¡°What is this¡?¡±
Commander Martin of the Border Patrol trembled as he marveled.
The Border Patrol was in awe. They seemed to think I could lightly control even natural disasters.
I didn¡¯t need to worry about their misunderstanding.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
I led the astonished D¨¹pfendorf escort soldiers forward.
Our destination was the capital of D¨¹pfendorf, where the coronation ceremony would be held.
Chapter 261: Coronation Ceremony (3)
Chapter 261: Coronation Ceremony (3)Snowkes fluttered down in strands.
We arrived in Lufenheim, the capital of the snow-white ice kingdom of D¨¹pfendorf.
A grand festival was held in Lufenheim. Citizens in fur clothing arrived at the castle gate to wee me, the second Ice Sovereign in a thousand years.
We entered a path of light made of ice mana. The cheers and apuse of the citizens were clearly audible even inside the carriage.
The people of D¨¹pfendorf all had fair and pale skin, seemingly due to the environment.
They had developed their own unique architectural style. A beautiful barrier covered the kingdom to protect it against the cold.
In the center of Lufenheim stood a tall castle. We naturally headed there.
"Isaac, aren''t you happy? Everyone is weing you."
Dorothy said, watching out the window.
I didn''t feel happy."It just feels unfamiliar."
The people and various ice magic beasts weed me.
It didn''t really feel like I was being weed by them. But I felt a lot of emotions.
Upon reaching the grand pce, numerous servants who had been waiting greeted us. They were all dressed in navy-based clothing adorned with white fur.
"Wee, my lord. You have traveled a long way and worked hard."
Following the words of a middle-aged butler with neatly groomed hair and beard, the servants echoed, ¡°You have worked hard."
This is burdensome...
I pretended to be calm.
"I will guide you directly to your chamber."
"Not yet. First, call the Legion Commanders to the meeting room."
"The Legion Commanders, you say...? Yes, understood."
The servants took it upon themselves to handle the luggage.
Dorothy, Alice, and Hilde were told to rest in their rooms, while I entered the round table meeting room with the Ice Knight, Morcan. It was more luxurious than I had imagined.
Four beings were seated around the round table. As soon as they saw me, they stood up.
Except for one woman who was swaying drunkenly, the atmosphere was solemn.
"Wee, my lord. We have been waiting for you."
A muscr, hulking white tiger demibeast walked up to me and saluted. This was the First Legion Commander, ¡°Dorhan Versio¡±, a level 179 ice element powerhouse.
Dorhan Versio maintained a well-controlled expression, but it seemed he couldn''t believe that someone as young as me was the Ice Sovereign.
Following his lead, the othermanders also saluted. The drunken femalemander hupped once.
Themanders were not the strongest among D¨¹pfendorf''s soldiers. They were chosen for their leadership as well as their skill. The monstrous forces were separate.
Nevertheless, it was clear that they were the leaders of each Legion.
I hadn¡¯t confirmed if themanders, with the exception of Isabel, were on my side. I called this meeting for confirmation. Some things needed to be said without dy.
I went and sat in what was clearly the head seat.
"Please, sit down."
Themanders stopped saluting and took their seats.
The atmosphere was awkward. Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to speak.
I smiled gently.
"I called you here as soon as I arrived because I wanted to talk."
I took out the de of Frost Flowers and ced it on the table. It was a dagger entrusted to me by Frost Spirit Merphil.
Themanders'' attention was drawn to the de.
"Isaac. That''s my name. I received the de of Frost Flowers from Merphil and made a contract. I''m sorry, but I have something important to say. I have to return immediately after the coronation ceremony."
"..."
"I n to stay in the Zelver Empire at least until next year."
I had to assist Aria with her secret research, absorb White''s mana to gain unique traits, ensure Ian''s safety, protect the academy, and clear various scenarios.
Most importantly, I had to prevent the resurrection of the Evil God the next year. That was the main objective.
"We have already heard about this. However, we ask you to reconsider. Your absence after the coronation ceremony could cause confusion among the citizens."
Dorhan, the white tiger demibeast, appealed. He meant that I shouldn''t leave after having just arrived.
"My stay in the Empire is crucial for the survival of D¨¹pfendorf. I can''t exin in detail yet, but I hope you trust me for now."
"How can we trust that?"
"...?"
Anothermander asked in a challenging tone. The air grew heavy. The other threemanders and I turned our attention to the dissatisfied man.
Second Legion Commander, ¡°Karius Alsav¡±. Level 177. Ice, water element.
A man with a solid ck mask over his mouth, boasting a considerable build like the First Commander. His smooth, bald head reflected the bright lights.
Karius Alsav''s voice sounded muffled by the steel mask as if he were wearing a gas mask.
He didn''t seem pleased from the start that someone as young as me had be the next Ice Sovereign, and hearing my arbitrary statements had finally made him lose his temper.
"Hey, Karius. What kind of manners are those in front of our lord?"
Third Legion Commander, ''Isabel Silverwolf'', frowned as she rebuked the Second Legion Commander, Karius.
Isabel, a woman with light blue, short hair, and a long scar on her face, was level 178 and only had the ice element. She was also the first of the fourmanders to trust me.
Karius didn''t respond to Isabel''s aggressive remarks.
"Hic... Hehe, Karius does have a point, doesn''t he? How can we trust those words?"
"Hey, Erich."
The Fourth Legion Commander, ¡°Erich Leverins¡±, agreed with a face full ofughter.
Her cheeks were flushed red from drinking, and her slurred voice was full of charm.
Compared to the other threemanders, she was smaller in stature, but still had the build of an average adult woman.
ording to Morcan, the Fourth Legion Commander Erich was under some sort of curse. It seemed that the effects of the curse were less severe when she was drunk, so her condition was somewhat understandable.
She was level 176, with ice and lightning elements. Like the Second Legion Commander Karius, she was clearly dissatisfied with my role.
I asked the smooth-headed Second Legion Commander Karius.
"You''re the Second Legion Commander, correct?"
"Yes, my lord."
"If you have anyints, be honest. I won''t hold it against you."
I spoke calmly. Since he was now my subordinate, I wanted to treat him well.
Even that seemed to irritate him, as Karius frowned.
"...Excuse me. This is our first time meeting you, our new Ice Sovereign. We have no idea what kind of person you are, and the fact that you n to return to the Empire and stay there until next year right after the coronation ceremony is something I cannot understand. How is that for the survival of D¨¹pfendorf, and why is it difficult to exin?"
"Exactly! Our new lord looks so cute, it''s even harder to believe..!"
The Fourth Legion Commander Erich agreed, seemingly having lost all self-control due to the alcohol.
I haven''t even built any trust yet, so how can I mention the resurrection of the Evil God?
Once information leaves my control, it bes impossible to manage. I had to be cautious.
Isabel, the Third Legion Commander, bared her teeth and growled at the bald Karius and the drunken Erich, who were expressing their displeasure with me. A cross-shaped vein was clearly visible on her forehead.
Muttering, "How dare you speak such nonsense to our newly arrived lord...?" her disy of anger was quite reassuring.
"I have my reasons. It may be frustrating for now, but trust me."
"In that case, I must make a request, despite the impropriety."
The Second Legion Commander, Karius, stood up and approached me. Then he knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
I squinted because the light reflecting off his smooth, bald head was blinding.
"Please duel me, my lord."
Everyone watching us was visibly shocked.
"My lord is the Ice Sovereign. You must know that your power derives from your strength. Allow me the opportunity to experience your strength firsthand. If you do, I will follow your will without further question."
Karius felt a strong aversion to the idea of someone who appeared weaker and younger than him acting as the Ice Sovereign.
Even if he couldn''t hear news from the outside world due to the nation''s environment, he should have heard my story from the Ice Knight, Morcan.
So he only believes what he sees with his own eyes.
In D¨¹pfendor, it was not themanders who first realized the emergence of the Ice Sovereign, but the Religious Authority known as the Ice Dragon Maiden. It was more likely that themander hadn''t realized who they were dealing with.
The First Legion Commander, Dorhan, quietly observed the situation.
The Third Legion Commander, Isabel, growled, "Are you doubting our lord?"
The Fourth Legion Commander, Erich, giggled, "Hehe, that sounds good."
"If that''s the case, well... I¡¯ll allow it."
I adjusted my sses and smiled slightly.
He was asking me to prove my qualifications as the Ice Sovereign through strength.
It was a simple and straightforward test, which I liked.
***Isaac, the Ice Knight Morcan, and themanders arrived at the dueling ground within the Imperial Pce. It was decorated with beautiful ice ornaments.
Isaac and the Second Legion Commander Karius stood apart, facing each other, while the First Legion Commander Dorhan took the referee''s position.
The othermanders stood at a distance, watching the scene unfold.
Erich still had a smiling face, while Isabel stood against the wall, leaning her silver double-headed axe, Farahon, on her shoulder.
"What''s with your tone towards our lord, Erich? It''s a good thing our lord is lenient; otherwise, I would have smacked you."
"Hehe. Isabel, aren''t you looking forward to seeing our lord''s skills?"
To Isabel, Isaac was a figure she admired immensely. Just hearing his story gave her chills.
"...I admit, I''m curious."
She wouldn''t be able to see Isaac''s full power here.
At the very least, Isabel wanted to see Isaac fight with her own eyes.
"The duel will continue until one side deres surrender or is knocked out."
The white tiger demibeast Dorhan exined solemnly.
"Are you both ready?"
"I''m ready."
Isaac, having fully stretched, responded.
"My lord."
Karius called out.
"Are you going to face me barehanded? Without any magic weapons?"
"And if so?"
"No matter how great you are, you''ve underestimated me..."
Karius nted his long spear into the ground. The light reflected off the spear de and Karius''s bald head.
"You might regret this."
"I''ve felt it since earlier, you know."
Isaac removed his sses with a smile.
"Why are you so unaware of your ce?"
"..."
"Come at me with all your strength. Don''t disappoint me further."
"...Understood."
With a thud, Karius halted his spear and assumed abat stance.
"Both of you. If you''re ready, I will announce the start. Duel, begin!"
Dorhan stepped back and dered the start of the Duel.
At that moment, Karius pushed off the ground.
His movements were swift, not befitting hisrge frame. The frost-covered spear drew countless circles, spinning brilliantly and rapidly, leaving an afterimage of ice mana behind.
At the same time, Karius deployed an ice shield around his body that froze anything it touched.
Anyone who got close would have their ankles trapped and be unable to avoid critical injuries. This was Karius''sbat style.
However, Isaac leisurely tracked Karius''s movements with his eyes, not even releasing a hint of his own mana.
"Aren''t you being too rxed?!"
Whoosh!
ng!!
Karius swung his spear.
With the tremendous speed of the spear strike, a powerful chill was unleashed towards Isaac.
However, the attack passed right through Isaac''s body.
"What...?"
Isabel was shocked, Erich''s smiling face took on a hint of seriousness, and Dorhan calmly assessed the situation.
In the blink of an eye, Isaac''s figure disappeared.
"Where are you looking?"
"...!"
Isaac''s calm voice came from behind Karius''s head. Karius''s eyes widened in surprise.
In the blink of an eye, Isaac had appeared behind Karius.
Dorhan, Isabel, and Erich couldn''t read Isaac''s movements at all.
Shadow Step.
With his abilities enhanced by [vs. Human Combat Power], Isaac could use the technique he learned from Gerald even more effectively.
In an instant, powerful mana enveloped Karius''s entire body.
"That''s just my afterimage."
As Karius quickly turned to counterattack.
The ice mana condensed in Isaac''s right hand exploded.
Kwaaah!!
5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
The explosion of mana and the overflowing ice mercilessly engulfed Karius.
Chapter 262: Coronation Ceremony (4)
Chapter 262: Coronation Ceremony (4)Ice crystals spread out.
The explosion of bright and powerful ice mana shattered the solid ice barrier of the Second Legion Commander, Karius, and engulfed him.
Isaac had only cast a [Frost Explosion] powerful enough to subdue Karius. The blow hit Karius¡¯ stomach and he flew like a ball, crashing into the wall.
The ice chunks that formed instantly with the explosions soon turned into mana dust and dissolved into the air.
¡°Kugh!¡±
Karius let out a single scream.
I¡ didn¡¯t let my guard down.
He had been hit despite being on guard.
Isaac¡¯s movements were far beyond his expectations.
More than doubt, he was amazed.Was it body-enhancing magic? No, if it were, he would have sensed it and reacted immediately. It was clearly the raw ability of the Ice Sovereign.
Moreover, Karius¡¯ trusted defense had shattered like a ss window.
To be in this state after just one exchange. With such a gap in level, it was more awe-inspiring than damaging to his pride.
It felt like facing an unbreakable and insurmountable wall.
The cold that prated his bones greatly slowed his movements and caused intense pain. His consciousness was fading, but Karius tried to hold on.
Failing in a duel, especially after just one exchange, was uneptable to him.
He raised his head and at that moment¡
¡°You¡¯re slow, even at getting up.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Isaac was already there in front of Karius.
He covered that distance already¡?
Karius couldn¡¯t understand it. It seemed as if Isaac was ignoring even thews of physics.
¡°If it were a real battle, you¡¯d already be dead.¡±
Kwaaak!!
With an emotionless remark, Isaac kicked Karius in the head. It was powerful and sharp.
The sound of bones breaking. With a short gust of wind, Karius¡¯ body was blown away.
Karius then rolled on the ground before finally sprawling unconscious.
¡°...Duel over. The Lord wins.¡±
The duel ended.
It wasn¡¯t even a contest.
The First Legion Commander Dorhan and Third Legion Commander Isabel broke out in a cold sweat. Knowing Karius¡¯ strength, this absurdly brief duel felt extremely dramatic.
Fourth Legion Commander Erich narrowed her eyes and gave a meaningful smile.
¡°How is this even possible¡?¡±
Isabelmented.
All she saw of Isaac¡¯s movement was a step forward. It was almost like teleportation.
It would have been impressive enough if it was teleportation magic.
But it wasn¡¯t, which made it even more astonishing and fascinating.
As the Ice Sovereign, Isaac not only excelled in ice magic but also had immense physical strength. The recent exchange surpassed perfection.
How could he fight so elegantly? Where did such overwhelming strengthe from?
He was truly a powerhouse worthy of the title ¡°Ice Sovereign¡±. Reflecting on Isaac¡¯s heroic tale and the duel just now, Isabel felt even more moved.
A smile crept up on her face.
***¡°Heal him.¡±
I instructed Dorhan, who was looking at Karius with a shocked expression, gesturing towards Karius.
¡°Understood. Heal him now.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Dorhan ryed mymand to the attendants who were on standby.
The attendants approached Karius and used healing magic.
¡°Anyone else?¡±
I looked around at the remaining Legion Commanders. It was better to settle everything in one go.
Soon, the Third Legion Commander Isabel¡¯s eyes sparkled as she quickly ran towards me.
¡°Masteeeer!¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Isabel knelt on one knee before. There was overwhelming power even in her subservience.
Isabel looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
What¡¯s with her?
¡°That was an absolutely perfect match! You are truly someone worthy of my service! I could not be more honored to serve you, my Lord!¡±
She was incredibly excited.
¡°Calm down¡¡±
¡°Third Legion Commander Isabel is captivated by your strength, my Lord! I swear here and now to devote my life to serving you!¡±
Isabel Silverwolf. Although she was the most reckless and muscle-brained among the four Legion Commanders, she was also the most reliable.
It seemed she was deeply moved by my disy of power against Karius, with the Shadow Step that Gerald taught me and the delicate [Frost Explosion].
Given that even ordinary people would be amazed by such skills, it must have been even more astonishing to Isabel, who was well-versed inbat.
This feels good.
I wanted to take care of her first.
It might seem petty, but I was only human. Naturally, I would be more inclined toward those who showed favor to me from the start.
As I patted Isabel¡¯s shoulder, she seemed overjoyed, as if even physical contact was an honor.
The other Legion Commanders also looked at me with surprised expressions.
Having proven that I could easily subdue a Legion Commander, they felt not just respect but also a sense of helplessness.
¡°Erich.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
At my call, Fourth Legion Commander Erich responded with an innocent smile.
¡°You sided with Karius earlier, didn¡¯t you? If you have anyints, let¡¯s settle them right here.¡±
¡°You exceeded my expectations. It was so perfect that I don¡¯t have anyints anymowe.¡±
Despite her slurred speech due to the alcohol, Erich was sincere.
¡°Is that so?¡±
These people were my subordinates, and it was our first meeting. It wasn¡¯t wrong for them to be cautious until they saw my abilities firsthand.
Now, there was no need to expend unnecessary energy.
¡°Good to hear.¡±
I put my sses back on.
¡°We¡¯re done here. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±
I left the dueling ground.
I heard the tter of clothes and armor behind me. It was the sound of the Legion Commanders saluting me.
***¡°Your Majesty!¡±
¡°You must be the Grand Regent.¡±
¡°Yes! I am Richard Matthews, the 23rd Grand Regent!¡±
¡°Oh, I see¡¡±
In the reception room, I met the boisterous Grand Regent. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a beard. He had noticeable dark circles under his eyes.
I sat in a chair while the Grand Regent Richard Matthews knelt on one knee before me.
Among the attendants, Alice Carroll and the humanoid Frost Dragon watched us from a distance.
¡°Hilde, what¡¯s a Grand Regent?¡±
[In my memory, it¡¯s a position that acts on behalf of the Ice Sovereign. They can carry out the duties of the Ice Sovereign to a limited extent. My previous master established it.]
¡°I see.¡±
I overheard Alice and Hilde¡¯s conversation. Hilde had remarkably remembered things from a thousand years ago.
The Grand Regent¡¯s role was simr to that of a Prime Minister in my past life¡¯s country.
¡°H, it¡¯s an incredible honor to serve the Ice Sovereign while I¡¯m still alive¡! I never imagined I would experience such glory in my lifetime!¡±
The Grand Regent Richard Matthews looked like he was about to shed tears of joy.
Isn¡¯t he being too fake?
He¡¯s just happy he can ck off now.
It seemed his joy stemmed from finally being relieved of his duties. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, considering the tasks he performed were ones I should take over.
Perhaps, the original Ice Sovereign created the position of Grand Regent with the intention of offloading responsibilities.
Still, it¡¯s very human.
I found it endearing. It showed that he had worked diligently and responsibly, despite also enjoying the taste of power.
Given his reputation for ethical conduct, he was even more likable. ording to my [Psychological Insight], he seemed to have no ill intentions.
¡°You¡¯re aware that I n to return to the Empire ande backter, correct?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±
¡°Not at all. My role is to support this country and wait until His Majesty fulfills his purpose.¡±
Grand Regent Richard showed no sign of displeasure, only regret.
He seemed genuinely pleased, knowing he only had to endure for another year. His positive attitude was a relief.
¡°The coronation is tomorrow, so rest well until then. I will serve you with my life, Your Majesty.¡±
That wasn¡¯t necessary. It felt burdensome.
¡°Uh¡ Thanks, Richard.¡±
¡°No need to thank me, Your Majesty! By the way¡ if it¡¯s not too bold to ask, may I ask you something?¡±
¡°You may. What is it?¡±
Richard nced at Alice and Hilde, then cautiously asked.
¡°Which of the esteemed guests you brought with you will be the main consort¡?¡±
He was asking about Dorothy, Alice, and Hilde.
Dorothy wasn¡¯t here because she was meditating and refining her fairy magic somewhere with a good view.
In any case, all three were my guests. The pce would treat them equally well.
But knowing who the main consort would be would allow for national-level consideration. It was a reasonable question.
Alice¡¯s hair stood on end. I noticed her shoulders briefly shaking. She was obviously on edge.
On the other hand, Hilde, being a familiar and hence not a contender, remained expressionless.
Chapter 263: Coronation Ceremony (5)
Chapter 263: Coronation Ceremony (5)Would you talk about that here?
It was an embarrassing story. I decided to withhold my answer.
"I don''t particrly want to talk about it right now."
"I beg your pardon. I''m deeply sorry, Your Majesty."
"It''s fine."
Grand Regent Richard did not press further on the subject I intentionally avoided. Alice seemed deted by my response and rxed her posture, lowering her gaze.
After that, Richard, along with the courtiers, escorted me, discussing the schedule as we crossed the beautiful ice garden in front of the pce.
Since I had no intention of resting, I immediately met and talked with key administrative officials and soldiers, and in the evening, enjoyed a banquet at the long dining table.
Dorothy was always enthusiastic about whatever she did, while Alice remainedposed. In a way, they were pr opposites.
As the sky gradually darkened, Richard and the courtiers eventually took me somewhere."Where are we going?"
"There is something I need to show Your Majesty."
We reached an annex at the back of the pce.
At Richard''s nod, the following courtiers all stopped.
"Please follow me."
I followed Richard into the building.
There were stairs leading downward. As we descended, a barrier came into view.
"What is this?"
"This barrier has sealed the coldness of the cer for a thousand years. Anyone who touches that cold will instantly freeze and lose their life."
"A thousand years?"
"The first lordmanded that when a new Ice Sovereign appeared in the future, this cer''s contents should be conveyed to them. Only Your Majesty can control the cold that fills this cer."
"What''s in here?"
"A powerful ancient magic beast that could turn an entire area into an ice field with a single footprint, the ''Radiant Snow Wolf of the Ice Heaven Valley.'' This ''Cloak of the Radiant Wolf,'' made after subduing that beast, is the ultimate magic armor symbolizing the Ice Sovereign."
Magic armor refers to armor with magical powers, simr to magic weapons.
I knew the Primordial Ice Sovereign wore a cloak, but I didn''t realize it was called the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf. Even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, such a garment couldn''t be obtained.
"This barrier can only be broken by the authority granted to me. If you wish, I will break the barrier."
"...Break it."
"As youmand."
A power boost in a ce like this is an unexpected gain.
Richard extended his right arm forward and manipted his mana to break the barrier.
Softly, the barrier melted away, and a chilling sensation enveloped my skin.
The extreme cold gradually flowed out from the cer, cracking and freezing the surroundings to white.
The inside of the basement was extremely bright as if dozens of lights had been installed. Probably because something inside was emitting strong ice mana.
"Please go ahead."
Richard bowed his head.
I descended the stairs and entered the cer filled with extreme cold.
I heard the sound of the iron door closing from outside. Grand Regent Richard had gone out and closed the door to keep the cer''s cold from escaping.
The cer was filled with a deadly cold, but it had no effect on me. It must have been because the power had transferred to me as the new Ice Sovereign. Surely, this cold was linked to the power of the de of Frost Flowers.
In the spacious cer, a neat and long cloak hung quietly on a silver stand.
It was a dark blue cloak adorned with a white fur cor. It emitted a pale blue cold, turning the cer into a space of death to protect itself.
I approached.
Whiiiing!
The cold reacted as if meeting its master, starting to swirl around me.
Is it weing me?
As I touched the cloak, the cold emanating from it intensified.
I picked up the cloak and draped it over my body. It clung tightly to my shoulders.
"Whew."
I fastened the sp and took a deep breath.
Cloak of the Radiant Wolf...
Slowly, the cold that filled the cer seeped into the cloak.
As if it had found its new master and regained stability.
You have acquired the ultimate armor [Cloak of the Radiant Wolf!]
The Cloak of the Radiant Wolf became mine.
Whoooooooo.
Finally, as the cold subsided, only the soft light remained destely in the cer.
Themps on the walls glowed with mana stones that drew the energy of ice mana.
Thanks to the cold released by Cloak of the Radiant Wolf, themps hadn''t lost their light even after a thousand years.
Oh.
The smooth texture of the cloak.
Even though over a thousand years had passed, the extreme cold had preserved the garment, so it seemed to be in good condition. Only traces of wear from the Primordial Ice Sovereign could be asionally found.
Its performance would have to be tested to be fully understood, but it was definitely a very useful cloak. I could immediately sense the high density of the unique ice mana contained within the cloak. It was, without a doubt, a valuable item.
"Eh?"
There was a small box ced next to the stand. It was hard to notice, so I hadn¡¯t found it till now. I picked up the small box.
The small box was frozen solid, probably due to the cold emitted by Cloak of the Radiant Wolf, but I was able to restore it to its original state by using defrost.
The ice that had frozen the box dissolved into a pale blue powder and faded away. I opened the box.
A note?
A single note.
That was all it contained.
I took the note out of the box. There were two sentences written in thenguage of this world.
¡°¡¡±
I gasped, forgetting to breathe.
For a moment, I stood still, my mind frozen.
The one who sealed the Evil God will be helping you.
But if you want to live, trust nothing.
What does this mean?
This was a cer filled with deadly cold. The only person who could have left something here along with the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf...
It must be none other than the Primordial Ice Sovereign.
Suddenly, the words of Dorothy''s book from the first round shed through my mind.
©¤ While the specifics are unclear, there is someone in the most direct form assisting you. You must ensure that this person is never discovered by the Evil God. But do not blindly trust her.
¡°¡¡±
I cooled my head.
I tucked the note and box close to my chest. Now was not the time for confusion.
I left the cer and climbed the stairs, the iron door opening effortlessly. As I stepped outside the tower, Richard and his courtiers bowed to greet me.
Suddenly, Richard was on the verge of shedding tears of joy, but they didn''t fall.
"Your majesty...! I cannot help but be overwhelmed with admiration at your majestic appearance, having grasped the extreme cold and donned the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf...!"
Richard, who had been full of ns to ck off, now fawned over me obsequiously upon seeing me wearing the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf.
I had mixed feelings, so I simply smiled kindly.
"...Let''s go."
"Yes, let''s."
I took off the cloak, ced it in a magic pouch for valuables, and started walking.
"Let me ask you something."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"How did the Primordial Ice Sovereign die?"
The Primordial Elemental Kings only appeared as simple silhouettes in-game cutscenes or settings collections.
Their detailed appearances or how they met their end were unknown.
"That... we also do not know."
You don''t know?
"ording to old records, she set off on a very long journey and never returned."
"A journey?"
"Yes. She even created the position of Grand Regent, instructing that if she left this world, she should be honored in a pre-built tomb... It seems she left knowing she would not return."
She left with her mind made up?
"It has been so long that even with the power of [Eternal Youth], no human lifespan could endure it. We are certain she passed away in an unknown ce. We are still diligently searching for her remains."
"..."
The tomb of the Primordial Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius, sat like a shrine at the edge of the Imperial Pce.
It was called a tomb, but Veronica''s remains were not actually there.
She knew in advance that she would embark on her final journey...
"Did the Primordial Ice Sovereign leave anyst words?"
"I''m not sure if it counts as a final message, but she did say something before she left on her journey. The meaning of her words is still widely debated and unclear."
"What did she say?"
Richard spoke in a solemn voice.
"''I will follow the star. To cast away falsehoods.''"
¡°...¡±
"Those were her words. No one knows which star she followed or what she meant by the ''falsehoods'' she sought to cast away. Do you have any idea, Your Majesty?"
I recalled the chant of the 9-star ice elemental magic [Cocytus] and the story Hilde told me about her former master.
It seemed the Primordial Ice Sovereign didn''t form attachments to anyone in this world.
She said that finding no meaning in her life, merely living, and this lonely world was like hell.
In the end, did she set out on a journey alone?
"...Not at all."
I couldn''t know exactly what the Primordial Ice Sovereign had in mind or what she was pursuing.
Nor what the falsehoods she sought to cast away were.
The reason for leaving me a message to trust nothing if I wanted to live.
Or why she left a message to eliminate her without hesitation.
The clues to that truth would be in the Ice Lake.
Chapter 264: Coronation Ceremony (6)
Chapter 264: Coronation Ceremony (6)A day had passed.
Grand Regent Richard had given me a rough idea of what to do during the coronation ceremony. After a light rehearsal that wasn¡¯t even worth calling practice, they seemed intent on letting me rest.
I had no intention of resting. If there was nothing specific to do, I headed to the royal pce¡¯s training ground.
The facilities were decent, but unlike the academy¡¯s training ground, it was hard to train in peace. The attendants had to watch my training. Even though I threw a fit and drove them away, at least two attendants always had to stay behind.
The same was true in the pce. The attendants always waited in the hallway, and they followed me everywhere I went. It seemed it would take some time to get used to this.
This isplicated.
Meanwhile, my mind was cluttered with other thoughts. It was because of the Primordial Ice Sovereign and the message left by Dorothy from the first round.
¡Let¡¯s try to keep our minds as clear as possible. Getting lost in unsolvable worries and losing focus on what needs to be done now is a huge loss.
That night.
I was leaning on the balcony railing of the royal pce, looking at the scenery of D¨¹pfendorf. The view was so beautiful that my feet moved without realizing it.Thanks to the clear sky, I was told that a record number of citizens were out enjoying the northern lights dancing in the night sky.
Even from this distance, therge-scale festival was visible, so it must have been quite something.
At that moment, I sensed someone approaching from behind.
¡°Senior?¡±
¡°Nihi¡¡±
As expected, I heard Dorothy¡¯s flustered voice.
What¡¯s with the ¡°Nihi¡±?
When I turned my head, I saw Dorothy standing awkwardly.
¡°Your sneaky approach doesn¡¯t work anymore.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not as fun as before¡ You could at least pretend not to notice.¡±
Dorothy sighed disappointedly and stood next to me, leaning her arms on the railing.
It seemed she had left her witch hat in her room, as her face was clearly visible. The glow of the ice mana emitted by the pce contrasted with the night scenery, enhancing Dorothy¡¯s already enchanting appearance.
For a moment, I was mesmerized by Dorothy.
She¡¯s so pretty.
¡°Huh? What is it?¡±
¡°I was just wondering what you came to say.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have anything particr to say.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Oh, okay.¡±
She probably just came to enjoy the view and maybe y a little prank on me.
¡°The coronation ceremony is tomorrow, right?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s in the morning.¡±
¡°You¡¯re finally going to be an Elemental King. The kid who was once called the Academy¡¯s Weakest has quickly be a big shot~.¡±
I chuckled.
¡°Yeah, I guess I really am bing an Elemental King.¡±
¡°How do you feel, Your Majesty, Isaac?¡±
¡°Huh? Hmm? Nothing in particr¡?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±
¡°I¡¯m happy, I guess.¡±
¡°See, that¡¯s a feeling, you fool.¡±
That¡¯s true.
¡°Have you decided what you''re going to say in your speech tomorrow? Oh, do you even give speeches?¡±
¡°That¡¯s up to me.¡±
¡°Are you going to?¡±
¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°Ugh, you¡¯re so boring¡¡±
Dorothy stood on her tiptoe and hooked her arm around my shoulder.
Hey, Isaac. Bing the leader of a country is a big event. It¡¯s a rare, once-in-a-lifetime experience that not everyone gets to have. You should give a heart-pounding speech, move the people, you know? Don¡¯t you have any romance?¡±
¡°Well¡ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the type to be moved by that sort of thing.¡±
I adjusted my sses.
¡°And, Senior, you¡¯ve been calling me boring a lottely. If you keep saying that, I might actually be boring. People tend to perceive things the way they¡¯re often told¡¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not listening. I can¡¯t hear you~.¡±
I exined earnestly.
To my dismay, Dorothy stepped away from me, tapping her ears with her palms and saying, ¡°Llla,¡± blocking out my exnation.
Aren¡¯t you just tantly hearing what you want to hear?
¡°Uh¡¡±
¡°Nihihi. By the way, it¡¯s soooo pretty here~.¡±
In the end, when I gave up exining, Dorothy quickly changed the subject.
Leaning on the railing and stretching her arms, she gazed at the sky with an awed expression, like it was a scene from a movie.
¡°...Indeed.¡±
I also looked at the scenery of D¨¹pfendorf.
The Ice Kingdom. The ground was white, and the northern lights flickered in the night sky.
It felt like being in an expensive resort that would cost tens of millions of won in my previous life. Such ces have incredibly beautiful scenery.
¡°This ce has a mood. If you try to woo a girl here, most of them will fall for you!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that thought a bit indecent¡?¡±
Not that I, a scoundrel pursuing a harem, had any right to say that.
¡°It just means that it¡¯s that beautiful, you rascal.¡±
Dorothy nudged me andughed.
¡°I¡¯m only telling you this because it¡¯s you. I lived in a really shabby ce beforeing to the academy, you know? I often imagined living in a ce like this and being called a Princess. I guess everyone has those dreams. Anyway, it was a fantasy of mine. Standing here like this makes me feel fulfilled. Nihihi.¡±
¡°Do you feel like a Princess now?¡±
¡°Of course. Don¡¯t I look like a Princess? With this face, wearing a beautiful dress would make it perfect.¡±
¡°You¡¯re so full of yourself.¡±
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re cocky, and that response is asking for violence.¡±
It was a joke.
Obviously, I wouldn¡¯t disrespect my Goddess by calling her a mere Princess.
If I let my guard down, I¡¯d end up spending all my time praising Dorothy¡¯s appearance. I needed to keep a semnce of sanity.
¡°Isaac, will you live here after you graduate?¡±
¡°If all problems are resolved and nothing unexpected happens.¡±
This was the best answer I could give.
The future was still uncertain.
¡°All problems¡¡±
Dorothy propped her chin on her hand and looked at me.
¡°You know.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡±
Huh?
¡° What do you mean?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Dorothy stared at me intently, as if trying to probe my reactions.
I didn¡¯t question why she was asking. Dorothy could read emotions. Even if I managed to keep a straight face, she had the ability to see through the gaps in my mind.
I nned to search for Dorothy from the first round. It was bound to be incredibly dangerous, and I wouldn¡¯t have the capacity to take care of anyone else, nor could I take anyone with me. This included the Dorothy in front of me.
If I told her my n, she might try to follow me no matter what. I couldn¡¯t predict what kind of trouble that might bring.
¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything important, haven¡¯t I? You probably know me better than anyone else.¡±
I feigned nonchnce.
After staring at me for a while, Dorothy turned her head back to the night view.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°...Liar.¡±
Dorothy murmured quietly, with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Pretending not to hear, I continued to look at the night view with Dorothy.
If I recall the exnation from the first rounds Dorothy, going to the Ice Lake seemed no different from a moth flying into a me.
However, both the game developer Higgs and the first Dorothy seemed to believe that reaching the Ice Lake was not entirely impossible for me.
If it were impossible, they wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it in the first ce.
***Brilliant sunlight shone down on thend surrounded by white snow.
The coronation ceremony proceeded grandly and magnificently with music.
The citizens gathered in the square focused their eyes on me, standing on the wide balcony of the pce.
The four Legion Commanders, D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s soldiers, and numerous attendants lined up in orderly ranks.
I walked slowly towards an elderly woman who stood overlooking the people from the railing.
I was dressed in luxurious attire of white and gold, adorned with elegant decorations. A grand cape draped over my shoulders was fluttering in the wind.
I was trying to look serious and dignified, but inside, I was quite nervous.
The cheers and apuse of the citizens greeted me.
Dragon Maiden¡
The elderly woman was Millie, the Ice Dragon Maiden.
Dressed in white, she was known as a religious authority in D¨¹pfendorf.
She was forbidden from any contact ormunication with the outside world unless it was rted to duties or rituals involving the Ice Sovereign.
She was a symbol of asceticism and sanctity, so much so that even I, the Ice Sovereign, had not met her before the coronation.
I knelt on one knee before the Dragon Maiden Millie.
Millie opened a beautiful case held by the ice knight beside her. Inside was the ceremonial silver dagger, de of Frost Flowers.
For the ritual, I would borrow it temporarily and return it during the coronation. This was the proper order.
With a kind smile, Millie carefully held the de of Frost Flowers with her gloved hands and respectfully offered it to me.
Dorothy and Alice watched the scene from a distance.
Radiant ice mana fluttered around Millie.
I received the de of Frost Flowers and infused it with ice mana.
My ice mana mixed with Millie¡¯s, spreading beautifully like a blossoming flower.
As I stood up holding the de of Frost Flowers, all the attendants and soldiers simultaneously saluted me.
Millie cast an amplification spell and spoke.
¡°Here and now, we wee Isaac, the second Ice Sovereign, who inherits the authority of the first Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius.¡±
Millie bowed her head.
I took two steps forward, standing at the edge of the balcony, and looked out at the citizens.
Then I drew the de of Frost Flowers and held it high for all to see.
Behind me, beautiful white jade-colored magic surged, and a giant white dragon soared, disying its grandeur.
The citizens of D¨¹pfendorf stared at me and the white dragon in awe.
They no longer cheered. Their faces were filled with reverent awe. They all knelt and bowed to me as if it were prearranged. Everyone paid their respects.
I lowered my arm holding the de of Frost Flowers.
For a while, I had to navigate through a sea of emotions.
***¡°My baby, you seem to be deep in thought.¡±
We were traveling across D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s territory by carriage.
Alice, sitting opposite me, spoke in a gentle voice.
¡°Yeah¡¡±
At some point, I had forgotten to train with the magic tool in my hand and was just staring out the window.
All I could see was the vast white snowy fields known as the harshestnd.
The attendants wished me a safe return, but everyone wanted me to reign over D¨¹pfendorf as soon as possible.
Even though they didn¡¯t show it, many felt resistant to my confident derations of return.
Considering the position of Elemental King, and the responsibility of ruling D¨¹pfendorf, it was natural for my emotions to run deep.
Moreover, the mysteries surrounding the Primordial Ice Sovereign addedyers ofplexity. A moment¡¯s carelessness could cause everything to unravel like a tangled thread.
However.
¡°There¡¯s no need to overthink it, yet here I am.¡±
One way or another, my priorities were clear.
Thanks to Alice, I regained myposure, organized my thoughts, and gripped the magic tool tightly to continue training my mana mastery.
For now, it was time to struggle for survival.
Chapter 265: Council of Kings (1)
Chapter 265: Council of Kings (1)Eve Ropenheim realized shecked courage.
She might have been able to pleasantly talk to Isaac if she had met him right after returning to M?rchen Academy.
But as time passed and she regained her reason, her courage diminished, and now, even though Isaac had returned to M?rchen Academy, she couldn''t easily speak to him.
If it had simply been a matter of courage, things might have turned out differently. However, Isaac was constantly surrounded by influential figures so imposing she could hardly dare to even nce in their direction.
Luce Eltania, Kaya Astrea, Dorothy Heartnova, Alice Carroll, Princess Snow White...
There was simply no way to break in, and as time went by, Eve''s courage dwindled, leaving her with nothing but a deepening hesitation.
This won''t do...!
Eve chastised herself as soon as she woke up in her dorm in the morning.
This couldn¡¯t go on. She had to talk to her brother, she told herself, pping her cheeks.
That day, she was feeling good. She was overflowing with unfounded confidence and felt she could properly talk to Isaac even if the world were falling apart. It was one of those rare, perfect days.However...
"Isaac, where are you...?"
No matter how much she wandered around the academy, she couldn''t find Isaac.
With a faint hope, Eve went to the administration office at Bartos Hall and asked the faculty about Isaac''s whereabouts.
"Student Isaac is out right now."
"What...?"
"He applied for leave and passed through the guard post just this morning."
Eve was dumbfounded.
On a day like this, he went out again...?
Why did it turn out like this again...?
"Um? Student Eve?"
The faculty member worried about Eve, whoseplexion had turned pale.
***Keridna Whiterk. She was a second-year student in the Magic Department at M?rchen Academy, ranked 5th in her grade, and was assigned to ss Ast semester.
This vacation held special significance for her.
She had arranged to meet her betrothed candidate for the first time.
Though her parents had chosen him as her intended match, Keridna didn''t even know what he looked like.
However, since he was renowned as a handsome young nobleman, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation.
"Lady Keridna, are you nervous?"
"N-nervous? There¡¯s no way?"
Keridna was seated in a beautiful pavilion set up in the garden at the front of the Whiterk family''s grand mansion. A maid stood demurely beside her.
The roof of the pavilion was covered with the white snow that fell year-round in the northern region. Designed with snowfall in mind, the scenery was full of aesthetic beauty.
Keridna, dressed beautifully, imagined her ideal type and her hand holding the teacup trembled.
"But your hand..."
"Can¡¯t you feel the sudden tremor?"
"Oh, yes... But how about taking a deep breath to calm yourself?"
"I''m not nervous."
Keridnaughed frivolously.
"On the contrary, I''m brimming with confidence. Why should I be nervous? It''s the other person who should be nervous. If he can''t ept the evil nature hidden behind my innocent face, he doesn''t deserve to be my man...!"
"Oh... yes. That''s right."
Keridna had yet to outgrow her adolescence. She had a pure and delicate nature, but she was fascinated by the character of a viiness and tended to view herself as an evil person. This was due to her empathy and sensitivity, which made her easily immerse herself in ys and novels from a young age.
It was a familiar urrence for the maid. She let it go without a word.
At that moment, the maid noticed a man and his escorts approaching Keridna.
"You''ve arrived."
"Ah...!"
Keridna jumped to her feet and froze stiffly.
Her heart pounded wildly. Keridna blushed, recalling the handsome male characters from ys who embraced viinesses.
The maid was the first to greet them.
"Thank you for traveling all the way from Viyans."
"Hehe...! No¡!"
Keridna''s eyes, sparkling with anticipation, darted around.
Keridna fixed her gaze on the nobleman who was approaching her.
"...On the contrary, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Lady of the Whiterk family! I am Helize of the Duke of Saint Rio''s house!"
Ssss.
Keridna''s gaze turned cold as if doused with ice water.
The man approaching her was a young boy, shorter than Keridna, who had nothing but shy clothes to show for himself. His swaggering demeanor and innocent ¡°Kya kya¡±ughter made him seem frivolous.
He was indeed as beautiful as the rumors said, but he looked way too young. He was far from the handsome figure Keridna had hoped for.
"Ah, wee... Lord Helize. If I may ask, how old are you?"
"13 years old this year!"
Keridna let out a suppressed sound and staggered, clutching a table to prevent herself from copsing.
It was unexpected.
"Lady Keridna?"
"I didn¡¯t want some kid..."
"Pardon?"
"What I wanted was a handsome man, strong like a beast, yet appearing as innocent as the fresh vor of Sigur Mountain tea at times...!"
Keridna murmured in a sad voice with her head down. Her pink hair drooped, hiding her disappointed face.
Her parents'' order to get engaged felt like coercion. It was disheartening to realize she had to consider this engagement with the boy positively.
"What is the matter, my dear?"
"Ugh...!"
The young boy''s words sent chills down her spine and made Keridna want to cough up blood.
"Lady Keridna..."
"This isn''t it, this really isn''t it... How should I refuse...?"
"Even if you ask me that, I¡¯m not sure¡"
In consideration of her family, she couldn''t afford to fall out with Helize.
Keridna, in a desperate attempt, asked the maid for help in a low voice, but all she received was a helpless response.
At that moment.
[Kaaaah!]
The roar of a ferocious beast rang in everyone''s ears.
Keridna''s eyes widened, jerking her head upward.
This roar...
She had heard it just a few months ago.
A strong wind blew. Helize the boy of the Saint Rio family shouted, "W-what''s that?!" and trembled in fear, while his escorts immediately protected him.
White jade mana spread out like snow, and a massive white dragon descended,nding in the Whiterk family''s garden.
"What is that...?"
It was the mythical white dragon, Frost Dragon Hilde.
The servants of the Whiterk family were greatly surprised, eximing, "White dragon...?"
The escorts of the Saint Rio family disyed intense vignce.
The 13-year-old boy, Helize, overwhelmed by the dragon''s majesty, whimpered in fear, "Mommy..."
The white dragon lowered its head to the ground, and the man with silver-blue hair riding it casually dismounted. He walked straight to Keridna.
He was not dressed in luxurious clothes like a noble, nor was he stylishly adorned, but he possessed the ideal male image Keridna had seen in ys.
However, to Keridna, the man was not a romantic interest but an object of fear.
"Hmm?"
The silver blue-haired man, Isaac, stopped in front of the pavilion.
The escorts were wary of him.
The servants were astonished.
The young nobleboy, terrified, hid behind his escorts.
Keridna also showed signs of fear.
"Did Ie at a bad time?"
"Why are you...?"
Keridna felt like fainting.
***Council of Kings.
After the¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹, Lightning Sovereign Jaul Dragoniac invited me to this meeting.
I came to meet Aichel Whiterk of the Whiterk ducal family for this.
As soon as I arrived, I saw my ssmate Keridna Whiterk and went to see her first, but it seemed I had arrived at a bad time.
Keridna valuedworking but wasn''t really close to me. I struggled to recall if I ever had a proper conversation with her.
But we both know we¡¯re ssmates.
I decided it would be best to act friendly.
Hilde was reverse-summoned. I had consulted with Aichel Whiterk through letters before riding her.
The Duchy of Whiterk in the North was so far and vast, so I needed confirmation that there would be no issues on Aichel¡¯s part.
Thest time I went to D¨¹pfendorf, I had to cross borders while preserving the dignity of a King. I didn''t want to rudely cross the empire''s airspace at will, so I refrained from riding Hilde.
Indeed, riding a dragon was far more efficient in terms of timepared to a carriage.
¡°Tea, tea is served¡¡±
¡°Oh, thank you... but why are you serving tea?¡±
¡°I thought it would be polite¡¡±
Reception Room.
I was sitting on the sofa, waiting for Aichel. For some reason, Keridna brought out steaming tea.
She stood there demurely with her hands sped like a maid, looking restless, which made me ufortable instead.
"Why are you speaking formally? We''re ssmates."
¡°This isn¡¯t the academy¡¡±
Strictly speaking, we belonged to different countries, so there was no hierarchy between us.
Keridna was simply scared of me.
"What are you talking about? It''s not like you owe me anything. The only issue between us is that we''re not close."
"I-I do have a sense of shame...! I said some terrible things duringst year''s end-of-semester evaluation..."
I first met Keridna during the end-of-semester evaluation of Semester 1 Year 1.
At that time, she spotted me from the rooftop of a tall building and yelled something.
I couldn''t hear a thing, so I ignored it, but Keridna seemed to think she had made a bad impression on me.
"Don''t worry about it. I didn''t hear anything."
"I was doubtful, but as expected, you really didn''t hear it...!"
You didn''t realize that until more than a year had passed? You''re way toote to be heartbroken now.
"By the way, where is Lady Aichel?"
"Oh, she¡¯ll be here soon. She was out for a while. When I told her you arrived, she said she''de immediately through her familiar."
"Okay, hmm..."
Using formalnguage with a ssmate really was ufortable.
"...Seriously, stop using formalnguage. It¡¯s just ufortable and makes me feel unnecessarily guilty."
"How could someone like me dare to speak informally to a King..."
¡°¡¡±
It was really ufortable.
What should I do?
Ah.
"Then, I''ll use formalnguage as well."
¡°¡!¡±
Keridna was astonished as if she had heard something shocking. Herplexion turned pale.
I calmly took a sip of tea.
Chapter 266: Council of Kings (2)
¡°Where is this tea from?¡±
¡°I-It is from Mt. Sigur¡¡±
¡°Mt. Sigur? I like the fragrance. Thank you for telling me.¡±
¡°Could you please stop? Y-you are making me ufortable¡¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t Lady Keridna stop talking to me formally first?¡±
¡°But¡¡±
¡°Speak informally.¡±
¡°Apologies¡ I mean, sorry! Please, speak informally to me!¡±
¡°You should have done that from the start.¡±
The matter was resolved. I sipped my tea with satisfaction.On the other hand, Keridna let out a deep sigh, looking like someone who had aged ten years.
¡°So¡ why are you looking for my sister?
¡°I have some business with her.¡±
Aichel Whiterk.
I remembered her as a relentless person who would use any means to achieve her goals.
But she wasn¡¯t an evil person.
She was a pacifist, right?
Aichel loved peace.
There was no need for unnecessary discussion about her concept of peace. She simply prioritized human peace above all else.
With a creak, the reception room door opened. Both Keridna and I turned our heads towards it.
A mature woman with neat pink hair entered the reception room with a couple of attendants and bowed to me.
She was a kind beauty as if she embodied the very concept of purity.
¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Ice Sovereign. I am Aichel Whiterk.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you too. I am Isaac.¡±
I stood up and greeted her politely.
Keridna looked between me and Aichel, unsure of what to do.
¡°You go by Isaac?¡±
Aichel and I looked at each other. She had a meaningful smile on her face.
Aichel guided me to her office.
¡°Please,e in.¡±
The antique office had the Whiterk family emblem, arge white dragon mark, on the wall. Only Aichel and I entered the room.
Aichel surrounded the office with a soundproof barrier.
An awkward silence filled the room. There was considerable awkwardness as we stared at each other.
I decided to break the ice and create a conversational atmosphere.
I looked out the window.
¡°It¡¯s always snowing here, right? It snowed a lot in D¨¹pfendorf too¡¡±
¡°Huhu, is that so?¡±
Suddenly, Aichel quickly approached me, knelt on one knee, and bowed her head.
What¡¯s with this person?
¡°I have been waiting for you, Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°...Aren¡¯t you supposed to serve Emperor Carlos? Please, lift your head.¡±
¡°I only pledge my loyalty to peace.¡±
Is she a person of peace or a god of peace?
In any case, it was a dangerous statement. It meant she wasn¡¯t on the Emperor¡¯s side or mine.
¡°Ice Sovereign, you have used your great strength to protect people and prevent immense threats. No amount of gratitude can suffice. Please allow me to repay you for the number of humans you have protected.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but please stand up first¡¡±
This made me ufortable.
Aichel gave me a serene smile. It was beyond pure, it was benevolent.
¡°So, is this where the Elemental Kings gather? I can¡¯t imagine it.¡±
The Lightning Sovereign informed me that the Council of Kings would be held at the Whiterk mansion.
If all the Elemental Kings gathered in such a ce, it would surely attract attention, causing globalmotion.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll see how it¡¯s done. I¡¯ve summoned the Elemental Kings. It¡¯s not an official meeting, but everyone has been eager to meet you, so they should be here soon.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
It seemed there was a way for the Elemental Kings to gather without drawing attention.
¡°Ah, please excuse me for a moment.¡±
Aichel walked over to the window and drew the curtains.
¡°This is the meeting ce chosen by the Elemental Kings. Whatever situation arises, thorough countermeasures are in ce. Oh, and don¡¯t worry, we have a perfectly prepared exnation for you arriving on a white dragon.¡±
¡°Are you confident?¡±
¡°Yes. In my position, if I couldn¡¯t hide things well or lie convincingly, I could lose my head at any moment.¡±
Aichelughed heartily.
That doesn¡¯t seem like something tough about¡
¡°Well then.¡±
Aichel pped her hands to get my attention.
¡°There¡¯s something we need to do before I take you to the meeting room. It¡¯s very important.¡±
Suddenly, Aichel began unbuttoning her blouse.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Bying here, you¡¯ve indicated your intention to attend the Council of Kings, correct?¡±
¡°For now, yes.¡±
When I nodded, Aichel slid her blouse down slightly, revealing her delicate shoulder.
A magic circle gradually appeared on her shoulder, glowing faintly.
¡°Then we need to form a covenant.¡±
¡°A covenant?¡±
It wasn¡¯t something to overthink.
Aichel was a key figure in the Council of Kings. It made sense to have insurance among the Elemental Kings, including me.
¡°The Council of Kings is a crucial event that must never be revealed to the public. A covenant is essential.¡±
A covenant was a magic contract with specific terms agreed upon by both parties.
It required genuine mutual consent and imposed pre-agreed penalties if the obligations were vited.
In short, it was a magically notarized contract.
The mark is etched pretty deeply.
The process of engraving the mark of the covenant involved pain.
The stronger the covenant, the more intense the pain.
Given that this covenant was rted to the Council of Kings, the magic circle on Aichel¡¯s shoulder was very distinct. It must have been quite painful.
¡°...Understood.¡±
¡°Thank you for understanding, Ice Sovereign. Here is the contract.¡±
Letters appeared in the air, glowing with a blue light. They were quite legible.
It included vows to participate in the meeting, to maintain confidentiality, and to not misuse what was heard during the meeting. The terms were reasonable.
The penalty was¡
Loss of one of the five senses.
A serious penalty. Engraving this mark must have been very painful¡
¡°The covenant is still magic. It might have a minimal effect on an Elemental King, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±
In my usual state, I was far below the level of an Elemental King. The penalty would definitely affect me.
¡°Do you agree to the terms?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
Everything was easy to abide by.
¡°The mark of this covenant will be added to the mark of the Council of Kings. Please inscribe the mark on my body.¡±
I approached Aichel and ced my index and middle fingers on the magic circle engraved on her shoulder.
¡°This will be very painful, Lady Aichel.¡±
¡°The pain doesn¡¯t matter. To have you, the pain of the covenant is nothing.¡±
¡°...Isaac, do you agree to the covenant?¡±
¡°I agree with the covenant, Aichel Whiterk.¡±
Blue magic flowed from my fingers and colored the magic circle engraved on Aichel¡¯s shoulder.
Aichel winced and tightly shut her eyes.
¡°If it¡¯s too painful, let me know. I¡¯ll go slowly.¡±
¡°Thank you, Ice Sovereign¡ ugh¡!¡±
***What¡¯s going on?
Why did Isaac seek out Aichel, and why did Aichel bring Isaac to her office?
It was only Aichel and Isaac in the office right now, with a soundproof barrier meticulously ced.
Keridna cast [Sight Synchronization] on a white raven trained by her family and peered out the window at the office.
Aichel had noticed and drawn the curtains, blocking the view.
So Keridna went directly to the door of the office.
I can¡¯t go in.
Keridna wanted to know why Isaac and Aichel were meeting.
If they were discussing something official and important, she definitely shouldn¡¯t interrupt.
She quietly tried turning the doorknob. It stopped at a certain point, confirming it was locked.
I knew it, the door is locked.
Keridna pressed her ear against the door and used her mana to make a small hole in the soundproof barrier.
Soundproof barrier wasn¡¯t a particrly difficult spell. Due to this this, a skilled wizard like Keridna could easily pierce the barrier once she recognized its presence.
Inside the office, Aichel was gritting her teeth in pain as the mark of the covenant was being engraved.
¡°Kugh¡?¡±
Aichel realized that the soundproof barrier had been breached. She could tell because she also set up a double detection magic.
It¡¯s Keridna.
Aichel recognized that this was Keridna¡¯s doing.
Although she had anticipated this and had ways to handle it, the pain of the engraving made it hard to move.
She had a n for such situations.
Aichel decided to mislead Keridna with suggestive sounds.
¡°Uhh¡¡±
It was a suggestive moan.
The difference between a moan of pain and a suggestive moan was subtle.
When a specific situation was implied, people tended to interpret it in line with their own thoughts. They didn¡¯t even bother to question it. The more provocative the implication, the more effective it was.
Outside the door, Keridna listened intently to the faint sounds.
¨C Ah, it hurts¡ uhh¡!
What is this sound¡?
¨C Haa¡! D-do it slower¡!
¡°¡!!!¡±
Keridna recoiled from the door in shock.
¡°S-sister¡?¡±
Her face flushed with heat, and her heartbeat quickened.
Did I hear that wrong¡?
Keridna pondered for a moment.
Yeah, I must have heard wrong.
Aichel was pure and beautiful, like someone descended from the heavens, with a sophisticated image.
Could her dignified sister really engage in such shameless acts with Isaac right after meeting him?
That¡¯s impossible. It would be like a poorly written novel with no usibility.
That must be it. Keridna collected herself and pressed her ear to the door again.
¨C I¡¯ll go slowly if it hurts.
¨C Thank¡ uhh¡! Sorry¡
¨C But, the sounds from earlier¡
¨C Can¡¯t be helped, u-ugh¡
Sister Aichel¡!!
Keridna wiped her face and internally screamed.
There was no room for doubt.
W-why is she doing such imprudent things with Isaac¡! I mean, why¡?
Keridna was in a state of confusion.
Chapter 267: Council of Kings (3)
Isaac and Aichel. There was no way to know when, how, or what kind of rtionship they had.
However, one thought dide to mind. Isaac was the youngest Archwizard in history and the Elemental King of Ice. At the academy, he was known as the incarnation of lust, often called a yboy.
Even if rumors tend to be exaggerated, those rumors about Isaac didn¡¯te out of nowhere...!
If something needed to be done for Isaac at the family level, and Aichel, as the next head of the family, had to handle it?
Well, if that¡¯s the case...?
It was a reasonable hypothesis. These days, many nobles were trying to impress the Ice Sovereign.
Is Sister Aichel sacrificing herself?
Aichel was already struggling to solidify the authority of the Whiterk family in the aristocratic society full of schemes and trickery.
She¡¯s like the tragic heroine in an erotic novel...!
The content of the erotic books she secretly read was reenacted in her imagination. The heroine, who had to be subjected to various acts by a handsome male character.One after another, what might be happening in the office naturally came to mind. The fact that her face turned red like a ripe apple had nothing to do with Keridna¡¯s will.
Keridna unknowingly fell into shame and ecstasy.
No, why am I enjoying this?
Regaining her rationality, Keridna shook her head vigorously.
Isaac was a strong and handsome man. Even though he was overwhelming and not someone she wanted to date, it was natural for Keridna, still in her youth, to feel sexual desire. However, Keridna did not want to acknowledge this fact.
- Ugh, Ice Sovereign¡
¡°Ugh¡¡±
It was getting harder to endure. Her heart was about to explode.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard from afar. From around the corner, someone was approaching where she was. It seemed to be a maid.
Keridna quickly stood up, bowed her head, and scurried away with quick steps, feeling a mix of pity and envy toward Aichel.
Noticing that Keridna had left, Aichel lowered her voice.
The misunderstanding Keridna had just created could be conveniently usedter.
***The mark of the covenant was fully engraved on Aichel Whiterk''s shoulder. With this, the covenant was surely sealed.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Why are you like this, Ice Sovereign?¡±
¡°Is it always this painful?¡±
Her face was still burning.
¡°Oh. Do you mean the moaning sound? If it bothered you, I apologize. It''s a chronic issue.¡±
Aichelughed nonchntly as she buttoned up her shirt.
For someone who had made such a suggestive sound just moments ago, she looked remarkably innocent, making it difficult to reconcile the two images in my mind.
She makes people feel embarrassed...
It wasn¡¯t even chronic in the first ce; she did it on purpose.
Aichel adjusted her clothes and set up a soundproof barrier in the office once more, just in case.
Afterward, Aichel approached the Whiterk family emblem on the wall.
She pressed the eyes, front paw, wings, and then the eyes of the white dragon in sequence, and suddenly, with a click, the family emblem opened like a door.
"Let''s go. We can enter this way. By the way, there are other routes as well¡ What''s wrong?"
"No, it''s nothing."
These days, it feels like I''m seeing secret passages more often.
We entered the passage. It led to the basement.
The walls were lined withmps emitting a soft glow, so the interior wasn''t dark.
"This is it."
The entrance to the secret cer.
When Aichel opened the door, a luxurious round-table conference room came into view. The dim interior made the four figures sitting in each seat stand out even more clearly.
They were all elemental figures, fire, water, wind, and lightning. The four Elemental kings had sent their avatars. and the conference room provided the foundation for them to do so.
Each one of them had appeared as an elemental avatar, so no status window appeared.
...Huh?
For some reason, a status window appeared behind a pir.
Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell.
Why is she hiding behind the pir? And why does her level show as 1?
"I greet the most esteemed Kings."
Aichel didn''t notice that the Wind Sovereign was hiding behind the pir.
The flowing water formed the shape of a woman. It was the Water Sovereign, Siren Silivian. Her voice, tinged withughter, was graceful and exuded confidence.
I tactfully took a seat in one of the empty chairs.
Across from me, I saw the figure of a little child formed by a light green wind. It belonged to Erin Campbell, the Wind Sovereign. Although her true form was behind the pir, I didn''t speak to her, knowing she had a reason to hide.
"I''m still not rxed. Why did you call me?"
[Ice Sovereign, have you sealed the covenant?]
zing mes formed the shape of a bearded wizard. It was the elderly Fire Sovereign, Andersen Versando.
I nodded, and the Fire Sovereign exchanged nces with Aichel behind me. He must have received a confirmation signal from her that my words were true.
Fire Sovereign Andersen seemed to be organizing his thoughts as he stroked his long beard. Even his beard was made of mes, with sparks flickering and disappearing in the air.
[Thank you foring. I called you because I want to discuss three matters.]
Fire Sovereign Andersen got straight to the point.
[First, let me tell you about this ce. When this country, Zelver, conquered the continent and became known as an Empire, much blood was shed. One day, the Archwizards who had fought for the Empire began to feel disillusioned with the birth of a nation built on blood and corpses. War makes one think about many things.]
It was a history I was familiar with.
[In the end, they left the Empire, built their own forces, and founded their own nations. You probably know that they became the Primordial Elemental Kings.]
Zelver became the Empire first, and the founding of nations by the Primordial Elemental Kings happened afterward.
[The Empire was dissatisfied, and conflicts were frequent, but it was nearly impossible to control the Primordial Elemental Kings, who had their own independent will and paths. The previous Elemental Kings, who no longer wanted unnecessary bloodshed, decided to establish a friendly rtionship with the Empire. The Empire also deemed the existence of the Elemental Kings dangerous and epted the proposal. But¡ that wasn¡¯t enough.]
After that, it was a story I didn''t know.
[As the Elemental Kings scattered, problems threatening the world arose, and they needed a way to handle them. Eventually, the previous Elemental Kings decided to secretly meet and hold conferences. If it were revealed that we regrly gather in one ce, it would cause a great upheaval in this world.]
"So that''s why this ce was created?"
Fire Sovereign Andersen nodded.
[We went through several trials and errors, but as you can see, it is now settled.]
Were the Elemental Kings conspiring together from the very beginning?
The trials and errors they experienced must have been fierce, considering that the pinnacle of each elemental attribute came together.
[We hold regr meetings every three years unless there are special circumstances. asionally, we prevent things that threaten the order of the world and maintain the status quo.]
It felt like they had introduced regted capitalism to solve the problems of aissez-faire economic system.
No matter how powerful, it was rational in the long run to let nature take its course. However, things that threaten the world by going against the order were exceptions. When such issues arose, the Elemental Kings decided it best to intervene.
The purpose of the Council of Elemental Kings seemed to be for them to gather, make rational decisions, andbine their powers.
[That''s why we invited you, the next Ice Sovereign, to this meeting.]
It was semi-coercive.
By no stretch of the imagination could the Council of Kings be said to have purely good intentions. An Elemental King who didn''t attend the meeting would have eventually be a target of the other Kings'' vignce.
As Andersen, the Fire Sovereign, mentioned, an Elemental King, the pinnacle of each element, was hard to control. The conference provided a good structure for keeping one another in check.
"So, you''re asking me to be a member."
I shrugged my shoulders.
I couldn''t trust them. But I needed to recruit the best forces possible to fight against the Evil God. If I could count the Elemental Kings as part of my forces, it would be ideal.
The Council of Elemental Kings had immense value ripe for utilization.
"...I agree with that intention too."
[Oh my, it''s fortunate that you''re a reasonable person!]
I heard Siren''sughter. For some reason, she covered her cheeks and stared intently at me. Her breathing was sticky.
[Ah, the more I see you, the more attractive you be¡]
"...?"
[Does ''our'' Ice Sovereign perhaps have an interest in older women?]
What is this random flirting?
[Refrain from useless chatter, Siren.]
Purple lightning magic crackled, forming the shape of an adult man. He reprimanded Siren as he leaned against the backrest with his arms crossed.
Without a doubt, the lightning figure was the avatar of Lightning Sovereign Jaul Dragonniac.
[Mr. Jaul, I''m still at an age where I crave pure love, you know? My heart would inevitably be drawn to someone as graceful and kind as the Ice Sovereign.]
[You don''t even remember when you went through menopause. It''s better to tone down your perverted lust.]
[Shut your mouth, Campbell.]
Siren''s voice sharpened at the calm yet pointed remark from Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell.
Wind Sovereign''s true form was behind the pir, but the speaker was the light green wind avatar seated at the table.
[I wish you''d act your age, you pedophile.]
[Oh my, are you mocking me now?]
Siren red at the Wind Sovereign''s avatar with a smile. Despite her watery form, it felt like veins were popping on her forehead.
In contrast, the Wind Sovereign''s avatar seemed uninterested.
These guys are surprisingly human-like.
It wasn''t just solemnity. Thanks to Siren, I felt grateful that the tension was eased.
By the way, thanks to the Wind Sovereign, I was reminded anew that all the Elemental Kings present were incredibly old.
Interpreting the Wind Sovereign''s words, Siren was essentially expressing her lust to someone with an age gap greater than that of a grandchild.
¡°¡¡±
...What? Thinking about it that way, it feels quite unhealthy.
Chapter 268: Council of Kings (4)
[Enough.]
The Fire Sovereign Andersen Versando scolded the Water Sovereign Siren Silivian and the Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell, stirring the air in the room.
He sighed lightly and looked at me again.
[The second thing I want to discuss is your objective.]
¡°My objective?¡±
[Why are you staying at the Zelver Empire¡¯s academy? What are your intentions?]
When the Water Sovereign spoke, it felt like an adorable new member had joined a Senior Center.
But when the Fire Sovereign spoke again, the atmosphere turned into a solemn hearing.
¡°I want to attend the academy without causing any trouble.¡±
[It seems you don¡¯t want to reveal it.]¡°I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯m not hiding anything with bad intentions from all of you.¡±
I adjusted my sses.
[But that doesn¡¯t mean you have good intentions either. Are you saying it¡¯s not something to discuss with us right now?]
Even though he was in me form, I could feel his piercing gaze.
¡°Knowing that much is enough.¡±
It was better not to delve too deeply. I hadn¡¯t built enough trust with the Elemental Kings and I could sense that none of them truly trusted each other.
Of course, it would be ideal if I could recruit them into the Evil God yers, but since I had be part of this meeting, the odds were in my favor.
Revealing all my cards now would be a premature move.
[Let me rephrase my question.]
The Fire Sovereign backed down.
They hadn¡¯t invited me to the Council of Kings to upset me. Creating unnecessary conflict would only harm them.
The Fire Sovereign didn¡¯t seem willing to take that risk.
[Sincest year, there have been a series of demon incidents, as well as the Alice Carroll incident, and most recently the Dorothy Heartnova rampage incident¡ The person who resolved all these events was you. Can we assume that preventing such dangers is the reason why you¡¯re staying at the Academy?]
What a roundabout way to ask.
I nodded.
In addition to what the Fire Sovereign mentioned, I gave the Elemental Kings the impression that I was someone who would protect my loved ones during the¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹.
Disying such normalcy supported my reason for staying at the academy.
[So, have you been able to foresee all the incidents that have urred so far?]
¡°Yes.¡±
[Understood.]
I didn¡¯t know what kind of thoughts they had.
Seeing them let it go, it was clear they had no intention of interrogating me unfavorably.
[Thenstly, the third issue.]
[I was going to ask that.]
The Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell¡¯s wind avatar interrupted.
[I had something I wanted to discuss with you.]
¡°Thene out and talk directly to me.¡±
[¡What?]
I had noticed it a while ago.
¡°You¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you?¡±
There was a space behind the pir. She was there.
[Psychological Insight] didn¡¯t work on Elemental Kings. Even if someone like the Wind Sovereign was hiding, I wouldn¡¯t know what she was up to, which naturally made me feel uneasy.
So, I judged it safer to have the Wind Sovereign reveal herself publicly when the Elemental Kings were gathered.
[Haa, I had a feeling that was the case¡]
The Water Sovereign let out a dryugh.
[I see.]
[Hmm.]
The Lightning Sovereign Jaul and the Fire Sovereign Andersen looked at me. They seemed more surprised that I had noticed the Wind Sovereign¡¯s presence than by the fact that she was there.
Moreover, since they had sent avatars, their usual mana perception abilities weren¡¯t working. They seemed unsure and only guessed that the Wind Sovereign might be present.
Did they have some conversation among themselves?
[Not bad.]
Whooooo.
A figure of a small girl appeared as the pale green wind dissipated.
A woman with the appearance of a young girl emerged from behind a dark pir.
She had dark green hair that bordered on ck and wore an eye patch over one eye. Dressed like a hunter, her mysterious eyes, imbued with wind mana, gazed at me.
¡°I reduced my mana to the bare minimum. I thought I was perfectly hidden¡ Impressive,¡± The Wind Sovereign bluntlyplimented.
Aichel was momentarily surprised, not having realized the Wind Sovereign was present, but quickly regained herposure.
Her level being at 1 was due to hiding her maximum mana.
Has she ounted for Archwizard-level mana perception?
I simply knew because her status window popped out.
I met the Wind Sovereign¡¯s gaze calmly.
But when did she start hiding there?
It seemed clear she had been in the mansion before I arrived at the Whiterk Duchy.
Otherwise, I would have noticed her much earlier.
She knew I wasing today and came here.
In other words, she had been monitoring my movements from beyond my detection range.
¡It left me with an unsettling feeling.
[You¡¯re quite sneaky, Campbell. I also wanted to meet the Ice Sovereign in person¡! You¡¯re so selfish!]
¡°You only want to do inappropriate things with the Ice Sovereign, you pedophile.¡±
[D-don¡¯t nder me! That¡¯s not true at all!]
The Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell red at the Water Sovereign with dagger-like eyes and sat in the spot where her wind avatar had been.
I raised a question to the Wind Sovereign, ¡°Why are you here?¡±
¡°I wanted to see you again in person, and I still have doubts about your abilities.¡±
Erin Campbell fidgeted with the hunter hat on her head.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen you fight. All I¡¯ve seen are the oues of your battles. All I¡¯ve seen from you is a much lower-than-expected amount of mana. Even in situations where you didn¡¯t need to manipte your maximum mana.¡±
¡°With such mana perception skills, you shouldn¡¯t have any doubts.¡±
In the end, her misunderstanding worked in my favor.
But let¡¯s move on from that.
¡°So? What do you want to talk about?¡±
¡°Recently, you dealt with a demon army in the wastnd of the Zelver Empire, correct?¡±
The wastnd, she was referring to when I subjugated the King of the Dead.
¡°How did you know?¡±
¡°I heard it through the grapevine.¡±
¡°Huh¡?¡±
What is she talking about?
¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand. The wind is free. It can go anywhere. I can hear what the wind sees and hears. It¡¯s easy to learn about anomalies happening in the world.¡±
¡°Is that so¡¡±
It sounded absurd, buting from her, it seemed typical.
So that¡¯s what it takes to be the Wind Sovereign, huh¡? The Elemental Kings¡¯ standards are tough.
¡°Does that battle have anything to do with the demon subjugation from M?rchen Academy?
¡°What if it does?¡±
¡°I¡¯m asking because the timing is very favorable,¡± Erin Campbell asked without any emotion.
¡°I¡¯ve noticed that the movements of the fairies have been unusual recently. Do you think it¡¯s rted to the demons?¡±
I hadn¡¯t anticipated the fairies.
Semester 2 Year 2 of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?,¡¸Fairy War¡¹.
The fairies who failed to stop Rachnil the Iron Fairy were likely gathering strength to oppose him. The time was indeed approaching.
They also knew about the fairies¡¯ movements.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the Elemental Kings had no involvement in the¡¸Fairy War¡¹.
The stage for the event was the Zelver Empire. The Elemental Kings would likely just observe to see how well the Empire handled the¡¸Fairy War¡¹.
In other words, I couldn¡¯t expect help from the Elemental Kings to resolve the scenario of the¡¸Fairy War¡¹.
If I were to seek help, it would be like using the Elemental Kings for my own purposes. They would surely notice that, and it wouldn¡¯t be well-received.
¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics either. I¡¯m not omniscient.¡±
¡°¡¡±
The Wind Sovereign seemed to try to see through my intentions, but then she sighed and leaned back in her chair.
¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡±
With that singlement, the Wind Sovereign fell silent.
***After that, there were no significant discussions.
There were some flirtatious remarks from the Water Sovereign and a few questions from the Fire Sovereign to gauge my character, but the Lightning Sovereign and the Wind Sovereign remained silent, marking the end of my informal introduction.
Everyone finished their greetings and withdrew their avatars, leaving only the Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell, Aichel Whiterk, and me at the roundtable.
I considered saying something but decided against it and stood up. I wasn¡¯t particrly close to the Wind Sovereign and had no intention of getting familiar, so there was no need for further conversation. It was time to head back.
¡°One more question.¡±
At that moment, the Wind Sovereign spoke.
She stood up from her chair and approached me.
¡°¡¡±
She silently looked up at me.
Her expression remained emotionless like a wooden puppet, but her eyes, flowing with wind mana, held a subtle seriousness.
It seemed she was about to reveal the real reason she was here.
¡°Who are you?¡±
That was sudden. Who am I¡? It was a question I often heard due to the nature of my transmigration, but out of the blue?
The Wind Sovereign nced at my chest.
¡°Others must have noticed it too. There¡¯s something inside you that shouldn¡¯t be there.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°You do?¡±
It was obvious she was talking about the mysterious creature with many eyes that Dorothy had mentioned. I knew that too.
I didn¡¯t know what it was. For now, I could only think it was likely rted to the game developer, Higgs.
¡°If you¡¯re asking what it is, don¡¯t even bother. I don¡¯t know either.¡±
I brushed past the Wind Sovereign.
At that moment, she spoke.
¡°That thing was meant to be the result when Dorothy Heartnova went on a rampage.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I stopped in my tracks.
It was hard to keep myposure. I couldn¡¯t fully process what I had just heard.
I turned my head to stare at the back of the Wind Sovereign¡¯s head.
¡°You know that Dorothy Heartnova is the second holder of starlight mana in history.¡±
ording to records, there were two holders of starlight mana.
I learned this from encountering various knowledge in this world. It wasn¡¯t covered in the setting book of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
There was no way for ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? to cover all the unique knowledge and history of this world.
Records of those who made contracts with fairies weren¡¯t rted to the main scenario either.
So, I epted that as a record not worth mentioning in the setting book.
¡°They call those who wield unique powers, different frommon elemental forces, fairies. They are all mysterious beings, but the most enigmatic among them is Ste, the Star Fairy, who wields the power of starlight.¡±
The Wind Sovereign turned her head to the side, but I couldn''t see her face.
¡°The first holder of starlight mana disappeared suddenly one day. Natural disasters struck the world around that time. Dorothy Heartnova¡¯s rampage was probably due to the overuse of starlight mana. What do you think this means?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Ste¡ might be a damned bitch.¡±
The Wind Sovereignpletely turned her head towards me, but her eye was hidden by her eyepatch.
¡°My question about the suspicious movements of the fairies was in that context.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°You¡ like Dorothy Heartnova, don¡¯t you? As a man likes a woman.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°In that case, aren¡¯t you also chasing the Star Fairy?¡±
¡°If that¡¯s what you mean, there¡¯s no need to talk further.¡±
The Star Fairy who saved Dorothy Gale in the Land of Oz.
In this long game against the Evil God, Dorothy had sacrificed herself against the Floating Ind as if it were preordained.
This meant it was highly likely that Ste, who had given power specifically to Dorothy, was involved in this game.
If I survived and reached the end of this journey.
Maybe I¡¯d meet Ste someday.
¡°Because I think I might meet her one day.¡±
Leaving those words behind, I walked away. The Wind Sovereign didn¡¯t speak to me again.
Aichel bowed her head to me. I left the basement with her.
It was time to return to M?rchen Academy.
Chapter 269: White Wants to Get Stronger! (1)
The vacation wasing to an end.
Many students were returning to the academy. I had noticed that there had been a significant increase in the number of people aroundtely.
It was aplicated vacation in many ways, but there was no time to get lost in thought. My daily routine was still filled with training.
Meanwhile, Ian Fairytale sessfully acquired the Luminous Sword. As long as things didn''t get tangled up, the conditions tond an effective hit on Thanatos were now in ce.
I instructed Ian, who had returned to the academy, to use the Luminous Sword. When he swung the Luminous Sword in an open space and showed the power of light, I felt relieved. It had the minimum power I had envisioned.
"...?"
As I was strolling around the campus, I spotted Dorothy on top of a building. Unfortunately, it was difficult to approach her at the current moment.
In her meditation, clusters or stars flickered into existence around her. It was one of the training methods of starlight magic.
I could feel it. Dorothy had increased her meditation time a lot these days.
©¤ ...Liar.I remembered the conversation we had in D¨¹pfendorf. Maybe Dorothy increased her training because of me.
I couldn''t disturb her, so I watched Dorothy from afar before continuing on my way.
***"Isaac."
"You¡¯vee."
Luce Eltania returned afterpleting her training at the Magic Tower. I came out to the academy¡¯s gate to greet her.
A happy smile spread across Luce''s face. The sun was shining down on her like a spotlight, making her glow.
She has be much brighter, that gloomy girl.
Compared to the first year, she had noticeably brightened.
What is this¡ The feeling of being touched?
It was like watching a scene from a drama where a gloomy and devastated daughter overcame her pain and started to interact with people.
"Why do you look like you''re about to cry, Isaac?"
"Seeing you grow up so well suddenly made me feel proud..."
"What, are you my dad? That''s creepy..."
Luce grumbled and walked beside me.
Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know how I feel.
We headed to the academy dorms.
"You caused quite a stir while I was gone, didn''t you?"
"Well, something like that."
Word of Baron Ropenheim''s human trafficking incident seemed to have spread throughout the Empire.
The rumors must have reached the Hegel Magic Tower as well.
"You did a good thing."
"In a way."
Luce seemed to have just brought up a topic of conversation and appeared indifferent. For her, it didn''t matter who lived or died after all.
"Let''s have lunch together after I unpack."
"Sure. I''m hungry."
"Isaac, you have to stay with me today."
"That''s what I was thinking."
"Good answer."
Luce was an outsider whose only relief from loneliness was me. As her only friend, her longing for me was especially intense today, as she hadn''t seen me in a while due to her training at the tower.
That longing probably included her fondness for me.
I was also happier than usual to see Luce after a long time. I wanted to spend the day with her as much as possible.
"Ah."
Oh, right.
"Hmm?"
"I have to do mentoringter. Other than that, it''s fine."
Luce tilted her head in confusion.
"I thought you didn''t mentor during vacation?"
"White is always breaking a sweat to improve her skills day by day. I can''t be the only one cking off. Shouldn''t I help sincerely her?"
Of course, I was the one who made it that way. In reality, it was a chorus of White''s whining, but she did have a desire to improve, so it was not entirely untrue.
"You''re unnecessarily affectionate."
"Thanks for thepliment."
"Can Ie along?"
Hmm?
"You want toe along for the mentoring?"
Luce nodded.
"That might be a bit burdensome..."
It was also a bit embarrassing to show how I teach.
"Will I be a hindrance?"
"It''s not that..."
"Then I''m going."
Her tone was firm, implying that the answer was already decided and I just needed to say the predetermined answer.
It seemed that Luce had been very lonely at the Magic Tower and didn''t want to leave my side, even for a moment.
Luce wasn''t the type to shamelessly interfere with mentoring, and it would be difficult to change her mind once she decided to be stubborn.
Luce is normally more skilled than I am.
It may actually be helpful.
I didn''t think it would matter much.
"Well, okay then."
"Yeah."
Luce answered calmly before turning her head forward.
***"You released your mana too roughly. It''s not enough to just calcte well and construct the magic circle. You need to control your power too. Try again."
"Yes! Hiyah!"
"¡Give me your hand. I''ll set the frame with my mana, then you channel your mana into it. Yes, get the feel of it, and try to master that feeling by repeating it."
"Yes! Huh¡?"
"White?"
The outdoor training ground was a ce that was almost deserted during the vacation. Isaac mentored Snow White, while Luce and Merlin watched the mentoring process from a distance.
Suddenly, White felt a chill run down her spine, causing goosebumps to rise.
What is this chilling sensation I''ve had since earlier...?
It wasn''t just a feeling. The chilling sensation seemed to being from behind her, from Luce.
Luce was watching the mentoring process with an indifferent expression. However, every time White made physical contact with Isaac, she felt an inexplicable chill from Luce.
Luce, the overwhelming top seat, showed a cold response to everyone except Isaac. She was both admired and feared by her juniors, and White was no exception to such a mindset.
For some reason, even though no conversation had taken ce, it felt as if Luce''s whispers were echoing in her ears.
Focus solely on the mentoring. Don''t have any ulterior motives towards Isaac. Absolutely do not have any ulterior motives.
Given that Luce had already proven effective in blocking the affection of several girls towards Isaac, anyone who didn''t measure up to Dorothy, Alice, or Kaya would be hard-pressed not to feel fear under Luce''s gaze. At least among the academy''s students, such a person would be difficult to find.
Meanwhile, Isaac was so absorbed in teaching that he didn''t feel the chill. It was due to his tendency to bepletely engrossed in one task from start to finish. In a positive light, it meant he had great concentration; in a negative light, it meant he couldn''t multitask.
"Ah, no, it''s fine. Let''s continue."
"Tell me if you''re not feeling well. If you''re in pain, resting is the priority."
"Yes... I''ll keep that in mind."
White quickly turned her gaze back to Isaac, having briefly looked towards Luce. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Moreover, she was aware of the rtionship between Isaac and Luce. It was only natural that she couldn''t help but be more conscious of Luce.
"Luce, are you not bored?"
When Isaac suddenly turned to Luce and asked, she smiled beautifully like a heavenly fairy. It was as if flower petals were scattering around her.
The gloomy and heavy atmosphere that only White felt instantly dissipated. It was a dramatic change in expression that was almost frightening.
"It''s fine. Watching Isaac teach is quite entertaining."
"Alright then."
When Isaac turned back to White and resumed mentoring, Luce''s expression turned cold again.
White felt miserable, unable to say anything to the frightening Luce.
"Hmm."
Isaac realized that White was conscious of Luce.
"Hey, Luce."
"Yeah."
Isaac turned to Luce again. Once more, warmth spread across Luce''s face.
"Do you have any tips or something?"
"Tips?"
"Something that might help White. You must have sensed her level too, right? You might be able to help her more effectively than I can."
He was asking her to provide some good tips for nurturing White.
Despite being an archwizard with the terrifying moniker Ice Sovereign, Isaac was a very traditional senior when it came to teaching.
Luce might know of better teaching methods. So, Isaac asking her for help was entirely reasonable to both White and Merlin.
"Something that might help..."
Luce pondered what benefits she might gain from assisting with Isaac''s mentoring.
White didn''t sit well with her. After winning first ce in a beauty contest, she mentioned ¡°liking Isaac¡± in her victory speech. Girls who pretended to be innocent were usually hiding a cunning nature. Naturally, Luce felt wary.
Moreover, she could reduce the frequency of physical contact between Isaac and White through her teaching methods.
Luce stood up.
"I''ll help out a bit."
"...!"
White flinched her shoulders.
Luce approached Isaac. White forced a smile, cold sweat pouring down her face. The rising tension made it impossible for her to meet Luce''s eyes.
"Hehe. Lulu, it''s an honor that Senior Luce is willing to help...!"
White struggled toe up with a warmment.
Luce, who used to have severe social anxiety, no longer frowned or emitted a deadly aura as she used to. Living with Isaac had gradually healed her mental wounds.
But that was all. Luce stared at White with eyes like ice and did not respond at all.
Scary...!
White couldn''t help but be terrified by the sheer intimidation.
"First of all, your mana mastery is terrible."
Luce spoke coldly while keeping her eyes fixed on Isaac.
"What...? Ah, yes..."
"Your calction speed is too slow. At the very least, low-level spells shoulde out immediately. You''re like a turtle."
"Turtle..."
"If it were a real battle, you''d be dead while casting."
"Yes..."
"Isaac even made a frame with his mana, but you couldn''t channel your mana into it properly. It''s proof that your training has been severelycking."
"Yes..."
"Then."
Luce extended her left arm forward. The ck pearl mana stone on the Ring of the Abyssal Queen emitted a gentle light.
Shaa!
Beautifully glowing water formed in the air, each taking on a unique shape. The water shapes multiplied one by one, flying away and creating distance from Luce.
They all took the form of the killer whale magic beast, Bello, except they showed off their bulging muscles in various bodybuilding poses.
Unlike its real form, the muscles being shown off were prominent.
"To create such water magic in a ce with no water...!"
White admired Luce''s dense mana and precise mana mastery.
Meanwhile, Isaac was bewildered by the sight of dozens of muscr Bellos. Even though they were made of water, it was an overwhelming sight.
"Instead of just shooting randomly, I think it''s not a bad idea to time yourself daily on how quickly you can deal with the targets. You can then record your results, andpare them with previous ones. Eventually, your skills will naturally improve."
"Everything sounds good, but... why do the targets look like that?"
"Bello has recently be interested in muscles. It just came to mind suddenly."
Luce recalled the killer whale Bello, who had been doing sit-ups at her desk every day.
Chapter 270: White Wants to Get Stronger! (2)
¡°Ah¡ well, I guess doing it like that asionally isn¡¯t so bad.¡±
¡°Then, eliminate them all within five minutes,¡± Luce calmly instructed.
¡°Give it a try, White.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
At Isaac¡¯s instruction, White looked at the targets with determined eyes.
I have to do well.
She wanted to show her best to Isaac, who always helped and cared for her.
White once again deployed a wind magic circle and cast the three-star wind magic [Wind Sword].
With a swish, the pale green de of wind sliced through the muscr Bello. Luce controlled her mana to make the water figure disappear after being struck by the [Wind Sword].
When the third water figure was eliminated.Puuuuuu!
¡°Gasp!¡±
One of the muscr figures of Bello suddenly spat out a stream of water from its mouth.
A direct water attack across the air. Startled, White reflexively deployed the four-star wind magic [Wind Wall]. A strong whirlwind swirled in front of her, sweeping the stream of water away.
Her heart nearly sank. White let out a sigh of relief that made the air tremble.
¡°Oh, it fights back too.¡±
Isaac adjusted his sses, impressed.
¡°W-what was that¡?¡±
¡°Just smashing the targets is boring. I made them shoot water irregrly to keep you on your toes.¡±
¡°Y-you could have warned me¡¡±
White, trembling under Luce¡¯s ¡°why should I?¡± gaze, couldn¡¯t say anything.
¡°You did well just now, White.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°The surprise attack waspletely unexpected. Deploying [Wind Wall] right away shows you¡¯ve grown a lotpared to before.¡±
Isaac smiled, recalling the time when White had dueled with the Priestess Mei. White tended to be more focused and have faster calction speeds at crucial moments.
¡°You¡¯re strong in realbat.¡±
¡°Senior Isaac¡¡±
The high praise from her archwizard mentor made White feel like dancing with joy.
¡°Hehehe, thank you. Then, I¡¯ll keep going!¡±
With a smile, White cast [Wind Sword] again.
And four minutester.
Whitey sprawled on the ground like a drowned rat. The muscr Bello figures still unted their muscles, but White had reached her limit.
¡°Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°Uh¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m just a livestock that consumes food. A useless pest,¡± White murmured in a voice filled with self-loathing.
¡°Uhm, uh, cheer up¡ Thanks, Luce.¡±
As Isaac tried to console her, sweating nervously, Luce walked away without looking back.
The muscr water figure of Bello gradually vanished.
***It was a few days before the start of the new term. Most of the students had returned.
There were asional reports of students deciding to take a leave of absence or withdraw from the academy due to the grim incidents that had urred.
But these were far and few between. It wasn¡¯t an easy decision to leave such a prestigious academy after having worked their butt off to get epted.
Headmistress Elena informed me that the faculty had faced a lot ofints from parents. However, theints were fewer than expected. She thought it might be because people were wary of me. I paid it no mind.
The sky was painted ck as ink, sprinkled with starlight like salt. It was quiet and peaceful.
I was training my mana mastery with a magic tool in my right hand, running swiftly around the academy.
The tuition issue was easily resolved.
I properly paid for the second semester of my second year. I didn¡¯t indulge in luxury and I earned a merit schrship for excellent grades, so I had some leeway.
And¡
The ck magic tool in my hand was so challenging to use that it made me frown. I had never encountered a magic tool that required such rigorous mana cirction.
¨C Choose among these. They¡¯re all rare items that are hard toe by.
This magic tool was a reward given by Gerald for defeating the demons in the Astrea Duchy.
Among various gifts, I chose this high-grade magic tool without hesitation due to it being an item that wasn¡¯t easily obtainable.
I got two of them, designed to be held in both hands, but I wasn¡¯t skilled enough to use them simultaneously yet, so I was only using one.
As long as this magic tool didn¡¯t break, I wouldn¡¯t need to spend money searching for an even tougher one.
¡°¡?¡±
While running through the Hydrangea Garden, I sensed a familiar mana. It wasing from the direction of the smallke where I usually conducted mentoring sessions.
Passing by the trees, I reached the corner of the Hydrangea Garden and saw a snow-white girl deploying a wind magic circle. It was Snow White.
She was panting, using the three-star wind magic [Wind Sword] towards a distant rock target.
Shwack!
Kwagak!
The wind de missed the rock target several times. However, White kept drawing out her mana, and eventually, the [Wind Sword] hit the rock target.
¡°Waah¡! I-I hit it! I hit it!¡±
Merlin, who was standing near the rock target, pped and said, ¡°Excellent work, Princess White.¡±
It was long past the mentoring session, but she was still training.
¡°Ehehe! Now, even long distances are no problem, Merlin!¡±
¡°Well done. Next, you have to hit this.¡±
¡°He¡ he¡¡±
There was still another rock target created by Merlin. Although she focused on weapon skills as a knight, she could use basic elemental magic.
The sense of achievement that had filled White¡¯s face was reced by a feeling of despair.
¡°By the way, what brings you here, Sir Isaac?¡±
¡°Huh? Senior Isaac?¡±
Merlin noticed me first. White jerked her head back to look at me, startled.
I walked out from behind the tree.
¡°Why did youe back here¡? What brings you here?¡±
¡°I just happened to be passing by while exercising.¡±
I stood next to White and examined the wind magic circle she had deployed. White stiffened as if embarrassed to show her magic circle.
Her lines are clean. It¡¯s limited to [Wind Sword], but her mana is flowing steadily.
The [Wind Sword] she had been swinging earlier was fluid, and the calction speed was faster than usual.
Most importantly.
Her stamina and mana have noticeably increased.
Seeing White drenched in sweat made me smile subconsciously.
What an exemry kid.
¡°Did I do something wrong¡?¡±
White¡¯s voice trembled, and I shook my head.
¡°It¡¯s clean without any excess. It¡¯s perfect.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°You¡¯re doing well now, White.¡±
I smiled brightly.
¡°Ah¡¡±
White stared at me nkly. It seemed that the memories of her tough training sessions shed through her mind like a film.
Soon, tears welled up in White¡¯s eyes.
¡°You¡¯re showing real progress. You¡¯re doing great, really.¡±
¡°Sniff, Senior Isaaac¡¡±
What? Why is she crying?
Sensing something was wrong, Merlin hurriedly ran over. But White, ignoring her, began to cry, wiping her tears with both hands.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±
¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear such words¡ sniff, I always thought I was a hopeless pest¡ I thought that even though you said nice things, you were just being kind and actually pitied for me, even if you thought I was worthless livestock¡ But I wanted to get stronger, so I kept trying, and hearing such words makes me cry¡!¡±
¡°What did you think of me all this time? That never crossed my mind.¡±
Isn¡¯t she being too negative?
¡°You¡¯re too self-deprecating. I meant every word. Now, stop crying.¡±
¡°Sniff, waaah¡! Senior Isaaaac¡!¡±
She cried even harder¡
White had recognized her owncking skills sinceing to the academy and felt a deep sense of inadequacy during her duels with Priestess Mei.
White didn¡¯t take pride in her status as a Princess or as the world¡¯s most beautiful woman. The biggest reason was likely her profound realization that all people meet the same end in death.
As a result, even the factors that could boost her confidence had no effect. She had developed a tendency to look down on herself.
Moreover, she had been training hard in her own way. She must have had her own struggles.
Ah, this isn¡¯t good.
I suddenly remembered how I had cried bitterly after passing my second exam. I felt an unintentional emotional connection.
Gosh, I¡¯m about to cry too¡
¡°Princess White¡¡±
Merlin smiled warmly. Recalling the difficult path she had walked while training, Merlin was moved by White¡¯s tears.
Exchanging a nce with Merlin, I looked back at White and gave a light smile.
¡°Stop crying. Your face will get puffy for the start of the term tomorrow.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ sob.¡±
I patted White on the shoulder, and she gradually stopped crying, sniffing loudly.
¡°I feel great¡!¡±
¡°What?¡±
White¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled.
¡°I feel like I can do anything right now!¡±
Her change in demeanor was quick. Well, that was a good thing.
White extended her hand to me.
¡°Senior Isaac, let¡¯s do that training again.¡±
¡°Now?¡±
She was talking about the training to enhance mana mastery by mixing our mana together.
We had postponed this training before because White¡¯s skills weren¡¯t up to the minimum level required, even though we had initially agreed to do it as a way to repay a debt.
¡°...Are you sure you won¡¯t regret it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve grown now!¡±
¡°Then don¡¯tin.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t!¡±
The advantage of this training method over a magic tool was that it could be adjusted to the partner¡¯s level. By responding to each other¡¯s mana cirction and mixing them, it allowed for a flexible approach.
The downside was that it had a lower upper limit. Once one gained some skill, training with a tough magic tool would be more effective.
For me, the advantage was that I could directly channel White¡¯s mana. This would speed up the time needed to acquire a unique ability, which was my goal.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it.¡±
Drrrrrr.
I used [Rock Generation] to create two simple stone chairs. White and I sat facing each other on the stone chairs.
We extended our arms toward each other, cing our palms together.
Gradually, we began to let our mana flow gently.
Ssssssss.
My pale blue mana and White¡¯s pale green mana seeped out like smoke, slowly mixing together.
The air was calm. However, it wasn¡¯t long before White¡¯s expression contorted. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, trying to endure the pain.
This exercise was simr to a full-body workout such as nking. White must have been feeling intense difort.
The principle was the same as a magic tool. It was the constant pain I always felt.
In contrast, for me, it felt like circting mana with a low-level magic tool. It was so easy that it didn¡¯t bother me at all.
¡°You can endure it now.¡±
¡°Hehe¡ Yes, I can¡!¡±
White responded confidently.
Five minutester¡
White¡¯s face had gradually twisted in agony and she copsed to the ground, foaming from the mouth.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
¡°A-are you okay?¡±
¡°I-it hurts¡ It hurts, Senior Isaac¡¡±
Tears welled up in White¡¯s eyes.
You said you wouldn¡¯tin.
I adjusted my sses and a smile spread across my face.
¡°Still, you endured well. Five minutes is an impressive achievement.¡±
I stood up and extended my hand to White. With her moist eyes, White looked at my face and my hand alternately.
Today, the time needed to obtain the unique ability I wanted to use in the¡¸Fairy Way¡¹scenario was shortened.
Besides that, I was genuinely pleased with White¡¯s growth.
¡°Princess White, your perseverance was admirable. It¡¯s truly a remarkable achievement.¡±
Merlin stood next to me and extended her hand to White.
¡°Senior Isaac, Merlin¡¡±
Perhaps because the mood was heartwarming, White looked like she was moved to tears.
Smiling, White grabbed both mine and Merlin¡¯s hands.
¡°Thanks, you two¡ Aaack!¡±
Ah, I was careless.
Due to our mana being intertwined for a while, the residual mana in our bodies shed, causing a reaction.
We should have avoided physical contact until the lingering manapletely dissipated.
¡°Ugh*¡¡±*
¡°Ah¡ sorry.¡±
I sincerely apologized to White, who was in pain.
Chapter 271: Moving Into Charles Hall
Second Semester Dormitory Assignment Table for Second-Year Magic Department
Isaac ¨C Charles Hall
I checked the newly posted dorm assignment table by grade on the Orphin Hall bulletin board.
Finally.
My name was listed in Charles Hall, the top-ranked dorm. I had be a member of Charles Hall.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the character one yed as, Ian, had to be a third-year student to move into Charles Hall... My achievements stood out much faster than expected due to clearing The Floating Ind and The Abyss.
Only a few students needed to change dorms since most didn¡¯t experience dramatic changes in grades. However, servants would move the belongings of those who did change dorms.
After packing my things in Elma Hall, I nned to head to Charles Hall with my rock golem familiar, Eden, sharing the load.
"Nice to meet you, Isaac. I''ll help you."Three maids adorned with golden ornaments greeted me at the front gate of Elma Hall. They were all academy servants, and there was a sleepy-looking maid in the middle who was the head maid.
"You came quickly."
"That''s the etiquette of academy maids."
They had a strong professional spirit.
I was the only person assigned to Charles Hall this semester. The academy maids only had to take care of me.
They summoned familiars to help carry the luggage.
From Charles Hall onward, academy maids cared for everything with utmost dedication. They were also decent inbat. The head maid was at level 97, so that was all that needed to be said.
You shouldn¡¯t judge them by the mere title of maid.
Hilde, in the form of a small white dragon on my shoulder, stared intently at the academy maids. She seemed to covet their maid outfits.
Walking from the living quarters, we passed through a beautiful garden path and saw a luxurious building standing alone. This was Charles Hall, the elite dorm where the academy¡¯s strongest students such as Luce, Kaya, Dorothy, and Alice stayed.
Opening the arched entrance, a magnificent hall greeted me.
"Oh..."
It was my first time seeing the corridor within Charles Hall in person, not just in the game.
Having visited the D¨¹pfendorf Pce first, the luxuriousness didn''t impress me as much, but the ce had an iparable familiarity and warmth. I had seen it so many times in the game.
"This way."
We went up the luxurious stairs to the second floor. Meanwhile, the head maid, who looked rather strict, fluently exined various things about the dorm.
"To the left from here is the boys''s wing, and to the right is the girl''s wing. You are free to move around, but please be careful not to engage in any activities that vite the school rules."
"Yes."
"There are various facilities over there. Please use them when needed."
"Yes."
"Maids can be summoned at any time. Also, please fill out a form stating what time you would like a maid toe into your room and what tasks you would like them to attend to. The form will be reviewed and then treated as a schedule. Your privacy should be respected."
"Yes..."
Unlike other dorms, Charles Hall was shared by both men and women. Therefore, it was equipped with several different facilities. This meant that it was possible to live entirely within the dorm unless there was a special reason to go outside.
"This will be your room, Isaac."
The academy maid guided me to a room on the second floor.
It was an ultra-luxurious room where a millionaire might stay. Even Elma Hall, a middle-upper ranked dorm, fell short inparison
Since I had identally seen Luce''s roomst year, it didn''t feel entirely new, but it was still a jaw-dropping ce.
"Would you like some help with your unpacking?"
"I''ll take care of that."
"Alright then. Please call us anytime if you need anything."
The servants left, and silence filled the room.
I met the eyes of Eden and Hilde. They stared at me intently.
"Shall we unpack?"
As if waiting for me to say just that, Eden raised his right arm and responded with a [Kyuuu!].
***"Kaya?"
"Ah, ah, I heard that you moved in, Isaac... Congrattions! This is a move-in gift!"
"Huh? Oh, thank you..."
It was when I was in my room in Charles Hall.
A cautious knock was heard, and when I went out, there was a very nervous Kaya. As soon as she saw me, her face turned bright red, and she bowed her head deeply, handing me a small envelope with both hands. It was like a scene from a youth drama where a girl experienced her first crush and confessed to the boy she liked.
I received the envelope and looked inside. Expensive refreshments were inside. It seemed like a gift prepared to ease my burden.
"Oh, snacks. I''ll enjoy them."
"Y-yes! Enjoy them! I''ll be going now!"
Kaya fled swiftly as if running away. She was as fast as an arrow.
Since the men''s and women''s wings were in the same building, she finally gathered the courage to visit my room. I couldn''t help but smile at her cuteness
***"Luce? Hey, wait. Why are youing in?"
"Isaac, to celebrate your move-in, let the housewarming begin."
A dull knock was heard, and when I went out, there was Luce with a calm face. She bluntly pushed past me and entered the room.
A girl entering a boy''s room was obviously against the rules. I quickly closed the front door to ensure no sound leaked out.
"Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a Tower Master in the future? Why are you breaking the rules so casually?"
"Does that matter? I''m just checking out your room?"
"It matters a lot, you idiot."
Does she think it doesn''t matter because her grades are so high they can offset any demerit points?
If Dorothy, the student who boasted the most demerit points in the academy, had a YOLO mindset, Luce had a ¡°screw the rules¡± mindset. As a result, it seemed like there was no hope for improvement.
How should I put it, she was the type of kid who should never be a criminal. If I didn''t somehow guide her onto the path of a good wizard, she might someday be the worst criminal in the history of the empire.
Suddenly, Luce headed to the kitchen.
"I''ll cook for you as a move-in gift."
"That''s nice, but don''t stay too long."
I couldn¡¯t be as careless as when Alice lived with me in Elma Hall. There were many ears among the servants working in Charles Hall. I had to be twice as cautious as I was in the other dorms. Luce had to have been aware of that too.
Thunk.
Suddenly, Luce stopped in her tracks.
"...Why?"
"Huh?"
"You''re not worried that another girl mighte, are you?"
Luce''s voice sank, damp like the humidity of the rainy season. In her blue eyes that nced at me, the liveliness had vanished at some point.
"What are you talking about... With so many maids around, the risk of getting caught is high. You might not care, but I don''t want to get demerit points."
"...Just saying."
"..."
Luce resumed her steps and entered the kitchen.
She was obsessively concerned about my rtionships with the opposite sex. Even when I lived with Alice, traces of her must have unconsciouslye out from me. After that, it was easy to notice that Luce felt repulsion and hatred towards Alice.
I had no intention of fostering conflict, so I deliberately pretended to be unaware.
As time passed, I ate the meat dish Luce had prepared. I worried that she might have spontaneously added something harmful, but there was nothing of the sort. It was simply delicious.
***"Alice? What''s up?"
"I heard you moved in, Baby, so I came to visit."
It waste at night, just after I had finished showering.
I heard a polite knock, and when I went out, I saw Alice smiling kindly. She waved her hand lightly in greeting.
But for some reason, the subtle smell of alcohol pricked my nose despite Alice''s face looking fine.
"Did you drink?"
"Hee, my baby is sharp, isn''t he?"
"You reek of alcohol."
Students were allowed to drink alcohol from their first year at the academy in this nation. However, if they broke the rules after drinking, the disciplinary severity tripled, so students tended to refrain from excessive drinking to be cautious.
Starting from the third year, students were considered adults, simr to the age of adulthood in my previous life. Alice was around that age.
"Today was thest student council dinner, right?"
Alice nodded.
"Thanks to you, we finished the talk well."
"''Thanks to me''?"
Thanks to me? I¡¯m not particrly close with the student council and I didn¡¯t do anything for their dinner.
"I didn''t do anything, right?"
"You really think so?"
"...Huh?"
Without warning, Alice entered through the front door and came right up to me.
Instinctively, I took a step back, and she took another step forward, clinging to me.
Even so, Alice firmly closed the front door.
"Excuse me."
Alice stood on tiptoe, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and trying to match her navel with mine. Herrge chest pressed against mine as she did so, increasing the pressure.
"What are you doing...?"
"I feel like cuddling my baby, hehe. It''s thanks to you that I''m here now, isn''t it?"
Alice had to be at the academy first to have thest student council dinner. It meant that the premise was established because of me.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, Alice seemed more sentimental than usual.
Her whisper, filled with desire, and her charmingly cute actions echoed in my ears. Her face, now flushed, looked like a shy bride in a new home.
Her warm breath subtly wet my lips. The strong smell of alcohol was oddly intriguing.
For a moment, my rationality almost flew away. I couldn''t tell if Alice''s bold seduction was due to the alcohol since she often expressed her affection freely.
I barely managed to suppress my desire and control my expression. Giving in to desire would cause all sorts of trouble.
"First, back off a bit... I need to study."
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
"Darling."
"Oh, please."
Alice flirted yfully. She seemed to enjoy teasing me.
***"Big Sis is here!"
"Senior Dorothy?"
It was a dark night. While studying by the light of mymp, I heard a loud knock at the window. When I opened the window, I saw Dorothy outside, floating upside down while keeping her witch''s hat on her head.
She said, "Uhtcha," and ced her feet on the windowsill, crouching down.
"Nihihi, I heard you moved in. I just finished my training!"
"You''ve been at it for a while."
"Big Sis is also working hard, you know?"
Dorothy proudly ced her hand on her chest.
"You''re impressive, my dear Senior."
"Nihihi."
She liked it even more when she was praised.
"So, what''s up?"
"I came to give you a move-in gift. Watch this."
Dorothy covered her face with both hands. Then, as if opening a door, she spread her hands wide, revealing her beaming smile.
"Tada! It''s Big Sis'' smile. It''s good for your eyes."
"Oh... Wow."
"Your reaction is lukewarm. Your enthusiasm as a fan has diminished, hasn''t it?"
Dorothy red at me with fierce eyes. It was a joke that left me unsure of how to respond.
She was incredibly charming.
Ah, I want to kiss her.
"Of course, that was a joke. I came to give you this."
Dorothy took off the witch''s hat she was wearing, took out something from inside it, and handed it to me. It was a small case.
When I opened the case, I saw a pendant ne inside. Inside the pendant, the Milky Way flowed as if it contained the universe.
However, it was a bit worn out. Anyone could see it was a used item.
"A ne?"
"It''s a magic tool that shows its effect when you store mana in it. They say it helps with fatigue recovery. Honestly, I''ve never felt the effect myself, but it''s better than not using it, right?"
"Fatigue recovery..."
There were many magic tools where mana acted as a battery. This pendant contained mana from starlight magic as a battery substitute.
"You always look so tired, President. Your dark circles have gotten worse, right? I thought about giving you some food that¡¯s good for your health, but that¡¯s temporary. I thought this would be better. But it¡¯s a bit old, isn''t it?"
"Yes, it''s not new."
"Actually, it was mine. My aunt gave it to me as a gift."
¡°¡?¡±
Aunt.
A family member Dorothy loved.
"It has a vintage feel, doesn''t it? Besides, it was always close to my skin. Nihihi, it''s a reward for you."
Dorothy smiled cunningly.
"Is it okay to give something with such memories as a move-in gift¡?"
"I wanted to give you something precious. It''s the most valuable thing to me. It''s like a charm."
Dorothy lowered her gaze and smiled softly.
"It worked well as a charm for me. It might work as a charm for you too."
A girl who left the Land of Oz and looked out over her deste homnd.
The fact that she wanted to give me her most cherished charm showed how important I was to her.
Well, I didn''t expect this to have dramatic effects. She said she never felt the fatigue recovery effect herself.
It''s like an old movie clich¨¦ where I narrowly survive a crisis and think, ¡°Was it all thanks to this ne?¡±
I just appreciated the meaning behind Dorothy giving me this ne.
"Senior Dorothy."
"Yes?"
"I''ll wear this around my neck until the day I die."
"No, there''s no need to go that far... But don''t die because of it, okay?"
Dorothy was flustered when I said that solemnly while holding the ne.
* * *Headmistress''s Office, Bartos Hall.
Headmistress Elena Woodline nced over the documents and let out a long sigh.
"Haaaa... What should I do about this...?"
It was amon urrence for Elena to sigh so deeply that it seemed as if the ground would cave in. The secretary took it in stride as a matter of course.
However, this matter was significant in many ways.
"Why is the real Priestessing...?"
"Pardon?"
Only then did the secretary react. The mention of the ¡°Priestess¡±, a being who had caused a major incident at M?rchen Academy, had caught her attention.
"It''s about the excursion program... An imperial decree has been issued. They want to include the Priestess from the Eastern Nation."
The M?rchen Academy excursion program, which had been nned sincest year, was being implemented for the first time this year.
Some exceptional youths would have the opportunity to experience life at the academy for several months.
But somehow, an imperial decree was issued, creating an additional spot in the excursion program, and an enormous figure was added to the participant list.
Miya, the Priestess of the Spear of me.
It was decided that she would being to M?rchen Academy for the excursion.
:"
Chapter 272: Eve and Her Little Brother
She got up.
Scratching her disheveled hair, she heard sparrows chirping outside, signaling the start of the day.
Sunlight streamed through the window, brightly illuminating the room. The walls were covered with pictures of Isaac in his uniform.
Eve Ropenheim let out a deep sigh. Her body felt refreshed, but her mind was troubled.
The semester has already started¡
She hadn¡¯t spoken to Isaac since the Ropenheim Barony incident.
The break was over before she knew it.
***¡°It¡¯s been a while! Have you lost weight?¡±
¡°What did you do over the break?¡±
¡°Hello!¡±M?rchen Academy was bustling with students returning from vacation.
Conversations about what happened over their breaks filled the air. The hottest topic, of course, was the Ropenheim Barony incident.
Given that this was a prestigious academy with a high percentage of nobles, the details of the Ropenheim Barony incident, which had spread widely in noble society, naturally reached everyone¡¯s ears.
¡°Did you hear that Baron Ropenheim was trafficking children?¡±
¡°Yeah, I was so shocked when I heard it. But did you know that the one to stop it was Senior Issac?¡±
¡°Wow, uhh, Senior Isaac¡ I think I¡¯m falling for him all over again¡¡±
Naturally, the news of Isaac¡¯s involvement in resolving the incident followed.
Isaac himself wasn¡¯t fully aware, but he was very popr at the academy. The only thing keeping the girls from approaching him was Luce, who constantly loomed over Isaac and shot murderous nces at those who even dared to nce in his general vicinity.
Meanwhile, a third-year student was walking dejectedly, overhearing the conversations among the girls. It was Isaac¡¯s sister, Eve Ropenheim.
¡°Eveeee!!¡±
¡°Eek!¡±
A short-haired third-year student, Alicia, ran up and hugged Eve from behind. Startled, Eve let out a strange scream.
¡°Long time no see, Eve!¡±
¡°Long time no see, Alicia¡¡±
¡°Even though the semester has started, isn¡¯t it too much to be so down already? Are you worried more demons will appear?¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine! The Ice Sovereign said there wouldn¡¯t be any more incidents like that! We¡¯ve safely gotten through all the big incidents so far, so don¡¯t you think things will be quiet until we graduate?!¡±
The protests triggered by numerous incidents continued unabated, and the Imperial Knights¡¯ protection had be even stronger.
Outsiders might wonder why M?rchen Academy hadn¡¯t shut down. It was because shutting down M?rchen Academy would be an overreaction that would cause more harm than good. Besides, since it was under the protection of the Imperial Court, closing the academy wasn¡¯t even an option.
The academy had no choice but to continue operating, and the students wanted it to remain open as well.
However, Eve¡¯s low spirits were not due to what Alicia had mentioned.
That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s because I still haven¡¯t been able to talk to Isaac¡
Eve felt a strong sense of self-doubt for not having spoken to Isaac until the end of the break.
I want to join in the girls'' discussion about my brother, I want to brag about how handsome, cool, and sexy he is¡! And then, I want to proudly dere, ¡°I am Isaac¡¯s elder sister.¡±
The mere thought excited her. It brought her a sense of satisfaction.
But since she hadn¡¯t spoken to Isaac since the Ropenheim Barony incident¡
She felt like nothing had been resolved between them. Bragging about being Isaac¡¯s sister felt like an inconsiderate and shameless act that didn¡¯t take her brother¡¯s feelings into ount.
¡°Eve?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ Hopefully, nothing else happens until we graduate.¡±
Eve sighed, pretending to be worried.
***The ss cement evaluation would be held in three days. Until then, the students would be in temporary sses.
Eve, who was holding a drink, reached the second-year floor of the Orphin Hall, discreetly peeking into one of the temporary ssrooms.
Among the many students, one particrly radiant boy with sses stood out. It was Isaac.
Eve¡¯s face broke into a wide grin.
Even the way he organizes his books is so adorable¡
Though siblings often quarreled, Eve, who had to love Isaac from a distance, had no such sibling pride.
She only adored her little brother¡¯s cuteness.
Students passing by nced nervously at Eve as she peeked into the second-year ssroom like a stalker. Many had seen her doing the samest semester. Eve was a repeat offender.
However, Eve was too immersed in watching Isaac to care about others¡¯ stares.
I need to talk to him soon¡
Today, she was determined to talk to Isaac. She had even bought a drink for that purpose, to use as an excuse to start a conversation.
Once the ss cement evaluation was over, Isaac would naturally join ss A, and then his admirers would likely flock around him.
Come on, be brave. Get it together.
Eve encouraged herself.
At that moment, Isaac stood up from his seat.
¡°Gasp¡!¡±
Eve immediately leaned against the wall, hiding. It was an automatic, reflexive evasion, startled by the thought that Isaac had seen her.
No, this isn¡¯t right. It¡¯s good if he sees me.
Old memories kept resurfacing, causing Eve¡¯s heart to drop reflexively whenever she saw Isaac. She let out a small groan.
Though she tried to muster up her courage again, in the end, Eve chose to run away, too scared to face him.
¡°¡¡±
Isaac watched Eve¡¯s departing figure from the doorway.
He knew that she had been watching him all along.
Why is she just leaving?
Isaac learned about his family situation when he defeated Baron Ropenheim.
But he still didn¡¯t know the specifics of his rtionship with Eve or how they had lived together. Moreover, he was too focused on his training to address the issue with Eve.
So he had been waiting patiently for Eve to approach him first, but it seemed he would have to take the initiative.
Isaac started walking.
***Eve sat on a bench behind Orphin Hall, clutching the drink she bought and sighing deeply.
¡°What should I say¡?¡±
The human heart was like a reed. No matter how firm their resolve was, it would sway with the slightest breeze.
She hesitated to approach Isaac. Her indecision frustrated her.
Just talk to him. Just say, ¡°Hello.¡± That one word would be enough to get it started. However¡ even that one word was difficult.
This won¡¯t do. How long will you keep hesitating?
Determination shone in Eve¡¯s eyes. She practiced talking to the empty air, holding out the bottle of drink.
¡°¡®Hi, Isaac? Want a drink? Oh, and thanks for the other day¡¡¯ No, that¡¯s too formal. ¡®Here, I picked this up on my way. And about that day, how can I repay you¡?¡¯ That might sound rude. ¡®Thanks for saving me that day. Here¡¯s a little gift. Can I talk to you sometime¡?¡¯ Am I a teenage girl or something?¡±
¡°What are you doing, Sis?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Behind the bench where Eve was sitting.
The boy with silver-blue hair, Isaac, appeared and spoke.
¡°Hyaaaaa!!!¡±
Eve screamed as if she were about to faint. Isaac casually covered his ears.
***¡°Huff, huff¡!¡±
For a while, Eve clutched her chest, taking deep breaths to calm her startled heart. It took some time for her to settle down.
I sat next to Eve, waiting for her to speak. There were about ten minutes left until the second-semester orientation started.
¡°S-Ssir Brother, w-w-what b-brings you here¡?¡±
¡°Sir Brother?¡±
Eve pped her hand over her mouth. She was incredibly nervous.
I nced at the bottle of drink.
¡°Did you buy that for me?¡±
¡°Huh? Ah, yeah¡¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
Eve held out the bottle, and I took it and had a sip. The sweet taste lingered on my tongue.
There was an awkward silence. Eve stiffened like a wooden doll. She must be so confused.
Honestly, I didn¡¯t know how to deal with her either. Strictly speaking, we were strangers.
Even so, as the only family this body had, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bond.
After all, I am Isaac now.
Moreover, Eve had a deep affection for me. It was psychologically difficult to reject someone like that.
¡°Tell me about it.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°The events at the Ropenheim Barony. From the past to what happened recently.¡±
The story I missed while I was out hunting Calgart the Necromancer.
Eve had apologized to me, and I decided to hear her out now.
Eve let out a small sigh and then turned to face me.
After a brief silence, she carefully began to speak, ¡°Okay, when we were young¡¡±
For about five minutes, Eve continued her story without pause. It was concise and coherent, hitting the core points, as if she had prepared and practiced many times.
She must have often thought about how to exin her situation to Isaac one day.
Due to our family¡¯s poor financial state, Eve had decided to ept Baron Ropenheim¡¯s suggestion so she could provide for Isaac.
She revealed that she nned to leave Baron Ropenheim once she got her diploma from M?rchen Academy.
She also recounted the events of the Baron Ropenheim incident. How she was bound by dark mana, and how the baron had intended to use her as a sacrifice in some ritual.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ I was so foolish¡ I¡¯m sorry for leaving after saying such harsh words.¡±
I took a sip and spoke softly, ¡°We were just kids back then. We were helpless before Baron Ropenheim¡¯s schemes. Don¡¯t cry. I understand how you must have felt.¡±
¡°Why are you acting more mature than me¡¡±
Eve sniffled a bit, then wiped her tears and regained herposure.
¡°You¡¯re still not like you used to be¡ When did you start hiding your true self?¡±
My true self. It was obvious what she meant.
Isaac, who had no talent for magic, was now recognized as an archwizard. She was asking why I had hidden such power from my family.
¡°It seems I had sometent potential. It awakened one day after Mom passed away. It¡¯s hard to exin. I don¡¯t fully understand it myself.¡±
¡°...So, you weren¡¯t hiding it?¡±
¡°No, I wasn¡¯t. By the way, what was I like back then?¡±
¡°Huh? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t remember your childhood?¡±
I nodded.
¡°It seems like a side effect of my potential awakening. I¡¯ve lost parts of my memory, especially the older ones.¡±
Of course, this was a lie. I just didn¡¯t know how I had interacted with Eve in the past.
I decided that it was best to tell it like this.
If I said I lost my memory due to a mental shock, Eve would feel even more guilty.
If I truthfully said I didn¡¯t know because I had possessed the body of her brother, Eve would be deeply shocked or react with disbelief.
That would only add to my guilt.
¡°How could such a thing happen¡?¡±
¡°Who knows.¡±
¡°¡¡±
While I sipped my drink, Eve collected her thoughts, cleared her throat, and then averted her gaze from me.
Then she started to speak, ¡°Every morning and night, we kissed.¡±
Good morning kisses, good night kisses, like what I¡¯ve seen in foreign movies.
¡°And?¡±
¡°We often bathed together too¡¡±
We were young then, so it made sense. We wouldn¡¯t have had any knowledge of sexual matters at the time.
But¡ it¡¯s starting to sound strange.
¡°Whenever anything happened, you always tried to hug me, act cute, and hold my hand. And you always said you would grow up to be like me, marry me, and that you didn¡¯t need anything else¡ You were always saying, ¡®I love you, Sis.¡¯ Before going to sleep, you insisted on staring at my face for ten minutes, and I was always reflected in your eyes.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Did Isaac have a sisterplex? It¡¯s possible¡ But I detected lies in Eve¡¯s story.
Using [Psychological Insight], I noticed Eve was mixing in a few lies.
But every time she lied, what she said was bing more and more like the truth and she would believe her own lies, deceiving herself. As a result, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t lying.
Eve continued speaking while staring into space. Her face grew calmer, and a small smile crept up her lips.
I stood still, listening silently to Eve¡¯s words. Her story gradually became more poetic, like something out of a novel.
¡°As you grew older, you still only had eyes for me. Most nights we slept in each others¡¯ arms. I remember the warmth of your breath, your cute breathing still resonates in my ears. Whenever I patted your head, you would always smile brightly and say you liked it. Even when we went to the flower garden holding hands. You probably don¡¯t remember, but you put a crown of flowers on my head. Just like I protected you, you said you would protect me forever when you grew up. You were as gentle as a spring breeze and as bright as a midday sun.¡±
¡°Sis.¡±
¡°And also¡¡±
¡°Sis.¡±
¡°Huh¡ yeah?¡±
I brought Eve back to reality as she was getting immersed in her own world.
¡°The bell rang. Let¡¯s talk againter.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
The ss bell was ringing. It was time to head back.
¡°Right¡ Yeah, let¡¯s go back.¡±
We walked into Orphin Hall.
¡°Hey, Isaac.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t we go back to the way things were?¡±
¡°...That might be difficult.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ I guess so. Take care.¡±
Eve waved at me and headed towards the third-year floor.
At some point, I couldn¡¯t tell.
Just now, I didn¡¯t know which part of Eve¡¯s memories were true and which ones were lies.
Chapter 273: Class A Placement
Keridna Whiterk.
As the daughter of the Whiterk ducal family, she was a top-ranking student at the prestigious M?rchen Academy.
She was an all-rounder whocked nothing in beauty, lineage, or ability.
She enjoyed ys and novels.
While she could easily empathize with the characters, her acting skills were subpar.
Anyone could tell when she asionally acted as a clumsy viiness.
That day, she was looking at the ss cement table posted on the Orpin Hall bulletin board with a vacant expression.
"Ughhh..."
She had been making zombie-like sounds absentmindedly for 10 minutes now.
As a result of the ss cement evaluation, Keridna was ced in ss B.It was obvious who had taken her ce in ss A. It was Isaac.
He was naturally someone she had to give way to.
If other ss A students could bepared to wild beasts, Isaac was no different from a natural disaster.
But...
Nevertheless, the feeling of someone who had felt pride for being a part of the best ss suddenly falling to a low level was indescribable.
It wasplicated. It was sad. It was distressing and felt as if tears of blood might flow from her eyes...!
"What are you doing?"
"Ahh!"
Suddenly, a male student approached from behind and spoke to her, startling Keridna because it was a familiar voice.
Keridna quickly turned her head back.
"Ah, Isaac..."
The male student who approached was Isaac.
He had the look of a model student with sses.
However, contrary to his gentle appearance, he was a monster with terrifying titles like ¡°History¡¯s Youngest Archwizard¡± and ¡°Ice Sovereign¡±.
Suddenly, Keridna recalled what had happened at the Whiterk mansion and blushed.
A romantic affair between Aichel and Isaac... seemed unlikely
But she had certainly done something embarrassing.
Keridna questioned Aichel, and she responded with a mischievous smile before putting a finger to her lips with a "Shh."
Rumors that the Whiterk ducal family had formed a close rtionship with the Ice Sovereign spread throughout noble society.
Many people had seen the white dragon approaching the Whiterk mansion.
Rumors traveled fast.
It was an undeniable fact that the bnce of power naturally shifted, raising the prestige of the Whiterk family.
Aichel and Isaac.
Are they using each other?
It was impossible to know.
But just thinking about the man having done such things with her sister made Keridna''s body flush with heat.
What am I thinking...!
Keridna quickly shook her head to dispel her thoughts.
Isaac watched her curiously.
Snap back to reality, Keridna!
She took a deep breath to calm her emotions.
"How... What is it?"
Keridna almost used formal speech without realizing it, but quickly corrected herself to informal speech.
¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that for a while. Are you depressed you didn¡¯t make it to ss A?¡±
"..."
There was no need to say it.
He had hit the nail on the head.
Keridna made a tearful face and dropped her head to the side.
Her bodynguage oozed skepticism.
If it weren''t for you, I could have consistently stayed in ss A.
That was the meaning behind Keridna''s actions.
"What can you do? me your own skills."
"Ugh...!"
A cold reply.
Keridna gnashed her teeth angrily.
He could have just given me words offort, but he just had to go and say something irritating!
But considering his identity, she couldn''t form a rebuttal. She could only swallow her anger and hold her tongue.
In the first ce, there was nothing wrong with what Isaac said.
ording to Aichel, Isaac even had a close rtionship with the Whiterk family.
So the fact that she could only direct her anger at herself made Keridna sad.
"Hoo."
Keridna took another deep breath to calm her emotions, then red at Isaac with fierce eyes.
"Is that your only reason for being here? Just to make a mockery out of me?"
"Do you really see me that way? I just spoke to you because you were standing there nkly. Don''t be too sad. It''s bothering me."
"As if I would be this sad."
Keridna let out a small, involuntaryugh before covering her mouth with the back of her hand, and spoke more firmly, "I am the daughter of the Whiterk family. Do you think I''ll be away from ss A forever like this? My excellence is evesting, even in the vast world. I''ll definitely get back into ss A next semester, so prepare to wee me."
"Is that so."
Isaac grinned and handed Keridna the vacuum sk he was holding.
"Then take this."
"Huh? What''s this?"
"Cocoa."
"What? What''s this out of the blue...?"
Keridna tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"Drink it if you get bored during ss or while studyingter."
"No, why are you giving this to me?"
"You made tea for me yourselfst time. So as a token of gratitude, I prepared something fancy for you to drink."
"I don''t know if you''ll like it, though."
"Huh? How did youe to that conclusion...?"
Isaac wanted to cheer up the disheartened Keridna.
He made cocoa with the powder gifted by White, iming it was something only tasted in the Imperial court. A maid from Charles Hall helped, ensuring it would satisfy Keridna''s refined pte.
After all, cocoa wasn''t amon drink here.
"Good luck, Then."
Isaac gave a kind smile, patted Keridna''s shoulder, and then left.
"...?"
She was dumbfounded.
"Why on earth is he giving me this...?"
Keridna had to wonder for a while, looking back and forth between the departing Isaac and the vacuum sk containing the cocoa.
Keridna opened the lid of the bottle and took a sip of the contents.
"Mmm...?"
It was delicious.
***Last week, after the ss cement evaluation waspleted, the sses were decided.
I was ced in ss A, while Keridna Whiterk was dropped to ss B.
I didn''t know if she liked the cocoa gift. I gave it to her because she made tea for me.
In retrospect, it seemed like a rather absurd gift. I understood the puzzled reaction Keridna showed when I gave it to her.
I didn''t know why I felt like I would regret giving her that gift, but it probably didn''t matter.
"This is Professor Philip Meltron, who will be responsible for your second semester."
I was seated in the middle of the ss A second-year lecture room.
The professors in charge of each ss changed every semester with the sole exception of the lowest ss, ss D. This was for the sake of the student¡¯s education.
The current professor for ss A was a middle-aged man with red hair, a status supremacist who was outmaneuvered by my team and me during the joint practical evaluation, Professor Philip Meltron.
When our eyes met, he briefly frowned, but he didn''t seem to hold any ill will against me. It just seemed like we would have an awkward rtionship going forward.
"Among you, four people should understand. I have a fondness for the raw gems, the excellent elites like you, who will lead the future empire."
Professor Philip started off by ttering us.
He made eye contact with me.
"Isaac, you who have newly risen to ss A are no exception. It was wrong to judge you based solely on my values of grades and performance. I apologize for that."
"Oh, yes..."
Professor Philip bowed his head to me. It was a formal apology, but it carried sincerity.
I had already beaten him soundly, so I didn''t hold any ill will. The already awkward atmosphere became even more ufortable.
Professor Philip raised his head again.
"And there is one thing I want to ask you."
"Yes."
"Are you really taking this ss to hone your basic skills?"
"Yes... why?"
"It''s nothing. Then, let''s start the ss."
This man. It wasn''t obvious, but he felt pressured that I was taking his ss.
It was my first time actually attending Professor Philip''s ss. His teaching style was calm and orthodox.
I rolled my eyes to look at Kaya and Luce.
Kaya wanted to sit next to me right away but was holding back, worried it might disturb her studies. She would steal nces at me, but when our eyes met, her face would turn bright red and she would quietly lower her head. It was like a scene from a teen drama.
Ah, so innocent.
Luce was calmly listening to the lecture.
"Grnnn... sss..."
Meanwhile, Ciel was sitting in the corner, sleeping peacefully.
She was hugging the pillow I had given herst year. She liked it so much that she still carried it around with her.
Professor Philip was overly lenient with the excellent elites. It seemed like a usual thing as he didn''t even try to wake Ciel. He might have already given up.
***During the break, I stepped out into the hallway aftering from the restroom.
"Isaac."
"Sis?"
Suddenly, Eve Ropenheim appeared and stood in front of me, as if she had been waiting for me.
She wasn''t there before I went into the restroom.
"Do you want to go home with me today? If it''s a burden, I understand..."
Eve shyly stroked her hair, which was tied to the side, as if wringing it out.
With Baron Ropenheim''s restrictions gone and having reconciled with me, she seemed eager to gradually be part of my daily life.
I was Isaac, and Eve was the only blood rtive of this body. I couldn''t help but feel particrly fond of Eve.
However, it was difficult to consider Eve''s brave suggestion.
"I have a friend who usually walks with me, so that might be a little difficult."
"Oh... really?"
Eve rolled her eyes to the side.
Her drawn-out voice, lowered eyes, and drooping corners of her mouth conveyed a subtle displeasure.
Soon, Eve looked at me again and smiled slightly.
"Then it can''t be helped."
"Let''s meet when we have time."
"Sure."
I gave her a smile and walked past her.
"But you guys stick together too much... It''s distracting."
"...?"
Suddenly, her subdued voice was clearly heard in my ear.
I stopped walking and turned my head back to look at Eve.
She was already walking away in the opposite direction.
Chapter 274: Isaac and His Sister
Eve Ropenheim.
Being my only blood rtive, I naturally felt a strong affection for her.
The restraints of Baron Ropenheim had disappeared, and the misunderstandings I didn¡¯t even know about were resolved. I wanted to look after my sibling who had suffered so much psychologically.
However¡ things didn¡¯t always work out the way we wanted them to.
¡°Sis?¡±
¡°Isaac, here¡¯s a lunchbox. I¡¯ve worked on it for a long time. How is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s all burnt¡¡±
Eve came to me and handed me a lunchbox, where every bit of food had turned into something resembling ck coal.
¡°Hi, Isaac. What a coincidence meeting you here?!¡±
¡°Sis? You don¡¯t usually go for morning runs, do you?¡±¡°Yes, I do sometimes.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before¡¡±
She¡¯d show up early in the morning in workout clothes and run alongside me.
¡°Isaac, can I eat with you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought I could at least hold your hand, but I guess I can¡¯t yet¡ Maybe I was being impatient.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. Did I make you ufortable? Sorry, I must be hopeless¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m happytely. I don¡¯t want to be apart from you anymore. If we grow distant again, I might end up hurting myself¡¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t avoid my greeting earlier, did you? You didn¡¯t pretend not to see me, right? I was just overreacting, right?¡±
It was as if some shackles that had been holding Eve back were suddenly removed, and she was forcing her way into my daily life.
While she acted normally with others, she seemed to be a different person around me.
Her obsession has gotten worse¡
It made sense.
The family issues caused by Baron Ropenheim affected not only Isaac but also Eve¡¯s past.
She had to part on bad terms with the brother she loved dearly and had to say a careless goodbye to her beloved mother. Her brother even went missing.
The mental shock Eve must have endured was beyond words. That was why she cried, saying sorry, and how she regretted her past choices. Her mind was likely shattered like a broken window.
Now that all the problems are resolved¡
Realizing the importance of what we had after losing it was a simple part of life most people went through.
So, I could understand why Eve, who must have felt an enormous sense of loss, was disying such obsessive behavior.
After reconnecting with her brother, I was sure that if we grew distant, Eve would me herself and experience immense stress.
But this is unexpected.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Eve Ropenheim was an NPC who was mentally broken. Then, one day, she disappeared and was never heard from again.
A yer could find her diploma around the map.
Suggesting that after obtaining the diploma she had longed for, she took her own life. Her reason for living had vanished.
Living like this was actually fortunate.
However¡ if I simply showed her kindness, her obsession would worsen. I realized this when I removed a piece of lint from her clothes one time, and she reacted so strongly.
Honestly, it was getting burdensome.
Naturally, I was deeply troubled.
***¡°Hehehe, is it a girl problem? It¡¯s a girl problem, isn¡¯t it?¡±
It was evening, and the sun was slowly setting.
Amy Holloway, a girl with short white hair tied with a ck ribbon in the form of bunny ears, sat next to me in the outdoor dueling ground of the academy. She smiled brightly and teased me.
I held a magic tool, and one of D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s soldiers I had summoned was resting on the dueling ground. In front of him, Ian Fairytaleid unconscious.
¡°Anyway, you¡¯re really popr. I mean, it¡¯s like you¡¯re a handsome nerd or something? You¡¯ve got all the right traits that drive girls crazy.
¡°What do you mean by nerd¡?¡±
¡°Yeah, like that thing you do with your sses. It¡¯s totally nerdy. But your looks make up for it, so it has a synergistic effect.¡±
¡°Enough of that, just give me a proper answer.¡±
¡°About the person who¡¯s obsessed with you?¡±
Since I was training Ian, I decided to share my concerns about Eve with Amy, who was part of the same group as Ian.
I suddenly thought of discussing my worries with someone right here and now, especially since Amy happened to be beside me.
Although, in terms of my previous life¡¯s age, I¡¯ve lived longer than her¡
I had never dealt with someone like Eve before, so I wanted to hear other people¡¯s opinions.
I told her I had someone who I wanted to treat well, but this person was so obsessively attached to me that it became burdensome. Whenever I treated her well, she became even more clingy, yet I still wanted to maintain a good rtionship with her.
That was what I told her.
I didn¡¯t directly mention that it was about Eve.
¡°Is this about Luce?¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Oh-ho.¡±
Amy¡¯s bunny ear ribbons perked up.
¡°So, it¡¯s not about Luce. Isaac, you can¡¯t just lead girls on. You always give them mixed signals, you know? That¡¯s not good, not good at all. It¡¯s a total no-no! We don¡¯t like it when other girls do that, we might even cut ties with them. You need to be more decisive in your rtionships.
¡°It¡¯s not like that, you brat.¡±
Also, my mixed signals weren¡¯t about leading girls on. It was building up for a harem.
I want to love all the girls I care about.
She was taking it the wrong way.
¡°Really? Then, tell me who it is. I need to know what kind of rtionship you have with her so I can give you specific advice.¡±
¡°She¡¯s just my family, we¡¯re siblings.¡±
¡°Ahh, is it your older sister or younger sister?¡±
¡°Older sister.¡±
¡°So she¡¯s really attached to you, huh? But hey, isn¡¯t it funny that someone as powerful as the Ice Sovereign has the same worries as us? I thought you¡¯d only worry about global issues or threats to humanity.¡±
That¡¯s true¡ apart from my concerns about Eve, all my other worries are major global issues.
¡°I¡¯m not that different from the people here.¡±
¡°Oh, sure.¡±
Amy chuckled.
¡°In my opinion, family obsession isn¡¯t good. If it were me, I¡¯d try to keep my distance. No, I¡¯d avoid them. I¡¯d tell them to leave me alone.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yeah, I got tired of my overprotective brother¡ I don¡¯t think anyone being so clingy, to the point of being burdensome, is a good thing.¡±
¡°Even if it¡¯s your boyfriend?¡±
¡°Ian¡¯s an exception, of course. He¡¯s the problem because he¡¯s not clingy enough.¡±
Amy puffed out her cheeks, sulking.
Simply saying that obsession wasn¡¯t good and trying to keep distance seemed too simplistic.
It felt like I needed to share my family history to get proper advice¡ But I was a bit uncertain how Amy would react.
¡°Oh, Ian¡¯s up,¡± Amy said, looking toward the dueling ground.
Ian Fairytale came to his senses and got on his feet.
He grabbed his sword, preparing to spar with the D¨¹pfendorf soldier who had been waiting for him.
Thud!
¡°He passed out again,¡± Amymented nonchntly.
***The sky had darkened.
While training in the corner of the Butterfly Garden, the issue with Eve still upied my mind.
Maybe the best way was to ept Eve¡¯s kindness up to a point and reject it if it went too far.
But every time I refused Eve¡¯s favors, she felt immense sorrow, worrying if I hated her, and it tore her up inside.
I felt pity and guilt.
How should I deal with someone like that?
¡°Roooar!¡±
¡°Oh, damn! You scared me¡¡±
While I was deep in thought, a cute little roar came from behind me. I was startled for the first time in ages.
Turning around, I saw Dorothy grinning mischievously, ¡°Nihihi.¡±
I red at her with narrowed eyes.
¡°Ah, I missed this reaction. I love it, so genuine!¡±
¡°Senior¡¡±
¡°Caught off guard for the first time in a while? What¡¯s on your mind that¡¯s bothering you so much?¡±
Dorothy leaned in yfully, interrogating me.
Come to think of it, there wasn¡¯t anyone else I could confide in without pretense like Dorothy. She knew more of my secrets than anyone.
That¡¯s right, maybe I should ask her.
Amy¡¯s advice to ¡°avoid her¡± came to mind. I worried about the psychological pain that would cause since Eve wasn¡¯t emotionally stable.
I decided to ask Dorothy for her opinion.
¡°Senior Dorothy.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°What if I wanted to avoid you? How would you feel?¡±
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Dorothy¡¯s smiling face gradually turned pale.
***Isaac and Dorothy sat side by side on the grass.
Isaac shared the same concerns he had told Amy.
There¡¯s someone I want to get along with, but she¡¯s obsessed with me. If I treat her well, she¡¯d be even more obsessed. It¡¯s burdensome, but I don¡¯t want to have a bad rtionship with her. What should I do?
It was a simple rtionship problem.
¡°So it was something like that¡¡±
Dorothy was relieved.
¡°You can¡¯t just ask me something like that out of the blue, you idiot! I thought I made a huge mistake or something.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was because of the advice my friend gave me earlier¡¡±
¡°Anyway, someone¡¯s obsessed with you, and if you¡¯re kind to them, it gets worse. But you just can¡¯t have a bad rtionship with them¡¡±
Dorothy closed her eyes and ced her hand on her chin in thought.
She pretended to be in deep thought.
Is this a girl problem¡!
Of course, it was a girl problem. Isaac wouldn¡¯t have this kind of worry about a guy.
Some girl had taken a liking to Isaac, and the good-natured Isaac couldn¡¯t just shake her off.
The answer was obvious.
He had to get rid of her.
¡°Tsk tsk, you¡¯re so indecisive.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Listen up, Isaac. You need to be firm. There are people like that, you know? The more you let it happen, the worse it¡¯ll get. If she keeps bothering you despite knowing you don¡¯t like it, she¡¯s just selfish and probably crazy too. You need to cut her off. No exceptions. If she tries to climb the cliff you¡¯re on, stomp on her hands and make her fall. Even if she screams, just cover your ears and ignore her. If she¡¯s doing you harm, cutting her off is the right thing to do.
¡°But won¡¯t that person be really hurt¡?¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about that.¡±
Dorothy ranted fiercely.
¡°I saw a lot of those kinds of people when I was at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. They all had to be cut off. Why should you care about someone who only burdens you and is overly obsessed? That¡¯s not good for you or them. It just harms both of you! Such people aren¡¯t doing any good for your life at all!¡±
¡°Senior Dorothy¡ you¡¯re much more firm than I thought.¡±
¡°Of course. I¡¯m a sharp and sophisticated person.¡±
Dorothy answered proudly.
Isaac gently stroked his chin. Both Amy and Dorothy shared the same opinion. It seemed wise to follow the women¡¯s perspective on this matter.
He made up his mind. He would distance himself from Eve. Hopefully, this would ease her obsessive tendencies.
¡°¡I¡¯ll do that. It¡¯s better to be firm about this.¡±
¡°Wise decision.¡±
Dorothy grinned, silently congratting herself for getting rid of a rival.
¡°But I still want to make sure my sister isn¡¯t too hurt.¡±
¡°Huh? Sister?¡±
¡°Yes, the one I mentioned before. The one who was used by Baron Ropenheim.¡±
¡°I see~.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s smile gradually faded.
Her breathing came to a halt.
And cold sweat started to trickle down Dorothy¡¯s face like a faucet.
¡°Cutting off someone just because they¡¯re a bit obsessive isn¡¯t something a human should do.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
Dorothy tried to calm her trembling voice as she quickly exined.
¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to wonder if your younger sibling is eating well, studying well, if they have any worries, or if they experienced something sad? Sometimes you can show a little affection to your sibling, right? It¡¯s totally normal! It¡¯s crazy to push away such a considerate person! It¡¯s the worst!¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you say that such a person was selfish¡ and that there are no exceptions? And that if I don¡¯t stay away, we would only cause harm to each other¡¡±
¡°There are no absolutes in this world. My experience is just one among many human lives, it¡¯s not something to use as a reference¡!¡±
¡°If you¡¯ve lived through hardships from a young age like you have, wouldn¡¯t your experience be quite useful¡?¡±
¡°No! I¡¯m just a speck of dust!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s attitude towards life suddenly became meek.
¡°Anyway!¡±
Dorothy ced a hand on Isaac¡¯s shoulder. There was a tremor in her eyes.
¡°So what if she¡¯s being a little obsessed? Avoiding a thoughtful older brother who cares about his sibling ispletely inhumane!¡±
¡°Older brother¡?¡±
¡°What are you talking about, I said older sister! Anyway, maybe she¡¯s just not able to control her feelings because she likes being with you so much? Just trust your sister for now. And love her. She¡¯s your sister and she cares about you a lot. Everything will surely work out.¡±
Dorothy hurriedly spewed out kind words, which stirred Isaac¡¯s emotions.
¡°¡¡±
Eve and Isaac lived together harmoniously before Baron Ropenhiem disrupted their daily lives.
That thought made Isaac decide it might be better to take care of Eve and watch how things would go.
¡°Yeah, well¡ I¡¯ll do that. Thank you, Senior.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
Forcing a smile, Dorothy sat down beside Isaac again.
***It was morning.
In Orphin Hall, third-year ss B. While the students who had arrived were chatting, Eve Ropenheim was taking out her books and preparing for ss.
Her hand that was taking out her books froze.
¡°¡¡±
Thinking about Isaac, who had seemed burdened by her, made her heart swell with emotion.
Had she inadvertently been a burden? But how could she keep her emotions from boiling over when she looked at Isaac?
Eve tried to hold back her tears and continued moving her hand.
At that moment, a second-year male student entered the ssroom.
The chatters quieted down. The air in the ssroom gradually became heavy.
The third-year students couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the second-year student.
¡°Isn¡¯t that Isaac?¡±
¡°The Ice Sovereign¡?¡±
¡°Wow, why is he here¡?¡±
¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡¡±
Eve¡¯s ears perked up. She quickly turned her head to check the sophomore who had entered the ssroom.
A boy with silver-blue hair, Isaac, entered Eve¡¯s sight. He was approaching her.
Eve¡¯s eyes widened.
The third-year students¡¯ gaze was fixed on Isaac and Eve.
¡°Isaac, why are you here¡?¡±
¡°No reason, I just want to see my sister.¡±
The third-year students couldn¡¯t believe their ears.
¡°Sister? Did he just say, ¡®Sister¡¯?¡±
Such whispers spread among the third-year students.
Isaac neatly ced the drink and chocte he was holding on Eve¡¯s desk.
What¡¯s going on?
Eve¡¯s expression conveyed her confusion.
¡°I was going to eat this, but I thought of you, so I brought it to share.¡±
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Isaac openly disyed his kindness. That was what he had decided.
He wanted to get along with Eve anyway, so why not just take the lead in this rtionship?
It felt morefortable this way.
¡°Enjoy it.¡±
The third-year students quietly watched the spot where Isaac had left.
And Eve stared nkly at the snacks he left behind.
Eventually, her mind began to function normally again.
¡°¡!¡±
Eve covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling.
What is this? I¡¯m so happy¡.!!
Ordinary snacks she could buy anywhere seemed to shine with a dazzling light. It was a sight she had never seen before.
Eve looked as if she might cry tears of joy.
She carefully ced the snacks Isaac had given her into an elegant box and treasured them like a precious heirloom in her dorm.
:"
Chapter 275: Academy Excursion (1)
Somewhere in the Zelver Empire, at Bethel Academy. Training ground.
Second-year students of the Knight Department took turns dueling under the instructor¡¯s direction.
The duels were part of the test and they usually ended quickly.
A male student with ash-gray short hair tied back, Noah Bartin, gripped his wooden sword and kicked the sand. His target was a female student.
Noah swung his wooden sword with speed, but he was taken down by the female student¡¯s agile footwork and a counterattack aimed at his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
¡°Ouch!¡±
Noah fell to the ground.
The female student rested her wooden sword on her shoulder and looked down at Noah.
¡°Marianne wins!¡±
The instructor¡¯s deration.Marianne, the female student who defeated Noah, casually said, ¡°Good job,¡± and went back into the crowd of students.
Noah got up and brushed off the sand from his clothes. His half-open, dead-fish-like eyes turned to the instructor.
The instructor was writing feedback.
¡°Go in, Noah.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
Noah answered half-heartedly and tried to join the students.
¡°You¡¯re not improving at all.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Noah heard the instructor¡¯s additionalment that was spoken under his breath, but showed no reaction.
ss ended, and it was lunchtime.
Noah washed up in the shower facilities, changed into his uniform in the locker room, and headed to the cafeteria of Bethel Academy.
¡°¡¡±
The academy cafeteria was bustling with students. Eating in such a ce was quite overwhelming.
Noah bought a simple meal and ate alone behind an unupied building.
He didn¡¯t mind not having friends. Noah wasn¡¯t particrly lonely.
Even in this ce filled with youthful energy, there were those living a dull, gray life like him.
A cool, quiet, and dark ce like the shaded area behind the building suited him well.
After finishing his meal, Noah looked up at the towering clock tower with nk eyes.
¡°¡Was it tomorrow? Or the day after?¡±
He had heard that the top prestigious academy in the empire, M?rchen Academy, was conducting an excursion program.
Noah¡¯s younger sister was selected as an exchange student for M?rchen Academy. When the time came, she was to go there on an excursion.
Noah and his siblings lived as lower-ss people in the Helize Church.
Among them, Noah achieved the incredible feat of passing the entrance exam to one of the most prestigious academies in the empire, Bethel Academy.
His younger sister was born with exceptional talent, unlike Noah himself.
As lower-ss members of the Helize Church, they could receive schrships at Bethel Academy. However, they had to cover the remaining tuition through part-time jobs.
Noah felt his limitations at this academy. The students¡¯ level was too high, as expected from a prestigious academy. He couldn¡¯t imagine surpassing them.
On the other hand, his sister was a genius with a bright future. She was selected as a exchange student to the top academy, M?rchen Academy, and had outstanding talent. Noah thought that someone as wed as himself should not be with his sister.
His sister deserved to experience a beautiful youth and a bright future more than anyone else.
¡°¡!¡±
During the meal, gray mana seeped from Noah¡¯s fingers. It was thin, appearing to be both solid and liquid.
Startled, Noah hurriedly covered his fingers.
He looked around. No one was in sight.
¡°What¡¯s happening to metely¡?¡±
Iron mana.
It was a power forcibly inherited from the fairy Rachnil, and Noah had not been using it. The reason was simple. When he used the power, he couldn¡¯t control himself, and nearly beat his sister to death once.
The Knight Department didn¡¯t care about mana. Thanks to this, there were no element surveys or mana measurements, allowing him to hide the power of iron.
Lately, for some reason, the iron mana pulsed sporadically. Whether something had happened to the fairy Rachnil or there was a problem with his body¡ Noah couldn¡¯t tell.
***A carriage arrived at the front gate of M?rchen Academy.
¡°Wow!¡±
She had dressed up as much as she could, but she still looked in. She carried her luggage with both hands, looking around in admiration.
During the semester, only supply carriers or ind residents could pass through the guard post. For a child to enter M?rchen Academy at this time, there was only one possibility.
The excursion program.
The girl was one of the five selected participants. She was Taryn Bartin.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Taryn Bartin passed through the luxurious gate and surveyed M?rchen Academy.
The scenery of the empire¡¯s top academy far surpassed the splendor Taryn had dreamed of.
¡°Wow! Amazing!¡±
Taryn eximed in admiration as she stretched out her arms and waved them enthusiastically.
Unconsciously, Taryn wandered around, marveling at various structures, natural scenery, and buildingsparable to artworks. She had been eximing in wonder for 30 minutes.
¡°¡Where am I?¡±
She had gotten lost.
She took out a letter from her pocket. The envelope had originally been sealed with the wax seal of M?rchen Academy, but Taryn had already unsealed it, so it opened easily.
She took out the letter from the envelope and read it. It contained various details, essentially telling her toe to the Bartos Hall administration office.
However, the problem was that the date she was supposed toe was not that day, but two dayster. Not knowing how long it would take to get to M?rchen Academy, Taryn had left early and arrived too soon.
Since the academy was so vast, if she kept sightseeing the way she did, she might have ended up far away from Bartos Hall.
For now, let¡¯s go to Bartos Hall.
¡°Bartos Hall¡ Ah, excuse me!¡±
Taryn decided to ask anyone passing by for directions and she happened to see a silver-blue-haired male student in a uniform, so she approached him.
The male student stopped and looked at Taryn. She lifted her luggage with a grunt and ran to him.
¡°Hello! Could you tell me how to get to Bartos Hall¡?¡±
Taryn¡¯s mouth gaped open in shock.
The male student with sses wasn¡¯t merely good-looking but exceptionally handsome. His looks could be described as beautiful.
Taryn rubbed her eyes and looked again, meeting his dull crimson eyes set in a gentle expression, to see if she had mistaken him.
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡?¡±
No, she saw correctly. He was incredibly handsome.
Is the appearance of students in such a prestigious academy on a different level?!
She had heard that most nobles take great care of their appearance.
Since it was the empire¡¯s top prestigious academy, the proportion of nobles would have been high. The boy in front of her was likely a noble.
Taryn couldn¡¯t even imagine that the silver-blue-haired male student was amoner like her.
¡°Excursion program?¡±
¡°How did you¡?!¡±
Taryn was startled by the boy¡¯s casual remark.
¡°It¡¯s obvious considering your age and the clothes you¡¯re wearing.¡±
¡°Oh¡! Um, I, I¡¯m Taryn Bartin!¡±
¡°I¡¯m Isaac. You want to go to Bartos Hall, right? Follow me.¡±
Isaac, the silver-blue-haired boy, kindly smiled. It was a deadly smile for Taryn, who was in the midst of puberty.
Taryn grinned widely.
¡°Y-yes¡¡±
¡°Y-yes?¡±
Unintentionally, her tongue twisted, and a cute voice came out.
Taryn followed Isaac across the academy.
This fellow is here too.
Isaac looked at the blushing Taryn walking beside him. She seemed to be romantically interested in him. He decided to overlook it since she was in the throes of puberty.
Taryn Bartin. She was the younger sister of Noah Bartin, who possessed the element of iron. She was pretty talented, even if she was from the lower ss.
Taryn Bartin
Lv: 90
Race: Human
Element: Water, Wind
Danger Level: X
Even so, she wasn¡¯t someone who could be of help to Isaac. Among the childrening for the excursion program, the only one necessary for Isaac¡¯s journey was the Priestess, Miya.
Isaac decided to simply show her kindness and then let her go.
¡°Give me your luggage.¡±
¡°What? I can¡¯t let you do that!¡±
¡°It looks heavy.¡±
¡°No, really, it¡¯s fine¡!¡±
As Taryn tried to stop Isaac from taking her bag, she momentarily grasped his arm tightly.
Is he solid?
It was incredibly solid. It didn¡¯t feel like a lot of muscles. It felt like she was touching a piece of iron. He must have been wearing somethingyered under his clothes.
Taryn focused on observing Isaac. What he was wearing under his uniform seemed to be a type of magic tool.
Is it underclothing made significantly heavier by mana?
If she wore such clothing, she wouldn¡¯t be able to move an inch.
Is he in the Knight Department?
His movements would surely be greatly restricted. However, Isaac moved naturally. Taryn was inwardly surprised.
¡°Ah, thank you¡¡±
Isaac took the bag from Taryn, who was lost in thought and carried it for her. The bag was indeed heavy, and Taryn was grateful.
¡°The assembly day should be in two days.¡±
¡°Oh, haha¡ I came early because I wanted to take my time. Also, I wanted to experience academy life like my brother as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Brother?¡±
¡°There¡¯s this silly-looking guy, you probably don¡¯t know him because he¡¯s at Bethel Academy. My brother is in the Knight Department. By the way, Isaac¡ which department are you in?¡±
¡°Just call me ¡°Senior¡±. If you were selected for the excursion program, you have enough ability to be here.¡±
¡°Oh, yes. Senior¡!¡±
¡°I¡¯m in the Magic Department.¡±
Taryn was silently surprised.
Someone so physically strong is in the Magic Department?
So, the thing he was holding all along was a magic tool?
¡°I see¡ Can I try that? It¡¯s a magic tool, right?¡±
¡°Have you used one before?¡±
¡°Yes, a long time ago.¡±
She had only used a few cheap magic tools at the church. She had never touched anything as fancy as what Isaac was holding.
Isaac said, ¡°Here,¡± and handed the magic tool to Taryn. Taryn reponded, ¡°Thank you!¡± and held it, circting her mana through it.
¡°¡!!¡±
It didn¡¯t even allow her mana to flow into it.
The difficulty was iparable to the magic tools she had used at the church. It felt like a high mountain was blocking her path. She had to circte her mana as if piercing through that mountain.
Is this academy filled with people like this?
Taryn had been praised as a genius. Realizing that she was just a big fish in a small pond was quite a shock.
¡°It¡¯s difficult¡¡±
¡°Is it?¡±
Feeling dejected, Taryn returned the magic tool to Isaac.
Isaac took the returned tool and effortlessly circted his mana through it. Taryn was astonished by the sight.
Her respect for Isaac deepened. This man was exceptional in both appearance and ability.
Her motivation red. Taryn increasingly wanted to enroll in M?rchen Academy, where there were likely many students like Isaac.
¡°By any chance, do you know all the famous people, Senior Isaac?¡±
¡°Famous people?¡±
¡°Yes. Like Senior Dorothy Heartnova, the Star Witch, Senior Luce Eltania, the Empress of the Midnight Sea, and Senior Kaya Astrea, the Emerald Wizard¡! Or maybe you know the Saintess, Bianca Anturaze of the Helize Church, and Princess Snow White, who is famous for her supreme beauty, kindness, wisdom, and intelligence¡!¡±
These were the reasons Taryn wanted to enroll at M?rchen Academy. It wouldn¡¯t have been an exaggeration to say that M?rchen Academy was currently experiencing a legendary moment that would go down in the annals of history.
For boys and girls aspiring to be wizards, nothing could have been more thrilling.
¡°Kind and, what¡?¡±
Isaac let the various titles slide, but recalling White¡¯s wailing, ¡°Waaah,¡± he couldn¡¯t rte at all to the description.
¡°And the most amazing one is definitely the Ice Sovereign. He¡¯s here right now! This academy is just incredible!¡±
Taryn puffed out her breath excitedly.
¡°Well, of course, I know all of them.¡±
¡°Really?!¡±
¡°You¡¯ll naturally get to know them. Senior Dorothy will graduate next year, though.¡±
¡°Wow! Wow¡ oh¡.¡±
Taryn marveled, then lowered her head. Suddenly, her energy drained away.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Seeing you, Senior Isaac, I feel like I¡¯ve lost my confidence. Outside, I¡¯ve been told that I have some talent. But whether I can be like them¡ I¡¯m not sure.¡±
Isaac adjusted his sses, pondering what to say.
It might be unnecessary meddling, but he decided to share the thought that came to mind with Taryn.
¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be the one to say this, but¡¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°If you work hard, you can achieve anything.¡±
Isaac gave Taryn a gentle smile.
To Taryn, it felt like a long moment.
Just then, they reached the pce-like building, Bartos Hall.
¡°That¡¯s Bartos Hall. Ask the faculty at the information desk where the administration office is, and they¡¯ll guide you. Take care.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you¡!¡±
Isaac briefly waved before going on his way.
Taryn bowed repeatedly towards his retreating figure, then looked at Bartos Hall.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡!¡±
Bartos Hall was a ce overflowing with aesthetic beauty. Taryn entered the building.
The grand hall filled her vision. She saw several students in uniforms. Taryn stood still for a moment, admiring them, then headed to the reception desk. There was a neatly dressed faculty member.
¡°Hello, could you tell me where the administration office is?¡±
¡°You¡¯re an exchange student, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You¡¯re here much earlier than scheduled. The administration office is here. You can go up that way.¡±
The faculty member showed her a map and exined.
¡°Thank you!¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±
¡°Oh, by the way!¡±
Taryn¡¯s eyes sparkled.
¡°Are those people here? Like the Star Witch Senior, the Emerald Wizard Senior, the Ice Sovereign¡! Those famous people!¡±
¡°This ce is dedicated to academic administration, so I don¡¯t know if they would be here¡ But haven¡¯t you already met one of them?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
The faculty member looked at the long windows along the wall of Bartos Hall. Through them, she had seen Isaac and Taryn arriving together.
¡°You were just with the Ice Sovereign a moment ago, weren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Silence fell.
Taryn¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider, threatening to tear from their sockets.
¡°Whaaat?!¡±
Finally, an exmation leaked from Taryn¡¯s tightly closed mouth.
Chapter 276: Academy Excursion (2)
The Evil God Nephid would resurrect during the end-of-semester evaluation of Semester 2 Year 3.
Having already dealt with Mephisto¡¯s army and the Abyss, which were supposed to be in Semester 1 Year 3, it could be said that this journey was entering its final stages.
¡°Ughhhhhh¡.¡±
During Semester 2 Year 2, the events to pay attention to were the excursion program and the Academy sh. An important figure woulde during the excursion program, and the¡¸Fairy War¡¹would break out during the Academy sh.
¡°Ugh, aaack¡¡±
Once I obtained the second 8-star familiar contract circle, I had to make a contract with Stone Turtle Gormos.
When I initially organized my ns, it seemed like I still had a long way to go, but I could feel the end approaching.
¡°Haaaa¡¡±
White¡¯s mana, which was intertwining with mine, suddenly subsided. Exhausted, White was about to copse like a corpse.
I quickly withdrew my mana and supported White¡¯s back.¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°I-I feel like I¡¯m going to dieee¡¡± White whimpered in a hoarse voice, clearly overwhelmed.
For emergency treatment, I took out a pudding bar and tore open the wrapper with my teeth. First, I extended the bouncy pudding bar sideways.
Swoosh!
Merlin swiftly passed by at an incredible speed. The wind roared. In an instant, a third of the pudding bar was gone.
¡°Open your mouth.¡±
¡°Ah¡¡±
When White opened her mouth, I shoved the pudding bar in. Her expression melted as she savored the pudding.
We go through this process at the end of every mentoring session. It was like training mana cirction using a magic tool.
However, since my mana constantly re-established routes, White had to face a new cirction route every time shepleted one cycle.
As expected, White always struggled and whimpered, but by the end of the mentoring session, she felt her skills had improved and was satisfied.
After White finished eating the pudding bar, we headed back to the dorms. Dusk had already fallen, and the streetlights were illuminating the path.
¡°You did great, Princess White. I can support you if you want.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, Merlin¡ I can¡¯t ask for help with something like this¡!¡±
White walked with her staff, weakly grumbling.
Seeing the seventeen-year-old struggling reminded me of myselfst year.
Even while crying, she tried to handle everything on her own, which was admirable.
But, it was time to reduce seeing such a sight.
¡°White.¡±
¡°Yeees¡?¡±
¡°Starting tomorrow, we won¡¯t have much time for training.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I will only help you with mana cirction like earlier.¡±
White stopped, and Merlin and I followed suit.
¡°W-why all of a sudden¡?¡±
It was time for White to be independent.
I just needed to make sure she was training well and got the opportunity to interact with her mana.
¡°You¡¯ve got the hang of it now, right? Continually teaching you every step as we¡¯ve been doing is harmful to you.¡±
The mentoring quota had already been exceeded, and White knew it as well.
She looked like a baby bird, feeling afraid to leave its mother for the first time to fly on its own.
I stood in front of White.
¡°Do you think you can¡¯t do it without me?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not it¡! It¡¯s just a little, I don¡¯t¡ No, I¡¯m sorry for being stubborn¡¡±
White lowered her head, tapped the ground with her staff, and walked past me. I saw a fleeting expression of regret.
Merlin approached me and whispered in my ear, ¡°Sir Isaac, please understand. Princess White enjoys spending time with you. Though she looks like that, she has no one else to confide in at the academy besides you.¡±
Distrust of humans.
It was different from Luce¡¯s hatred for humans or Dorothy¡¯s subtle wariness that kept her distant from others.
White¡¯s biological mother had been secretly trying to assassinate her. Fear, betrayal, and hatred must have deeply rooted themselves in White¡¯s core.
In the midst of all this, I managed to be close to White by recalling my memories of ying ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
For White, the time spent with me must have held special significance.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best to persuade him.¡±
¡°Yes¡ please do.¡±
¡°Well, then.¡±
After Merlin quickly responded to White¡¯s request, she followed her.
I watched White¡¯s back for a moment before quietly following her.
***The excursion program assembled a total of five participants. Among them, the key figure was undoubtedly the Priestess.
Although the list of participants wasn¡¯t disclosed, the presence of escorts and exchange students from Horan quickly spread the rumors at the academy.
¡°I heard the real Priestess has arrived?¡±
¡°I heard that too. But what happened to the fake one?¡±
¡°No one knows.¡±
¡°That was a huge incident that could¡¯ve led to an execution, right? At the very least, it must¡¯ve been a gruesome end.¡±
The exchange students would go through a tight schedule for a few weeks and then stay at the academy for the second semester.
Miya, the Priestess, was someone I considered as a potential member of the Evil God yers. I would need to talk to her soon, privately of course.
***In the ssroom of ss A. Professor Philip Meltron, who was in charge of the second-morning lecture today, made an announcement before starting the ss.
¡°You all know that the Academy sh will be held in a month, correct?¡±
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 11, Academy sh¡¹.
It was a stage for duels, gathering participants from various academies. Even if you weren¡¯t a participant, you could join as a spectator under the academy¡¯s guidance.
As the name ¡°Act 11¡± suggested, it was an official scenario. During this time the¡¸Fairy War¡¹would break out.
¡°It¡¯s one of therge-scale events held in the Empire every three years. We¡¯ll gradually start epting applicants. We n to select participants through apetition, so if you¡¯re considering participating, keep that in mind.¡±
¡°Kugh, finally¡¡±
From the back seat, I heard Lisetta¡¯s low cheer. As someone who loved fighting, she must have been eagerly waiting for this announcement.
While M?rchen Academy was considered the best academy in the Empire, it didn¡¯t mean the strongest individuals were all gathered here. Other academies also had unbelievably strong individuals hidden in various corners.
It was simr to how geniuses weren¡¯t only enrolled in the top university in my home country. Just as geniuses were spread across universities below the top tier, the same logic applied here.
¡°And I believe you all know about the excursion program. This lecture will include two exchange students.¡±
¡°Exchange students?¡±
The person who reacted again was Lisetta in the back seat. It seemed she was the only one who didn¡¯t know.
Out of the five exchange students gathered at M?rchen Academy today, two were aspiring magic students. They would experience the second-year ss A lecture this time, guided by the faculty.
In the first morning lecture, they experienced the first-year ss A lecture, so now it was our turn.
¡°Let them in.¡±
Two girls entered from outside the ssroom door.
A girl with ash-colored hair styled neatly, Taryn Bartin, nced at me and blushed, lowering her gaze.
Is it because of what happened two days ago?
She seemed like a typical adolescent girl.
Next to her stood a gentle-looking girl with long, sleek ck hair, exuding a mysterious aura.
Miya
Lv: 167
Race: Human
Elements: Fire
Danger: X
The true Priestess. Her talent in magic was not just exceptional, but overwhelming.
With each step she took, her ck pearl-like hair swayed, revealing her golden earrings. Her appearance and movements exuded an intense intellectual impression.
Miya nced at me and gave a bright smile. It felt like a fresh floral breeze was flowing around her.
The ss A students were visibly surprised to see Miya among the two exchange students.
¡°This one is Taryn Bartin and the other is Miya. I¡¯m sure you all remember the incident during the Grand Festivalst semester. This girl has nothing to do with that incident. They look identical because they are twin sisters.¡±
¡°They look exactly the same¡¡±
Surprisingly, Ciel wasn¡¯t sleeping and muttered to herself.
Is her rehabilitation not done yet?
When Miya entered the ssroom, I noticed the slight awkwardness in her otherwise graceful steps. It seemed she hadn¡¯t fully recovered enough to move smoothly yet.
¡°Then, you two can sit wherever you feelfortable.¡±
With only five people in the ssroom, there were plenty of empty seats.
After bowing to Professor Philip, Miya and Taryn climbed the steps to find their seats.
Taryn nced at me and sat nearby, too shy to sit right next to me.
But Miya was different.
¡°Hello, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°May I sit here?¡±
Without hesitation, Miya approached me and greeted me in a gentle voice.
¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡±
¡°Hehe.¡±
She then sat down next to me with a graceful gesture.
Silence filled the ssroom. Kaya looked surprised, Ciel had a curious expression, Lisetta frowned, and Taryn stared at Miya in bewilderment.
Of all the empty seats, she chose to sit next to me.
I had noticed from the beginning that the seat next to me had be an unspoken no-go zone due to the invisible power struggle between the top seat Luce and the second seat Kaya. Miya intentionally ignored this and sat next to me.
Luce¡¯s gaze slowly turned towards us. Her lifeless blue eyes ominously fixed on Miya.
The ssroom was filled with a tense atmosphere, enough to make even me feel uneasy. It was a silent pressure for Miya to move to another seat.
However, Miya just smiled brightly. The radiance from her seemed to dispel Luce¡¯s oppressive aura.
The source of this radiance was her innocence, stemming from herck ofmon sense.
Although she had been betrayed by her trusted sister Mei, Miya had spent years wandering in dreams, unable to experience the world fully. The purity of her childhood had not yet faded.
The current Priestess was immune to Luce¡¯s hostility,pletely unaware of the tension.
¡°Uhm¡ let¡¯s start the ss.¡±
As the atmosphere in the ssroom suddenly changed, Professor Philip broke out in a cold sweat.
Chapter 277: Academy Excursion (3)
Chapter 277: Academy Excursion (3)A few months ago, Horan, Land of the Fire Blossoms
Miya quickly regained her status as the Priestess. The power of the blue me, a divine power, was undeniable proof.
Miya visited the imprisoned Mei. The contrast between the fallen older sister and the younger sister, who had be the highest authority in Horan, was dramatic.
¡°It¡¯s been a while. Did youe to mock me?¡±
Mei¡¯s voice cracked. Having endured countless tortures, there wasn¡¯t a trace of her former vitality left.
Miya leaned against the side of the prison wall. She didn¡¯t want to face Mei.
No matter how betrayed she felt, the other person was her sister. Seeing her face might have weakened her resolve.
Still, Miya spoke, ¡°I won¡¯t let you die easily. But¡ you can¡¯t avoid being treated less than human until you die. Just as you trampled on this nation and its people.¡±
¡°Cut the bullshit. Just kill me.¡±
¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±¡°Hmph. The girl who only lived in dreams didn¡¯t waste her age in vain, surprisingly. Seeing how she consistently talks back.¡±
Mei had nothing left. She longed for death and hoped her sister would take her life.
¡°You started it first.¡±
¡°Shut up and just kill me, Fuck!!¡±
Mei screamed at the top of her lungs. Her curses echoed through the prison several times, and then only a hollow silence remained.
¡°Did you know, Sister?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°The person you messed with¡ He was actually the Nameless Hero.¡±
¡°¡What are you talking about, you bitch.¡±
Mei didn¡¯t understand Miya¡¯s words.
¡°I found out that you were desperately searching for the Nameless Hero. You were curious about who he was¡ It was Isaac. That was him. Recently, he even became the Ice Sovereign. It¡¯s a widely known fact now.¡±
¡°Do you think what you¡¯re saying makes any sense¡?¡±
¡°It¡¯s true. Why would I say this for no reason?¡±
¡°I thought I told you to cut the bullshit¡¡±
Mei clenched her teeth and trembled. A bitterugh escaped her. Tears welled up in her wide-open eyes.
¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe such a thing? That I¡¯m that unlucky¡? Cut the bullshit already¡ There are limits to jokes, damn it¡ I said, cut the bullshit¡¡±
Mei continuously cursed,ughed, and then bowed her head and sobbed.
The man she called her prince, the strong one she wanted to win over more than anyone to seize control of the world, was Isaac, who had so greatly annoyed her.
That story gnawed at Mei¡¯s already shattered mind like a rat. Her n had beenpletely wrong from the very start.
Mei felt nauseated by the truth which made her even more miserable.
¡°Then¡ take care, Sister. Let¡¯s never see each other again.¡±
It was a short conversation.
Miya ignored Mei¡¯s sobs and left the ce, escorted by the guards.
The memories of her childhood were still vivid. Miya bit her lip. Mei¡¯s sobs felt like sharp des cutting into her heart.
However, Miya took a deep breath and steadied her heart.
She would never see her sister again.
***Several faculty members in charge of the excursion program and a guard from Horan took their ces at the back of the ss A ssroom.
The visiting students opened the books they had been given in advance, and Professor Philip began the lesson.
The visiting students were to experience ss A lessons at M?rchen Academy. Naturally, it would have been difficult for them to follow the lesson content.
For that reason, Professor Philip paid extra attention to his exnations. It was in consideration of the exchange students.
¡°Hmm?¡±
Miya tapped my arm.
When I turned my head towards Miya, she scribbled something in her book and then subtly showed it to me.
We have a lot to talk about, right?
We sure do.
Miya needed to repay me for my favor¡ªspecifically, with her trust and by bing my ally.
Well, it was calctive and somewhat mean-spirited. But what could I do? The issue of the Evil God was a serious matter.
I lightly wrote my answer in the corner of my book and quietly showed it to Miya.
Yes.
Then, can you spare some timeter?
Miya revealed the part she had been covering with her arm. She seemed to have anticipated my affirmative answer and wrote it down in advance.
I feel like I¡¯m back in my school days.
During my school days, we used to write notes about what we wanted to say and pass them on to friends while chatting.
For some reason, I felt nostalgic.
Let¡¯s do that.
I wrote that and looked up, meeting Miya¡¯s eyes. She smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling.
For an innocent person, her smile was fox-like. It was like a scene from a teen drama.
Judging by her demeanor, Miya was very friendly towards me.
¡°Hey, focus on the ss.¡±
At Professor Philip¡¯s remark, Miya and I turned our heads toward the ckboard.
Luce nced sideways with a murderous look, but Miya just smiled brightly.
***When the ss ended, the exchange students followed the faculty members.
Before leaving, Miya smiled at me.
¡°I¡¯ll be going now, Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°Hmm? Okay¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t do anything but give an awkward reply.
The sense of difort was intense. She looked just like Mei.
Strictly speaking, Miya had gentler eyes. While Mei had a strong, assertive presence, Miya looked more like a gentle puppy with drooping eyes.
¡°Oh, Senior Luce .¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Suddenly, Miya approached Luce and smiled brightly. The gazes of the students, including me, and the exchange student, Taryn Bartin, were all directed at the two women.
¡°I noticed you¡¯ve been staring at me for a while.¡±
The atmosphere tensed.
Did she know?
Luce red at Miya coldly, showing her wariness. Considering the previous atmosphere in the ssroom, Miya¡¯s words could be interpreted as provocative.
But Miya¡¯s actions surpassed my expectations.
¡°Hehe.¡±
Miya giggled and suddenly grabbed Luce¡¯s hand.
The students¡¯ mouths dropped open. Luce was just as bewildered, frowning in confusion.
¡°You wanted to talk to me, right?¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡°It would be an honor if someone as beautiful as Senior Luce wanted to talk to me. I won¡¯t be here for long, but I hope we can be close during this time!¡±
Miya¡¯s sparkling eyes were the very essence of innocence.
Miya simply interpreted Luce¡¯s cold nces throughout the ss as expressions of interest toward her.
¡°What¡?¡±
Luce appeared perplexed, unsure of how to deal with the type of person she was encountering for the first time.
Miya was basically Luce¡¯s hard counter.
¡°See youter, Senior Luce!¡±
Miya greeted the faculty who came to escort her with a crinkling smile. Right after, Professor Philip promptly followed them out of the ssroom as if he were fleeing from something.
Luce stood trembling, still holding the hand that had been grabbed. To the gloomy Luce, such a radiant presence was like sunlight appearing before a vampire in a fantasy.
¡°¡My goodness.¡±
The ssroom was enveloped in silence.
Ciel¡¯s exmation was the only thing clearly heard.
***Is she, is she serious¡?
Taryn Bartin nced at Miya walking beside her, a bead of cold sweat formed on the temple of her head.
She wanted to ask if she meant what she said to Senior Luce, but her instincts held her back. It was obviously a sensitive matter.
Recalling the tense atmosphere in the ssroom earlier, Miya must have challenged Luce to a battle of wills. There was no way she could have missed Luce¡¯s intense hostility.
However, Miya was smiling leisurely as if she had no worries in the world. This made her even more intimidating¡!
¡°Taryn, do you have something to say?¡±
¡°Ah¡!¡±
Miya noticed Taryn¡¯s gaze and asked without hesitation. Startled, Taryn quickly brought up a topic.
¡°Uh, um, Priestess¡ are you acquainted with Senior Isaac?¡±
This was also something she was curious about.
Miya shook her head.
¡°We¡¯re meeting for the first time.¡±
¡°Really? You seem quite close for first-timers¡ You even sat right next to him.¡±
¡°He¡¯s my Savior.¡±
¡°Savior?¡±
Taryn didn¡¯t understand the details, but she could roughly guess.
¡°Is it rted to the Grand Festival incident the professor mentioned earlier?¡±
¡°Yes. There were some issues on my end, but thanks to Senior Isaac, everything worked out. He¡ saved me.¡±
If Isaac hadn¡¯t helped, she wouldn¡¯t be here.
He saved her?
Could someone of Miya¡¯s significant status have been involved in an incident where her safety was threatened?
Taryn, who had only lived a life as amoner, couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how spectacr the incident must have been.
¡°It sounds like there were someplicated circumstances¡¡±
¡°Yes, there were.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Taryn didn¡¯t push for more details about what had happened. Miya seemed reluctant to talk more about the incident.
The exchange students followed the faculty members out of Orphin Hall and headed to the next scheduled location.
¡°¡!¡±
Suddenly, a shiver ran down Miya¡¯s spine.
The reason was an adult man walking towards them from the opposite direction. Miya spotted him and narrowed her eyes.
He was dressed in a neat robe and had brown hair.
He and Miya passed each other.
Miya subtly turned her head to nce at the man¡¯s back. Her eyes glowed blue for a moment before returning to normal.
¡°Who is that man¡?¡±
Miya muttered to herself so quietly that no one could hear.
Miya¡¯s mysterious sensing ability alerted her that something was amiss with the man she had seen earlier.
Miya couldn¡¯t clearly identify the nature of what was strange, but she was sure of one thing.
The man was not an ordinary human.
¡°¡¡±
It bothered her, but since there was no obvious evil aura like that of a demon, she decided to let it go.
The academy was the most prestigious in the empire. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for there to be a few unusual people.
¡°Priestess? What are you looking at?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡±
In response to Taryn¡¯s question, Miya smiled with her eyes and shook her head.
Chapter 278: Chess (1)
In the dorm, Charles Hall. Luce Eltania looked at herself in the vanity mirror while a maid tended to her hair.
The room was consistently quiet. In the heavy silence, the maid mechanically groomed Luce.
¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±
Having finished her duties, the maid bowed politely and left the room.
Luce stood up from the chair and looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
She wore a well-fitted uniform and a morpho butterfly hair essory. Her rose gold hair, which shimmered with soft pink and subtle golden hues in the sunlight, was smooth and beautiful.
¡°¡¡±
However¡ today Luce felt a strong sense of doubt and uncertainty.
Everyone had their own preferences. But how well did she match Isaac¡¯s preferences?
Isaac always spent time with Princess Snow White, who was known for being the most beautiful woman in the world.Recently, even Priestess Miya seemed to show interest in Isaac.
In addition, other girls like Dorothy, Kaya, and Alice unted their close rtionship with Isaac.
Among these girls, how much space did she upy in Isaac¡¯s heart?
[What¡¯s wrong, Luce?]
From the direction of the dressing table, Thunderbird Galia in the small form of a crow, inquired.
¡°Galia, what do you think is attractive about me?¡±
[¡Hmm.]
Caught off guard by the sudden question, the Thunderbird let out a quiet hum.
¡°It¡¯s starting again,¡± the Thunderbird thought.
Luce Eltania, an eighteen-year-old girl inexperienced in love.
She often found herself deeply contemting how to deal with her first love.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±
[I think everything about you is attractive. It¡¯s hard to pick just one.]
¡°You¡¯re just saying that.¡±
[N-no, I¡¯m not. You¡¯re like a daughter to me. It¡¯s normal for me to think that way. But why do you ask?]
¡°Well, I just¡¡±
Luce stared at her beautiful reflection in the full-length mirror.
¡°I want to be a girl Isaac would go crazy for.¡±
[¡!]
Thunderbird Galia¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°I¡¯ve been feeling this way more strongly recently. I really want that to happen.¡±
[Hmm, that¡¯s not a bad mindset¡]
Is she feeling anxious? Good.
The Thunderbird felt happy as if the day of embracing his grandchild hade one step closer. However, he tried to maintain hisposure and not show his excitement.
[Listen carefully, Luce.]
The Thunderbird slightly raised one of his wings.
[It¡¯s simple. If you want to be a woman Isaac would go crazy for, you need to be a woman who matches Isaac¡¯s preferences. In that case, you need to find out what Isaac likes first, right?]
¡°¡¡±
[It seems you¡¯ve never even tried to find out.]
¡°No.¡±
[Then subtly ask him. After that, slowly start aligning yourself with Isaac¡¯s preferences. I once tried to win the heart of a female Thunderbird I was interested in by learning what she liked. I adorned myself with rainbow-colored feathers and performed a courtship dance in a nice setting¡]
¡°What happened?
[She coldly rejected me. However, she did say she liked the courtship dance. Even if you¡¯re initially set to be rejected, you can still make a good impression by acting in line with their preferences. Since you¡¯re already maintaining a good rtionship with Isaac, you have the perfect conditions.]
¡°Then why did you get rejected?¡±
[She said¡ she didn¡¯t like my face.]
¡°Ah¡¡±
Seeing the tears welling up in the Thunderbird¡¯s eyes, Luce decided not to ask any more questions.
***?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, ¡¸Act 10, Chapter 1, Exchange Students¡¹.
There wasn¡¯t much to it. It was mainly about meeting the exchange students and having casual conversations.
The highlight of Act 10 was the sudden appearance of the demon Calgart in the Zelver Empire. Since Calgart had already been defeated during the vacation, Act 10 would be peacefully skipped.
No need to worry about the side quests either.
One of the side quests in Semester 2 Year 2 was the Student Council President Election.
In the game, the yer couldn¡¯t run for election directly, but they could get involved through the side quest.
ording to the scenario, my peer, Keridna Whiterk, would be the next Student Council President.
Keridna had maintained amicable rtionships with the students. Her efforts would shine during the election.
In this side quest, Ian helped with Keridna¡¯s election campaign. The reward for this was that a specific map opened up under President Keridna¡¯s authority.
I can just go there myself.
I had already visited it secretly early on. It was where the secret shop was located.
Anyway, there wasn¡¯t any merit in getting involved in the election, so I nned to just observe.
¡°Huff, huff¡¡±
It was early morning. I was jogging, feeling the damp air fill my lungs.
My entire body was drenched in sweat. Yet, despite running faster than an average person¡¯s sprint, my breathing remained steady.
¡°Oh my, who do we have here!? Isn¡¯t it Senior Isaac?!¡±
Suddenly, a male student approached me.
¡°Abel?¡±
¡°You remembered me. It¡¯s an honor, haha!¡±
The sly male student with blue-gray hair, Abel Carnedas, ran alongside me.
We were both wearing training uniforms suited to our respective faculties. He seemed to be out for a jog as well.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°I just saw you and thought I¡¯d say hi! By the way, Senior Isaac, are you participating in the uing Academy sh?¡±
¡°Looks like it.¡±
¡¸Act 11, Academy sh¡¹was an official scenario and a good opportunity to earn valuable EXP. Participating was a no-brainer.
¡°Oh, really? Wow, my dear Senior Isaac is going to elevate M?rchen Academy¡¯s prestige?¡±
¡°Think whatever you want.¡±
What¡¯s with the ¡®My dear Senior Isaac¡¯? So creepy.
¡°Kyaa! The Ice Sovereign participating in thepetition between academies? M?rchen Academy is going to be so hyped! Though for the other academies, it¡¯s going to be a brutal massacre.¡±
His cheerful voice, friendly smile, dynamic gestures, ttery¡ His sociability was theplete opposite of his sister, Ciel.
¡°Not necessarily.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°There are rules in thepetition, and I have to follow them too.¡±
I had an advantage, but the organizers wouldn¡¯t let it turn into a one-sided massacre. Who would want to watch such a boring event?
¡°¡You¡¯re very cautious, or should I say, humble, Senior Isaac?¡±
¡°Are you participating too?¡±
¡°Would it make sense for me to stay out of a heated battle¡? Is what I want to say but honestly, Ick confidence. Haha. ss A students usually take all the spots and I¡¯m just at the top of ss B¡ If I can¡¯t make it, I¡¯ll at least be a spectator cheering for you, Senior Isaac!¡±
¡°Thanks for the sentiment.¡±
Listening to him, one would think we were sworn brothers, but we weren¡¯t particrly close.
Despite his sly exterior, Abel had a strongpetitive spirit. Afterst semester¡¯s joint practical evaluation, he even harbored apetitive streak against me.
Since my true identity was revealed, thatpetitive streak seemed to have turned into a sense of inferiority. He didn¡¯t show it openly, but it was hard for him to hide his feelings in front of me.
I responded with a social smile.
¡°By the way, there was something you saidst semester that I didn¡¯t quite understand.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°What did you mean by, ¡°Take care of yourself¡±?¡±
It was something I said when I visited White.
¡°No matter how much I think about it, the context seemed a bit off. It still bothers me a little¡! Ever since it was revealed that you are the Nameless Hero, it¡¯s been bothering me, you know?¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s¡¡±
In the official scenario of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there were three pocket watches with tremendous influence.
The first was White¡¯s Eternal Clock.
The second was Alice¡¯s Phantasmal Clock.
The third was Abel¡¯s Heavenly Clock.
For this reason, Abel was one of the people I kept an eye on.
The Heavenly Clock, like White¡¯s, needed to be with its owner, Abel. In due time, he would naturallye to know this.
¡°I meant it literally. It was just a formal way of saying it.¡±
¡°Was it¡? When someone like you says that, it scares ordinary people like me.¡±
Abel let out a cheerfulugh, trying to lighten the mood.
Afterward, Abel changed the subject to the Frost Dragon, Hilde, saying he wanted to closely observe Hilde¡¯s beautiful form.
I quickly declined.
***¡°Hmm?¡±
In the hallway of Orphin Hall, I opened my locker and saw an envelope. Someone had slipped a letter into the gap of my locker.
I opened the letter right then and there and read it.
Senior Isaac, I will be waiting at the entrance to the Butterfly Garden after ss today. Pleasee.
- Miya
It was a letter from Miya.
I carefully folded the letter back into the envelope. It seemed Miya had some free time in her academy excursion program schedule.
Of course, I had to go¡
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Someone rested their chin on my shoulder and whispered intimately in a beautiful tone.
Startled, I quickly turned my head. Luce was resting her chin on my left shoulder, looking closely at me.
When did she get so close?
Her lifeless blue eyes emitted a sinister aura. It was a stark contrast to the pleasant fragrance she exuded.
¡°Luce¡? What are you doing? Sneaking up on me without a word.¡±
¡°I was happy to see you. Was it a bad time to say hello?¡±
¡°No, not really¡¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes followed the letter as I slipped it back into my locker.
¡°What¡¯s that letter about?¡±
Luce casually asked as I took out the books I needed from my locker.
There was nothing to hide.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s a letter from the Priestess. She¡¯s been involved with me in various ways, so she left a letter saying she wanted to talk.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Luce stared intently at my locker. It seemed like Miya¡¯s letter bothered her.
¡°That¡¯s quite secretive, slipping a letter into your locker.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
Luce narrowed her eyes and muttered softly before stepping back.
¡°Let¡¯s go, Isaac. We¡¯ll bete for ss.¡±
¡°Ah, yeah¡¡±
Luce and I walked down the hallway together.
When a female student tried to pass me on my left, Luce shifted to walk on my left side.
¡°Isaac, I¡¯ve got something I¡¯m curious about.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°What¡¯s your ideal type?¡±
What kind of question is that¡?
Chapter 279: Chess (2)
Chapter 279: Chess (2)¡°Why kind of question is that all of a sudden?¡±
¡°I just got curious.¡±
For simply being curious, she seemed very interested in my ideal type.
Does it matter?
¡°My ideal type¡¡±
I hadn¡¯t seriously thought about it since puberty.
I decided to think about it on the way to the ss A ssroom. A littleter, I finished thinking.
¡°Of course, I¡¯d like her to be pretty. And maybe¡ I¡¯d like a girl who could take care of me.¡±
¡°Someone who takes care of you?¡±
¡°I feel good when someone takes care of me. Like when you brought me a lunchbox thinking of me.¡±¡°Yeah¡¡±
Luce seemed to get in a good mood and smirked. Her subtle smile was lovely.
¡°And an audacious woman. Who¡¯s unpredictable.¡±
¡°Sounds childish. You¡¯ll get bored of such a woman quickly.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I spoke while thinking of Dorothy, and Luce¡¯s expression hardened dramatically before she answered with firm resolve.
¡°Then what¡¯s your ideal type?¡±
¡°¡I don¡¯t have one.¡±
¡°That¡¯s boring.¡±
¡°Yeah, it is.¡±
If it were someone else, I would have told them not to lie, but since Luce had social anxiety, it made sense.
We finished the monotonous conversation and entered our ssroom. I climbed the stairs and sat in the middle seat.
¡°¡?¡±
For some reason, Luce sat right behind me.
¡°Why are you sitting there?¡±
¡°I feel like sitting here today.¡±
She was usually a strange girl, but when she acted out of the ordinary, there was a hidden meaning.
It seemed like she sat behind me to carefully observe my behavior.
As soon as I sat down, I could feel a piercing gaze on the back of my head.
¡°Grnnn¡ mmm?¡±
Ciel, who had been hugging an incrediblyfortable pillow since morning, suddenly lifted her head. It was as if she sensed Luce and me sitting down.
Ciel looked our way, and her sleepy eyes quickly became lively.
She seemed intrigued, imagining all sorts of things about Luce sitting behind me.
Kaya nced at Luce and then focused on preparing for ss, relieved that Luce didn¡¯t sit next to me and intended to focus on the lesson.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Why¡ huh!?¡±
Suddenly, Luce grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards her. When the back of my head hit the desk, I saw Luce looking down at me.
Luce put something in my mouth. A sweet taste spread on the tip of my tongue.
¡°¡What?¡±
¡°I wanted to give you chocte.¡±
¡°I get that¡ but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re giving it too forcefully?¡±
I chewed the chocte Luce put in my mouth.
How should I put it, it felt like a funny meme I saw on the inte in a previous life. It was like a baby grabbing a bird by the back of its head and yanking it down to force-feed it.
Luce¡¯s rose-gold hair slid down and tickled my cheek. She elegantly tucked her hair behind her ear.
Her eyes curved gently.
¡°Was that audacious enough?¡±
¡°¡¡±
She said it in a seductive voice.
Why is she doing this again¡
¡°Hey, wait! What are you doing right now?!¡±
Kaya jumped up from her seat, furious.
Right, what is she doing?
Luce nced at Kaya and then locked eyes with me again with a smile.
¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡±
Kaya squeezed her eyes shut and shouted until her face turned red and blue, but Luce ignored her.
¡°Here we go again¡ Annoying bitches.¡±
From the back seat, Lisetta, who was sitting insolently with her legs on the desk and chair tilted back, sighed deeply as if she was tired of it all.
At that moment, the ssroom door opened and a middle-aged female professor stepped in.
¡°Professor Daisy arrives.¡±
Kaya gasped at the professor¡¯s entrance, red at Luce for a moment, and then sat down. I also lifted my head away from Luce.
Why is she here?
¡°I¡¯m seeing all sorts of things as soon as I arrive. You all seem to be wondering why I¡¯m here. Let me exin,¡± Professor Daisy said in a sharp tone.
Professor Daisy said in a sharp voice.
¡°Professor Philip Meltron has some personal matters to attend to, so you won¡¯t see him for a while.¡±
¡°So, Professor Daisy, will you be teaching us instead¡?¡±
Professor Daisy nodded at Kaya¡¯s question.
Oh, that¡¯s nice.
She teaches sses in a fun and engaging way. The most regrettable thing about leaving ss B was not being able to attend Professor Daisy¡¯s sses anymore.
Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that Professor Philip couldn¡¯t teach.
Well, not like I could say anything.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ian was in ss B until Semester 2 Year 2.
¡°By the way, I can¡¯t cover all of the Professor¡¯s sses by myself. Some sses will be reced by other professors or part-time lecturers. And¡¡±
Professor Daisy red at me sharply.
¡°The moment I see anything resembling romantic behavior in front of me, I¡¯ll deduct points mercilessly. I¡¯ll let the earlier offense slide since it¡¯s the first time, but be careful from now on.¡±
For reference, Professor Daisy was an old maid.
***During break time, while reading a book in the library, I started to feel sleepy. My head nodded and my eyes blinked involuntarily.
I was about to close my eyes for a moment when a soft hand touched my forehead.
¡°¡?¡±
Before I knew it, Luce had approached me like an assassin. She gently pushed the back of my head and made her hand a pillow for me on the desk.
¡What is this now?
¡°I¡¯ll be your hand pillow.¡±
While I was familiar with using an arm pillow, it was my first time using a hand pillow.
¡°Luby, luby¡¡±
Luce whispered in a sweet tone as she gently patted my back.
¡°¡What are you doing?¡±
¡°You look sleepy, Isaac.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it usually an arm pillow? No, that¡¯s not the point¡¡±
¡°Do you have a problem with Luce¡¯s hand pillow?¡±
I subtly turned my eyes. I could feel the other students sneaking nces at us. That woke me uppletely.
Is she trying to take care of me?
Just like when she gave me the chocte earlier.
It seemed she had reinterpreted my ideal type in her own way.
I pushed away Luce¡¯s hand from the back of my head and lifted my head. Luce tilted her head and removed her hand pillow from the desk.
¡°Thanks. It was very effective in waking me up.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Luce squinted her eyes and puffed her cheeks, seemingly annoyed by my words. Her attempt at being considerate had not gone as nned.
Finding it cute, I pressed her cheek, and air hissed out of her mouth like a pufferfish.
During lunchtime, Luce suggested that we eat together on a bench instead of at the academy cafeteria.
I saw Eve hiding behind a tree, creepily spying on me. She seemed hesitant to approach because of Luce.
I¡¯ll have to find herter when I have time.
¡°I¡¯ll feed you. Open your mouth.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Luce insisted on feeding me.
When I said I¡¯d eat it myself, Luce made a sulky face, so I ended up eating the food she offered.
After I finished my business in the men¡¯s restroom¡
¡°Did it go well?¡±
Luce greeted me, standing by the wall at the entrance of the men¡¯s restroom.
Passing students stared at Luce with strange looks.
The boys who came out of the men¡¯s restroom after me saw Luce, were startled. They sneaked away while casting wary nces.
¡°You were in the restroom for quite a while. It¡¯s not good for your health. If you take this, you¡¯ll feel better¡ Isaac?¡±
¡°¡¡±
I was at a loss for words.
I simplycked the ability to speak at the current moment. She was clearly trying to emte my ideal type.
¡°Uh, thanks¡¡±
Luce smiled with satisfaction.
***In the ss A ssroom, just before thest ss started, Luce intently watched me from behind.
Luce, who often felt repulsed by others, didn¡¯t know how to treat friends or lovers properly because she had avoided rtionships.
In the past, she acted like a lover, which was troublesome.
Now that she was sure of her feelings, she cared for me to the point of making me ufortable. Luce¡¯s immaturity was evident.
Even if I like being taken care of, this is way too much¡
Anything excessive inevitably bes a burden.
If someone like Luce had acted this way when I was in school, I might have confessed right away.
But in the current situation, it only increased the weight on my shoulders.
¡°Isaac, are you ufortable somewhere?¡±
¡°No, why?¡±
¡°It looks like it.¡±
She noticed things like that eerily well.
Just before ss started, the ssroom door opened, and two adults entered.
¡°¡?¡±
One was Professor Daisy and the other was a man I had never seen before.
An adult man with neatly groomed brown hair, wearing a pristine robe. His wless white skin and yful smile were striking.
His mouth was long. To exaggerate, it looked like it could reach his ears.
¡°¡¡±
The moment I saw him, I held my breath.
¡°Say hello. This is ¡®Ronzainus Hond¡¯, a part-time Instructor invited to teach here. He¡¯s quite capable. He will be substituting for Professor Philip Meltron¡¯s Study of Magic Circle Analysis ss for a while. If you get any ideas just because he¡¯s handsome, I won¡¯t let it slide.¡±
Professor Daisy solemnly introduced the brown-haired man, Ronzainus Hond.
Instructor Ron stepped forward and scanned the ss A students, including me, with his eyes.
Then, he slowly walked to the side, showing a confident smile to the ss A students.
¡°Nice to meet you, top students of the Empire.¡±
Instructor Ron greeted us arrogantly, raising both arms slightly.
¡°Consider it an honor to meet me. I will drill the difficult theories of strategicw analysis into your heads. If you listen to my lessons, I guarantee you¡¯ll achieve the best results.¡±
The ss A students red at Instructor Ron. Even Ciel, who had been dozing off just a moment ago, lifted her head and joined in.
The students in ss A all possessed incredible talent.
They took sses to receive systematic education from academy professors who were well-versed in magical theory and knowledge, but in terms ofbat, they each boasted great strength.
That was why no professor dared to be arrogant in front of them.
So Ron¡¯s arrogance suddenly felt out of ce.
¡°And Ice Sovereign¡¡±
Instructor Ron stopped walking.
His gaze fixed on me.
¡°Given the circumstances, I can adress you casually, right?¡±
I simply nodded.
Ron climbed the stairs and approached me.
¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re attending sses at an academy like this¡ but let¡¯s get along for a while, okay?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Ron extended his hand to me.
I quietly looked into Ron¡¯s eyes.
¡°Yes¡ pleased to meet you.¡±
I smiled kindly and shook his extended hand.
Lv: 0
Race: Heavenly Being
Elements: Light, Immortality
Danger Level: ?
Psychology: [ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ]
We shook hands quite ordinarily.
:"
Chapter 280: Chess (3)
¡°Alright, ss dismissed.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
The ss was over.
It felt like I had been engrossed in a fun game. The sound of the bell signaling the end of the ss seemed to ring unusually early.
Instructor Ron¡¯s lecture was dazzling, like a golden ornament.
He never stumbled over his words, effortlessly kept the students¡¯ attention throughout the ss, thoroughly exined the fundamentals, and taught useful tips during the application phase that caught everyone off guard.
Even Ciel, who usually spent most of her life and ss time asleep, was awake during Instructor Ron¡¯s lecture.
She seemed to be in the mindset of ¡°let¡¯s see how well you do¡±, but was genuinely surprised by how well he did.
¡°And Isaac, I need to have a word with you, so please follow me.¡±
Instructor Ron looked at me and smiled.I couldn¡¯t read his psychology, so I didn¡¯t know what his intentions were. I followed him for now. The ss A students looked at me with suspicion.
Instructor Ron and I arrived at an empty office in Orphin Hall.
¡°Excuse me, I need to use the restroom for a bit.¡±
¡°Go ahead.¡±
I turned the corner and hid in a secluded spot, leaning against the wall.
Hilde, stay alert.
[Understood, Master.]
I mentally instructed Hilde, who was summoned in her small form within the cor of my shirt. She immediately understood the situation.
I opened my status window.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 156
Gender: Male
Year: 2nd
Title: Ice Sovereign
Mana: 169500 / 169800
- Mana Recovery Speed (A+)
I gained two more levels during the vacation. My current level was 156.
What mattered now was the [Potential] section.
[Potential]
Stats Points: 149
¡ô vs. Race Combat Power
- vs. Human Combat Power (A): 80/100 [UP]
- vs. Other Races Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]
- vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]
- vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
I couldn¡¯t read Instructor Ron¡¯s, or rather, Vuel¡¯s psychology.
However, Vuel wouldn¡¯t dare to confront me with a petty trick.
He couldn¡¯t afford to disrupt his ns and probably misunderstood me as a formidable opponent.
That¡¯s exactly how I wanted it.
It was just a guess, but the probability was high. The power I disyed was undeniable. Vuel had experienced my ice magic firsthand.
Moreover, my outer appearance was that of the Ice Sovereign. Vuel must have concluded that defeating me wouldn¡¯t be easy.
But Vuel couldn¡¯t cause too much trouble without risking exposure to the Heavenly God. If that happened, his ns would be for naught. Hence, he had to be cautious. ???
The problem was that the Academy sh was about to start.
I need to prepare for the¡¸Fairy War¡¹.
I had nned to invest my stats in [vs. Other Races Combat Power] for the¡¸Fairy War¡¹. Vuel¡¯s sudden intrusion disrupted that n.
Currently, Vuel wasn¡¯t armed. Heavenly Beings boasted extreme elemental resistance when armed, but that wasn¡¯t the case now.
Even so, if Vuel decided to fight me earnestly, I was confident. Confident that I¡¯d get utterly shit on.
Moreover, until the day the Heavenly Clock went into effect, he was essentially invincible. He was immortal.
No Academy Forces, Imperial Knights, or D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s army could defeat the current Vuel.
The fortunate thing is his conviction¡
I recalled what happened in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Vuel rebelled against the Heavenly God for his cause. Contrary to his conviction, he had no intention of increasing unnecessary casualties.
However, he would likely deal decisively with those who get in his way.
Considering Vuel was in the wilderness when I defeated the King of the Dead, it was highly probable that Vuel had already allied with the demons.
Moreover, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Vuel had nevere to the academy.
In other words¡
The demons have identified me as an obstacle, and Vuel is likely after my life.
Vuel came to the academy to see me.
Even if he wouldn¡¯t harm others right away, he would surely be aiming for my life.
However, if I recklessly invested my stat points into [vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power], the¡¸Fairy War¡¹would be more challenging.
In that case¡
It would be better to ensure I had the strength to either confront or escape in case something happened.
I invested 80 stat points into [vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power].
Potential [vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power] has been improved from E-ss to A-ss!
This should be enough.
I had 69 stat points remaining. It wasn¡¯t entirely secure, but it wasn¡¯t bad.
I moved and entered Instructor Ron¡¯s office. He was cing his ss materials on his desk and gazing at the sunset outside the window.
¡°You¡¯re back. Would you like some tea?¡±
¡°No, thank you. Please get to the point.¡±
¡°Then, by any chance, do you like chess?¡±
He gestured to the chessboard on the table. It was already set up.
A Western-style game board with ck and white pieces was already set up on the table. Although it was called ¡°chess¡±, it was distinctly different from the chess I knew from my previous life. It did have a simr feel to it, however.
Having yed it often as a mini-game in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I knew how to y it well.
¡°Sit down.¡±
Instructor Ron said as he sat down in front of the chessboard.
I stood still, trying to read his intentions, but he leaned back in his chair and chuckled as he jerked his chin arrogantly.
¡°You must already know that I¡¯m not human.¡±
Instructor Ron¡¯s hair gradually turned white. The excessively bright white color gave an otherworldly impression.
His eyes glowed with a holy aura, revealing his unusual nature. He was partially shedding his human form to show his true self.
The fact that he could assume a human form was undoubtedly thanks to the high-level magic, Polymorph, which Hilde had mastered.
Vuel deployed a soundproof barrier around us.
¡°Don¡¯t you have something you want to say to me?¡±
¡°¡¡±
I took off my sses and sat across from Vuel.
¡°You¡¯re the one who called me here to talk.¡±
I moved a ck pawn on the chessboard and spoke calmly. Vuel smirked.
¡°There was a time I got caught up in your magic. It was impressive. Your skills live up to your reputation.¡±
Vuel moved a white piece.
¡°You cast that spell while knowing that, didn¡¯t you? You directly targeted me as if you were swatting a fly.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one who broke the treaty. You were somewhere you shouldn¡¯t have been, so I dealt with you ordingly.¡±
The treaty stated that Heavenly Beings should not interfere in the human world.
I knew information that humans shouldn¡¯t know.
Vuel let out a small, incredulousugh.
¡°You know about the treaty? A human¡? What on earth are you?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a question I should ask you considering you¡¯ve intruded into this world.¡±
¡°¡I made a misjudgment. I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this.¡±
Early on, Vuel and I alternated moves, setting up our formations.
¡°So, is that why you didn¡¯t hesitate to kill me?¡±
¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t die. You¡¯re immortal, after all.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Vuel¡¯s hand, which was moving a piece, paused. He red at me.
¡°You¡ how much do you know?¡±
¡°Leave.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t your ce. One warning should be enough.¡±
I coldly red at Vuel.
Vuel exhaled deeply.
¡°It seems it¡¯s no coincidence you¡¯re harboring something terrifying inside you.¡±
He must be talking about the creature with many eyes.
The ability to see through the essence of things was not exclusive to Dorothy. Whether it was the Elemental Kings or Vuel, once they reached a certain level, such skill became achievable.
This mysterious creature with many eyes gave me an aura of overwhelming power. In fact, the stronger my opponent, the more likely they were to overestimate my strength.
¡°But you know¡¡±
Vuel leaned on the table and brought his face closer to mine.
His cold eyes fixed on me.
¡°Why does it seem to me that your disy of strength is just a bluff?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Vuel¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile.
Is he testing me?
¡°If I¡¯m wrong, then throw me out¡ Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? Do you have a reason not to mess with me, Ice Sovereign?¡±
What a cheeky bastard.
Vuel was immortal. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t defeat him.
What if I somehow neutralize him?
Vuel might be concerned about that, but as I¡¯ve said, it was difficult to subdue him.
If Vuel thought there was no hope, he might involve the Heavenly God. That would lead to the bad ending¡¸Judgment of the Gods¡¹.
Unless Vuel¡¯s rebellion against the Heavenly God was objectively revealed, I was the one at risk.
The time to confront him would be when Abel¡¯s Heavenly Clock was activated.
At that time, everyone, including me and Vuel, would be in danger, but at least his immortality wouldn¡¯t be in effect.
¡°¡I knew it. Maybe you¡¯ve be a coward because you know too much. This is quite a funny situation.¡±
Clicking his tongue, Vuelughed and sat back down.
I still couldn¡¯t read his psychology. However, from that single statement, I could guess what he was thinking.
For some reason, Isaac knows too much. Hence, he knows he shouldn¡¯t mess with me.
He must be thinking something along those lines.
It seemed he hadn¡¯t concluded that I couldn¡¯t defeat him.
Right now, to Vuel, I needed to appear as an unfathomable being with unknown power. If my true strength was revealed, then it was over.
¡°Ice Sovereign, do you know why I came to the academy?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Yes, someone like you must have figured it out.¡±
Vuel moved a piece and looked at me.
The sunset streaming through the window illuminated Vuel¡¯s mysterious eyes. Those eyes held deep conviction and determination.
¡°I have a purpose that I must achieve. To fulfill that purpose, I must eliminate you. I¡¯m sorry, but I n to erase you from this world.¡±
Vuel moved a piece and spoke a voice that held no malice.
It was an incredibly calm tone as if he was stating an obvious fact.
¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±
I moved a piece and asked cynically in response to his calm deration of war.
Vuel, seemingly ustomed to my manner of speaking, leisurelyughed.
Chapter 281: Chess (4)
¡°Checkmate.¡±
Vuel moved his piece and spoke as if answering my question instead.
I looked down at the chessboard.
The ck army I controlled didn¡¯t engage much with the white army. After my calctions, I had prepared a move aimed solely at a checkmate, exploiting a blind spot in Vuel ¡¯s formation.
However, Vuel danced on top of my strategy, turning the tables on me.
¡°You seem to already know the reason without me having to say it. Strangely enough. Did you already guess?¡±
Vuel leaned back against the chair.
His hair had turned brown, and his eyes appeared normal. But the eerie smile remained unchanged.
¡°I felt it was my duty to tell you this. Because we will be fighting.¡±
¡°¡Is that so.¡±¡°Then, our business is finished.¡±
Vuel smirked and pressed his palms together.
¡°Take care, Isaac.¡±
Vuel waved lightly, bidding farewell.
There was nothing more to say. We had confirmed each other¡¯s intentions.
Even if I were to attack here, Vuel couldn¡¯t do anything about it.
Butunching a preemptive strike was difficult. If that guy retaliated, my life would definitely be threatened, and the journey to subjugate the Evil God mighte to an abrupt end.
However, Vuel, without a shred of doubt, was under the impression that my abilities were at [Hunter] level.
He didn¡¯t think, even for a moment, that the reason I didn¡¯t touch him was because I couldn¡¯t win.
This is a different situation from when I faced off against Alice.
At that time, there wasn¡¯t concrete evidence that I was the Nameless Hero, and I could still use Dorothy as an Alice suppressant.
However, my identity was now firmly established, and there was no real suppresant against Vuel.
The only hollow suppressant was the mysterious power of ¡°Ice Sovereign Isaac¡±, Vuel¡¯s strong belief, and the worry that his ns could go awry.
Vuel didn¡¯t go out of his way to increase the number of victims unless the opponent was a hindrance.
I have to keep this confrontation going.
I had to keep Vuel under the illusion that I was a powerful figure with unknown, limitless strength.
Otherwise, my ns would be significantly twisted.
¡°¡¡±
I stood up and headed towards the door.
Before turning the handle and leaving, I paused and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t regret this.¡±
With those words, I left.
Though we couldn¡¯t read each other¡¯s minds, it seemed we both understood when the time for a fierce battle woulde.
***I instructed Hilde to inform Priestess Miya, who was waiting on me, that I would speak to her another time.
I ordered Cheshire to constantly monitor Vuel from afar and to focus on escaping immediately if anything dangerous happened.
As twilight was slowly descending, I called Luce, Kaya, Dorothy, and Alice to the hideout in Josena forest.
Even though I was familiar with them, the sight of the four girls gathered together was quite a spectacle.
It¡¯s the first time they¡¯ve all gathered like this, isn¡¯t it?
Each of them stood apart, not wanting to stay close together.
After Alice deployed a soundproof barrier around the hideout, I told them everything about my conversation with Vuel.
I also informed them that Vuel possessed immortality and was a being that shouldn¡¯t be messed with.
¡°Isn¡¯t this¡ dangerous?¡±
Dorothy, sitting in the lotus position on the sofa, asked in a flustered voice.
¡°Half of it is.¡±
¡°Half?¡±
¡°It seems that Instructor Ron has judged that he still can¡¯t defeat me.¡±
I answered and took a sip of tea.
¡°I think he came to meet me for preliminary scouting. He probably wants to figure out mybat style beforehand.¡±
¡°If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the oue of a hundred battles,¡± or so they say.
Although I had not showcased the skills befitting the title of ¡°Ice Sovereign¡± at the academy, it would still be possible to analyze my fighting methods through tests or other means.
Vuel would draw many conclusions from every one of my movements.
¡°He dered war to provoke me. On the other hand, it also means he doesn¡¯t n to kill me right away.¡±
¡°Baby.¡±
Sss¡
Alice, resting her chin on the table, called me ¡°Baby,¡± causing an eerie atmosphere to emanate from the other girls.
Why are they in such a bad mood¡
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°Do you have any guesses about why Instructor Ron wants to eliminate you? Considering your status and power, I doubt Instructor Ron would be unaware of how dangerous it is to target you.¡±
Instructor Ron, in other words, Vuel¡¯s goal.
Should I exin it here?
I might as well since I need their cooperation anyway¡
I suppose I should exin at least this much.
I briefly thought about how to exin, recalling the contents of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
¡°I¡¯ll start with this story. Don¡¯t ask how I know, just don¡¯t. It¡¯ll only give you a headache. Naturally, It¡¯s a secret that must be kept at all costs.¡±
¡°If Sir Isaac puts it that way, of course, I¡¯ll do exactly that. I¡¯ll take any secret to the grave, no matter what it is.¡±
Kaya, leaning against the wall, closed her eyes and answered yfully. I nodded.
¡°There is only one person who had a close rtionship with the Heavenly Beings. That person belonged to the Carnedas family.¡±
¡°You mean the family of Ciel Carnedas, Sir Isaac?¡±
¡°Yes. That person was asked to bring the Child of Light, Ian Fairytale to the realm of the Heavenly Beings if he was found.¡±
Alice responded, ¡°The scale is getting bigger.¡±
¡°The ¡®Heavenly Clock¡¯ was given as a token of that promise.¡±
I casually flicked my fingers, letting ice mana flow. The ice mana formed a simple image of a pocket watch, which quickly dispersed into the air.
Luce exhaled deliberately, releasing a meaningful hum.
¡°The promise and the clock were passed down through the Carnedas family, eventually reaching Ciel and Abel. By the way, Abel is in the Knight Department and Ciel¡¯s younger brother by one year.¡±
I adjusted my sses once.
¡°The Heavenly Clock chooses its Master on its own. That¡¯s how Abel became the current Master of the clock.¡±
¡°The Heavenly Clock¡ Is that rted to Instructor Ron¡¯s goal?¡±
I nodded at Alice¡¯s question.
¡°The Heavenly Clock will enter its second phase when it detects a Heavenly being in the human realm. It gives humans time to assess the situation, and when the timees, it will unleash immense power, disrupting mana across the entire world. Instructor Ron intends to exploit that.¡±
Among the demons, the only one who could nullify mana was the Underground Giant.
Simrly, the Abyssal Sea Monster was one of the demons that possessed the ability to disrupt mana.
But the Heavenly Clock boasted a power on apletely different scale from theirs. Its range was capable of affecting the entire world.
¡°That¡¯s terrifying¡ It sounds incredibly dangerous. Why would the Heavenly Beings give something like that to humans?¡±
¡°Dorothy, you have a brain, I¡¯d suggest you use it to think more.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, so would you kindly shut that mouth of yours, Alice?¡±
A vein throbbed on Dorothy¡¯s forehead, but perhaps because I was there, she held back her anger and forced a smile at Alice, who responded with a smirk.
¡°The Heavenly Beings made a treaty that forbids them from interfering in the human realm. The Heavenly Clock in the human world detects Heavenly Beings who vite that treaty by descending to our world.¡±
The Heavenly Clock was likely detecting Vuel and his rebellious forces and seems to be entering its second phase.
¡°Sir Isaac, you really know everything¡¡±
¡°Not everything, but enough.¡±
I shook my head at Kaya¡¯s words of admiration.
I was grateful for her unwavering trust in my words.
¡°In short, the Heavenly Clock is an rm bell. When its effects spread, even the heavenly realms will be able to notice.¡±
In the end, Vuel¡¯s treacherous actions will be exposed.
By then, we could avoid the bad ending,¡¸Judgment of the Gods¡¹.
¡°The Heavenly Clock disrupts all mana in order to enable humans to counter the Heavenly Beings before the forces of the heavenly realm are deployed. From a human perspective, this makes the fight possible.¡±
¡°Are Heavenly Beings really that strong?¡±
¡°Kaya, you¡¯ve seen how powerful Ian¡¯s Divine Power is, right?¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen it. So that means¡¡±
I spoke to Kaya, who looked tense.
¡°The Heavenly soldiers were veteran warriors with the light element. And when they were armed, their elemental resistances were maximized.¡±
¡°If we have to fight them, it¡¯s going to be a real headache¡¡±
I nodded.
¡°So, Baby, what does Instructor Ron gain if the world¡¯s mana gets disrupted?¡±
Before the effects of the Heavenly Clock took hold, Vuel and his subordinates would secure a specific location.
That ce is¡
¡°¡®ck Stone¡¯. It¡¯s called the heart of the world. That¡¯s where his goal lies.¡±
Alice and Luce narrowed their eyes, while Dorothy and Kaya¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
ck Stone.
And surrounded by ck volcanic stones, in fact, more like a ce simr to a volcano. At its center, there was a massiveke.
If I were to use my past life as an analogy, it could bepared to Olympus Mons on Mars¡ªa mountain so enormous that it gives the illusion of being a t in.
The range of ck Stone was so vast that it took time to realize it was even a mountain.
It was confirmed that deep within that ce, an unknown natural mana was buried.
In the magic world, there were rumors that ck Stone might have held the mysteries of this world.
¡°Deep within, an unimaginable amount of natural mana has been concentrated over countless years, circting through the core of this world.¡±
Vuel¡¯s goal was the vast amount of mana buried there.
¡°If the world¡¯s magic is disrupted, that ce won¡¯t be an exception. Instructor Ron ns to provoke the unstable mana there, causing it to erupt, and he¡¯ll harness that natural mana.¡±
He¡¯d harness the natural mana there to create the Spear of Longinus, capable of bringing down the Heavenly God.
And with the Authority of Godying possessed by the Evil God, he¡¯d destroy the Heavenly God.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was roughly exined that Vuel nned to injure the Heavenly God to force them into a battle with the Evil God.
But now that I knew the Authority of Godying was in the hands of the Evil God, I could see Vuel¡¯s true intentions more clearly.
For a moment, silence filled the hideout.
¡°What I want to tell you is to carry on as usual, but be cautious while Instructor Ron is at the academy. Especially you guys, since you¡¯re closely linked to me. We don¡¯t know how he¡¯ll react to you. And¡ I¡¯ll handle Ron.¡±
There were two reasons I revealed this information to only these kids.
First, because they were therades I trusted most. Secondly, to avoid having our tails stepped on as much as possible.
¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±
At that moment, Luce, who had been silent until now, quietly spoke up.
Everyone¡¯s attention turned to Luce.
Luce quickly approached and leaned in close, her cold aquamarine eyes staring directly into me.
¡°Why are you taking on such a dangerous task? The Imperial Knights, the Magic army. The Imperial family has more than enough forces to fight. So why do you have to put yourself at risk?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Why have the Heavenly Beings started targeting you? And why do you act like it¡¯s your duty to stop them? Is it some ridiculous sense of justice?¡±
Her voice, calm yet heavy, sounded almost like a reprimand. The meaning behind her dull eyes was firm and clear.
It was an understandable reaction. Luce had once told me that if something bad ever happened to me, it would feel like her world was copsing.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Luce ced her hand on my shoulder.
¡°Even if the rest of the world dies, you can¡¯t. So please¡ stay safe.¡±
¡°Sweetheart, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to stop trying to score points?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Alice gently approached and tapped Luce, who red at her savagely.
Alice smiled kindly and then looked at me.
¡°Baby, it seems like the conversation is over. Wouldn¡¯t it be best for us to disperse?¡±
¡°¡Yeah.¡±
Thanks.
I stood up from my seat.
¡°That¡¯s all I needed to say. Sorry, but I¡¯ll be counting on you for a while. thank you for your concern. Let¡¯s talk next time.¡±
I lightly patted Luce¡¯s shoulder a couple of times before pushing past her.
I nced back and saw Luce standing still, a deep sigh escaping her as if she was trying to collect her emotions.
I opened the door and left the hideout.
Chapter 282: Fatalism
The sunset sky was dyed in a distinct pink hue.
I was walking through the Hydrangea Garden, lost in thought.
From what I observed, Vuel led a seemingly normal life. He greeted me warmly and often engaged in light chatter. It was all superficial, though.
The quality of his lectures was excellent. On the surface, he seemed like a perfect part-time instructor.
It seemed unlikely that anything would happen immediately. Given his ultimate goal, doing anything suspicious here would be a bad move.
It looks like Professor Philip is fine too¡
Using [irvoyance], I confirmed that Professor Philip Meltron was safe. I had a rough idea of where the main NPCs lived in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, which helped.
Anyway, M?rchen Academy had hastily brought in a part-time instructor to fill in for Professor Philip. I needed to find out if this was all part of Vuel¡¯s n or if he just got lucky with the timing.
I must keep the Hegel Magic Tower incident a secret.
I had to thoroughly conceal any potential weaknesses.The day I spoke with Vuel, I sent a letter to Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of Hegel, exining my situation and that I wouldn¡¯t be able to visit for a while. I added a note to burn the letter immediately after reading it. Hilde confirmed the letter was delivered safely.
I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down until Vuel was defeated.
¡°Senior Isaac, what brings you here?¡±
¡°¡What happened to you?¡±
I arrived at a corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
White, in her uniform, greeted me looking like a drenched rat. She smiled nkly, looking extremely proud.
¡°Wee, Sir Isaac. There was a little ident.¡±
Merlin pulled out a nket she had prepared and draped it over White¡¯s shoulders.
¡°An ident?¡±
I used [Rock Generation] to quickly make a chair and sat down.
White responded confidently, ¡°Listen! I sessfully cast [Twin Gale Fang]¡! Just a little bit, though!¡±
¡°It made a faint breeze, barely noticeable, and then she copsed from the strain, falling into theke.¡±
¡°Uhh¡!¡±
White blushed and puffed her cheeks in annoyance at Merlin, shaking her fists up and down furiously.
She wanted to protest but couldn¡¯t bring herself to use harsh words.
Merlin calmly responded, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to tell your mentor the objective truth?¡±
I, on the other hand, was a bit surprised.
¡°Already?¡±
¡°What?¡±
[Twin Gale Fang] was essentially a mid-tier 4-star wind spell, very close to the actual 5-star wind spell.
She could already produce a small breeze as faint as a fart.
She¡¯s progressing faster than I thought.
It was good news.
¡°Can you try it again?¡±
White replied confidently, ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t consume much mana, so I think I can do it!¡±
If the spell didn¡¯t fully manifest, it would have consumed less mana, but there would have still been some unnecessary mana expenditure.
¡°Just a moment, Merlin.¡±
White walked over to theke, extended her right arm, and gathered her mana.
A magic circle formed in front of her hand.
Theposition of the magic circle was decent. Although there were some rough spots, she definitely managed to calcte and deploy the magic circle for [Twin Gale Fang]. ?
¡°Huph!¡±
White clenched her mouth shut and let out a determined shout.
Pooooong¡!
Two streams of light green wind extended from White¡¯s hand,
They attempted to shoot forward sharply like des but soon lost momentum. Eventually, the wind mana quickly dissipated.
It wasn¡¯t yet at a practical level. However, the fact that she managed to cast [Twin Gale Fang] was clear.
¡°He
White smiled brightly at me, but she seemed to have strained herself mentally and was about to copse.
Before Merlin could step forward to support her, I got up from the stone chair and used shadow step.
Thud.
In an instant, I was in front of White, catching her in my arms in the middle of her copse.
Merlin looked surprised. It was a technique used by her father, so her reaction was understandable.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°Senior Isaac, when did you¡?¡±
White looked flustered. She seemed to think I had been close by all along, even though she hadn¡¯t sensed me approaching.
¡°A-anyway, did you see that?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
I used [Rock Generation] to make a stone chair with a backrest and seated White on it.
White looked at me with sparkling eyes, expecting apliment.
As I gazed into her beautiful blue eyes tinged with pink, I lifted my sses and responded.
¡°You wasted a lot of mana. It shows that your mana mastery is stillcking and needs more training. Many people underestimate the importance of mana mastery, but if trained well, one can use their mana more efficiently, reducing unnecessary mana wastage. They¡¯d be able to cast spells over a greater range and enhance their power. For someone like you, who has barely brought [Whirlwind] to a decent level, trying to rush and learn [Twin Gale Fang] without spending enough time on mana mastery shows an eagerness to advance too quickly. If it were a purely academic subject, it might be better to progress quickly and review repeatedly, but this is different.¡±
¡°¡¡±
As I quickly and urately exined my thoughts, White¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.
I was too engrossed. Without realizing it, I had given her a thorough lecture.
¡°Sniff¡¡±
Far from thepliment she expected, White seemed quite upset by the scolding and sniffled.
¡°Well, it¡¯s just a light piece of advice.¡±
¡°It didn¡¯t sound light at all¡¡±
I smiled broadly at the teary-eyed White.
I felt a sense of pride.
¡°You did great. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±
¡°But that¡¯s different from what you just said¡¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t criticize [Twin Gale Fang] itself.¡±
¡°¡Oh?¡±
White seemed to understand my response but still looked a bit dazed by the sudden shift in mood.
¡°I have something to show you. It¡¯s not wind magic, though.¡±
I walked to the front of theke and extended my right arm. White and Merlin watched me intently.
The moment I first learned the 5-star ice spell [Frost Explosion] was unforgettable.
To use [Frost Explosion], I had to press all my fingers together and gather mana in between my hands. Without this, the flow of mana would be unstable and dissipate.
Initially, it took several seconds, even at the fastest.
But not anymore.
Whiiiiiir.
Ice mana condensed in front of my outstretched hand. The mana formed a small, swirling orb of pale blue light.
The mana for [Frost Explosion] waspressed in one spot. Maneuvering mana like this had be second nature.
An ice magic circle formed in front of it.
¡°From 5-star magic onward, the training intensity is iparable, but the results are worth it.¡±
I released the ice mana.
Boooooom!
A deafening roar.
A fierce shockwave spread out, instantly freezing theke, while a violent burst of ice erupted in mid-air.
I deliberately created a clean, fan-shaped explosion. The cold st caused the water in theke to shift sideways and freeze in mid-ssh.
Theke transformed into a piece of art.
¡°Wow¡¡±
White gaped in awe.
¡°This is the 5-star spell, [Frost Explosion]. Wind magic can achieve simr power. The more you train your mana mastery, the faster your proficiency will increase.¡±
I lightly waved my fingers to dispel the ice while looking at White. The ice shattered with a crisp sound, turning into a pale blue powder that scattered quietly.
The water that had been frozen mid-ssh descended, sshing around. Theke continued to ripple, leaving the remnants of [Frost Explosion].
¡°T-that kind of elemental magic¡¡±
¡°You can do it too. At your current pace, I think you¡¯ll be able to achieve by the first semester of your second year.
¡°That¡¯s amazing¡!¡±
White seemed excited, imagining herself using 5-star wind magic.
There was no better motivation than a beautiful demonstration.
¡°Oh, Senior Isaac, what was it like when you first learned 5-star ice magic? Tell me what you liked about it.¡±
White seemed to be asking this to better visualize herself using such magic.
What I liked, huh¡
¡°¡When I first learned it, I liked that it felt like a finishing move. The power differencepared to 4-star magic is significant.¡±
¡°Ohhhh! And now?¡±
¡°Now¡ it¡¯s good for dealing solid hits when I¡¯m fighting someone.¡±
¡°Oh¡ oh?¡±
White was impressed but then tilted her head in confusion.
***¡°Are you all dried off?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
White used wind magic to dry her clothes. By now, the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon.
I approached White and extended my right hand.
¡°Ugh, I guess we have to do it, huh¡?¡±
White was reluctant but knew it was a practical training method, so she couldn¡¯t refuse.
She wasn¡¯t in a position toin since it was something we agreed to in exchange for repaying the debt.
White ced her hand against mine.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
For some reason, White wasn¡¯t channeling her mana and was just staring at me.
The natural mana lingering over theke cast a radiant light on White¡¯s serene face.
White cautiously asked a question, ¡°Senior Isaac, if we hadn¡¯t met through mentoring¡ what would have happened to us? I¡¯m curious what you think since you¡¯re such an amazing person and all¡¡±
It was sudden, but¡ everyone had such thoughts asionally. It wasn¡¯t strange.
I didn¡¯t ask why she was asking.
¡°¡If we hadn¡¯t met through mentoring, I think we would have met in some other way.¡±
¡°Some other way?¡±
Anyway, I would have gotten involved with White to clear the scenario.
Exining that would be difficult, so I concocted a usible lie.
¡°I believe that people who are meant to meet will meet somehow. I think we would have crossed paths regardless.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Why do you ask?¡±
¡°That¡¯s surprising. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re a fatalist.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know why that¡¯s surprising¡ What about you? Are you a fatalist?¡±
Ah, right.
I regretted saying it. Fate might not be a word White liked.
Considering her past, where her biological mother tried to assassinate her as part of her fate, it would sound quite cruel.
¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to¡¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t, but now I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±
White began channeling mana into the hand she ced against mine.
I responded by channeling my own mana.
¡°Fatalism isn¡¯t so bad.¡±
White smiled brightly.
¡°¡Is that so?¡±
At that moment, I felt my mana circuits pulsate. It was a strange sensation.
Then, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[You have absorbed a significant amount of the Fairy Nix¡¯s mana!]
[You have acquired the unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge]!]
Chapter 283: To Aldreque (1)
It waste at night. I was lying in bed at Charles Hall, trying to sleep.
I checked the [Unique Trait] tab in the status window.
[Nightfalls¡¯ Edge]¡
The unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge]. Inmon terms, it was a hidden piece.
It had the effect of dealing effective damage to fairies.
The effects I had umted from my exposure to Snow White¡¯s mana had finally manifested.
For someone like me, who wielded elemental magic in a standard manner, it became difficult to fight against fairies without something like that.
I obtained it sooner than expected.
Well, getting it sooner didn¡¯t necessarily make it better.
It just gave a sense of security, like, ¡°Oh, I got it.¡±If Ian had obtained this trait, it would have be an attack power buff.
As for our protagonist Ian, thanks to his Divine Power and the fairy¡¯s blessing passed down in the Fairytale family, he couldnd effective hits on fairies even without [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge].
So, if Ian had obtained [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge], the only merit he would gained would be an attack power buff.
Tap tap.
Suddenly, I heard a tapping sound on the window.
I turned my head toward the window. A bird magic beast wearing a bag was tapping on the window repeatedly with its beak.
V?
V. It was the courier used for sending urgent letters.
I waved my hand to dismiss the status window and got out of bed, heading toward the window.
When I opened the window, V took out a letter from the bag it was carrying with its long beak and handed it to me.
After receiving the letter, I signed the receipt form that V handed me.
V nodded in satisfaction and then pped its wings, leaving the windowsill.
What is this?
The seal of the tower master of Hegel was stamped on the letter.
Did Aria send me this?
She wouldn¡¯t have sent a letter just to inquire about my well-being. It was clear something had gone wrong with her secret research, or there was something urgent she needed to report to me.
I opened the envelope, took out the letter inside, and read it. The content was brief.
I am sending this letter to share some information I have discovered. There is both good news and bad news.
Without any greetings, she went straight to the point.
I was used to it. Aria never bothered with formalities.
The good news is that I have found a way to widen the Nether rift. It¡¯s enough for you to enter.
The bad news is that you cannot widen the rift at a time of your choosing.
I wille to you soon after gathering more precise information, and we can discuss the details then.
The letter ended there.
I examined the letter thoroughly and even tried to sense any mana, but there was nothing special about it.
I can widen the rift, but not at the time I want?
In other words, the timing for entering the Nether would be forced upon me.
Aria knew I couldn¡¯t recklessly visit Hegel Magic Tower with Vuel around. If Vuel discovered the rift leading to the Nether, who knew what he might do then.
That was probably why Aria mentioned she woulde to me when the situation allowed.
I decided to wait for Aria for the time being.
When the time is right, she¡¯lle to me.
***The green leaves slowly turned red. As the rain came and the heat subsided, the cool season began to emerge.
A few weeks passed, and it was morning.
At the gates of M?rchen Academy, many carriages were waiting, each one belonging to the academy.
Today was the day we were leaving for Aldreque, the city where the Academy sh would be held.
Students in uniforms boarded the carriages assigned to them.
The students who were chosen to participate in the Academy sh boarded the carriages in the front row, while those who expressed their intention to attend as spectators boarded the remaining carriages.
¡°I¡¯m¡ in that one.¡±
The note I received from the faculty had the number 4 written on it.
I found carriage number 4. It was in the front row.
As a result of the selection test, I earned the right to participate in the Academy sh.
Given my abilities, it was only natural. It would have been strange if I hadn¡¯t been selected.
¡°Senior Isaac?¡±
Suddenly, I heard a cute voice from behind.
I stopped and turned my head. A girl with ck pearl-colored hair came into view.
It was Preistess Miya.
¡°Miya?¡±
Seemingly pleased that I had called her name, Miya sped her hands behind her hips and smiled brightly.
¡°What carriage number are you in?¡±
¡°Number 4. But you don¡¯t need to know that, do you? We won¡¯t be riding together.¡±
In other words, the fact that Miya was among the carriages meant she was participating as a spectator.
¡°If I know your carriage number, I can keep track of where you are on the way to Aldreque, right?¡±
Miya responded, absentmindedly swirling her fingers around.
I couldn¡¯t tell what the movement of her fingers meant. It just seemed like a meaningless gesture.
¡°What are you going to do with that information?¡±
¡°Just because.¡±
There doesn¡¯t seem to be any sinister intent¡ Just simple fun, a gesture of friendliness, I guess?
After spending so much time with Luce, I had developed a habit of prematurely suspecting that cryptic words hid something sinister.
It didn¡¯t help that Mei¡¯s annoying face and voice were deeply ingrained in my mind.
Miya was the type of person one would call natural; her way of thinking wasn¡¯t particrlyplex or dark.
¡°And also¡¡±
Miya stepped closer to me, cupped her hand around her mouth, and softly whispered, ¡°Senior Isaac, aren¡¯t you too busy? When will we get a chance to properly talk?¡±
¡°Sorry. Next time, when I have the time.¡±
¡°I¡¯m having a hard time waiting, though.¡±
So she whines too, huh¡?
¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Mae. I¡¯ve been really looking forward to talking with you, Isaac.¡±
Mae was her familiar, the Nine-tailed Fox. It had been a while since Ist heard that name.
¡°As soon as you can, please. Is it okay if I ask you to do that?¡±
¡°¡Yeah.¡±
I nodded reluctantly.
She¡¯s going to be one of myrades anyway, so I should make our future conversations fun and vivid.
¡°I hope the wait is worth it. Well then, take care.¡±
Miya stepped back, smiled as she greeted me, then turned and cheerfully walked away.
With Mei¡¯s image repeatedly surfacing in my mind, I still couldn¡¯t fully get used to Miya. Strange doubts filled my head, like whether she could really be this gentle.
I ignored Luce, who was hiding behind the carriage and secretly ring at Miya and me, and headed toward carriage number 4.
No matter how cute she was, based on experience, it was best to avoid Luce when she was in that state.
¡°Ouch!¡±
I identally stepped on a girl¡¯s foot as she popped out from behind the carriage and we bumped into each other.
She let out a sharp scream, and I quickly pulled my foot away.
¡°Sorry, are you okay?¡±
¡°Ugh¡ Oh? Senior Isaac?¡±
The girl, Taryn Bartin, who had been hunched over, groaning in pain, looked at me and gasped in surprise. She was an exchange student of the Magic Department, just like Miya.
Taryn¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly, filled with admiration.
¡°Huh?¡±
It was a reaction I didn¡¯t quite understand.
¡°Taryn Bartin,e this way, quickly.¡±
¡°Oh, yes! Senior Isaac, see you next time!¡±
At the supervisor¡¯s call, Taryn quickly excused herself and hurried past me.
Taryn Bartin. She wasn¡¯t a particrly significant character in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Is Noah participating in the tournament because of her?
I suddenly remembered that Noah Bartin, who possessed iron mana, was motivated by his younger sister. I hadn¡¯t thought much of it because it didn¡¯t seem important.
My main reason for participating in the Academy sh was, of course, for EXP. However, I had another secondary goal.
I need to face Noah properly, too.
A sh with Noah Bartin.
If I shed with Noah, who had unlocked his true power, before battling the Iron Fairy, Rachnil, it would be good practice for handling iron magic.
I ignored Luce, who had been watching Taryn and me from behind a carriage, and continued toward carriage number 4.
My travelingpanions¡
Among the students, one was chosen as a supervisor, the goddess named Dorothy.
It would have been great if she were mypanion for this ride. I could have enjoyed the eye candy all the way to Aldreque, wouldn¡¯t that have made me happy¡
¡Such a miracle was unlikely. I¡¯d be relieved if my travelingpanion wasn¡¯t someone awkward.
When I arrived at carriage number 4, I nodded politely to the coachman and opened the door.
¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it Senior Isaac?!¡±
¡°Abel?¡±
Inside the carriage were three people. One of them was Abel Carnedas, Ciel¡¯s younger brother.
Abel greeted me excitedly, ¡°Hello.¡±
Another person was a girl with light green hair and a cold demeanor, Roanna Shelton. She bowed her head in greeting, and I gave a small nod in response.
She was one of the members I swept aside during the joint practical evaluation. If White were also there, it would have been perfect.
The problem was thest person.
¡°Good to see you, Isaac.¡±
Instructor Ronzainus, with his brown hair, greeted me with a smirk.
Just my luck, it just had to be him of all people.
¡°Is it possible to switch carriages¡?¡±
¡°That would be difficult, ording to the rules.¡±
Damn Ron was enjoying the situation, chuckling. Since he was a substitute professor, it seemed he had also been selected as a supervisor.
While I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d try anything shady with the others around, just being stuck with Instructor Ron was enough to make me uneasy.
¡°Oh,e on, Senior Isaac! Don¡¯t say that~.¡±
Abel, unaware of my circumstances, urged me with a cheerful smile.
Even with Abel, who possessed the Heavenly Clock, and Ron in the same carriage, there shouldn¡¯t have been any issues.
Once the second phase of time had already begun, no matter what anyone did to the Heavenly Clock, it was impossible to stop the scheduled release of power.
Besides, Ron¡¯s twisted beliefs meant he likely wouldn¡¯t harm anyone but me. At least¡ for now.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting in? Hurry up and get in.¡±
¡°Yeah, well¡¡±
When Instructor Ron also urged me, I lifted my sses and shed a gentle smile. It was just for show.
From what the Cheshire had observed so far, Instructor Ron hadn¡¯t shown any suspicious behavior since arriving at the academy.
He was well-liked by everyone at the academy, and because he gave great lectures, he was considered the perfect part-time instructor.
I quietly sighed and climbed into the carriage.
Thud.
I felt the seat sink as I sat down. The coachman nced back at us, puzzled.
¡°Hm?¡±
Abel and Roanna also looked around, seemingly noticing the tilt of the carriage.
It was because of the clothes I was wearing.
The outfit was a magic tool that increased its weight in proportion to the amount of mana infused into it. I had reduced the mana earlier in the morning to adjust the weight.
However, it still seemed heavier than a single person¡¯s weight should be.
The coachman scratched his head before turning back around.
¡°Senior Isaac, did you maybe overeat this morning¡?¡±
Roanna smacked Abel on the back of the head before he could finish his dumb question.
At the gates of Bethel Academy, several carriages were lined up in an orderly fashion.
Noah Bartin, a male student with tied-back ash-gray hair, boarded one of the carriages with eyes like a rotten fish.
The girls, who had been chatting animatedly, quieted down as soon as Noah appeared and began whispering among themselves.
¡°Why does it have to be him¡?¡±
¡°He¡¯s so creepy, I hate it¡¡±
Noah heard their soft voices, but he quietly fixed his gaze outside the window.
Being rejected by people was nothing new for Noah; it was a regr urrence.
To him, it was no different from the chirping of birds or the sound of a flowing stream.
¡°Alright, are we all set? No one left anything behind?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The instructor, who was acting as the supervisor, boarded the carriage and asked, and the girls responded.
The instructor sat next to Noah. Noah nced at the instructor and then looked back out the window.
¡°Heh, this kid is still as gloomy as ever.¡±
¡°Instructor¡ my hair¡¡±
The instructorughed heartily and roughly ruffled Noah¡¯s ash-gray hair. Noah grumbled irritably as he straightened his hair.
The instructor was intrigued by his motives.
When Noah¡¯s name appeared on the list of participants for the Academy sh, the students of Bethel Academy were astonished.
In a way, he was the weakest. He had narrowly passed the qualification process. If more capable participants had applied, there would have been no ce for Noah.
At such a grand event where prestigious academies gathered topete, no one wanted their academy to be humiliated, and all the students agreed on that.
In the end, a student like Noah, whocked skill and had a gloomy demeanor, was not weed as a tournament participant.
Noah must have known this. Yet, unlike his usual self, he had shown enthusiasm and was determined to participate in the tournament. Thus, the instructor was intrigued by this sudden change.
¡°¡I think my younger sister mighte.¡±
¡°Your sister?¡±
His younger sister, Taryn Bartin, who was currently visiting M?rchen Academy.
Noah judged that there was a high chance she was going to attend as a spectator.
¡°At the very least, as her older brother, it seemed wrong for me to miss an event like this.¡±
Though his younger sister always fought with him at every opportunity, Noah at least wanted to show her how hard he was trying. He thought that was his duty as her older brother.
The instructor chuckled softly at Noah¡¯s motive.
¡°I won¡¯t say anything to a guy who¡¯s trying his best. Since you¡¯re a participant, give it your all.¡±
¡°¡Yes.¡±
Noah responded tly and turned his gaze back out the window.
A man with iron mana.
Because he hid his power, he wasn¡¯t fully aware of it, and there was a truth no one knew yet.
Noah was, in fact, the strongest person at Bethel Academy.
Meanwhile, at Raizel Academy.
Inside the lead carriage heading toward Aldreque.
A male student, who awkwardly hesitated, finally spoke up, ¡°Hans, I¡¯ve been wondering whether to tell you this for a while now¡¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Do you really think the Ice Sovereign from M?rchen Academy will participate in the tournament? If the rumors are true, no one will be able to beat him¡ not even you, Hans¡¡±
¡°He has to participate. That¡¯s the only way us joining the tournament would be worth it.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Hans, one of the twin boys sitting side by side with his brother, rested his elbow on the windowsill and leaned his chin on his hand.
¡°When my brother and I team up, we¡¯re unbeatable. No matter who the opponent is, we never lose.¡±
There was no rule that stated all the prodigies with exceptional talent must flock to M?rchen Academy.
Other prestigious academies besides M?rchen Academy also had their share of powerful students.
The McGregor twins, Raizel Academy¡¯s greatest strength.
They were eagerly awaiting a showdown with the Ice Sovereign.
Chapter 284: To Aldreque (2)
Chapter 284: To Aldreque (2)My ears were ringing. I could barely hear Abel¡¯s chatter.
It was because I was focusing on Vuel, also known as Instructor Ronzainus, who was a fellow passenger.
The Aldreque-bound carriages all began crossing thending bridge, traversing the continent.
Meanwhile, from what I had discussed with Vuel, he mentioned that he, as a supervisor, had boarded the front carriage.
Of all times¡
I couldn¡¯t tell if my luck was good or bad.
¡°¡I didn¡¯t want to say this, but did you two have a fight?¡±
Abel, who had been chattering while observing us, finally voiced his thoughts.
¡°Why has the mood been like this since earlier? Come on, it¡¯s such a great day. We should be excited, like we¡¯re going on a pic! We¡¯re all on the same team!¡±
¡°I like this guy. Feeling like we¡¯re going on a pic, I like it.¡±Instructor Ron responded positively to Abel¡¯s oblivious encouragement.
On the other hand, Roanna was quietly munching on some snacks.
¡°¡Hmm?¡±
On her left hand, an unadorned ring on her ring finger stood out
I shifted my gaze to Abel¡¯s left hand. It was the same as hers.
¡°Haha, it looks like Senior Isaac has noticed.¡±
Abel responded nonchntly. He had been observing my eyes and figured out what I was thinking.
On Abel¡¯s left ring finger was a ring identical to Roanna¡¯s. He lifted his left hand, showing off the ring.
It was clear he wanted to show it off.
¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on hiding it, but since you¡¯ve seen it, there¡¯s no helping it!¡±
¡°You two are dating?¡±
¡°Correct¡!¡±
Thud!
A dull sound echoed as Roanna hit the back of Abel¡¯s head hard.
That must¡¯ve hurt.
Abel grabbed his head and groaned, ¡°Kugh,¡± then red at Roanna as heined, ¡°Why do you keep hitting me?!¡±
¡°Shut up, Sleazo¡¡±
Roanna¡¯s breathing was irregr.
Despite her vacant expression, her flushed cheeks were quite obvious. It was clear what she was feeling, even without using [Psychological Insight].
It¡¯s not really surprising.
It was already predetermined that these two would be a couple.
How could I not know?
¡°Dating, huh¡? You¡¯re in the prime of your life.¡±
¡°Oh, Instructor, you¡¯re pretty lenient about this? If it were our supervisor, he¡¯d be like, ¡®Why are you dating when you should be focusing on your studies, tsk tsk.¡¯¡±
¡°I encourage rtionships during student life. It¡¯s a beautiful thing when two people from different backgrounds meet and form a deep bond second only to family.¡±
¡°I like people who are as understanding as you, Instructor. Haha.¡±
Abel immediately switched to ttery mode.
Instructor Ron wasn¡¯t bound by desires for romantic rtionships. He probably didn¡¯t care at all.
Even the phrase, ¡°You¡¯re in the prime of your life,¡± was something he likely picked up from somewhere.
¡°So, what¡¯s the reason for wearing the rings?¡±
¡°What? Well¡ it shows everyone that she¡¯s taken. And it¡¯s kind of satisfying too, you know?¡±
The red-faced Roanna kept nibbling on her snacks in short bursts.
¡°Please shut up,¡± she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the carriage.
¡°To prove a non-binding contract called rtionship. Since the contract has no substance, it¡¯s a valid reason.¡±
Instructor Ron crossed his arms and chuckled, finding it amusing.
¡°Isaac?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Did you give Luce a ring too?¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
Instructor Ron redirected the conversation to me. Abel and Roanna looked at me with surprise.
¡°The ring Luce always wears on her left ring finger. Anyone can see that you gave it to her. You won¡¯t deny it, will you?¡±
Did he ask Abel that question just to tease me¡?
¡°So that¡¯s what it meant. *¡°*This girl is mine,¡± a warning not to touch her. A sign of having a partner. I like it. You¡¯re in your youth too, after all.¡±
Abel nudged Roanna with his elbow and whispered, ¡°See, I told you it was Senior Luce.¡±
It seemed these two had been unnecessarily discussing my couple ring.
¡°Senior Isaac, you haven¡¯t answered. Are you admitting it?¡±
Abel giggled, finding the topic amusing, and pressed me for an answer.
At this point, saying something like, ¡°The ring I gave to Luce is only effective when worn on the left ring finger,¡± or ¡°I didn¡¯t give it for romantic reasons,¡± would just make me look ridiculous.
No one would possibly believe me.
Not that I don¡¯t have romantic feelings for Luce.
I pushed up my sses and smiled calmly.
¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about it. Let¡¯s drop this pointless discussion.¡±
This meant they could interpret it however they liked.
¡°That¡¯s a very stiff response¡¡±
¡°How boring.¡±
Somehow, these two seemed to be perfectly in sync.
Did they really just meet today?
¡°Oh, do you have a girlfriend, Instructor Ron? No, wait, you¡¯re married, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never had such a thing from birth. No one has ever matched my standard.¡±
¡°What? Oh¡¡±
Instructor Ron pompously boasted.
So, he¡¯s been single all his life.
Abel looked a bit flustered and seemed hesitant to speak further.
The conversation ended there.
***¡°Senior Isaac, we¡¯ve arrived! We¡¯re in Aldreque!¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
Abel had his face pressed against the carriage window like it was glued there, breathing heavily in excitement.
Roanna also seemed interested and stared intently out the window with Abel.
¡°Are you excited, Abel?¡±
¡°Of course I¡¯m excited! This ce is a dreame true for guys like us. It¡¯s the city where guild culture thrives the most in the Zelver Empire! The city of adventurers, Aldreque!¡±
A procession of carriages filled the road.
Aldreque was located in the Southeast of the Zelver Empire, fairly close to M?rchen Academy.
As Abel said, this ce was also known as the city of adventurers.
Guild quests, one of the vacation contents in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, were mostly taken from Aldreque.
Guild quests¡ That brings back memories.
I suddenly missed the days when I yed the game without any particr thoughts.
¡°Wow, there are so many carriages!¡±
¡°There are five academies participating in thepetition, so it makes sense. Can they amodate all these people?¡±
Roanna responded to Abel¡¯s excitement.
The Academy sh was arge-scale event hosted by the Imperial Court, with five academies participating.
Aldreque rented out part of its area, so there was no shortage of amodation.
The carriage stopped, and the driver shouted, ¡°We have arrived!¡±
¡°Thank you so much~.¡±
Abel cheerfully opened the carriage door and hopped out. I, along with Instructor Ron and Roanna, followed suit.
In Aldreque¡¯s emptyrge square, students gathered under the guidance of the faculty.
After a headcount, we were assigned our lodgings.
The participants and spectators of thepetition stayed in different amodations, which were quite far apart. The Empire had arranged it that way.
Luce, Kaya, and Alice will be in the spectator lodgings too.
They participated as spectators under my instruction.
Since the goal was to safely clear the scenario, it was better for my allies to be spectators with fewer restrictions.
¡°The Academy sh starts tomorrow. To be in top condition, focus on resting today. That¡¯s all.¡±
Professor Fernando Frost coldly spoke into a loudspeaker. His voice was as calm as ever.
The events of the Academy sh change every time. Predicting them was meaningless.
Today was essentially free time.
¡°Dismissed.¡±
Following Professor Fernando¡¯s instructions, the students began to disperse.
¡°It¡¯s my first time in Aldreque!¡±
¡°I¡¯m so excited¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m d I came, hehe.¡±
The students seemed to be in a mood to rx and enjoy.
Staying in a new ce for four days and three nights felt like a school field trip.
There was no need to worry even as the students dispersed. Each student was already equipped with a location-tracking bracelet, so the faculty could track their whereabouts wherever they went.
¡°Isaac.¡±
As I was heading to the lodgings, I stopped at the call of Instructor Ron.
I turned my head towards him, and he had a meaningful smile on his face.
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s event.¡±
¡°Hmm¡?¡±
Leaving those words behind, Instructor Ron waved and headed off to the supervisor¡¯s assembly point.
On the surface, it sounded like support and encouragement. But the problem was that the person who said it intended to harm me.
Is it just a casualment?
Or does he have another motive?
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I never had to confront Vuel outside ofbat.
So, Icked enough prior knowledge to urately gauge his mannerisms and behavior patterns.
As I quickened my pace, I spoke up, ¡°Cheshire.¡±
[Moew?]
A small purple cat wearing a bowler hat appeared floating next to me.
It was the head of the Phantom Cat, Cheshire. The rest of its body was invisible.
¡°While you were monitoring Instructor Ron, was there really nothing suspicious?¡±
[Meoww¡ After my tedious and thorough stalking, I found nothing. I swear on my cute paw pads.]
The Phantom Cat revealed one of its fluffy paws, breaking its invisibility.
I ignored it.
There¡¯s no point in confronting Vuel based on mere suspicion.
We were approaching a major scenario.
Stirring up unnecessary trouble against an immortal backed by the Heavenly God would only increase my risks.
¡°¡Keep monitoring him. Report immediately if you notice anything suspicious.¡±
[As you wish.]
The Phantom Cat Cheshire¡¯s head disappeared in a puff of ashen smoke.
Before I knew it, I had reached the lodging area for the participants of the Academy sh.
The lodging area boasted a beautiful exterior. In my previous life, it would have been a prime dating spot.
Students from various academies, wearing different uniforms, wandered around the lodging area, enjoying themselves. The ce had a distinct touristy vibe because of it.
Looking up, I could see the towering presence of Hassen Volcano. Thanks to this volcano, Aldreque was also famous as a hot spring resort.
The cool night breeze tickled my skin. Walking around here with a cold beer in hand would have been so rxing.
What a leisurely thought¡
¡°Makes you want to have fun, right?¡±
¡°Ack!¡±
Suddenly, a beautiful voice whispered in my ear.
Startled, I quickly pushed off the ground and took a step back from the girl who had spoken to me.
A pretty girl with a witch hat pinned behind her head covered her mouth andughed mischievously.
¡°Nihihi¡±, her uniqueugh revealed her identity. It was Dorothy.
¡°You¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re surprised¡!¡±
¡°Senior¡?¡±
I didn¡¯t expect to run into her today.
¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯repletely spaced out, kid. Are you happy to see me?¡±
Dorothy tilted her head and asked yfully.
Even without reading her psychology, her excitement was evident.
¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be heading to the faculty lodging? You¡¯re a supervisor, right?¡±
¡°I received a special assignment! So I got assigned a different lodging!¡±
Dorothy confidently replied, cing one hand on her waist and the other on her chest.
Is she proud of receiving a special assignment?
¡°What¡¯s your special assignment?¡±
¡°To be with you. To be precise, supervising you exclusively is my special assignment.¡±
Ah, I see.
I understood it immediately. It made perfect sense.
¡°This isn¡¯t the academy, and you¡¯re an important figure from our academy with immense power. So they had to assign someone special to supervise you.¡±
At M?rchen Academy, the only person who could match me was Dorothy.
It was a no-brainer.
¡°So, you took on that role?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right! Be happy about it.¡±
¡°¡Hooray.¡±
¡°Nihihi, that¡¯s such ackluster reaction! But I appreciate the effort, so I¡¯ll give you an A for effort.¡±
Dorothy yfully patted my shoulder as she spoke.
I responded half-heartedly, but I was genuinely happy.
Just seeing Dorothy was healing for me.
¡°What are you going to do now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m heading to the lodgings first.¡±
¡°By the way, I¡¯m staying in the same lodging as you tonight.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great.¡±
¡°Nihihi.¡±
We walked side by side, chatting along the way.
Chapter 285: Hot Spring (1)
Dorothy, who had arrived at the dorm, was changing into casual clothes.
Dorothy¡¯s room was originally assigned to the faculty in charge of controlling the participants¡¯ dorm. Since she was acting as a supervisor, she stayed in that room.
The facilities were somewhat better than the rooms where the students stayed, but there wasn¡¯t a significant difference.
[This is a tourist destination. All thepetitors have been assigned to dorms far away, meaning there are no distractions. Meanwhile, my master seeded in securing a date with Isaac¡ Seizing the opportunity well, aren¡¯t you, Dorothy?]
On the bed.
E, the white cat familiar, was inspecting her well-groomed ws.
E repeatedly blinked her longshes.
Dorothy answered while standing in front of the mirror, buttoning her shirt, ¡°It¡¯s not like an opportunity. Today, I¡¯m just thinking of helping Isaac rest. ording to the n, there will be some fighting starting tomorrow.¡±
When Dorothy met Isaac earlier, she clearly felt his emotions brighten. It was the same as always.
The fact that she was a source of strength for Isaac was a greatfort to Dorothy.Especially today, Isaac was nning to rest. On days like this, she wanted to be by his side no matter what.
[Unbutton it.]
E¡¯s fierce rebuke struck like a surprise attack.
Dorothy flinched and stopped buttoning her shirt.
E sighed and looked at Dorothy.
[Dorothy, don¡¯t you think it would be better if you showed a bit of cleavage? Why are you trying to hide something you¡¯re so proud of?]
¡°You fool¡ This shirt looks prettier with all the buttons done up, don¡¯t you think? See, it makes me look pure and elegant, just like I am?¡±
E, caught off-guard, let out a burst ofughter.
[Heh. You haven¡¯t forgotten that Isaac is still an instinct-driven male, have you? With no rivals around, you should be making a more aggressive move. You¡¯re being far too rxed.]
¡°La, I can¡¯t hear you~. I¡¯m off! Take care of the room!¡±
[Dorothy!]
Dorothy giggled and dashed out of the room as if running away.
E clicked her tongue and flopped onto the bed.
[She¡¯s just embarrassed, really¡ Shecks guts.]
A familiar could sense its master¡¯s emotions directly.
E was utterly frustrated with Dorothy.
That tomboy, still feeling embarrassed and burdened about showing her body to Isaac.
***I arrived at the participants¡¯ dorm and entered the room I was assigned to.
I had seen it before in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? so I already knew, but the facilities were fairly decent.
[Master, is there anything I can help with?]
[Kyuu!]
Hilde, who had taken human form, was sitting on the bed, with my small golem familiar, Eden, by my side.
Having just transformed, Hilde confidently revealed her fair, naked skin.
¡°Put on some clothes first.¡±
[Oh.]
She had the appearance of a young woman in her early twenties.
Since she had a proper woman¡¯s figure, I deliberately avoided looking at her and quickly took some clothes out of my backpack and lightly tossed them to Hilde. ?
It was women¡¯s underwear, dark-colored clothes, and a white coat. Dorothy had chosen themst time.
[Oh, I keep forgetting. I will quickly put them on.]
Hilde swiftly threw on the clothes.
To her, clothes were just ornaments to decorate herself with. She didn¡¯t feel any shame in exposing her naked body.
As a result, there were frequent situations where I had to hurry her to get dressed.
¡°Eden put this over there.¡±
[Got it!]
After handing Eden the small backpack containing only daily necessities, I changed into casual clothes. Eden ced the backpack in the corner of the room.
If items were put into something enchanted with a storage spell, like a magic pouch, they¡¯d bounce around all over the ce, causing absolute chaos.
Since one couldn¡¯t guarantee that things would stay intact unless you overpacked them, most of the fragile items were kept in small backpacks.
[Master, what can I help with?]
¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m heading out soon.¡±
[What do you n to do when you go out? Well¡ you will most likely be training again.]
¡°I¡¯m going to rest.¡±
[Yeah, rest¡]
Hilde abruptly stopped talking.
She tilted her head and tapped her ear as if there was something wrong with her hearing.
Eden looked at me and let out a puzzled [Kyuu?].
¡°I¡¯m resting. No training today.¡±
[Ah¡ What?]
Hilde, having understood my response, opened her eyes wide in shock.
Suddenly, the air grew heavy.
Hilde and Eden hastily rushed over to me and leaned in close. Hilde, breaking out in a cold sweat, desperately asked.
[W-what¡¯s going on? This is the first time I have heard you say you are going to rest¡!]
[Kyuu!]
[Humans usually change when they are close to death¡! Could that be the reason? Is that it?! Has something serious happened? Answer me, Master!]
[Kyuu!]
¡°Why are you two making such a fuss¡?¡±
It seems like they can¡¯tprehend the idea of me resting.
¡°It¡¯s just better to rest today. You¡¯ll understand when we get there.¡±
[Where exactly? Over there? Master?]
I pushed past my familiars and stepped out of the room. They trailed after me, looking puzzled, like puppies following their owner.
When I opened the door, Dorothy, dressed beautifully, came into view. Her bright smile was dazzling.
¡°Are you ready?¡±
¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Hilde, Eden? Hello!¡±
Dorothy waved at Hilde and Eden, who were standing behind me.
Hilde greeted her with a, [Good to see you, Dorothy.], while Eden raised one arm high, responding with a [Kyuu!].
We left the dorm.
¡°Heh heh, where in the world are we going that our training maniac would pass up training?¡±
¡°Senior Dorothy.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Do you like hot springs?¡±
Dorothy suddenly flinched, her shoulders giving a slight shake.
What¡¯s that about?
¡°¡Hot springs?¡±
Does she dislike them?
¡°I¡¯m nning to go there. If you don¡¯t like it, well, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±
If Dorothy dislikes it, she will just have to wait outside. I absolutely have to visit the hot springs today.
Aldreque was famous for its hot springs due to the natural mana from Hassen Volcano, the source of the springs, being good for the body.
Since we were already there, it was more worthwhile to take a day off for rest instead of training.
Dorothy was nervously sweating. I couldn¡¯t read her psychology, so I wasn¡¯t sure why she acted that way.
¡°H-hate it? Who, me? Not at all!¡±
Dorothy forced a smile and ced her hand on her chest.
¡°Did you forget, President? Big Sis has a duty to stick with you today, to watch over and manage you. So it¡¯s only right that I follow you into the hot spring.¡±
¡°Well then, no problem.¡±
She called me President¡ She must be flustered.
If she had some scars she didn¡¯t want to show or something she had to hide, I would have turned her down.
Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to be anything so grim.
Well, it should be fine.
Entering a hot spring with Dorothy¡
Just imagining it made me really happy.
In the hot spring, enteringpletely naked was not allowed. Visitors had to put on the provided robes.
Just the thought of seeing Dorothy in a bathrobe was, of course, a feast for the eyes, and spending time with her, healing in the hot spring waters, was undoubtedly expected to be the best moment.
If I were to put it dramatically, there was even a risk of dying from sheer happiness.
¡°Hey, you punk, aren¡¯t you a little too happy? You had weird thoughts about Big Sis, didn¡¯t you?¡±
Dorothy leaned back, covering her chest in a self-hugging posture, then smirked slyly as she teasingly questioned me.
She intended to tease me.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t you answering¡?¡±
I had forgotten that she could read people¡¯s emotions.
***[Is this the hot spring¡?]
The ce we arrived at with Eden, Hilde, and Dorothy was an open-air hot spring. We had to walk for the better part of an hour from the dorm area.
Amid the thick steam, we were all only wearing thin robes, except for Eden, of course. The cool night breeze and the warm steam enveloped our skin at the same time.
¡°There aren¡¯t as many people herepared to other ces. Why¡¯d wee here?¡±
¡°This ce seemed the best. Recovery from fatigue, detoxifying and breaking down harmful substances in the body, muscle pain relief, providing stability to mana circuits, improving skin, and so on. There are plenty of benefits to be gained here.¡±
¡°Oh, right. You really are a training maniac, so knowledgeable¡¡±
It was a mixed-gender bath, with several guests of both sexes.
It was not unique to just the ce, as most hot springs in the world were mixed-gender baths, with the purpose of achieving health benefits rather than simply washing the body. It was simr to old European hot spring culture.
As mentioned earlier, the natural mana from Hassen Volcano, the source of these hot springs, greatly enhanced the beneficial effects on the body. The hot spring water here was especially well-mixed with that natural mana.
Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to feel the difference, though.
In other words, the ce was a hidden gem.
[I do not understand. Why do you find soaking in hot water so great to the point of developing ces like these¡?]
Hilde grumbled as she watched the people soaking in the hot springs.
¡°Your previous master didn¡¯t take you to ces like this?¡±
[Back then, these things did not exist. Or if they did¡ I am none the wiser to them.]
I didn¡¯t know what the era was like when Veronica Aslius, the Primordial Ice Sovereign, lived.
However, considering that hot springs had a long history in my previous life, they likely existed even in Veronica¡¯s time.
If it were her, I doubt she would have cared about Hilde¡
The Primordial Ice Sovereign was kind of an outsider, after all.
Even if she had nned to go to a bathhouse, she would have reversed summoned Hilde.
¡°Well, you¡¯ll understand once you soak in it. But, Senior Dorothy, what¡¯s up with you? You¡¯ve been acting strange.¡±
¡°What? Me? Why? Is there a problem?¡±
¡°No, not exactly¡¡±
A clumsy smile and flushed cheeks.
Dorothy had wrapped her robe tightly around herself, clearly intending to cover more than just her chest.
Ironically, it only emphasized her figure, which was a feast for my eyes in another way.
Is she embarrassed?
I realized that the idea of someone getting a nosebleed from excitement wasn¡¯t just a cartoonish exaggeration.
Though, I didn¡¯t actually get a nosebleed.
¡°Big Sis will go in first, okay?¡±
¡°Ah, yeah¡¡±
In a rush, Dorothy quickly washed herself in the makeshift shower before slipping into the vacant hot spring.
She sighed deeply, slumping down as she said, ¡°Ahh¡ I feel like I¡¯m alive again¡¡±
After washing up with Eden, I held him in my arms as we sank into the hot spring water where Dorothy was.
Eden closed his eyes and let out a content [Kyuuuu¡], enjoying the feeling of the hot water soaking into his rocky body.
[Wait, Master¡!]
For some reason, Hilde looked shocked, as if I had just stepped into a pool ofva.
¡°Yes?¡±
[W-what? Is it not hot? How could you be so careless¡?! Eden, why did you suddenly go quiet? Isn¡¯t this dangerous?!]
Is she like this because she grew up in an environment where icy winds raged?
As an ice magic beast ustomed to the cold, it seemed she was instinctively frightened by the hot water.
The surrounding guests began to nce at Hilde, who was drawing attention.
Some of the men had their mouths wide open, unable to take their eyes off Hilde.
¡°Enough noise, just get in already.¡±
[¡Ugh.]
A familiar had to obey its master¡¯s orders unconditionally. With no other choice, Hilde seemed to make up her mind to enter the hot spring, her face scrunched in displeasure.
Hilde, half-squinting in caution, repeatedly dipped her toes into the steaming water. A faint trace of cold mana flowed from her toes.
Perhaps because she was in a state without her horns, the amount of mana that could be sensed wasn¡¯t much.
How frustrating¡
¡°Hilde. Hand. Now.¡±
[Huh?]
I grabbed the hand Hilde naturally extended and pulled her toward me.
[Whoa!]
She let out a short scream as she sshed into the hot spring. Water sttered everywhere.
[M-Master¡! It¡¯s too hot! I¡¯m melting! I¡¯m being devoured¡!]
Hilde clung tightly to my arm, her eyes squeezed shut in intense fear.
Eventually, when nothing happened, she cautiously opened her eyes.
[¡Huh?]
Hilde, flustered, backed away from me.
She stared at me intently, while Dorothy chuckled softly at her.
[Master, what is this feeling¡?]
¡°It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Since Hilde was my familiar, the sensations she felt were directly transmitted to me.
It seemed the pleasant sensation of the hot spring was spreading throughout Hilde¡¯s body.
And five minutester¡
[Master¡ this is really nice¡ really, really nice¡]
[Kyuu¡]
Hilde, sitting next to me, had her mouth slightly open and her eyes closed, gradually melting away as if she were ice cream. Eden was the same.
At that moment, Hilde was no different from a regr human. That was why I was confident she could enjoy the hot spring like a normal person.
Eden¡¯s senses were expected to be duller than Hilde¡¯s or mine, but he was utterly enthralled by experiencing the hot spring for the first time in his life.
¡°Hoo¡¡±
¡°Ahhh¡¡±
I closed my eyes, savoring the warm andforting sensation enveloping my whole body.
I had never had a day of peace until this whole thing started. This kind of rest felt like a luxury.
Not to mention, my favorite character was right beside me. I wondered if it was okay to be as happy as I was.
It was at that moment¡
¡°You managed to know this ce was a famous spot.¡±
Suddenly, I heard a deep, resonant male voice. I opened my eyes and looked straight ahead.
Two young men entered the hot spring on the opposite side. Their thin robes barely concealed their muscr bodies.
Both seemed to be around my age.
Their hair colors were different, one blue and the other red but their faces were identical. They were twin brothers.
¡°So, which academy are you from?¡±
The red-haired young man asked with a smug grin.
I knew exactly who they were.
The McGregor twins?
The twin brothers in their third year were Raizel Academy¡¯s greatest strength in the Academy sh.
Their levels were 161 and 162, respectively.
The McGregor brothers were undoubtedly prodigies, especially for students their age.
Chapter 286: Hot Spring (2)
[Hans McGregor]
Lv: 161
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Water
Danger: X
[Van McGregor]
Lv: 162
Race: Human
Elements: Water, FireDanger: X
The McGregor twins.
They first appeared in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¸Act 11¡¹, but they weren¡¯t particrly significant to the main scenario.
They were merely characters one would remember if they were curious about the strong individuals from other academies in the Academy sh.
They held the mindset of ¡°we¡¯re the strongest when we¡¯re together¡±, didn¡¯t they?
Their backstory made them that way, which was rathermon and predictable.
¡°We¡¯re from M?rchen Academy.¡±
I answered calmly with a kind expression.
Hilde and Eden were soaking in the hot springs, so only Dorothy and I were facing the McGregor twins.
Hans McGregor, the red-haired one, pped his hands in admiration.
¡°Kyaa, of course! Seeing you here means you¡¯re participating in the Academy sh tomorrow¡ as our opponents, huh?¡±
¡°Looks that way. I look forward to¡¡±
¡°Poor you, poor you~.¡±
Hans drawled out his words.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I remember you now. That¡¯s why it¡¯s unfortunate for you.¡±
Why is that unfortunate?
Hans raised one eyebrow and pointed at me with his right index finger.
¡°I can¡¯t stand guys who hang around with beautiful women like a gigolo. Especially you, with a face I won¡¯t forget.¡±
Hans leaned back, draping his arms over the back of his chair. His broad shoulders stood out, trying to be intimidating.
He then ran his fingers through his wet hair, seemingly convinced of his own charm.
This guy¡ is a real narcissistic, isn¡¯t he?
I didn¡¯t remember it right away.
But yes, he had an incredibly high self-esteem.
He doesn¡¯t seem to know who I am.
He probably saw me as just another extra.
Even though the news that the Ice Sovereign had appeared at M?rchen Academy, my exact identity hadn¡¯t been revealed.
Very few people could recognize me as the Ice Sovereign at first nce.
¡°You¡¯ve been picking a fight since earlier. Are you that confident?¡±
¡°Of course. There¡¯s no one who can beat us in the Academy sh. My brother and I wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone.¡±
Hans snickered as he approached us.
His lecherous hand naturally reached for Dorothy¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Hey, pretty girl. You¡¯ve heard about the McGregor¡¡±
Thud.
I immediately got up and grabbed Hans¡¯ arm.
¡°¡What?¡±
Hans red at me with fierce eyes, a vein bulging on his forehead.
¡°You.¡±
This guy had a tendency to make any girl he fancied his own, regardless of whether she had a boyfriend. He didn¡¯t care about using threats, seduction, or coercion. ?
There were probably dozens of students in Raizel Academy whose girlfriends had been stolen by him. Outside the academy, that number would be even higher.
Being from a high-ranking noble family and possessing exceptional talent, few students at Raizel Academy could stand up to him.
So, Hans, the academy¡¯s greatest asset and a notorious womanizer, wasn¡¯t used to situations where someone defied him.
¡°Who do you think you¡¯re touching?¡±
A cold voice escaped my lips.
Hans was trying to put his arm around Dorothy¡¯s shoulders, attempting to hit on her. Dorothy wouldn¡¯t have allowed such physical contact in the first ce.
What irked me was the mere fact that he tried to touch Dorothy with impure intentions.
¡°Oh¡¡±
Dorothy looked at me calmly and admired my action, showing no signs of tension.
I understood. For both Dorothy and me, the McGregor brothers were easy opponents.
Hans sneered.
¡°You seemed boring, but now your eyes are getting interesting. But do you know who you¡¯re dealing with right¡ ugh?¡±
I tightened my grip on Hans¡¯ arm.
His thick, muscr arm started to strain against my hold.
A short groan escaped Hans¡¯ mouth.
¡°You bastard¡?¡±
I sensed his mana.
Hans reinforced the [Basic Protection Magic] he had cast on himself and added a physical strengthening magic to his arm. His arm hardened, resisting my grip.
We red at each other, and the surrounding patrons, sensing a fight, watched us with tense expressions.
A few secondster.
Swish.
The belts on our robes, which were tied around our waist, loosened by themselves, revealing our bare bodies.
It was an unexpected urrence.
¡°Uh¡?¡±
Hans and I instinctively looked down. Hans¡¯ eyes widened.
¡I won.
¡°Tsk!¡±
Hans angrily shook off my hand, adjusted his robe, and left the hot spring.
¡°This is annoying. Let¡¯s go, Van.¡±
¡°Got it, Hans.¡±
His blue-haired twin brother, Van McGregor, followed Hans out.
¡°¡Remember, that wasn¡¯t my full strength just now.¡±
Hans tried to excuse himself with a furious face and left with his twin brother, Van. The fact that he felt the need to exin hinted at his subtle sense of defeat.
Max [Physical Training Efficiency] applied to my entire body, which included a man¡¯s pride, making my body quite formidable. Even before its size was enhanced, its distinctiveness was evident.
I handled that quite well¡
Starting tomorrow, we would be facing an important scenario. I couldn¡¯t afford any unnecessary trouble at this point.
However¡
An unexpected adversary has made tomorrow something to look forward to.
Hans tried to mess with my favorite character. He would pay dearly for that.
I adjusted my robe.
¡°Hmm?¡±
I suddenly felt an intense gaze. It wasing from Dorothy.
She waspletely frozen, her face as red as a ripe strawberry.
¡°Senior Dorothy?¡±
¡°W-what¡?¡±
¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°H-huh? What are you talking about?! I didn¡¯t see anything!¡±
Dorothy responded dramatically, shrugging her shoulders repeatedly.
She saw it.
I didn¡¯t mind her seeing it since I nned to proudly show it off someday anyway.
¡°Well, that¡¯s good then.¡±
Hilde and Eden were still enjoying the hot spring with their eyes closed.
I sat back down next to my familiars and let the warm water wash over me. With my eyes closed, it felt like heaven.
The sound of trickling water. A moment of peaceful silence passed.
¡°Ahem.¡±
Dorothy kept clearing her throat, trying to steady her voice, ¡°What you did just now¡ was pretty cool.¡±
¡°Who else would protect you against a guy like that¡¡±
¡°But you weren¡¯t just pretending, were you? Nihihi. You didn¡¯t like the idea of a guy putting his hands on me, did you? Right?¡±
Dorothy nudged my side with her elbow andughed mischievously.
¡°I¡¯m your fan, after all.¡±
¡°A fan, huh¡ You know, I wasn¡¯t nning on telling you yet.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You really became the president of my fan club?¡±
So, she knew.
That was why she called me ¡°President¡± earlier.
¡°Ah, that.¡±
¡°Tell me, how did thate to be?¡±
¡°I used a bit of my authority as the Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°You¡¯re using the Elemental King¡¯s authority for such trivial things¡?¡±
Dorothy seemed genuinely flustered.
¡°It was important to me.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a funny one¡¡±
We looked at each other and shared augh.
***It was just as Isaac said.
Dorothy felt refreshed aftering out of the hot spring. Her body felt lighter.
This ce had the best effectspared to any hot spring she had experienced so far.
However, the heat hadn¡¯t subsided since earlier.
It was because she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Isaac, who had been protecting her from any male advances.
¡°What a cutie, he doesn¡¯t even try to hide that he likes me¡¡±
Dorothy let out her characteristic ¡°Nihihi¡± giggle.
There was nothing to hide. No woman would hate it when the man she liked did that.
While getting dressed, Dorothy suddenly let out a ¡°Hmm¡¡±
Another memory filled Dorothy¡¯s mind. She extended her right index finger and bent it slightly.
¡°That¡¯s not it¡¡±
One flimsy finger wasn¡¯t enough. Dorothy spread her entire hand. Maybe this was closer.
Dorothy ced her fully spread hand on her lower abdomen. Her eyes widened in shock.
¡°W-won¡¯t I die¡?¡±
A raspy sound escaped her unknowingly. Measuring it properly had terrified her.
The nearby female guests nced at Dorothy, but they couldn¡¯t understand what she was muttering about.
For the first time, Dorothy felt a mix of excitement and fear.
***Late at night. In a room at the faculty lodging.
Instructor Ronzainus was sipping a drink in a dark room.
He looked out the window. Arge moon hung in the beautiful night sky, scattering a faint light.
¡°It¡¯s tomorrow.¡±
The gift he prepared for the Ice Sovereign would be revealed tomorrow.
Maybe it was the anticipation, but the drink tasted sweeter than usual to Instructor Ron.
Meanwhile, in the participant¡¯s lodging area.
A girl was sitting on her bed, looking at therge moon outside the window.
Contrary to her intellectual appearance, she held a fearsome long spear as tall as herself.
Her dark blue hair fluttered. Although she deliberately covered half her face with her hair, the fresh autumn breeze revealed the long scar on her left eye under the beautiful moonlight.
¡°Ice Sovereign¡¡±
She thought of the Ice Sovereign¡¯s face.
She imagined her spear shing his neck deeply, red blood spurting out.
¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±
Her sole objective in this Academy sh was simple¡
To kill the Ice Sovereign, Isaac.
***The next day.
With a grand opening in Aldreque, the Academy sh began.
Chapter 287: Academy Clash (1)
A bright sunny day.
In Aldreque, there was a partitioned area enclosed by walls with arge radius. It was built for the Academy sh and was filled with various structures.
It was the very arena for the Academy sh.
Rows of spectator seats lined the walls surrounding the arena. Many spectators filled the seats, observing the arena. Spectators from each academy were gathered and seated in sections divided by their respective academies.
In a separate building situated above, the influential figures of the empire were seated, with Emperor Carlos upying the most prestigious seat.
¡°Let me take this opportunity to extend a warm wee to all of our esteemed guests!¡±
Above the arena, in the sky.
A man was aboard a splendid floating apparatus calmly hovering in the sky. He was the host of the Academy sh.
His lively voice echoed loudly with the help of a loudspeaker.
Thanks to the vision-amplifying magic cast on the walls, the spectators could observe the host in detail.¡°Today¡¯s Academy sh! The top five prestigious academies of the Zelver Empire willpete here! Now, let me exin the rules!¡±
Beside the host, the arena for the Academy sh transformed into the shape of a simple map using mana.
At the edge of the arena, there were a total of five buildings, evenly spaced apart.
These buildings boasted unique appearances and served as the bases for the five participating academies.
¡°As you can see, an academy¡¯s base is positioned at each end of the battlefield! Each base is entrusted with arge gemstone called the ¡®Heartstone¡¯.¡±
A glowing mark appeared at the five academy bases.
¡°The tournament ends when a total of four Heartstones are broken! Only the academy that defends its team¡¯s Heartstone will win! In other words, the Heartstone is the heart of each academy!¡±
In short, the goal was¡
Protect your academy¡¯s Heartstone while destroying the Heartstones of the opposing academies.
¡°However, cing protection magic on the Heartstone or tampering with it will lead to disqualification. This is to ensure fairness, so please keep this in mind!¡±
The host continued the exnation.
¡°And among the participants of each academy, one must act as a ¡®Guardian¡¯, staying close to the Heartstone at all times. Whether moving, sleeping, or in any situation, they must always be there!¡±
The term for the person guarding the Heartstone was ¡®Guardian¡¯.
¡°They were selected at our discretion, with the evaluation criteria being ¡®the individual deemed the strongest¡¯. Additionally, each participant would have attached this pendant in a clearly visible location.¡± ?
The host pointed to the pendant worn on the left side of his chest.
¡°In this tournament, it is called the ¡®Qualification Stone¡¯. If this Qualification Stone is broken or falls off, the participant is immediately disqualified! Our top-tier healing wizards and priests are on standby at all times! We promise swift healing and eagerly anticipate your magnificent battles!¡±
The host eximed, ¡°Oops!¡± as if recalling something he had forgotten, drawing the spectators¡¯s attention.
¡°That being said, don¡¯t focus only on your enemies! Various traps are set up on the battlefield, so please be careful! Of course, since there are traps, there are also many helpful items, so be sure to look for them!¡±
The host then pointed to theke at the very center of the tournament arena.
Twelve bridges were built over it, all connecting to a smallndmass in the center.
On thatndmass, there was an unusual structure.
¡°And now, the special victory condition! At the center of the battlefield, there is a vault. To open it, you¡¯ll need a total of three keys. Various clues are hidden throughout the battlefield to help you find these keys, giving it a real treasure hunt vibe! If you manage to open the vault, that academy will instantly im victory!¡±
The spectators stirred.
The idea of a special victory condition was introduced for the first time in the history of the Academy sh.
¡°The time limit is until midnight the day after tomorrow! If a conclusion is not reached by then, the side with the greater number of surviving students will secure the victory! Also, if a student meets the disqualification conditions, they are immediately eliminated, so any actions taken right after disqualification will be rendered invalid. Please, don¡¯t cause any trouble!¡±
The host extended his right arm forward.
¡°The winning academy and its participants will be granted luxurious gifts from the Elfieto Imperial Family! Everyone, please look forward to the intense battle of these outstanding talents!¡±
The host¡¯s exnation of the rules ended.
Meanwhile, at the M?rchen Academy base where I was.
¡°Let¡¯s do this! Let¡¯s do this!!¡±
¡°Eek! Y-you scared me!¡±
¡°This is a gathering of big shots, Amy! You need to bring your A-game!¡±
Ian¡¯s goal was to join the knights. In other words, he wanted to catch the eyes of the influential figures in the audience with his swordsmanship.
I sat on the bench in front of the window, ncing around with just my eyes. Everyone gave Ian a brief look before returning to their routines to mentally prepare.
Mateo Jordana, took deep breaths to relieve his tension.
Tristan Humphrey closed his eyes and meditated to warm up his mana circuits.
Abel Carnedas swung his sword, while Roanna Shelton closely watched him.
Lizetta Lionheart was doing push-ups.
Keridna Whiterk was nibbling on sweet snacks.
The atmosphere remained heavy throughout.
Each student had their pendant, the Qualification Stone, attached to a visible part of their body.
We had been informed of the tournament¡¯s rules in advance, so there was no need to pay attention to the host¡¯s words.
The opening ceremony is over, and the exnation of the rule is finished¡ It¡¯s about to begin.
I looked out the window.
The luxurious facilities, the enormous arena, and the wide-ranging vision-amplifying magic for the countless spectators.
How much money was poured into the Academy sh, which would onlyst a day or two at most? Witnessing it firsthand, I couldn¡¯t help but be left speechless.
Well, it was only natural for enough funding to be secured for such a grand stage. This was because the influential figures of the empire spared no expense in supporting the Academy sh.
Currently, the stands were filled with the most influential figures of the Zelver Empire. Their main purpose was to scout talented young individuals.
¡°Isn¡¯t it unfair?¡±
A female student with cascading blue bobbed hair approached me.
She walked around, clutching a navy-blue pillow to her petite frame, with a sleepy expression. It was Ciel Carnedas.
She sat down next to me.
¡°What?¡±
¡°I heard the organizers interfered in the selection of participants for each academy and chose the one they deemed the strongest as the Guardian.¡±
The Qualification Stone affixed to the left side of my chest bore a golden hue, unlike those of the other students. It was the symbol of a Guardian.
When the Academy sh began, I would be in a position where I had no choice but to stay close to the Heartstone as the Guardian of M?rchen Academy.
¡°So what?¡±
¡°The rules just feel kind of weird.¡±
Ciel turned her head to look out the window at the host aboard the floating apparatus.
¡°The Guardian restrictions, the special victory conditions¡ These rules seem tailored specifically with you in mind.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Sharp as always.
Ciel was right. The rules were subtly different from those in in¡¸Act 11, Academy sh¡¹of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? that I knew.
In the game, there was no concept of a Guardian who protected the Heartstone, nor were there any special victory conditions.
The organizers probably created these rules with me in mind.
The intent is so obvious that it¡¯s not even surprising.
I expected it to turn out this way from the start.
¡°But don¡¯t you usually find things like this annoying? Why did you join?¡±
¡°If the Ice Sovereign is on our side, we can take it easy. I have no intention of passing up such a great opportunity¡±
Ciel let out a ¡°Haaam¡± and yawned.
¡°Please make the sacrifice so I can take it easy.¡±
¡°Is there nothing you won¡¯t say, you¡¡±
Her head was filled with nothing but the thought of taking a nice nap and walking away with the winner¡¯s prize.
Suddenly, a male student who resembled a praying mantis, Jack Schneider, spoke in a high-pitched voice, ¡°Hehe¡ Oh,e on, isn¡¯t the surefire way to win obvious?¡±
It seemed he raised his voice on purpose, wanting us to hear what he had to say.
¡°Why don¡¯t we all just stay here and guard the Heartstone, then head outter? That way, we can safely conserve our strength while the other academies weaken themselves by fighting each other. And when the timees, we crush them all¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re an ignorant fool. Is your intelligence no more than that of a passing insect?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Tristan, who had been meditating, narrowed his eyes and red at Jack.
¡°Do you think the organizers wouldn¡¯t have anticipated such a worthless scheme?¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
¡°It seems you¡¯ve already forgotten the mention of numerous helpful ¡®items¡¯.¡±
I was probably the only one among the participants who knew what those items were. After all, I had knowledge from the game.
However, it was easy to deduce that the more items one secured, the greater the advantage they¡¯d have.
¡°A strategy of maintaining a passive attitude in this tournament is designed to inevitably put you at a disadvantage.¡±
Tristan was right.
The items one could obtain on the battlefield had effects rted to the game rules.
As a result, even I wasn¡¯t confident in winning against an enemy team with a significant item advantage.
In other words, the longer we sat and waited, the more disadvantageous it would be.
¡°Annoying bastard¡¡±
Jack muttered a curse at Tristan under his breath but couldn¡¯t bring himself to confront him openly.
Tristan far surpassed Jack in terms of skill after all.
Screeeech.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening was heard, and Professor Fernando Frost burst out from the central room.
¡°The Academy sh will start in 10 minutes. Everyone, get ready.¡±
The atmosphere changed. A sense of seriousness could be felt from the students.
I stood up from my seat.
***
¡°Out of concern, I¡¯ll say this one more time.¡±
Bethel Academy¡¯s base.
The supervisor gathered the participating students to talk.
¡°The most dangerous opponent in this Academy sh is undoubtedly the Ice Sovereign of M?rchen Academy. He¡¯s the male student with silver-blue hair and red eyes. He must have been assigned the role of Guardian.¡±
The supervisor solemnly spoke, ¡°Do not even think of fighting the Ice Sovereign head-on. Remember, all you need to do is break the Heartstone. Understood?¡±
The students responded loudly and in unison, ¡°Yes!¡±
Like them, the other participating teams were also developing their tactics and boosting their morale.
Everyone shared amon opinion.
The person to be most cautious of in this game was the Ice Sovereign of M?rchen Academy.
Everyone had only heard rumors about the Elemental King. Although rumors tended to be exaggerated, it was evident that the Ice Sovereign was the most dangerous opponent.
Meanwhile, on the spectator side where the students and faculty of M?rchen Academy had gathered.
Snow White pondered, ¡°Hmm¡¡±
¡°Is something troubling you?¡± Merlin Astrea, the escort knight sitting beside her, asked.
¡°I just got curious. What¡ could these traps be?¡±
The traps that the host had warned about.
¡°It¡¯s likely something that could put Senior Isaac in danger too, right?¡±
¡°Most likely. This is a game governed by set rules, and the organizers must have considered Sir Isaac for the sake of the game¡¯s bnce. For example, if there¡¯s a tform that leads to disqualification when stepped on, even Sir Isaac wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. However, Princess White, Sir Isaac will surely do well. Worrying about him is nothing but a waste of time.¡±
¡°Y-yes, right¡? Of course, Senior Isaac will do well, won¡¯t he?¡±
¡°Yes. It¡¯s just that¡¡±
¡°Just?¡±
¡°¡It¡¯s nothing.¡±
Although she had no evidence, Merlin suspected that the Academy sh would unfold in a unique way.
¡°Look! The fuse that will light the starting me has just been ignited!¡±
At the host¡¯s shout, all the spectators turned their heads toward the same spot.
The me sparked and traveled along the fuse, soon reaching its end.
There was a magnificent cauldron.
Bang!
Whoosh!
With a loud explosion, mes burst forth from the cauldron with explosive momentum.
¡°Now! Let the Academy sh begin!!¡±
The cheers of the spectators echoed.
Arge, transparent soundproof barrier was formed over the tournament arena. It was a spell deployed to prevent the participants from hearing the host¡¯smentary.
After the tournament started, several students simultaneously dashed out from the five bases. They were the advance squads.
In less than 20 minutes, the advance squads of two academies encountered each other.
¡°Oh, the students from two academies have already met!¡±
The arena of the Academy sh was so vast, it was almost no different from a small city.
However, the students of the two academies ran toward each other as if they had nned it in advance, and soon their paths ovepped.
The spectators naturally expected them to engage in a battle, but the situation unfolded differently than expected.
¡°¡So it really is like that.¡±
Merlin frowned.
¡°What¡¯s happening here!? Could this be a probing maneuver? They¡¯re leaving without a fight!¡±
The host ryed the situation.
The advance squads of the two academies nodded at each other as if they had no intention of fighting from the start. Then, they passed by, maintaining a certain distance and proceeding in the same direction.
White¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Merlin, those people¡¡±
M?rchen Academy had nothing to worry about in the Academy sh. They possessed the terrifying force known as the Ice Sovereign, and the difference in power between them and the other academies was stark.
However, only one academy could im victory there.
Then, what choice would be most beneficial for the academies other than M?rchen Academy¡
¡°It is said that fish that have been fighting each other in freshwater will join forces when a catfish suddenly appears.¡±
To first eliminate the most dangerousmon enemy.
¡°I think¡ a simr situation will ur.¡±
Merlin¡¯s spection turned into certainty.
This Academy sh would now turn into the Ice Sovereign Subjugation.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 288: Academy Clash (2)
Five academies were participating in the Academy sh.
M?rchen Academy.
Bethel Academy.
Raizel Academy.
Betrix Academy.
Meisa Academy.
Among them, Bethel Academy and Betrix Academy appeared to be coborating.
¡°Why do you think the Ice Sovereign joined this event?¡±
In the spectator stands.
A female supervisor from Bethel Academy asked the male supervisor next to her.¡°I thought I already told you I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°So cold¡¡±
¡°How could a former knight like me understand the true motives of History¡¯s Youngest Archwizard? He seems to get along well with his peers, so it might just be a simple reason like wanting to enjoy his youth.¡±
The male supervisor popped a lollipop into his mouth.
¡°¡Do you think anyone can beat the Ice Sovereign?¡±
¡°I doubt it. How do you beat someone like that?¡±
¡°I thought so¡¡±
¡°He¡¯s a kid with the title of Ice Sovereign. How could anyone possibly win against a wizard who¡¯s practically a living legend? Our students are all terrified, poor things.¡±
¡°But everyone seems determined to do their best. Maybe they think there¡¯s a way to deal with the Ice Sovereign, like a special victory rule¡¡±
The female supervisor nced at the students roaming the battlefield.
¡°No matter how amazing the Ice Sovereign is, he¡¯s still just another participant bound by the rules of this game. You just need to logically exin to the students that they can win, give them hope, and give them a little push. They¡¯re all at an age where they should be up for the challenge.¡±
¡°Of course, that¡¯s easy to say when they haven¡¯t actually faced the Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°They¡¯ve never experienced the Ice Sovereign¡¯s power firsthand, right? Isn¡¯t that just temporary ignorance?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. But this is enough. Some students even want the honor of fighting the Ice Sovereign. Anyway, that¡¯s the bottom line.¡±
The male supervisor looked at Noah Bartin, one of Bethel Academy¡¯s scouts.
¡°Obviously, M?rchen Academy thought we¡¯d only aim for the special victory condition. Let¡¯s catch them off guard.¡±
The rules of the Academy sh were announced while each academy was stationed at their respective bases. The organizers did this to prevent any pre-event collusion among the academies.
However, the academies had nned ahead for this.
The male supervisor recalled what he had told the students at Bethel¡¯s Academy¡¯s base before thepetition started.
¨C We¡¯ve already made arrangements with the other academies. We agreed to target M?rchen Academy first. We feel sorry for the M?rchen Academy kids, but if we let thepetition proceed normally, they¡¯re bound to dominate.
¨C So, we decided to first check if any rules might help us counter the Ice Sovereign. If there doesn¡¯t seem to be any, we¡¯ll abandon the focused attack strategy.
¨C You¡¯ve probably noticed too. The rules of thispetition seem to be aimed at the Ice Sovereign. Other academies must have noticed it as well. The organizers wouldn¡¯t just let an ecosystem disruptor like the Ice Sovereign run wild. There might be traps or items that could deal a blow to the Ice Sovereign.
¨C So, after scouting as nned, if our suspicions are confirmed, pull back the scouts immediately. Then, with the other academies, we¡¯ll take down M?rchen Academy. Our goal is to destroy M?rchen¡¯s Heartstone. If we confront the Ice Sovereign head-on, we¡¯ll surely lose, so focus solely on winning the game.
¨C If we find there¡¯s no way to deal with the Ice Sovereign, abandon all ns and focus on running away and aiming for the special victory. Understood?
It was an uncertain strategy based on the assumption that their guesses were correct.
But without dealing with the Ice Sovereign, there was no chance of winning thispetition. The name Ice Sovereign carried overwhelming authority.
The female supervisor let out a thoughtful ¡°Hmm¡± at the male supervisor¡¯s words.
She couldn¡¯t shake off the doubts in her mind about whether the n would work as intended.
Meanwhile.
Two male students with swords at their waists, Ian Fairytale and Abel Carnedas, were moving around as part of the scouting team. The other scouts were exploring different areas.
Their primary objectives were gathering information and collecting items. Engaging inbat with their enemies was a secondary objective.
The setting of the Academy sh resembled a small town. However, there were no enclosed buildings. Each one had an open roof or walls, making it easy for spectators to see inside.
¡°Senior Ian, over there.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
Puuuuuu!
Ian and Abel turned their heads while running. In one direction, a pir of water shot up high.
¡°Is it a battle?¡±
¡°The pir of water is too straight for a battle. It looks like it was intentionally shot up¡ Ah! Senior Ian, watch out!¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
At Abel¡¯s shout, Ian pushed off the ground and jumped back.
A bug was slowly crawling on the ground. Its glossy brown shell had small, glowing magical inscriptions.
¡°A bug¡? What is that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡±
¡°How can you be so sure?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a ¡®zith¡¯. A beetle-type monster. It causes a small explosion upon contact as a survival tactic. They usually live in swamps, so finding one here means someone ced it deliberately. It¡¯s a trap.¡±
Ian was impressed.
¡°You know a lot about this stuff, huh¡?¡±
¡°Haha.¡±
Abel knelt in front of the bug, examining the writing on its shell.
¡°It says, ¡®Disqualified if it touches the body or magic.¡¯¡±
¡°So the organizers set up traps like this.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why Senior Isaac¡¡±
Abel recalled a conversation he had with Isaac at the base.
¨C Senior Isaac, what if we just userge-scale magic and sweep everything away? Wouldn¡¯t that be exciting?
¨C I think that would be suicide. The organizers wouldn¡¯t let that happen unchecked.
¡°Senior Isaac was right, sharp as always.¡±
Abel stood up with a sly smile.
He took out his pocket watch to check the time. It had been forty minutes since thepetition started.
¡°Let¡¯s be careful, Senior Ian.¡±
¡°Wait.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Ian looked in the direction where the pir of water had risen.
¡°What do you think that pir of water was? It felt like an announcement to everyone¡¡±
¡°Hmm¡ Whatever it is, it¡¯s just spection, but it did let the other academies know there¡¯s an enemy there. Maybe it¡¯s a trap¡¡±
Ian agreed.
¡°That seems likely. Let¡¯s not go that way.¡±
¡°Got it!¡±
The two boys started running again.
Meanwhile, at Raizel Academy¡¯s base.
In the central room, there was a floating crystal. It was about the size of a small child and emitted a soft glow. It was the Heartstone.
The guardian of Raizel Academy¡¯s Heartstone was a muscr male student with blue hair, Van McGregor. He sat in a chair with his usual emotionless expression.
Nearby, his red-haired twin brother, Hans McGregor, was sitting on a sofa.
Screech!
A student hurriedly entered the central room. Both Hans and Van turned their gazes toward the student.
¡°S-Sir Hans! The signal re has been fired!¡±
¡°The one we talked about earlier?¡±
¡°Yes¡!¡±
Hans ced his arm on the back of the sofa, looking uninterested.
¡°I wasn¡¯t keen on this from the start. Have you considered that the ones who fired the re might be nning to stab us in the back?¡±
¡°I-If that¡¯s the case! Team A just returned with an item¡! Please take a look!¡±
The student approached Hans and showed him the item.
It was a small hand shield, round in shape, made of shiny metal.
The number ¡°23¡± was glowing brightly on the shield inscribed with mana.
¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s ¡®Inspect #23¡¯¡ right?¡±
¡°Inspect #23.¡±
Hans and Van spoke, following the instructions from the initial rules briefing.
In response to their words, particles of mana gathered and formed glowing letters in the air before them.
¡°So that¡¯s what it is.¡±
The two students read the words that appeared in the air.
#23 - Reflective Shield
Number of Use: 1
Rarity: Rare
Effect: If this shield is attacked, the attacking participant is disqualified.
¡°With this¡ we can definitely beat the Ice Sovereign!¡±
Hans grinned widely.
¡°This is solid proof.¡±
The item itself had no special power. It was just an ordinary shield.
However, since it was tied to thepetition¡¯s rules, participants had to adhere to its effects.
Even the Ice Sovereign had to follow the rules as a participant.
In other words, they now had the means to defeat the Ice Sovereign.
Hans looked at Van.
¡°Are you ready, Van?¡±
¡°Ah, of course, Han.¡±
The twins stood up and headed toward the exit.
The Heartstone floated quietly behind Van McGregor.
¡°Hand it over. We¡¯ll use it as ast resort.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, Sir!¡±
The student handed the numbered item, the Reflective Shield, to Hans.
¡°W-wait a moment. Are you nning to go fight¡?¡±
¡°We decided to bring the scouts back quickly so we could strike M?rchen Academy before they secure any items. The other academies will probably start moving soon. We don¡¯t want to miss our chance to fight the Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°But if both of you go, the Heartstone¡.¡±
¡°Leaving the Heartstone here is riskier. Its location is already known, right? It¡¯s safer to move it. So, everyone moves together.¡±
Hans smiled.
¡°We should set up our base somewhere else. There are a lot of buildings here. If those who can use rock magic fortify them, it should be enough. We need to secretly take a good position so that Van, who specializes in long-range interception, can effectively attack and defend. Then, we attack M?rchen Academy.¡±
In fact, Hans practically held themand of Raizel Academy. The students had no choice but to follow his instructions.
¡°This is going to be fun¡!¡±
Hans was excited at the thought of fighting the Ice Sovereign with Van¡¯s interception.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 289: Academy Clash (3)
Chapter 289: Academy sh (3)The academies began to move in perfect unison.
Initially, there was an atmosphere of sounding each other out for potential traitors, but eventually, they all came to an agreement.
If there was a powerful enemy who could single handily control the flow of the game, it was better to join forces and eliminate him first.
M?rchen Academy¡¯s base. The central room.
In the corner of the room, Ciel Carnedas was soundly asleep, lying on a spread-out nket, while next to the window, Keridna Whiterk leaned against the wall, cautiously looking outside.
¡°My familiar says that something feels off¡¡±
Keridna tensed up.
Her eyes turned toward me.
¡°The other academy students are advancing toward us.¡±
¡°I know without you telling me.¡±I had already grasped the situation with [irvoyance].
Keridna red fiercely.
¡°You were expecting things to turn out like this, weren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°More or less.¡±
¡°Haa, what¡¯s your n? Why would someone like you participate in this game in the first ce? It¡¯s not like you have anything to lose.¡±
That kind of question is that¡? Isn¡¯t that the kind of question you¡¯d usually ask a strong viin blocking the protagonist inics?
Then the viin starts spouting all sorts of nonsense, like wanting to destroy everything, torment people, or putting on an act as a psychopath.
¡°To overturn it.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°I¡¯m nning to end this game quickly.¡±
¡When I answered, my response felt simr too.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 11, Chapter 1, Academy sh¡¹.
The time limit for the Academy sh was until midnight the day after tomorrow. The reason for such ample time was due to the structure that inevitably led to a prolonged battle.
In the scenario, it ended on the second night, right?
That showed how important this event was in the game.
And around the time the Academy sh ended, the¡¸ Fairy War¡¹started immediately.
Let¡¯s go over this again.
I recalled the reason why I participated in the Academy sh.
The first goal is to fight Noah.
Noah Bartin, one of the participants from Bethel Academy, was a male student with iron mana.
Originally, he was meant to be the hidden powerhouse character in the Academy sh.
But because I participated, he was pushed off the strongest position.
Anyway, Noah was also the final boss of¡¸Act 11, Chapter 1¡¹in the game.
In the game, he identally met Ian, allied, and yed at being friends, but in the end, only M?rchen Academy and Bethel Academy survive, leading them to battle each other.
Noticing that Noah wasn¡¯t using his full power, Ian gave a speech with the eloquence befitting a protagonist, provoking Noah to draw out his iron might.
It was something like¡ ¡°We¡¯re all fighting with our full strength, so why aren¡¯t you?¡±
In the end, Ian joined forces with hispanions and defeated Noah, who wielded iron mana, gaining EXP.
In short, fighting Noah, who used the power of iron, to practice for the¡¸Fairy War¡¹ and to gain EXP was my first objective.
The second goal is to quickly finish this event.
The Iron Fairy, Rachnil, was going toe looking for Noah, intending to absorb him since he had been imbued with iron mana.
Afterward, it would start upying this area and gradually expand its territory.
If that¡¯s the case.
If the Academy sh were to quickly end, we could properly prepare for Rachnil before the students were put in danger.
I don¡¯t know the exact time and method of Rachni¡¯sl arrival after all.
The only certainty was that it was going to appear in Aldreque during the Academy sh.
It was my judgment to make thorough preparations in a secure ce.
Shouldn¡¯t we have stopped the event from happening in the first ce? No, that wasn¡¯t the right thing to do.
During the Academy sh, all kinds of influential figures stayed in Aldreque. They were either strong themselves or leaders of the strong. Moreover, even Emperor Carlos was here.
In other words, under the imperialmand, many strong individuals wouldjoin forces to minimize the damage from Rachnil and, inevitably, protect many people.
This was not mere spection, as the same urred under imperialmand in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Therefore, the Academy sh had to be held. And I intended to quickly end this end to protect the students.
Fortunately, everyone is targeting me.
It was fortunate that the enemy students weren¡¯t cowards. Indeed, they were promising talents.
Toe up with the strategy of ¡°teaming up to eliminate Isaac before M?rchen Academy secures items¡±.
Given the items and traps in the game, it would have been understandable for them to have the courage to challenge me.
But I was someone who had cleared ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? countless times.
Even if I hadn¡¯t memorized the locations of all the items obtainable in the tournament, I knew the locations of the useful ones well enough. I had also memorized most of their effects.
The difference in information alone was overwhelming.
¡°Overturn the event¡ I see.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to argue?¡±
¡°Why would I?¡±
Unexpectedly, Keridna showed a calm reaction.
¡°There must be an important reason, right? You¡¯re not the kind of person who harms others without thinking.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s a touching thing to say, so thank you¡¡±
If it were me, I¡¯d probably disapprove of myself for trying to mess up this event, regardless of the reason.
Have I be someone trustworthy?
¡°Go wild as much as you want. As the ¡®Student Council President¡¯, I support you.¡±
Keridna deliberately emphasized the ¡®Student Council President¡¯ title.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Before the Academy sh started, the student council president election took ce, and ording to the scenario of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Keridna became the president.
It felt like walking a tightrope.
Not that I mind.
We didn¡¯t share a deep emotional connection, it was morefortable to have a dull rtionship with Keridna.
It¡¯s about time to head out.
¡°Well, I¡¯m off.¡±
¡°Take care.¡±
I got up from the ice chair I had been sitting on.
Since the game was still in its very early stages, grabbing a few items would be enough.
***The host shouted in an excited voice, ¡°What on earth is happening?! Arge number of academy students are running towards one ce all at once! At the end of that path lies M?rchen Academy¡¯s base! Are they all trying to take down the dominant contestant of this Academy sh, ¡®that student¡¯?!¡±
Numerous students were crossing the battlefield towards M?rchen Academy¡¯s base, as if it had been a 4-to-1 match from the start.
The audience immediately understood. If they couldn¡¯t take down M?rchen Academy first, the oue of the game would be as clear as day.
There might have been an academy that would have seized the chance to stab others in the back, but that academy would then be the next target of the others.
From the start, all the academy students assumed that without joining forces, it would be impossible to confront M?rchen Academy.
Among the students advancing towards M?rchen Academy¡¯s base, a student from Bethel Academy patted Noah¡¯s back and asked, ¡°Noah, are you nervous?!¡±
Noah stared at his fellow student with a powerless gaze.
¡°A bit. Given who we¡¯re up against.¡±
¡°True. But isn¡¯t it exciting?¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°That we¡¯re teaming up with those we¡¯vepeted against to target the same enemy.¡±
Looking around, there were many students in different uniforms.
¡°The Ice Sovereign Subjugation.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what this is, Noah. If we fought the Ice Sovereign for real, we wouldn¡¯t have a chance, not even as much as a speck of mana, but here, it¡¯s doable, right?¡±
¡°You¡¯re¡ you¡¯re too excited.¡±
¡°Of course! He¡¯s a hero, a real hero! I¡¯ve always wanted to see the Ice Sovereign in person! Even if it means teaming up with those other guys, how often will we get the chance to go head-to-head with him?¡±
¡°Ah, right¡¡±
Like the fellow student running alongside him, the followers of Ice Sovereign Isaac were as countless as the stars in the night sky. To Noah, this was nothing surprising.
Isaac Subjugation.
At first, many students felt immense fear when they heard about the n.
However, once they found a possibility of defeating Isaac under the game rules and reached the point where they had to actually carry out the n, the students were filled with excitement.
They would be able to see the revered hero, the living legend, in person.
They would be able to face his ice magic.
Such thoughts filled the students¡¯ minds.
And that feeling yed a significant role in uniting the students from the different academies.
¡°¡!¡±
Noah¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Noah?¡±
¡°I see him.¡±
Noah, with his sharp vision, spotted someone ahead.
A steep hill reminiscent of ruins. At the very top stood a man.
The sunlight haloed around him, casting a faint shadow over his face, but the students rushing forward immediately recognized who he was.
A heartstone floating beside him, an unknown sense of pressure, and amanding charisma.
The students advancing from other directions also quickly concealed themselves and froze, holding their breath.
Soon, a heavy silence settled in.
Their gazes were fixed solely on the young man standing atop the hill. Each swallowed nervously as they stared straight at the legend before their eyes.
¡°Is that¡ him?¡±
The new Archwizard who emerged from M?rchen Academy.
Isaac.
¡°Quite a crowd.¡±
In contrast to his charisma, Isaac¡¯s face held a gentle smile.
The round sses softened his impression.
¡°Why is he the one toe out first¡?¡±
¡°Could it be that he still doesn¡¯t understand this game¡?¡±
Given the nature of this event, where the effects of items and traps were powerful, anyone would be in danger when facing this many students.
So for Isaac, the guardian of M?rchen Academy, to step forward first was undoubtedly a risky move.
However.
One student replied, ¡°No¡ maybe it¡¯s the other way around.¡±
Seeing Isaac appear alone as if he had anticipated this oue from the beginning, the students¡¯ minds began to race with the thought that he must have already grasped the nature of this game.
Isaac was a being beyondprehension.
From the very beginning, it was pointless to try to predict his thoughts, judgments, or actions, but the students, blinded by the effects of items and traps, failed to realize this.
Isaac spoke in a loud voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it feels like I¡¯m disrupting the game.¡±
¡°But I¡¯m ending the game here.¡±
The students flinched, their shoulders trembling.
If anyone else here had said such a thing alone, the students would surely haveughed.
But Isaac¡¯s words carried an extraordinary weight.
¡°This can¡¯t be¡¡± Hans McGregor, a young muscr man, stepped forward, letting out a voice of admiration.
He was so shocked at the sight of Isaac that he stood there with his eyes wide open, ring.
The two looked at each other. The two looked at each other.
¡°Yesterday, at the hot springs¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
Most of the students there weren¡¯t of interest to Isaac. Anyway, with [irvoyance], he had already identified the locations of all the Hearstones. If he destroyed them all, the game would end.
Isaac¡¯s goal was to draw out Noah Bartin¡¯s true power before fighting him.
He nned to quickly remove the qualification stones of the students who would interfere with that goal, thereby eliminating them.
However, there was one exception, the young man standing before him, Hans McGregor.
Isaac was certain from the beginning that he would step forward first.
He did need a scapegoat, and Hans would faithfully fulfill that role.
Isaac looked at Hans indifferently.
¡°Heh.¡±
Hans closed his eyes tightly, then reopened them with a faintugh.
He bowed his head.
¡°Ice Sovereign, I have longed to meet you. I apologize for my rudeness the previous night. Please forgive my ignorance.¡±
¡°Enough apologies. Get up here.¡±
Isaac took off his sses.
¡°I intend to.¡±
Hans lifted his head again, excitement surging at the thought of fighting Isaac.
Hans chuckled and used body buffing magic on his legs, kicking off the ground.
With a sh, as the dust rose, Hans vanished from his spot.
In an instant, Hans had sprinted up the hill and reached Isaac.
Water wrapped around his right fist, and fire encircled his left fist with fierce momentum.
¡°O Ice Sovereign, may we brothers have a good battle!¡±
It was the moment when Hans¡¯s thick fist swung toward Isaac.
Isaac stepped one leg back and casually clenched his fist.
Wham!!
Something swung, deeply denting Hans¡¯s head.
Hans didn¡¯t even have time to scream. Only the sound of his jaw shattering echoed out.
Whoosh!
A beatter, a sharp gust of wind cried out, followed by a heavy, forceful pressure.
Isaac¡¯s fist, shot out like a bullet, was far faster and more powerful than Hans¡¯.
Whuuuush!
Boom!
Hans¡¯s body shot through the air like a ball, crashed through a building at the foot of the hill, and tumbled across the ground multiple times.
The building crumbled with a rumble amidst the rising dust.
¡°Ugh, gasp¡¡±
The sound of Hans¡¯s ragged, gasping breaths escaped.
¡°Next.¡±
Isaac¡¯s calm deration continued toward the speechless students.
Chapter 290: Academy Clash (4)
Chapter 290: Academy sh (4)Hans barely managed to stay conscious, disorientated amidst the intense pain.
Surely, his opponent was the Ice Sovereign, a wizard known for his ice magic.
But what on earth had just happened? How had he been so utterly defeated?
¡°A punch¡?¡±
Yes, it had been a simple punch.
Hans could hardly believe he had been taken down by a single punch from a wizard.
The tower of self-esteem he had built so high crumbled with rming ease.
The stark difference in skill threatened to sear deep doubts into Hans¡¯ heart.
¡°T-that had to be body buffing magic, right¡?¡±
¡°No¡ I didn¡¯t feel any mana at all.¡±¡°So that was just his natural physical strength? What kind of monster is he?! He¡¯s supposed to be a wizard, right? What will happen when he actually uses his ice magic¡?¡±
Fear tends to spread like a contagious disease.
The spectators were just as stunned.
¡°I-is this what they were worried about¡?¡±
¡°But it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this intense.¡±
The Bethel Academy supervisor clicked his tongue.
¡°I thought witnessing the Ice Sovereign¡¯s skills firsthand might intimidate the students, but¡¡±
The male supervisor frowned deeply.
¡°Who could have guessed that he wouldn¡¯t even need to use his ice magic?¡±
The greatest ice wizard hadn¡¯t even used a speck of his ice magic, yet his power was undeniable.
The realization hit them anew.
Isaac wasn¡¯t someone to be judged by human standards or logic.
Even the students from prestigious academies were deluding themselves into believing they could win against Isaac under these game rules.
¡°He didn¡¯t even¡ find it worthwhile to use ice magic¡¡±
Hans McGregor struggled to his feet, lifting debris as he rose.
He red at Isaac with a bloodied face.
¡°You think I¡¯ll just ept this¡!¡±
With a burst of energy, Hans used body buffing magic and lunged at Isaac.
¡°Van!!¡±
From a distance, streams of water and mes surged toward Isaac like an eastern dragon.
It was Van McGregor¡¯s long-range attack, a joint spell of fire and water to create a powerful explosion of steam upon impact.
His target was the Heartstone floating next to Isaac.
¡°You¡¯ll regret underestimating us!!¡±
Hans drew out item #23, the Reflective Shield, strapping it to his arm as he unleashed water and fire elemental magic.
Whooooosh!!
Boooom!!
The two elements collided, producing a blinding explosion of steam. This technique required a high level of mana mastery.
Hans aimed to obscure his vision.
Hans¡¯ desire to defeat Isaac fueled his determination. Holding the shield with one hand, he began casting a water spell.
Just as Hans was about tounch his attack¡
¡°So predictable.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
In an instant, Isaac pierced through the steam and appeared right in front of Hans.
The air turned frigid, prickling the skin.
Isaac¡¯s clenched right fist, radiating cold, came into Hans¡¯ view for a split second.
At the same time, a wall of ice surged up around the Heartstone.
Kwagagang!!
Van McGregor¡¯s long-range attack was rendered useless against the beautiful ice wall and dissipated into nothingness.
Toote¡!
Hans crouched in mid-air, raising his shield defensively.
Simultaneously, Isaac¡¯s ice-covered fist shot toward the shield.
aang!!
Craaack!!
His fist was harder than steel.
It lightly shattered the metal shield andnded squarely on Hans¡¯ abdomen.
¡°Kugh!¡±
Hans felt an intense pain as his insides twisted, forcing him to cough up blood.
Whoooo!!
Isaac defrosted the [Ice Wall].
A biting chill. The surge of cold wind dispersed the steam.
The [Ice Wall] crumbled, scattering the dazzling ice crystals.
Hans¡¯ body was hurled through the air, rolling down the slope and crashing into the debris.
Hans barely held onto his consciousness, a raspingugh escaping him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
¡°He b-broke¡ the shield¡!¡±
He was fixated on the shield. How grateful he must be.
Hans, mind clouded by pain, could think of nothing but victory.
Above Hans, mana particles converged, disying the number ¡®23¡¯ in a bright glow. It indicated which item had been used.
Certain of his victory, Hans eagerly anticipated Isaac¡¯s shock as he lifted his bloodied face.
¡°I won, Ice Sovereign¡¡±
Hans expected cheers in his honor.
But only silence greeted him.
The students¡¯ faces were filled with despair as if all hope was lost.
And then Hans saw it.
The number ¡°17¡±.
Hans¡¯ mind went nk.
¡°Inspect #17¡¡±
As if to respond to Hans¡¯ trembling voice, the mana particles gathered in the air.
The mana particles coalesced in the air forming words not only for Hans to see, but for all the students who said ¡®Inspect #17.¡¯
Hans¡¯ eyes widened.
#17 - Amulet of Protection
Number of Use: 3
Rarity: Legendary
Effect: Nullifies effects that would eliminate the user.
The numbers above Hans¡¯ and Isaac¡¯s heads faded away.
¡°D-didn¡¯t they say M?rchen Academy¡¯s scout team hadn¡¯t returned yet?¡±
¡°They shouldn¡¯t have had any items yet, right?¡±
¡°How in the world did they get such an item¡?¡±
Amidst the students¡¯ astonishment, Hans was speechless.
¡°How¡ why¡?¡±
The hill now seemed like a towering mountain.
Despite his underhanded methods, Hans hadn¡¯t evene close to Isaac, and it touched something deep in his heart beyond his pride.
Hans¡¯ breathing turned ragged by the emotions that were finally starting to take hold of him.
Isaac descended the hill and moved toward him.
The students who had gathered to stop him now stepped aside, making way.
¡°Ahh¡¡±
He felt utterly insignificant and pathetic.
In despair, Hans watched the silver-blue-haired boy approach him.
¡°Just leave.¡±
As Isaac passed by, he plucked up the badge from Hans¡¯ chest and tossed it aside.
Hans bowed his head in defeat, frustration etched on his face. It was time to face reality.
¡°Raizel Academy¡¯s powerful contender, Hans McGregor, is the first to be eliminated!!¡±
The announcer¡¯s voice echoed, and officials came to take the unconscious Hans away.
The students lost their initial bravery and couldn¡¯t bring themselves to face Isaac again.
Feeling Isaac¡¯s [vs. Human Combat Power] firsthand and witnessing Hans McGregor¡¯s swift defeat¡
Had instilled deep fear within them
Whoooosh!!
Booooom!!
Again, Van McGregor¡¯s long-range attack,bining fire and water elements, fiercely targeted Isaac.
Isaac conjured an ice magic circle in the air, thenunched an [Ice Spear] toward the direction of the oing long-range attack.
Whoooosh!!
aaang!!
The densely packed, mana-infused ice spear swirled with cold mana and collided with Van¡¯s long-range attack.
Thebined fire and water attack was overwhelmed by the [Ice Spear]¡¯s power and its intense cold mana, causing a burst of steam that froze instantly.
The [Ice Spear] surged forward, countering Van¡¯s elemental magic and ultimately shattering Raizel Academy¡¯s new interception base.
Booooom!
The deafening explosion echoed, instilling new fear into the hearts of the students.
¡°Unbelievable! Raizel Academy¡¯s Heartstone has been destroyed!! Raizel Academy is out!!¡±
With the announcer¡¯s deration, the oue was disyed on the battlefield.
The message, dering Raizel Academy¡¯s elimination, glowed in bright letters.
The students were left speechless.
¡°This is impossible¡¡±
¡°How can anyone defeat someone like that¡?¡±
The sheer magnitude of ice magic, the seemingly limitless mana perception range, and the precise control to hit the intended target.
Isaac¡¯s abilities were wless in every aspect.
Isaac¡¯s steps halted in front of a male student with ash-colored hair.
It was Noah Bartin, a low-ranking student from Bethel Academy.
¡°This is our first meeting, right?¡±
¡°I believe so¡¡±
Noah and the student beside him broke into a cold sweat as they faced Isaac.
Isaac¡¯s steady red eyes radiated an overwhelming presence.
¡°Do you have some business with me?¡±
Noah cautiously asked, trying to keep hisposure. His hand hovered near the sword at his waist.
¡°I know you¡¯re hiding your power.¡±
¡°¡!¡±
Noah suddenly realized.
This silver-blue-haired boy was an Archwizard.
Archwizards were said to possess extraordinary mana perception abilities. So it made sense that Isaac had detected the power Noah had been hiding.
Specifically, his iron mana.
¡°That power, bring it out.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Noah was taken aback by Isaac¡¯s calmmand.
¡°I¡¯m interested in that power. So show it to me.¡±
Isaac¡¯s gentle expression belied the firmness and authority in his voice.
Noah swallowed dryly.
¡°Is this rted¡ to why you¡¯re nning to end the game here?¡±
¡°Think what you will.¡±
¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯m going to draw my sword.¡±
Noah¡¯s absurd deration made his fellow student exim, ¡°You idiot!¡± but Isaac just smiled kindly.
¡°There¡¯s no need to ask permission for that.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Noah steadied his breathing and drew his sword, assuming a properbat stance.
¡°Who is that kid?¡±
¡°Does the Ice Sovereign see something interesting in him?¡±
¡°He¡¯s just a low-ranking student, Noah Bartin¡ What kind of power could he have? Does he have some hidden potential or something?¡±
The students whispered among themselves, focusing on Noah Bartin.
The Academy sh featured top students from prestigious academies in the Empire.
However, Noah was merely a low-ranking student who was lucky enough to participate in this event.
The students of Bethel Academy couldn¡¯t understand why a formidable figure like Isaac was interested in Noah.
¡°The Ice Sovereign¡ that stance¡?¡±
Because, in Isaac¡¯s eyes, Noah¡¯sbat ability was not something to be ignored.
[Noah Bartin]
Lv: 189
Race: Human
Elements: Lightning, Iron
Danger: Extreme
¡°Come at me.¡±
Isaac said with a smile.
Noah¡¯s deep breath echoed in the air.
And then.
[This¡ Master!!]
Hilde¡¯s urgent cry echoed in Isaac¡¯s mind,
Isaac¡¯s eyes widened. Heavy mana suddenly nketed the battlefield.
¡°¡!¡±
Isaac and Noah looked up in shock. The other students and spectators followed suit, gazing at the sky.
A rumbling noise shook the sky. Dark clouds quickly gathered overhead.
And then, breaking through the clouds, a massive Greatsword appeared, its overwhelming majesty dominating the scene.
It was an undeniably extraordinary phenomenon.
¡°Already¡?¡±
Isaac¡¯s eyes narrow in the face of this unexpected development.
In the stands, Instructor Ronzainus grinned broadly at the sight of the giant Greatsword.
The final boss of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?¡¸Act 11, Fairy War¡¹.
It was the prelude to the appearance of Rachnil the Iron Fairy.
Chapter 291: Iron Fairy Subjugation (1)
Chapter 291: Iron Fairy Subjugation (1)A strange grave of swords.
The numerous swords stuck in the ground were made entirely of iron, including their hilts.
None of these weapons were crafted by human hands.
However, they were weapons that imitated those made by humans.
In the center of the grave of swords, there was a hill of bones filled with skeletal remains, and on that hill, a greatsword stood tall, battered by the wind and rain.
A man approached the greatsword. He had immacte, snow-white hair.
The raging wind and rain couldn¡¯t reach the man wrapped in radiance, evaporating before touching him. Such was his holiness that something as insignificant as raindrops couldn¡¯t even dare toe close.
Atst, he arrived before the greatsword and came to a stop.
[Fairy, Rachnil. I know what you¡¯re up to, you scum, lurking in silence.]
Soon, the numerous swords began to tremble, making a metallic sound as if they were screaming.Then, the iron mana contained in the greatsword flowed out, taking on a strange form, and red at the white-haired man.
[Move that n forward a bit.]
[And who are you tomand me?]
A child¡¯s voice echoed inside the white-haired man¡¯s head.
The iron mana was on the verge of forming sharp weapons as if it would rip the man to shreds.
But the man simply smiled as he gazed at the form.
[Command, you say? Nonsense. I am Vuel. Fairy Rachnil, I¡¯vee to bargain.]
This was a story from several months ago.
***¡°W-what is that?¡±
¡°What is this mana¡ What is it!¡±
¡°I¡¯m scared¡¡±
The students were thrown into a panic.
Noah, in front of me, was in shock, muttering in a barely audible voice, ¡°Rachnil¡?¡±
Why is thating out already¡?
Something, somewhere, had gone wrong.
Even though there was no guarantee the scenario would unfold as I expected, that massive greatsword in the sky shouldn¡¯t have appeared.
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 11, Scene 2, Fairy War (1)¡¹.
It was a scenario that began after the Academy sh ended, with the appearance of Rachnil, the Iron Fairy.
Rachnil began a death game targeting the handful of students remaining in the arena, using rules simr to the Academy sh.
As the yer progressed through the game, other fairies arrived to battle Rachnil.
At that point, our protagonist, Ian, temporarily borrowed the power of fairies andnded a powerful blow on Rachnil, clearing the scenario.
But right now, it was only the very beginning of the Academy sh.
There are still way too many students.
Even though the people around me were powerful students from the Empire¡¯s top academies, against Rachnil, they were nothing more than helpless scarecrows.
Fairies were the most dangerous beings in the world. Though they lived quietly for the sake of nature¡¯s order, bnce, and peace, their strength was beyond description.
Among them, Rachnil was especially dangerous, as expected of the final boss of the¡¸Fairy War¡¹arc.
Even someone as mediocre as Noah became a level 189 powerhouse with just one instance of iron mana. So, how monstrous must Rachnil, the source of iron mana, be¡
What went wrong?
The reel of memories in my head spun rapidly.
Then, the meaningful encouragement I had heard yesterday suddenly shed through my mind.
©¤ Isaac, I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s event.
Vuel¡?
My pupils trembled.
I shifted my gaze and activated [irvoyance].
With my eyes glowing in silver, I looked toward the distant stands, at the instructor Ronzainus, also known as Vuel.
He seemed to have noticed my [irvoyance] and looked back at me, grinning broadly as his long lips curled into a sinister smile.
As if he had expected things to turn out like this.
His rxed expression seemed to say, ¡°Try to ovee this situation.¡±
Surely, you didn¡¯t fail to predict even this?
That was what Vuel¡¯s lips seemed to say.
¡°That son of a¡!¡±
Clenching my fist, I reflected on the past.
Vuel hade to M?rchen Academy and dered war on me.
But that was all. He hadn¡¯t done anything to me yet.
Is he underestimating me?
Then why did hee to M?rchen Academy? Why did he reveal his true identity to me?
Isn¡¯t it obvious?
No way.
Of course, he knew.
And yet, he made sure I would immediately recognize who he really was.
There was no way I could choose not to keep an eye on him, a high-ranking Heavenly being and an immortal who intended to kill me.
In other words.
So, did he dere war on me because he actually wanted me to keep an eye on him?
My thoughts were starting to organize.
There was no doubt that Vuel actually wanted me to monitor him thoroughly and pour all my efforts into it.
I was renowned as an archwizard capable of foreseeing dangerous futures to some extent. Moreover, to others, the extent of my powers was an utter mystery.
That was why Vuel must have taken measures to address factors that could threaten me even beforeing to the academy, in order to test the limits of my abilities.
The greatsword in the sky was meant to expose my limits right here.
This is no time to be thinking about that. I need to take care of the students first!
I quickly wrapped up my thoughts. In any case, there were more pressing matters at hand.
I urgently tried to shout.
¡°I¡¯ll protect you all, so get out of here¡!¡±
[Who gave you the right?]
A child¡¯s voice rang in my head.
It was the voice of Rachnil, the Iron Fairy.
A chill ran down my spine.
Is he aiming for me specifically?
Whooooosh!!
Boom!!
¡°Kyaaa!!¡±
¡°Wait, what?!¡±
Iron mana enveloped the dark clouds. The clouds, like liquid mercury, soon began pouring down a rain of swords.
The veteran wizards hired by the organizers of the Academy sh unleashed powerful elemental attacks andyered barriers one after another.
Crash!!
The rain of swords easily cut through all the attacks, shattering the barrier and pouring down in countless numbers.
No matter how skilled the veteran wizards of the Empire were, these hastily cast barriers were as flimsy as paper in front of Rachnil.
Only by taking the time to cast and deploy strong barriers could they barely fend off Rachnil¡¯s attacks. If Rachnil really intended to break through, any defense would be rendered useless but there was no need to worry about that just yet.
I quickly scanned my surroundings with [irvoyance]. Under Emperor Carlos¡¯ orders, the wizards were preparing to cast their spells and deploy more powerful barriers.
¡°Run, quickly!!¡±
¡°Save me!!¡±
¡°Please!!¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to die, hurry!!¡±
¡°Aaah!!¡±
The spectators screamed as they fled.
The more skilled spectators used magic to temporarily block the rain of swords, buying time for others to escape safely.
Injuries were urring one after another.
At that moment, a pale green tree sprouted in the stands, scattering a broad light. The wounds of the injured were healed in an instant.
It was Kaya Astrea¡¯s nt magic.
Chaa-ng!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
At the same time, brilliant starlight magic shimmered, disrupting the rain of swords and minimizing the damage.
It was one of the exceptional types capable of effectively countering the power of the fairies.
Another fairy¡¯s power.
Kaya and Dorothy were hard at work.
Other capable spectators were either evacuating the recently healed or casting magic to assist them.
I need to buy time here, too.
My current level was 157. I had leveled up once before the Academy sh started.
I had a total of 73 remaining stat points, and before the event, I invested 69 of them into [vs. Other Races Combat Power].
In other words, my current status was:
[Potential]
Stat Points: 4
¡ô Vs. Race Combat Power
- Vs. Other Races Combat Power (A-): 70/100 [UP]
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Level: (192)
With the [vs. Other Races Combat Power] activated, my stats surged dramatically.
I deployed [Fossilized Ice], a wall of ice through through which rock mana flowed, so that it enveloped the arena of the Academy sh.
Rrrrrumble!!
Wooosh
In an instant, the academy¡¯s battlefield was encased by the shimmering [Fossilized Ice].
The continuous sh of [Fossilized Ice] with the rain of swords filled the air with a constant, loud noise.
¡°As expected of the Ice Sovereign¡!¡±
¡°Amazing¡!¡±
¡°Thank you, Ice Sovereign!!¡±
The students¡¯ cheers didn¡¯t particrly please me.
I had the means to fight against Rachnil with my unique trait, [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge].
However, that trait only had the effect ofnding a valid hit on Rachnil, and nothing more.
As for Rachnil¡¯s iron attacks, I would have had to fend them off purely with my elemental magic.
I don¡¯t think I can hold out for long¡!
Even my strongest defensive magic was struggling just to block the downpour of swords.
ording to the original scenario, the rain of swords wasn¡¯t intended to target the spectators¡¯ lives and only served to drive them away from the participants.
As they fell, the swords would shift their trajectory and transform into an outer wall separating the arena from the audience.
The kids won¡¯t die for now, but¡
It was merely a stalling tactic to dy thepletion of the stage Rachnil desired.
¡°What should we do now?!¡±
¡°Ian Fairytale! From our academy, the guy with the ck hair! Find him!¡±
I answered a student¡¯s question with a loud voice.
¡°Ian Fairytale?¡±
¡°Oh! The Child of Light! Right?!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll go find him quickly!¡±
Ian had the power to oppose the fairies.
Even in the game, he fought desperately against Rachnil with the support of his teammates,nding effective blows against the fairy.
If Ian possessed the unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge], it would¡¯ve enhanced his damage output.
Ian can stand against Rachnil, and as long as the enemy isn¡¯t a demon, he won¡¯t die.
After all, nothing but demons could kill Ian.
Ian was a cheat character blessed by the fairies, a legacy passed down in the Fairytale family.
If Rachnil appeared here, the n was to take him down as quickly as possible with Ian¡¯s help.
Even with my unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge], I wouldn¡¯t have been able to protect all the students in the altered Academy sh that Rachnil was orchestrating.
¡°Noah.¡±
I looked at Noah, who was standing in front of me.
Amid the deafening noise, he was trembling, staring up at the beautiful ceiling encased in [Fossilized Ice].
It must have been due to the trauma Rachnil inflicted in the past.
¡°Noah!¡±
¡°Y-yes¡?¡±
When I shouted, Noah turned to look at me, his face startled.
¡°Rachnil is going to target you. This isn¡¯t the time to be trembling like that.¡±
¡°You know Rachnil¡? But more importantly, how do you know my name?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not important right now. Get a grip and brace yourself.¡±
As I looked up at the ceiling made of [Fossilized Ice], I summoned an ice crystal onto my palm.
¡°Because today, we¡¯re going to subjugate that fairy.¡±
Chapter 292: Iron Fairy Subjugation (2)
Chapter 292: Iron Fairy Subjugation (2)¡°Have you not found White yet?!¡±
In the makeshift shelter made with barriers.
Emperor Carlos¡¯ urgent cry made the Imperial Knight bow his head.
¡°My apologies, but the situation is a bit chaotic, and we haven¡¯t been able to find her yet¡!¡±
The Academy sh¡¯s vast stage drew arge crowd, and White was among them.
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
Emperor Carlos was deeply worried about his daughter¡¯s safety.
***Through my multiple ythroughs of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, I sensed that something was off.
It seemed that the timing of when the other fairies in¡¸Act 11, Fairy Way¡¹changed with each ythrough.
Curious if it was just me, I checked themunity and found that others had the same experience.It didn¡¯t take long after the game¡¯s release for this anomaly to be recognized as a hidden feature.
White¡
The key factor was Princess Snow White, or more precisely, her abilities.
Nix, the Night Fairy, had bestowed its blessing upon the Elfieto Royal Family. Among them, White was the one most influenced by that blessing.
Nix was a high-ranking fairy who led others.
In the game, after Rachnil showed up, White instinctively figured out how to summon the other fairies.
The time it took her to awaken varied greatly based on her strength.
The other fairies need toe quickly if we want to defeat Rachnil.
Ian and I couldnd some hits on Rachnil, but we couldn¡¯t beat him. We needed the power of the other fairies.
In short, White, who could summon the fairies here, was a key yer in¡¸Act 11, Fairy War¡¹.
But now, Rachnil appeared earlier than expected.
It was unclear how the situation would unfold.
Haa, [irvoyance] isn¡¯t working¡
As expected from veteran wizards.
Their powerful barriers blocked [irvoyance].
I needed to check on White¡¯s condition urgently.
¡°I can¡¯t summon my familiar!¡±
¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t even summon my minions¡!¡±
The students were panicking, unable to summon their familiars or minions.
¡°Don¡¯t expect to summon them now if you didn¡¯t do it beforehand.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Ever since that giant Greatsword appeared in the sky, summoning has been mostly blocked.¡±
It was Rachnil¡¯s doing.
Technically, fairies were the supreme species among magic beasts.
Since familiars and minions were magic beasts, Rachnil could block their summoning if he wanted to.
That was why I couldn¡¯t summon D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s forces. I had tried, but it was no use.
But¡
Fortunately, this one still works.
It consumed a lot of mana and was very inefficient, but I needed all the power I could get to protect the students.
I stretched out an arm to the side.
¡°Come forth, Alice.¡±
A massive amount of mana flowed out, like turning on a faucet at full st.
A pale blue magic circle appeared on the ground. A brilliant light emanated from it, summoning a girl.
The students were left speechless. It was the first time they had ever seen a human minion summoned.
The summoned girl had light gold hair that flowed like waves. She was d in magic armor and wielded the Vorpal Sword.
She looked at me with a gentle smile.
¡°Baby, this is the first time you¡¯ve summoned me, right?¡±
Alice Carroll.
As a human minion, it seemed that Rachnil¡¯s power didn¡¯t affect her.
¡°Is that her? The one from M?rchen Academy, said to rival Dorothy Heartnova¡¡±
¡°Alice Carroll?¡±
¡°She looks just like the rumors said¡¡±
¡°How did he summon a person? And such a powerful one at that¡¡±
The students stared at us in disbelief.
We looked up at the ceiling. A crack echoed as the [Fossilized Ice] began to fracture.
Covering it with [Fossilized Ice] was pointless. Rachnil would soon break through the defensive magic and arrive here. It would just waste mana.
¡°Is the enemy in the sky?¡±
¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll be descending soon.¡±
¡°Do you know why you haven¡¯t been able to summon our soldiers since earlier?¡±
¡°Because we¡¯re dealing with fairies. It¡¯s an ability all fairies possess.¡±
¡°Fairies¡. This is getting more interesting. So, what are your orders, Baby?¡±
¡°Protect the students here, as much as you can.¡±
Alice bowed to me and said, ¡°As youmand.¡±
¡°Ice Sovereign! We¡¯ve brought them!¡±
¡°Senior Isaac!¡±
Several students ran over.
Fortunately, one of the students who could fly with wind magic brought Abel Carnedas and Ian Fairytale.
I was relieved they¡¯d arrived sooner than expected.
¡°Senior Isaac, what on earth is happening?!¡±
¡°What about Ian?¡±
Ian was slumped over, carried on Abel¡¯s back.
¡°He fainted earlier!¡±
I didn¡¯t bother asking for the details.
I¡¯m just d they made it here safely.
At that moment, my senses sharpened.
The hairs on my body stood on end.
¡°¡!¡±
The air became tense.
Even those with low mana perception couldn¡¯t miss the presence of such a monstrous power descending.
Rumble!!
Crash!!!
Breaking through the [Fossilized Ice], a silver boynded on the ground.
Numerous des floated around him.
The boy looked like a bizarre puppet made entirely of iron.
The crumbling [Fossilized Ice]. The remains of the defensive magic scattered as glittering mana dust.
Whoosh!
A wind-like, unimaginable amount of mana was released.
It was enough power to engulf the entire area.
Noah¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Rachnil¡¡±
[Iron Fairy Rachnil]
Lv: 200
Race: Fairy
Elements: Iron
Danger: Extreme
The Iron Fairy Rachnil.
His red eyes scanned Noah.
[It¡¯s been a while. d to see you¡¯re safe. But¡ who are you?]
Rachnil¡¯s fierce eyes turned to me.
Swish!
The rain of swords suddenly changed trajectory and began to pile up inyers between the stage and the audience.
The swords melted, liquefying and merging freely. The momentum increased, quickly building a high and thick iron wall.
[You,e over here.]
Rachnil reached out toward Noah.
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
The iron mana gathered around Noah, forming a sphere. It happened in an instant.
The sphere containing Noah began to fly toward Rachnil.
Kuuuuung!!
¡°Kyaa!!¡±
¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±
¡°T-the ground!!¡±
¡°Everyone, run!!¡±
At the same time, a powerful earthquake struck, causing the stands to copse.
The ground shook violently. Iron walls rose sharply from the ground, and the students panicked and tried to flee.
So it¡¯s begun.
There was no time to panic.
Mana circted through my mana circuits.
sh!
Iunched myself off the ground, chasing after the iron sphere.
In the cutscene of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ian rescued Noah from being dragged to Rachnil. Seeing Ian¡¯s strength, Rachnil became intrigued.
In other words, to set up the¡¸Fairy Way¡¹, I had to save Noah right now.
I reached out with both hands, gathering rock mana, and the Obsidian de materialized. The defensive ring of rock [Eclipse] trailed behind me.
With the Obsidian de¡¯s passive skill [Eclipse], which boasted excellent defense, even if Rachnil counterattacked, I wouldn¡¯t take much damage.
[Fairy detected as enemy.]
[The unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge] is activated!]
The system window appeared, and the Obsidian de was bathed in a chilling night light.
The unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge]. It allowed a mere elemental wizard like me to deal effective damage to fairies.
Rock mana pulsed. [Stone Breathing - First Form], the prelude to Yellow Wave sh.
I swung the Obsidian de at the sphere flying towards Rachnil.
Crash!!
The powerful sh shattered the iron shell, sending stone debris flying.
I quickly grabbed Noah¡¯s arm and pulled him out.
¡°Huff, huff¡!¡±
Noah rolled on the ground and regained his footing.
He was gasping for air, the sphere had already drained some of his iron mana.
There was no time to ask if he was okay. I quickly took my stance and leaped towards Rachnil.
[How¡?]
I saw the surprise in Rachnil¡¯s face.
Even if he wasn¡¯t at full power, I had destroyed a fairy¡¯s magic.
It seemed unbelievable to him that a mere human could break his magic.
That¡¯s right, remain shocked.
I raised the Obsidian de high.
The chilling light of [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge], the soft glow of rock mana, and even ice mana gathered on the Obsidian de, radiating an ominous power.
I brought it down.
Crash!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
The cold, surging rock mana tore through the ground, reaching Rachnil.
[Stone Breathing - Second Form], Stone Wave.
It was the Obsidian de¡¯s long-range attack.
[¡Such a thing can¡¯t reach me.]
Rachnil frowned and swung his arm.
Iron mana condensed in the air, forming five greatswords.
[Is it like this?]
The five greatswords, wrapped in silver mana, followed Rachnil¡¯s gesture and shed fiercely towards the ground.
Boom!!
The sharp iron mana tore through the ground, shing with the Stone Wave.
As the terrifying explosion sent debris flying everywhere, I quickly cast a rock shield to protect the students.
He¡¯s mimicking my technique in his own way¡
Just like in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. A race at the pinnacle of this world¡¯s creatures.
[Amazing¡ You¡¯re close to the level of a fairy!]
Hohoho, I heard Rachnil¡¯s amusedughter.
[This is fun¡ Very well. Let¡¯s have a delightful game here!]
Just like in the cutscene of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
After Ian saved Noah, Rachnil decided to postpone absorbing Noah.
And he proposed a new event to Ian, involving Noah.
The leisure of the strong. It was a form of entertainment for him.
Rumble!!
The earthquake continued. Iron walls rose in multiple directions, dividing the space.
I aimed my finger at Rachnil to cast the 7-star ice magic [Icebolt], but the iron walls rose swiftly, blocking the space between me and Rachnil.
Crack!!
Reflexively, I shed at the iron wall, cutting through it, but it quickly filled in, creating an even more solid barrier.
The terrain shifted with a rumble.
Eventually, the earthquake stopped.
Suddenly, the surroundings had transformed into a single space, lit by the beautiful glow of mana.
So it came to this, after all¡
I looked around. I had been separated from the others.
The only good thing was that Ian and Noah were close by.
Just as I was about to break through the wall and join them¡
[Wee to the Iron Sanctuary.]
Rachnil¡¯s voice boomed from somewhere.
[You are the honored ones chosen to partake in my amusement until my ns are fulfilled.]
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 11, Chapter 2, Fairy Way (1)¡¹
[Let¡¯s start a fun and exciting Academy sh just for us!]
The Rachnil Subjugation had begun.
Chapter 293: Iron Fairy Subjugation (3)
Chapter 293: Iron Fairy Subjugation (3)[Let me tell you the new rules of the game.]
Rachnil¡¯s voice echoed through the space once again.
[Your victory condition requires you to fulfill two criteria. The first is to reach me and defeat me. I¡¯m at the top of this sanctuary. It will be an arduous journey, but surely enjoyable!]
If Rachnil¡¯s n were toe to fruition, many lives would be lost.
For now, the first condition was the same as what was seen in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
[The second condition is to achieve the special victory condition of the Academy sh. I promise not to touch any of you except the challenger who intends to fight me immediately.]
The special victory condition of the Academy sh.
It meant finding the key and opening the safe located in the center of the stage.
Everyone must have understood it that way.
It¡¯s different from the game.In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, there was no special victory condition. It was just a battle royale between students in the Iron Sanctuary, with their lives at stake.
But could it be that the special victory condition was created because of me as a variable? To think that he incorporated that into his own game¡¯s rules.
For a fairy, the weight of a promise was as heavy as their life.
Which means I can trust everything he says.
Is the challenger statement directed at me?
It seemed Rachnil was expecting me toe and fight.
[The effects of items and traps remain the same. There is only one difference!]
Rachnil¡¯s voice lowered.
[Elimination means death.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Here, for Rachnil, killing people was as effortless as stepping on a bug.
Using [irvoyance], I meticulously examined every corner of the Iron Sanctuary. The students had scattered in all directions.
They were either trembling with fear, sitting down, or each consumed by their own terror.
[But if it¡¯s just you guys, it would turn into a boring game where you¡¯re only working together and cheering each other on, don¡¯t you think?]
Huh?
[So, I decided to add a new participant!]
Rumbling, iron mana flowed out of the walls and floor, merging and taking on the form of an armored knight.
He blocked the passage leading to another area, aiming his long weapon at me.
His red glowing eyes were vividly visible.
[Iron Knight]
Lv: 130
Race: Fairy
Attribute: Iron
Danger Level: Middle-High
Rachnil¡¯s minion¡
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, those bastards were waiting to take the lives of eliminated students.
They were also the enemies encountered when ascending the sanctuary towards Rachnil.
The higher you go, the stronger the enemies be, right?
In other words, he wasn¡¯t an opponent I should have faced from the very start.
He even had a qualification stone in ce.
On the Iron Knight¡¯s shoulder was an ornament mimicking the qualification stone.
In other words, the minion must also have been subjected to the same rules of the Academy sh.
The situation was not good.
[Everyone, try to survive! I sincerely hope we have a good game!]
Rachnil¡¯s voice faded, but his Academy sh had just begun.
I quickly scanned the area with [irvoyance]. Many students were trembling in fear as the Iron Knights appeared.
As expected, there are just way too many¡
There were too many students to protect.
Moreover, Iron Knights were appearing in areas without students. They were probably farming the items from the original Academy sh.
It seemed that due to the new game rules, which didn¡¯t appear in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Rachnil was setting up a battle. A battle of ¡°Academy Students v.s. Iron Minions¡±.
Since there were many people to protect, I needed all the strength I could get.
¡°Hilde!¡±
Hilde, who had been glowing faintly like a firefly inside my shirt cor, jumped out.
She transformed into her human form with short, white hair, and I immediately pulled out the Magic Cloak of Disguise - Berserker, and threw it at her.
It wasn¡¯t for disguise, it was just to give her some clothes. So I didn¡¯t give her the mask.
nk.
An Iron Knight kicked off the ground and charged toward me.
Boom!!
I lightly condensed ice mana in my hand and unleashed it toward the bastard.
The 5-star ice spell [Frozen Explosion]. The Iron Knight shattered into pieces.
The Iron Knight, now incapacitated, melted like mercury and was absorbed into the wall, disappearing.
[I dressed quickly, Master.]
Hilde fastened her robe, and the long garment covered her bare body.
She was in human form, but her horns and tail remained intact. She readied herself for battle.
In a space like this, she couldn¡¯t grow to her full size in her original form, but it seemed she understood my intentions well.
¡°Take this!¡±
Ice mana gathered in my right hand, and the sound of chains echoed.
The ice mana transformed into arge scythe emanating an icy chill. It was the Frostscythe.
I threw the Frostscythe to Hilde, and she caught it with both hands.
[The Frost Scythe?]
¡°You use it for now.¡±
It was just a guess, but if it were Hilde, she would be able to wield the Frostscythe well.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the official name of the scythe was sometimes listed as ¡°Hilde¡¯s Frostscythe¡±.
¡°We need to move quickly!¡±
[Ah, Master!]
As I began running, Hilde immediately followed.
¡°There¡¯s no time. There are too many kids we need to protect!¡±
As I ran in the direction where Ian was, I used [irvoyance] once again to check on the students.
In front of the Iron Knight, each of the students was terrified.
Even if they were the elites of a prestigious academy, they were still just teenagers or young adults whocked real-world experience.
In life-threatening situations, most of them copsed in fear, clumsily attacked the enemy, or simply ran away.
I have to save them.
I didn¡¯t need a reason to save people. Since I was the only one with power, I had a responsibility toward those kids.
Boom!!
After casting [Frost Barrier] on the nearby students, I defeated the Iron Knights with an AOE ice spell, but¡
It was difficult for me to help in the distant areas. If they had at leaste into my line of sight, I could have done something.
Alice was also quickly defeating the Iron Knights and rescuing the students, but there were simply too many of them for her efforts to be enough.
I gritted my teeth. I had to do something, no matter what.
I, somehow¡ª
Whoosh!!
At that moment, using [irvoyance], I spotted something in the distance moving at tremendous speeds.
I kept seeing a ponytailed schoolgirl wielding rock magic, smashing the Iron Knights to pieces one after another.
A pink-haired girl wielding fire magic, protecting the students.
A petite girl was hugging a pillow while crushing enemies with powerful magic.
¡°These girls¡¡±
In areas beyond my reach, the students of M?rchen Academy were spread out, defeating the Iron Knights and rescuing students.
¡°Thank goodness¡!¡±
Swish!!
At that moment, an Iron Knight leapt out from a wall formed by iron mana and swung its sword at me in a surprise attack.
I reflexively ducked and avoided the sh.
[Howl, Hell¡¯s Frostscythe.]
Swish!!
Along with a strange technique name, a silver line was drawn across the body of the Iron Knight, instantly cleaving it in half.
Hilde adjusted her grip on the Frost Scythe, which was wrapped in cold energy, and looked down at the Iron Knight she had cut with its de.
The Iron Knight melted away like mercury.
¡°¡What¡¯s with Hell¡¯s Frostscythe?¡±
[I have always wanted to try this technique someday.]
The technique name was impressive, but it was nothing more than her swinging the Frostscythe, enveloped in chill, with force.
Since she handled it well, it worked out.
***¡°Kahahaha! They looked tough on the outside, but they¡¯re as soft as mush inside!¡±
The vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, was boasting as he smashed the Iron Knights at incredible speed, rescuing the students.
His fists and kicks were packed with thick wind mana, delivered in rapid session.
With the added eleration, the power of his attacks far exceeded the level of any ordinary student.
¡°Let¡¯s gooo!!¡±
Kaang!
Lisetta Lionheart sprinted through the Iron Sanctuary.
Swinging her club-like magic weapon, Rock Bat, she unleashed a barrage of rock magic that shattered the Iron Knights into pieces.
Enemies she could defeat mercilessly only fueled Lisetta¡¯spetitive spirit.
¡°Ciel!¡±
¡°How annoying¡¡±
Keridna Whiterk wielded fire magic while protecting the students.
Ciel Carnedas yawned, covering her mouth, yet continued to relentlessly cast elemental magic, sweeping through the Iron Knights.
¡°T-thank you¡!¡±
¡°Thank you!¡±
The rescued students expressed their gratitude, and Keridna evacuated them to the M?rchen Academy base.
Other M?rchen Academy students were also taking down enemies in areas where Isaac couldn¡¯t assist, following Keridna¡¯s orders to evacuate the students to the M?rchen Academy base.
The difference in real battle experience.
The students of M?rchen Academy, having already umted multiple life-and-death battle experiences, were able to ovee their fear and fight their enemies.
And they possessed the skills to match.
¡°Student Council President, what¡¯s your n now?¡±
¡°What else? You felt that mana earlier, right? Whatever¡¯s at the top isn¡¯t something we can handle.¡±
Ciel asked as they crossed the sanctuary, Keridna seriously replying.
¡°We have to do what we can.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ so, finding the key, right?¡±
Keridna was protecting the students participating in the Academy sh, intending to fulfill the special victory condition.
¡°If you know, help properly.¡±
¡°I n to. I want to go back to sleep as soon as possible¡¡±
Chapter 294: Iron Fairy Subjugation (4)
Chapter 294: Iron Fairy Subjugation (4)He felt as if he were being pulled somewhere, taking steps toward the sensation.
At the age of eight, Noah Bartin stumbled upon a graveyard of swords while holding the hand of his little sister, Taryn Bartin.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Just days ago, the ce was a simple in. Noah and Taryn instantly sensed something was amiss.
The sheer number of swords made it unlikely they were ced there for a particr purpose.
The swords themselves looked anything but ordinary.
¡°Brother, let¡¯s go back. I¡¯m scared¡¡±
¡°If you want to go back, go ahead.¡±
¡°Why do you want to go through here? Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±
¡°I¡¯m scared. But somehow, I feel like I have to go there¡ Huh?¡±
As they reached the center of the graveyard, the two children found a skull on the ground.¡°Eek! B-Brother¡!¡±
The young Taryn clung tightly to Noah¡¯s arm, trembling with fear.
Noah¡¯s gaze shifted forward, and he saw a hill made of skulls.
There stood a massive, ash-colored greatsword, seemingly several times his size.
[Come here.]
At that moment, a faint voice echoed in Noah¡¯s ear.
The pull he felt suddenly grew stronger.
¡°Taryn, wait here.¡±
Taryn continued to tug at Noah¡¯s sleeve, pleading to leave, but he left her behind and approached the greatsword.
Noah climbed the hill of skulls and gripped the hilt of the greatsword with his small hands. He felt as if he absolutely needed to.
At that moment, iron mana surged from the greatsword as if it had been waiting for this moment.
¡°Ugh!¡±
The iron mana pierced Noah¡¯s body, flowing into him.
Noah screamed in pain.
¡°A-argh!!¡±
¡°Brother! Kyaa!¡±
A wave of mana spread out, blocking Taryn from approaching as if warning her not to interfere.
As his consciousness faded, Noah saw another child, seemingly his age.
Though the child¡¯s face was shadowed, making his expressions unreadable, Noah could tell his body was made of iron.
[My name is Rachnil.]
The iron child introduced himself.
[Wee, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.]
¡°Aaaagh!!¡±
The Iron Fairy Rachnil listened to Noah¡¯s screams with a pure smile, unaffected.
Noah had to endure terrible pain to fully integrate Rachnil¡¯s iron mana and be its vessel.
¡°Run, Ta¡ ryn¡!¡±
Even amidst the agony, Noah only worried about his sister, Taryn.
Swish!!
Noah was in pain as he relived through his memories.
As if to cut through memory, a sharp sound interrupted him as Hilde swung her Frostscythe to cut through an Iron Knight.
The cold air touched his skin.
Noah snapped back to reality, gasping as he pushed himself off the ground.
¡°You¡ Ice Sovereign¡?¡±
Before him stood a young man with silver-blue hair.
Despite being his age, this young man was an Elemental King, a tremendous powerhouse.
It was Isaac from M?rchen Academy.
***¡°Get up. You can still move, can¡¯t you?¡±
Just as I thought. I knew this would happen.
The iron mana inside Noah was steadily being drained away.
This was Rachnil¡¯s domain, and the iron mana was surely being absorbed.
He seemed to be caught in an illusion, unable to do anything while being targeted by Rachnil.
But he still has plenty of mana left, so he should be fine.
Unlike in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Noah hadn¡¯t used any mana yet.
He should still have enough energy to move.
¡°Haa¡¡±
Noah staggered to his feet.
¡°Hilde, please take care of the other students.¡±
[Understood.]
Whoosh!
Hilde disappeared in an instant, leaving only a trace of cold air.
She¡¯s faster than I thought.
Even in her half-human form, her physical abilities were remarkable.
¡°Who was that just now¡?¡±
¡°She¡¯s an ally of mine. You don¡¯t need to know more.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡±
¡°Follow me.¡±
¡°Ah, okay¡!¡±
As I started running, Noah followed behind me.
I read Noah¡¯s psychology. He seemed to be thinking about the moment I attacked Rachnil.
¡°Uhm, Ice Sovereign¡! What are you nning to do? Even you would be helpless in front of the entity at the top¡¡±
¡°Nah, I¡¯d win.¡±
I assured Noah, implying he shouldn¡¯t worry about unnecessary things.
If I didn¡¯t win, it would be all over anyway. But just like all the battles I had been in up til now, I¡¯d win.
Noah¡¯s eyes widened slightly.
¡°Abel!¡±
¡°Finally found you!¡±
Not far from where we started, we reunited with Abel, who was carrying Ian on his back.
I already knew where they were heading thanks to [irvoyance]. There were no issues.
Abel looked relieved upon seeing me.
¡°Senior Isaac, what exactly is going on¡?¡±
¡°The Iron Fairy is ying a game with us, and the situation outside must be utter chaos.¡±
¡°F-fairy¡?¡±
Rachnil¡¯s mana would be spreading over the entire area outside, creating a sea of molten iron and a rain of swords.
The high-ranking wizards under the Emperor would be doing their best to resist, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for long.
They would be struggling just to approach the Iron Sanctuary, likely evacuating the people of Aldreque and trying to find a solution.
Rachnil was creating an iron heart on the top floor of the sanctuary, continuously feeding the iron sea with power. This would be the heart of his newly imed territory,
In other words, Rachnil intended to amuse himself with us until the iron sea spread enough to form his new domain.
Anyone who survived this game and waspatible with iron mana would be his direct servant. Otherwise, they¡¯d be turned into mindless subordinates.
To think he¡¯d turn the entire world against him.
The more I thought about it, the more arrogant and foolish he seemed.
¡°How¡¯s Ian doing?¡±
¡°He¡¯s still out cold!¡±
¡°Lay him down for a second.¡±
¡°Yes, sir!¡±
As Abelid Ian on the ground, I approached and pped his cheeks repeatedly, like a spinning fan.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
¡°Ian, wake up, wake up, wake up.¡±
¡°S-Senior Isaac! You¡¯ll kill him!¡±
I ignored Abel¡¯s urgent cry, knowing this guy was tough enough.
Soon, Ian¡¯s eyes fluttered open.
¡°¡Hmm?¡±
¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±
Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before Ian regained consciousness, his cheeks swollen.
¡°Senior Ian, you¡¯re awake!¡±
¡°Isaac? Abel¡? Was that a trap? I can¡¯t remember anything after feeling a blow to the back of my head.¡±
¡°Yeah, that trap was quite strong¡¡±
¡°Where are we?¡±
I grabbed Ian¡¯s arm and helped him up.
¡°I¡¯ll exin as we go.¡±
¡°Something big happened, right? I can feel a terrifying power from above¡¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to take that guy down. I need you.¡±
¡°Ah¡ I get it. One of those situations, huh? Just like back at the academy.¡±
Ian smiled and held out his fist.
¡°Leave it to me, Isaac! I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger over the break!¡±
¡°Just don¡¯t pass out.¡±
Despite fainting often, Ian was the main character who always managed to pull through in the end.
He had the ability to remain calm and think clearly despite any emergencies he mighte across. He also had a strong sense of justice.
With the Luminous Sword, he had now reached the level ofbat power I¡¯d expect from him.
Rumble!!
¡°Whoa! W-what¡¯s happening?!¡±
Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the sanctuary.
Another powerful force had descended from the top.
¡°Dorothy, Kaya¡?¡±
I looked up at the ceiling, feeling the strong starlight and nt mana. Dorothy and Kaya must have broken into the Iron Sanctuary.
As fairy kins, they had the power of fairies. They must have broken through the outer wall to stop Rachnil.
They must be trying to stop the heart from beingpleted¡
I tried to use [irvoyance] to check the top floor, but Rachnil¡¯s barrier blocked me.
Dorothy and Kaya couldn¡¯t defeat Rachnil. I had to hurry up and join them.
¡°Ian, Noah, you two follow me.¡±
¡°Me, too?¡±
Noah looked surprised.
¡°You have business with the guy upstairs, right?¡±
¡°¡Yes, I do.¡±
¡°Thene along. I need you too.¡±
A glint appeared in Noah¡¯s eyes.
His desire for revenge silently burned.
He was eager to resolve this situation quickly, knowing his sister Taryn Bartin was in danger.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Well, his emotional reasons didn¡¯t matter much to me. Noah had toe with me to face Rachnil anyway.
After defeating Rachnil, Noah would be the only one able to absorb his remains and grow stronger. His strength would be helpful too.
Iron King Noah¡
That would be his future title.
If I left him indebted to me now, he might join in the Evil God Subjugationter on.
¡°Senior Isaac, I¡!¡±
¡°Take this to our academy¡¯s base.¡±
I took a note out of my pocket and handed it to Abel.
¡°What is this?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the clue to the location of the keys. I made a rough sketch of it.¡±
¡°What?! Senior Isaac, you knew where all the keys were¡?¡±
It was not long after the Academy sh began¡
Using [irvoyance], I had scanned the entire tournament stage and recorded some peculiar things that seemed like hints for the keys.
¡°Well, you are you after all¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s a covenant here in this sanctuary, just as Rachnil mentioned. Once you open the vault in the center, the enemies will really stop targeting you. Until then, Alice and my familiars will protect you. Work with the other academy students to find all the keys and open the vault as soon as possible.¡±
The covenant was a convincing lie.
Rachnil would stick to his word anyway. But being too honest about it might make them uneasy. Also, Alice and Hilde needed to join me once the students were safe.
Especially Hilde, since she and I could share power.
In other words, it meant I could transfer the power of my unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge] to her.
¡°I¡¯ll do as you say!¡±
Abel gave a sharp salute and dashed off.
As expected of the top student in ss B from the Knight Department¡¯s first-year, he was incredibly fast.
¡°Ian.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°We¡¯re heading straight to the top.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping for.¡±
Ian extended his right arm to the side.
With a shimmering sound, a pure white aura, with a hint of iridescence, gathered in his right hand and transformed into a holy sword.
That¡¯s the real¡ Luminous Sword.
The Luminous Sword, Ian¡¯s ultimate weapon imbued with Divine Power.
Seeing it in person, I felt an inexplicable swell of emotion.
Having yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? countless times, I suddenly realized just how much I had grown attached to this character.
¡°What is that¡?¡±
Noah muttered quietly as he stared at the iridescent de, seemingly recognizing the grandness of the sword in Ian¡¯s hand.
The moment of sentimentality was brief.
I pulled out the Obsidian de, gripping it with both hands as I infused it with ice and earth mana.
Ian infused the Luminous Sword with an even more radiant Divine Power.
And then¡
That girl is also a problem.
A female student had been secretly following me for a while now.
Her ability to conceal her presence and tail me was impressive. Without [irvoyance], I wouldn¡¯t have noticed her.
I nced over. Even though she was hiding in the shadows, just one strand of her hair sticking out from behind the wall was enough to trigger my status window.
[Methel Valencia]
Lv: 185
Race: Heavenly Being
Elements: Light
Danger: Extreme
Psychology: [ns to assassinate you while you¡¯re upied fighting the Iron Fairy.]
Even though she wore a Betrix Academy uniform, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t know about such a strong individual.
But today was the first time I¡¯d seen her.
In short, she was Vuel¡¯s subordinate.
A Heavenly being disguised as a human.
nning to strike while I¡¯m distracted, huh¡?
My eyebrow furrowed and a chuckle escaped me.
I¡¯ll have to take advantage of you.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
From now on, it was a sprint to the top.
Chapter 295: Iron Fairy Subjugation (5)
Chapter 295: Iron Fairy Subjugation (5)The final floor of the Iron Sanctuary was structured simrly to an Imperial audience chamber.
An entity with the appearance of a child was sitting on an iron throne made of swords.
Its two legs dangled and swayed above the ground.
It was Rachnil, the Iron Fairy.
On the path leading from the entrance to the throne, Iron Knights with great power were neatly lined up.
A vast space had been constructed behind the throne. At its center, iron mana condensed into a cocoon-like form, glowing with a brilliant shine.
Iron mana swirled continuously, being supplied to that cocoon. It was the heart of iron, in the process of being forged.
On either side of the throne stood two powerful Iron Knights with billowing cloaks.
All their gazes turned toward the two female students who had forcibly broken into the Iron Sanctuary.
[I didn¡¯t expect to find the fairy¡¯s kin in a ce like this.]Rachnil said with a smiling face.
Dorothy pointed her index finger at him and shouted, ¡°Kid! What are you doing? Stop this right now!¡±
[Why?]
¡°Uh, because it¡¯s scary! We¡¯re all going to die at this rate!¡±
[You don¡¯t feel tension at all, do you¡?]
Around Dorothy, a cluster of stars floated up, producing a light, clear chiming sound.
¡°I¡¯m not joking. If you don¡¯t stop, there¡¯s no other choice but to use force, right?¡±
[Starlight magic¡ Could it be that you¡¯re one of that bastard¡¯s kin.]
¡°What?¡±
Rachnil looked at Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic and covered his mouth, but the excitement in his wide-open eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden.
¡°Why are youughing like it¡¯s funny¡?¡±
¡°Senior Dorothy, hold on for a moment.¡±
Kaya pushed Dorothy aside and stepped forward.
Realistically, the two female students had no chance of winning against Rachnil. Sensing Rachnil¡¯s mana, Kaya made a cool-headed judgment.
So while Rachnil underestimated them and rxed, Kaya decided to extract useful information for Isaac through conversation.
Kaya¡¯s green eyes fixed on Rachnil.
¡°You¡¯re the iron fairy, right? Why are you doing this?¡±
[Are you a kin of Isaac? What¡¯s your name?]
¡°Kaya Astrea.¡±
[Okay, Kaya Astrea. I¡¯m bored, so I¡¯ll exin. I¡¯m nning to create a new iron nation and establish my power.]
¡°Why? Why do you want to suddenly do such a thing?¡±
[Because I want to attain a higher level.]
Rachnil¡¯s finger pointed toward the ceiling.
¡°A higher level¡? Are you saying you want to be something beyond a fairy?¡±
[Yes. The more my domain expands and the more kin I have, the greater the power I will gain when I absorb themter.]
Suddenly, Kaya recalled the history of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy. She had made contracts with humans to establish a certain forest in the Astraean duchy as her domain.
So, fairies had such secrets¡
¡°Aren¡¯t you already as powerful as you could be? So, what would be the point?¡±
[Because I am going to kill Ste.]
Ste.
As that name left Rachnil¡¯s lips, Dorothy¡¯s shoulders flinched.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
Dorothy asked in a murderous tone.
Kaya cast a brief nce at Dorothy. In Dorothy¡¯s eyes, as if they held the Milky Way, an intense killing intent emerged like darkness.
Ste was the star fairy who saved Dorothy in thend of Oz and granted her the power of starlight.
Among the mysterious beings known as fairies, Ste was particrly mysterious.
Just as Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, was a close friend to Kaya, Ste must have been a precious being to Dorothy.
Therefore, Kaya could understand the anger of Dorothy.
[Why are you getting angry? Even if you¡¯re one of Ste¡¯s kin, shouldn¡¯t humans avoid taking her side?]
¡°I¡¯m asking what you mean.¡±
The cluster of stars around her became even more active.
At any moment, she was ready to manipte physical force and crush the Iron Fairy Rachnil.
Kaya remained tense, quietly listening to their conversation.
[I see¡ You don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been out of touch with what¡¯s going on in the worldtely, so I didn¡¯t fully grasp it.]
Rachnil pointed toward the ceiling.
[Ste caused a great catastrophe that harmed both your kind and mine. Since most of your kind live such short lives, I guess it¡¯s natural that you¡¯ve forgotten such an old event.]
¡°A catastrophe? Ste?¡±
[Foolish. You¡¯re all so foolish.]
Rachnil descended from the throne and approached Dorothy and Kaya.
Some of the Iron Knights transformed into mana and were absorbed by Rachnil. Instantly, his physique changed to that of a 180 cm tall adult man.
With a nking sound, iron mana formed the shape of greatswords in the air, and several greatswords floated around Rachnil.
[Indeed, such a foolish race.]
Rachnil¡¯s voice deepened and grew thick.
Hostility filled Kaya¡¯s eyes.
Her green pupils were tinged with crimson as she held a smile, simultaneously deploying both a blood magic circle and a nt magic circle.
¡°Do you mind noting any closer? We¡¯re supposed to be keeping our distance, right?¡±
Now transformed into her ravenous persona, Kaya tilted her head to the side and warned in a voice filled with battle spirit and a hint ofughter.
Rachnil, with a surprised expression, stopped in his tracks.
[Amazing. Kaya Astrea¡ Are you really embracing all that power, It¡¯s as if you¡¯ve been blessed with the very essence of life. A terrifying talent.]
¡°Thanks for thepliment, but I have no intention of getting friendly with you.¡±
[Well, try to understand. I¡¯ve decided I want to tell Ste¡¯s kin the truth, and you want to hear it too, right?]
Rachnil met Dorothy¡¯s gaze.
[Do you know the criteria Ste uses to choose her kin?]
¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Ste is just my savior. She saved me¡¡±
[Why did she save you of all people? While the Land of Oz was massacring countless humans, why did she save only you?]
¡°¡¡±
In fact, she had a hunch.
She had desperately struggled to look away, holding on by thinking of Isaac.
But by now, too many clues had already beenid bare before Dorothy.
[Isn¡¯t it an amusing tale?]
Rachnil gave a sly grin.
¡°Senior Dorothy, don¡¯t listen to that nonsense. If we just figure out the fairy¡¯s motive¡¡±
¡°Kaya. Thanks, but this is something Big Sis needs to hear.¡±
¡°What? Wait¡!¡±
Dorothy gave Kaya a smile, then took a few steps toward Rachnil before stopping.
¡°Tell me. What are Ste¡¯s criteria for choosing her kin? Why did she make me her second kin?¡±
[Don¡¯t you already know? Or¡ do you just want confirmation from me?]
¡°Don¡¯t bother with useless talk.¡±
[Fine. I¡¯ll tell you.]
Rachnil smiled broadly as he revealed the truth.
[The criteria Ste uses to choose her kin is ¡®whether they have the qualities of a transcendent being¡¯.]
¡°¡¡±
[The birth of a transcendent being causes tremendous ripples. Ste¡¯s first kin, Ozma, became a transcendent being while still alive. Eventually, a terrifying catastrophe struck the world.]
The tale of how Ste¡¯s first kin disappeared, and how earthquakes, tsunamis, and other disasters ravaged the world, was an old legend.
During that time, the world was upended, and many humans lost their lives.
In the face of the truth conveyed by the fairy, Kaya swallowed dryly.
[Where is Ozma? What was her final fate? What happened to her?]
¡°¡She became a transcendent being, right?¡±
[Yes, she became a transcendent being of this world. Ste had a n, you see. That bastard had to make her a transcendent being while she was still alive.]
¡°Why was that?¡±
[I don¡¯t know that much. I guess you¡¯ll find out if you chase the stars.]
Rachnil¡¯s gaze turned fierce and menacing.
[I don¡¯t care about Ste¡¯s ns. All I know is that the catastrophe Ste caused damaged my domain. ¡®Ste is a damn bastard,¡¯ that¡¯s all there is for me to know. But Ste has already transcended the realm of fairies.]
¡°What do you mean by that?¡±
[You wouldn¡¯t get it.]
Rachnil let out a soft ¡°Haa,¡± as something came to mind.
[Oh, right. There¡¯s one person here who caught my interest. I can¡¯t forget to mention them.]
¡°Who?¡±
[The boy with the silver-blue hair. Strong, for a human.]
Dorothy and Kaya widened their eyes in shock.
It had to be about Isaac.
The air felt like it was swelling, like a bomb on the verge of exploding. The two female students looked ready to attack Rachnil at any moment.
[Come to think of it, that¡¯s only natural. Did you guys notice the immense being dwelling inside that boy?]
Rachnil stretched his arms out to the sides and shouted.
[That¡¯s none other than Ozma!]
¡°What are you talking about¡?¡±
While Kaya was confused and couldn¡¯t understand Rachnil¡¯s words, Dorothy stood with her mouth agape, feeling a surge of confusion.
¡°Ozma¡?¡±
Dorothy recalled the unknown monster with countless eyes that she had seen within Isaac¡¯s essence.
Within Ste¡¯s unknown n, Ste¡¯s first kin.
A transcendent being emerged while still alive, and as a result, countless humans lost their lives.
Ultimately, the newly born transcendent being in the world, Ozma.
She had made Isaac¡¯s essence her dwelling.
A shadow fell over Dorothy¡¯s face, asplicated emotions engulfed her.
Why? Why?
[Ah, that boy probably doesn¡¯t even realize! That the one who¡¯s responsible for the loss of countless lives lies within him!]
¡°That has nothing to do with him!¡±
[What are you talking about? Ozma and that boy are practically the same now. From my perspective, she is him. And in the first ce, is that really something you should be saying?]
¡°What¡?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
[Oh, Ste¡¯s kin. Why do you try to turn your eyes away from the truth?]
Rachnil snickered as he looked at Dorothy.
[You already knew, didn¡¯t you? If you stay alive, you¡¯re destined to be a disaster. One day, you¡¯ll meet the same fate as the first kin. You¡¯ll bring forth a disaster beyond anyone¡¯s imagination.]
In the academy za, when Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic had almost gone out of control.
The time when the Elemental Kings had appeared, preparing to attack her, shed through both Dorothy and Kaya¡¯s minds.
Kaya urgently shouted.
¡°Senior Dorothy! Don¡¯t listen! It¡¯s all lies!¡±
[You must die. You¡¯re someone who has to die for the sake of everyone else.]
One after another, the transcendent powers Dorothy had realized passed through her mind like a panorama.
Even during the dark days of her muddy past, and when she was dying while battling the Floating Ind, ready to sacrifice her life to unleash the overwhelming power of the 9-star spell [Last Light of a Dying Star].
Dorothy had always strived to shine.
But the realization that her survival could be the trigger for a catastrophe rendered her entire life, spent desperately trying to shine, meaningless.
It was a truth too hard for any human to ept.
¡°That¡¯s nonsense! You¡¯re the one harming people¡!¡±
[Ste¡¯s kin and I aren¡¯t in the same position. I always nned to force many sacrifices. Honestly, dealing with that shady Ste might be a long-term benefit for humanity.]
¡°You¡!¡±
[Wow, look at that expression! How does it feel to face the truth? To have all those doubts swirling in your mind finally confirmed?]
Dorothy¡¯s face darkened.
Rachnil chuckled slyly as he approached her.
[Let me see it, that wretched feeling when you realize you¡¯re someone who must die¡!]
And then¡
Boom!!!
The solid ground shattered, and shards of iron flew in all directions.
At the same time, a silver-blue-haired young man burst through the floor, grabbing Rachnil¡¯s face with one hand.
Rachnil¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
¡°Got you.¡±
The silver-blue-haired boy, Isaac, spoke in a cold tone.
His crimson eyes, filled with murderous intent, locked onto Rachnil. From the hand that tightly gripped Rachnil¡¯s face, a deadly, intense cold surged forth.
¡°President¡?¡±
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
Dorothy and Kaya were both stunned.
[Huh¡?]
Rachnil couldn¡¯tprehend it. For some reason, Isaac¡¯s ice magic was working on him, despite being a fairy.
Unknown to him, Isaac¡¯s mana had been imbued with his unique trait [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge].
¡°While the floor regenerated in an instant, several greatswords floating in the air targeted Isaac, Isaac, without paying any attention, plunged Rachnil¡¯s head into the regenerated ground.
Boom!!
[Ack!]
With a resounding crash, the incredibly hard floor caved in, and cracks formed.
It was terrifying, superhuman strength.
A cross-shaped vein popped out on Isaac¡¯s forehead. Despite the fury boiling inside him, his mind was calcting magic forms at incredible speed.
The seven ice magic circles he had set up in the air fired [Icebolt], a 7-star ice spell, at the many greatswords targeting Isaac.
Crash!!!
The fierce cold shot out like lightning, splitting into several streams and shattering the greatswords all at once, causing violent explosions.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t have deployed such a strong barrier, huh? You couldn¡¯t even sense my mana.¡±
Boom!!
Boom!!
Even as he spoke, Isaac cast Frost Explosion repeatedly into Rachnil¡¯s face, which he held tightly.
The ground repeatedly distorted, and a bitter cold wind whirled around them.
Rachnil¡¯s face, twisted in a grotesque grimace, was engulfed by the relentless pale blue explosions. No one had the chance to see his expression.
[This bastard¡!]
Rachnil grabbed onto Isaac¡¯s arm and tried to struggle, but Isaac¡¯s ice magic poured out with such force that it threatened to shatter even Rachnil¡¯s arm.
The Iron Knights and numerous greatswords all aimed at Isaac at once, but he resisted by relentlessly unleashing [Frost Glitter] and [Icebolt].
The powerful, highly concentrated mana shed, causing shockwaves to continuously spread outward.
No matter the status, fairies were also living creatures. Rachnil also had a brain capable of thought and a body structure that could perform vital functions.
With Rachnil now thrown into confusion, Isaac nned to inflict as much damage as possible before Rachnil could regain hisposure.
He couldn¡¯t let his guard down for a moment.
Allowing even a single attack would result in a fatal wound.
¡°Senior Dorothy! Kaya!¡±
Ian and Noah ascended the stairs, joining the girls.
Without speaking, they all silently agreed to help Isaac.
Crash!!!
Boom!!!
A barrage of divine sword strikes, dozens of des forged from iron mana, waves of starlight, and a storm of blood all crashed down on Rachnil¡¯s minions and weapons.
Rachnil¡¯s greatswords were deflected, and the Iron Knights took defensive stances.
Meanwhile, Isaac, like a madman, mmed high-intensity ice spells into Rachnil¡¯s iron body, determined to break it apart.
¡°Who has to die, you say?¡±
The blood vessels in Isaac¡¯s eyes stood out, turning them red.
The overwhelming emotions in his chest made his icy voice tremble.
[Get out of the way¡! Agh!]
Boooom!!!
Rachnil¡¯s rage-filled voice was drowned out by the deafening sound of [Frost Explosion].
The audience chamber of the iron sanctuary had turned into a freezer, with the fierce crackling of ice magic and iron magic shing violently.
Isaac peered down at Rachnil, ring.
His bloodshot eyes were filled with a cold rage and murderous intent.
¡°The one who has to die is you, Rachnil.¡±
To Isaac, Dorothy was someone who absolutely had to live.
No matter what anyone said, no matter how the world turned out.
Isaac could never allow Dorothy¡¯s death.
¡°I¡¯ll kill you, even if it costs me my life.¡±
The relentless onught of ice magic eventually caused cracks in Rachnil¡¯s body.
For the first time, Rachnil was feeling a chilling fear towards a human.
Chapter 296: Iron Fairy Subjugation (6)
¡°Huph!¡±
Crash!!
Mateo Jordanaunched a powerful punch infused with rock mana.
A powerful st of wind and a storm of stones surged forward, shattering the Iron Knight into pieces upon impact.
¡°Ohh! Senior Mateo, what was that move?!¡±
¡°Stop making a fuss. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Mateo didn¡¯t show particr delight at Abel¡¯s admiration.
On the first floor of the Iron Sanctuary.
The students of M?rchen Academy were scattered, busy searching for keys.
With the note Isaac had provided, they were navigating the puzzles and traps set up for the Academy sh quite smoothly, but¡The Iron Knights were getting stronger and more cunning, wielding items and dying their search for the keys.
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°What¡¯s this¡?¡±
Abel¡¯s team spotted something on the ground, startling them.
It was a ck bodysuit, but a crater had formed around where it had fallen.
The first floor of the Iron Sanctuary mirrored the Academy sh stage, except for the divided areas, so the ground wasn¡¯t repairing itself.
¡°A trap? No, it doesn¡¯t seem like a trap.¡±
¡°It just looks like clothes¡? Like those magic training suits. It looks like one of those.¡±
The suit was a magic tool that could increase its weight, and this one seemed to have an unimaginable weight capacity.
Just dropping it had created a crater on the ground.
Abel tried to lift it with both hands.
He barely got it up to his knees, his face reddening with the strain.
To the other students, it looked likeedic pstick.
¡°Kugh!¡±
Abel set the suit down with a thud.
As it hit the ground, it made a dull thud and kicked up a cloud of dust.
¡°Who could¡¯ve left something like this¡?¡±
At that moment, Abel remembered riding in the carriage with Isaac.
For a brief moment, the heavy carriage had tilted towards Isaac.
The students looked up at the high ceiling. They had felt the oppressive weight of a formidable mana pressing down on them, radiating intense anger.
¡°Senior Isaac¡¡±
It wasn¡¯t hard to guess the source of the mana.
Their gaze followed upward to the top floor of the sanctuary.
sh!! sh!!
As Rachnil countered Isaac¡¯s assault with a flurry of des, Isaac had no choice but to pull back.
Injured, Isaac pushed off the ground and rejoined Dorothy, Kaya, Ian, and Noah. The aura of the [Ice Sovereign] emanated from Isaac.
Seeing the pinnacle of the ice element for the first time, Noah looked at Isaac with awe. Could there be another human other than an elemental king that was this overwhelming? ?
The problem was¡ their enemy was at the apex of all creatures.
¡°Unbelievable¡¡±
Ian gaped in shock.
Rachnil¡¯s body slowly rose into the air.
The onught of the [Ice Sovereign] attacks left Rachil¡¯s body in tatters, visible cracks covered his body.
[To have gotten this far, you must have faced knights far stronger than those on the first floor¡]
¡°I destroyed them all.¡±
A mere human¡ has driven me to this point. For that, Imend you.
Rachnil¡¯s grotesquely twisted face red at Isaac and the others.
Iron mana radiated from Rachnil, creating a dense formation of greatswords.
Simultaneously, several Iron Knights were absorbed into Rachnil, restoring his body to its original state.
¡°What? He recovered from that damage so easily?¡±
¡°No, the damage is building up.¡±
Isaac responded to Ian¡¯s astonishment with a cold tone.
¡°Don¡¯t be shocked. This ce has turned into Rachnil¡¯s sanctuary. In their own sanctuary, fairies hold the upper hand over anyone else. Rachnil is no exception.¡±
This ce was the Iron Sanctuary.
Fairies, seeking natural order, often established contracts with humans in the area to prevent conflicts when creating sanctuaries. It was the most peaceful approach.
However, Rachnil forcefully imed this area as his sanctuary. It was a tant crime against order and humanity, but it was still a legitimate way to create a sanctuary.
Ultimately, it was only natural that Rachnil would be the strongest here.
¡°Kaya, how¡¯s White doing?¡±
¡°She seems to be showing symptoms. Just like you said, she¡¯s starting to suffer from a high fever.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
There were signs that the fairy¡¯s power was beginning to manifest.
Isaac drew the Obsidian de and stabbed it into the ground. A clear, ringing sound echoed as metal shed against metal.
¡°From now on, follow my lead. Today, we¡¯re taking down that fairy.¡±
Dorothy, Kaya, Ian, and Noah all nodded and prepared for battle.
Meanwhile, outside the Iron Sanctuary.
¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve brought Princess Snow White, but her condition seems critical¡!¡±
¡°White?¡±
People had evacuated to a shelter on a high hill to escape the iron sea spreading on the ground.
In the center of this refuge, the Imperial Knights and Merlin Astrea had brought Snow White to Emperor Carlos.
White, lying on Merlin¡¯s back, was groaning and sweating profusely from the high fever.
¡°Call the healers immediately!¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
White wasid on a bed, and Emperor Carlos watched his daughter with a worried expression.
Explosions and magic echoed outside, shaking the building.
¡°Why is White in this state? Is it because of the fairy? Exin, Merlin Astrea!¡±
¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. Since the Iron Fairy appeared, Princess Snow White¡¯s body temperature has risen rapidly. We believe there is a connection.¡±
¡°Have the Wizard Unit investigate the cause and use all resources to find a way to support the Ice Sovereign inside the Iron Sanctuary! We can¡¯t let the mysterious powers of a fairy defeat us so easily!¡±
Even the strongest individuals in the Empire couldn¡¯t breach the Iron Sanctuary that Rachnil had established.
Only Dorothy and Kaya, the kins of Ste and Sylphia, had managed to enter.
However, if they couldn¡¯t support Isaac, the reputation of the Zelver Empire would be tarnished.
¡°Haa, haa¡¡±
Whitey with her eyes tightly shut, breathing heavily. She could faintly hear the surrounding sounds.
Her mind was hazy as if she were straddling the line between dream and reality.
Despite her headache which felt as if needles were piercing her brain, she couldn¡¯t fully regain consciousness. Even the energy to be in pain felt like a luxury.
A healer arrived and began casting healing magic on White, but her condition showed no signs of improvement.
¡°Senior Isaac¡¡±
In the darkness, the image of the silver-blue-haired boy appeared in White¡¯s vision.
¡°Princess White?¡±
Merlin and Emperor Carlos watched her with worried eyes.
Her face flushed from the fever, White squinted at Merlin.
¡°Ehehe¡ I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m¡¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak, Princess White.¡±
¡°Senior Isaac is fighting hard¡ I can¡¯t let him see me like this¡¡±
With a faint smile, White tried to move and get out of bed.
The healer tried to stop her but couldn¡¯t bring himself to touch the Princess.
When White nearly copsed, Merlin rushed to support her.
¨C You¡¯ll start feeling feverish soon. That¡¯s when it begins.
¡°I need to¡plete the final mentoring properly¡¡±
White remembered Isaac¡¯s voice, drifting into her past memories.
***About a month prior, on a dark night.
In a corner of the Hydrangea Garden, Isaac and White stood facing each other, hands joined, practicing their mana mastery.
¡°White, I have something I need to confess.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s time I finally tell you.¡±
The mood was thick with emotion.
Theke, glowing with natural mana, lit the night like a vastmp, casting a soft glow in Isaac¡¯s eyes.
White swallowed hard, her mouth dry.
In such an atmosphere, with an older man like Isaac, who had an irresistible charm, the word ¡°confession¡± was almost lethal to a teenage girl.
¡°Ah, yes¡? A confession¡? You mean like spilling your deep emotions? Senior Isaac, to me¡?!¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°Ah, nothing, just wanted to be sure¡¡±
White couldn¡¯t help but me herself for asionally feeling flustered around her mentor, Isaac.
Isaac withdrew his mana.
¡°The truth is, I approached you with a specific purpose. And now, it seems I¡¯ve aplished it.¡±
¡°What purpose¡?¡±
¡°Listen carefully, White. This is about you.¡±
That night, Isaac revealed an unbelievable truth to White.
He exined that the Elfieto royal bloodline was blessed by the Night Fairy Nix, and among them, White was the most profoundly affected by this blessing.
Isaac predicted that soon, she would have to use that power.
¡°¡I¡¯ve been making you stronger for this moment. Now that you¡¯ve reached a certain level, I, who have been in close contact with your mana, have gained the power to oppose the fairies. But you are only able to share that power with one person, and that person is now me.¡±
¡°That¡ I don¡¯t really understand what you¡¯re saying¡¡±
¡°To put it simply, I¡¯ve used you.¡±
White gasped at Isaac¡¯s blunt admission.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier. I wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible.¡±
His honest words were conveyed with a gentle, calm demeanor.
White bowed her head.
¡°So, you didn¡¯t trust me¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±
White lifted her head, smiling brightly at Isaac.
¡°Thank you for telling me. A mentor and a mentee¡ once the teaching is over, we no longer have a connection. So, I guess it makes sense that our rtionship is just that, right?¡±
A rtionship formed for mutual benefit.
That was the kind of rtionship that put White at ease.
In retrospect, White felt particrly open to Isaac not because of his goodwill, but because he did not extend it blindly.
A strict give-and-take. That was what made White feelfortable.
Trusting someone meant exposing a weakness. Someone¡¯s unconditional goodwill could one day turn into a threat.
This was a belief White had developed after enduring numerous attempts on her life by her mother.
There was a sharp pain in her chest, a sign of her vulnerability.
But she was fine. White smiled gently.
¡°Honestly, even with all that, I still don¡¯t really understand. The me I know is just a weakling who couldn¡¯t even hit someone I disliked. Hehe, I¡¯m just d I was able to help you, Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°Can you help me if I need you?¡±
¡°That¡¯s cruel¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡After that, I¡¯ll no longer be of any use to Senior, right? We won¡¯t be able to be together like we used to, will we?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve alreadypleted all the mentoring sessions.¡±
Isaac spoke firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t be teaching you anymore.¡±
White had often felt that Isaac was looking toward a distant future.
The future seemed so daunting that even an archwizard like Isaac showed signs of impatience.
Maybe it was just her imagination. How could she possibly understand the mind of an archwizard?
The only thing she knew for sure was that all she could do was hold Isaac back.
¡°¡Ehehe, you¡¯re really cruel.¡±
White gazed at the beautifulke imbued with natural mana.
She recalled the times spent with Isaac in the Hydrangea Garden at M?rchen Academy.
Those moments were as beautiful as the blooming flowers. And like those flowers, perhaps they would one day wither away.
Suddenly, she recalled the embarrassing moment when she had clung to Isaac, begging him not to leave.
Isaac had promised he would never leave her side, and White remembered every word he said that day.
Once again, White realized that they were merely mentor and mentee, connected only by the academy.
Liar.
Even though he would eventually leave.
White looked back at Isaac and forced a smile.
¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I believe it¡¯s my duty as a Princess to help you, Senior Isaac. You¡¯ve worked so hard to protect everyone. So, I¡¯m on your side. I¡¯ll do my best to see you smile until the end.¡±
¡°¡Thanks.¡±
That day, Isaac was annoyingly calm.
White kept reminding herself that it was inevitable.
***The memory of the most beautiful mother in the world lingered in White¡¯s thoughts. She shone like a precious jewel.
White admired her mother¡¯s beauty.
Even when her mother threatened her life, White continued to feel that way until the truth was revealed.
¡°Merlin¡¡±
¡°Yes, Princess White.¡±
The realization that the pocket watch her mother gave to her was nothing more than a cruel tool to ensnare her in an endless torment¡ tightened around White¡¯s heart once more.
She found herself unable to trust anyone.
To her, it seemed that trusting someone would only lead to a de against her neck someday.
Isaac was no exception. A mentor, an archwizard, what difference did it make?
Though White admired him and showered him with affection, if someone asked whether he was trustworthy, White would hesitate to answer.
Isaac had subtly drawn boundaries with White, which made White feel secure in liking him.
It was a rtionship full of irony.
And this was where it had led them.
¡°Merlin, you won¡¯t leave me, will you¡?¡±
With a sense of hollowness, White smiled. It was a self-deprecatingugh.
Merlin averted her gaze.
¡°Yes, I won¡¯t leave you.¡±
¡°Hehehe¡ thank you¡¡±
Lies.
Even you will leave me one day.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
You are only here because you were ordered to be my escort knight.
¡°Take me to the window¡ I have to help Senior Isaac¡¡±
White¡¯s face showed no emotion.
All she wanted now was to do what needed to be done.
¡°Who¡¯s there¡?! Kugh!¡±
Suddenly, a sharp scream and a crashing sound echoed from the hallway.
Merlin quickly stood up and grasped the hilt of her sword.
Emperor Carlos red towards the entrance.
Boom!!
The door burst open, and a bloodied Imperial Knight tumbled across the ground.
Someone entered.
Just one person.
¡°A demon¡?¡±
White¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at the creature.
Its bizarre appearance made it easy to guess it was a demon.
Merlin noticed the demon¡¯s strength and frowned. Its aura reminded her of the demon from the Alice incident.
The knights and wizards in the room readied themselves for battle, but the demon merely smiled casually.
[Pleased to make your acquaintance, Emperor of the Zelver Empire.]
The demon bowed courteously.
[I am Mephisto. I greet you through the body of my contractor.]
Chapter 297: Iron Fairy Subjugation (7)
¡°Kill that bastard immediately!¡±
Emperor Carlos eximed.
Before those words could even leave his mouth, Merlin appeared before Mephisto and swung her sword.
Swoosh!
The sharp sword strike aimed at Mephisto, but¡
Thud.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Mephisto caught the swiftly moving de with just his fingers.
It was unbelievable. Merlin¡¯s eyes widened.
But Merlin¡¯s judgment was swift. She gave up her sword, swiftly pivoted, and delivered a powerful kick.
But even that was effortlessly caught and blocked by Mephisto¡¯s hand.Ssss!
Boom!!
¡°Ugh!!¡±
Heavy dark mana enveloped Merlin before exploding in her abdomen.
Merlin¡¯s body was flung across the floor, rolling until it hit the wall. Her body convulsed, and blood poured from her mouth and abdomen. No matter how much she tried to move, she couldn¡¯t find her bnce to stand.
Mephisto smirked as he looked at Emperor Carlos.
[Without the Ice Sovereign around~ Who¡¯s killing who? If you keep ignoring me like this, it¡¯ll really hurt my feelings, you know?]
¡°You bitch¡ Were you waiting for the Ice Sovereign to be trapped in that sanctuary?¡±
[Correct! Even if it¡¯s petty, what can I do? Even I am afraid of the Ice Sovereign! It¡¯s better for my mental health if I don¡¯t face such a monster. Now then, Princess Snow White?]
Mephisto looked at White and gave a sinister smile.
[Despite the clock bing useless, I¡¯m still bound with the duty to drag you into hell.]
¡°What are you talking about now¡?¡±
[Well, I made a contract with your mother you see!]
White¡¯s trembling stopped.
Her mother¡¯s contractor. She had already heard about him after the Alice incident.
¡°So, it was you¡¡±
Her low voice carried fury.
Crash!
The charging knights and wizards were struck by Mephisto¡¯s dark magic, coughing up blood as their bodies were sent flying.
Even the elite of the Empire couldn¡¯ty a hand on him.
The strength of Mephisto, an agent of the Evil God, was beyond the reach of ordinary humans.
¡°Is there no one out there?!!¡±
[Everyone¡¯s sleeping soundly, so let¡¯s not wake them, shall we?]
¡°You insolent bitch¡!¡±
[Your profanity is quite inappropriate, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m in a hurry, so I¡¯m generously overlooking it, but instead of showing gratitude, you hurl insults at me. How disappointing.]
All the Imperial troops in the hallway had been defeated by Mephisto and lost consciousness.
Mephisto slowly approached White.
White stared nkly at her approaching death.
She recalled why her mother had tried to assassinate her. It was so absurd that she had believed it was a lie for a while.
It was the jealousy her mother felt, thinking her daughter was more beautiful than herself.
And that ridiculous feeling of jealousy had persistently haunted White even after her mother¡¯s death.
Because of that, White felt a stronger sense of emptiness than fear.
[I was powerless when the Ice Sovereign was around. But not anymore.]
¡°¡¡±
Mephisto knelt on one knee, lifted White¡¯s chin, and met her gaze up close.
The demon¡¯s eyes were grotesquely deformed, yet they held a unique aesthetic appeal.
¡°White!¡±
When Emperor Carlos tried to move toward his daughter, Mephisto extended his arm, brimming with dark mana, toward him.
Emperor Carlos gritted his teeth, having no choice but to stop.
[Snow White¡ You truly are the most beautiful human in this world. Your death will be a painful loss to humanity. Ah, how tragic¡.]
¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±
[¡I beg your pardon?]
Suddenly, a question popped into White¡¯s mind.
Up until now, Mephisto couldn¡¯t approach White recklessly because of Isaac. But with Isaac now captured by the Iron Fairy, Mephisto could move more freely.
This could be inferred from both the past Alice incident and what Mephisto had just said.
Then how did Mephisto know things would turn out this way?
How did someone who had been on the run from Isaac¡¯s forces manage to arrive here, where Isaac was, at just the right moment? It was as if he knew in advance¡
¡°How did you know things would turn out like this¡? You have a partner, don¡¯t you?¡±
A partner.
At those words, Mephisto smirked.
[How admirable. To be this noble even in the face of death. Your beauty shines serenely.]
¡°Princess White¡!¡±
The sound of raging, blood-choked coughing. Merlin, with blood in her mouth, screamed White¡¯s name, wing at the floor as she tried to crawl toward her.
Her fingernails werepletely torn. Her entire body was wracked with intense pain. But despite ignoring it and trying to move forward somehow, Merlin¡¯s body, eroded by dark mana, refused to obey.
Mephisto swiftly grabbed White¡¯s head with his long fingers. Dark mana rose from his hand like smoke.
White gently closed her eyes.
Suddenly, the only thing that shed through her mind was her chaotic past.
Because of her mother¡¯s assassination scheme, White, in her childhood, bit into a poisoned apple.
As young White slowly died, she quietly gazed at the sky shining through the trees. Her fading consciousness. Her lifeless eyes witnessed death descending from the sky.
It was so brilliant and beautiful that White reached her fragile arm toward the sky.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
In her memory of lying in the grass, dying as a child, Isaac appeared.
Isaac looked down at White and asked.
Princess White?
Merlin appeared beside Isaac, looking at White with a worried expression.
It would have been nice to have onest pleasant conversation.
Even some insignificant small talk that she wouldn¡¯t rememberter might have made things less regretful.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of help, Senior Isaac.¡±
At that moment, all White felt was regret and sorrow.
¡°Stop!!¡±
Emperor Carlos shouted at the top of his lungs.
It was then.
Boom!!
The outer wall by the window was broken through, and someone flew in at incredible speed.
In an instant, an axe de enveloped in chill targeted Mephisto.
[¡!!]
sh!!
The ax cut through the air. Mephisto let go of white, narrowly dodging the ax¡¯s de.
Everyone in the hall stared at the hooded figure holding arge two-handed axe.
When the figure threw off the cloak, a tall woman with light blue hair appeared. A long, noticeable scar ran across her face.
Mephisto frowned.
The light blue-haired woman radiated cold air from her entire body and shed a feral grin at Mephisto.
¡°As expected, our lord predicted everything!¡±
[And you are?]
¡°Isabel Silverwolf!¡±
Three more hooded figures entered through the broken wall.
They all removed their hoods.
Dorhan, arge, white tiger Demibeast.
A bald-headed brawler, Karius Alsav.
And a female wizard, Erich Leverins, who was giggling with a flushed face from the alcohol.
Each one of them was a Legionmander of D¨¹pfendorf.
¡°I serve Lord Isaac, the ruler of D¨¹pfendorf.¡±
Isabel swung her two-handed axe and assumed a battle stance.
Judging by their hooded cloaks, it was easy for anyone to realize that they had infiltrated Aldreque.
White, Emperor Carlos, and Merlin looked at the Legionmanders of D¨¹pfendorf. Their minds were filled with confusion, unsure of what was happening.
¡°Hehehe, ha.¡±
Erich meekly waved her hand in the air.
Boom!!
An ice magic circle appeared behind Mephisto, and at the same time, an ice pir shot up, sting Mephisto away.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the area. While Mephisto wasn¡¯t heavily injured, his body was flung out of the building like a ball.
Crash!!
As Mephisto was sent flying through the air, Dorhan, the white tiger Demibeast, charged at him and swung his massive fist, encased in an ice gauntlet.
Along with the sound of something shattering, Mephisto¡¯s body sliced through the air with a violent tearing sound, heading toward the Iron Sea.
The other Legionmanders of D¨¹pfendorf also stepped outside through the broken wall, intending to attack Mephisto all at once.
¡°Wait a moment!¡±
Isabel was about to leap through the broken wall as well.
At White¡¯s shout, Isabel stopped in her tracks.
¡°You all¡ you¡¯re on Senior Isaac¡¯s side, right¡? What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Princess Snow White, our lord hasmanded us to protect you.¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
Isabel looked at White and smiled, revealing her fanged white teeth.
©¤ This is a message from our lord. The demon Mephisto has allied with the Heavenly beings, and there is a high possibility that he will target Princess Snow White in the future. Therefore, all Legionmanders must follow my instructions.
Infiltrate Aldreque and protect Snow White.
¡°Well, this is more or less how you should see it. Our lord values you greatly.¡±
Leaving those words behind, Isabel threw herself through the broken wall.
The wind rushed into the room.
Somehow, Merlin, covered in blood, had crawled to reach White.
Emperor Carlos hugged White, asking if she was okay, but White couldn¡¯t hear a single sound.
White looked at Merlin¡¯s face, filled with relief, grateful that things had turned out well.
She nced around the hall once more and then raised her hands.
¡°Ah, ah¡¡±
Her hands were trembling.
Memories of the time when she was close to epting death resurfaced. If her mother had despised her that much, surely she must have been a bad child, she thought.
When she had given up on life, her eyes had only gazed at the brilliant lighting down from the sky.
But then, she heard the sound of birds chirping, and when she turned her head, she saw vibrant, beautiful flowers in her sight.
At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel how beautiful the world had been.
White grasped the grass with her now pale-blue hands, desperately clinging to life, as if even the light descending from the sky lost its brilliance in the face of her struggle.
As if in response to her desperation, the dwarves, who appeared like young girls, found White and came to her aid.
White had to fall into a deep sleep until the poison was neutralized.
The price of trusting people had been heavy.
Yet, White had still tried to show affection to people.
Perhaps, in her own way, that was her revenge against the mother who had tried to drag her into hell.
But now, her hands were empty.
There would have been nothing left.
So she thought, but when she looked back, she saw the people who had been standing behind her, protecting her.
Among them, the young man with the silver-blue hair looked at White and asked if she was alright.
His face resembled the same expression he had when he hadforted her after she was carried away from her duel with the Priestess.
White covered her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling.
She barely managed to stifle her sobs, yet for a long time, White couldn¡¯t bring herself to lift her head.
Chapter 298: Iron Fairy Subjugation (8)
?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was universally recognized as a notoriously challenging game.
I remember when I first faced Iron Fairy Rachnil in the game, thinking, What kind of absurd pattern will this guy show this time?
Yes, this was exactly it.
Kagagagak!!!
A barrage of countless swords rained down with bullet-like speed.
Each greatsword was imbued with dense mana, making it nearly impossible for us to break through them one by one.
Noah conjured an iron wall with his iron mana, while I reinforced it with [Fossilized Ice],bining ice and rock mana.
We channeled our mana to maintain that defensive wall against the relentless shower of greatswords.
Boom!!
Dorothy focused on disrupting the physical force in front of the wall to slow down the falling greatswords.Even Dorothy couldn¡¯t ovee the fairy¡¯s greatswords with their unimaginable mana density. The best she could do was to reduce their speed.
Even if the greatswords managed to bypass Dorothy¡¯s interference and pierce my [Fossilized Ice], their weakened state couldn¡¯t break through Noah¡¯s iron wall.
I continuously restored the [Fossilized Ice]. Our defense was unyielding.
[Kekekeke¡!]
Kaya concentrated on casting [Field of ughter], a spellbining blood and nt magic, to steadily drain Rachnil¡¯s life force. The eerieughter of the [Field of ughter] echoed intermittently.
The greatswords darting through the air shed at the pesky [Field of ughter], yet Kaya persistently bombarded Rachnil with aggressive nt magic.
Ian concentrated his Divine Power into the Luminous Sword, preparing it for a decisive blow.
[Will you continue to cower? Where has your bravado from moments ago vanished to? Have you already realized your recklessness, human?]
Rachnil scoffed and shouted in an excited voice as if he found it ridiculous. It seemed he was extremely angry about what I did to him.
¡°Can we really just stay like this?!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
Noah, his brow furrowed as he poured out his mana, shouted loudly.
If we rxed even a little, the defensive wall would be pierced by Rachnil¡¯s attack, and our bodies would be mercilessly torn apart by the iing greatswords.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can hold out much longer¡!¡±
Noah¡¯s breath was ragged.
He was continually having his iron mana drained by Rachnil, and his limit was fast approaching.
Rachnil must have noticed this a while ago.
That was why Rachnil was keeping this standoff. Eventually, this defense would crumble.
¡°Hold on.¡±
But this was the best we could do.
¡°Because an opportunity to counterattack will definitelye.¡±
First, we had to endure and survive.
There was only one condition to defeat Rachnil in the Iron Sanctuary.
To meet that condition, we had to hold out against him now.
The reason I tried to inflict as much damage on Rachnil as possible was because the better his condition, the stronger his magic would be, weakening our defenses. ??
¡°Even in this situation¡ is there a way to defeat that fairy?¡±
¡°I told you. I¡¯d win.¡±
¡°¡I¡¯ll trust you. If someone like you says so, it must be true.¡±
Noah nodded, breaking into a cold sweat.
At that moment, I felt a breeze in my mind and a system window appeared in my vision.
A demon has been detected nearby.
What?
Detected a demon?
ording to the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? scenario, demons shouldn¡¯t appear in this part.
Therefore, it was obvious which demon appeared.
Mephisto¡!
It could only be that wretched bastard.
My mind raced with quick deductions.
Vuel and Mephisto were in cahoots, and Iron Fairy Rachnil had shown up early at Vuel¡¯s behest.
Rachnil wouldn¡¯t take orders from anyone. Vuel must have made an irresistible offer to Rachnil.
Vuel needed to target the ck Stone when the Heavenly Clock was active, leaving nothing for him to offer Rachnil at the moment.
So?
Mephisto must have agreed to do something for Rachnil¡
Thinking that way made sense.
What risk did Rachnil take on in this scenario? He turned humanity and the fairies into his enemies.
He would have to bear that risk entirely on his own, just like in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
If there was a way to minimize that risk and still benefit his ally Mephisto¡
What could that be?
¡Thanatos.
The final boss of Semester 2 Year 2 ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Thanatos the Ruination
Simply bringing him forth prematurely.
If Thanatos could be an ally, even Rachnil would be tempted.
In the game, Thanatos the Ruination resurrected at a critical moment.
It meant it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to appear when Mephisto wanted. That was why I had considered the early revival of Thanatos during thest vacation.
If I¡¯m right, we¡¯re in danger¡
If the Abyss was already aplete powerhouse, Thanatos was a monster that grew endlessly stronger.
Except in certain situations, he was unbeatable, and with time, Thanatos¡¯s power increased exponentially.
To block Thanatos¡¯s attacks, powerful magic was required, but he absorbed such magic and used it as nourishment.
There was no other way to block his attacks.
Ultimately, leaving Thanatos unchecked would lead to a future filled with despair.
With Mephisto¡¯s greatest threats, myself and the Child of Light, Ian, confined in the Fairy Sanctuary, now was the perfect time to resurrect Thanatos.
White¡ I beg you.
Everything depended on White.
If White didn¡¯t rally the fairies soon, the situation would uncontrobly descend into chaos.
Meanwhile, outside the Iron Sanctuary.
In Aldreque, silver mana ebbed and flowed, creating a sea of iron.
Fragments of buildings and structures floated aimlessly.
The iron sea exerted immense pressure, crushing everything it consumed, leaving the drifting debris in a dire state.
The four Legion Commanders of D¨¹pfendorfnded on one of the few intact structures.
¡°We haven¡¯t taken significant damage. Stay alert.¡±
The First Legion Commander, Dorhan, a white tiger beastman, said solemnly.
The ice magic cast by the Fourth Legion Commander, Erich, was merely meant to drive Mephisto away.
Mephisto must still be alive and well.
Boom!!
Eventually, a grotesque figure leaped from the murky sea and lightly descended onto the rubble of the building.
The Legion Commanders simultaneously tookbat stances toward the creature.
[As expected, this body isn¡¯t great¡ It¡¯s quite weak, isn¡¯t it?]
Mephisto grabbed the back of her neck, stretching and turning it.
His body had twisted grotesquely from his plunge into the iron sea.
Half of his face was severely distorted, with one eye protruding. His arms and torso were twisted and torn in various ces.
An ordinary human would have died instantly.
[Are you followers of the Ice Sovereign?]
¡°Go to hell.¡±
Whoosh!
The Third Legion Commander, Isabel Silverwolf, and the Second Legion Commander, the bald-headed Karius Alsav, lunged at Mephisto.
Isabel gripped her twin silver axes, Farahorn, with both hands.
Karius swung his frost-coated long weapon, but Mephisto leaped high, evading their strikes.
Mephistonded on the roof of a nearby building.
[Go to hell? Such harsh words could even wound the feelings of someone like myself, you know?]
Mephisto spoke pitifully, cing his twisted fingers on his chest and closing his eyes.
Isabel, feeling incredulous, spat in disgust.
[By the way, shall we recall one fact?]
Mephisto turned his head to the side and looked at the tall Iron Sanctuary.
[The Ice Sovereign you serve is now captured by the Iron Fairy, correct?]
¡°So what?¡±
[Do you think I woulde alone, seizing such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?]
¡°Ha, what utter nonsense¡!¡±
The Legion Commanders were about tounch an attack on Mephisto simultaneously.
Suddenly, a piercing ringing filled their ears, causing the hairs on their skin to stand on end.
A chilling sensation ran down their spines. Their eyes widened simultaneously without anyone prompting them.
All their gazes snapped in the same direction. Far away, unbelievable mana surged and spread throughout the world.
[¡Atst, you¡¯vee. I¡¯ve been expecting you.]
For a moment, silence fell over the world.
The growl of a beast reverberated through the minds of mankind.
Kwaaaang!!!!
In a very distant ce, in the wilderness once ravaged by the Floating Ind, immense dark green mana surged, causing a massive magical explosion.
Even from this distant ce of Aldreque, the explosion was vividly visible, and the deafening roar was unmistakably heard.
Not only the four Legion Commanders of D¨¹pfendorf but also everyone else felt the same emotion.
That¡ was dangerous.
¡°Damn demon, what kind of monstrosity have you awakened¡?¡±
To the shocked Isabel, Mephisto sped his hands behind his back and answered politely.
[The Ice Sovereign is incredibly powerful and dangerous. His power is sheer irrationality. Overwhelming! To face such a being, I had to bring forth someone just as formidable, don¡¯t you think?]
The pressure of the mana became clearer.
The ground rumbled, and the Iron Sea surged violently.
Something colossal and overwhelming rose from the storm of dark green mana.
The colossal creature clutched an enormous magic staff with its thick arms, radiating a chilling aura.
Ruination.
The power of death and annihtion glowed dark green in the creature¡¯s eyes and blossomed brilliantly.
The Legion Commanders, the evacuees, Emperor Carlos, and Merlin Astrea trembled before the creature. The surging instinct to survive was almost impossible to suppress.
Everyone had the same feeling.
That demon could not be defeated.
[Wee, Thanatos!]
Mephisto spread his arms wide and eximed in a voiceced with amusement.
[ROAAAR!!!]
Thanatos the Ruination.
The ferocious roar of the supreme demon shook the heavens and earth.
Chapter 299: Iron Fairy Subjugation (9)
Chapter 299: Iron Fairy Subjugation (9)Above the iron sea that filled Aldreque.
Those who couldn¡¯t evacuate to shelters fled to higher ground.
Thanatos the Ruination scattered annihtion mana as he red in the direction of Aldreque. It had the ferocity of a beast that had found its prey.
¡°If only Charlotte had been here¡!¡±
If Charlotte, the number one magic authority in the Zelver Empire and archwizard, had been here, she might have been able to protect Aldreque from those demons somehow.
However, Emperor Carlos had brought only his elite forces to Aldreque. No one, except for those who orchestrated the event, could have foreseen such a disaster.
In the distance, eerie mana began to gather in the mana stone attached to Thanatos¡¯ staff. Emperor Carlos swallowed nervously.
It was grand. A magic circle of immeasurable size unfolded, ready to cast a spell of destruction.
Thanatos extended his staff in the direction of Aldreque.
¡°Your Majesty, at least evacuate Princess Snow White, if only for her sake!!¡±¡°No¡ Stop it. There¡¯s no other way.¡±
¡°But!¡±
¡°Ry this to everyone in the frontlines of the Imperial Wizard Unit! Even if it means exhausting their mana, they must pour out their mana at full power and protect Aldreque!!¡±
¡°I will¡ obey your orders¡!¡±
The Imperial Wizard, who had barely regained his senses and was casting a healing spell on himself, replied.
It was merely a healing spell for emergency treatment, but it was enough for him to force his body to move.
The Imperial Wizard barely managed to stand, threw himself through the breached outer wall, and used wind magic to lift himself and fly somewhere.
And then.
[Graaaahhh!!!]
Thanatos roared.
The condensed mana in his staff seemed ready to shoot at any moment.
It was a power that killed instantly upon contact and even burned the soul.
The undeniable and terrifying mana ripped through the ground and nketed the sky, striking fear into the hearts of humans.
Aldreque held its breath.
Emperor Carlos felt it in that instant. The power couldn¡¯t be stopped. Even if the Imperial Wizards there deployed a barrier at maximum output, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.
¡It was then that the strange event urred.
Rumbleeeeee!!
Boom!!!
A blinding sh of light.
Afterward, a vast expanse of purple lightning rained down on Thanatos from the sky, like divine judgment.
Unlike lightning that vanishes in an instant, the lightning st raged like a storm, relentlessly engulfing Thanatos.
The strike radiated a dazzling brilliance, even from afar.
Crackle!!
A man formed from lightning mana appeared before Thanatos, floating in midair.
A billowing ck coat billowing and purple hair.
From Aldreque, his exact form couldn¡¯t be discerned, but it wasn¡¯t hard for anyone to recognize who could wield such powerful lightning magic.
His mana could be felt even from far away. He was already a wizard beyondprehension.
¡°The Lightning Sovereign¡?¡±
The Lightning Sovereign, Jaul Dragoniac.
The Elemental King of Lightning stood against Thanatos.
Fwooooo!!!
A swirling water magic of brilliant colors merged with the lightning.
The pressure of the deep sea weighed down on Thanatos. Its power was more than enough to devastate the entire area.
Another water vortex appeared around Thanatos and gracefully spread, revealing a beautiful woman inside.
Her blue hair flowing, she smiled.
It was the Water Sovereign, Siren Silivian.
Whhooooooo!!!
A terrifying tornado mixed with the lightning and water vortexes, amplifying the momentum of the elemental magics.
This level of Mana Mastery was beyond imagination. In the world, few could perform a joint spell with the magic of an Elemental King that if one were to count them on one hand, they¡¯d still have fingers to spare.
A petite woman enveloped in light green wind appeared. A thick arm, formed of dense wind mana, materialized in midair above her head, gripping a massive bow made of wind.
The bowstring was drawn, and an arrow formed of wind mana aimed directly at Thanatos.
The woman blinked expressionlessly. She was Erin Campbell, the Wind Sovereign.
Whoooosh!!!!
Crimson mes surged, engulfing all the elemental attacks of the Elemental Kings.
The ultra-high-temperature mes intertwined with lightning, exploding incessantly. As the mes and lightning evaporated the water, intense steam explosions ensued. The tornado utilized the resulting aftermath as part of its attack, leaving nothing unused.
Space warped from the astronomical mana. Theyered joint attack was nothing short of a disaster.
An elderly wizard, wreathed in mes, walked forward slowly, his wizard robe fluttering, staff in hand. Behind him, countless fire magic circles unfolded.
Like fine wine, his mana, condensed over long years, weighed heavily on the area.
The Elemental King with a long white beard. He was the Fire Sovereign, Andersen Versando.
¡°The Elemental Kings¡ All of them have joined the battle¡.¡±
Merlin spoke in a trembling voice.
¡°They must have judged that this demon was an immediate threat to the world.¡±
Emperor Carlos instantly understood the reason the Elemental Kings appeared.
It was the Zelver Empire. Naturally, any incident that urred there fell under the empire¡¯s jurisdiction.
However, no matter if the event urred within the empire¡¯s territory if there was an imminent risk of catastrophe striking the entire world, the Elemental Kings would appear voluntarily to join the fight.
At that point, it was no longer just an issue under the empire¡¯s jurisdiction; it became a matter where the whole world must unite its strength.
Neither the Abyss nor Rachnil, the Iron Fairy, was an immediate threat to the world. When the Abyss appeared, it merely became the night sky, observing the world, and Rachnil has only upied Aldreque so far.
On the other hand, it was clear that Thanatos posed an immediate and immense threat to the entire world.
Paaaaah!!!
With Thanatos¡¯ roar, the magic of the Elemental Kings was driven back and extinguished by dark green mes.
The condensed annihtion mana in Thanatos¡¯ massive staff dispersed, but the elemental mana that spread throughout the area was slowly absorbed by him.
Thanatos scanned the Elemental Kings that had appeared all around him.
¡°Not a single wound? To absorb all this mana¡ What an intriguing demon.¡±
The Lightning Sovereign Jaul admired.
A demon that absorbed even the mana of the Elemental Kings to fuel its growth. Its limits did not exist.
¡°If we use magic, it absorbs the power and bes stronger. Hold it off until we figure out how to defeat it.¡±
Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell spoke in an emotionless voice as she infused her wind arrow with mana.
¡°Is the absence of familiars due to the power of the fairy? For its influence to extend this far, that¡¯s impressive.¡±
Water Sovereign Siren Silivian looked at the distant Iron Sanctuary with a puzzled expression.
¡°It seems the Ice Sovereign is dealing with a fairy. The Ice Sovereign is powerful, but even he would find it difficult to defeat a fairy¡¡±
No matter how strong the Ice Sovereign was, he was still just an ice wizard.
To defeat a Fairy, one ultimately needed the power of a Fairy.
¡°If it¡¯s the Ice Sovereign, he¡¯ll manage somehow. Do you think the strongest of us would face the Iron Fairy without a n?¡±
As the Fire Sovereign swung his staff, an immense wave of me spread out.
¡°We will deal with this demon.¡±
The Elemental Kings spread their elemental mana as they prepared to fight Thanatos.
¡°Senior Isaac¡¡±
¡°White? Can you move?¡±
As Snow White suddenly approached the broken outer wall, Emperor Carlos asked in a worried voice.
White understood that the Elemental Kings had appeared to stop a powerful demon, but she didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to focus on that situation.
She looked outside. A dull, ashen sky and a sea of iron. The towering fairy sanctuary stood in the distance.
A gust of heavy wind blew, making White¡¯s hair and clothes flutter.
¡°Haa.¡±
White closed her eyes.
©¤ The power of the fairy you possess will surge when the fairy disrupts the bnce. Your body temperature will spike then. Keep a firm grip on your consciousness and try to master your mana. It will be difficult, but remember, that power is yours.
Isaac¡¯s image, often seen by the beautifulke at the corner of the Hydrangea Garden, filled her foggy mind.
Even though she was close to him, there were many times when she felt like he was far away.
Like someone gazing at a distant ce. White didn¡¯t know what, or what kind of scenery, he was looking at.
All she knew was that Isaac often seemed lost in deep thought.
That face always looked full of worry¡
Even though he didn¡¯t show it, she could tell. She had learned to discern those lost in thought, having faced assassination attempts since childhood.
Lately, Isaac¡¯s worries seemed to have deepened even more.
Isaac seemed to consider rxing or chatting as luxuries and lived his life in pursuit of even the slightest bit of efficiency.
A person like him probably wouldn¡¯t have the time or patience to keep meeting someone as useless as White had be.
Why, then, was Isaac so deeply troubled?
It was as if he were someone about to plunge into hellfire at any moment.
Surely, there must be a deep reason for his worries¡
Whatever it was, it must have been something far scarier than anything White could imagine.
Senior Isaac. It¡¯s only right that I repay you for all you¡¯ve done for me¡ No, it¡¯s not even about repayment¡
You are selfless, a man who would sacrifice his own body to protect others.
Helping you means protecting the people. This is for the sake of the Zelver Empire¡
No, it¡¯s not even about that¡
White shook her head.
She realized.
Had she considered such self-serving calctions?
No, she simply wanted to protect Isaac.
She clutched her head as a violent headache throbbed. Her breathing became rough, her mouth dry. She felt like she would vomit at any moment.
Merlin tried to support White, but she extended her arm to block her. She needed to focus.
¡°I¡¯ll¡ help you¡¡±
White extended her hand toward the Iron Sanctuary.
Closing her eyes, she focused on the mana coursing through her.
Thanks to the painful mana mastery training she had endured with Isaac, she could vividly feel the mana flowing through her mana circuits.
The days of training under Isaac¡¯s guidance, shedding sweat and blood, and her firm resolve to protect him, heightened White¡¯s concentration to its peak.
Her racing heart slowly began to calm down.
Her breathing became steadier, and her mana came under her control, responding to her will.
White transferred another stream of mana circting inside her body to her fingertips. Soon, vivid mana gathered at her fingertips.
The navy blue mana held a glow of white light as if plucked from the night sky.
¡°White, what is that¡?¡±
Emperor Carlos was astonished, but White paid him no mind.
She could sense the terrifying presence of creatures spread across the world.
She opened her hand. Somehow, she felt like she could grasp the iron mana floating in the air.
Slowly, White was stepping into a new realm.
¡°If you¡¯re going to protect the people¡¡±
White¡¯s eyes slowly opened.
A strange blue light hovered in her eyes.
¡°I will protect you¡¡±
Atst, White clenched that hand tightly.
Fwoooosh!!!
Starting from White, gentle navy blue mana fluttered like a butterfly¡¯s wings, spreading rapidly.
Startled, Emperor Carlos and Merlin stepped back.
The mana was a power imbued with the energy of the night, a blessing from the Fairy Nix.
The Iron Sea was steadily devoured, and the Iron Sanctuary was engulfed by the mana of the night.
The reiming of the sanctuary.
It was the power of the Night Fairy.
From all directions, fairies turned into colorful meteors, streaking across the sky and simultaneously heading toward the Iron Sanctuary.
At the Iron Sanctuary, Noah had already pushed himself to his limits and was on the verge of copsing.
Before Noah fell, Isaac had activated the power of his obsidian de, [Rock Sovereign¡¯s Barbican], which had a long activation time.
Isaac¡¯s party, including Noah, who was slumped down and gasping for breath, was protected by the beautiful rock fortress walls.
Kakakakakrak!!!
Rachnil¡¯s iron magic was gradually growing in intensity. There was no doubt that he had recovered to the point where the umted damage seemed meaningless.
Unless certain conditions were met, it would be impossible for a human to defeat a Fairy within their sanctuary.
With a greatsword swinging through the air, Rachnil, holding a single greatsword, charged toward the [Rock Sovereign¡¯s Barbican].
A high concentration of iron mana permeated the greatsword with tremendous force.
[You¡¯re merely a human brat!]
As Rachnil prepared to strike the [Rock Sovereign¡¯s Barbican] with numerous greatswords¡n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
¡°Thank you, White.¡±
Isaac¡¯s calm monologue.
Suddenly, Nix¡¯s magic swallowed the Iron Sanctuary, and Rachnil¡¯s magic lost much of its strength.
[Why¡ the sanctuary¡?]
Everyone present could feel it.
Rachnil¡¯s power over the area was dwindling at an rming rate.
The power of Nix, the Night Fairy. The reiming of the sanctuary.
Rachnil had lost his control over the sanctuary.
Kwakakakang!!!
[Urgh!!]
[Rock Sovereign¡¯s Barbican] shattered, and at the same time, Isaac appeared, swinging his obsidian de at Rachnil.
Startled, Rachnil blocked the rock de strike with the greatsword in both hands, but he couldn¡¯t stop the devastating shockwave.
[Stone Breathing-First Form] ¡ª Yellow Wave sh.
Rachnil flew back like a ball and smashed into the wall, while the greatswords floating in the air shattered into pieces from the shockwave of the rock mana.
¡°Now¡¡±
Isaac gave Rachnil, who wore a bewildered expression, a cold re.
¡°¡It¡¯s time for me to fight back.¡±
Chapter 300: Iron Fairy Subjugation (10)
¡°Hilde, Alice!¡±
KABOOM!!
Behind Rachnil, two women burst through the weakened floor, wielding a scythe wrapped in frost and a sword imbued with the power of nightmares.
Frost Dragon Hilde and Heart Queen Alice Carroll had arrived.
Moments earlier, the students had opened the vault on the first floor, securing one of their victory conditions. Isaac knew this thanks to a mental report from Hilde.
All the students were waiting at the M?rchen Academy base. After securing their safety, Hilde and Alice waited for Isaac¡¯s orders from an appropriate location.
CLANG!!
In an instant, two greatswords materialized, intercepting Hilde and Alice¡¯s surprise attack.
[Useless.]
Rachnil thought Hilde and Alice would continue their attack, but for some reason, they kicked off the ground and retreated.Following this, a sacred bird of light soared toward Rachnil. It was the five-star light spell, [Apostle of Light], born from Ian¡¯s sword trajectory.
Rachnil scowled.
[You think that will¡!]
Rachnil tightened his grip on the greatsword, iron mana coursing through it.
Just as he was about to strike the [Apostle of Light], a nt magic circle abruptly formed around him.
sh!
Thick, glowing green vines sprang from the magic circle, swiftly entwining Rachnil.
The density of mana within the vines was so immense that even Rachnil couldn¡¯t react quickly enough.
However, it wasn¡¯t Kaya¡¯s magic.
¡°Sylphia¡?¡±
Kaya instantly recognized it and was taken aback.
In no time, the [Apostle of Light] struck the immobilized Rachnil.
CHAAAANG!!!
An iridescent light source shimmered.N?v(el)B\\jnn
KABOOM!!!
The explosion of Divine Power engulfed Rachnil, spreading the dusky glow of the setting sun.
Rachnil screamed.
The blessing of the Twilight Fairy.
Isaac recognized the nature of that power.
The fairy power passed down through the Fairytale family. The blessing of the Twilight Fairy, Nurix.
If the power of Nix, the Night Fairy, controlled the Sanctuary andmanded the fairies, the power of Nurix, the Twilight Fairy, was immortality and end.
That power activated at the dramatic moment when someone other than a demon killed Ian. The opponent received the Curse of the End, and Ian would escape death¡¯s clutches.
The important thing was that any fairy power, by default, could effectively strike a fairy.
ng!!
The formidable Iron Knights, weapons raised, charged at Isaac and his group in unison.
[Humans¡!]
As the explosion of Divine Power subsided, Rachnil, with a face full of rage, sent heavy iron pirs toward Isaac from all directions.
At that moment, a strange energy enveloped the Iron Sanctuary.
Four meteors breached the sanctuary¡¯s outer walls and prated inside.
KABOOM!!
The four meteors each took their own form.
Each was a mysterious being.
They shattered the Iron Knights and obliterated Rachnil¡¯s magic as they stormed the Iron Sanctuary.
It happened effortlessly as if it were the most natural thing.
[Hello, Rachnil.]
[You wretch¡]
Rachnil¡¯s eyes zed with murderous intent.
Standing before Kaya.
An exalted being with fluttering verdant green hair greeted in a noble voice. Her clear skin emitted a soft glow, proving she was no ordinary being.
Dressed in verdant green adorned with flowers. Tall and slender. She smiled brightly.
¡°Sylphia¡!¡±
Kaya, astonished, was overwhelmed with emotion.
The figure before her was Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, who had imed Kaya Astrea as her kin.
[Kaya, it¡¯s been a long time.]
¡°What brings you here¡?¡±
[Rachnil was acting suspiciously, so I was saving my strength.]
Isaac observed the fairies that had arrived with Sylphia.
ine, the Rainbow Fairy.
Ares, the Strife Fairy.
dy, the Cloud Fairy.
All of them were level 200.
[Have youe to interfere with me¡?]
Rachnil, surrounded by Isaac¡¯s group and the fairies, ground his iron teeth.
[We couldn¡¯t care less who dominates this world. Whether humans fall and demons rise doesn¡¯t concern us. If that¡¯s the way of things, we¡¯ll let it be. However¡]
A red rose adorned one of Sylphia¡¯s eyes, while the other gleamed with a mysterious light.
[We shouldn¡¯t be doing this among ourselves. Especially for personal reasons.]
[Damn bastards¡]
For fairies, the world¡¯s order was not centered around humans. To them, humans were just the dominant species of the current era.
Whether demons ruled the world in the future or another race took over, fairies simply let the world follow its course.
However, fairies directly disrupting the order was not something they could tolerate.
Those gathered here were followers of Nix, the Night Fairy. They had assembled in response to Nix¡¯s power.
[I will expand my sanctuary here. And¡ I will rise to the same level as Ste and bring that child down.]
Ste is now a fairy¡
Shut up.
CRACKLE!!
The iron mana from the sea and his heart swiftly converged at the core of Rachnil¡¯s body.
A heavy shockwave of mana reverberated in all directions.
Rachnil¡¯s body gleamed and swelled, forcing Isaac¡¯s group to hastily evade or shield themselves with the fairies¡¯ defensive magic.
[Do not stand in my way.]
Rachnil transformed into an iron giant, growing until he reached the high ceiling, ring down at Isaac¡¯s group and the fairies. His form was like that of a knight d in armor.
In his hand, he held a gigantic greatsword from which iron mana erupted violently.
Countless greatswords hovered in the air once more, aiming at the humans and fairies.
SCREEECH!
The sanctuary¡¯s ceiling opened, revealing an enormous greatsword shrouded in dark clouds, ready to descend.
The overwhelming mana pouring from the sky pounded Isaac¡¯s group¡¯s senses relentlessly.
Isaacughed inly at the grand sight.
¡°So, this is phase 2.¡±
Isaac gathered ice mana in his right hand. A pale blue magic circle appeared above it.
[Are you the new Elemental King of Ice?]
¡°So what if I am?¡±
[Take this.]
¡°What?¡±
Following the lead of Ares, the Strife Fairy, the fairies extended their arms toward Isaac, channeling their mana into him.
Isaac felt the mysterious mana coursing through his body and was taken aback.
This mana wasn¡¯t meant to embody the power of the fairies.
It was mana that mixed with the mana flowing in Isaac¡¯s body, temporarily empowering him. A kind of buff.
It was the victory condition for ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? ¡¸Act 11 Scene 3, Fairy War¡¹.
[For a moment, your power will be stronger than ever before.]
¡°Why are you giving this to me?¡±
This power was originally intended for Ian.
[We judged that you are the most suitable to wield this power. That is the only reason.]
¡°¡¡±
There was no need to question it in the first ce.
He had embarked on a quest to defeat the Evil God himself in pursuit of a happy ending.
Hadn¡¯t he been meddling in everything all this time?
So now, Isaac vowed to shatter everything himself.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Vibrant magic red up around Isaac.
A strange pressure enveloped his whole body. The chill of light mana merged with his ice mana.
He felt certain he could unleash terrifying power at any moment.
His senses roared as the magic surged violently.
It was quite an exhrating feeling.
KUUUUUNG!!
The sound of the sky being torn apart echoed as the greatsword descended toward the Iron Sanctuary.
[Cheers!]
Ares, the Strife Fairy, flew towards the giant Rachnil.
Rachnil swung his iron mana-infused greatsword, its sheer force threatening to cleave everything in its path.
In response, Ares swung his fist fiercely.
KAAAANG!!!
Ares, the Strife Fairy, stood at the pinnacle of pure strength among the fairies.
Ares¡¯ fist deflected Rachnil¡¯s greatsword. As Rachnil¡¯s bnce faltered, a nt magic circle spread under his feet.
Grrrrr!
The magic circle glowed, and thick verdant green vines slithered up and tightly constricted Rachnil¡¯s body.
It was Sylphia¡¯s nt magic.
Simultaneously, an iridescent barrier formed in the sky. ine, the Rainbow Fairy, intercepted the descending greatsword from the center of the barrier.
[Hehe.]
ine¡¯s cheerfulughter.
As the descending greatsword struck the rainbow barrier, it screeched loudly, and fierce sparks flew.
The power to instantly deflect any impact. This was ine¡¯s unique ability, ¡°Reflection¡±.
As the greatsword shed with the rainbow barrier, dy, the Cloud Fairy, soared up and formed a massive cumulonimbus cloud inscribed with a magic circle above Rachnil¡¯s head.
The cloud, created by the fairy¡¯s immense mana, was overwhelmingly powerful.
A silvery-white downpour soaked Rachnil. Sizzling, smoke rose as the iron corroded. The
Rain of Desire hungrily attacked the iron giant.
Swish!!
Countless greatswords hovered menacingly, then swung fiercely at the fairies. The fairies gritted their teeth, using their magic to fend off the relentless strikes.
¡°Phew.¡±
Isaac, Hilde, and everyone except the enemies were enveloped by the [Frost Barrier], shielding them from Isaac¡¯s ice magic.
Frost Dragon Hilde unleashed a hazy [Frostwind]. The [Frostwind], imbued with the power of the [Nightfalls¡¯ Edge], began to engulf Rachnil.
Isaac sheathed his Obsidian de and, using the power of the [Ice Sovereign], unfolded three pairs of icy wings.
Fwoosh!
And then he took flight.
Chapter 301: Iron Fairy Subjugation (11)
The ice mana condensed in his right hand emitted various brilliant colors from the power of the fairies.
The light trailed behind Isaac, following him like a tail.
Now I understand why I¡¯m the most suitable.
He felt a heavy pressure weighing down on all five of his senses as he controlled the power.
He sensed that if he stayed like this, he might reach a mysterious truth beyondprehension.
But the price would be death.
It was impossible to endure while keeping this power within his body.
He would have had to pour everything into a singr attack.
[Let¡¯s see this to the end!]
dy, the Cloud fairy, shouted with a smile.The rain that drenched Rachnil did not freeze, even under [Frostwind]. It merely became extremely cold.
The showers dy unleashed maximized my [Elemental Synergy].
However, only beingsparable to fairies could benefit from that effect.
Before long, Isaac reached the front of Rachnil¡¯s chest.
[You detestable wizard!]
sh!!
The giant flying greatswords cut through the vines, and Rachnil regained his freedom.
Rachnil swung a greatsword infused with iron mana toward Isaac, the eerie yet arrogant human.
A fierce sound of slicing air. A sword strike that could slice through the distant horizon. The spreading iron mana made the range of the sh extremely wide.
But that was all it did.
¡°Yes¡ let¡¯s see this to the end.¡±
The end of¡¸Act 11, Chapter 3, Fairy War¡¹of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Isaac flew toward Rachnil.
To counter the greatsword swung toward him, he unleashed the ice mana condensed in his right hand.
Boooom!!!!!
An ear-splitting explosion rang out.
A pale blue light filled the iron sanctuary and surged toward the distant sky through the pierced ceiling.
Overwhelming firepower was unleashed onto the world.
Sharp ice spikes continuously froze the air as they stretched toward the distant sky.
ine, the rainbow fairy, dispelled the barrier and infused the ice masses with rainbow mana.
The ice masses, charged with the power of shock reflection, continuously rose and collided with the greatswords falling from the sky.
Crack!!!
The greatswords in the sky shattered, clearing the way for the ice masses.
Isaac¡¯s ice, infused with the fairies¡¯ mana and further amplified by dy¡¯s ability through [Elemental Synergy], easily surpassed the hardness of Rachnil¡¯s iron.
Boom!!!!
A massive amount of ice surged, overflowing andpletely destroying the Iron Sanctuary, piece by piece.
The iron giant froze solid and shattered into pieces. Its debris began to rain down across the area.
[What¡ just happened¡?]
Amidst the raging cold.
Rachnil, now in his childlike form, was falling through the air in a panic, his body in tatters.
His body was filled to the brim with a frigid chill.
Thud!
A man flew in as if waiting and grabbed Rachnil by the head.
Three pairs of ice wings stretched out, covering Rachnil¡¯s vision.
His eyes trembled violently as if caught in an earthquake.
The ice wizard, the very embodiment of frigidity, was ring at him with cold, crimson eyes.
¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would kill you?¡±
[P-please, spare me¡!]
Ice mana gushed down.
Rachnil¡¯s head froze in an instant.
And then.
Crack!!
Isaac clenched his fist, and Rachnil¡¯s head shattered, exploding into pieces.
The Iron Sanctuary continued to crumble.
The people at the Aldreque shelter, the McGregor twins, themanders of Mephisto, and the legionmanders of Dufendorf, who had been fighting, all stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
[¡Well, I guess I have no other choice. It¡¯s been fun, everyone! I would stay longer but it seems like that¡¯s my cue to go. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, Thanatos~.]
¡°What? Hey, wait¡!¡±
Thud!!
Mephisto snapped his own neck, instantly killing himself.
Meanwhile.
¡°As expected, there was a way. What a terrifying man.¡±
Water Sovereign Siren Silivian said in admiration.
The other Elemental Kings were also astonished by Isaac, who had subjugated the Iron Fairy, but there was no time to rx. They had to focus on fending off Thanatos¡¯ attack.
Rachnil¡¯s body turned to ash and vanished, leaving Isaac holding a strangely carved iron orb in his hand.
Everything Rachnil had built turned into beautiful silvery dust and scattered in the wind.
[Congrattions! You have defeated the fairy [Iron Fairy Rachnil (Lv 200)] and gained EXP!]
[Level Up!! Your Level has increased to 168!]
[You have gained 44 stat points!]
[You have unlocked the legendary achievement ?Broken Sword?! Elemental resistances have increased by 30!]
[Loot [Iron Core] obtained!]
[Iron Core]
The source of iron mana. If the suitable one for iron mana epts this core, they will one day rival the fairies.
Rank: Tier 1
As Isaac withdrew his ice mana and released the ice mass, arge amount of mana trail gently fell over Aldreque, like snowkes in midwinter.
To the people, it was an incredibly beautiful sight.
As the Iron Sanctuary disappeared, the rest of Isaac¡¯s party, who were about to fall, were lifted into the air by Dorothy and Kaya with starlight and wind magic respectively.
They slowly descended to the ground.
¡°We somehow won¡!¡±
Dorothy was relieved.
As Alice rode Kaya¡¯s wind magic and descended, she stared nkly at Isaac.
[Kaya.]
¡°Sylphia?¡±
Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, whispered into Kaya¡¯s ear.
[Our role ends here. We can no longer interfere in your affairs.]
¡°¡¡±
Kaya tightly hugged Sylphia.
Sylphia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.
¡°We can meet again, right?¡±
[¡Yes, cutie. I¡¯ll always be there, see you again.]
¡°Take care.¡±
Sylphia smiled, turning into glowing dust, and scattered into the wind.
Then, Sylphia and the other four fairies, havingpleted their roles, became shooting stars and crossed the sky.
Whoooosh.
[Frostwind] subsided.
As the dark clouds cleared and a rainbow appeared, sunlight poured onto the man hovering high above, with three pairs of ice wings spread wide.
It was a holy sight as if a god had descended.
The cold of the Ice Sovereign, which only those who had reached the highest level of the ice element could control, was gently flowing from his entire body.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Isaac, the Ice Sovereign.
His ice-cold crimson eyes turned toward Thanatos the Ruination, in the distant wilderness.
Since Thanatos¡¯ resurrection, powerful magic must have been used to try to stop his attacks.
While Isaac was battling Iron Fairy Rachnil, Thanatos seemed to have devoured the mana of the Elemental Kings, growing stronger andrger. To Isaac, he appeared farrger than he had in the game.
To defeat him, Isaac would need to unleash overwhelmingly destructive attacks, rendering Thanatos¡¯s ability to absorb power and grow meaningless.
Domain Expansion, [Realm of the Eternal cial Pce], was poison. Domain magic that did not inflict immediate damage would only serve as a growth stimnt for Thanatos.
ng!
The Frostscythe, held by the Frost Dragon Hilde, transformed into a form of mana and transferred into Isaac¡¯s hand.
¡°Demons¡¡±
A demon came into view.
The enemy ignited a fire in Isaac¡¯s heart.
A setting for battling demons.
The conditions were met.
¡°I¡¯m really sick of you guys.¡±
Isaac closed his eyes.
The mana coursing through his body pulsed.
Soon, the mana began to rage.
[You have recognized the demon as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!]
[Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!]
[Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
Fully feeling the sensation, Isaac let out a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
While his level was no longer counted past 200, his stats continued to increase, capped at the EX rank.
At this moment, Isaac had reached a level beyond what humanity could dare approach.
Whoooosh!!
The overwhelming mana of Isaac, activated by [Hunter], spread across the world.
Suddenly, the sky turned dark blue. A knife-like chill began to swirl around it.
This effect enhanced the power of his ice magic raining down from the sky.
The unique magic of the Frostscythe, [Divine Authority - Evesting Night].
At that moment, Isaac became the ruler of the sky.
¡°Hilde.¡±
[Kaaaargh!!]
Behind Isaac, a huge white dragon roared and soared into the sky. It spread its beautiful white wings wide, scattering white jade mana.
It was Hilde, the Frost Dragon.
The white dragon carried Ian Fairytale on its back.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Isaac and the Frost Dragon began flying at terrifying speeds.
Wind pressure spread in every direction. The cold of the Ice Sovereign trailed behind Isaac like a tail.
¡°Oh my god¡¡±
The people of Aldreque felt a terror akin to death.
Even the Elemental kings, who were engaged in arge-scale battle with Thanatos the Ruination, felt a chilling sense of dread.
Isaac¡¯s presence as the Ice Sovereign had already far surpassed all limits.
Kooooooom.
A shadow followed, casting over the wilderness.
Suddenly, a massive iron gate, sorge its scale was impossible to gauge, appeared in the sky above the Elemental Kings and Thanatos, overlooking the ground.
Countless people saw the iron gate and gaped in shock.
The Water Sovereign Siren¡¯s expression stiffened. Lightning Sovereign Jaul and Fire Sovereign Andersen narrowed their eyes. Wind Sovereign Erin remained as expressionless as ever.
¡°Is that¡ from back then?¡±
¡°Is it the Primordial Magic Beast?¡±
As Water Sovereign Siren grew bewildered, Fire Sovereign Andersen responded in a grave tone.
¡°Wait, hold on a second! If that iron gate opens, absolute zero will pour out¡! Why are you summoning that monster? Ice Sovereign, what on earth are you thinking¡?!¡±
As the Elemental Kings felt an ominous sense, a frosty voice echoed in their heads.
[Deploy the barrier and hold out.]
So that this world does not freeze over.
[I¡¯ll handle that thing.]
Isaac gave orders to the Elemental Kings.
How they were to deploy the barrier immediately became clear in the minds of the Elemental Kings, as Isaac¡¯s will shed through their consciousness.
¡°This is interesting¡¡±
The Water Sovereign Siren gave a faint chuckle, breaking into a cold sweat.
¡°You¡¯re telling me to stop the end of the world, caused by you? You must be out of your mind.¡±
Isaac was about to unleash world-ending firepower.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 302: Iron Fairy Subjugation (12)
¡°Aaaaaah!!¡±
Ian Fairytale¡¯s scream resounded as they dashed at tremendous speed.
The Frost Dragon, carrying Ian, turned her course towards the sky.
Sssssss.
Isaac enveloped Ian in a [Frost Barrier], muffling and quieting his screams.
Isaac now ruled the skies. The Frost Dragon was immune, but any other human would freeze solid and shatter if they ascended to such heights.
¡°It¡¯s up to you now, Ian.¡±
Hilde must have exined Ian¡¯s role to him.
Thanatos¡¯ invincibility could be undone by dispelling the [Veil of the Evil God].
For that, Ian¡¯s unique skill [Expelled from Paradise] was absolutely necessary.Then, by unleashing overwhelming firepower to topple Thanatos¡¯ enormous form, its true essence would be revealed.
[Gaaaaaahh!!]
Thanatos the Ruination roared at Isaac, who then checked the demon¡¯s status window.
[Thanatos the Ruination]
Lv: 2¡ö¡ö
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Annihtion
Danger: ExtremeLevel 200 was abat power capable of annihting the world.
Therefore, levels beyond that were meaningless and unassigned, ording to the setting of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
However, the closer one was to a transcendental state, the more fragmented their status window appeared.
The reason for the mosaic was unknown, but it likely signifies that gauging their true power was nearly impossible.
Thanatos the Ruination had reached that level. He was already on par with the Abyss.
¡°Jormungandr.¡±
¡°Kraken.¡±
¡°Smander.¡±
¡°Pegasus.¡±
The Elemental Kings simultaneously extended their wrists.
The 8-star familiar contract circle on their wrists glowed, and enormous beasts of each element emerged from the swirling storm.
The Lightning Sovereign¡¯s 8-star lightning familiar, Jormungandr. A humongous serpent magic beast with sharp scales wrapped in lightning.
The Water Sovereign¡¯s 8-star water familiar, Kraken. A colossal, ck pearl-hued octopus magic beast wielding fierce water mana.
The Fire Sovereign¡¯s 8-star fire familiar, Smander. A gigantic smander magic beast unleashing terrifying mes.
The Wind Sovereign¡¯s 8-star wind familiar, Pegasus. A ck horse magic beast with wings cloaked in light green wind mana.
Beasts summoned from the legends and myths of another world¡
Upon seeing the magic beasts, Isaac recalled a setting from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
At first, he thought it was a setting created to attract yers, but now, seeing this scene, it felt unsettling.
However, he needed to concentrate on the battle now. Isaac shook off his inner thoughts.
¡°Deploy the barrier.¡±
Jaul, the Lightning Sovereign,manded.
The Elemental Kings took their positions and, with their familiars, expanded their elemental barriers far and high. These barriers soared to the sky, merging to form an immense wall.
The barriers of the Elemental Kings seemed to iste Isaac and Thanatos the Ruination from the outside world.
That overwhelming spectacle was visible to everyone in Aldreque. The unimaginable scale of magic left everyone in awe.
[Gaaaahh!!]
Thanatos began absorbing the mana contained in the barrier, but the Elemental Kings continuously poured out their mana to restore it.
Siren, the Water Sovereign, spoke, ¡°As time goes on, the barrier will turn into a deadly trap.¡±
Thanatos was getting stronger by absorbing the mana of the barrier after all.
¡°Water Sovereign, have you ever run out of mana in the past few centuries?¡±
The voice of the Wind Sovereign, Erin Campbell, resonated in the Water Sovereign¡¯s ears using magic. The Elemental Kings weremunicating that way.
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°You¡¯d better brace yourself today.¡±
¡°I can feel it too. For the first time in a while, this is going to be tough¡!¡±
Even the Elemental Kings, the archwizards who stood at the apex of their respective elements, anticipated that a single block of Isaac¡¯s attack would drain their mana.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Such was the overwhelming pressure that Isaac exuded.
¡°Incredible, what kind of absurd mana is this¡?¡±
Siren, the Water Sovereign,ughed in disbelief.
Above the wastnd.
Isaac, his three pairs of icy wings unfurled, faced Thanatos the Ruination, who leaned on his staff.
Thanatos summoned his dark green annihtion mana once more.
The deathly power that incinerates souls with a mere touch gathered and swirled in the staff¡¯s gem.
A dark green magic circle etched its trajectory.
Theposition of the strokes was chaotic but uncannily precise.
Is this because of the fairies? My mana has recovered quite a bit.
Isaac could still feel the mana coursing abundantly within him.
Isaac gently thrust the Frostscythe forward.
His soft murmur reverberated through the air.
It was a life full of hardship.
Hwaaah!!
Nothing remained by my side.
As his whispered incantation continued, an borate ice magic circle formed behind Isaac, like interlocking gears.
Nothing held meaning in my life.
A singlerge magic circle oveid all the smaller ones, tracing a grand trajectory.
Solitude.
The brilliant pale blue glow spread, showcasing its majestic grandeur.
Only you remained by my side.
[Gwaaaah!!]
I never basked in the glory of countless victories.
Sensing the danger, Thanatos fiercely roared and unleashed the annihtion mana from his staff.
Neither fame nor fortune had meaning.
KABOOM!!!
It was only when the owl of dusk spread its wings did I realize.
The dark green me, aimed solely at Isaac, raged like a powerful storm, fiercely brushing past the Elemental Kings¡¯ barrier.
A world with only you.
The mes swallowed Isaac whole¡
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Is hell itself.
¡¸Cocytus (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹+¡¸Cocytus (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹+¡¸Cocytus (Ice Element, ¡ï9)¡¹
Paaaah!!
An icy chill spread out, effortlessly driving back the dark green mes.
Annihtion ceased, and the world was plunged into an eternal ice age it could never recover from. Life lingered but ultimately perished, and the air became dry and dull.
Beyond the limits of absolute zero, frigidity embraced all.
And amidst the destion, Isaac stood alone, shining with a noble light.
¡°Pathetic.¡±
His ridicule wasced with a sigh.
Before long, Isaac had transcended the domain of an archwizard, conjuring three world-ending spells.
¡°This can¡¯t be¡¡±
The Elemental Kings realized why Isaac hadn¡¯t deployed a barrier himself upon seeing the scene.
Whooosh!!
Overhead.
Below the right diagonal.
Below the left diagonal.
Three enormous icy suns emerged, each radiating a brilliant light, their power seemingly capable of freezing space and time.
9-star ice spell [Cocytus]. Triple formation.
Even one world-ending magic demanded intricate calctions and an immense amount of mana. Isaac was now conjuring three at once.
Isaac was clearly intent on focusing all his efforts on sheer firepower.
The Fire Sovereign Andersen, looking at Isaac with eyes full of awe, ¡°This is my first time witnessing the Ice Sovereign¡¯s power firsthand¡ It far exceeds human capabilities. Summoning primordial beasts and now, world-ending magic¡¡±
Extraordinary. To describe him with just one word felt inadequate. The boy was truly extraordinary.
Within the barrier, the extreme cold had already transformed it into a frozen hell.
The four Elemental Kings felt as if they were being crushed by the pressure of Isaac¡¯s mana.
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
The water barrier created by the Water Sovereign and Kraken was slowly freezing and losing its strength. Yet, its master and familiar frantically increased the water flow to sustain it.
The water barrier was powerful enough that any creature entering it would instantly be crushed and torn apart.
No one in this world could construct such a powerful water barrier.
Yet, if they let their guard down and weakened the barrier for even a moment¡
Isaac¡¯s frost would devour the barrier and consume everything.
In Aldreque, Hans McGregor¡¯s voice trembled with fear, ¡°That¡¯s¡ the Ice Sovereign¡¡±
Despite his title as the Ice Sovereign, Hans had regarded him merely as an exceptionally talented academy student.
This was because the widely known public information about the Ice Sovereign was just that ¡°a new Ice Sovereign has appeared,¡± nothing more, nothing less.
Hans had underestimated Isaac¡¯s power with his narrow perspective.
The title of Elemental King signified mastery over a single element. It carried significant weight.
Hans realized this fact clearly through the scene before him and the mana he could feel in his skin.
Same with the prominent figures who had gathered to watch the Academy sh and the students.
Engraved in their eyes was Isaac, the Ice Sovereign, and the giant iron gate, filling them with a spine-chilling reverence.
¡°Now, it¡¯s our turn,¡± Isaac coldly dered.
As the enormous magic circle he created began to glow, Thanatos let out a roar.
[Gaaaah!!]
Thanatos remembered the [Veil of the Evil God] cast on him.
As long as that power existed, he would be safe.
Yet, what was this sensation?
An unfamiliar emotion, long abandoned in some distant ce, surged like a wave, engulfing Thanatos.
Eventually, Thanatos realized the nature of that feeling.
Fear.
For the first time, Thanatos experienced fear because of that ice wizard.
[Kuuuugh!!]
Thanatos shattered his staff, clutching the attached mana stone with both hands.
Without unleashing his full power, he couldn¡¯t hope to defeat that ice wizard.
Such a monstrous wizard would undoubtedly discover a way to bring Thanatos down.
Thanatos wasn¡¯t naive enough to wage guerri warfare against the boundless Ice King.
Whoosh!!
Rumble!!
He channeled his annihtion mana into the stone at full power, his dark green glowing eyes locked onto the Ice King.
Annihtion mana surged through his body like a raging fire.
Transcendental mana condensed in Thanatos¡¯ right hand, gripping the mana stone, distorting the very space around it.
Ripples radiated outward.
The air trembled, the ground shook and fissured.
Isaac shrugged one shoulder and spoke calmly, ¡°Yes,e at me like that.¡±
At that moment, a white magic circle appeared beneath the iron gate in the sky.
Sensing Divine Power, Thanatos looked up and discovered the magic circle engraved above him.
At that moment, the magic circle of light emitted a white sh.
Hwaaa!!
An otherworldly force swept over the area.
A storm and a spiraling torrent of silvery-white Divine Power descended.
KABOOM!!!
[Gaaaaah!!!]
The intense descent of Divine Power enveloped Thanatos¡¯ massive body.
The 8-star light spell, [Expelled from Paradise].
From atop the soaring Frost Dragon, Ian stood tall, his Luminous Sword poised for action.
His Luminous Sword glowed with traces of Divine Power like a calm me.
The single casting of [Expelled from Paradise] brought a sudden wave of fatigue over him.
¡°Huff, huff¡.¡±
His breathing grew ragged.
In an instant, all his Divine Power and strength were depleted.
¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, Isaac¡¡±
Ian gazed at the unseen ground below, gave a thumbs up, and then copsed limply onto Frost Dragon Hilde¡¯s back.
He fainted just like that.
His outstretched hand remained with the thumb raised.
¡°Is he the Child of Light?¡±
¡°I see. So that was the n.¡±
The Fire Sovereign Andersen admired, and the Wind Sovereign Erin Campbell understood.
The [Veil of the Evil God] that covered Thanatos was lifted. Thus, his invincibility was undone.
For Ian, lifting the [Veil of the Evil God] was the best he could do, but for Isaac, that was all he needed.
As [Expelled from Paradise] subsided, traces of Divine Power rose like smoke from Thanatos¡¯ body.
Now, until the [Veil of the Evil God] regenerated, Thanatos was no longer invincible and could take damage.
Whoooosh!!!
The sky dominated by Isaac was filled with sharp cold mana.
The icy air prated deep into Thanatos¡¯s body.
[Grrrrrr!]
Thanatos acted quickly.
His mission from the Evil God dictated that it was important to bring down Ian, the Child of Light, who was riding the white dragon in the sky.
But now, there was someone far more dangerous.
He had to confront him.
Thanatos let out an enraged roar aimed at Isaac.
¡°Come out, Daikan.¡±
At Isaac¡¯smand, the massive iron gate in the sky creaked open.
The time for battle had arrived.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 303: Iron Fairy Subjugation (13)
The iron gates that filled the sky slowly opened, and absolute zero spilled out like a waterfall through the crack.
The Elemental kings and the people of Aldreque gaped in astonishment as they watched the opening of the iron gates.
Boom!
A gigantic ck arm of immeasurable size burst out from the crack in the door, tightly gripping it on its sides.
Beyond the arms, inside the iron gate, several eerie red eyes gleamed within the pale blue cold.
Finally, the iron gates relented at the arms¡¯ rebellion, openingpletely.
A ck monster, transcending life and death themselves, thrust its head forward, revealing its massive body.
[Kaaaaaaaah!!!]
Daikan, the Primordial Beast of Ice, roared toward Thanatos.
Swoosh!!Cold ripples spread outward from Isaac and the Primordial Magic Beast, Diakan.
Merely by letting their mana flow, the Elemental Kings had to grit their teeth or bite their lips to endure.
Without the barrier of the Elemental Kings, countless humans, including those in Aldreque, would have died in an instant from frostbite and cold.
At Isaac¡¯s will, the ce could easily be transformed into hell.
In the mouth of the transcendent Primordial Magic Beast, Diakan, piercing blue mana swirled fiercely.
The amount of mana that swirled and gathered was unfathomable, even for an archwizard.
¡°The Primordial Magic Beast¡ how could a monster like that exist in this world¡¡±
Water Sovereign Siren swallowed hard.
If Isaac and the Primordial Magic Beast, Diakan, had fully intended to shatter the barrier of the Elemental Kings, it was impossible to even guess the ease at which it would¡¯ve been broken.
Even the Elemental Kings, who made up the core of the world, could not help but feel helpless in front of Isaac.
Meanwhile, Thanatos did not release the condensed mana of annihtion. His right hand still contained astronomical amounts of mana.
Ian¡¯s [Expelled from Paradise] sessfully eliminated the [Veil of the Evil God], but it was limited to just that. Thanatos remainedrgely unaffected.
The ck magic beast that filled the sky was ultimately a minion of the Ice Sovereign.
Somehow, Thanatos had to bring down the Ice King.
[Graaaahh!!]
Thanatos howled.
He swung his arm, unleashing the full power of annihtion toward Isaac.
Fwooooosh!!!!
It targeted only Isaac.
The dark green mes, which ravaged even the dead and burned their souls, pushed through the cold air and surged forward without hesitation.
The Elemental Kings groaned, pouring all their mana into the barrier.
Whoosh!!
Isaac, as if finding itughable, fired three masses of [Cocytus].
At the same time, the Primordial Magic Beast, Diakan, unleashed the cold mana stored in its mouth.
The moment all the magic collided, an intense blue light, like a shbang exploding, filled the barrier of the Elemental Kings.
Boooom!!!!!!
A storm of immeasurable mana swept everything away, releasing an ear-splitting roar.
¡°Kyahhhh!!!¡±
Water Sovereign Siren tightly shut her eyes and screamed.
It dawned on her that Erin Campbell¡¯s prior statement hadn¡¯t been in jest.
Brace yourself for mana depletion?
No, even if all the Elemental Kings¡¯ mana were depleted, it would be a blessing if they could just block the impact.
[Graaaaagh!!!]
Thanatos screamed amidst the raging cold and the flood of chilling light.
The density of the mana was so high that there was no sign of the light fading.
Thanatos¡¯ massive, solid body froze and shattered in a brief moment, treading the path to annihtion, but there was still a way to survive.
At the center of the vanishing body, the true Thanatos, protected within an orb of mana, revealed itself.
[Do you really think I¡¯ll be killed¡ from just this much.]
The flood of astronomical mana, the sharply surging cold, and the unrelenting blue light were eating away at Thanatos¡¯ body.
His life force was resilient enough to withstand if only briefly, the deathly cold surrounding him.
However, it was clear that his body was gradually being destroyed. He had to escape the icy hell, no matter what.
If he seeded in escaping, time would be on his side. He would grow stronger and fight the Ice King again.
However¡ there would be no second chance for Thanatos.
Vwoooom!!
A sharp tearing sound in the air.
A being wrapped in the chill of the Ice Sovereign flew at incredible speed and thrust its left fist toward Thanatos.
It was Isaac.
[¡Ugh!]
It was toote. He had no choice but to counterattack.
Thanatos, eyes wide open, inhaled sharply before swinging his right fist toward Isaac.
Wham!!
The fists of the two beings collided, sending shockwaves through the air. Neither side was pushed back.
At that moment, the shing fists froze and became connected.
Thanatos was flustered.
It was ice created by none other than the Ice Sovereign¡¯s mana. Thanatos was incapable of breaking it.
¡°Got you.¡±
Isaac spoke coldly.
[Did you know¡ I wouldn¡¯t die that easily?]
¡°Of course. How could I not know that your real body was inside that cumbersome form?¡±
The absolute zero cold consumed Thanatos¡¯ flesh.
A sense of being overwhelmed.
Once again, fear reared its head.
What is this?
What is this being in human form, who dared to tread upon divinity?
Sensing his defeat, Thanatos voiced his question.
[You¡ what the hell are you? No, who the hell are you?]
It was a vague question.
However, Thanatos wanted to hear whatever answer Isaac would give.
Isaac pondered for a moment, as brief as a blink.
There was something he had vowed to achieve.
It was a vow he made in the face of Luce¡¯s death, to be a Munchkin, overwhelmingly powerful against the demons.
He would defeat the Evil God.
He would not lose.
¡°Demon-Limited Hunter.¡±
It didn¡¯t matter if he wasn¡¯t the strongest person overall.
In this journey, it was enough to be the strongest against one race alone.
He would endure, fight, and win, transforming from the Academy¡¯s Weakest into a Demon-Limited Hunter.
He would move forward toward the ending he desired.
Whoosh!!
Isaac condensed cold mana into his remaining hand.
The swirling pale blue cold.
The magic circle for the 5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion], rose above it.
Isaac dered.
¡°I am the one who will exterminate all of you.¡±
For a moment, Thanatos¡¯ eyes widened as he inadvertently imagined the human before him reaching the pinnacle of all things.
His emotions settled.
Then, Thanatos chuckled quietly.
[Impressive!]
Though his entire body had already been wrecked by the storm of absolute zero, Thanatos gathered the remaining annihtion mana into his other hand.
Brilliant dark green mes red up.
The one who wielded the power of death was now ready to meet his own end.
[Just try and bring down our god!]
As Isaac released the ice, the two beings reached out toward each other with hands filled with condensed mana.
The two mana forces shed, and a sharp sh passed as they collided.
The intense cold pierced Thanatos¡¯ entire body, and a fierce shockwave shattered him to pieces.
The howling cold storm swallowed the roar of the explosion.
Fragments of ice scattered, and sharp ciers viciously flooded in all directions.
Thanatos¡¯ voice faintly echoed in Isaac¡¯s ears.
Thanatos turned to ashes and disappeared.
[Congrattions! You¡¯ve defeated the demon [Thanatos the Ruination (Lv 2¡ö¡ö)] and gained EXP!]
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 178!]
[You have unlocked the legendary achievement ?Ah, Death?! You have gained 30 bonus stat points!]
The light began to fade.
The absolute zero gradually subsided. The iron gates in the sky slowly closed and returned to its original location.
The fierce cold wind subsided, and the elemental barrier of the Elemental Kings, having reached its limit, unraveled.
The Elemental Kings,pletely drained of their mana, sank to the ground and raised their heads with empty expressions.
At the center of everything stood Isaac, the Ice Sovereign. Humanity gazed at him in disbelief.
They felt it.
Even if all the power of this world miraculously united into one, they could not defeat that man.
Such an unreasonable and resilient existence.
Without a doubt, the pinnacle of the world was Isaac.
¡°Haa.¡±
Isaac¡¯s sigh escaped as a white puff of breath.
He weakened the skill [Ice Sovereign], which he couldn¡¯t handle.
The magic circle with three pairs of wings dissipated, and Isaac began to fall with his bare body.
[Master!]
The Frost Dragon Hilde quickly descended and caught Isaac.
Now at level 178, maintaining Hilde in her true form was effortless.
¡°Thank you, Hilde.¡±
[Hmm, if you are grateful, I would appreciate endless pettingter¡]
Isaac sloppily stroked the Frost Dragon¡¯s scales and turned his head to the side.
He passed out.
Ian Fairytale had fainted, held securely in the ice of the Frost Dragon.
Suddenly, Isaac noticed Ian¡¯s hand stretched out to the side, with his thumb raised.
Isaac let out a small chuckle.
And so, they headed back to Aldreque.
¡°That¡¯s just too much! Leaving without a single word of thanks? Even if he is the Ice Sovereign, how can he be this cold¡? Still, that¡¯s part of his charm. Haha.¡± ??????¨ºS?
¡°Yeah, next up, super-aged menopausal woman.¡±
Water Sovereign Siren shot a re at Erin Campbell, the Wind Sovereign. A cross-shaped vein popped on her forehead.
The Wind Sovereign responded nonchntly, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±
¡°What else would I be looking at? You¡¯re talking nonsense in a situation like this.¡±
¡°Haa, Honestly, you two are exhausting. Stop bickering and assess the situation already.¡±
Siren furrowed her brows and surveyed the area. The ruined city of Aldreque was reduced to rubble. It looked as though the fierce battle had torn the city to shreds.
¡°I¡¯ve assessed the situation. The conclusion is simple: from now on, we must live in the shadow of the Ice Sovereign.¡±
A few of the Elemental Kings nodded in agreement to her words. There was no longer any need to deny Isaac¡¯s power as the Ice Sovereign.
Isaac was moving away from them, but the overwhelming power he had left behind was etched deeply into everyone¡¯s hearts.
And perhaps, a new order for this world had just begun.
¡°Truly a remarkable man¡¡±
The Fire Sovereign Andersen let out a hollowugh in disbelief.
¡°¡Let¡¯s head back. After a brief rest.¡±
The Lightning Sovereign Jaul steadied his breathing and rested.
It had been so long since hest experienced mana depletion that he could hardly remember the feeling.
However, they were Elemental Kings. Soon, they would recover enough mana to transform into elemental forms and travel.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
As they rested, they quietly watched the white dragon flying off toward Aldreque.
In the aftermath of the battle, the sky began to shower early snowkes.
The snow nketing the sky settled around them, like the scars left by the battle.
Chapter 304: Academy Clash — Interlude (1)
It was beyond words.
The silence that hovered over Aldreque was due to one individual.
¡°Ah¡¡±
9-star magic. Magic that can bring about the end of the world. Its manifestation was only recorded in history.
Although it existed, it was deemed a myth or legend. Even for Archwizards, seeing such magic firsthand was a rare experience.
Moreover, a transcendental magic beast capable of destroying the world several times over descended as Isaac¡¯s minion.
Just how high had Isaac ascended? People could not fathom.
¡°Ice Sovereign¡¡±
The students who participated in the Academy sh were all gaping in awe.
The outer walls of the tournament stage had been swallowed by the sea of iron, leaving a clear view that extended far into the distance.Having witnessed the unparalleled power of humanity¡¯s greatest, they remained in silent awe for some time.
It was an insurmountable wall. Thus, he became a figure of inspiration.
To the students, Isaac was a figure to truly admire.
Just living in the same era as him felt like an honor.
Cutting through snow flurries, summoning light, and riding a white dragon, the Ice Sovereign¡¯s image would be immortalized in the annals of history as a legend.
¡°¡Damn it.¡±
Tristan Humphrey clenched his fists tightly.
It was overwhelming. Any human would feel reverence.
No matter what insights he gained or how much stronger he became, there seemed no possibility of surpassing Isaac as he was now.
Yet, he vowed to surpass Isaac. That resolve would not waver.
For now, he silently paid respect to his goal, Isaac.
¡°Prepare to wee the hero.¡±
¡°Your Majesty?¡±
Emperor Carlos gazed at Isaac returning to Aldreque on the white dragon, his eyes gleaming.
¡°He is the beacon of hope and light bestowed upon humanity.¡±
Emperor Carlos closed his eyes and let out a gentleugh.
¡°He will be my son-inw.¡±
¡°What?¡±
His tone was almost boastful.
Merlin was confused, not understanding Emperor Carlos¡¯s words.
***
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 178
Gender: Male
Year: 2
Title: Ice Sovereign
Mana: 93,500 / 639,300
- Magic Recovery Speed (S)
I was soaring leisurely to Aldreque on Hilde.
The battlefield where I fought Thanatos was a wastnd once swept away by Cavillion, the Floating Ind.
The already destend, devoid of any inhabitants, had turned even more barren after the recent battle.
Well, perhaps it would be developed someday.
My mana capacity is now enormous.
Even without the buff from ¡°vs. Race Combat Power¡± I have ascended to the ranks of humanity¡¯s strongest.
This spec was based on my pure abilities, making it even more gratifying.
Now, it was time to allocate my stats.
[Potential]
Stat Points: 118
¡ô vs. Race Combat Power
- vs. Human Combat Power (A): 80/100 [UP]
- vs. Other Races Combat Power (A-): 70/100 [UP]
- vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power (A): 80/100 [UP]
- vs. Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]
That¡¯s a ton of stat points.
My priorities were clear.
To max out the remaining Tribal Combat, I needed a total of 70 stat points.
I had more than enough stat points.
I tapped the status window and allocated all the stat points.
A cheerful chime sounded in my mind as several system windows popped up in my view.
[Potential [vs. Human Combat Power] has been improved from A to S!]
[You have acquired the unique trait [Conqueror]!]N?v(el)B\\jnn
[Potential [vs. Other Races Combat Power] has been upgraded from A- to S!]
[You have acquired the unique trait [Apex Predator]!]
[Potential [vs. Heavenly Beings Combat Power] has been upgraded from A to S!]
[You have acquired the unique trait [user]!]
In terms ofbat, I have now ascended to the pinnacle of power in this world.
Suddenly, a fanfare echoed in my head.
[Congrattions! You have braved countless trials and have now realized your full potential!]
[You have acquired the unique trait [Archwizard¡¯s Domain]!]
[You have acquired the unique trait [Divinity]!]
¡°Huh?¡±
What is this?
There wasn¡¯t a special reward just for maxing out the vs. Race Combat Power, but if you also maxed out [Growth Speed], one would obtain the unique trait [Archwizard¡¯s Domain]. It was like being a final boss.
[Archwizard¡¯s Domain] was akin to the legendary domain of Archwizard. It allowed maniption of maximum mana and transforming into elemental forms like the other Elemental Kings.
In essence, I could now use the guise of an archwizard.
Additionally, I could freely adjust the buffs from the [vs. Race Combat Power].
Yeah, this is just like in the game¡
But what on earth is the unique trait [Divinity]?
This wasn¡¯t in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Did something like this exist in the first round?
I couldn¡¯t remember.
For now, I¡¯ll focus on boosting ¡°Elemental Resistance¡± for now instead of [Divinity].
Stat point allocation came first.
I had 48 stat points left.
I possessed an item, the Elemental Bracelet, that temporarily boosted a specific ¡°Elemental Resistance¡± by ¡°40¡±.
So, my goal was to raise all of my Elemental Resistances to 60.
The resistances below 60 were Rock, Wind, and Neutral elements.
I boosted all of them to 60.
[Elemental Resistance [Rock Resistance] has been upgraded from B to B+!]
[Elemental Resistance [Neutral Magic Resistance] has been upgraded from B to B+!][Wind Resistance] was already B+, so no notification appeared.
Now, I had 11 stat points left.
I had decided to save these forter.
Next, [Divinity]¡
I tapped the status window and chose [Divinity] from the unique traits.
[Divinity]Increases the effect of one unique trait among [Conqueror], [Apex Predator], [user], or [Hunter] by 1.5 times, while sealing the effects of all other unique traits. When [Divinity] is deactivated, the unique traits return to their original state.
Activation Requirements
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö
[Would you like to activate the unique trait [Divinity]?]
[Yes]
[No]
Does this even make sense¡?
The effect was simply too good to be true.
Boosting vs. Race Combat Power by 1.5 times was an astounding ability.
In a way, it was the ability I needed the most.
What are the activation requirements¡?
For some reason, the activation conditions were obscured.
I fiddled with the status window, but the mosaic remained.
For the time being¡ there was no need to use [Divinity], so I opted to choose [No].
Buzz.
Itsted only a moment.
A brief sound echoed in my mind.
Is it static?
It was so brief that I couldn¡¯t be sure if I had actually heard it.
For some reason, it felt like countless eyes had filled the system window a moment ago.
¡°¡¡±
Could this be a hallucination from my experience during the Trial of Sandstone?
It felt like a figment of my imagination, but an unsettling feeling lingered in my chest. Just in case, I decided not to dismiss it.
I pressed [No] and closed the system window.
Soon after, we arrived at the Academy sh stage in Aldreque. Many people weed me.
To say they weed me was an understatement¡ More urately, they each knelt on one knee and bowed in reverence.
Not only the students but also the Imperial Knights gathered and saluted me. The Imperial Knights seemed to havee for the students.
Among the students, some were injured, but none were seriously hurt, and fortunately, there were no fatalities.
Ian regained consciousness upon arriving in Aldreque, and he, too, was treated like a hero, his shoulders straightening with pride.
Before long, the Elemental Kings shifted into their elemental forms and departed. One could see them by ncing at the sky.
Did they mention that the mysterious monster is Ozma?
I pondered as I put on the round Rebe¡¯s sses.
I never expected to overhear crucial information about myself from the Iron Fairy Rachnil.
The mysterious monster inside me was ¡°Ozma¡±. The first kin of Ste, the Star Fairy.
She shares the same name as Princess Ozma from¡¸The Wizard of Oz.¡¹
But that wasn¡¯t important.
Anyway, the story of Ste¡¯s first kin could only be found in legends in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. It was the same here.
I would need to discuss Ozma with Hegel¡¯s Tower Master, Aria Lilias, soon. I was also curious about the story Aria wanted to tell me.
Dorothy¡
The person I was most concerned about was Dorothy.
Rachnil mentioned that Dorothy had the potential of a Transcendent Being and would be the catalyst for a great disaster if she remained alive.
It must have been a significant shock. Dorothy had fought hard to survive until now. She had strived to live.
Just as she escaped a terminal fate, learning that her very existence was a curse on this world must be an unbearable burden for Dorothy. I couldn¡¯t even fathom it.
But Dorothy looked fine. Her relief at the sessful resolution of the incident seemed just like her usual self.
In fact¡ it looked to me like Dorothy was desperately trying to conceal her inner turmoil.
¡°We made it, President! We won!¡±
¡°Yeah, we did.¡±
Dorothy and I bumped fists, basking in the triumph. She let out her signature ¡°Nihihi¡± chuckle.
I purposely didn¡¯t bring up what Rachnil had said. It was best to save that conversation forter.
The aftermath was being handled smoothly. Emperor Carlos, the Imperial Knights, the Imperial Wizards, and various dignitaries had all gathered in Aldreque.
I should concentrate on my own affairs.
For now, there was something else I needed to take care of.
¡°Alice.¡±
In a secluded spot, Hilde transformed into her human form and put on the casual clothes from my magic pouch.
I took Hilde, Dorothy, and Kaya to a base in the Academy sh stage.
¡°Wee, Darling.¡±
Alice greeted us, sitting cross-legged in a chair with her chin in her hand.
Next to Alice was a female student, bound and unconscious.
She seemed to be having a bad dream, sweating profusely and looking distressed.
With deep blue hair, it was ¡°Methel Valencia¡±, a Heavenly Being at level 185 who had attempted to eliminate me earlier.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 305: Academy Clash — Interlude (2)
Dorothy and Kaya frowned.
¡°Wait a second. Let¡¯s clear this up. You, can¡¯t you use proper titles? What, did you marry the President or something?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a deep story between Baby and I. Oh, I guess Dorothy wouldn¡¯t know that. Sorry.¡±
Alice answered slyly, covering her mouth.
¡°A story?¡±
¡°Sir Isaac?¡±
Dorothy¡¯s burning gaze and Kaya¡¯s questioning eyes turned towards me.
They were shooting anger-filled suspicion, wondering what kind of story justified the title ¡°Darling¡±.
As expected of my beloved characters. They¡¯re cute.
¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s from when we went undercoverst time. I¡¯ll exinter.¡±¡°No¡ if it¡¯s something like that, I don¡¯t think you need to exin it.¡±
Dorothy gave a sinister smile and red at Alice.
¡°Is it in your nature to act childishly over trivial things, Alice?¡±
¡°Heh. Our Dorothy really knows how to pick the most pleasant things to say, huh?¡±
Alice responded with a gentle smile.
While the two were having a stare-down, Kaya and I approached Methel Valencia.
¡°She¡¯s in a dream right now, isn¡¯t she?¡±
¡°Yes. She¡¯s been trapped in a nightmare. It seems she¡¯s having a scary dream.¡±
The power of Alice¡¯s Vorpal Sword was to lead one into an eternal nightmare.
The only way to escape was for the caster to pull them out of the nightmare.
The truly malicious aspect of that power was that it didn¡¯t just show frightening nightmares, but repeatedly stimted the target¡¯s trauma.
I knew this thanks to the bad ending ¡¸Nightmare¡¹that urred if the yer was defeated by the power of the Vorpal Sword in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? during¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹.
Right then, the Celestial, Methel, must also have been swimming in a sorrowful past.
¡°Hilde, Alice. Good job.¡±
[As a reward, I wish for you to pet me to your heart¡¯s content!]
¡°Good girl. You did well.¡±
As I showered her with praise and petted Hilde¡¯s head, her expression melted.
[Mmm¡ Will you not pet other ces like usual?]
¡°That¡¯ll beter.¡±
Hilde looked no different from a human woman right now.
I couldn¡¯t pet her chest or belly like when she was in her small dragon form. I had some decency.
By the way¡
She¡¯s definitely gotten stronger.
The reason a dangerous enemy like Methel, level 185, fell to Alice was simple.
It was all thanks to Hilde.
[Familiar]
Frost Dragon Hilde (Lv: 195)
Grade: ¡ï8
Species: Magic Beast
Element: Ice
Bond: 100
Synchronization: 95
Summoning Mana Consumption: 95,000
Skill Tree ??Details??
Hilde had be incredibly strong.
It looks like she leveled up again. Soon, Hilde would be ressified as the highest grade, 9-star.
In any case, Hilde first subdued Methel, and then Alice hit her with the power of the Vorpal Sword, which left her in that state.
I ryed mymand through Hilde¡¯s mind.
The Vorpal Sword is definitely terrifying.
Once again, I realized how terrifying the power of the Vorpal Sword truly was.
Just imagining what would¡¯ve happened if I had fallen to this power when Alice was an enemy sent chills down my spine.
¡°I can invite her into mybyrinth. We don¡¯t have to wake her up; we can talk there. What do you think, Baby? Do you want toe inside me?¡±
Alice stared intently into my eyes as she asked.
At the time, Vuel was being monitored by Phantom Cat, Cheshire.
It was blending in among the academy staff, pretending it had nothing to do with this situation, helping to manage the aftermath calmly.
That must mean it has no intention of running away.
So, I decided to put off dealing with Vuel until after I spoke with Methel.
Since she was probably one of Vuel¡¯s subordinates.
¡°I have a request.¡±
¡°Baby, I¡¯m yours, aren¡¯t I?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a request. You can just order me to do anything.¡±
Alice pointed to the ck choker around her neck as she answered.
The symbol of our master-servant rtionship was hidden by the choker. It seemed she was referring to that.
¡°Well¡ alright. But can you tell what kind of dream she¡¯s having right now?¡±
¡°Yes, I can even peek into it.¡±
¡°Show me. Then lead me to thebyrinth.¡±
¡°As you wish. Come here.¡±
As I approached, Alice spread her arms wide.
¡°A little closer.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡°Come, hug me. Only then can you enter into me.¡±
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem necessary.
¡°No matter how much I think about it, there¡¯s no way that could be true!¡±
¡°Exactly! Something feels off! Aren¡¯t you revealing your personal desires too tantly?¡±
Dorothy and Kaya fiercely protested, sharing my thoughts, but Alice shook her head.
¡°If someone wants to enter mybyrinth, they must fulfill the conditions I set. I simply made something as innocent as holding Baby in my arms a requirement. So why theint?¡±
¡°¡You¡¯re acting more and more childish, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Whose fault do you think that is?¡±
Alice gazed at me affectionately.
Well¡ she¡¯s been through a lot too. If my embraceforts her, I¡¯m fine with it.
I embraced Alice.
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
Alice stroked my head and pulled me tightly into her embrace.
If anything, it feels like I¡¯m the one beingforted¡
¡°Wee,e into me.¡±
Alice¡¯s whisper tickled my ear, and with the sensation of my consciousness drifting away, my mind was sucked into someone¡¯s dream.
Like a god, I looked down at an unfamiliarnd from the sky.
It was a ce I had never seen before. In the sky, a massive with rings and a beautiful, clear Milky Way were vividly visible.
ng!
ng-ng!!
Boom!!
On a mysteriousnd filled with giant white trees, two armies, fully armed, were locked in battle, attacking each other.
It was war.
One side was an unknown race, while the other was a race I recognized.
White wings protruded from the gaps in their armor at their waists.
Heavenly Beings?
The Heavenly Beings wielded Divine Power, fighting desperately, and many shed blood and lost their lives.
Among them, I saw a female Heavenly Being. Perhaps because it was Methel¡¯s nightmare, I felt an overwhelming pull towards her and could instantly distinguish her.
Is that Methel?
Methel was sobbing sorrowfully as she embraced her already fallenrade.
I heard Methel¡¯s voice in response to my will.
[Don¡¯t die¡ What¡¯s the point of this war¡ Why do you¡ Why do we¡ have to endure this¡ Please, don¡¯t leave me¡]
Methel¡¯s nightmare was a continuous war.
She still believed she was on the battlefield, writhing in the anguish of losingrades and the fear that she, too, might die.
I didn¡¯t want to see this anymore.
¡°¡That¡¯s enough. Alice, send me to thebyrinth.¡±
The scene before me faded away in an instant.
My body entered somewhere, and it felt as if it had been physically transported.
The sensations are vivid.
I pressed down firmly on the back of my hand and felt it. My physical senses were fully intact.
I looked around.
A room designed in a red and ck chessboard pattern.
Various red furniture was scattered around, and the walls were filled with crooked clocks.
In the middle of the room, Methel, in her original form, sat unconscious in a chair.
Snow-white hair, wings attached to her waist, and two pairs of eyes.
Tears streamed down her cheeks from her four eyes.
¡°Baby.¡±
In the blink of an eye, Alice appeared beside me.
¡°In this ce, you can do anything. But remember, if you hurt someone here, the damage is inflicted on their mind. Keep that in mind.¡±
This was Alice¡¯sbyrinth, a space of the mind.
If one attacked someone there, it was their mind that suffered the blow, not their body.
I nodded and approached Methel.
¡°Should I wake her?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Upon hearing my answer, Alice snapped her fingers cheerfully.@@novelbin@@
Soon, Methel slowly opened her eyes like someone who had just woken up.
[What¡?]
Her voice was tinged with sobs.
Methel lifted her head and looked at me with a face full of confusion, but soon regained herposure and widened her eyes in shock.
[Ice Sovereign¡!]
¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±
[What¡ what¡¯s going on¡?]
¡°Tell me. Why did you try to kill me?¡±
[¡!]
Methel¡¯s pupils trembled. She seemed lost for words.
It would have been hard to feign ignorance.
Even before Methel had done anything, Hilde and Alice had already subdued her, as if her intentions had been exposed from the start.
Besides, I was speaking as if I had known everything from the very beginning.
If I were Methel, I would have been confused about how my ns were uncovered. It seemed Methel¡¯s thought process was no different from my predictions, as confirmed through [Psychological Insight].
Methel kept her mouth tightly shut and lowered her head. I took off my sses, knelt down, and leaned forward to meet her gaze at eye level.
[¡]
Silence.
Fine, we¡¯ll see how long you can keep your silence.
[Urgh!]
I grabbed Methel¡¯s hair and lifted her, forcing her to meet my gaze.
She red at me with trembling pupils, filled with a strong mix of fear and hostility.
¡°Then I¡¯ll just ask two things. That should be enough.¡±
[¡]
¡°You, the student disguise you took on. Where¡¯s that student now? Did you kill her?¡±
Methel had disguised herself as a navy blue-haired female student to participate in the Academy sh.
Which meant she must have done something to the real student with the appearance.
Thinking it was a harmless question, Methel shook her head.
[Without Lord Vuel¡¯s orders, I do not kill¡ That human is just asleep in her room.]
Methel answered in a calm and measured tone.
Using [Psychological Insight], I confirmed that her words were true.
So the student is safe. That¡¯s a relief.
¡°Alice, once we leave here, inform Betrix Academy.¡±
¡°As youmand.¡±
¡°Next. Tell me what Vuel did beforeing to M?rchen Academy.¡±
I knew Vuel¡¯s objective. It couldn¡¯t change.
The important thing was what Vuel had done beforeing to the academy.
On that day, unaware that he might have made a deal with Rachnil, we ended up facing an unexpected situation.
I couldn¡¯t let something like that happen again.
[¡I don¡¯t know.]
I had expected her to remain silent, but to my surprise, Methel answered obediently.
It made sense. She truly didn¡¯t know.
[I only act ording to Lord Vuel¡¯s orders. I don¡¯t think or question anything. So, I know nothing.]
It was the truth.
Her attempt to assassinate me was simply following Vuel¡¯s orders, and she didn¡¯t know what he was up to.
Thanks to witnessing her nightmare, I understood why she followed Vuel.
I also knew what Vuel nned to do next.
If the Heavenly Being was nothing more than a blindly obedient dog following Vuel, she wouldn¡¯t be much help.
¡°¡I see.¡±
Thud.
I grabbed Methel by the face.
Methel¡¯s eyes widened in shock, but I just stared back at her calmly.
¡°You¡¯re worthless.¡±
[W-wait¡!]
I strengthened my grip.
[Kyaaah¡!]
Crack.
The sound of flesh and bone twisting, and a scream deting like air from a punctured balloon.
Methel¡¯s head crumpled like a can, then quietly burst.
Since this was a mental space, no blood sttered. Instead, arge amount of glowing red dust silently flowed out.
The pain of having your head crushed would be the same as if it happened in real life. Such agony must have been a rare experience.
¡°Anyway, Heavenly Beings are immune to mental attacks. Keep her restrained.¡±
I put my sses back on and smiled warmly at Alice as I spoke.
Alice looked at me with a cryptic expression. I couldn¡¯t read her emotions or figure out why she made that face.
¡°¡Are you leaving right away?¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got somewhere to be.¡±
I felt my consciousness being pulled somewhere once again, as I returned to reality.
In Aldreque, a certain alley.
As I walked, I saw that Vuel was there. I noticed him with [irvoyance].
He must have sensed my [irvoyance] too, realizing I was looking for him. That was why he was waiting for me in the alley.
It was a fairly wide alley.
A brown-haired man, leaning against the wall, greeted me. It was Instructor Ronzainus.
¡°Vuel¡¡±
¡°You¡¯vee.¡±
For some reason, it was a wee sight today.
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Truly befitting of a human hero. Protecting everyone and defeating the fairy and that powerful demon¡ I¡¯m almost in awe.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°So, what happened to my subordinate? Did you kill her?¡±
I took off my sses and began cleaning the lenses with a sses cloth.
¡°Does that even matter¡?¡±
A low monologue mingled with the sound of my breath.
¡°She was a disposable piece anyway.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have such things.¡±
¡°Is that so¡ I see.¡±
The hand that was cleaning the sses paused.
¡°I realized something today. I think¡ I¡¯ve been treating you the wrong way all along.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Bang!!
I kicked off the ground, grabbed Instructor Ronzainus by the neck, and mmed him into the wall.
[Urgh!]
Cracks formed in the building¡¯s wall, and a brief scream escaped from Ronzainus.
Ronzainus¡¯s hair turned white as his appearance morphed into Vuel.
Ssshhhhk!!
I deployed an ice barrier around the area.
With [irvoyance], I had already identified the area and confirmed no civilians would be trapped within the barrier.
[The Heavenly Being has been recognized as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [user] is activated!]
[Your level and stats are temporarily greatly enhanced!]
[Your skill tree temporarily bes +10!]
[What are you doing, Ice Sovereign¡! This is foolish¡!]
Vuel grabbed my arm, struggling and gasping for breath.
With my free hand, I clenched my fist and swung it toward Vuel¡¯s head.
Boom!!
Vuel¡¯s head burst apart, and the wall of the building behind him crumbled down with it.
Rippling white bloodstains.
I threw Vuel¡¯s limp body to the ground.
Crash!!
The ground broke apart.
Light slowly gathered, restoring Vuel¡¯s head to its original form.
Before Vuel could move, I stomped down hard on his chest.
The regenerated Vuel scowled menacingly and red at me.
[I am immortal¡! Surely you know what will happen if you keep attacking me like this¡! Everything you¡¯re doing to me right now is pointless¡!]
I lifted my foot off Vuel¡¯s body slightly before mming it down harshly once again.
Boom!
Vuel¡¯s chest caved in, and his entrails, including his heart, burst forth in a gush.
Vuel died on the spot, but light gathered again, quickly healing and resurrecting him.
He red at me once more, with life returned to his eyes.
[You fool¡! Tell me, Ice Sovereign. What meaning does this have?]
¡°Meaning?¡±
Whoooosh!
I gathered ice mana in my right hand, and a five-star ice-elemental magic circle appeared above it.
It was the spell for [Frost Explosion].
¡°I¡¯m just relieving stress.¡±
I swung my hand, now brimming with condensed ice mana, fiercely toward Vuel.
Booooom!!!!
Chapter 306: Academy Clash — Interlude (3)
Chapter 306: Academy sh ¡ª Interlude (3)Suddenly, an immense mana covered the entire area.
The people tending to the damage from the sea of iron were taken aback.
It was Isaac¡¯s mana. No one in Aldreque could fail to recognize it.
The emanating mana itself was nearly as intense as physical force. People felt as if gravity itself had grown heavier.
Crackle!
An ice barrier suddenly sprang up.
Anyone who could sense mana would realize that no one here could break through that barrier.
The interior of the pale blue ice barrier was utterly opaque, making it impossible to see inside. Only the ground shaking and loud noises could be heard intermittently.
¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±
¡°The Ice Sovereign has set up a barrier! We believe he¡¯s engaged in a battle!¡±The evacuees were still in the shelters.
Within the ice barrier, there was only Isaac and his mysterious foe.
Isaac likely set up the barrier to contain the damage.
¡°Everyone, get into formation and be ready to support the Ice Sovereign the moment the barrier falls!¡±
The Imperial Forces formed ranks near the ice barrier, readying for battle.
Just when they thought the incident was over, a wave of tension returned to Aldreque.
Meanwhile, within the ice barrier.
Isaac and Vuel were locked in fiercebat, darting along the walls and roofs.
Vuel could only fully utilize his abilities when armed. But unarmed, even with Divine Power, he was no match for Isaac.
Isaac, the pinnacle of power in this world, was a force that even the highest Heavenly Being couldn¡¯t contend with unarmed.
[Is this a tantrum? Fine, that¡¯s good! A justifiable reason!]
Vuel unfurled his white wings.
The two figuresunched themselves from the rooftop, charging at each other.
Isaac threw a punch imbued with ice mana, while Vuel punched with Divine Power.
Boom!!
A powerful shockwave rippled out.
Isaac¡¯s punch froze and shattered Vuel¡¯s fist, sending half of his body flying. The difference in power was stark.
However, the missing parts of Vuel¡¯s body quickly regenerated as light gathered.
Vuelunched counterattacks repeatedly, but it was all in vain.
Every attack was neutralized. Every strike was parried.
Without his immortality, even a hundred lives wouldn¡¯t have been enough.
Crack!
Boom!!
Isaac grabbed Vuel¡¯s head and plummeted downward, using [Frost Explosion] to blow up Vuel¡¯s arms, legs, and wings.
Vuel screamed, but the destroyed parts of his body quickly regenerated as they were enveloped in light.
[So, you want to see this through to the end?]
Vuel asked, his voice brimming with anger.
The air resistance caused their hair and clothes to whip about fiercely.
¡°To the end? Are you confident you can handle that? It¡¯ll be a problem for you too if your n falls apart, won¡¯t it?¡±
[You really do know everything, don¡¯t you¡! You arrogant wizard, how far ahead can you see? Why is it that you can even see what should remain hidden?!]
Crash!!
Isaac and Vuel crashed to the ground.
Vuel¡¯s entire body was shattered into pieces, and Isaac rose, crushing the shattered remains beneath his feet.
The scattered pieces of Vuel¡¯s body, infused with Divine Power, reassembled themselves, restoring him to his original form.
¡°I¡¯m not sure. Right now, I just don¡¯t want to deal with anythingplicated¡¡±
Bloodlust shed in Isaac¡¯s eyes.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing you get a little wrecked.¡±
Isaacunched another onught of attacks on Vuel.
Crack!!
And so, as Isaac continued his endless battle with Vuel, his mind wandered through his memories.
¡ª The second method is for you toe to the iceke. Toe here alive and obtain the ultimate ice magic.
Something Dorothy said in the first timeline.
¡ª You already knew. didn¡¯t you? If you stay alive, you¡¯re destined to be a disaster.
Words the Iron Fairy Rachnil had said to Dorothy.
Before long, he would have to confront the Nether King to reach the Ice Lake.
Isaac was certain. He couldn¡¯t defeat the Nether King.
Even with the power of the status window, he couldn¡¯t stand a chance against the Nether King.
Still, he would do whatever it took. To ensure this journey wasn¡¯t in vain. He chose to believe that somehow, things would turn out alright.
He had been pushing forward with everything he had.
Why is everything falling apart?
The revtion that Dorothy¡¯s survival would lead to catastrophe filled Isaac¡¯s journey with deep uncertainty.
The thought of having to defeat the Evil God weighed heavily on him.
To cope with that pain and endure, he had no choice but to relentlessly drive himself forward.
That was exactly what Isaac had been doing. Even if it was hard to keep himself together, he had resolved to survive with everyone, because he had the power to do so.
But why, then, was Dorothy constantly being forced towards death?
¡ª Are the two of you in love with each other now?
Whenever he recalled Dorothy¡¯s words from the first timeline, Isaac felt a tightness in his chest.
Dorothy must survive.
Because she¡¯s someone dear to me.
Because she¡¯s a lovable and radiant person.
His insides churned like boiling water.
The fury he harbored was unleashed on Vuel, the damned Heavenly Being who had backstabbed him, derailed his ns, and almost caused countless deaths.
[I see¡]
Vuel, grabbed by the throat by Isaac, steadied his breathing.
His body had been broken dozens of times, yet cruelly, his immortal form continued to regenerate.
Vuel was familiar with pain. His past was drenched in the stench of blood.
Isaac¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and even though he wasn¡¯t weary, his breathing was ragged.
Vuel¡¯s eyes narrowed, and finally, he understood.
[You¡ you¡¯re bearing quite the burden.]
Isaac¡¯s brow twitched.
Usually, it was difficult to truly understand another person. After all, past experiences weren¡¯t something one could share with others. The best anyone could do was offer empathy based on simr experiences, something only those with intelligence could manage.
The pain and tears of the past stirred Vuel¡¯s long-hardened sorrow. For a moment, he felt he could understand Isaac, just a bit.
It was as if he was seeing his own bloodstained past.
[Ice Sovereign Isaac.]
Vuel¡¯s body became engulfed in a radiant Divine Power.
[I offer you my respect. Yes¡ I admire you.]
¡°¡¡±
[But I can¡¯t back down either.]
Vuel recalled the manyrades who had lost their lives.
[In a way, it¡¯s a relief that you stand as our enemy.]
It was a relief.
If a man like this was his enemy, Vuel felt he could ept the oue, whether his n seeded or failed.
¡°Shut up.¡±
Isaac coldly responded as he smashed Vuel¡¯s head again.
***When I dispelled the ice barrier and walked out, the Imperial Forces greeted me with shocked faces.
I put on my sses and offered them a reassuring smile before exining the situation. I told them I had to deal with the remaining demons to secure the area.
Since it took some time, they seemed to think I had fought a very dangerous enemy, and the Imperial Forces showered me with praise.
They probably couldn¡¯t sense the Divine Power.
It was masked by my own mana, after all.
Even if they did sense it, recognizing it as Divine Power wouldn¡¯t be easy.
¡He¡¯s gone already.
Vuel had already left.
Anyway, any confrontation with him before the final day would be meaningless.
So, was that fight nothing more than me blowing off some steam? That¡¯s exactly, right. Thatst fight was nothing more than that.@@novelbin@@
But I made sure he realized that I could bring him pain anytime. That was all that mattered.
It would¡¯ve been nice if I could have restrained him.
I suddenly felt regret. I couldn¡¯tpletely neutralize Vuel, after all.
If he judged that he couldn¡¯t carry out his n and summoned the Heavenly God to escape, both he and I would suffer great damage.
I would be judged by the Heavenly God and lose my life.
Vuel and his subordinates would be punished for many years and miss the extremely rare opportunity when the Heavenly Clock and the ck Stone¡¯s mana coincide.
It was like a game of chicken, where both sides were heading for disaster.
Yet, Vuel decided to remain at the academy, likely to keep me in check.
By now, he had probably changed his clothes and returned to his guise as Instructor Ronzainus.
I had no other option. I¡¯d have to keep him under constant surveince.
Isn¡¯t there a way to trap him in a nightmare?
I quickly dismissed the thought.
Alice¡¯s powers wouldn¡¯t have any effect on him.
Even the nightmare power of the Vorpal Sword had its limits. It was useless against those who had transcendent strength.
Vuel was one of the highest-ranking Heavenly Beings. He was only holding back, waiting for the right moment. Among demons, he was on par with the likes of Thanatos the Ruination, or the Abyss. Naturally, it wouldn¡¯t work on him.
Haa, whatever.
I was eager to get back to where the others were.
I quickened my pace.
At that moment, someone hugged me from behind.
I had already sensed their presence. I knew who it was, so I didn¡¯t bother being on guard.
¡°???¡±
¡°Luce?¡±
I turned my head back. I saw a girl with rose-gold hair burying her head against my back.
She smelled nice.
I guess she changed her perfume.
The fragrance was subtle, but I recognized it instantly.
She was the one who had stuck by me the most during our time at the academy.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Bing one.¡±
¡°You know, society calls this a ¡®back hug¡¯.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Let me stay like this, just for a bit. Just a bit longer.¡±
Luce hugged me even tighter.
Come to think of it¡
While Luce was a spectator, I was captured in the Iron Sanctuary.
Luce, a genius and formidable fighter would have immediately grasped the gravity of a malevolent fairy pulling me into the sanctuary. It must have been terrifying for her.
Without my knowledge from the game, I¡¯d have been dead by Rachnil¡¯s hand long ago.
I couldn¡¯t imagine how worried Luce must have been. She cared about me a lot.
But¡
¡°Luce, could you let go for a bit? Everyone¡¯s watching¡¡±
There were too many people around.
¡°Who cares?¡±
¡°I do. This is embarrassing¡!¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. Just think of them all as fish.¡±
You can actually think that way? Impressive.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
¡°I was worried.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°I was so worried.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°I was seriously worried.¡±
¡°I know¡¡±
Luce¡¯s voice was as soft and beautiful as ever.
Her quiet whisper had a hint of bittersweet emotion.
¡°Don¡¯t make me worry anymore.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t trust you. You¡¯re staying with me from now on.¡±
¡°Alright, fine¡¡±
As Luce hugged me tighter, a helpless smile slipped out.
The tension from my fight with Vuel slowly faded away.
Luce¡¯s embrace was warm.
***In the dead of night, on the top floor of Hegel Tower, inside Aria Lilias¡¯boratory.
While Aria was inspecting the bookshelves, she felt something off and began examining the barriers that filled theb.
¡°Huh?¡±
It didn¡¯t take long for her to realize she¡¯d been right to check.
One section of the barrier around the bookshelf was slightly disrupted. It was so faint she nearly overlooked it.
Someone tampered with the barrier and then restored it¡
Aria furrowed her brow.
It had to be the work of someone highly skilled.
Could it have been an outsider? No. Anyone unregistered would have been caught themoment they stepped into Hegel Tower.
So, the intruder had to be someone with unrestricted ess to thisboratory.
They were carefully selected, trustworthy individuals, and there were only a few of them.
Could it be Isaac?
¡No. we¡¯re more likerades who share secrets.
If he was curious about something, he would just ask. He had no reason to sneak into thisb.
The wizards of the tower?
¡No, they wouldn¡¯t have the ability to pull this off. After all, Aria herself set up these barriers.
This was a feat that required exceptional skill.
They¡¯d need to grasp the barrier¡¯s structure, calcte the distortions, and wield high-density mana with excellent mana mastery.
Which means¡
There was only one person it could be.
¡°Luce Eltania¡?¡±
Luce.
For reasons unknown, she had secretly entered Aria¡¯sb with a clear goal in mind.
Aria had a bad feeling about this.
¡°Haa, a disciple who breaks trust so easily¡¡±
Aria closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
Chapter 307: Academy Clash — Interlude (4)
Eve Ropenheim quickened her pace.
After hearing the news that Isaac waspeting in the Academy sh, she immediately decided to attend as a spectator and came to Aldreque, but¡
She never dreamed that such a huge incident like a fairy attack would ur.
A raging sea of iron amidst the copsing grandstands of the Academy sh.
¡ª What should I do!? Isaac, what should I do!? Your sister will save you, Isaac!!
Eve, overwhelmed by worry for Isaac, screamed as if her throat would burst and was nearly struck down by the rain of swords, before being forcibly pulled to a shelter.
From the moment Isaac broke through the Iron Sanctuary and yed the giant demon, everyone in Aldreque knew the story.
Archwizard, Ice Sovereign¡ She barely epted the fact that her brother had be such a fearsome figure with these titles.
It was a title that stood in stark contrast to the frail Isaac, who had sobbed after being bullied by the neighborhood kids as a child.
Still, the strength Isaac had shown could not be denied¡But even so.
What the hell¡ How does anyone use world-ending magic three times in a row? And what was that iron gate that appeared in the sky, and the terrifying magic beast that came out of it¡?
Eve looked at the unbelievable scene her brother had created, her face turning pale with awe, and she almost fainted.
Now, even the title of Archwizard, the highest among humanity, wasn¡¯t enough for Isaac.
Humanity needed to form a title beyond that. A title that symbolized Isaac alone.
¡°Isaac¡¡±
Now, she didn¡¯t know how to look at her brother anymore.
Just thinking of that lovely face filled her with awe.
If they actually met, she felt like she might identally start speaking to him in honorifics without even realizing it.
Still, Eve ached to see Isaac.
I want to see him. I want tofort him and ask him if he¡¯s scared¡ I want to hug him¡
Meanwhile, Eve saw the ice barrier that appeared in Aldreque and pinpointed Isaac¡¯s location.
Is there still an enemy he had to fight?
Eve rushed over and anxiously waited in front of the ice barrier for Isaac.
However, when the ice barrier was released, Isaac went to the opposite side of where Eve was, and in the end, the two never met.
But surely, we can meet now, right?
Now that the incident was over, she thought she would finally be able to see her brother.
Eve thought so and finally allowed herself to smile.
She headed to the arena of the Academy sh. The imperial forces were guarding the ce.
Eve asked the imperial soldiers where Isaac had gone.
¡°The Ice Sovereign is currently assisting with the investigation. It seems it will be difficult to meet him today.¡±
¡°Waaah¡¡±
¡°Huh, student?¡±
Why do we keep missing each other?
Eve choked up.
***
The Academy sh waspletely canceled.
After the fairy attack, not only had the stage copsed, but the state of Aldreque itself was in shambles. It was only natural.
I secretly met with the D¨¹pfendorf army and was briefed on everything that had happened.
They also told me that when I broke through and emerged from the Iron Sanctuary, Mephisto took his own life.
So he had taken over a human body after all.
Mephisto usually made contracts by targeting the evil nature of humans.
Alice was an exception. She had been ckmailed and forced into a contract because she was needed for a n involving the Evil God.
In any case, the original owner of the body Mephisto had taken over probably wasn¡¯t a good person, so I didn¡¯t feel much sympathy.
The Imperial Knights summoned me and the other students to investigate the incident.
I gave a detailed statement about what had happened inside the Iron Sanctuary.
¡ª Lord Ice Sovereign. Pardon me, but did you foresee this incident?
The Imperial Knights interrogated me.
It seemed they were assuming that because I had participated in the Academy sh.
Of course, I foresaw it.
I just didn¡¯t expect things to escte so quickly.
Worried that the situation would get tooplicated, I told them I hadn¡¯t known.
I lied to them by saying even I couldn¡¯t foresee a future involving fairies.
Fairies were the apex of living creatures in this world and were unfathomable beings.
I added that it seemed they could interfere with my ability to foresee the future.
It was apletely reckless answer.
But that was where the convenience of being called an Archwizard or Ice Sovereign came into y.
¡ª I see¡
Everyone just epted it without further question.
After all, I¡¯ve been working hard to protect people.
My abilities and character were now fully recognized.
Even if I said somethingpletely absurd, the absolute reasoning of ¡°because he¡¯s the Ice Sovereign¡± would automatically sway others in my favor
I recalled a certain phrase someone said back when I was living on Earth. First, get famous. Then, even if all one did was shit and lie around, people would praise them for it. I was realizing that a lot these days.
I skimmed through the rest of my statements, excluding the part about Vuel.
After concluding my statements, I told the Imperial Knights that I wanted to see White.
I only intended to ask for the location, but the Imperial Knights enthusiastically escorted me to where White was.
Is the emperor involved?
It seemed Emperor Carlos was supporting my rtionship with White in apletely misguided way.
I arrived at White¡¯s hospital room, and there were quite a few escort soldiers stationed there.
¡°You¡¯ve arrived, Lord Ice Sovereign!¡±
¡°How is White?¡±
¡°She has exhausted her energy and is currently in a deep sleep! There¡¯s nothing wrong with her condition!¡±
The escort soldier tensed up when he saw me, then answered with sharp precision.
It seemed he thought even making eye contact with me would be disrespectful.
Merlin isn¡¯t here.
I had heard reports from the D¨¹pfendorfmanders and knew the situation.
Merlin must be receiving treatment as well.
¡°How is Merlin¡¯s condition?¡±
¡°She is currently undergoing treatment, but fortunately, she seems to be fine. She¡¯s a naturally resilient person.¡±
That¡¯s a relief.
I felt reassured.
It was best to let both of them rest for the time being.
¡°I¡¯lle check on themter. Thank you for letting me know.¡±@@novelbin@@
¡°Gasp! No, no! It¡¯s nothing! Please don¡¯t thank me for something like that! I only told you what you were supposed to know!¡±
The escort soldier was so startled that he bent his upper body past 90 degrees, his chest and thighs mere inches away from touching.
I was surprised¡
Suddenly, I remembered speaking formally to Keridna. She felt a huge burden back then too.
I should be more careful with my words as well.
¡°Ah, no¡ yes. Take care.¡±
¡°Please leave safely!¡±
After receiving the Imperial Knights¡¯ stiff salute, as they were sweating profusely, I left the ce.
The imperial Escort soldiers quickly joined me, standing by my side as if they had been waiting.
It felt burdensome.
***After spending the night in Aldreque, morning came.
The five academies were all preparing to leave Aldreque.
Aldreque had been noticeably restored overnight.
The imperial family and the empire¡¯s elites hadbined their forces to use magic in the active restoration efforts, so it was only natural.
¡°Ice Sovereign!!¡±
Suddenly, arge man came rushing toward me urgently.
Red hair. It was Hans McGregor.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you and attacked you!¡±
¡°What?¡±
Hans bowed with such force, as if he were about to cling to the ground, and apologized with great intensity.
¡°I was arrogant. I acted out of ignorance and was insolent! Please forgive me! If you want me to lick your feet, I¡¯ll do so with sincerity¡!¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s okay¡ Just imagining you licking my feet gives me the creeps¡¡±
I understood how he felt.
Although it was like a form of shock therapy, it probably turned into a valuable life experience for him.
Anyway, it was too much. I gave a quick answer, turned my back, and left the scene.
I nced back. Hans still had his head buried in the ground, drawing the gaze of all the surrounding students.
¡°I¡¯m really!! Soooooorry!!¡± Hans cried out in anguish.
I seriously considered running over and punching him in the face.
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
Soon, Kaya flew toward me, carried by the wind.
Her half-up light green hair fluttered. She looked quite pretty, dressed up in her outing clothes.
¡°Did you pack everything?¡±
¡°Yes! L-let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll risk my life to serve you with all my heart!¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to risk your life¡¡±
Kaya tried to disy a service spirit imbued with a strong sense of duty.
¡°We¡¯re going to ride Hilde anyway. Long-distance travel with wind magic is too exhausting.¡±
¡°Oh¡!¡±
You¡¯re only realizing that now? Wasn¡¯t it obvious that we were going to ride Hilde?
On the way back to M?rchen Academy from Oldrek, I got prior permission from Professor Fernando to return separately, as Kaya and I had a stop to make.
¡ª Do as you wish. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be allowed, but if there¡¯s somewhere you need to go immediately, there won¡¯t be anyone who will object.
In effect, there was nothing in this world that could control me.
Moreover, most people looked at me favorably, so I had essentially be the freest person in the world.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
I summoned the Frost Dragon, Hilde.
As the massive white dragon appeared in the sky, people gazed at its majestic form in awe.
Kaya and I soared with the wind and climbed onto Hilde.
¡°Wow¡¡±
Kaya, sitting behind me, kept eximing in wonder as she stroked Hilde¡¯s white scales, fascinated by the ride.
¡°Let¡¯s head to the Astrea Duchy.¡±
[Understood. Lead the way.]
¡°Ah, Sir Isaac¡! How could someone like me dare touch your noble, kingly body¡?!¡±
¡°Stop fussing and hold on.¡±
¡°Hyaa!¡±
I grabbed Kaya¡¯s hand and pulled her close, and she clung tightly to my back as if glued there.
The Frost Dragon, Hilde, pped her white jade wings and began flying toward Astrea Duchy.
¡°Hehe¡ I liiike it¡~¡±
Kaya clung to me, clearly enjoying herself, drunk with happiness.
The view is nice.
It was quite refreshing to feel the fresh wind and admire the scenery from the sky.
¡°Oh, Isaac, by the way, why are we heading to our duchy? It¡¯s not for, um, a formal engagement meeting, is it¡?¡± Kaya quickly asked.
It seemed Kaya was imagining me visiting the Astrea Ducal Family to meet Gerald Astrea for a formal engagement meeting.
Well, that would be fun. I was now posing as the pinnacle of human strength, after all.
Please give me your daughter.
I-I will¡!
Even that couldn¡¯t be seen as entirely fiction.
However, the Astrea Ducal Family wasn¡¯t our destination.
¡°We¡¯re not going to your house. We¡¯re heading to the Covenant of Life.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to meet Sylphia.¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes opened wide.
I intended to receive an eight-star familiar contract circle from Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy.
It was time to reinforce my power by making a contract with the Stone Turtle ¨C Gormos.
Chapter 308: Sylphia
I didn¡¯t fully know the path through the vast forest where the Covenant of Life was held.
Even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the forest was so vast and intricate that I could never memorize the map. Surely, it was even more daunting in reality.
Relying on Kaya to guide me would be far more efficient than scouring every corner with [irvoyance].
Besides, Sylphia would only warm up to me if Kaya was there.
But most importantly.
She¡¯s simply adorable.
Her presence was purefort.
¡°Lead the way. I don¡¯t know the path well.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡ why do you want to see Sylphia¡? Ah!¡±
Did she remember something?¡°During our first-year ss cement evaluation¡ didn¡¯t you say you knew Sylphia?¡±
Ah, that.
©¤ Were you acquainted with Sylphia?!
©¤ ¡Your true potential will be revealed in the future. At that time, if you be someone worth my time, I¡¯ll face you one day.
¡°No, I didn¡¯t actually say anything at that time.¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
¡°I met Sylphia for the first time yesterday.¡±
Kaya stared nkly for a moment as if her thoughts were jumbled.
Back then, I pretended to have a deep history with Sylphia. Only now could I reveal the truth.
I didn¡¯t know Sylphia at all.
¡°Well, we weren¡¯t close, but I did know her.¡±
Kaya seemed to process her thoughts and then, out of nowhere, nodded in admiration.
¡°Then¡ doesn¡¯t that make you even more amazing?¡±@@novelbin@@
Huh?
¡°If you didn¡¯t know Sylphia but still knew so much about her, that¡¯s surely the mark of omniscience¡!¡±
¡°Stop making a fuss.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
I reached back and gave Kaya¡¯s cheek a light pinch.
When she winced, I let go right away.
¡°¡Isaac, by the way, were you serious about what you said?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°That if I reached my true potential, you¡¯d fight me¡.¡±
¡°You really want to take me on?¡±
When I turned back and asked, Kaya cautiously nodded.
Kaya quickly added, realizing how it sounded.
¡°Not that I think I stand a chance¡! Obviously, I know I¡¯d lose in an instant, but¡!¡±
Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t understand what you meant?
You¡¯ve got quite the fighting spirit.
You want to face me to see just how strong you really are, don¡¯t you?
You want to test yourself against the wall I represent.
Right now, Kaya wasn¡¯t anywhere near my match. It was clear I¡¯d defeat her effortlessly.
¡°Kaya, I believe you have yet to reach your true potential.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You still have room to grow explosively.¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes widened.
The potential for growth in her power was truly frightening.
Even if her power didn¡¯t work on me, there was no denying how extraordinary she really was.
¡°I told you, you¡¯re someone I acknowledge. I don¡¯t say that lightly.¡±
¡°¡Right.¡±
It was something I told her during our end-of-semester evaluation of Semester 2 Year 1. Kaya hadn¡¯t forgotten.
Kaya¡¯s body trembled with emotion, overwhelmed by the pride swelling in her chest.
¡°Hehe¡ I¡¯m really happy.¡±
The fact that she had my acknowledgment seemed to bring Kaya great happiness.
I was grateful that she epted it that way.
Our conversation briefly came to a halt.
I took in the scenery and assessed our current situation.
The ¡¸Fairy War¡¹ had been dealt with somehow, and since Thanatos had been defeated, we could skip Act 13.
The only official scenario left this semester in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was ¡¸Act 12, The Treacherous Celestial¡¹.
The final boss of Act 12 was Vuel, the Winged Celestial.
I sessfully gave the Iron Core to Noah, and I¡¯ve locked Methel up in D¨¹pendorf¡
Last night, I gave Noah the Iron Core.
©¤ What¡¯s this?
©¤ It¡¯s Rachnil¡¯s core. Swallow it, and the iron mana will be yours.
Noah was shocked, but he still did as I said and swallowed the Iron Core.
And then he thanked me.
©¤ Thank you, Ice Sovereign. I really appreciate it¡
There was no need for him to thank me.
Noah didn¡¯t turn a blind eye to his debts, so I intended to have him join the Evil God yers.
As for Methel Valencia, the heavenly being who attempted to assassinate me, I had her sent to D¨¹pendorf, locked in a nightmare.
I nned to keep her in solitary confinement until the Vuel incident was over.
Now the only ones left are Vuel, Mephisto, and Nephid¡
Except for Mephisto, I¡¯ve already faced the bosses from Acts 14 to 16, during the Alice incident.
The final bosses left in the official scenario were Vuel, the Treacherous Celestial, Mephisto, the Contractor, and Nephid, the Evil God.
Once I defeat them, this long, arduous journey will finally reach its conclusion.
[Master, it appears that we have arrived.]
Hilde¡¯s noble voice rang out.
Before we knew it, we had arrived above the dense forest of the Astrea Duchy.
¡°Isaac, over there.¡±
¡°Hilde.¡±
Hilde descended in the direction Kaya pointed to.
I confirmed with [irvoyance] that it was indeed the Covenant of Life. We found it quickly, as expected.
Hilde pushed through the trees andnded, and we arrived at akeside with a small ind floating in the middle.
It was the Covenant of Life, the dwelling ce of Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy.
Kaya and I dismounted from Hilde and made our way to the edge of theke.
¡°Call her.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Kaya floated across theke using wind magic, gentlynding on the small ind before cing her hand on the Covenant of Life.
¡°¡Sylphia. I¡¯m here.¡±
Swoosh.
The verdant green leaves of the Covenant of Life began to glow more vibrantly.
The leaves released a mystical mana that coalesced into a flower, which then transformed into the form of a fairy.
Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy.
She descended towards Kaya with a smiling face.
[My dear!]
¡°Sylphia!¡±
[I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be back so soon!]
Kaya and Sylphia hugged each other as if they were family members who had reunited after a long time.
With all the chaos yesterday, today felt like their true reunion.
Before long, they were making small talk andughing together.
She¡¯s probably the only one who can talk so freely with a fairy like that.
Kaya had gotten lost in this forest as a child.
That was when she stumbled upon the Covenant of Life and encountered Sylphia.
Sylphia quickly realized Kaya¡¯s affinity for the nt element and became interested in her.
Kaya had admired Sylphia, calling her ¡°beautiful¡±, which pleased the fairy, who quickly grew fond of her.
Eventually, they became close friends, just like they were now.
[So, what brings you here? And with a male, no less. Are you here to show him off?]
¡°S-show him off? That¡¯s not it at all!¡±
[Oh? Then what are you here for?]
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Sylphia gave a sly smile and then looked at me.
[Ice Sovereign.]
Sylphia strode towards me, leaving a trail of petals in her wake.
She traversed effortlessly, regardless if it wasnd orke.
Kaya deliberately chose not to follow Sylphia.
She wanted to give Sylphia and me a chance to talk privately.
As soon as Sylphia got close to me, her expression suddenly turned threatening.
[You¡¯re the one who called me here, right? What do you want?]
Her voice was sharp.
I figured this would happen.
This was exactly why I had Kaya call her.
We were notrades, and to her, I was nothing more than a stranger.
Considering I was anything but ordinary, it was no wonder why a fairy like Sylphia would be on guard.
¡°Nothing major. I just want to take something you no longer need.¡±
[Something I don¡¯t need?]
¡°The 8-star familiar contract circle. Hand it over to me.¡±
Sylphia narrowed her eyes and let out a, ¡°Oh?¡± in surprise.
The 8-star familiar contract circle was something the yer originally acquired in theter part of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Afterpleting Semester 2 Year 2, if the yer visited during winter break, Sylphia, the Emerald Fairy, would wee them.
She would then talk at length about Rachnil and would eventually give the yer the 8-star familiar contract circle as a gift, saying she didn¡¯t need it.
But I didn¡¯t need to wait until winter break.
I¡¯m not bound by the scenario.
I could juste now.
[You seem to have knowledge of a fairy¡¯s resources, don¡¯t you?]
¡°It¡¯s something I need. I had to find it out of necessity. It¡¯s not exactly something you can stumble upon anywhere.¡±
[You sly wizard.]
The corners of Sylphia¡¯s mouth curled up.
She probably secretly watched as I defeated Thanatos the Ruination.
She likely assumed I discovered the 8-star familiar contract circle with some unknown power.
[¡You¡¯re right. I have the 8-star familiar contract circle. I can give it to you, however¡]
However?
[I have one condition.]
So she¡¯sying down terms now, huh¡
¡°What is it?¡±
[You seem to have many women you¡¯re fond of, correct? So¡]
Sylphia brought her mouth close to my ear, covering it with her hand.
[Cherish Kaya, love her truly, have children, and make them happy. That¡¯s my condition. If you ever make her sad, prepare yourself for the wrath of all the nts in this world.]
Indeed, this fairy truly loved Kaya.
After all, what more could a fairy expect from a human?
¡°You call that a condition?¡±
[Huh?]
¡°Nothing in this world can halt my love for Kaya. Even if you opposed it, I would still like her all the same.¡±
I can¡¯t imagine my harem kingdom without Kaya.
I calmly met Sylphia¡¯s mysterious gaze.
[Hehe¡ I like that answer. Now, give me your hand.]
I offered her the hand that wasn¡¯t marked by Hilde¡¯s contract circle.
Sylphia ced her fingers on my wrist.
Ssss.
A small, intricate contract circle began to etch itself into my wrist.
In the midst of this, Sylphia spoke,
[What are you nning to do next?]
¡°Why would a fairy be interested in human affairs?¡±
Fairies were neither allies nor enemies.
They remained neutral.
Whether humanity fell to the Evil God or not was of no concern to them. Fairies weren¡¯t meant to meddle in the world¡¯s affairs.
[You¡¯re the man Kaya¡¯s chosen, after all.]
Why does it feel like I¡¯ve just been handed a mother-inw¡?
¡°Nothing much. Just resolve everything and live happily ever after. That¡¯s all.¡±
[Hmm¡ I guess even someone as powerful as you have burdens to bear?]
¡°Everyone has at least one worry in life, right? Isn¡¯t it the same for fairies?¡±
[Who knows? I just go with the flow.]
Sylphia answered nonchntly.
Yet, her eyes held a deep sadness.
She¡¯d likely had many kins over the years.
Unlike fairies, humans lived short lives, so the pain of all the farewells she had endured must be beyond words.
¡°I see.¡±
I answered quietly.
After that, I didn¡¯t ask any more questions.
Soon after, a notification appeared in my vision.
[Congrattions! You have acquired the [8-star Familiar Contract Circle]!]
****After receiving Sylphia¡¯s. ¡°See you again,¡± farewell, Kaya and I left the Covenant of Life.
Hilde took us on her back and soared into the sky.
It felt a little wrong to be soaring so freely through the imperial skies.
I justified it to myself, thinking that after yesterday¡¯s big achievements, this much should be fine.
It doesn¡¯t seem like Emperor Carlos treats me as aplete stranger anymore.
He seemed supportive, thinking that White and I had a close rtionship.
Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Could I ask¡ what you talked about with Sylphia?¡±
There was nothing to hide.
I showed her the 8-star familiar contract circle I received from Sylphia.
¡°A high-level familiar contract circle. It was a gift. Sylphia had it.¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes grew wide with admiration.
¡°Are you nning to make another 8-star magic beast your familiar?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the n.¡±
¡°Hehe, that¡¯s amazing!¡±
Kaya beamed, saying, ¡°As expected of Isaac!¡±
Soon after, she asked cautiously, ¡°But¡ didn¡¯t you have a secret conversation earlier?¡±
¡°Oh, that.¡±
I don¡¯t really need to keep this from her either¡
¨C Cherish Kaya, love her truly, have children, and make them happy.
No, I shouldn¡¯t tell her this.
¡°Sir Isaac?¡±
This was too provocative for Kaya, who was not used to men.
She was the kind of girl who blushed and got flustered over the smallest things, sometimes even fainting.
¡°She was curious about what kind of rtionship we have. I just said we¡¯re pretty close.¡±
¡°Ah¡ I see.¡±
Kaya looked disappointed.
She¡¯d probably get the full story next vacation when she sees Sylphia.
I didn¡¯t want to be the one to tell her right now.
¨C You call that a condition? Nothing in this world can halt my love for Kaya. Even if you opposed it, I would still like her all the same.
After all, it was essentially a proposal.
¡°Let¡¯s go, Hilde.¡±
Kaya and I mounted Hilde and headed back to M?rchen Academy.
Chapter 309: Attachment
The students returned to M?rchen Academy.
It seemed that news of the incident that urred in Aldreque had already spread to the academy.
The students who had gone to Aldreque shared vivid stories with those who had stayed at the academy.
¡°Senior Isaac used 9-star ice magic! And he did it three times, all at once!¡±
¡°How many people do you think have seen 9-star magic in their lifetime?¡±
¡°Then, an iron gate appeared in the sky! From it, a colossally huge magic beast burst forth¡!¡±
To anyone who heard it, it would just sound like an exaggerated tale.
However, all the students¡¯ ounts matched, and since there wasn¡¯t anyone in M?rchen Academy who didn¡¯t know who I was, everyone believed it to be true and was amazed.
Being human, it was natural for me to feel a sense of pride. But I didn¡¯t like the growing psychological distance between me and the students.
I also met and spoke with priestess Miya. Since I already knew about Mei¡¯s punishment, I didn¡¯t dwell on it.©¤ I have something I need to aplish. I need more support, even if it¡¯s just one more person. It¡¯s for Horan, too, so I hope you can help.
©¤ I owe Senior Isaac a lot, so of course I will!
The conversation went smoothly without any issues.
I decided to discuss the detailster with the rest of the group. Until then, I asked her to focus on getting stronger.
Miya was a tremendous genius, and she even handled the Nine-tailed Fox as her familiar, so she was surely going to be a great asset.
¡°Do you feel proud of yourself when people praise you?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
A week after returning to M?rchen Academy, in the evening.
Inside a storage shed away from the academy grounds, I met Aria Lilias, Hegel Tower master. She had secretly sent me a letter asking to meet here.
It was a makeshift storage shed prepared for patrols, filled with spare magic tools needed for the task. However, it was rarely ever used.
We were leaning against the wall side by side. With the magic tool in my hand, I practiced my mana control and brought up the main topic.
¡°You came to talk about how to widen the rift, right?¡±
Aria nodded.
¡°It¡¯s impossible to arbitrarily adjust the timing of widening the rift.¡±
¡°Then what?¡±
¡°We have no choice but to aim for the conditions that will allow us to widen the rift.¡±
¡°And what is that?¡±
Aria slightly raised her clenched left hand.
¡°We are nothing but dust. No matter how much dust stirs up a fuss, it can¡¯t open my fist.¡±
Aria extended that hand toward me.
¡°Try opening it up.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I opened Aria¡¯s hand.
Aria tried to resist by tightening her grip, but since her physical strength was very weak, it was easy to force her hand open.
¡°If something with immense pressure intervenes like this, it can open the rift.¡±
With a metaphor this simple, she could have just said it outright¡
I didn¡¯t bother saying anything.
¡°In this case, that force is the ¡®Netherstorm¡¯.¡±
¡°Netherstorm?¡±
¡°Observations indicate thatrge storms frequently sweep through the Nether. Most humans would be torn to shreds and killed in less than a second if caught in one, but there¡¯s no doubt that when these storms ur, it¡¯s an opportunity to widen the rift.¡±
Aria looked up into my eyes.
¡°The storm carries such a massive amount of mana that it can distort space-time, making it possible to weaken and loosen the rift.¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re saying the rift can be widened when the Netherstorms blow¡ What about the timing?¡±
¡°ording to the calctions, the timing is¡¡±
Aria¡¯s response left me in a daze for a while.
I instinctively furrowed my brow, and my mouth opened slightly.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°¡Only at that time, right?¡±
¡°Without a doubt, only then.¡±
Reaching the Icy Lake was a condition to defeat the Evil God without sacrificing Dorothy.
If there was a major disruption in the scenario, we¡¯d lose before the Evil God even appeared. It was unlikely for Round 1 Dorothy to not have noticed this.
No matter how full of uncertainty the Nether was, as long as I could return properly, the scenario issues could somehow be resolved.
¡°In other words, the key is whether I can make it back safely.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine, somehow.¡±
Let¡¯s believe that.
I smiled kindly.
¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡±
¡°This is research I¡¯m conducting because I want to. It¡¯s not about helping you; it¡¯s just a transaction.¡±
Aria closed her eyes.
¡°After you¡¯ve been to the depths of the Nether, you will tell me everything you saw, heard, and experienced, in full detail¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Aria¡¯s desires and my goals aligned, and with our mutual interests matching, there was no better ally than her.
¡°Then, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°Do you have more to say?¡±
¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±
Aria looked at me again.
¡°Luce Eltania. That kid secretly broke into myb.¡±@@novelbin@@
Luce?
¡°It took a while to detect because the barrier was meticulously restored. I suspect she was searching for a secret passage.¡±
The secretb with the rift. To get there, one had to pass through the secret passage located in Aria¡¯sb.
In that vast space, one would need to figure out where the secret mechanism was hidden to enter the passage.
If Luce discovered the rift leading to the Nether¡ I couldn¡¯t shake off a bad feeling about it.
¡°Were there any signs of someone entering or leaving the secret passage?¡±
¡°After a thorough investigation, there were no particr traces. It¡¯s assumed that they failed to find the secret passage.¡±
¡°I see¡¡±
There was a time when the mana from secret research had quietly leaked outside the tower. I learned this from Aria¡¯s exnation.
The Imperial Tower detected it with its sensing abilities that extend throughout the entire empire.
Moreover, Luce often trained at Hegel Tower. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she sensed the mana as well.
Anyway, she didn¡¯t manage to figure out how to ess the secret passage.
I remember when I was about to leave the Hegel Tower and ran into Luce, who was still in training.
I recalled the conversation I had with Luce on the rooftop of the tower that day.
©¤ How did you know I was here?
©¤ Your familiar came to see the Tower Master before, didn¡¯t she? When I heard the Tower Master was returning today, I figured you¡¯de.¡¯
©¤ Really¡? Sharp as always I see.
©¤ ¡Is something going on?
If it was Luce, she might have deduced from the circumstantial evidence that Aria and I were nning something dangerous together.
¡°What are you going to do?¡±
¡°For now, I¡¯ll just pretend not to know.¡±
It didn¡¯t seem like anything good woulde from needlessly probing Luce.
Aria turned her head to face forward.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t even call Luce Eltania a good kid, not even just to be nice, but it¡¯s undeniable that she cares about you more than anyone.¡±
¡°You¡¯re telling me not to make her worry right?¡±
Aria shook her head.
¡°Affection is a double-edged sword. That¡¯s why someone like her is the most dangerous, so be careful.¡±
¡°¡¡±
It was hard to deny.
If Luce knew I was leaving for the Nether, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising no matter what she did.
¡°Thank you for the advice.¡±
I gave a polite smile, said my farewells, and left the storage shed.
***
Even in the middle of the night, many buildings of the academy were still lit up.
Research, training, studying. Due to the individual circumstances of many, the buildings were always lit, so there was never a night when the entire campus was shrouded in deep darkness.
The cool night air filled my lungs. I was running.
Running through the academy and breathing in the air as deeply as possible made me acutely aware of the changing seasons.
Is it autumn?
I kept the magic tools clutched in both hands, only letting go in unavoidable situations.
I was wearing magic undergarments that significantly increased weight all over my body.
My body weight had increased to an absurd level, but thanks to that, running felt satisfying. Without this, my body would be as light as a feather, and training wouldn¡¯t be effective.
As I was running along my favorite route, I noticed the Hydrangea Garden.
I paused for a moment, then, following a sense of attraction, stepped into the ce.
I crossed the beautiful path to the corner. The more I ran, the stronger the feeling of mana became.
¡°Hiyah!¡±
At the corner of Hydrangea Garden.
Snow White was casting wind magic, aiming at a training tool that was moving wildly on the surface of theke.
The dark blue elemental magic glowed beautifully, imbued with the energy of the night.
It was a unique element, ¡°Nightly Wind Element¡±, a blend of Nix¡¯s power and the wind element.
White was sweating profusely, her hair tied back, dressed in afortable tracksuit. She looked determined as if she had resolved to train seriously.
¡°Is that you, Lord Isaac?¡±
As I was mesmerized, watching White from beyond the bushes, Merlin approached me.
I wasn¡¯t surprised since I had already sensed her presence.
¡°You¡¯ve returned, Merlin.¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to see you in good health.¡±
I heard she suffered a fatal injury.
As expected of a child of the Astrea family, her recovery speed was remarkable.
¡°I¡¯m not fully healed yet, though.¡±
Merlin shrugged.
We watched White together.
¡°Not nning to say hello?¡±
¡°I¡¯m nning to do my own training soon. If I meet her, all we¡¯ll do is chat, and I don¡¯t have the time to mentor White right now.¡±
¡°Still, you came to see Princess White.¡±
¡°Yes, well.¡±
¡°I heard you looked for Princess White and me when you were in Aldreque. Thank you for your consideration.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to be thanked for¡¡±
¡°No, it is. Absolutely.¡±
Her tone was firm as if insisting that I just ept the gratitude.
I just replied, ¡°Ah, yes¡¡±
¡°¡Though Princess White was teary, asking why no one woke her up when Lord Isaac came, my colleagues were quite troubled.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
I could imagine it. I felt kind of sorry.
Merlin nced at me with a calm expression.
¡°As you can see, Princess White has awakened a new power. I heard it was you who told her about it. It¡¯s a Fairy power, correct?¡±
¡°Yes, the power of her magic is definitely far beyond what it was before, and it will continue to grow stronger.¡±
¡°Princess White has vowed that once she can wield that power proficiently, she¡¯ll proudly show it to you, Lord Isaac. She wants to be even stronger.¡±
Merlin smiled.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Princess White understands Lord Isaac in her own way. That¡¯s why, unless youe to see her yourself, she¡¯s trying hard to hold back even if she misses you.¡±
Merlin looked at me.
¡°So please remember this. Princess White has a deep attachment to you, Lord Isaac.¡±
I nned to focus on my training to endure the journey to the Nether.
That was why I told White, who had just awakened her power, that I no longer had the time to mentor her.
I didn¡¯t consider any self-serving calctions because she wasn¡¯t someone I could bring myself to calcte for. I only said it because I felt guilty.
In such a situation, I thought it would be shameless of me tofort or encourage her.
Indeed¡
Attachment, huh?
I felt it too.
I felt a deep attachment to the sight of White, focusing intently on her target and sweating with effort.
At first, I was just mentoring her to clear the scenario.
The harder she tried and the stronger she got, the more I ended up feeling proud and affectionate toward her.
¡°I have something importanting up soon. That¡¯s why I¡¯m focusing on my training.¡±
I said to Merlin.
¡°Today will be thest time Ie. I don¡¯t want to break White¡¯s concentration, and I¡¯d feel sorry to interrupt. Please tell her I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how much stronger she¡¯ll be next time. Right now, I¡¯m not in a position to face her with a clear conscience.¡±
¡°¡Understood. I will respect your wishes.¡±
As I took a step forward, Merlin bowed his head.
¡°Take care.¡±
And just as I was about to start running again.
¡°¡Princess White?¡±
¡°Senior Isaac!¡±
Ah, looks like I got caught.
She must have noticed while looking around when Merlin wasn¡¯t there.
I stopped and turned my head. I saw White, her face serious but on the verge of tears.
Without hesitation, she ran over and hugged me tightly.
¡°White¡?¡±
What should I say?
Cold sweat trickled down my cheek.
¡°Uh, are we both aware that we smell all sweaty?¡±
I tried to throw out an awkward joke that came to mind, but White didn¡¯t respond.
I gently tried to pull her away, but she clung to me like glue, finally looking up at me.
Her clear eyes were filled with tears, snot ran like a child¡¯s, and her lips quivered.
¡°Whaaaa¡! Senior Isaac¡!¡±
Just like before, White whimpered. Her sobs sounded awkward and almostical.
My heart skipped a beat. A rush of emotions welled up inside me.
It didn¡¯t take long to understand the feeling tugging at my heart.
Only then did I realize with certainty¡ I truly cherished this girl.
And before I knew it, my honest feelings slipped out.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve treated you better¡ I wasn¡¯t enough¡¡±
¡°W-what kind of ridiculous nonsense is that¡? Hic¡! I m, m-missed you¡!¡±
The chirping of the crickets was drowned out by White¡¯s cries.
White cried out in a stammering voice and fell back into my arms
I gently patted her back.
It might seem quite pitiful to others, but at that point, all I felt was a desire to treat White with even more care.
:"
Chapter 310: Stone Turtle
When Snow White calmed down, we looked at each other.
Without saying much, we simply cheered each other on.
¨C Senior Isaac, go for it!
With White¡¯s encouragement in mind, I started running again.
While running, I took in my surroundings.
The blend of natural scenery and stunning architecture caught my eye. Now and then, I noticed structures infused with magic, adding to the aesthetic charm.
The rain fell, leaves drifted, snow nketed the ground, and then the sun shone again.
Watching the scenery of this vast campus transform with each passing season, I found myself inevitably growing attached to it.
I nced over at the central administrative building, Bartos Hall.
When the day the Evil God emerged from that rooftop, I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be able to protect this view.But my determination was unwavering.
I was determined to defend this ce.
* * *The girl, Michelle, let out a sigh as she pulled back the hood of her red cloak.
Beneath the night sky, at an altar.
Wizards in ck pointed hats and robesy dead, their blood spilled. Each one was a dark magician.
Because all the wizards who were casting magic lost their lives, the strange glow of the summoning circle on the ground gradually faded.
The children, huddled and bound at the center of the summoning circle, trembled as they gazed at Michelle.
¡°S-spare me¡¡±
A whimpering voice.
One dark magician, still alive, groveled on the ground, pleading desperately, but Michelle gazed down at him with cold indifference.
¡°Please¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m a hunter.¡±
Michelle hoisted the axe onto her shoulder and crouched beside him.
Her lifeless eyes stared at the dark magician.
Michelle raised the axe that was resting on her shoulder.
The de caught the moonlight, shing menacingly.
¡°So die.¡±
¡°A-ahh¡!¡±
Thwack!
¡°Kugh!¡±
Michelle struck the dark magician¡¯s neck with her axe.
Blood sttered on Michelle¡¯s pale cheek. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her face.
The dark magician convulsed with every breath. With each spasm, a surge of blood spilled from his neck, soaking his ck robe.
The glow of the summoning circle hadpletely faded, leaving only the flickering mes around the altar to light the scene.
Michelle moved to the center of the summoning circle, slicing through the ropes that bound the children with her axe, setting them free.
The children burst into tears.
¡°T-thank you¡! Thank you so much¡!¡±
¡°Thank the Incarnate.¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
Michelle looked at the child with a cold smile.
¡°The one who saved me. I¡¯m merely acting on her behalf. She would never want children like you to be in harm¡¯s way.¡±
The children didn¡¯t understand what Michelle meant.
¡°Well then¡¡±
Michelle reached out toward the children, closed her eyes, and murmured, ¡°May the Incarnate¡¯s blessing protect you.¡±
***Hiss.
Inside a stone cave.
An eerie chill lingered in the air, with dense mana wrapping around the stone walls.
The massive beast, resembling a giant snapping turtle armored in stone, slowly opened its tightly shut eyes.
As it looked straight ahead, it saw a familiar face.
A silver-blue-haired boy who had fought its stone minions repeatedly, getting up to fight again no matter how many times he was wounded.
He was approaching, with cold energy emanating from his entire body.
[So, the time has finallye¡]
It was Isaac, the man who had once vowed to defeat the Stone Turtle and bind him into a familiar contract.
Sensing the impending battle, Stone Turtle Gormos slowly rose, channeling its immense rock mana.
Gooooooo.
It was a truly terrifying mana, a weighty pressure that naturally invoked fear.
The Stone Turtle quickly made its judgment. Even if the Primordial Rock Sovereign were alive, he would not be able to defeat this boy.
[It has been a while, Gormos!]
The tiny white dragon, Frost Dragon Hilde, who had been lurking behind Isaac, darted forward and waved a paw in greeting.
Isaac halted, maintaining a safe distance from Gormos.
¡°Gormos, I¡¯vee to make a contract.¡±
[I can see it. What unbelievable mana¡. Have you been deliberately holding back in your training, only to feed off itter?]
¡°Think what you will.¡±
[¡No point in dragging this out.]
Isaac showed his wrist to the Stone Turtle Gormos.
The familiar contract on his wrist began to activate.
¡°Swear, should I emerge victorious, you will serve me as my familiar.¡±
[I swear.]
¡°The contract is sealed.¡±
Their intentions aligned.
Kuuuuuu!
Massive boulders materialized around Stone Turtle Gormos, and stone golems began to rise from the ground.
A legion of golems, each towering over Isaac by tenfold, armed themselves with stone weapons and formed ranks.
Even the golem that had shattered Isaac¡¯s ribs countless times emerged, ready forbat. Ten of them, when just one used to be more than enough to overpower him.
[Come, Isaac. Defeat me and prove yourself worthy to be my master.]
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, it was only in the final stages of the game that one could form a familiar contract with the 8-star magic beast, the Stone Turtle Gormos.
The time had finallye.@@novelbin@@
Pow!
Isaac leaped off the ground.
Kagagagak!!
Sharp chunks of rock shot at Isaac like bullets, but he deployed an ice wall, deflecting every attack.
As the golems swung their massive weapons, Isaac stepped on one and used it to jump higher.
He warded off the barrage of stone debris with a wave of elemental magic.
Rumble.
Isaac¡¯s legs were quickly encased in [Rock Armor], a power granted by his familiar, Eden.
With that leg, he kicked the massive golem.
Boom!!
The force of his kick sent shockwaves through the air, shattering the giant golem¡¯s head with ease.
The remaining golems rushed at Isaac, but he destroyed them one after another with his [Rock Armor] enhanced fists as he charged straight toward Gormos.
Crashhhhh!!
In an instant, all the golems were destroyed.
The fate of the golems that followed was the same.
He stayed on alert, without a hint ofcency.
His fighting style, though that of a strong individual, was deeply rooted in the experiences he had umted when he was weak.
Defeating this man was impossible, the Stone Turtle concluded.
Before long, Isaac reached the Stone Turtle.
Isaac leaped into the air and gathered ice mana in his right hand.
The ice mana swirled, and the form for the 5-star spell, [Frost Explosion], unfolded above his hand.
[Perfect! This is the first time I have been overwhelmed like this¡!]
¡°Is that so?¡±
He was excited.
Stone Turtle Gormos let out a wildugh, summoning a hail of stone spears thatunched toward Isaac.
¡°Thanks for sparring with me all this time.¡±
Isaac unleashed the ice mana toward the Stone Turtle¡¯s head, casting [Frost Explosion].
Boom!!
A radiant wave of pale blue light exploded.
The cold shockwave shattered and deflected all the stone spears flying in from every direction.
A massive flood of ice engulfed the Stone Turtle, causing the rocky mountain on its shell to copse and scatter.
The rushing cold air settled into the stone cave.
The Stone Turtle grimaced in pain as his entire body was encased in ice.
The pale blue frost began to recede.
Isaac stood atop the ice created by the [Frost Explosion], looking down at the Stone Turtle with eyes as cold as ice.
¡°Haa.¡±
Isaac¡¯s breath turned into a white mist in the air.
Then, at Isaac¡¯s will, the ice encasing the Stone Turtle disintegrated into mana dust, scattering in the air.
[Ugh¡]
The Stone Turtle groaned, staggering before copsing to the ground. He panted, bleeding all over.
Inside the broken stone skin, red flesh could be seen. The Stone Turtle felt the intense cold and sharp pain deep within his body.
¡°Gormos.¡±
Isaac lightly jumped down from the ice and walked through the cold air, arriving right in front of the Stone Turtle.
¡°It¡¯s time to follow me. I need you.¡±
[¡]
A hissing sound escaped through the tightly closed mouth of the Stone Turtle.
As he closed his eyes, a moment from a thousand years ago flickered before him.
What he saw was the back of the Primordial Rock Sovereign, who always fought boldly against enemies.
He often thrust his fist forward and shouted energetically.
¡°Gormos, a new adventure awaits! Follow me!¡±
That passionate voice echoed in his ears.
An involuntary smile tugged at the corner of the Stone Turtle¡¯s mouth.
[¡You need not ask. I concede. It is my defeat. From this moment, I recognize you as my new master, Isaac.]
Hwaaaaa!
Gradually, a new light brown mark was etched onto the Stone Turtle¡¯s forehead.
In resonance, the contract circle on Isaac¡¯s wrist began to glow with a light brown hue.
The contract was established.
Stone Turtle Gormos became Isaac¡¯s third familiar.
A gleam of triumph flickered in Isaac¡¯s eyes.
[¡Hmm?]
Suddenly, Isaac embraced the Stone Turtle¡¯s massive head, pressing his face into the rough surface, and tenderly caressed it like a cherished treasure.
Hilde quietly flew over and hugged the back of Isaac¡¯s head.
Gormos didn¡¯t understand why they were doing this, but sensing Isaac¡¯s heart, he soon smiled.
[You rascals¡]
It was heartwarming.
***It was midday. I was walking through the hallway of Orphin Hall.
Ever since yesterday, I have be very conscious of my wrists.
I¡¯ve finally made a contract with the Stone Turtle¡
With a different 8-star familiar contract circle on each wrist, I felt immense satisfaction.
¡°Hmm?¡±
As I opened my locker to grab a book.
I noticed a note I hadn¡¯t seen before. Someone must have slipped it through the gap in the locker door.
I grabbed the note and read what was written inside.
Meet me at the hideout after school
- Dorodorodorothy
Next to the name ¡°Dorodorodorothy,¡± there was a simple drawing of a cute character with a witch¡¯s hat, smiling brightly.
Setting aside the strange name, the messy scrawl made it clear that Dorothy had left the note.
We haven¡¯t had a serious talk since we returned from Aldreque, have we?
It had been bothering me.
I hadn¡¯t mentioned what Rachnil had said on purpose, out of consideration for Dorothy.
So, she¡¯s finally ready to have that conversation.
I carefully slipped the note into a clear protector, ced it in a ss case, and disyed it in my locker. After all, it was a keepsake from Dorothy.
I grabbed the book I needed and continued down the hallway.
I doubted Dorothy had found anyfort in the idea that her existence might be a catastrophe.
Yet, regardless of the conclusion she reached, my response wouldn¡¯t change.
Chapter 311: To The Nether (1)
After sses, in the evening.
I arrived at the hideout by cutting across Josena Forest beside the campus.
¡°Senior Dorothy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re here, President.¡±
Dorothy, who was sitting on the roof, greeted me. She had set her witch hat aside, so her light purple hair, reflecting the sunset, stood out.
I lightly jumped up, kicked off the nearby tree, andnded on the roof. Then, I sat beside Dorothy, and we looked up at the sky together.
¡°Have you eaten?¡±
¡°Yes. How about you, Senior?¡±
¡°I roughly ate two whole chickens.¡±
¡°Is that what you call ¡®roughly¡¯¡?¡±We engaged in some trivial small talk, and after a brief silence followed.
Dorothy parted her lips to speak, ¡°President.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You know, back when we fought the fairy, what he said back then¡ª¡±
¡°You can forget it.¡±
I interrupted Dorothy to respond.
If she remained alive, she would be a transcendent being, and a great cmity would befall humanity.
No matter how one looked at it, it wasn¡¯t an appealing proposition.
So, I had to insist on my answer to Dorothy.
¡°Whatever happens, I¡¯ll stop it. You just need to stay put, Dorothy.¡±
I pretended to be nonchnt, as if it was nothing because I wanted to reassure Dorothy.
Whether it was a catastrophe or anything else, I was determined to stop it somehow, hoping Dorothy would survive no matter what.
¡°¡I was going to say that.¡±
¡What?
¡°Pardon?¡±
I looked at Dorothy. She was smiling sweetly.
¡°You know, President¡ it¡¯s like, well, I¡¯ve been thinking that¡ I just want to spend my whole life with you¡ yeah, with you.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s cheeks flushed, seemingly embarrassed.
As the mood became awkward, she tried to smile even wider.
¡°So, I wanted to ask you a favor. I know it¡¯s shameless of me¡ but if it seems like something bad might happen to people because of Big Sis, I want you to stop it. Big Sis has no one else to rely on but you.¡±
I realized my worries had been unfounded.
Seeing Dorothy¡¯s smiling face, my worries dissipated, like the cool relief of a heavy burden lifted from my chest.
My resolve became even stronger.
¡°Why bring up shame? It¡¯s only natural¡±
I chuckled.
¡°Why not? Let¡¯s do it.¡±@@novelbin@@
I had already lived through this world, and I hade to care for this girl far too much.
I was going to protect her, no matter what.
¡°Nihihi, that¡¯s reassuring.¡±
We looked at each other, joked around, and then looked back up at the sky.
For a while, no words were exchanged.
Dorothy put her hat back on and gently rested her head on my shoulder.
Her face was hidden under the brim of her hat.
¡°Hey, President.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s voice trembled slightly.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for making things hard¡¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. If you still feel guilty about it, make it up to me by staying by my side.¡±
Dorothy knew how to read people¡¯s emotions.
Even though I was good at hiding my expressions, it was hard to conceal the emotions I hid within.
Well, it¡¯s okay. Everything will turn out fine.
I reassured myself.
***With each step I took, the fallen leaves crunched underfoot.
When I looked to the side, I saw the academy janitor sweeping the ground with a gentle wind spell and multiple brooms.
The height of autumn was passing, and winter was slowly inching its way in.
Nothing much has happened.
Except for the asional stalking by my sister, Eve, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Instructor Ron continued delivering his usual quality lectures in the ss A ssroom, as if he¡¯d never fought with me and showed no unusual behavior under the watch of Phantom Cat Cheshire.
He asionally suggested ying chess with me. Of course, I declined every time.
The assassin who failed, Methel Valencia, remained trapped inside her dreams in D¨¹pfendorf¡¯s solitary cell.
Even though she was being held hostage on purpose, Instructor Ron showed no signs of looking for Methel. He was just leading a normal academy life.
Luce is calm too.
ording to Aria, Hegel Magic Tower Master.
There were no more signs of Luce breaking into theb after that.
Luce merely followed me normally.
And then, one day,
¡°There will be a duel evaluation soon.¡±
Orphin Hall, 2nd-year ss A ssroom.
Professor Philip Meltron made the announcement.
¡°I¡¯ll distribute two duel request tickets to each of you. I trust you all know what to do, so I¡¯ll skip the exnation.¡±
I forgot¡
There was a duel evaluation. I hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to it for a while.
It wasn¡¯t particrly important. I had resolved to duel Luce in the duel evaluation of Semester 2 Year 2, but it was mainly to gauge my skills.
Given that I had gained the unique trait [Archwizard¡¯s Domain], I could roughly match Luce¡¯sbat power without any additional buffs.
By saying nonsense like ¡°I¡¯ll face you as Isaac, not as the Ice Sovereign,¡± while pretending to be sincere, and intentionally lowering the effects of [Vs. Human Combat Power] before engaging, it would be quite a valuablebat experience.
If I lose, it means mybat sense iscking that much, and if I win, it means I¡¯ve been managing mybat sense reasonably well.
It would serve as a good standard for judgment.
¡°Then, once your Dueling opponent is decided within the week, make sure to report it.¡±
***¡°Luce.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
It was after the morning ss ended. I tapped Luce¡¯s shoulder as she sat at her seat.
I pointed towards the ssroom door and started walking, and Luce followed me without a word.
We stood facing each other in a shaded area behind the building.
I could hear the voices of students wandering around the campus, but this was a secluded spot away from prying eyes, so it was fine.
¡°Isaac, you pervert.¡±
¡°What are you saying out of nowhere?¡±
What with the baseless insult¡?
¡°What are you trying to do with me in a secluded ce like this?¡±
Luce tilted her head with a gentle smile, like a nobledy, and pressed me for answers.
Using [Psychological Insight], I could constantly read that she just wanted to be with me all day.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t thought of anything weird.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t n on saying no to whatever you want to do.¡±
¡°That¡¯s quite a dangerous statement¡?¡±
Luce smiled bashfully.
She was always cold to others, but she always smiled warmly at me.
That smile was remarkably graceful and delicate, especiallypared to her bold words and actions.
¡°First, this. I thought it would cause a fuss if I gave it to you in front of people.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I took out two duel request tickets from my pocket and handed them to Luce.
Luce looked at the two tickets with a puzzled expression.
¡°Luce, I challenge you to a duel.¡±
By handing over a duel request ticket, one could challenge the receiver of the ticket to a duel.
The receiver had the right to refuse, but if they received two duel request tickets, they must participate in the duel.
Luce epted the two duel request tickets.
¡°¡Is this revenge? You¡¯ve never beaten me even once because you¡¯ve been holding back your strength.¡±
Revenge, huh? I suppose I did have a bit of that feeling.
259 matches, 0 wins, 259 losses. That was my record against Luce.
If I had to pick the person I sparred with the most at this academy, it would undoubtedly be her.
¡°It¡¯s not really that. I was nning to duel you anyway. And, Luce.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Why did you secretly go into Teacher¡¯sb?
It was hard to ask that directly while looking into Luce¡¯s blue eyes.
¡°¡Let¡¯s go eat.¡±
Luce smiled.
¡°Sure.¡±
***¡°You¡¯re nning to duel Luce Eltania?¡±
¡°Yes. I still haven¡¯t been able to beat her.¡±
Late at night, in Aria¡¯sb at the Hegel Magic Tower.
We talked as we entered through the secret passage.
¡°If you use your real strength, even Luce Eltania wouldn¡¯t stand a chance¡ You deceiver.¡±
¡°Well, if I lower my level a bit¡¡±
¡°Then, she wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±
¡That¡¯s true.
If I show myself fighting earnestly while matching my level to Luce¡¯s, it would feel like I¡¯m being deceptive.
Luce would probably feel very ufortable facing me like that.
Was I thinking too much about myself¡
It was necessary to nicely justify it in advance by saying, ¡°It¡¯s just to evaluate mybat sense,¡± and persuade her.
¡°That¡¯s true. Thanks for letting me know.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s skip the pointless talk. There¡¯s a problem.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
The effect was to prevent the detection of mana from outside the barrier.
Completely blocking a strong release of mana would be difficult, but since Aria set up the barrier, it should be able to contain most mana leaks.
We passed through the barrier and entered the secretb, stopping before a strange rift. As usual, a solid barrier surrounded the rift.
Something¡ doesn¡¯t feel right?
For some reason, it felt different from thest time I was here.
¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? The faint mana.¡±
¡°What is this?¡±
Aria spoke seriously, ¡°Even the powerful Netherstorm thatpletely sweeps away natural mana cannot reach this far beyond the rift. However, observations confirm that this mana is not natural mana.¡±
The fact that it wasn¡¯t natural mana meant it was mana within someone¡¯s body.
¡°In other words, it¡¯s the mana of someone unimaginably powerful.¡±
Aria uttered a chilling conclusion.
¡°It¡¯s presumed that someone in the Nether is watching this rift. Is there a possibility it¡¯s the Nether King?¡±
¡°No, the Nether King is always cautious about letting his mana extend outside the Nether.¡±
A mysterious powerhouse was targeting anyone who might cross through this rift into the Nether.
If someone could extend their own mana beyond this rift, I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine just how powerful they must be.
Could it be¡?
I approached the barrier and extended my hand in front of it.
If they were that powerful, their mana perception had to be monstrous.
I let my ice mana flow through my extended hand. Suddenly, the faintly flowing mana became denser.
¡°This is¡?¡±
Aria¡¯s eyes widened.
It had been a while since I¡¯d seen such a surprised reaction from her usually emotionless face.
It¡¯s certain¡
The being beyond the rift sensed my mana and reacted intensely.
It knew me.
¡°Hmm.¡±
Aria crossed her arms and leaned her head against the wall.
¡°You can probably sense it, but even for you, it would be hard to stay safe in the Nether. I¡¯ll ask just in case, do you really think you can make the crossing?¡±
Round 1 Dorothy mentioned it.
She said that reaching the Icy Lake was almost impossible for me.
Honestly¡
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Why the hell is everyone acting like this
I exhaled slowly, gathering my emotions.
Suddenly, memories of my intense exam-prep days came to mind.
Whether it was when I started my exam prep or now, the unbearable sense of hopelessness was exactly the same.
However, now everyone¡¯s lives were at stake, and the sess rate was depressingly low, making the problem all the more significant.
I had to bear this weight.
But still¡
Round 1 Dorothy had worried about me. Yet, she still showed me the way to the Icy Lake.
She must have guessed that I wouldn¡¯t want to see her self-destruct.
¡°Of course, I have to do it.¡±
No matter how many of those monsters were in the way, I couldn¡¯t give up.
I looked at Aria calmly and smiled kindly.
¡°It¡¯s not much longer now. I¡¯ll be relying on you until the end, Teacher.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Aria looked at me impassively, quietly exhaled, and nodded.
Chapter 312: To The Nether (2)
¡°Hello, Darling.¡±
I met Alice Carroll in herbyrinth, inside the Heart Queen¡¯s audience chamber.
¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®Darling¡¯ again¡?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just you and me here. No one to interrupt.¡±
I shot Alice a sharp look, though her face was as innocent as ever.
¡°So, what¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s been a while since you asked to see me alone.¡±
¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±
Alice was my minion.
She could not resist my will, harm me, or disobey mymands.
It made perfect sense to entrust this task to Alice.¡°I have somewhere I need to go.¡±
¡°Where? Is it far?¡±
¡°The Nether. I¡¯m not sure how far it is.¡±
Alice¡¯s face suddenly froze.
She moved closer to me.
¡°Baby, what do you mean¡?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t get any weird ideas. It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m dying. There¡¯s a way to go there.¡±
¡°Is that possible?¡±
I nodded and settled into one of the chairs scattered around.
¡°¡Why would you go to such a ce?¡±
¡°I have an absolute reason to go.¡±
I briefly exined it to Alice.
I exined that I needed to retrieve something from the Nether in order to defeat the Evil God.
¡°I see. So, when are you going¡?¡±
Staring at the empty throne of the Heart Queen, I answered.
¡°Soon. I might even be gone while Vuel stirs up chaos over the ck Stone.¡±
Vuel, the final boss of¡¸Act 9, Treacherous Heavenly Being Subjugation¡¹in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
While he wreaked havoc, I would be in the Nether.
I could cross into the Nether when the Netherstorm blew around the rift. Unfortunately, that happened to coincide with the day the Heavenly Clock was activated.
¡°You¡¯d leave behind something crucial¡¡±
¡°I¡¯lle back as soon as I can. I want to deal with Vuel myself. But while I¡¯m gone, I¡¯ll have to leave everything to you guys.¡±
¡°Have you told the others yet?¡±
I shook my head.
¡°I¡¯m not going to tell them.¡±
Kaya practically worshiped me like a god, so she might respect my will.
But Luce and Dorothy would either try to prevent me from entering the Nether or insist on tagging along. Luce, especially, would be the most persistent.
Even though I felt guilty, I wanted to minimize any variables. That ce was far too dangerous. No matter who I took with me, they¡¯d only be walking into certain death. It would be difficult to keep myself alive, let alone someone else.
So, once I left for the Nether, I¡¯d have Alice pass on my message to the others.
¡°The others will be sad.¡±
¡°I want to minimize variables. Honestly, I don¡¯t have the emotional capacity for this right now.¡±
¡°Surely, you¡¯ll take me with you at least¡?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Alice¡¯s gaze fell to the floor.
¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±
¡°Prepare for the possibility that I might not return, and be ready to fight Vuel with everything you¡¯ve got. And¡¡±
I gave her several instructions, but Alice remained silent.
¡°¡I¡¯m counting on you.¡±
With that, I rose from my seat and began to walk away.
***It was a very clear day.
There wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky, and the light of the moon was shining brightly.
I was grateful the weather wasn¡¯t dreary. A gloomy sky would¡¯ve only dampened my mood.
¡°All set?¡±
When I reached the top floor of the Hegel Tower, Aria was there to greet me at the entrance.
The night was deep. The duel evaluation was over, and it was now time to prepare for the final exams.
Today, the Netherstorm was going to hit.
Tracking the approaching Netherstorm wasn¡¯t hard, so gauging when it would sweep over the rift became easier as the moment drew nearer.
¡°Yes.¡±
Theb door opened, and Aria¡¯s dimly lit study came into view.
The room was bathed in blue moonlight, filtering in through the ss ceiling.
We entered theb together.
¡°¡Hmm?¡±
We quickly stopped in our tracks.
A girl with rose-gold hair was standing quietly in the midst of the pouring moonlight. The morpho butterfly ornament in her hair, glistening in the light, was especially eye-catching.
Her lifeless eyes stared coldly at me. Eyes as empty as a doll¡¯s.
¡°You¡¯re here?¡±
It was Luce Eltania.
[Luce Eltania]
Lv: 175
Race: Human
Element: Water, Lightning
Danger: ?¡ö?
¡°Teacher, what is Luce doing here¡?¡±
I had already seen her through [irvoyance], but I pretended not to know.
¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±
Aria sighed.
¡°It¡¯s obvious that ungrateful girl is more powerful than I am. The best I could do was to prevent her from doing more damage. Isaac, you need to deal with your own mess.¡±
Luce was a genius among geniuses from the Empire¡¯s finest academy. Even Aria stood little chance against her.
I looked around.
This was a spacious circr library, and Aria usually kept it impably organized.
But now, it was in disarray. Evidence that there had been a power struggle between Luce and Aria.
The Magic Tower had taken no steps to intervene, likely on Aria¡¯s orders. She knew I¡¯de and tried to prevent things from escting further.
That¡¯s a relief.
It was a wise decision.
Today was the day I went to the Nether, causing any sort ofmotion was something I had to avoid at all costs.
I left Aria behind and walked away, stopping at a distance from Luce.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t pretend not to know.¡±
Luce¡¯s voice seeped into the moonlight, producing a beautiful resonance.
¡°Where do you intend to go?¡±
Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, yet clear and calm.
The danger level ¡®?¡ö?¡¯ was unique to Luce in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
It was a sign of the bad ending¡¸Bird Cage¡¹caused by overwhelming affection, possessiveness, and an intense protective instinct to keep her loved one by her side forever.
I could read Luce¡¯s psychology. She didn¡¯t want me to be in danger and was determined to protect me, even at the cost of her life. Her firm resolve was clear in her eyes.
I lowered my head and took off my sses.
This is exactly why I hadn¡¯t wanted to say anything.
I tucked my sses into my pocket and looked at Luce again.
I naturally held a smile.
¡°I¡¯m going to the Nether.¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes trembled.
¡°How could a living person even get there?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve already found a way, silly. Soon, an opportunity to go to the Nether wille.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ fine, I get that you¡¯re an Archwizard, so maybe you¡¯ll figure it out. But it¡¯s still a dangerous ce. Why would you want to go there?¡±
¡°Obviously, I have my own reasons for going. I told you before, right? The Evil God will revive soon, you know? To beat her, I need to retrieve something from the Nether.¡±
¡°You never mentioned going to the Nether.¡±
¡°Because I knew you¡¯d act like this.¡±
Luce¡¯s expression gradually turned sadder.
¡°Isaac¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitelye back.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to hear. Why¡ why do you always try to walk away from me? I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re an Archwizard, the Ice Sovereign, or the pinnacle of humanity¡ I just want you to stay by my side. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted¡ Isaac, take me with you too¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s a dangerous ce. That¡¯s why I need you to handle something else.¡±@@novelbin@@
¡°No! If anything happens to you, I won¡¯t be able to handle it!¡±
This was the first time Luce had ever let out such intense emotions since meeting me in this world.
¡°I like¡ªno¡ªlove you, Isaac! I really do! So, if you¡¯re going to fight the Evil God, find another way, or at least take me with you¡ I¡¯ll definitely be helpful¡! I¡¯d rather die than see you in danger¡!¡±
Since losing her brother Hansel and the Candy House Witch, Luce had locked her heart away.
Then she met me, and I was the only one she opened her heart to.
Knowing she couldn¡¯t bear to relive the pain of losing Hansel and the Candy House Witch, she clung to me with an almost obsessive desperation.
I understood. And I was grateful for it.
¡°Luce.¡±
But¡
¡°Step aside.¡±
This was different.
Luce flinched at my firm answer.
I had nothing more to say.
If there was anyone worth taking, I would have dly brought them along. But there wasn¡¯t a single soul on earth who could aid me on this journey into the Nether.
If I were just dealing with the spirits wandering the Nether, that¡¯d be one thing, but I have to get past the Nether King.
Honestly, I wasn¡¯t even sure I could keep myself alive against the Nether King.
That was why I had to focus solely on my own survival.
Luce¡¯s voice halted for a moment. A torrent of emotions swirled through her blue eyes, creating a violet spark.
¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. Even if I have to force my way, I¡¯ming with you. I won¡¯t let you face that danger alone¡¡±
¡°Are you going to fight me?¡±
¡°¡!¡±
In an instant, I was by Luce¡¯s side, cing my hand on her shoulder.
Gerald Astrea¡¯s footwork technique, Shadow Step.
Luce couldn¡¯t track my movement with her eyes.
¡°You can¡¯t beat me. You know that.¡±
I recalled the duel evaluation we had awhile ago.
M?rchen Academy had gone so far as to prepare a spacious outdoor arena, knowing our duel would be on a scale beyond imagination.
The rumors spread far and wide. Even students from other grades and departments came to watch me and Luce duel.
¡ª Isaac from ss A vs. Luce Eltania from ss A! Ready, begin the duel!
The moment the duel started, Luce called forth the Thunderbird - Galia, while I summoned the Frost Dragon - Hilde.
The two familiars soared into the sky, unleashing enormous mana as ice shed with lightning.
Since I had agreed beforehand to match Luce¡¯s level, I focused on testing mybat sense.
After an intense battle, I defeated Luce and imed victory.
I, who had grown strong by learning the ways of the weak, and Luce, who had been born with genius talent and had always been strong.
There was a gap between ourbat instincts that was difficult to bridge.
¡°Even so, if you n to raise your mana, I won¡¯t hold back, even against you.¡±
I let a faint stream of ice mana flow into my hand and warned her softly.
Luce wasn¡¯t reckless enough to ignore the gap in strength andunch an attack.
She must have clearly realized how stark the difference in mana density between us was.
¡°Isaac, please.¡±
Tears welled up in Luce¡¯s eyes.
¡°Please, stop going to dangerous ces alone¡¡±
I withdrew my mana and wrapped my arms around Luce, pulling her into my embrace.
Luce¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.
¡°I¡¯ll be back. Trust me, alright? You know what I¡¯m capable of. I¡¯m counting on you to hold things down here.¡±
I chuckled softly, running a hand through Luce¡¯s silky hair.
She truly was such a lovely and adorable girl.
Rustle.
From my other hand, stretched behind Luce, crimson mana flowed out, transforming into a sword.
It was the Vorpal Sword. Strange energy wafted from the de.
¡°Isaac¡?¡±
Luce¡¯s eyelids fluttered shut, and her body ckened. In moments, she was fast asleep.
I carefullyid Luce down on the floor.
¡°That¡?¡±
Aria looked visibly surprised.
Since I wasn¡¯t the owner of the Vorpal Sword, I couldn¡¯t draw out its full power.
But I could still use its ability to put people to sleep. I had tested that before.
¡°It¡¯s just like Baby said. I didn¡¯t expect her to show up.¡±
¡°¡And you?¡±
A female student walked into theb. Aria red at her cautiously.
The owner of the Vorpal Sword. My familiar who had been watching the situation unfold, Alice Carroll.
¡°Hello, Tower Master. I¡¯m Alice Carroll, a third-year student of the Magic Department at M?rchen Academy.¡±
Alice greeted Aria with her characteristic gentle smile.
¡°Alice.¡±
With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the Vorpal Sword towards Alice.
The Vorpal Sword transformed into crimson mana in midair and absorbed back into her body.
¡°Thanks for lending it. It came in handy.¡±
¡°No need for thanks. After all, it was for my baby.¡±
Alice responded yfully, then approached me, crouched down with her knees together, and gazed intently at Luce.
¡°Sweet dreams.¡±
Alice poked Luce¡¯s soft cheeks. Luce only let out gentle breaths.
¡°Isaac¡ did you already know this would happen?¡±
Aria red at me with sharp, piercing eyes.
Her question was inevitable. I met Aria¡¯s gaze and gave a nod.
¡°Yes. And also, I¡¯m sorry for secretly bringing Alice here without permission. But she¡¯s my familiar, so you can trust her.¡±
¡°I know that, but still¡¡±
Aria seemed surprised, clearly not expecting that I had borrowed the Vorpal Sword.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Once Luce was carefullyid on the bed in the office, we unlocked the secret passage and ventured into the hiddenb.
Alice looked at the rift in awe.
¡°So this is the rift to the Nether¡¡±
¡°Alice, I¡¯m leaving everything in your hands while I¡¯m away. That includes Luce.¡±
¡°¡As you wish. Leave your concubines to me.¡±
She really just called them concubines, huh¡?
Just as I was about to say something, Aria checked the observation tools and spoke up.
¡°Isaac, the Netherstorm is about to hit. I¡¯ll lift the barrier, so get ready.¡±
The reality of it all started to sink in.
Now the time had trulye.
I stood before the barrier surrounding the rift.
¡°The first challenge is withstanding the Netherstorm. Reinforce your entire body with protective magic, or you¡¯ll be shredded to pieces.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I¡¯d have to endure the powerful storm infused with natural mana to safely reach the Netherworld.
It was doable.
I pulled out the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf from my magic pouch, draped it over my shoulders, and fastened the sp. It was armor I¡¯d obtained back in D¨¹pendorf.
¡°So you¡¯re wearing the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf. But Baby, are you really going to go in your school uniform?¡±
¡°Yeah. I¡¯m mostfortable in these clothes.¡±
The M?rchen Academy uniform. I liked it.
If I was wearing this uniform, maybe Round 1 Dorothy would recognize me.
¡°I see¡¡±
Suddenly, Alice came over and hugged me.
¡°¡Alice?¡±
As if wanting to feel my warmth more fully, she held me tighter.
Atst, she pulled away from my embrace and gave me a soft smile.
¡°Come back safely.¡±
I couldn¡¯t read Alice¡¯s psychology.
However, it was clear she was worried about me.
I nodded.
Releasing the barrier in three, two, one¡¡±
Swoosh.
As the barrier surrounding the rift unraveled, a warm yet gentle breeze blew through.
The ripples of the Netherstorm had made their way here.
Aria and I reached out toward the rift, pouring out our mana.
Gradually, the rift began to widen. The Netherstorm made it easier as it loosened the rift.
I can feel it.
Even if I transformed my body into an elemental state, I couldn¡¯t force my way through the rift.
But now, I could clearly sense it. The mysterious gap beyond the rift was slowly opening.
I was certain I could cross over.
¡°As I¡¯ve said before, we still don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll return. You¡¯ll have to figure that out on your own.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Round 1 Dorothy said that only at the Icy Lake would the conditions be right to face the Evil God.
If I couldn¡¯t return, all would be for naught, so there must be a way back.
¡°Hoo.¡±
A powerful fear surged like a tide within me. I took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress it.
There was no turning back now.
Standing close to the rift, the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf billowed in the Nether¡¯s wind.
I turned back onest time to look at Aria and Alice.
Aria looked at me with an expressionless face, while Alice gave a gentle smile.
I gave them the brightest smile I could muster.
¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±
With that, I let myself fall back.
My body was pulled into the rift.
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Lv: 180
Gender: Male
Year: 2nd
Title: Ice Sovereign
Mana: 699300 / 701300
Chapter 313: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (1)
ck Stone.
Thergest dark gray volcano in this world, with an altitude and area that was unmatched by any other mountain.
The wilderness that the Floating Inds swept over long ago was only a small part of ck Stone.
If a person were standing at the center of the mountain, they would feel as though they were on a vast, t expanse, due to the mountain¡¯s sheer, overwhelming size.
However, as one drew closer to the crater, the slope sharply steepened, forming a towering hill that evoked the feeling of an actual mountain.
Near the crater, the altitude was so high that the air was thin, making it difficult for a normal person to breathe.
Paaaah.
Somewhere in M?rchen Academy, the heavenly clock emitted light, sending a brilliant white wave across the entire world.
It happened in an instant. The flow of everything dealing with unusual forces, including mana, was thrown into chaos.
Thus, the function of all magic tools that sustained the cycles of cities in various nations came to a halt.¡°It has begun.¡±
Near the crater of ck Stone.
At an altitude where breathing was still possible, the Allied Forces from various nations assembled in formation, preparing for battle.
The Imperial Knights of the Zelver Empire, the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom of Bardio, and the Frost Legion of D¨¹pfendorf.
Among them, the knightmander of the Zelver Empire looked up at the sky filled with a white aurora and spoke.
Now, it begins.
Hwaaaaah!
The heavens opened, and a radiant light poured down toward the crater of ck Stone.
¡°All troops! Prepare for battle!!¡±
¡°Prepare for battle!!¡±
The allied forces all drew their weapons in unison.
©¤ When the Heavenly Clock activates, it bes hard to handle magic properly. Fight as if magic never existed in the first ce.
Isabel Silverwolf, a Legionmander of the D¨¹pfendorf, recalled the instructions of Isaac, the Ice Sovereign.
¡°Mana is getting chaotic. Just as our lord said.¡±
Mana did not circte as smoothly as intended.
Transmitting ice mana to the double-handed axe, Farahorn, felt iparably more difficult than usual.
The allied forces were organized with a focus on pure physical prowess, following Isaac¡¯s orders. The wizards merely assisted in the journey to ck Stone.
¡°They¡¯reing!! Defend ck Stone!!¡±
The sound of pping wings.
Heavenly beings d in silver armor descended, riding on the radiance of the heavens.
Each of them wielded a weapon imbued with Divine Power and charged toward the allied forces of humanity.
To craft the Spear of Longinus using the mana flowing within ck Stone, it was necessary to deal with any obstacles beforehand.
War was inevitable.
Kuuuuuuuu!!
¡°Is it an earthquake?¡±
The mana inside ck Stone surged, causing the ground to tremble.
With the center of the allied forces in disarray, the heavenly beings seized the opening to strike with their swords, spears, and other weapons.
The knights responded immediately.
Chaaang!!
Hwaaaah!!
As the weapons shed, the flood of Divine Power caused a secondary shock, pushing the knights back.@@novelbin@@
The effect of the Heavenly Clock disrupted the Divine Power of the heavenly beings as well. However, most of the skilled rebel forces of Vuel managed to elevate their Divine Power to a level usable in battle.
The screams of the knights echoed, and blood sttered everywhere.
Rumble.
Roots of verdant green mana stretched out from the ground, healing the injured knights.
Kaya Astrea¡¯s nt magic. She aided the healing of allies from the rear, under the protection of the Allied forces.
Due to the effect of the Heavenly Clock, it was difficult to handle magic properly, but the fairy powers were less affected.
Kaya¡¯s role here was that of a healer, as nt magic held the highest rank among healing abilities.
Chara-rang!
Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic struck the heavenly beings.
Although its power was significantly weakened, it didn¡¯t greatly affect the armor of the Heavenly army, however, it was more effective than most elemental magic.
Dorothy¡¯s role was supportive, as her starlight magic could dent and even crush the armor of the heavenly beings or interfere with their movements.
¡°Magic has gotten ridiculously hard to use!¡±
Dorothy forced a smile as she drew up her mana.
The two female students, Kins of the fairies, had joined the allied forces following Isaac¡¯s orders. They were devoted to their respective roles.
Chaeng!!
Isabel blocked a heavenly being¡¯s sh with herrge axe de.
[What are you? Is this the work of the Ice King, whatshisname?]
¡°You dare call our lord ¡®whatshisname¡¯? Just because you have a mouth, you think you can talk any way you want, you damn bitch!¡±
A cross-shaped vein bulged on Isabel¡¯s forehead.
Isaac was a great being, almost like a living legend. Isabel felt it was a great honor to serve him as her lord.
To refer to such a person so crudely, Isabel couldn¡¯t hold back her anger.
She poured all her strength into unleashing her ice mana.
¡°Know your ce!!¡±
Kaaang!!
Isabel swung Farahorn forcefully, pushing the heavenly being back.
The fierce cold spread out but had no effect on the heavenly being.
Isabel bared her sharp, protruding fangs, threatening like a wolf.
¡°Magic really doesn¡¯t work on them. Annoying bastards.¡±
The heavenly beings¡¯ armor maximized elemental resistance. This was information Isaac had provided to the Allied forces.
¡°Do not falter!! Defend ck Stone!! For the Ice Sovereign!!¡±
Isabel swung Farahorn toward the heavenly beings, shouting.
The Legion of D¨¹pfendorf shouted in unison as they fought against the heavenly beings.
Meanwhile, in the solitary cell of D¨¹pfendorf.
A heavenly being defeated all the guards and opened the door to the solitary cell.
Light entered the once-dark cell.
An empty room. Methel Valencia sat there dazed.
She had escaped from the nightmare. Due to the effect of the Heavenly Clock, even the power of the Vorpal Sword had be disrupted, allowing her to awaken from the prison of nightmares.
However, due to the nightmares of countless repeated wars, her mind was not entirely clear.
[It¡¯s an order from Lord Vuel. Methel, arm yourself immediately and follow me.]
Hearing the words of the male heavenly being d in silver armor near the open doorway, Methel looked at him.
[Lord Vuel¡?]
Staring dazedly into space, Methel murmured the name and gradually regained life in her eyes.
Under themand of the Heavenly god, the heavenly beings waged endless, grueling wars with countless races.
The Heavenly god regarded all deaths, suffering, and tears as mere expendables.
Their god had to be dragged out. Today was the rare, one-in-a-million chance to do so.
Methel rose from her seat.
As a soldier of the Heavenly rebel army, she would sacrifice her life.
Everywhere in the world, people stared in awe at the sky where a white aurora danced.
Instructor Ronzainus prepared to leave M?rchen Academy.
He looked down at his hands. His Divine Power was in disarray, preventing it from working properly. Even his immortal power was now useless.
That day, he had to have been prepared to face death.
By now, the rebel Army following the Vice-Commander was likely engaged in battle at ck Stone.
It was fine. As long as they weren¡¯t facing monsters like Isaac the Ice Sovereign, the heavenly beings were far superior in strengthpared to humans.
Soon, when the ck Stone¡¯s mana erupted, there was a high chance that the Elemental kings would also join the fray.
That, too, didn¡¯t matter. Vuel was confident he could defeat them all.
Boom!
Two heavenly beings broke through the outer wall, scattering pure white feathers in Instructor Ron¡¯s office.
They knelt on one knee and paid their respects to Vuel.
[We havee to escort you, Lord Vuel.]
One of the heavenly beings held the blood-soaked Phantom Cat Cheshire, in one hand.
The Phantom Cat, while monitoring Vuel, was caught off guard and ambushed by a heavenly being during a moment of distraction.
[Meow¡ it hurts too much¡]
[What should we do with this magic beast? Shall we kill it?]
When the heavenly being showed him the Phantom Cat and asked, Instructor Ron shook his head.
[There¡¯s no need for that. Let it go.]
[Yes.]
In any case, once the spear to drag out the Heavenly god was to be made, all life in the world would perish.
Unless faced with an unavoidable obstacle or a necessary sacrifice, Vuel did not wish to engage in needless ughter.
The heavenly beings understood the ironic attitude. They wanted to bring down the Heavenly god, exhausted by endless wars. This was a fight to end the ughter once and for all.
The heavenly being threw the Phantom Cat against the wall.
With a thud, the monstrous cat hit the wall and then fell helplessly to the floor.
[Meow¡ Alice, Isaac¡]
The Phantom Cat wanted to reverse-summon itself, but due to the effect of the Heavenly Clock, even after constructing the reverse-summoning spell, its mana was so disrupted that it couldn¡¯t do anything.
All it could do was mutter the names of the masters it longed to see.
[Let¡¯s go.]
Instructor Ron, or rather Vuel, transformed into his true form and walked toward the breached outer wall.
The two heavenly beings followed behind Vuel.
Vuel spread his four pairs of wings, and feathers glowing with Divine Power fluttered in all directions.
They kicked off the ground and soared towards the sky.
Booom!!!
In the blink of an eye, they disappeared, leaving a sonic boom in their wake.
They sliced through the air at tremendous speed, heading in the direction of ck Stone.
At that moment, as they left M?rchen Academy.
Whooosh!!
From above, the power of nightmares rained down like mes, obstructing their path.
Vuel instinctively wielded his Divine Power to shield himself and his subordinates, then halted mid-air.
They pped their wings and looked up.
A ck dragon enveloped in reddish-purple mes was gazing down at them. It was the nightmare dragon, Jabberwock.
Standing atop the ck dragon, holding the Vorpal Sword, was Alice Carroll, the ruler of Wondend.
Her cold gaze was fixed on Vuel.
[A nuisance. Take care of it.]
[Yes!]
One of Vuel¡¯s subordinates surged up toward Alice.
At that moment.
Boom!!
[¡!]
Another heavenly being was struck by a kick imbued with wind mana and mmed into the ground.
Surprised by the unexpected ambush, Vuel turned his gaze in confusion.
What he saw was a blond boy he had never seen before.
[And who might you be?]
He was wrapped in an unremarkably ordinary wind mana.
When did he get here and did we fail to detect his approach? Is mana perception dyed?
No. It wasn¡¯t that mana perception was dyed.
The boy had reached the heavenly being andunched his attack the instant he released his mana.
It was an inconceivable speed, enough to surprise even Vuel.
The boy reached Vuel as if were a speeding bullet, instantly throwing a wind-imbued punch.
Vuel lightly caught the punch and blocked the attack.
Boom!!
The condensed wind mana in the boy¡¯s fist exploded, but it was ineffective against Vuel.
However, Vuel found the boy in front of him to be irritating.
He didn¡¯t rely entirely on wind mana. Even with the Heavenly Clock¡¯s effect active, his mana efficiency was so high that he could still skillfully control it.
At that point, he even resorted to hand-to-handbat to make up for hisck of power.
It was not the typical fighting style of a wizard. It was different from that of a magic knight as well.
If ss A students distinguished themselves by following conventional methods, the boy before him was a wizard forging his own independent path.
¡°Ha! So now even the instructors are enemies?¡±
The blond boy, Tristan Humphrey, let out a scoff in an arrogant tone.
¡°You never get tired of this, do you!¡±
Tristanunched a series of kicks aimed at Vuel.
Chapter 314: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (2)
Vuel effortlessly blocked Tristan Humphrey¡¯s kick by raising his arm.
Thepressed wind mana in Tristan¡¯s leg exploded, but it had no effect on Vuel.
Despite blocking the attacks so effortlessly, Vuel¡¯s expression was grim.
¡°Cowards! Now that Isaac¡¯s gone, you think you can do whatever you want!¡±
Tristan unleashed a flurry of blows.
[Begone.]
Vuel blocked all of Tristan¡¯s attacks, grabbed his leg, and flung him to the ground.
Wham!
Crash!
Tristan crashed into the ground, creating a deep crater.Blood poured from his head, but he easily got up andughed maniacally.
¡°Hahaha! Is that all you¡¯ve got? It doesn¡¯t even tickle!¡±
Tristan hadn¡¯t received any information from Isaac.
But the moment he saw the white sky, he realized something dangerous was happening. After that, he spotted the heavenly beings invading the academy.
The Academy quickly initiated emergency measures, prioritizing student safety, but Tristan¡¯s decision to confront the heavenly beings was purely his own.
It was clear what those heavenly beings intended to do to humanity, so he acted instinctively.
[Was there such a fool¡? I don¡¯t waste my time with weaklings.]
¡°Wait¡!¡±
Whoosh!
Vuel gave an order and then headed back toward the ck Stone.
As Tristan tried to chase him, the heavenly being who had kicked him earlier swung his spear.
Tristan enveloped himself in wind mana and retreated at lightning speed. The heavenly being was taken aback by his invisible speed.
¡°You damn pigeon¡! Who are you calling a weakling?¡±
Tristan red furiously, veins bulging from his forehead and chin.
In the sky, Alice was fighting, while on the ground, Tristan shed with Vuel¡¯s underlings.
Boom!
Suddenly, purple thunderstorm clouds gathered in front of Vuel, and a ck thunderbird soared into the sky.
[Gaaaaaah!!]
Luce Eltania¡¯s familiar, Thunderbird Galia.
It roared ferociously at Vuel.
Vuel halted again, narrowing his eyes as he red at the familiar.
On the ground, a girl with rose-gold hair red at Vuel.
Shadow fell over the area. A massive, menacing whale swam through the thunderclouds, looking down at Vuel.
White Thunder Whale - Bello. This giant whale magic beast had grown by its master¡¯s side, absorbing both powerful water and lightning mana.
¡°Surround the enemy!¡±
The Imperial Knights and the academy¡¯s battle forces flew in on their familiars, blocking Vuel¡¯s path.
Many Imperial Knights and academy faculty stood on thending bridge, aiming bows and crossbows at Vuel.
And then.
Whoosh!!
With ice mana surging from the sea,nd, and sky, massive ice magic beasts appeared and simultaneously targeted Vuel.
Ice Bound Crocodile Tugaros, cial Bear Barbatoma, and Frost Spirit Merphil.
The oppressive presence of the disaster-level ice beasts weighed heavily on thending bridge.
[I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me go so easily.]
Vuel tilted his head slightly, speaking in a heavy voice.
[Luce Eltania.]
Among the ss A students Vuel had taught, aside from Isaac, Luce Eltania was the strongest genius.
Vuel addressed her with a chilling voice.
[You should act like the student you are.]
Vuel extended his right arm, enveloping it in Divine Power.
And the battle didn¡¯tst long.
¡°Kugh¡!¡±
With Thunderbird Galia and White Thunder Whale Bello copsed in pools of their own blood, Vuel seized Luce by the throat and hoisted her up.
Luce gasped in pain as her breath faltered. Due to the effects of the Heavenly Clock, her mana was thrown into chaos, preventing her from using magic properly and leading to her defeat.
The Imperial Knights and M?rchen Academy¡¯sbat forces had all fallen unconscious.
Alice and Tristan, who had each been battling heavenly beings, were swiftly defeated when Vuel intervened.
Even the disaster-ss ice beasts were either staggering orpletely knocked out.
The match was hopeless. Even without being fully armed, Vuel was overwhelmingly powerful.
You lot are no match for me. That includes you as well, Luce Eltania.
¡°Ugh¡!¡±
Luce frowned and desperately summoned her lightning magic, but its power was pitifully weak.
A simple bolt of lightning wasn¡¯t enough to leave even a scratch on Vuel.
[Pathetic fools.]
Vuel tossed Luce aside effortlessly.
Luce¡¯s bodynded on the Thunderbird and slid down onto the rough ground, tumbling helplessly. She choked out harsh coughs in agony.
¡°Isaac¡ until Isaac arrives¡¡±
With her blurred vision, Luce red at Vuel and reached out with her left arm. The gift from Isaac, the Ring of the Abyssal Queen, began to glow.
She tried to summon more lightning mana, but Luce soon fell unconscious, crumpling to the ground.
Vuel unfurled his wings, intending to leave with his weary followers.
¡°Ha¡!¡±
At that moment, Tristan mmed his fist against the ground, bringing himself back to consciousness through sheer pain.
His breathing was rough, his face soaked in blood. The white of one eye was stained crimson from the bleeding.
Through his reddened vision, Tristan red at Vuel¡¯s retreating figure.
He rose to his feet.
Whoosh!
Once again, Tristan channeled wind mana throughout his body andunched himself off the ground.
Boom!
Tristan swiftly reached Vuel andunched a kick charged with wind mana, but Vuel casually blocked it with his arm.
¡°Hahaha! You think I¡¯ll just let you go, pigeon?!¡±
Tristan cackled to suppress the fear welling up inside him and shouted.
[¡]
No matter how many punches Tristan threw in rapid session, they had no effect on Vuel.
[Begone.]
Vuel struck Tristan¡¯s abdomen with his fist. There was a sickening crack of bones breaking as Tristan¡¯s body was sent flying.
Tristan¡¯s body tumbled across the bridge. The excruciating pain nearly made him ck out, but he held onto consciousness and forced himself to rise again, mming his feet into the ground for stability.
He charged forward again.
Vuel clicked his tongue. Time was being wasted.
He had wanted to avoid killing them with his own hands, but now he felt he had no choice.
Lord Vuel?
[I will kill him myself.]
sh!
In an instant, Vuel shot towards Tristan, seizing his head with lightning speed.
Before Tristan could even react, his head was mmed into the ground.
Boom!!
Thending bridge shattered, clouds of dust billowing around them.
The impact was enough to kill an ordinary person instantly with a concussion.
Convinced that Tristan was now dead, Vuel released his grip.
Whoosh!
Thud!
But then, through the dust, two hands reached out and grabbed Vuel¡¯s arm.
[What?]
Vuel narrowed his eyes.
Tristan, clutching Vuel¡¯s arm, raised his wind mana and grinned.
¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? This fight isn¡¯t over yet.¡±
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wind mana exploded violently in rapid session.
It was a close-range reinterpretation of Isaac¡¯s [Frost Explosion], executed with Tristan¡¯s own style.
I can¡¯t move my body¡
Tristan didn¡¯t dwell on it for long. The answer was simple, he just needed to push past his limits.
Channeling wind mana through his muscles, he forcibly moved his body. The force of his grip,bined with the magic, even made Vuel feel a twinge of pain.
[You wretched fool.]
Vuel threw a punch at Tristan.
Boom!!
Thending bridge split open as Tristan instantly lost consciousness and plunged into the sea.
Sploosh. Tristan sank into the sea. Vuel was now convinced that he was truly dead.
He looked at his blood-stained fist.
Vuel felt a surge of guilt rise within him, flooding his senses.
[This wasn¡¯t how I wanted things to go before my n wasplete¡]
His right arm tingled. It was the one Tristan had gripped.
Vuel clicked his tongue and prepared to fly away once more.
Whooosh!
Suddenly, a man surged from the sea, cloaked in wind mana.
[¡!]
He kicked towards Vuel with tremendous speed.
Boom!
Vuel, caught off guard, took the hit directly.
He was pushed back. The soles of his shoes scraped along thending bridge. He extended his wings and rose into the air.
Though he hadn¡¯t taken significant damage, the attack had worked. He felt pain in his head.
¡°I told you, I won¡¯t let you leave¡!¡±
The boy appeared before him once again. Tristan, already battered and bruised, spoke while gasping for breath.
Though he had lost consciousness earlier, he had stubbornly regained his senses.
[¡]
Vuel red menacingly at Tristan.@@novelbin@@
Tristan forcibly held onto his consciousness.
Vuel realized that Tristan was continuously breaking through his limits and bing stronger.
He was risking his life, foolishly so.
And because of that, he was bing dramatically stronger.
It was an unbelievable disy of mental strength.
However, Vuel had no time to be impressed by such incredible growth. His eyes filled with murderous intent.
[I find it hard to understand. What is the point of throwing your life away to confront me?]
¡°Huff, huff¡ The point? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±
Tristan had already realized.
He had to buy time. He needed to hold off that heavenly being.
There was no way Isaac hadn¡¯t foreseen this situation, and he surely wouldn¡¯t have left without a n.
There must be a reason Isaac¡¯s women were prepared in advance and were holding off Vuel.
So.
¡°Isaac will return.¡±
Tristan chuckled, like a third-rate viin.
¡°There¡¯s no denying he¡¯s a hero. So for now, even if I don¡¯t like it, I have to help him.¡±
He had no intention of being sheltered like some pampered flower alongside the other students.
He would hold on to Vuel for as long as possible until that damned Isaac returned.
Even though the Imperial Knights, the academy¡¯s battle forces, and students far stronger than him had all been ruthlessly defeated, Tristan had no intention of retreating.
He had sworn to surpass Isaac.
That life-or-death resolve constantly pushed Tristan forward without pause.
[You risk your life for such a trivial reason?]
¡°Ha! What a foolish thing to say! Isn¡¯t that reason enough?¡±
[¡Utterly foolish.]
Vuel enveloped his entire body in Divine Power.
He copied Tristan¡¯s technique, cloaking his fist in Divine Power, while Tristan¡¯s was enveloped in wind mana, and the two exchanged blows.
Boom!!
Several fierce exchanges followed.
Tristan¡¯s movements gradually slowed, and eventually,pletely exhausted, he weakly swung a punch at Vuel before copsing.
Vuel was about to take flight again, but even though Tristan no longer had the strength to lift his head, he crawled across the ground and grabbed Vuel¡¯s ankle.
He summoned light green wind mana, but the wind dispersed futilely into the air.
[¡]
Vuel shook off Tristan and hurried on. Only then did Tristan lose consciousness.
Vuel thought that if he left him alone, Tristan would die. Someone who pushed themselves past their limits like this would only hasten their death.
Anyway, soon enough, once he absorbed the mana of the ck Stone, its effects would wipe out humanity.
There were no more obstacles here that could stop him.
[Let¡¯s go.]
Vuel spread his wings and flew away with his subordinates.
***This was the story of when I entered the Nether.
When I passed through the blue wormhole, with an ice shield deployed over my entire body, I was met by a blinding light.
As I was pulled into that light, the sound of a storm filled my ears.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a storm glowing with blue natural mana. I judged that I would soon be swept away by the storm when suddenly a clear sound rang out from all directions.
ng ng ng!
Suddenly, stars rose around me, forming a starlight shield.
Then my body began to be forcibly moved.
Dorothy¡
I could tell that this was the means of transport prepared by Round 1 Dorothy.
My vision shifted at an incredible speed, making it impossible to tell where I was going.
It might as well have been the speed of light¡ I couldn¡¯t be sure. What I did know was that I was moving very fast.
Finally, after what seemed like an unknown distance¡
Thud!
¡°Whoa!¡±
I suddenly collided with something, causing the starlight shield surrounding me to be repelled. Something had blocked my path.
I fell to the ground butnded lightly.
¡°What is this?¡±
I looked around.
An unknown smoke was seeping through a hole in the sky, and its color was purple.
The air was cold. The area was covered in ice. Strange ice formations filled the scene, with unfamiliar creatures frozen solid inside them.
Ssssss.
At a distance, there was arge elevator, presumed to be the cause of the ice all around.
It was a beautifully carved elevator. Inside the open doors, a mysterious cold air was gently flowing out.
Dorothy¡¯s magic had brought me to this ce. Judging by the surroundings, that elevator must lead to the Icy Lake.
[You have broken the rules.]
¡°¡¡±
I lifted my head.
The being that deflected the starlight barrier was calmly floating in the air.
It had a strange yet mysterious form. A supreme radiance radiated from it, evoking awe.
A massive golden ring followed behind its back. From that ring, an astronomical amount of mana rose, forming into the shape of beautiful wings.
[Nether King, Hades]
Lv: ¡ö¡ö¡ö
Race: God of the Underworld
Element¡ö: Control
¡öDanger: Extreme¡ö
Psychology: [ ¡ö ]
The Nether King, Hades.
A being that, when encountered in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, guaranteed a bad ending.
The status window crackled, unable to properly disy the Nether King¡¯s information.
I smiled and greeted the Nether King cheerfully.
¡°Hello! My name is Isaac! Excuse me, but I¡¯m trying to pass through here!¡±
It wasn¡¯t confidence.
It was a desperate attempt to suppress the trembling in my body.
¡ª The Icy Lake isn¡¯t under the jurisdiction of the Nether King, so he can¡¯t enter or interfere with it. Just make it to the elevator. Once inside, the jurisdiction changes.
I recalled Dorothy¡¯s exnation from the first timeline.
I only needed to get inside the elevator to escape the Nether King¡¯s domain.
[A living being. Now that one with a physical body has entered this ce, nothing can be permitted. You must face judgment.]
¡°¡I figured.¡±
I didn¡¯t expect anything different, of course.
Ruuuumble.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a massive iron door appeared in the sky, its size difficult toprehend. Beyond that door was my minion, the Primordial Magic Beast of Ice - Daikan.
I let the coldness of [Ice Sovereign] flow through my entire body, drawing up my ice mana.
¡°Sorry, but I have to get through.¡±
[Apex Predator], a unique trait acquired by maxing out [vs. Other Races Combat Power], activated.
Chapter 315: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (3)
There was only one reason the Nether King chose toe himself instead of sending the Nether army.
The Nether army would faceplete annihtion without so much as even touching that man, Isaac.
Therefore, the Nether King descended to personally deliver judgment upon Isaac.
Kuuuuuuuu!
A massive iron gate filling the sky opened, unleashing an intense chill of absolute zero.
At the same time, six magical circles unfolded around Isaac, each extending wings of frigidity. The three pairs of wings disyed the authority of the Ice Sovereign.
After that, countless magic circles continued to expand, while one overarching circle traced a path to surround them all.
Grasping the Frostscythe and reaching upwards, his ice mana was unleashed at maximum power.
Whoooooooo!!!
A pale blue orb formed, swirling and condensing, emanating a dense chill.9-star ice spell, [Cocytus].
The opponent was the Nether King. From the start, Isaac judged that only by unleashing [Cocytus] and a joint attack with Daikan could he hope to match him.
Kwoong!
A ck arm held onto the door of the open iron gate.
Within the iron gate filled with darkness, several red, glowing eyes shed.
Soon, a transcendent ice magic beast revealed itself outside the iron gate.
[Kraaaaaa!!]
A ck monster.
The roar of the Primordial Beast of Ice, resounded throughout the area.
Whooooosh.
Countless magic circles etched themselves in the sky, extending chains to ensnare Isaac and Daikan.
¡°The Nether¡¯s Law¡¡±
Those countless chains served to suppress transcendent power for the bnce and order of the Nether.
¡°That won¡¯t be enough to restrain us.¡±
Isaac released an intense surge of cold.
Hwaaaaah!!
Crash!
The chains that lunged to restrain Isaac and Daikan froze all at once before they were shattered into pieces.
The Nether¡¯s Law was rendered powerless.
It was impossible to stop Isaac with the powers of Law and truth alone.
Whoooooooo!
Daikan gathered tremendous amounts of ice mana in his mouth, and Isaac prepared to unleash a cold sun.
[So¡ is that it?]
The Nether King, Hades, looked down at Isaac expressionlessly.
[Is this all?]
¡°¡What?¡±
As if it were trivial, the Nether King extended his right arm toward Daikan.
Then, a massive golden arm appeared in the air, firmly grasping Daikan¡¯s neck.
[Kraaaaaaah!!]
The enormous arm radiated a mysterious mana as it attempted to snap Daikan¡¯s neck.
The cold Daikan held in his mouth dispersed, and its piercing scream echoed.
¡°¡!¡±
The absolute zero Daikan unleashed had no effect.
The Nether King possessed the strength to effortlessly hold and crush that cold mass.
Sensing the danger, Isaac triple-casted [Cocytus]. The size and density of mana were iparable to when he fought Thanatos the Ruination.
He swung his right arm fiercely,unching the 3 instances of [Cocytus] toward the Nether King.
The Nether King silently extended his remaining arm toward the 3 cold suns flying at him.
Kwaaaaaaang!!!!!
A storm of cold mana surged with a brilliant sh.
It was a cold mass spell that turned the area into an icy hell; no one had ever survived such an attack unscathed.
However.
I can still feel his mana.
Isaac couldn¡¯t feel relieved. The presence of the Nether King hadn¡¯t vanished.
It was only natural. There was no way an attack of this level could defeat a god who ruled an entire world.
Isaac urgently extended the wings of [Ice Sovereign] and flew swiftly toward the direction of the elevator.
Kuuuuuuuu!!
¡°¡!!¡±
A massive wall of golden, radiant mana surged toward Isaac at incredible speed.
Nine-star domain magic, [Wall of Order].
It was a wall that surrounded the entire area. There was nowhere to escape.
It dramatically pushed aside the cold and brilliance, aiming to engulf Isaac.
I¡¯m going to die.
Isaac instinctively felt it.
The moment he was to collide with that wall, he would lose his life.
It was a fleeting moment, too brief to even be considered a thought.
He quickly concentrated ice mana in his right hand and cast [Frost Explosion] toward the ground.
Kwaaah!!
A fierce shockwave struck the ground, creating a wide and deep crater.
Isaac deployed a protective ice barrier and crouched within the indentation on the ground.
Kugugugu!!
The wall of mana passed over Isaac.
Afterward, Isaac stood up. He had no time to feel relief about surviving. He quickly looked around.
The aftermath of [Cocytus] had vanished as if erased, and Daikan was still suffering, held by the Nether King¡¯s massive hand.
But¡ the Nether King was nowhere to be seen.
Where did he go¡?
¡°¡!!¡±
Before he knew it, the Nether King was right beside Isaac.
In an instant, an astronomical amount of mana condensed fiercely in his hand.
Isaac hastily drew his dark iron sword. [Eclipse] activated, greatly increasing his physical defense.
Sensing the danger, even the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf deployed a powerful ice shield.
Fwoosh!
Isaac, maintaining a defensive stance, pushed off the ground and retreated.
The golden mana gathered in the Nether King¡¯s lightly extended hand spread out in a dazzling disy.
Kwoooooom!!!!
¡°Kaaah!!¡±
A massive explosion emanated from the Nether King, sweeping through the entire area.
An eardrum-shattering roar. His vision filled with golden light.
A horrific pain surged through his entire body.
The dark iron sword cracked, and Isaac¡¯s body floated in the air briefly before crashing down and rolling helplessly on the ground.
Whoooooooo.
The swirling aftermath of the explosion converged back into the Nether King.
In an instant, his line of sight was cleared.
¡°Ah¡¡±
It felt as if his consciousness mighte to a sudden halt. Isaac¡¯s body trembled uncontrobly as he barely managed to hold onto his mind, which seemed to be slipping away.
It felt as if his body was severely broken inside. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
He ced his hand on the icy ground, attempting to stand.
But he soon copsed again.
¡°Huh?¡±
Isaac realized he had lost both of his legs.
From the ce where both legs had been, a torrent of blood poured out, soaking the floor.
But there was no time to sumb to the pain.
I¡¯m okay¡
He reassured himself.
As long as he didn¡¯t die, he¡¯d be fine. He had the Blood of the Evanescant, which could fully restore his body. It was hisst resort.
Therefore, even if his body was damaged, as long as he survived and reached the elevator, that would suffice.
Isaac¡¯s eyes turned back toward the Nether King.
Hwaaah!!
Isaac flew up on his chill wings while preparing the summoning spell.
Ordinary familiars or minions would likely die a dog¡¯s death before the Nether King.
Then.
¡°Hilde.¡±
[Kaaahhh!!]
Isaac once again constructed the world-ending magic [Cocytus].
[The human Ste spoke of. The Ice King¡]
The Nether King looked impassively at Isaac, who was radiating a pale blue light from afar.
Despite losing his legs, his will to fight remained, and he flew up with chill wings, ready to battle; it was trulymendable.
It was undeniably clear that Isaac was weaker than the Nether King.
[I am indifferent to whether you defeat Nephid or not.]
¡°¡!¡±
The Nether King¡¯s voice rang clearly in Isaac¡¯s mind.
The Nether King¡¯s mouth remained still.
[If Nephides to rule thy world, that too would merely be part of nature¡¯s course. But thou must not pass through here.]
¡°Is it because of the order?¡±
[Under no circumstances should a living being such as thyself interfere with the underworld. Those who vite order deserve judgment.]
Upholding the order of the underworld was of utmost importance to the Nether King.
But that wasn¡¯t the only reason.
[Ice King. I rejected Ste¡¯s proposal to help thou.]
Ste.
Hearing that name, Isaac narrowed his eyes.
Isaac was, after all, merely a living human.
There had to be a clear limit to how strong he could be.
But¡ if a being of his stature were to reach ¡°that being¡± in the Icy Lake.
An uncontroble event was bound to happen, and it was inevitable.
[I willpletely eliminate the risk of disrupting the order of all things.]
Uphold the order.
Protect the Nether.
Preserve order.
Maintain providence.The Nether King, too, had things he must protect.
Therefore, the Nether King could not allow the Ice King to reach the Icy Lake.
¡°¡Is that so.¡±
Isaac responded coldly.
¡°I¡¯m in a simr position. I can¡¯t back down either.¡±
He, too, had things he couldn¡¯t give up.
[¡I see. Understood.]
The Nether King extended his arm toward Isaac.
He slowly clenched his extended hand into a fist.
[Magic is forbidden.]
¡°¡!¡±
[Cocytus] and [Hell of the Crimson Lotus] began to weaken, and the magic circles reversed and shatteredpletely as they were dispelled.
Isaac¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
[Ice King, did thou truly believe thou could oppose me?]
The Nether.
It was the absolute domain of the Nether King.
Allowing Isaac¡¯s magic was also under the Nether King¡¯s authority.
¡°This is bullshit¡¡±
Isaac let out a scoff, finding the situation absurd.
But he couldn¡¯t give up. He gripped the Frostscythe in both hands and charged at the Nether King.
Magic is forbidden?
Then, before his opponent could even speak, he would unleash a rapid barrage of instant-cast attacks.
He swung the Frostscythe, casting [Absolute Zero]. The cold sh, unhindered by spatial limits, aimed to cut through the Nether King.
Whoosh!
The Nether King swung the edge of his hand, sending out an invisible sh that tore through [Absolute Zero] and warped the surrounding space. The attack struck Isaac, slicing through even his left arm.
The Frostscythe fell, and Isaac¡¯s eyes shook violently.
But without giving up, Isaac flew forward. He immediately converted the Frostscythe back into mana and retrieved it.
He concentrated ice mana in his sole remaining right hand. With a five-star [Frost Explosion], he should have been able to cast it immediately.
Then, the Nether King raised his arm, and a majestic arm appeared in midair.
The almighty hand of the divine that had subdued even the Primordial Beast of Ice. [Heaven¡¯s Hand].
A mysterious mana surrounded that arm.
Booooom!!
The [Heaven¡¯s Hand] swung toward Isaac.
Isaac stopped his charge and tried to veer off to escape, but the all-consuming [Wall of Order] appeared, closing in from above and both sides, trapping himpletely.
Isaac came to a halt in midair.
There was nowhere to escape. No matter where he went, he would die. Standing still meant death as well.
He had to find a way to survive.
He had to survive somehow.
It would be fine. Things had worked out so far.
Reassuring himself that things would somehow work out, he quickly started thinking.
But¡ he couldn¡¯te up with any solution.
In that brief instant, with death looming before him, Isaac¡¯s nerves were razor-sharp.
Ah¡
The feeling of unease he had sensed earlier.
This feeling¡
A murderous mana, hidden behind the Nether King¡¯s mana.
The mana of a monster that had sensed and reacted to Isaac¡¯s mana before he crossed the rift.
Now, in the Nether, as he focused his awareness, he could easily identify the owner of that mana.
Isaac asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s your business here, Om?¡±
Suddenly, a dark purple shield appeared around Isaac.
Kwaaaaa!!!!!
[What?]
A wave of dark purple mana burst forth like a sh, pushing back the [Wall of Order] and [Heaven¡¯s Hand] and forcing the Nether King to retreat.
The mana of the eternal.
The shield surrounding Isaac nullified all attacks, protecting him.
The Nether King rose into the air as if weightless, sending shockwaves flying.
The sky, pierced with holes, was stained like the night sky.
In an instant, a prison of void spread around, and dense darkness descended.
Countless massive heads linked by pirs rose from a distant ce, connecting the endless sky to the depths of the abyss.
It was impossible to gauge its size.
[Kahahahaha!!!]
The pir of human headsughed loudly.
Then, a transcendent being wrapped in dark purple rings, a jet-ck giant appeared, radiating terrifying mana.
Even the Nether King¡¯s domain became meaningless.
The Nether¡¯s Law couldn¡¯t even interfere within this prison of darkness.
[Eternal¡ Do thou dare defy me?]
The Abyss, Om the Eternal.
After being defeated by Isaac anding to the Nether, he had mercilessly swept through powerful enemies, grasping the status of transcendence.
[Ice King, Isaac, thanks to you, I have received the ultimate feast!]
Om let out a heartyugh with his deep voice.
[And you as well. Survive and be a feast for me!]
Om¡¯s zing determination and greed were fully directed at the Nether King.
[This fight with the Nether King is mine!]
Isaac, already battered and broken, gazed weakly at Om with open, unfocused eyes.
Om extended his arms to either side, releasing an eerie mana.
[Hear me, Nether King. My name is Om. I will devour you and be the new ruler of the Nether!]
¡°¡¡±
Isaac gave no response. He simply closed his eyes.
His body was engulfed in darkness as he was banished from the prison of eternity.
The Nether King narrowed his eyes and red at Om.
[¡Why, Eternal? Thou chose to abandon the pilgrimage of reincarnation and remain here. Here, thou can truly find eternal satisfaction, endlessly battling formidable foes to thy heart¡¯s content. So why would thou forsake that eternity?]
[Though I am one who was defeated by the Ice King, it was because of that defeat that I could truly understand.]
Om¡¯s voice resounded through the prison of eternity.
[Nether King, nothing is truly eternal!]
There is no immortality.
Om cast aside his title of ¡°Eternal¡± and challenged the Nether King.
The corners of the Nether King¡¯s mouth lifted slightly.
[Excellent. I respect thy wishes.]
As the Nether King drew upon his mana, dozens of [Heaven¡¯s Hand] extended from the golden rings that followed him.
An exalted divinity. This was the full power of the Nether King.
The mana released by both beings distorted the space around them.
And then, they shed.@@novelbin@@
Chapter 316: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (4)
Isaac briefly stared at the Eternal Prison that filled the sky.
There was no time to get lost in emotions. He immediately reverse-summoned Daikan and flew back towards the elevator.
Please¡!
While Om fought the Nether King, he had to somehow reach the elevator. Against an opponent that powerful, at least a few seconds could be bought.
Please, please.
Before he knew it, Isaac was almost at the elevator leading to the Icy Lake.
Boom!!
¡°¡!¡±
In no time, the Eternal Prison exploded, and the Nether King reappeared.
In the midst of the roaring sound, Isaac felt a chilling sensation.It was already toote.
When he looked up, an enormous arm formed from the Nether King¡¯s mana was descending.
The arm of a god with absolute power. It was [Heaven¡¯s Hand].
Isaac¡¯s Cloak of the Radiant Wolf detected the danger and deployed an ice shield.
Boom!!
¡°Ugh!!¡±
[Heaven¡¯s Hand] struck Isaac down.
His body was sent flying through the air, crashing into the ground.
He briefly lost consciousness, but quickly regained it.
The cold air brushed against his skin. The elevator was nearby. He had to reach it somehow.
Using his remaining right hand, Isaac scratched at the ground and tried to spread his [Ice Sovereign] wings again.
¡°Kugh!¡±
At that moment, someone stomped on Isaac¡¯s waist.
It was the Nether King.
[Ice King, I must deliver judgment to thou for breaking order.]
Frost Dragon Hilde tried to unleash ice magic on the Nether King, but the dragon was caught by [Heaven¡¯s Hand], which appeared out of thin air.
Isaac reverse-summoned the Frost Dragon.
The whistling of the wind and the sound of his own ragged breathing filled Isaac¡¯s ears.
¡°Ah, this is driving me crazy¡¡±
He couldn¡¯t think of a way to outrun the Nether King.
It was right in front of him, if he could just get inside that elevator.
But he couldn¡¯t see how that would be possible.
[I see. Thy name in the living world was¡ Han Seong Ho, is it?]
¡°¡!¡±
Isaac was greatly shocked to hear his name from his previous life.
[The being within thyself is known as Ozma, I see. Have thou reached the level of a transcendent being?]
Ozma. The name of the mysterious monster residing within Isaac¡¯s essence.
[Thou were mimicking the game system of thy¡¯s world to aid thyself. However, even that game is likely the work of Ste.]
He was referring to ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
The truth that the Nether King mentioned was something Isaac had already vaguely suspected.
Allets¡
The director of the ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? game had called themselves Allets.
The English spelling was A, l, l, e, t, s.
Spelled backwards, it reads Ste.
He had thought it was just a backward spelling of the fairy¡¯s name in the game.
But after being thrust into this world and experiencing countless events, his suspicion that Allets was Ste had solidified into certainty.
[I can weigh the bnce of life. I possess eyes that allow me to see through lives for the purpose of judgment.]
Seeing through Isaac, Ozma, and the system¡¯s existence was a simple task for the Nether King.
[Thou art deeplypassionate. Thou have performed many good deeds, lived by humanws, and helped the innocent. If thou had lived a normal life, thou surely would have reached a good ce.]
The Nether King slowly closed his eyes and opened them again, speaking softly in monologue.
[Someone such as thyself, unjustly swept into a god¡¯s game, meeting a tragic fate¡]
The Nether King let golden mana rise in his right hand.
[Poor mortal. I shall remember thy name.]
Han Seong Ho.
That name began to flood Isaac¡¯s mind.
Ah, that¡¯s right¡
He had been an ordinary person.
Though he had tried to blindly live through the reality that had been forced upon him, he had already painfully realized it.
How could an ordinary person like him possibly handle all of this? It wasughable.
I knew it¡ I knew all along¡
The stories of heroes in novels and movies. The mindset they held as heroes.
Because of such exemry stories, even though the crushing weight of responsibility threatened to overwhelm him, Isaac had somehow managed to mimic the image of a hero.
He was good at acting, after all.
Since he had been pushed into this situation, he had no choice but to act as a brave hero to survive. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to bear the burden.
But still, I¡¯vee this far.
Now, the thing that scared him the most was the guts to give up.
Even in the midst of it all, his body resisted the idea of giving up.
At that moment, a system window appeared before his eyes.
[Would you like to use the unique trait [Divinity]?]
[Yes]
[No]
Isaac stared at it in a daze.
[Divinity]
If he used this, he might be able to face the Nether King.
He might be able to survive here.
Clinging to a shred of hope, Isaac¡¯s remaining right arm trembled as it moved towards the [Yes] option.
Didn¡¯t he say that this system was Ozma helping me¡?
He judged based on what the Nether King had said.
It was just as he had expected.
Ozma had been helping Isaac by mimicking the game system from ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
He still didn¡¯t fully understand what had happened, or how the system worked, and many things continued to be shrouded in mystery, however¡
What was certain was that if he activated [Divinity], he might somehow solve the current problem.
[Activation Conditions]
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö
The mysterious [Activation Conditions] surfaced in Isaac¡¯s mind.
At this point, did the conditions even matter?
He was on the verge of death, after all.
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, Isaac felt a strong sense of unease and stopped his hand.
One question led to another.
Why is Ozma helping me?
What kind of being is Ozma?
What exactly is she?
He tried to force his blood-deprived, hazy mind to think.
©¤ The one who sealed the Evil God will be helping you.
©¤ But if you want to live, trust nothing.
A note left by the Primordial Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius, shed through his mind.
Isaac¡¯s mind recalled the conversation he had shared alone with Dorothy.
©¤ The thing with many eyes inside me, Ste¡¯s first kin¡ You¡¯re talking about Ozma, right?
©¤ Yes.
©¤ By any chance, do you know what kind of person Ozma was, Dorothy?
©¤ Hmm¡
©¤ You don¡¯t need to strain yourself thinking about it.
©¤ Sorry¡ honestly, I don¡¯t really know. She¡¯s from a long time ago. But I think I remember Ste mentioning something about her. What was it again? I think¡
Isaac¡¯s arm slowly lowered.
©¤ I think she said even though she was her kin, she wasn¡¯t someone you should trust easily¡?
[Divinity] mustn¡¯t be activated.
Even if he lost his life.
Even if everything ended, he would not activate it.
Buzz¡
As he made that resolution, static appeared on the Status Window, and countless eyes emerged.
Now, the scene was clear.
As if forcing a decision, the many eyes filling the Status Window red at Isaac.
You used me¡ damn bitch.
With Isaac¡¯s realization, the nk spaces in the Status Window were filled in.
[Activation Conditions]
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö
************???
*********???
******???
*** ???
[Activation Conditions]
Physical Body
Even though he didn¡¯t know the exact details, Isaac was able to infer a lot.
If he had been given too much power from the start, Isaac¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle it.
So Ozma had been giving Isaac power gradually, allowing his body to grow stronger.
Potential enhancement, rapid growth.
Simply increasing his stats didn¡¯t immediately improve his abilities because of that.
Perhaps distributed experience worked in a simr way.
Now that I think about it¡
Is something like distributed experience even possible?
The world he had thought was part of a game turned out to be reality. But the game system still remained in ce?
That was strange¡
Only then did Isaac recall the possibility he had overlooked.
There might not have been such a thing as distributed experience at all.
The levels were ultimately just numbers shown by Ozma. He could change and manipte them however he wanted.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?? That was a game. It was natural that yers had to feel like they were developing their characters.
In reality, there might not have been any distributed experience, and the students could have just been growing at their natural pace.
Think about it. Did the students who leveled up by defeating enemies ever show dramatic growth?
No, they didn¡¯t.
Besides, I¡¯m here because of Ste¡¯s n.
He was someone who had learned the scenario through ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?. His possession here was likely part of Ste, the game¡¯s director¡¯s, n.
So Ozma had been giving him the power to grow in the direction Isaac, the game yer, chose.
Scenariopletion rewarded stats. Achievement bonuses.
They were all things Ozma had bestowed upon Isaac, referencing ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Ozma had prepared ¡°usible reasons¡± to provide Isaac with power while avoiding suspicion.
He recalled Malrog the Envious.
The Status Window initially identified that demon as human, preventing [Hunter] from activating.
What was once iprehensible now made sense.
In ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Ian couldn¡¯t see the Status Window. The one who could perceive it was the yer.
That was why the yer thought Malrog was human, only to be shocked by the twist that he was a demon.
That was right. It had followed the game¡¯s mechanics.
It was all to mimic the familiar Status Window for Isaac, the game yer.
What about [Hunter]?
Whenever Isaac activated extreme power through unique traits like [Hunter]¡
Isaac could use the ¡°Skill Tree +10¡± effect to activate unlearned magic without even calcting it.
That was likely because Ozma was directly using Isaac as a medium to release his power.
The reason my stats maxed out at level 100, is it because that¡¯s what I could handle without overloading?
Even though Ozma was using Isaac as a medium, there had to be limits to what Isaac could endure.
In the Fictional Hell, Isaac had achieved EX-level stats, but that was only possible because it was an illusory world where anything could happen.
The [Ice Sovereign] he gained there persisted because it was something he truly realized while experiencing bing the strongest.
That was why, as soon as he left the Fictional Hell, his stats returned to normal and he could no longer handle [Ice Sovereign].
In the end, if the Status Window and system aren¡¯t objective¡ then what are they? Something that mimicked the game system¡ yeah, it¡¯s the ¡°Covenant¡±, isn¡¯t it?
The ¡°Covenant¡± Isaac had asionally made with others, which activated when both parties¡¯ wills aligned.
The way Ozma had been channeling power into Isaac was likely also a form of this Covenant.
It was just a contract, disguised under the form of a ¡°Status Window¡±.
Gaining stats and assigning them to specific attributes was how the contract was being formed each time.
Having already grown ustomed to the game system through ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Isaac could understand what abilities he would gain and align his will with it.
And it all happened so naturally.
That¡¯s how it deceived me¡ And when I fully believed that the Status Window was my power¡
In the end, the ¡°Status Window¡±, which had gained hisplete trust, would betray Isaac.
©¤ Offer your body.
In ordance with the covenant, it would im his strengthened body.
Ozma¡¯s goal was resurrection.
It wanted to take Isaac¡¯s body to be human again.
What about Ste?
Ste, the Star Fairy, had made Ozma her first kin.
Moreover, Ste was the director behind the creation of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
In other words, Ste created a game that allowed one to familiarize themselves with this journey in order to defeat the Evil God.
Among the humans who yed that game, the system was designed to deceive the chosen one, just as itter deceived Isaac.
Ozma followed that method and took on the form of a Status Window.
It was a coboration between the fairy and her kin.
Did Ozma go along with Ste¡¯s n just to steal my body¡
There were still questions left unanswered, but Isaac was confident in his reasoning.
It felt as though time had stopped.
Isaacughed at the realization that he had been nothing more than a toy for the gods.
Thinking about the meaning behind hisugh, he realized it was nothing more than self-mockery.
[Would you like to use the unique trait [Divinity]?]
[Yes]
[Yes]
[Yes]
[Yes]
[Yes]
[Yes]
An unpleasant notification window appeared.
You¡¯re going to die here anyway.
Everything you¡¯ve gone through will be in vain.
Will you still give up on everything?
Isn¡¯t it better to choose the lesser evil rather than the worst oue?
Are you not even going to make one final effort?
He did not use [Divinity].
Why make such a choice?
The reason was simple.
Fuck you, that¡¯s why.
In the notification window filling his vision, countless bloodshot eyes red at Isaac as if they wanted to kill him.
Foolish bastard.
¡°Eat shit, you bitch¡¡±
Isaac closed his eyes and let out a weak, hollow chuckle, his bloodstained face showing his exhaustion.
Damn bastards.
Fuck the Evil God and all the shit I¡¯ve been put through until now.
They can all burn in hell for all I care.
Isaac continued to curse them silently in his mind.
Then, the Nether King¡¯s power descended upon Isaac.
Szzzzz!!!
Boom! Crack!
[¡!]
Suddenly, a sharp bolt of lightning screamed towards the Nether King.
The purple lightning branched out in multiple directions, repelling the Nether King¡¯s magic.
Startled, he quickly retreated, dodging the series of lightning attacks.
Isaac didn¡¯t even have the strength to be shocked. He simply realized that something unexpected had happened.
He lifted himself slightly and turned his head, seeing a holy, pure white figure.
A warm sensation wrapped around his entire body.
Isaac¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.
He had felt this sensation somewhere before.
[Why art thou opposing me¡?]
Even the Nether King was surprised.
[For someone such as thyself to be here now, thou must have set out when the Ice King appeared. Thou have chosen to stand against me without a hint of hesitation? Inconceivable. Why¡!?]
The Nether King demanded, his voice menacing.
An unexpected confrontation.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Isaac¡¯s mind.
Michelle. She was a character who hadn¡¯t appeared in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
Isaac recalled hearing from Saintess Bianca Anturaze that Michelle had used some strange power to deal with all the adults.
That red-cloaked girl had likely been saved by the pure white figure standing before him.
¡ª May the blessing of the incarnation be with you.
It was a story Isaac was familiar with.
There was once a witch who lived in a candy house.
To lure in lost children who wandered through the forest, the witch had built her house out of sweets.
The witch loved children.
She wanted to protect children.
She had devoted her life solely to the study of magic, all to save children in danger.
One day, Hansel and Gretel came to the Candy House Witch.
The witch tried to save the two children, who bore the sacrificial mark of the evil dragon, but tragically, she couldn¡¯t save Hansel.
In the end, the witch was falsely used, gaining infamy as the ¡°Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath¡± whomitted atrocities against children, and was immediately executed.
As she lost her life in Gretel¡¯s arms, whom she loved¡ Isaac finally understood what emotions she must have felt.
Anger¡
It was only natural.
The Candy House Witch must have been furious.
Her blood must have boiled, her teeth ground together, and tears must have flowed from her overwhelming rage.
She must have wanted to strike down those damn adults who profited by sacrificing children.
Thus, she called herself the ¡°God of Wrath¡±.
¡°The Incarnation¡¡±
She must have named herself the Incarnation.
She was likely the overseer of the Midheaven Realm, appointed by the Nether King, known as the Great Witch of Heaven¡¯s Wrath.
She nodded at Isaac, signaling for him to go quickly.
Whoooom!!
Isaac immediately spread his [Ice Sovereign] wings and flew toward the elevator.
He was close. He could make it.@@novelbin@@
[Step aside!]
The Nether King, who valued his subordinates, couldn¡¯t easily harm the overseer of the Midheaven Realm.
However, the Candy House Witch stood firm and held her ground.
[So that is the decision thou hase to. If thou truly chose to defy me, I shall respect it.]
The Nether King, his face filled with rage, summoned multiple [Heaven¡¯s Hand], while the Candy House Witch unleashed a blitz attack against him.
Thus, the two beings shed, releasing vast amounts of mana.
The Candy House Witch was a transcendent being. She could hold her own against the Nether King, if only for a while.
As the two entities battled, Isaac threw himself into the elevator.
Thud!
¡°Ugh!¡±
Blood poured from his entire body, and intense pain surged through him.
Rumble!
The massive doors of the elevator began to close, emitting a chilling cold.
The scene gradually narrowed. Beyond it, Isaac could see the Candy House Witch being overwhelmed by the Nether King.
Her arm flew off, her leg was severed, and she lost half her body, yet she continued to fight against the Nether King.
¡°Why¡ are you helping me?¡±
Isaac felt the warm sensation spreading through his body.
The soft voice of an old woman seeped into his mind.
¡ª How could I stand by and do nothing when someone risks their life to protect so many people?
The elevator doors were almost fully closed.
Isaac took in the sight of the Candy House Witch being defeated and fading away at the hands of the Nether King.
Before shepletely disappeared, the Candy House Witch turned her head and looked at Isaac.
He caught a fleeting glimpse of an elderly woman with a hooked nose.
There was a smile on her lips.
¡ª Give my regards to Gretel.
The overseer of the Midheaven Realm, who had broken the rules, vanished.
The Nether King had suffered a painful loss, but there was no time to shudder in the torrent of emotions.
He hastily stretched his arm towards the elevator.
[Heaven¡¯s Hand] formed a fist and struck toward the elevator.
Whoooosh!!
An imprable ice shield enveloped the elevator.
As the realms of control divided, the [Heaven¡¯s Hand] collided with the ice shield and was neutralized, sending a tremendous shockwave in all directions.
The elevator doors had already closed. It was toote.
Light rose from the ground as the elevator began to descend with a great rumble.
[¡]
The Nether King swallowed his silence.
The lowest level of the Nether, the Icy Lake, was overseen by another. The Nether King had no control there.
The Nether King quietly stared at the spot where the elevator had departed, then turned to the ce where the Candy House Witch had vanished.
The only sound that filled the silence was the chilly wind.
It was natural to uphold order, but the fact that he had destroyed his own subordinate with his own hands brought forth an indescribable sense of loss.
At least Isaac was on the brink of death. He would likely die from excessive blood loss in the elevator, far from crossing the Icy Lake.
Even if he managed to survive, he wouldn¡¯t be able to surpass the monsters of the Icy Lake or its guardians.
But if Isaac were to ovee the impossible and meet the overseer of the Icy Lake¡
[¡That would be dangerous.]
A human who could shatter the order of all things might be born.
For a long while, the Nether King silently looked up at the sky, where a hole had been pierced.
Chapter 317: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (5)
The contentes from the Inferno section of the epic poem¡¸The Divine Comedy¡¹,pleted in 1320 by the Italian author Dante Alighieri.
The deepest part of hell was an icyke called ¡°Cocytus¡±, formed by the convergence of hell¡¯s rivers.
There reside figures such as Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and Marcus Junius Brutus, who assassinated Julius Caesar of ancient Rome.
It is said that the Archdemon Lucifer resided there.
Remember, the representative name of the gamepany ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was Dante.
Could it be that he adopted the name Dante because he knew thendscape of the farthest ce in the world?
I wonder who he is
¡°Haah¡!¡±
I quickly regained my senses. For a moment, I lost consciousness and wandered into my memories. I nearly lost my life.
¡°Cough! Haah, haah¡!¡±I breathed heavily as if gasping for stopped breath, repeatedly coughing and looking around.
The inside of the elevator boasted the most beautiful interior I had ever seen. Perhaps I felt that way because I was on the brink of death.
Red blood was sttered across the white Jade floor. In my haste to board the elevator, I tumbled inside with a body that had already lost its left arm and both legs.
The bleeding was severe. It was hard to muster strength.
Drowsiness swept over me. But it was all too easy to predict that closing my eyes there would have meant death.
Why did you¡
Judging there was no hope, I was about to give up everything while resenting Ste and Ozma.
Why¡ did you help me¡?
I thought of the Candy House Witch.
What am I?
I don¡¯t know why my story of striving to protect people became a reason for you to burn yourself.
But¡ none of that mattered at all.
She dispelled the doubts in my heart and stirred up a desire to grasp life once more.
I will survive.
And I will make sure to repay the price you paid to sacrifice yourself for me.
¡°Ah, agh¡!¡±
I have to move. Move. Move.
With eyes straining until veins bulge and an almost bloodless voice, I moved my frozen cheek pressed against the cold floor.
¡°Ugh, agh¡!¡±
As I barely mustered the strength to lift my head, my cheek, stuck to the floor, tore offpletely with a ripping sound.
The biting cold swept over the now-exposed cheek and seeped into my mouth.
It was fine. Compared to the pain of losing my limbs, it was nothing.
In the inner pocket of my jacket was a magic pouch. Inside it was the Blood of the Evanescant. I had to drink it.
First, I had to turn over my copsed body.
I raised a simple ice wall from the floor to push half of my body, flipping it over.
¡°Haah, haah¡¡±
My breathing was rapid, yet my heart was gradually slowing down.
Due to the unbearable drowsiness, my mind felt hazy.
I must not fall asleep. I lifted my head and repeatedly mmed the back of it against the floor to keep myself conscious.
¡°Eden¡¡±
A cluster of rock mana formed in the air, taking on the shape of a small golem.
Eden the rock golem. It trembled as it looked at me.
I gave Eden a smile. I wanted to reassure him.
¡°It¡¯s okay¡ In the inner pocket of my jacket¡ take out the magic pouch¡ Inside it, there¡¯s a small¡ ss bottle¡ with red blood in it¡¡±
[Kyuuu¡!]
¡°Pour it into my mouth¡¡±
Eden responded in a trembling voice, then took out the magic pouch from the inner pocket of my jacket and retrieved the small bottle containing the Blood of the Evanescant. ?¨¢????¨¨?
¡°You did well¡¡±
Eden opened the lid and poured the Blood of the Evanescant into my mouth.
I had intended to use this if Ian ever faced danger¡
Nothing ever goes as nned.
There was no time to taste it. The Blood of the Evanescant trickled down my throat.
¡°Ugh!¡±
Thump.
My heart started pounding rapidly.
Bones and flesh rapidly grew back on my vanished left arm and legs. For a moment, I had to endure the zing agony that engulfed my limbs.
My ruptured and damaged organs and bones, which had shattered into powder, werepletely regenerated. Even my external injuries were fully healed.
It worked.
I repeatedly coughed dryly and gasped for air as I raised my upper body.
An immense thirst surged over me.
I quickly took out a water bottle from the magic pouch and poured the water into my parched mouth.
¡°Ah, I feel alive¡!¡±
Has water ever tasted so sweet?
It was the best taste ever.
The pain that had enveloped my entire bodypletely subsided, and some of my strength returned.
As expected, the Blood of the Evanescant. It had a dramatic effect befitting ast resort.
[Kyuuu¡]
Eden looked at me with an extremely shocked expression, and when I smiled at him in my healed state, he teared up.
I patted his head.
¡°Thank you for worrying about me.¡±
[Kyuu¡!]
I reversed-summoned Eden and lifted my head.
On the ceiling of the elevator, which exuded an overwhelming sense of aesthetic beauty, was arge, round face.
It was a frightening face with eyes and a mouth haphazardly stuck to it, but it no longer surprised me.
As our eyes met, it spoke to me.
[I will ensure a safe journey. I will ensure a safe journey. Is there anything that is inconvenient for you?]
¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡±
[That¡¯s a relief. That¡¯s a relief.]
How polite.
I didn¡¯t know what the being was, but it certainly seemed to be a guide for the icyke. It didn¡¯t seem like it would harm me.
Anyway¡
My chest ached.
I wouldn¡¯t even be able to offer a prayer for the soul of the Candy House Witch.
For the time being, all I could say was.
¡°Thank you¡¡±
Though ovee with helplessness, it was precisely why I needed to press forward toward the destination.
It wasn¡¯t long before I realized that the back of the elevator was transparent.
I thought it was just darkness, but as I descended a bit further, ake stretching to the horizon came into view.
I didn¡¯t know how fast the elevator was moving, but the ride was pleasant.
In the distance, a grand gate filled the sky and thendscape. It looked like a boundary. It was an incredibly beautiful gate.
Rain¡
Rain was pouring from the sky. It wasn¡¯t ordinary rain. Its hue was deep.
A pale red.
I recalled the records left by Dorothy.
Didn¡¯t she say that when someone fell, the blood they shed was so great that it formed clouds and fell without end?
Is it the rain of blood?
Every time the raindrops hit the ground, ripples spread out, proving that the ce was ake.@@novelbin@@
However, theke was not tinged with blood but kept its pale blue hue.
The icyke.
I had reached the deepest part of the Nether, the ce furthest from the world.
¡°What¡¯s beyond that gate?¡±
[I cannot tell you. I cannot tell you.]
¡°Is that so.¡±
Whatever it was, it was clear where I needed to go.
I had heard that I needed to defeat the Gatekeeper of the icyke.
If that¡¯s the gate. I know my next destination.
I had to see Dorothy soon. If possible, I didn¡¯t want her to see me in a pitiful state.
I took out the clothing restoration kit from the magic pouch. It was a magic tool that would automatically restore clothes as long as there was fabric material.
Shrrriick.
When I activated it, the thread began mending the missing parts of my uniform on its own.
Just like that, the uniform returned to its original state.
Good.
I put the clothing restoration kit and the magic pouch back inside.
I exhaled deeply.
I had managed to ovee the most formidable threat, the Nether King, with the help of Om and the Candy House Witch.
Next was the Primordial Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius.
I must defeat her.
[Status]
Mana: 146,100 / 701,300
The Status Window is disying just fine.
Is it because Ozma has no need to provoke me in this situation?
Or has she not given up on her n to possess my body?
Or could she have made some sort of covenant with Ste?
In any case, the Status Window¡¯s function was still active.
I used up a lot of mana.
I needed to recover enough mana to face Veronica by the time I reached that massive gate.
But there wasn¡¯t time to leisurely wait for my mana to fully recover.
I had to move as quickly as possible to confront Vuel, the Winged Heavenly Being.
[We are arriving at the icyke. We are arriving at the icyke.]
Eventually, the elevator reached theke, and the door opened.
The cold air seeped into my lungs and wrapped around my skin. It was an extreme cold that would have killed an ordinary person the moment the elevator doors opened.
I, too, exuded cold, so I could bear it.
Despite the downpour of blood rain, the icyke remained remarkably pristine.
I carefully conjured a long rock rod and extended it outside the elevator.
There was no particr issue even when it was hit by the blood rain.
It seems the rain isn¡¯t harmful.
Next, I dipped the rock rod into theke.
The floor of the ce was ake. I didn¡¯t know whether the entirend was like that or if there were ces where it wasn¡¯t, but I had to tap the stone bridge and cross carefully nheless.
It doesn¡¯t go in.
It felt as if there was an invisible floor blocking it.
It felt like the water was very shallow, perhaps only enough to wet the insoles of my shoes a bit
However, the blood rain dispersed and sank below the surface of theke as soon as it touched it. In reality, theke must have been very deep.
I stepped onto theke. It supported my weight as ripples spread out from my step.
There must be conditions for submerging.
Whatever those conditions were, it seemed I didn¡¯t meet them for now.
I stepped off the elevator and ced both feet fully onto the icyke.
[Please use our service again. Please use our service again. Farewell.]
The face inside the elevator bid farewell in that manner before the doors closed on their own.
The elevator ascended with a rumbling sound. Once it disappeared beyond the reddish clouds, it was out of sight.
Let¡¯s go.
I took a step forward.
Chapter 318: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (6)
¡°Hilde.¡±
Whoooosh!
The familiar contract seal glowed, and ice mana gathered in the air, transforming into the shape of a white dragon.
The Frost Dragon, Hilde, appeared before me. It cried out in a worried voice.
[Master, are you alright?!]
¡°Somehow.¡±
[H, thank goodness¡ Oh, wait, your arms and legs are fine again! Were you a monster all along, Master?!]
¡°Of course not.¡±
It was understandable that she would be surprised.
A human who had lost all their limbs suddenly gaining new ones would be shocking.¡°I¡¯ll exin on the way. Let¡¯s go for now.¡±
I climbed onto Hilde.
Hilde began to fly toward the massive gate.
¡°You know, there was that secret method that could instantly heal any condition just once.¡±
[Oh, that one? The Blood of the Evanescant?]
¡°Yeah, I used it.¡±
[Thank goodness¡ I felt like I lost ten years of my life earlier.]
Hilde let out a sigh of relief.
Losing ten years, huh? I doubt that would even put a dent in her lifespan.
[I was beginning to think that these days, humans could easily regenerate their limbs.]
¡°Do you think humanity could have evolved that much while you were asleep¡?¡±
For a moment, it turned into a generational difference. Impressive.
[But Master, how on earth did you manage to get on the elevator?]
¡°Unexpectedly¡ I received some help from someone I know.¡±
[¡I see. That could happen too, I suppose.]
This ce was the Nether.
Just as Om the Eternal helped me, it was entirely possible that someone who had already died could help me. Hilde seemed to ept that exnation.
She must be sensing my emotions too.
Hilde guessed the fate of that ¡°someone I know¡± and lowered her voice.
Just then, something tinged with pale blue coldness came flying toward me with a swoosh. I could instantly tell who had thrown it.
[The unique trait [Apex Predator] has activated!]
I used that damn Ozma¡¯s power.
The unique trait was also a result of the covenant with Ozma.
In other words, no matter what Ozma¡¯s will was, she had to fulfill the terms of the covenant.@@novelbin@@
I quickly extended my arm, deploying a wall of ice and rock mana [Fossilized Ice], deflecting the iing object.
Kaang!!
Is it [Ice Spear]?
The density of the mana was quite high.
[Master, there is an enemy.]
¡°Yeah.¡±
From the Icy Lake, monsters with bodies partially made of ice rose up.
Fromrge humanoid monsters to giants boasting overwhelming size, each one had a unique sense of beauty.
If they weren¡¯t after my life, it would have been an incredibly beautiful sight.
It seemed that all the monsters here had judged me as a threat.
They charged at me and Hilde, or unleashed ice magic at us.
[ ¡ù Unable to read information. ]
Out of habit, I tried to read the Status Window, but the information about the monsters didn¡¯t appear.
Unregistered information.
Of course.
The enemy¡¯s information would be identified within the scope of Ozma¡¯s knowledge.
If they didn¡¯t appear in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? or if she hadn¡¯t seen them herself, it was natural that she wouldn¡¯t know.
Since she had never been to the Icy Lake.
It was the same with the monster I saw during the Trial of Sandstone.
When the Evil God resurrected and the destruction of all worlds began, the dark blue monster appeared on thend of South Korea.
At that time, the noise in my vision made it difficult to discern properly, but I could never forget the chill I felt.
That creature appeared, and the reset preparation time began, so it was likely that the one who turned back time was that creature.
And.
That thing is here.
I was convinced that this was the being Dorothy from the first timeline mentioned, the one who would teach me the ultimate ice magic. Because the magic I felt during the Trial of Sandstone was faintly touching my skin from beyond the gate. ??¨¢????S?
¡°Hilde, take them all down.¡±
[Your wish is mymand.]
I pulled out the Obsidian de and slung it over my shoulder.
This sword contained arge amount of rock mana. I nned to fight using just that, as my body needed to focus on recovering mana.
Hilde and I advanced, unleashing arge-scale barrage of rock meteors and ice magic at the monsters.
Kwagagagang!!
We continued dealing with the monsters, but the number of monsters rising from the Icy Lake gradually increased.
Is the Icy Lake itself creating these minions?
It seemed like thiske harbored a will and was rejecting me.
Each one is quite strong.
If they were assigned levels, each one would be at least between 180 and 190. It hadbat powerparable to the ck me entities, the minions created by the Evil God Nephid.
The Frost Dragon scattered white jade-like mana as it cut through the air at jet-like speed.
[Rooooaaar!]
An ice giant, sorge it seemed to touch the sky, blocked our path.
Paaa!
I jumped off Hilde.
Facing the ice giant, I extended the Obsidian de to the side. Rock mana surged intensely through it.
The ice giant gathered powerful ice mana in the mouths of its three heads.
I swung the Obsidian de at those heads.
aaaash!!
The rock mana imbued in the de extended out in the form of a massive de, slicing through the air.
Swish!
The de of rock mana severed all three of the ice giant¡¯s heads.
Starting from the severed area, the ice giant¡¯s body rapidly turned to stone.
[Stone Breathing - Third Form], ¡°Rock Demon sh¡±.
The ice giant screamed as it fell, and its massive body sank into the Icy Lake.
As I began to fall through the air, the Hilde flew over and caught me again.
The EXP¡
Of course, there were none.
These monsters didn¡¯t appear in the game scenario.
EXP, yeah right.
The term ¡°EXP¡± was wrong from the start.
It was just power that Ozma had arbitrarily given all this time.
[Master, we¡¯re almost there¡! Huh?]
We were almost at the massive iron gate that seemed endless.
A chilling sensation crawled up my spine.
In front of the gate, on a strange altar, a ck-haired woman holding a dark blue scythe raised it high.
Countless magic circles expanded behind her, and one massive magic circle epassed them all, tracing its path.
Huaaaaa!!
A pale blue chill swirled above her scythe, gradually gathering and growing in size.
And so, the ice sun was constructed.
The ice monsters no longer pursued me and returned to the Icy Lake.
Either to avoid disturbing the gatekeeper, or perhaps¡
To avoid a pointless death.
[ ¡ù Unable to read information. ]
It didn¡¯t matter if I didn¡¯t have the information.
I could easily tell who she was.
[Master¡ that person is¡]
¡°Now you see clearly, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m not the reincarnation of your previous master.¡±
The creator of the 9-star ice elemental magic [Cocytus].
Aside from myself, the strongest ice wizard in human history.
The Primordial Ice Sovereign, also known as the Scythe-Wielding Witch.
She was Veronica Aslius.
[Veronica¡!]
¡°This is an order. Don¡¯t let your emotions get the better of you.¡±
I sternly urged.
Because Hilde¡¯s overwhelming emotions were transmitted to me, her master.
¡°You must understand your previous master¡¯s will, right?¡±
[¡]
Hilde couldn¡¯t give a response.
It was none other than her who conveyed Veronica¡¯s message to me.
The creature must have understood Veronica¡¯s will well.
¡°Hilde.¡±
I stroked the Hilde¡¯s scales. I knew she was conflicted. I didn¡¯t want to sound cold either.
But it was clear that Veronica would stand in my way. I had no choice but to be firm.
¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t have much mana right now, so I have to reverse-summon you.¡±
It¡¯s been rumored that ¡°The current Ice Sovereign has surpassed the Primordial Ice Sovereign.¡±
But that waspared to the Veronica Aslius from a thousand years ago.
There was no way Veronica had been stagnant while serving as the gatekeeper all this time.
The heavy mana pressed down on my skin.
Even if she wasn¡¯t as powerful as the Nether King, the sensation was enough to make me realize how strong Veronica was.
[Master, I would like it if you didn¡¯t reverse-summon me. Please, I want to watch the fight between you two.]
¡°¡Alright.¡±
I allowed it. That was probably the least I could do for Hilde
The unique trait [Apex Predator] activated, and my mana circuits surged.
I spread out the three pairs of [Ice Sovereign] wings and flew up, exuding a gentle chill.
Hilde transformed into a smaller dragon form to conserve my mana
She gazed at Veronica from the sky with a sad expression.
I don¡¯t have enough mana to summon Daikan.
I had used up too much mana when I confronted the Nether King.
But now that my mana had recovered somewhat, I could fight Veronica.
With a swift motion, I raised my arm and began to chant.
An immense number of magic circles unfolded behind me, and one gigantic magic circle traced its path, epassing all the others.
Cold energy swirled and condensed above my outstretched hand. Thus, I constructed the 9-star ice spell [Cocytus], perfectly mirroring the spell of the gatekeeper, Veronica.
Due to the two radiant ice suns, the cold energy from each shed like a raging blizzard.
©¤ I will follow the star. To cast aside falsehood.
These were thest words Veronica left behind, as conveyed by Richard, the Grand Regent of D¨¹pendorf.
Did shee here following that star?
What was that star, and what was the falsehood she sought to cast aside?
Perhaps the truth lies beyond that enormous door.
¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Veronica Aslius.¡±
I used magic to convey my voice into Veronica Aslius¡¯s mind and greeted her politely.
No response came back.
©¤ Please, with peace in your heart, destroy me.
I recalled the message from Hilde.
Veronica had already anticipated that she would face me here in a thousand years.
Under the pale blue ice sun, I examined her face.
Deep shadows under her eyes. A gaunt and emotionless face. She seemed to have lost all human reason long ago.
Like a doll, only the decayed remnants of her given mission seemed to remain in her, like ashes.
I spoke in a calm voice, ¡°Now¡ please rest in peace.¡±
Here, I¡¯ll bring peace to Veronica.
And pass through the door she guards to go meet Dorothy.
I swung my arm, and Veronica swung her scythe.
Weunched our ice suns at each other.
Chapter 319: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (7)
Chapter 319: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (7)Boooom!!!
A sh filled the entire area, followed by an ear-splitting roar and a massive explosion.
Ice spikes covered the Icy Lake, and the ice masses violently erupted from its surface.
Concealing myself within the radiant glow, I darted toward Veronica, swinging my Frostscythe in a sweeping arc.
Whoosh!
Ssshhk!
Sensing my presence, Veronica leaped back.
I saw the Frostscythe in her grasp. No, to be exact, it was a scythe simr to mine but slightly different in shape.
It was most likely a replica based on memories of the past.
Swoosh!Silvery trails followed my every move as I charged at Veronica.
Veronica defended against or dodged my attacks, using ice magic or unfolding the wings of [Ice Sovereign] to retreat swiftly.
Is the scythe too heavy for her to swing?
Given her body, which looked as frail as if only bones were left, it made sense.
As if we had agreed beforehand, we both deployed ice magic circles simultaneously.
Her magic circle unleashed a vast [Frostfire]. I countered with a [Frostfire] of my own.
Fwoooosh!!
Our destructive ice magicpeted for hegemony, relentlessly crashing into each other.
In the midst of it, I used magic to speak into Veronica¡¯s mind.
[Why were you positioned here as a gatekeeper?]
[¡]
[You said you would follow the stars. What did that mean?]
[¡]
[And what was the falsehood you wanted to cast aside?]
Boooom!!
[If I go beyond this door, will I know everything? The stars, the falsehoods!]
[¡]
Booom!!
The only answer I received from Veronica was silence.
Her mind was already broken. She merely unleashed a series of graceful and dazzling ice magic attacks, aiming for my life.
Still, I wanted to help Veronica regain even a shred of her reason.
¡°Answer me!¡±
I shouted outright.
¡°The one who first sealed the Evil God was the monster within me, right?! That wasn¡¯t recorded in history! But how did you know that?!¡±
The final boss, the Evil god Nephid, in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, was sealed in the abyss andter ¡°resurrected¡±.
Why is such an expression used?
Even the Primordial Kings from the dawn of time only foretold the resurrection of the Evil God; they took no part in sealing it.
Who sealed the Evil God had remained unknown.
However, in D¨¹pfendorf, Veronica left me a note when I came seeking the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf, allowing me to guess who sealed the Evil God.
The one who sealed the Evil God and the being I must not trust if I wish to survive.
¡°Ozma!!¡±
That being must be the first kin of the Star Fairy Ste, Ozma.
Booom!!
A series of ice magic colliding, erupting into a fierce cold st.
Swoosh!
I broke through the swirling extreme cold, reaching Veronica.
As Veronica swung her Frostscythe with her ice magic, I swung mine, wrapped in absolute zero.
My target was not Veronica, but the scythe she held.
ng!
Veronica¡¯s Frostscythe was knocked away. The advantage of power leaned towards me.
Grasping her head, I forcefully headbutted her forehead.
Thud!!!
The dull sound of skulls cracking echoed.
Veronica staggered, and ignoring the blood dripping from my head, I grabbed her by the cor. No matter how much ice magic she poured out, I retaliated with my own.
I red into Veronica¡¯s lifeless eyes from up close and spoke, ¡°You were waiting for me here, weren¡¯t you? Why did you do it¡?¡±
[¡]
Veronica¡¯s bloodless lips moved as if she had just realized something.
Her eyes finally focused on me.
[Star¡]
Atst, Veronica uttered a word.
Her voice cracked as if she hadn¡¯t spoken for countless years.
[¡Bey¡ ond¡ the¡ star¡]
Beyond the star.
Is she answering my question? Or is this merely thest remnants of her obsession escaping her lips?
Whatever the case, it was clear that going beyond the gate would reveal the truth.
I blinked slowly.
Why?
Why did Veronicae here to be the gatekeeper?
She had told me to destroy her with peace in my heart, so she must have already known her fate.
¡°Veronica. Why are you¡ serving as the gatekeeper here?¡±
As I asked, Veronica¡¯s eyes widened gradually.
Soon, I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.
Her mummified face, devoid of any vitality, cracked and splintered apart like an ice sculpture¡
¡From a barely formed smile.
Whoosh!
A sharp sh swept by, and an immense wave of mana spread outward.
One after another, the strange whistling of the wind could be heard from the sky.
I couldn¡¯t afford to take my eyes off Veronica or let down my guard, so I activated [irvoyance] to check what had appeared in the sky.
What is that¡?
A pale blue crescent, filled with countless magic circles, cast a dazzling light below the blood-colored clouds.
An ice crescent connected to Veronica by mana.
It was an ice magic I had never seen before, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to realize that the mana consumed to create it surpassed that of [Cocytus].
Plop.
Plop.
Gradually, something rose above the surface of the icyke.
Various creatures, naked and carrying heavy burdens.
All were shivering, frostbitten across their bodies from dwelling in the fierce cold.
Sounds of coughing, pleas for help, and sobbing rang out.
They all knelt, weeping uncontrobly as they gazed at the ice crescent.
It was a bizarre sight.
Only then did I understand the condition to be submerged in the Icy Lake.
Death¡ Only the dead can fall into the Icy Lake.
Because I was alive, I couldn¡¯t fall into the Icy Lake.
Because I was alive, the Icy Lake expelled countless creatures to reject me.
The rock rod I had created in the elevator must have also been rejected by the Icy Lake because it was made with the mana of the living.
It was at that moment I realized that.
Thud!!
A tremendous force crashed just next to my face, and my body went flying like a ball.
What¡?
I tumbled mercilessly across the icyke.
I nearly lost consciousness. Fortunately, I was able to use [Ice Generation] to raise an ice block and stop my body from rolling further.
[Please¡ die!]
[Die¡!]
[I want to live¡!]
[Let me get out of here!]
[Give me that body¡!]
The dead rushed at me in a frenzy. They were all weak. I could even sense the fear they held.
I immediately looked up. A barrage of ice magic was raining down on me.
[Gah!]
[Mom, mom¡!]
[Save¡ me¡!]
I extended the wings of [Ice Sovereign] and flew upwards, evading all of Veronica¡¯s attacks, but dozens of the dead who were charging toward me were caught in the ice magic and turned to ashen dust.
I assessed the battle situation.
¡°Cough¡!¡±
Blood gushed out of my mouth. Bruises covered my entire body.
My cheek stung the most. It felt as if someone had struck me hard.
[Ah, no¡!]
[The blood, the blood of the living¡!]
They wailed in despair as my blood seeped into the icyke.
Meanwhile, Veronica stood still in front of the massive gate, picking up her Frostscythe.
Just before I took the heavy blow, Veronica had vanished from my sight.
She was undoubtedly in the stance of throwing a punch at me.
And it was so fast that even describing it as an unbelievable speed felt inadequate.
It felt as if I was watching a video being fast-forwarded¡
Why did I get that feeling? And why only now?
Earlier, when our Frostscythes shed, I had already gauged how weak she was.
It was hard to believe that someone as feeble as her could deliver such a powerful blow to me.
Could it be rted to the ice crescent hovering above her head?
The Cloak of the Radiant Wolf failed to activate.
The Cloak of the Radiant Wolf usually deployed an ice barrier when it sensed danger.
But it failed to respond to Veronica¡¯s mysterious attack.
A speed that even this cloak couldn¡¯t react to¡
Whooooosh!
As the distance between us increased, Veronica raised her arm again and conjured a cold sun. It was the 9-star ice spell [Cocytusl].
When the dead were struck with fear, they sank back beneath the Icy Lake.
You told me to destroy you to earn the right to pass through this gate, didn¡¯t you? So the next words must be, ¡°Prove it,¡± right?
I recalled the meaning that Veronica had barely conveyed to me.
I gathered my wits. There was something I needed to confirm.
I, too, constructed [Cocytus]. Once again, we hurled cold suns at each other.
Boooooom!!!!!
I enveloped my entire body with an ice barrier and tried to cut through the massive freezing explosion, swinging my Frostscythe toward Veronica.
The moment I reached her.
¡ªThud!!
¡°Ugh!!¡±
I slid across the Icy Lake once again. The dead crawled back to the surface, screaming as they lunged at me like a horde of zombies.
Crash!!
Veronica¡¯s ice magic rained down relentlessly.
I barely held onto my consciousness and soared into the air, dodging all the attacks. Only the dead were caught in Veronica¡¯s magic and disintegrated one by one.
Suddenly, I recalled when I fought the Floating Ind. Back then, the creatures of the Nether attacked, believing they could revive if they devoured my body.
These ones were no different. They must be desperately trying to grab hold of me, hoping to escape this hell, even if it meant clinging to straws.
As the distance grew, Veronica once again constructed [Cocytus].
The dead returned to the Icy Lake. Or rather¡ it felt as if they were forcibly sucked back in.
¡°Haah, haah¡¡±
I wiped the blood streaming from my mouth and observed Veronica.
The size of [Cocytus] has be slightly smaller¡
When I first sensed Veronica¡¯s mana, I deduced that she could handle using [Cocytus] up to three times without issue.
This meant she had expended a significant amount of mana on that ice crescent to the point of straining herself.
However, that crescent hadn¡¯t harmed me at all.
Why is she maintaining something like that?
I understand it now¡
Force was the product of mass and eleration, with eleration being the change in velocity over a given time.
As the target¡¯s time slowed, the impact force from the attacker increased due to time, the denominator in calcting eleration, shorteningpared to the ¡°attacker¡¯s time¡± during the strike.
Even if Veronica was weak, she was able to deliver a tremendous blow to me because my time had slowed.
However, I only noticed Veronica¡¯s movement after I had already been hit.
At first, she stopped time and moved alone¡ And then time gradually returned to its normal state¡
The moment when Veronica teleported and struck me, appearing as if she were in a fast-forwarded video.
The fact that Cloak of the Radiant Wolf failed to respond.
It all exined how she managed to inflict significant damage with her frail strength.
Is it a time-stopping ability?
Stopping time in an absolute, all-epassing manner was imusible.
However, if the power of that mighty ice crescent was confined to this ce, it made sense.
It was difficult to say that only my time stopped. The background remained unchanged, and only Veronica had disappeared.
But assuming time stopped initially raised many issues.
Air would fail to produce convection currents, creating an environment of absolute defense. Even if one managed to force their body to move, it would disintegrate at the particle level.
Even without the air issue, gravity and various physical forces would still pose problems.
However, if Veronica hadn¡¯t moved immediately after stopping time, my reflexes would have definitely caught sight of her.
Then.
It¡¯s not simply a time-freezing ability.
Although the exact nature of the effect was hard to determine, one thing was clear, there was no way to defeat Veronica in closebat.
Could what I¡¯m suffering through right now be the limit of the power possessed by that crescent?
No, I was convinced it was more than that.
Perhaps, that power¡ is the ultimate ice magic I need to master.
It seems Veronica¡¯s patterns are settling into a predictable form.
After experiencing it twice, I realized she seemed to be testing me.
When I approached, she unleashed attacks I couldn¡¯t counter.
When I was thrown far away, she cast ice magic and used [Cocytus].
It felt as though she was challenging me to surpass her, wielding the mysterious ice crescent, to prove I had the right to pass through the door.
How do I break through?
I had already expended a significant portion of my mana fighting the Nether King.
If I kept repeating this with Veronica, I would ultimately lose the battle of attrition.
Closebat had to be avoided at all costs, and even if I dragged it out with long-range attacks, I would run out of mana first.
It felt like an inescapable checkmate.
¡°Guh! Cough! Haa¡¡±
Blood sttered as I let out a weak cough, saliva dripping uncontrobly.
My body was in shambles.
No¡ I¡¯m going to die before my mana runs out.
What should I do?
How can I defeat Veronica?
¡°¡Huh?¡±
Suddenly, I looked around and realized something.
The rain of blood had transformed into crimson snow.
I looked up at the vast expanse of reddish clouds.
It seemed that my battle with Veronica had greatly influenced the blood clouds.
What hadn¡¯t frozen even with the chill emanating from the Icy Lake¡
Had now frozen.
The snow was the proof.
¡°¡¡±
Suddenly, memories of my life shed through my mind like a panorama.
Looking ahead, the simple, ignorant, and relentless life I had lived, always running forward, seemed to be reflected in my ice magic.
Swoosh.
I extended my Frostscythe upward.
A surge of extreme cold swept the sky as a white radiance poured down.
[Divine Authority-White Night]
I imed the sky as my own.
[Master?]
I didn¡¯t answer Hilde¡¯s call echoing in my mind. I wanted to maintain focus.
tter!!!
The ultimate elemental efficiency. The range in which I could channel my mana transcended imagination itself.
I flooded the sky with ice mana, rapidly freezing the blood clouds with ease through [Divine Authority-White Night].
An intense cold filled the clouds. Thebined effect of the chill of the [Ice Sovereign], [Frost Wave], and [Ice Generation] multiplied together.
The spells ovepped, again and again,pounding to exponentially increase the difficulty of the calction.
Ignorant, yet upright. This was the profound truth my life had attained.
The blood clouds, unable to withstand my mana, froze.
[Elemental Synergy]. The interaction where elemental magicsbined to amplify their effects.
In the gaps between theponents of the clouds, I expanded the area of ice, linking and continuing it.
The cloud made of the blood of others sublimated into a tremendouslyrge mass of ice.
A shadow that filled the entire Icy Lake.
There is nowhere to escape.
I lowered my Frostscythe, ceasing to channel mana.
[The sky¡]
The sky falls.
Kuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!
A deep, thunderous crash echoed throughout the heavens and earth.
The ice spell I had created on my own. It oppressed and consumed everything in the vicinity.
If I had to name it, this technique would be called [Heaven¡¯s Cospe].
Veronica looked up at the sky.
Realizing that unleashing [Cocytus] on me would be futile, she hurled the cold sun at the descending mass of ice.
Boooom!!
A massive explosion erupted, but the area only transformed into a new, hellish scene filled with fierce cold.
The falling ice sky remained unscathed.
An immeasurable weight and its consequent gravitational eleration.
The intense cold mana building in concentration, and the towering mana density that formed the ice mass.
This¡ is something that even Veronica would find difficult to withstand.
Crack!
Boooom!!!
The immense, falling chunk of ice shattered the mysterious power, the ice crescent.
A scene of overwhelming power.
The way to avoid that immense pressure that suppressed everything without discrimination was simple.
Crackle.
I cast [Ice Barrier] around myself and Hilde, the Frost Dragon.
We were immune to the effects of my magic, but that massive ice chunk was created by freezing the blood clouds. We weren¡¯t immune to its physical force.
Thus, if I cast [Ice Barrier], it would devour and nullify only the part of the ice it came into contact with. Even if the blood cloud sshed on me, it wouldn¡¯t cause any harm.
Whoosh!!
Veronica transformed herself into an elemental form. A storm of icy wind hurtled toward me at great speed.
With no ce to evade, I could feel her determination to take me down first.
If she gets too close, I¡¯ll lose. I won¡¯t let her approach.
I stretched my arm toward her.
Crash!!
I pushed Veronica back with an intense cold. It was the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave].
That much was manageable. I, too, used ice magic to block the attack or counterattack.
¡°It¡¯s over. You can¡¯t reach me.¡±
Whoosh!
Veronica stopped advancing toward me. She seemed to realize it was already toote.
In the shadow cast by the falling sky, we extended our wings of [Ice Sovereign] and silently gazed at each other, both glowing with a dignified brilliance.
For some reason, her face seemed to reveal a myriad of emotions.
¡°¡Be at peace.¡±
Atst, the massive ice chunk bypassed Hilde and me, protected by the [Ice Barrier], and swept over Veronica.
And soon, it engulfed the entire area.
Boooooom!!!!!
The overwhelming impact descended, and a deafening roar echoed as if to tear my eardrums apart.
The massive ice chunk crumbled, and the Icy Lake spouted upward through the cracks like a geyser.
Ssshhh.
I defrosted the ice mass.
The massive ice chunk turned into a pale blue powder and scattered beautifully.@@novelbin@@
There was no trace of Veronica Aslius¡¯ form.
Only a singrly beautiful, ashen powder was drifting away from one spot.
[Veronica¡]
Hilde¡¯s sorrowful emotions resonated with me.
I descended to the spot where Veronica had perished and retracted my three pairs of cold wings.
I calmly reflected in silence and made my way toward the massive gate.
I still didn¡¯t know the exact reason why Veronica had been there.
The truth would be revealed beyond the gate.
¡°Hilde, take a rest for now.¡±
[Master?]
¡°I¡¯m nearly out of mana.¡±
[¡Understood.]
I finished the brief conversation with Hilde and reverse-summoned her.
My remaining mana was nearly depleted. I was in poor condition due to the significant damage I had sustained in my battle against Veronica.
My vision wavered. I felt dizzy. The relief of the battle being over made me feel as if I might pass out at any moment.
I had to endure. Soon, I would be able to see Dorothy.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
I sensed numerous presences behind me.
I turned my head back. The many monsters and the dead of the Icy Lake were staring at me silently.
When I read their emotions, I sensed reverence. It seemed they had been watching the battle between Veronica and me from beneath theke.
And they felt envy toward me for being able to cross beyond the gate.
¡°¡¡±
There was nothing I could say.
I simply moved forward.
Hoooom!
The massive gate began to swing open to either side, and light poured through the gap.
I turned my head forward to face the light.
Creak.
The doors opened wide.
I squinted my eyes and stepped into the radiance without hesitation.
As I passed through the light, I felt a warm sensation in my chest despite the intense cold. For a moment, it almost felt like I had arrived in heaven.
As I quickened my pace, the light gradually dimmed, and I heard the sound of the door closing.
Soon, a newndscape appeared in my blurred vision.
This ce was still hell.
¡°This is beyond the gate¡¡±
A scene as if day and night were split dramatically in half.
The ce where I stood was bright, and in the distance lied the scenery of a starry sky and ake reflecting said beautiful sky.
In the distance, I saw a ck sphere floating in the sky. It held many stars and gxies within, as if reflecting the universe like a mirror.
I felt a familiar mana. It was Dorothy¡¯s.
¡°Haah, haah¡¡±
I trudged forward, dragging my exhausted body as I caught my breath.
In the silence, even with my blurry vision, the distant, sublime Icy Lake overwhelmed me.
I advanced.
With each step, the chilling air of the Icy Lake gnawed at my resolve.
Ignoring the pain of broken bones and the wailing of twisted muscles, I kept moving forward.
No matter how much I staggered, I kept steady.
¡I¡¯m here.
I stopped at the boundary between light and darkness.
The sphere floating in the sky noticed me and opened its many eyes.
Soon, the sphere cracked like y, revealing a woman who had been curled up asleep inside.
A being that embodied the beautiful starry sky.
I see you.
Upon noticing me, she slowly opened her eyes and raised her body.
A cosmic halo adorned with countless eyes settled behind her. All those eyes gazed at me.
My heart felt as if it would copse. My eyes moistened with overwhelming emotion.
But I managed to smile and said.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Dorothy.¡±
I¡¯m here.
Chapter 320: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (8)
In the deep silence, I slowly rxed.
I smiled broadly.
¡°Do you remember me?¡±
Even though I greeted her, no response came, so I tried speaking again.
As expected, no reply. Dorothy was just watching me with her many eyes. Her starlight mana blocked me from reading her psychology.
I knew Dorothy didn¡¯t recognize me. ording to the records she left behind, she had already lost her reason.
The Dorothy before me was a transcendent being. The mana she effortlessly radiated was at least on par with the Nether King.
Someone like me wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against her.
Especially since my mana was nearly depleted. She could probably kill me with just a wave of her hand.
Would it be better to just die by her hand?That ridiculous thought I had during the Trial of Frost suddenly came to mind, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh.
¡°You asked me, didn¡¯t you? Whether Dorothy and I¡ what was it, love each other?¡±
I pretended to be embarrassed, speaking lightly as if chatting with a friend.
¡°I think so. At least, I do, and Dorothy seems to like me too. I could be wrong, or it could just be wishful thinking, but that¡¯s how it is. I don¡¯t know if you can guess the situation.¡±
I took a short breath.
¡°You were the same. You were actually the first Dorothy I met. You probably didn¡¯t particrly like me, so this might feel awkward, but if I had to say¡ I really liked you. Truly.¡±
I spoke in a sweet voice, the kind Dorothy would most like to hear, conveying my sincerity.
¡°You¡¯re beautiful, like a celebrity¡ Even after losing everything, even facing death, the way you fought to live¡ I admired that so much.¡±
You healed me and painted a world full of possibilities.
That¡¯s why I wanted to do the same.
The way you lived to shine saved me, and now I want to save you so that your life can shine even brighter.
¡°I missed you. Even as a god, you¡¯re still dazzlingly beautiful.¡±
Standing in front of Dorothy, as I shared the feelings I had never been able to express, I realized something.
There was a lot of unresolved emotion inside me.
The more I imprinted Dorothy¡¯s image on my eyes, the more the emotions I had been suppressing stirred and slowly consumed my entire being.
As the cool air brushed my blood-stained cheek, my emotions seemed to heighten even more.
I¡¯m powerless and unwise¡ that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t save you.
The feeling of helplessness and loss gnawed at my heart like a rat.
ng.
With a clear sound, a swarm of stars rose around me.
My body became weightless and floated through the air, reaching Dorothy.
¡°Dorothy¡?¡±
The only trace of Dorothy¡¯s old face left was around one of her eyes.
Even that remaining eye showed no life. It merely emitted a quiet, lonely, and mysterious starlight.
Dorothy ced her hand on my chest. I felt nothing but coldness.
Hiss.
Soon, brilliant starlight mana flowed gently from Dorothy¡¯s hand into me.
Each of my cells felt like they were popping, as an overwhelming and heavy mana began to envelop my mana circuits.
It didn¡¯t hurt. In fact, it felt warm.
And yet, I had a terrible premonition.
¡°What are you doing¡? Dorothy?¡±
When I tried to push Dorothy¡¯s hand away, the swarm of stars rose up and bound my entire body.
I couldn¡¯t move.
¡°Dorothy!! Hey!!¡±@@novelbin@@
As I shouted with wide eyes, my vision suddenly turnedpletely white.
I couldn¡¯t see anything.
If I still had mana left, I might have been able to dispel this kind of magic, but right now, my body wasn¡¯t in a condition to do that.
¡°Dorothy!! What are you doing!! Answer me!!¡±
[Hello?]
An all-too-familiar voice came from behind me.
I quickly turned my head, and there she was, Dorothy in white clothes, standing before me.
[You must be really surprised, right?]
It was Dorothy from the first timeline that I had seen before.
I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut.
Why?
[This is the final message I¡¯m leaving for you. First of all, congrattions on making it this far! It was an impossible task, so you must have¡ suffered a lot.] ???????B¨º?
A message.
It seemed like a message Dorothy made before she lost her reason.
I couldn¡¯t approach her, as if my feet were glued to the ground. I was paralyzed.
It must have been Dorothy¡¯s magic binding me, pulling my consciousness into this message.
[Sorry that I don¡¯t remember your name. But I hope you know that I missed you.]
When Dorothy turned her head, the sky became a brilliant, starry night, and the ground turned into the destend once swept by the Floating Ind.
Before I knew it, Dorothy had transformed into a little girl wearing a yellow dress. It was her childhood self.
[You were probably a bit surprised when I gave you mana right? Sorry for not telling you in advance. I knew you liked me, so I thought it might cause some trouble if I told you beforehand.]
¡°You¡ What are you doing right now? Why are you giving me mana?¡±
Even though I knew it was a message, I couldn¡¯t help but ask since there was no way to speak directly to Dorothy.
[This is for you. Please, defeat Ozma.]
What?
[You probably don¡¯t know that name. She is the god within you. The one I mentioned before, the one helping you but shouldn¡¯t be trusted. I don¡¯t know what her goal is, but I¡¯ve heard that if she achieves it, you will die.]
¡°¡¡±
[Moreover, Ozma harbors deep resentment toward Ste¡ If she fulfills her objective, something terrible will undoubtedly happen.]
If Ozma seeded in taking over my body, it wouldn¡¯t defeat the Evil God. Instead, it would bring about disaster.
[In fact, Ozma was once a princess of a distant country, destined to seal Nephid as a hero.]
It was the first time I¡¯d heard such a story.
[Back then, Nephid was a Demon Lord instead of an Evil God. Ozma eventually became a servant of the stars and seeded in sealing Demon Lord Nephid. On that day, she used too much starlight mana to seal her, which turned her into a deity. But that caused a great catastrophe in the world, and her appearance became hideous. Deeply scarred, she began secretly wandering the world where you live.]
Dorothy continued her story, as if reciting a fairy tale.
[Meanwhile, Nephid awakened the Authority of Godying in the abyss and ascended to the level of an Evil God. It was an unforeseen event. Even though Nephid remained in the abyss, the Authority of Godying affected your world.]
Dorothy made a light gesture.
[When gods intervene in that world, they be Nephid¡¯s prey. But Ozma was an exception. She had be a transcendent before the Authority of Godying activated, and she hid within the essence of many beings. If Nephid had awakened her divinity right after being sealed, Ozma would have been absorbed as well. She was lucky.]
Ozma became a god first and secretly wandered the world.
Then, Demon Lord Nephid became an Evil God and awakened the Authority of Godying.
[Therefore, to oppose the Evil God, Ozma was necessary. When the Evil God attempted to awaken the Authority of Godying, Ste approached Ozma and made a deal so that Ozma could help you.]
In other words, the fact that I was caught up in this journey with a fake Status Window to defeat the Evil God was nned long ago.
[And I as well.]
¡°Huh?¡±
[Ste foresaw my birth back then, and she nned to use me to defeat the Evil God. She bestowed the blessing of starlight on my distant ancestors, and that¡¯s how I awakened my starlight magic.]
Just as the Elfieto royal family received the blessing of the Night Fairy, and White, deeply influenced by that blessing, awakened the power of the fairy.
Dorothy had undergone the same process.
So, rescuing Dorothy from the Floating Ind was¡
[I also found outter. The reason I was able to escape from the Land of Oz was because I had awakened starlight mana. The Ste I saw back then was a remnant she had left for me, another Ste passed down through my blood.]
The Ste who saved the young Dorothy from the Floating Ind was like an AI programmed into Dorothy¡¯s ancestor long ago.
Now I understood why Ste, a transcendent being, had not fallen to the Authority of Godying.
[So, I also became part of the n Ste hadid out, leading to the situation we¡¯re in now.]
I knew that Dorothy from the first timeline had lost her life ording to Ste¡¯s n.
But I hadn¡¯t realized that n had been made so long ago.
[You know, your Dorothy won¡¯t end up like me. I¡¯ll make sure of it.]
My shoulders trembled slightly.
[I will give you my power.]
¡°No, don¡¯t¡¡±
I furrowed my brow and shook my head, but my plea wouldn¡¯t reach Dorothy.
[I will give you the power meant solely for battle, so you can be stronger than anyone. I will drive Ozma out of you. Even though you¡¯re not a suitable wielder of starlight mana, thanks to the remnants of Ozma, you¡¯ll be able to use starlight mana temporarily. Use that power to defeat Ozma and take all of her strength. Then, after you escape the Icy Lake, you¡¯ll be transported back to the rift. Once there, I¡¯ll open it for you so you can leave safely.]
The young girl, Dorothy Gale, sped her hands behind her back and smiled softly.
[That is the wish I have for you.]
¡°¡¡±
[Even though I can¡¯t remember you, I still feel like I would have liked you. If we had continued staying together, I¡¯m certain I would have liked you more than anyone¡ It¡¯s a little embarrassing.]
Dorothy blushed and let out her characteristicugh.
[So, I hope you live a happy life.]
¡°Dorothy, please¡¡±
A deep darkness began to spread, and the image of young Dorothy started to fade away.
[Did you know? The Wizard of Oz is said to be someone who grants all wishes.]
As if saying her final farewell, the young girl smiled brightly, like a fully blossomed flower.
[Please, be my Wizard of Oz.]
Silence.
I closed my eyes and opened them again, and my vision showed the dark scenery of the Icy Lake.
From where Dorothy had been, brilliant starlight particles scattered.
Even the sparkling remnants of her remaining life disappeared like dust.
Swallowing the emptiness, it felt as though something was mercilessly carving out all my insides, dragging them deep down, and bringing forth an unbearable silence.
As I stared into the void in silence for a while, the cluster of stars that had been rising around mepletely faded away.
My body slowly began to fall.
Fwoooosh!!
Just before hitting the Icy Lake, I released a strong burst of cold air, reducing the impact of my fall.
A strange sensation swirled inside my body. It was different from what I usually felt.
It felt as though something important had left me, and something new had filled its ce.
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤.]
An unintelligible tone pierced my ears.
I slowly lifted my head.
Blood-red clouds swirled, and at some point, even the beautiful aurora that filled the sky began to whirl.
Beneath it, a being with the grandeur of a vast, brilliant universe sat still, as if meditating.
Wrapped around its body were two rings imbued with an astronomical amount of mana. It was the stature of a transcendent being.
Countless eyes covering its entire body all red at me simultaneously.
¡°¡So it¡¯s you, Ozma.¡±
Mana filled with anger, resentment, and hatred weighed down heavily. It was Ozma¡¯s power.
I walked forward in silence. There was an unbearable weight in each step.
I couldn¡¯t calm myself, my expression bing increasingly rigid.
¡°Let¡¯s end this Status Window game.¡±
I extended my right hand.
Chararang!
A white cluster of stars bloomed above it.
Chapter 321: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (9)
I raised my head upward.
In a far-off ce, a swirling blood cloud gathered behind Ozma, revealing a floating altar in the distance.
Upon it, a dark blue creature of indeterminable size was bound in chains.
¡°There you are.¡±
It was immensely gigantic.
It seemed to be the source of the cold that filled the Icy Lake.
From it flowed a harmonious blend of ice and dark mana, a clear sign it was a demon.
It moved its many arms, bound by chains, and shed countless eyes that covered its entire body. All of those eyes glowed mysteriously as they stared at me.
With its countless eyes, it bore a resemnce to Ozma.
That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the one I saw during the Trial of Sandstone¡A being surrounded by static noise.
A monster that revealed itself on South Korean soil when the Evil God was resurrected and the destruction of all worldsmenced.
A transcendent being that could turn back time.
Is that the creature Dorothy spoke of, the one that bled profusely and fell?
The ckened Crimson chains binding the demon were formed by the mana of the Evil God Nephid.
Sssss.
The demon exuded a massive amount of dark blue cold, which coalesced into a small orb and hurtled through the air at incredible speed to reach me.
The chilling yet overwhelming chill seeped into me.
Boom.
My heart violently throbbed. As the ice mana regenerated, my mana circuits convulsed and surged within me.
I looked down at my hand.
Instinctively, I knew. At this moment, I had gained a new power.
[I am known as Lucifer the Morningstar. Through the contract with Veronica Aslius, I grant you this power.]
It wasn¡¯t a voice. The will of the demon, Lucifer the Morningstar, was transmitted directly into my mind.
[This is [Ice Moon], the power to freeze anything in existence. Wherever your power reaches, nothing will remain that you cannot freeze.]
¡°Is that so?¡±
The power to freeze anything.
A rank beyond measure. The ultimate ice magic, [Ice Moon].
I could feel it. As expected, Veronica¡¯s usage was not the limit of this spell.
I was confident that I could draw out more of this spell¡¯s potential.
My gaze turned back to Ozma.
The chill of [Ice Sovereign] emanated from my entire body, and a host of stars rose coldly.
¡°I¡¯ming.¡±
A strange, whirling wind sound echoed above my head.
In the sky, the ice mana swirled and condensed in one ce, as dazzling white stars rose all around, performing a fierce dance.
What was born was a majestic crescent moon of ice, wreathed in starlight. Its effect epassed this area and its surroundings.
Behind me, several sacred pale blue rings, enshrouded in starlight, rose. It was the transcendental status I had received from Dorothy.
Hwaaaa!!
I unfurled three pairs of cold wings and flew toward Ozma.
Kwaaang!!!!
My starlight magic collided with Ozma¡¯s, and my chill engulfed the area.
Instinctively, I figured out how to use [Ice Moon].
I froze time, leaving unfrozen anything that might hinder my movement.
I harnessed my ice mana and unleashed a 5-star [Frost Explosion] on Ozma.
Kwaaang!!
[©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!]
Ozma let out a scream that was iprehensible to human perception.
The closer [Ice Moon] got to being a full moon, the stronger its effects became.
Compared to Veronica, I was able to expand the size of the [Ice Moon] to a first-quarter moon. Thanks to this, I could still use up to 5-star ice magic even after freezing time. ??£Î????
Ozma swung a massive arm toward me, pouring downrge-scale starlight magic.
I countered Ozma¡¯s magic, which rivaled a star¡¯s explosion, with [Cocytus] and magic beast, Diakan. My forces were all imbued with starlight magic and unleashed their power entirely on Ozma.
A flood of dazzling, multicolored starlight.
A beautiful explosion lit up the entire area.
Even with the power of the transcendent Dorothy, I knew I could easily die at Ozma¡¯s hands.
But I could not die. I had to win, no matter what.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, endured Ozma¡¯s attacks, and relentlessly released my mana at maximum output.
©¤ Please, be my Wizard of Oz.
To be the Wizard of Oz who fulfilled Dorothy Gale¡¯s wish.
My thoughts became perfectly clear.
The suffocating heaviness was pierced through, and an aching emotion gave rise to unwavering resolve.
Through my love for you, I will be the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy.
Whoooosh!!
I created a cold sun above my right hand and condensed it to its limit with the power of the stars.
It became an unimaginably dense mass of cold, held firmly in my right hand.
It was no different from an extremely dangerous bomb,pressed under near-infinite gravity.
The magic circle of [Cocytus] followed behind me.
Piercing through the starlight magic, I flew toward Ozma once more.
***
Title: Fairytale of Brutality, Academy RPG, Magic Knight of M?rchen] Developer Special Interview
Channel Name: Higgs
Subscribers: 4.66 million
Views: 373,031,389
{Comments are disabled.}
¡¸Hello, we sincerely wee you to M?rchen Academy.¡¹
¡¸I am Allets, the lead developer at Higgs, the team behind the creation of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.¡¹
¡¸They say creation is merely another form of imitation.¡¹
¡¸?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, which we created, is no different.¡¹@@novelbin@@
¡¸?Magic Knight of M?rchen? is a work of fiction, and the adventure of Ian Fairytale is a lie.¡¹
¡¸He is simply a pivotal character, which is why he is nothing more than the protagonist of the game.¡¹
¡¸?Magic Knight of M?rchen? is a message.¡¹
¡¸A message created by imitating another world created by the Creator, in order to defeat the traitorous Evil God.¡¹
¡¸It is the best n we can offer.¡¹
¡¸If the Evil God cannot be stopped, humanity will have no future.¡¹
¡¸Please defeat the Evil God.¡¹
¡¸And¡¡¹
¡¸We sincerely hope you graduate safely from M?rchen Academy.¡¹
***
Kwaaaaaaaang!!!!!!!
A brilliant explosion forced Ozma back.
It devoured the blood clouds and even the auroras, and the massive gate that once parted the Icy Lake was brought down with a thunderous crash.
I silently watched the dazzling radiance.
Chng!
Suddenly, the starlight magic of Ozma and I resonated, and a space filled with pure white light consumed my vision.
It became drastically silent. Even though I hadn¡¯t used [Ice Moon], it felt as though time had stopped.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
Soon, a long-forgotten ancient kingdom appeared before me.
There was a young princess trying to look pretty for the bearded king by acting charming. The king, with his full beard,ughed heartily and embraced her.
One day, the Demon Lord, Nephid appeared and threatened the world, and the princess, born with the power of starlight, was given the mission of a hero.
A sword of light was ced in the princess¡¯ hand. The blessings of the gods were with her.
Although afraid, the princess set out on a journey, supported by the king, to protect her people.
She gathered strongrades, defeated cursed demons, and eventually seeded in sealing away the Demon Lord, Nephid.
But there was no happy ending.
Having overused her starlight magic, the princess became a transcendent being, and a great cmity descended upon the world.
The cmity consumed everything, herrades, her kingdom, and the entire world.
That was why the records lost during the great cmity could not be found.
The princess, torn by guilt over the deaths of the people she had wanted to protect, wept tears of blood.
¡°¡?¡±
Suddenly, I saw a young girl sitting with her knees hugged to her chest, head lowered, sobbing uncontrobly.
The child repeatedly wiped away her unending tears, crying sorrowfully.
Just now, I came to understand the life of that child.
I felt and epted all the emotions and pain the child had carried throughout their life.
I walked slowly toward the child and stood in front of her.
¡°Ozma.¡±
The child, Ozma, lifted her head and looked up at me with a sorrowful face.
¡°It must have¡ been so hard for you.¡±
At my words, Ozma sniffled and nodded.
¡°Yes¡ it was hard. It was so hard¡ I couldn¡¯t even die alone, it was just so hard¡¡±
¡°¡I see.¡±
That quiet response was the minimal sympathy I could offer to Ozma.
¡°Let me ask you one thing. Back when Dorothy was turning into a transcendent being¡ why did you stop her?¡±
During the¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹, the Elemental Kings were wary of Dorothy¡¯s rampage.
That rampage was a process fueled by her overuse of starlight magic, serving as a trigger for her transformation into a transcendent being.
But when I defeated the Abyss and returned, Dorothy¡¯s rampaging mana had inexplicably calmed down.
It was clear that Ozma had helped.
¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious¡?¡±
Ozma¡¯s next words were so clear that my eyes widened uncontrobly.
¡°Because ending up like this is too sorrowful¡¡±
It waspassion.
Ozma had felt deeppassion for Dorothy, who was about to end up in the same state as her.
That was why Ozma subdued Dorothy¡¯s mana. It was to prevent her from bing like her.
Ozma stopped crying and lowered her head.
¡°I¡¯m tired of this¡ I wanted to end it all.¡±
¡°¡I see.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry for having such ill feelings¡ I didn¡¯t hold a grudge against you. You were just being used too¡ but I had no other way to quell my anger. I resented Ste so much for making me like this¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay now¡ I didn¡¯t think you could defeat me. This kind of ending is alright.¡±
Ozma barely managed to smile, her face still showing traces of tears.
Her child form turned into beautiful starlight particles and quietly faded away.
¡°Isaac, thank you for ending me¡ Make sure you find happiness.¡±
Atst, Ozma¡¯s form disappeared entirely, leaving only a beautiful star core, the very center of her being, starkly alone.
I walked forward and picked it up. It was Ozma¡¯s power.
I wasn¡¯t suited for starlight magic, so I couldn¡¯t fully wield Ozma¡¯s power, but I could im the parts of it unrted to starlight.
But I couldn¡¯t feel joy.
I lowered my head, my shoulders trembling slightly.
After staring at the star core in silence for a while, I finally clenched it tightly and shattered it, absorbing Ozma¡¯s power.
¡°¡Ugh!¡±
An overwhelming wave of pain surged through me.
Having already absorbed Dorothy¡¯s power, adding Ozma¡¯s was too much for my body to endure.
I felt as though my entire body was shattering, and I might lose consciousness at any moment. The starlight magic swirling around me violently tore into my body, bursting my flesh and causing crimson blood to gush forth.
I screamed as I endured it. If I gave up and let my strength fail, my body would copsepletely.
Just a little longer, just a little longer, I told myself. I only needed to hold on until this power stabilized.
¡°Aaaaah¡!!¡±
And with that, I returned to reality.
The final sh of powerful magic with Ozma had created a small ck hole.
The Icy Lake distorted, and a massive amount of water was instantly sucked into the ck hole before cold mana surged in and devoured it.
It all happened in a fleeting moment.
The aftermath caused the water that had risen high from the Icy Lake to fall back, creating powerful waves, followed by a brief downpour of clear rain.
With three pairs of outstretched wings, I hovered in midair and let the rain fall upon me.
I reverse-summoned the iron gate holding Diakan, descended to the ground, and retracted my wings.
¡°Ahh¡ Ugh!! Gaaaah!!¡±
Screaming, I copsed onto theke. My entire body was breaking apart, and fresh blood sttered everywhere.
But I endured it. This kind of pain was something I could withstand.
How much time had passed since then, I didn¡¯t know. Slowly, the starlight magic began to calm.
Before I knew it, my entire body waspletely drenched in blood.
¡°Haah, haah¡¡±
Catching my breath, I slowly lifted myself up. Blood dripped from my eyes, nostrils, and mouth, falling into the Icy Lake below.
Inside me, Dorothy¡¯s and Ozma¡¯s starlight magic quietly orbited in harmony.
A single misstep could lead to my body copsing at any moment, but I had to maintain this state until I escaped the Nether.
To get out, I¡¯d have to confront the Nether King and unleash Dorothy¡¯s power at the rift.
As my breathing steadied, a heavy silence settled. Though parts of my body had burst, causing pain, it was bearable.
Swish, swish.
I was wiping the blood from my face with my sleeve.
Step.
Step.
I heard the sound of someone stepping across the Icy Lake, approaching me.
I turned my head to look at the person approaching.
A woman in a ck suit that seemed out of ce here.
Her face was familiar.
[Hello.]
She greeted me politely.
I realized it was a human mask. From a seemingly ordinary face, I felt a strong sense of discord and alienation.
[I¡¯m Allets, the lead developer of Higgs, the gamepany]
¡°Ah¡ it¡¯s you.¡±
The lead developer of ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, Allets.
No, she was Ste, the Star Fairy.
[I ask for your understanding for appearing in this form. It is because I wish to speak with you.]
My chest boiled with emotion. I had no idea how to describe the feeling.
My legs moved on their own, and before I realized it, I had already kicked off the ground.
KWAANG!!!
I grabbed Ste¡¯s head and unleashed a [Frost Explosion] imbued with starlight magic.
The cold shockwave smashed through Ste¡¯s head with precision, radiating outward in a linear path.
Fwaaah!!
The Icy Lake split apart, and water surged upward on both sides.
¡°What face do you have to show up here?¡±
I asked coldly, and Ste, whose head had been blown apart, stepped back.
Starlight red up, and Ste¡¯s head regenerated. Naturally, I didn¡¯t expect her to die from just that.
The attack was merely a threat.
She bowed politely.
[I apologize¡ªfor using you and for not being able to help you.]
¡°¡¡±
[Absolute divinews are established in the Nether, preventing me from doing anything for you. Thesews are particrly strict and sensitive for beings like me. I could even die if I overstep.]
The Nether King and Ste seemed to share an unyielding adherence to thew.
Ste straightened up.
Her eyes didn¡¯t smile at all, but the corners of her lips curled up. It was an unnervingly incongruous smile.
[Then, Mr. Han Seong Ho, would you care to have a conversation with me?]
I exhaled deeply and silently, calming my mana.
I want to hear the entire truth.
Chapter 322: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (10)
Chapter 322: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (10)Ste unfolded the Realm of Stars.
It felt like being in the middle of the universe, butpared to the actual temperature of space, this ce was quite warm.
[It¡¯s a relief that you seem willing to talk.]
Ste gave a grotesque smile with her human mask.
[Scary. Why don¡¯t you rx your expression, Mr. Han Seong Ho?]
Your face seems scarier, though¡
Ste began to speak with a smile.
[You seem to have a lot of questions. Shall we start with Veronica Aslius?]
I wanted to hear whatever she had to say, so the order didn¡¯t matter.
¡°Do you know why Veronica Aslius was here?¡±[She came looking for me. All the way here.]
The star that Veronica said she would follow must have meant Ste.
But how did Veronica know about Ste?
[It was a variable. I didn¡¯t expect that Ozma had hidden within that archwizard¡¯s essence. I can¡¯t foresee when someone who has grasped the level of transcendence changes the future.]
Ozma.
Hearing that name, I immediately understood.
[Veronica Aslius realized Ozma¡¯s presence within her and had a conversation to uncover the truth.]
This cleared up the mystery of the note Veronica left for me a thousand years ago.
It said that the one who sealed the Evil God would be helping me, but if I wanted to live¡. I shouldn¡¯t trust that person.
Ozma must have been moved by Veronica¡¯s insight and told her the truth honestly.
Ozma had known about Ste¡¯s n long before the birth of the Primordial Ice Sovereign and had already made a deal. She must have known that I, as the Second Ice Sovereign, would be chosen to defeat the Evil God.
[Veronica took her own life, cast out Ozma, and came all the way to the Nether to find me. She probably heard from Ozma where I would be. Her purpose ining was to hear the story directly from me.]
My vision shifted abruptly again.
I saw a vision of Veronica, looking perfectly fine, approaching the giant gate of the Icy Lake.
[Veronica was a human who wasn¡¯t part of my n, so I didn¡¯t bother meeting her.]
¡°Wait, how was Veronica floating above the Icy Lake? Don¡¯t the dead fall into theke?¡±
[She was a naturally gifted ice wizard, known as the Primordial Ice Sovereign. So, she received the protection of Lucifer, the demon in charge of the Icy Lake, which prevented her from falling in.]
¡°Oh.¡±
In the scene before me, as Veronica opened the door, the starry sky greeted her.
[Lucifer intended to teach her the ultimate ice magic, [Ice Moon], and make her the gatekeeper of the Icy Lake. Just in case, he needed someone to prevent the criminals or monsters from the Icy Lake from crossing into his domain. Normally, he would handle it himself, but as you know, Lucifer is bound by Nephid¡¯s power and unable to move.]
Ste raised her index finger.
[There, Veronica foresaw something.]
¡°Foresaw? What?¡±
[That you, Han Seong Ho, woulde to receive the ultimate ice magic, [Ice Moon], in order to defeat the Evil God.]
She predicted I woulde?
[So Veronica made a deal with Lucifer. She asked that if someone could surpass her and open the gate to the Icy Lake, he should pass on the [Ice Moon] to them.]
In the vision before me, I saw Veronica speaking to the demon Lucifer.
I couldn¡¯t hear her voice.
[Lucifer agreed, and Veronica became the gatekeeper, tasked with stopping those who would pass through. She took on this role and helped you as her mission, believing it to be the most valuable thing in seeking the truth and rejecting lies. Since I appreciated her desire to assist my n, I also shared the truth she sought.]
I finally understood the meaning behind Veronica¡¯s enigmatic smile.
Everything made sense now.
¡°You used that, didn¡¯t you? Leaving a message for me through Dorothy.¡±
[To defeat the Evil God, I¡¯ll use anything. And with a bonus option with Alpha, there was no reason to refuse. From the start, I gave you the choice. It was you, Han Seong Ho, who chose toe here.]
My vision shifted again, revealing Ste.
I couldn¡¯t be mad at Ste for what happened with Veronica. In fact, Ste had helped fulfill Veronica¡¯s wish.
Then.
¡°The truth¡. Veronica left saying she would chase after you and cast away falsehoods. What did she mean by the falsehoods and the truth?¡±
[I see. Now let¡¯s talk about what that truth and those falsehoods are.]
Ste turned her head to the side.
I saw a radiant, indistinguishable figure molding Nephid with a mysterious power.
[I suppose I should start with this. Nephid is a being with the power of creation, a masterpiece of the Creator. She was born to restore order to all transcendents.]
¡°The Creator¡¡±
Could that being be one of the gods worshiped in religions like Christianity, Buddhism, or Im?
Or is it something I don¡¯t know about?
[Since it was created for that purpose, Nephid possessed the potential of the Authority of Godying, an authority designed to deal with great transcendental beings. Nephid was destined to awaken this authority in times of crisis. However, Nephid developed her own will, chose her own path, and eventually became a Demon Lord.]
My vision changed, showing a female demon in ck leading demons and destroying worlds.
It was the Demon Lord, Nephid.
[Nephid¡¯s potential, fueled by her will, grew excessivelyrge, bing an unexpected threat even to the Creator. So the Creator decided topletely eradicate Nephid, who had betrayed His will. The Creator built a stage and battlefield to trap and destroy Nephid, then lured her there.]
¡°Then the world in the game¡¡±
[You could think of it as a kind of case created topletely end Nephid. From a human perspective, it may seem like a false world without any inherent value.]
Ste smiled.
[So, the will of the higher beingsbined, and that world was given a special character.]
¡°What kind of character?¡±
[It allows beings like me to foresee the future.]
Is the ability to see the future limited to that world?
[Originally, the future is designed to be unobservable unless under special circumstances. It¡¯s the absolute effect of divinew. But the world created to eliminate Nephid was an exception, allowing the future to be seen.]
Just like there are rules and exceptions inw.
So, even among them, suchws existed.
[That¡¯s why the strongest humans in that world, aside from you, the Primordial Elemental Kings, could see fragments of the future.]
¡°That¡¯s how you were able toe up with this n.¡±
Human history.
Ozma and Dorothy.
And M?rchen Academy, too.
Everything was part of a n to defeat Nephid.
The values I held dear meant nothing to the gods.
The world I belonged to was a chessboard.
Everything on the chessboard was just a piece in the game.
[Exactly. And as a fairy, I was chosen by the Creator and given a mission to defeat Nephid. Nephid can consume everything, and as she devours gods, her power will grow beyond imagination.]
To put it crudely, it was like cleaning up the Creator¡¯s mess.
The Creator probably didn¡¯t intend for this either.
[The only way to defeat the current Evil God Nephid is for Ian Fairytale to cut her down with the divine-powered Luminous Sword. But that¡¯s not easy. It was difficult, so a n was made.]
¡°Part of that n was developing ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, right?¡±
[Exactly.]
Ste smiled as she raised her arms to the sides.
[Games are wonderful. They provide enjoyment to the yers, imprint the content of the game, intuitively teach the flow of the story, and thoroughly train them on how to fight against bosses, all voluntarily.]
Ste made a heart shape with her thin fingers.
[You could even enjoy heroine content that allows you to feel the emotions of love indirectly if you wanted to. ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was the ultimate tool, a game no human could easily resist.]
Ste ced her hands behind her back and gave a grotesque smile.
[So, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the yer¡¯s soul were transferred into the game world, right? There¡¯s a Status Window, it¡¯s a world they already know, and they even understand the future. Instead of panicking, they¡¯d have the courage to navigate the situation.]
Hence the game.
Hence ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.
[However, the heroines weren¡¯t just added for entertainment. Luce Eltania, Kaya Astrea, Ciel Carnedas¡ ording to my n, they were individuals who needed special attention. So, I included them as heroines to alert the yer.]
Luce was someone to be cautious of because of the¡¸Bird Cage¡¹ending.
Kaya could face the¡¸Demon God¡¹ending and was a vessel that could harness the power of the Evil God.
Ciel yed a crucial role in passing the Luminous Sword to Ian.
I had a small question like, ¡°What rules were used to choose the heroines in the game?¡± Now, I see that was the reason.
¡°What about Amy Holloway?¡±
[She was added simply because she was fated to end up with Ian Fairytale.]
¡°I see¡ I understand.¡±@@novelbin@@
I answered with a sigh in my voice.
¡°In a world where Nephid exists with the Authority of Godying, full intervention is impossible. So you decided to use pawn pieces from another world¡ªa world where civilization is advanced the most efficient method to defeat Nephid could be adopted¡ Am I right?¡±
[¡®Use pawns pieces¡¯¡ That phrasing is a bit harsh, but yes, you¡¯re correct. The one chosen for this was you, Han Seong Ho, who lived on Earth, in South Korea.]
Ste lightly pped her hands.
[In other words, the falsehood that Veronica Aslius sought to reject was this. She heard from Ozma the truth that the world was merely a stage set to defeat the Evil God, and she came to believe that the world she lived in was a worthless, false world.]
Ste continued speaking.
¡°¡¡±
[She must have felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.]
I recalled the incantation of [Cocytus] that Veronica had created.
There were many people around her. Surely, there were people who cared for her and praised her.
Even Hilde deeply loved her.
However, Veronica strangely felt solitude. I now understood the reason.
Nothing life held meaning in my life¡
The people around her and the world she was tied to held no meaning.
Everything that was considered precious and valuable was meaningless.
A false world that held no meaning. All that remained by her side was solitude.
So a world with only solitude¡
...is hell itself.
Chapter 323: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (11)
Chapter 323: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (11)
Veronica left a will stating that she would follow the stars to cast off falsehood before ending her own life.
And upon reaching the Icy Lake, she found true value in contributing to the defeat of the Evil God.
She had determined that true value lied in helping me.
¡°I see...¡±
I bowed my head.
I felt grateful and sorry for Veronica.
However, I didn¡¯t want to waste time consumed by sadness. As the questions about Veronica were resolved, another question arose.
I raised my head and pointed to my face with my index finger.
¡°Then let me ask this. Why did I transmigrate into this body?¡±
[The term transmigration is nice. It¡¯s just that the man named Isaac happened to best meet the conditions.]
Ste projected two images into my view.
One was of me studying beside a mountain of books in a goshitel in Sillim-dong.
The other was of a young Isaac studying alone in a solitary room, just as I had in the goshitel.
[To transfer a soul, the form must correspond to the physical frame to a certain extent. You may not fully understand, but cing a soul into another person¡¯s body is a task that requires extremely strict and intricate conditions. Moreover, the target of your transfer needed to have been alive around the time of Nephid¡¯s resurrection.]
Ste pointed at me.
[The body that satisfied both conditions belonged to none other than Isaac. Isaac was a ssmate of Ian Fairytale at the academy. Moreover, your soul and Isaac¡¯s body were such a perfect match that, with just a small adjustment, your soul could be adapted to fit into Isaac. The two of you had remarkably simr souls, almost like mirrors of each other.]
The scene projected in my vision quickly changed.
Atop a towering cliff, I saw the back of a boy wearing the M?rchen Academy uniform. It was Isaac.
He softly smiled, saying, ¡°Mom...¡± before falling from a cliff.
I walked to the cliff with Ste and looked down. Isaac had already disappeared into the rough, crashing waves of the sea.
[Even fate didn¡¯t need to intervene. In any case, he was destined to take his own life before long.]
¡°Then Isaac¡¯s soul now...?¡±
[I won¡¯t go into specifics, but it¡¯s just as you saw moments ago. Altering a fate voluntarily chosen would be akin to abusing power.]
For a moment, I couldn¡¯t say anything.
As I bowed my head, Ste continued speaking nonchntly.
[If there was one w, it was that he was the weakest at M?rchen Academy... But such details are ultimately irrelevant.]
Once again, the view shifted to the center of the universe.
[More importantly... there is one fatal w in my n.]
¡°A w?¡±
I looked at Ste.
[The issue is that we cannot fully grasp the power of the Evil God Nephid.]
Scenes from the game I had dearly missed, ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, appeared in the air.
They all depicted the final Chapter, the decisive battle against the Evil God Nephid.
¡°The patterns of the Evil God in the game are fake?¡±
I wasn¡¯t surprised.
I had already anticipated this after hearing Dorothy¡¯s story in the first loop, so I just asked to confirm.
[Yes. It only reflects the limited information we managed to gather and the predictable attack patterns of the Evil God. And besides, a game is just a game. It¡¯s designed to be beatable. While the existing enemies didn¡¯t need exaggeration, Nephid was a different story. I assure you, Nephid is far stronger.]
The exact attack patterns remained unknown, but the reality was that she was absurdly strong... that was the point.
¡°Why can¡¯t you figure out Nephid¡¯s patterns? Don¡¯t you have the ability to see the future of the world?¡±
[Because I can¡¯t see the future from the moment Nephid appears.]
@@novelbin@@
¡°What?¡±
[Nephid has obscured all future events from the moment she appears. If someone like me tries to interfere with that, we¡¯d be consumed by the Authority of Godying. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t do anything about it.]
I hadn¡¯t realized it in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, but the Authority of Godying was absurdly broken.
Essentially, Nephid was a munchkin when it came to fighting other gods.
I felt like I truly understood why the gods were desperately using humans as pawns in their game.
However, I still had a lingering question.
¡°But I¡¯ve already faced Nephid once. You must¡¯ve figured out some of her attack patterns by now, right?¡±
The gods¡¯ game against the Evil God Nephid was intended to have a second loop from the start.
In other words, Ste should know what happened during the first loop.
[It was difficult to fully understand.]
¡°Why?¡±
Ste changed my view to show scenes of my battle against Nephid during the first loop.
Even with the slightest wave of its fingers, the Evil God left me utterly powerless, unable to do anything but be at her mercy.
[You were defeated miserably. Surviving was the best you could do. Knowing that would happen, we had nned from the start to use the first attempt as a stepping stone.]
The first loop was merely a catalyst for the second.
¡°...Then what about the mid-bosses or minions?¡±
[They were at a level simr to what we expected in the game. The issue was the Evil god.]
¡°...¡±
[Ultimately, time was reversed to the past through the power of Lucifer, the demon who governs the Icy Lake. The souls of the dead, the fairies, Ozma, and even past fates were all returned, except for the Icy Lake itself, which Lucifer controls. At that time, I stayed here and had many conversations with Dorothy Heartnova.]
It was Dorothy¡¯s story from the first loop. I had already realized this after listening to her story.
In any case, Dorothy from the first loop stayed at the Icy Lake and became exempt from the regression, making her a separate entity from the current Dorothy.
So even if I had died, time would¡¯ve been reversed.
When I thought the Status Window was just a Status Window, I assumed survival was a condition for regression.
The misunderstanding was cleared. During the first loop, Ozma merely counted down to when Lucifer¡¯s regression ability would activate.
It was probably to convince me to begin the second loop.
[Yes. But opportunities aren¡¯t infinite. No... this is practically thest chance.]
¡°Why?¡±
[If we fail this time, the situation will revert to how it was during the first loop. Actually, no, if it were just that, it would be fine.]
Ste let out a quiet sigh.
[The biggest problem is that Nephid is highly likely to recognize Lucifer¡¯s power. If Nephid learns the timing of Lucifer¡¯s power activation, she can ovee it with the Authority of Godying. Essentially, the chances of defeating Nephid in a third attempt approach zero.]
In other words, if we failed to defeat Nephid this time, there would be no more chances.
¡°I see...¡±
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and then voiced a sudden question that came to mind.
¡°What would¡¯ve happened if Ozma had taken my body during the first loop?¡±
[It wouldn¡¯t have mattered. Time would¡¯ve reversed, and you would¡¯ve regained your body anyway. But if it were taken this time, the consequences would¡¯ve been disastrous.]
¡°That makes sense...¡±
Ozma probably didn¡¯t disy [Divinity] in the Status Window during the first loop.
Because even if I couldn¡¯t recall much of the first loop, she would have heard in advance from Ste that I would recognize the second loop.
She must have been cautious to avoid any circumstances that might arouse even the slightest suspicion.
Not to mention, it was only after encountering something like Daikan did I realized it was the second loop.
In the first loop, the Status Window must¡¯ve simply fulfilled its role.
The more I think about it, the more astonishing it was. I somehow managed not to trust the Status Window.
Without Dorothy¡¯s warning in the first loop, I might¡¯ve already had my body taken over by Ozma.
Of course, sending a message to me through Dorothy and stopping Ozma was all part of Ste¡¯s n.
As long as I kept my reasoning intact, it was only a matter of time before I stopped trusting the Status Window.
¡°So, in the end, it¡¯s impossible to face Nephid using only game knowledge, right?¡±
Ste nodded.
It all came down to me.
¡°...Ste. Did you know I would make it this far?¡±
[No, I can¡¯t see the future here.]
¡°No, let me rephrase that. Did you trust me?¡±
[...To be honest, it was highly risky, and the chances of failure were very high, so I couldn¡¯t be certain it would work out. That¡¯s why I want to thank you repeatedly. Thank you for surpassing the impossible.]
Ste bowed her head to me, but I had no intention of epting her thanks.
¡°The Creator you mentioned.¡±
Ste raised her head and looked at me.
I met her gaze once more.
¡°Is that your Higgs representative, ¡®Dante¡¯?¡±
Ste answered with a smile.
So it was true. Just as I had expected.
I voiced the question that had weighed on my mind the most.
I was just an ordinary person.
Ste held a gentle smile at my question.
[There¡¯s noplex reason. Among those who yed ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? diligently, you stood out as someone who wouldn¡¯t break. I can discern such things. While secondary factors like good nature were considered, the most important trait was unwavering determination. That¡¯s why you caught my eye more than anyone else.]
¡°...I see.¡±
The reason was so simple that it left me feeling deted.
My vision shifted again, and the scenery of the Icy Lake came into view.
It signaled that all the necessary conversations had concluded.
Ste turned her back.
[If you have no more questions, our conversation ends here. Naturally, if you seed in defeating the Evil God, I promise to reward you generously for your efforts. Well then...]
¡°Wait. I still have something to say.¡±
Using [Ice Generation], I created an ice chair and sat down.
I wanted to smack this god who used me, but I barely managed to hold back the urge.
¡°Let me ask you something. If Ian uses Domain Expansion on Nephid, what would happen? If you¡¯re not sure, a prediction is fine. Be specific.¡±
[...Why do you ask such a thing?]
¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±
For a while, I exined my thoughts and conveyed my request to Ste.
After hearing my story, Ste stared nkly for a moment before bursting intoughter.
[Kuhuhu... Hahaha! Kekeuk, Hahaha!!]
Ste burst intoughter as if she genuinely found it amusing.
[Ah, what an amusing thought...! Only a weak, fragile human, one who lives by clinging to a group coulde up with such an idea! Even the power you seized with every ounce of strength you had is nothing more than a mere tool to you!]
Ste shouted, spreading her arms wide in excitement.
[Human, I salute you!]
With a smiling face, Ste approached me and ced her hand on my head.
After softly flowing a small amount of mana into my head, Ste withdrew her hand.
[I will fulfill that request, even at the cost of my life. I am truly d I chose you.]
¡°I don¡¯t think I need to say it, but I don¡¯t like you.¡±
[I understand your anger toward me. If it means seeding in defeating the Evil God and protecting everyone, I¡¯ll dly ept that anger.]
Ste closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against my head.
[Mr. Han Seong Ho, may the blessing of the stars be with you.]
As soon as I blinked, Ste disappeared.
I stood up from the ice chair. Now that the conversation was over, it was time to return.
I raised my head and looked at the massive demon bound atop the distant altar.
I spoke to him.
[Lucifer. Let me ask you something. I already knew you¡¯d turn back time when the destruction of everything began. You seem like a traitor to the demons, so why did you stop following the Evil God, even after things reached that point?]
I was curious.
Why did Lucifer, a demon, rebel against the Evil God?
Lucifer¡¯s many eyes stared at me, and his will was conveyed into my mind.
To be virtuous.
[Virtuous... What does that even mean?]
Even in ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, the reason the treacherous heavenly being Vuel sought to overthrow the heavenly gods was to be virtuous.
However, the virtue Lucifer spoke of was likely different from the kind Vuel pursued.
Virtue is purity. Something sublime. Thus, it is to prevent destruction.
[You¡¯re a demon. You must have the instinct to ughter, so what made you adopt such a mindset?]
The act of following instinct is inherently meaningless. This body before thee is the evidence of mass ughter. This one fought against the Evil God, not because of instinct, but to pay for the sins this body hasmitted and recieve eternal punishment. Fret not, one day, this body will be born as a virtuous being, and in the midst of this body''s torment, this one shall constantly mediate and uncover the sublime truth.
Lucifer¡¯s resolute will came through to me.
He had abandoned his instincts and chosen to be sublime.
Thus, he was atoning for his sins and opposing the will of the Evil God Nephid.
[I see. I understand now.]
Bearing Lucifer¡¯s will, I spread three pairs of cold wings and soared.
***In front of the elevator leading to the Icy Lake.
Hades, the Nether King, who had been waiting for news of Isaac, suddenly felt a chilling mana and assumed a battle stance.
Something was rising from beneath the ground.
Booom!!!
Breaking through the immensely thick ground, a man with silver-blue hair soared into the air, unfolding three pairs of icy wings.
Hades narrowed his eyes. The man before him was grasping a fragment of omnipotence.
Isaac.
He floated in the air, surrounded by a cluster of stars, staring coldly and cynically at the Nether King.
[This one hath been waiting for thee, Ice King.]
From the golden halo trailing behind the Nether King, dozens of massive arms extended.
The absolute divine arm, [Heaven¡¯s Hand]. This was the King¡¯s ultimate authority.
The Nether King¡¯s sharp eyes gleamed with intent, targeting Isaac.
¡°...I appreciate it.¡±
In response, several transcendent light blue halos appeared behind Isaac.
A half-moon of ice, cradling starlight, was formed above his head.
Isaac¡¯s eyes were dyed with a mystical blue light.
Chapter 324: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (12)
Chapter 324: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (12)
Magic circles lined up inrge numbers, filling the sky. From them, chains of providence shot out and extended towards Isaac.
The providence of the Nether tried to bind Isaac, but it couldn¡¯t even get close, freezing and shattering like ss. Even the magic circles vanished.
[This is not allowed...!]
The Nether King extended his right arm, trying to nullify Isaac¡¯s magic, but it was useless.
Domination only worked on those who could be dominated.
Isaac had already attained a transcendental status, possessing the power to ignore even the Nether King¡¯s domain of control.
The Nether King lowered his arm and clicked his tongue.
[Even after sacrificing this one¡¯s precious subordinate, I cannot stop awbreaking human from bing a god. This one deserves to be med multiple times. This one shall take responsibility and stop thou here.]
¡°Fine, bring it on,¡± Isaac coldly responded.
A fight was inevitable. To escape the Nether, Isaac had to subdue the Nether King and prevent his interference.
Kuuuu!!
All of [Heaven¡¯s Hand] grabbed hold of the Nether King¡¯s refined rage and shot rapidly towards Isaac.
The [Wall of Order], sweeping everything in its path, also rushed towards Isaac.
Isaac lightly extended his arm.
Whooosh!!
Crash!!!
An immeasurable amount of mana erupted, forming a storm of frigidity.
The [Wall of Order] and the [Heaven¡¯s hand] froze in an instant. Then, they shattered, scattering with startling ease.
The Nether King¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
With the power of [Ice Moon], there was nothing Isaac couldn¡¯t freeze.
Before the Nether King even realized it, Isaac was suddenly right in front of him. He had frozen time to move.
With a whoop, Isaac took a deep breath andunched a punch filled with starlight and ice mana toward the Nether King¡¯s abdomen.
[Aah...!]
At that moment, the Nether King felt the profound fear that only a creature on the verge of death could feel.
Isaac¡¯s physical strength was exceptional to begin with.
With the power of [Ice Moon] controlling time, the force of Isaac¡¯s punch increased overwhelmingly.
Additionally, with the power of starlight magic, even physical forces were under his control, making his punch all the stronger.
In other words, even a simple punch from Isaac was now akin to a powerful bomb.
Boom!!!!
A tremendous shockwave echoed with a loud explosion, and a fierce storm raged.
[Ugh!!]
The Nether King was violently flung through the center of the Nether. His body pierced through a distant iceberg and continued to roll for a long while.
[Ku, ugh...!]
When he finally stopped rolling, the Nether King was bleeding heavily. It seemed like he might lose consciousness at any moment.
But he had to get up.
In any situation, he had to uphold thews, order, and the bnce of power of the Nether. That was the reason for his existence.
Like Ste, who had been given a new mission by the Creator, the Nether King had received a mission from the Supreme God of the Nether.
Thus, the Nether King held his wrecked abdomen, trembling as he tried to stand up.
[...!]
When he looked up, he saw Isaac standing right in front of him. He had noticed Isaac¡¯s presencete, likely due to the effect of [Ice Moon].
Isaac extended his right hand, filled with condensed ice mana, toward the Nether King. A 5-star spell, [Frost Explosion], unfolded in front of him, and a cluster of white stars floated around it.
He was defeated.
No matter what the Nether King did now, the two beings both knew the fight was already over.
Suddenly, the Nether King felt a strong question arise within him and spoke it out loud.
[Human... how did thou aplish such a feat? How could thou have grasped even a fraction of omnipotence...!]
A man who had received help from his connections, overcame the trials of the gatekeeper, been acknowledged by the ruler of the Icy Lake, surpassed even Ozma, and finally imed a piece of omnipotence as his own.
How had a human been able to do this, and why?
For Isaac, it was not a question that required deep thought.
¡°It¡¯s just...¡±
Isaac recalled his days preparing for the bar exam in his previous life.
He remembered the regret of not being able to show his mother her son enteringw school before she passed away.
He thought of all the many scenarios he had endured up until now.
He recalled the desperate past where he had struggled to protect the people he loved.
He thought of the encounters he had, the farewells he experienced, and the footprints he left as he continued moving forward without rest.
¡°There was something I had to do, so I kept doing it, and this is how things turned out. I was just lucky I guess.¡±
It was a simple reason, without the need forplicated thought.
The reason he was able to surpass the impossible was that unexpected luck had found him.
And luck came to those who never gave up and kept moving forward.
The Nether King slowly blinked.
[I see... This is my defeat.]
¡°...Farewell.¡±
Isaac released the frost and starlight mana contained in his right hand.
Boom!!!
A cold shockwave spread out, freezing the natural mana of the Nether, and icebergs shot out in all directions.
The Nether King¡¯s body shattered into pieces, but numerous [Heaven¡¯s Hands] emerged from the golden ring that followed him, enveloping him.
Having reached his limit, he shifted into a state focused on recovery.
¡°...¡±
Since the Nether King had been incapacitated, there was no need to bother with him any further.
After all, without him, the order of the Nether wouldpletely copse. It was better to leave him now.
How do I get back?
Just as he was preparing to return, enveloped in starlight mana, it happened.
He felt a dense mana from his ne and pulled it out from under his shirt.
It was the pendant ne he had received from Dorothy.
The pendant began to glow, deploying a starlight barrierrge enough to surround Isaac.
So she put it in here.
The pendant contained a small amount of starlight mana, like a battery.
Whether the first timeline Dorothy had recognized that and ced a transportation method inside or if she had acted based on memories even after losing her sanity, was unclear.
The starlight barrier enveloped Isaac and began moving toward a predetermined location.
The speed was so fast that it became impossible to make out the rapidly changing scenery.
Soon, Isaac arrived in front of a rift in the sky. The rift was there, but it was too narrow for a person to pass through.
Charararang!!
With a clear sound, the starlight mana emitted a brilliant glow.
It was a powerful force. Slowly, the rift widened, and Dorothy¡¯s mana rapidly dissipated.
Finally, the rift widened enough to pass through, but by then, Dorothy¡¯s mana had nearly depleted. With that, the temporary transcendence Isaac had possessed disappeared.
Isaac stepped into the rift.
As he traveled through the wormhole, the familiar air slowly passed through his nostrils and seeped into his lungs.
Whoooosh!!
Isaac emerged from the rift and arrived in the secretboratory of Hegel Magic Tower.
He lost his bnce and rolled across the floor.
The rift quickly narrowed and eventually vanishedpletely. The force used to open the rift had been so powerful that it closed as a reaction.
¡°Haa...¡±
The secretboratory was filled with silence.
As Isaac steadied himself on the floor and let out a sigh of relief, footsteps echoed.
A small-framed woman, Aria Lilias, approached and knelt on one knee, looking at Isaac.
¡°Wee back.¡±
¡°I¡¯m back...¡±
Aria handed a water bottle to the blood-covered Isaac, as he had lost an excessive amount of blood.
¡°Thank you.¡±
As soon as the transcendental energy left him, Isaac, who was suffering from severe thirst, gulped down the water.
Aria cast a healing spell on Isaac and seriously asked, ¡°What on earth did you go through... to end up like this?¡±
Isaac¡¯s body was covered in all sorts of gaping wounds as a side effect of having temporarily stored an excessive amount of starlight mana.
It would take quite some time to recover.
But Isaac didn¡¯t have the luxury to focus solely on recovery.
¡°I¡¯ll exinter. But first, how long has it been since I left?¡±
¡°Two weeks.¡±
More time had passed than Isaac expected, causing his heart to sink.
¡°And the situation?¡±
¡°The Heavenly Clock has activated, and a battle is taking ce at ck Stone.¡±
Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t toote.
While the Spear of Longinus was being forged at ck Stone, immense mana would be detected all over the world. It hadn¡¯t gotten that far yet.
Isaac sighed deeply in relief once more.
¡°Ah, Teacher, I have a favor to ask.¡±
Isaac stood up and smiled gently.
¡°Could you please prepare some clothes for me?¡±
***Riding the beam of light descending from the sky, a heavenly being d in silver armor, holding a holy spear, was descending.
Due to the effect of the Heavenly Clock, mana, Divine Power, and everything else was in disarray around the world. Even skilled wizards couldn¡¯t fully demonstrate their abilities, yet that heavenly being was radiating immense Divine Power.
One could hardly imagine how powerful it would be without the effects of the Heavenly Clock.
[So many obstacles.]
Vuel, the Winged Heavenly Being.
Boom!!!!
Where Vuel passed, divine power overflowed, sweeping away the Allied Forces.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Ahhhh!!¡±
¡°Aaaah!¡±
It was already overwhelming to face the rebel forces of the heavenly beings, and now with Vuel joining, they stood no chance.
Even though Divine Power was severely distorted, the fact that such attacks were still possible shocked the Allied Forces.
¡°Intercept them all!!¡±
But they couldn¡¯t give up. The Allied Forces tried tounch a ranged attack on Vuel.
Then, as if telling them not to interfere, the rebel forces of the heavenly beings pushed the Allied Forces back.
Vuel reached the crater of the ck Stone, where massive amounts of natural mana were swirling due to the effects of the Heavenly Clock.
[Come forth.]
As Vuel raised one arm upward, orange natural mana shot up from the crater, taking the shape of a long spear.
The Spear of Longinus, which would bring down the Heavenly God, began to form.
Chapter 325: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (13)
Chapter 325: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (13)
¡°Damn...!¡±
¡°We must stop it! Immediately!!¡±
An astronomical amount of mana.
The Allied Forces were already overwhelmed dealing with the Heavenly rebel forces, making it difficult to hinder Vuel.
Booom!!
The ground shook violently as natural mana surged from within ck Stone.
¡°It¡¯s an earthquake!¡±
¡°Everyone, be careful!¡±
The intensity of the earthquake was increasing. The tremors of the ground were going to spread beyond ck Stone to the city.
It was a prelude to a great catastrophe. When the Spear of Longinus was finally forged, the world would be destroyed.
Whoosh!
Crackle!!
Swish!!
Puff!!
Suddenly, the four elements swirled and converged at the crater of ck Stone.
The four Elemental Kings, Fire Sovereign, Lightning Sovereign, Wind Sovereign, and Water Sovereign, surrounded Vuel. They acted after perceiving the imminent threat of the world¡¯s annihtion.
[The Elemental Kings, is it.]
Crash!
The Lightning Sovereign, without uttering a word, unleashed a lightning strike that bore down on Vuel. However, it failed to pierce his armor and dissipated weakly into fragments.
The other Elemental Kings unleashed their powerful elemental magic on Vuel simultaneously. However, the Divine Power swirling around Vuel easily dispelled the elemental magic.
Vuel, armed as he was, boasted extreme elemental resistance. Moreover, the effects of the Heavenly Clock were also in y. For the Elemental Kings, who had lived relying solely on magic, the current environment was akin to poison.
In the end, no matter how much elemental magic the Elemental Kings poured out, Vuel would not suffer any damage.
¡°Ugh, my magic isn¡¯t working properly, it¡¯s driving me crazy!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t rely only on magic. Take out your weapon too.¡±
At the Water Sovereign¡¯sment, the Wind Sovereign pulled out a bow and replied in a monotone voice.
A massive bow, unfitting for her small frame, was gripped in the Wind Sovereign¡¯s hands. An arm of dense wind mana extended into the air, pulling back the bowstring.
Whoooosh!
A heavy surge of wind mana arose around the arrow.
At the same time, the Lightning Sovereign drew a spear wrapped in lightning, and the Fire Sovereign unsheathed a sword engulfed in mes. Each was a high-rank magic weapon.
¡°I¡¯ll support you!¡± The Water Sovereign cried out as she drew forth a harp, with water flowing from it as beautifully as a melody.
The Wind Sovereign shot the arrow, and the Lightning Sovereign and Fire Sovereign charged toward Vuel with their respective weapons.
[Flies, begone.]
Boom!
¡°Ahhh!¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
Divine Power surged outward, sweeping away the Elemental Kings.
The Elemental Kings simultaneously deployed elemental barriers to minimize damage but were helplessly pushed back.
@@novelbin@@
[...]
Vuel gazed up at the Spear of Longinus as it took shape.
The grand spear of mana was taking form. Even so, it was but a speckpared to the Heavenly God, yet it sufficed.
The activation of the Heavenly Clock¡¯s effects and the massive natural mana embedded within ck Stone was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to summon the Heavenly God.
Exterminating all living creatures in the world was merely an unavoidable sacrifice to draw out the Heavenly Beings.
Vuel deliberately turned away from his guilt and focused all his strength on forging the spear imbued with the rebels¡¯ hopes, recalling the countlessrades lost in the war.
[Hmm?]
With a screech, a massive hawk-shaped Magic beast flew in, hauling a transport machine.
The hawk rode the wind, racing to the battlefield, and the man standing atop it leapt down lightly.
As hended on the battlefield with a thud...
He disappeared.
Swish!
[Guhk!]
[Ahhh!]
In an instant, the sword strikes swept through like a dance, leaving trails in the air.
A continuous series of sharp shing sounds echoed as the screams of the Heavenly beings spread.
[Stop him! Aah!]
[How dare a human...! Ugh!]
The Heavenly Beings cried out as they were cut down, and Vuel¡¯s displeased gaze turned toward the battlefield.
A man with green hair was elegantly cutting down the Heavenly beings with nothing but a single sword.
The Heavenly beings tried to resist, but they couldn¡¯t even track the man¡¯s movements with their eyes and were cut down in an instant.
Even from afar, his speed was hard for the eye to follow. His movements were simr to those of the boy named Tristan Humphrey, whom they faced at the Land Bridge, but the green-haired man was on an entirely different level.
[The Sword Saint...!]
The Sword Saint, Gerald Astrea.
The man who reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship among humans. He had joined as reinforcements.
¡°Father...?¡±
¡°Father?!¡±
Kaya Astrea and Merlin Astrea were visibly shocked at their father¡¯s participation in the battle.
Gerald had long since retired as an Imperial Knight and had no obligation to participate in the battle.
In other words, he had stepped up solely to protect the Empire.
The transport machinended, and the elite knights of the Astrea Ducal family who had been on board rushed out, following Gerald.
Gerald cast an amplification spell on his voice. Even though mana had been distorted, simple magic like amplification was still usable.
¡°Imperial Knights! Were you really being pushed back by mere beings like these?!¡±
Gerald shouted as he cut down the Heavenly Beings with elegant skill.
Despite the ground shaking, he did not lose his bnce. On the contrary, he took advantage of the earth¡¯s movement, repeatedly springing forward like a coiled spring and darting about swiftly.
A human who had honed only his body and swordsmanship.
In this world where mana was heavily distorted by the effects of the Heavenly Clock, Gerald disyed overwhelming strength.
sh!
The enemies that had given the Allied Forces such a hard time were being effortlessly cut down as if it were a lie.
¡°Amazing...¡±
Even in the midst of fighting the Heavenly Beings, the Allied Forces were awestruck by Gerald¡¯s skill.
¡°Know shame!!¡± Gerald scolded.
¡°Protect the Empire! Defend the people! That is the duty of an Imperial Knight! Show the courage and skill to fulfill it, right here and now! Everyone,y down your lives for the Empire!!¡±
The cry of the man called the Sword Saint inspired the Allied Forces.
They let out a war cry and continued their battle against the Heavenly Beings.
Vuel clicked his tongue in irritation and stretched out his remaining hand toward the Allied Forces to unleash Divine Power.
Piuung!
Boom!!
At the same time, an arrow infused withpressed wind mana flew toward Vuel.
Vuel deployed a shield of light in the arrow¡¯s direction. For some time, the arrow, infused with wind mana, created a swirling vortex as it shed relentlessly with the shield of light. Then, all at once, it bounced off with a hollow sound.
The Lightning Sovereign and Fire Sovereign relentlessly charged in, wielding their weapons imbued with elemental mana.
ng!!
The subordinates Heavenly Beings blocked the Lightning Sovereign and Fire Sovereign, shing weapons with them.
The Elemental Kings were archwizards who had reached the pinnacle of a single element.
Because their power heavily relied on magic, in the current state of mana distortion, the most they could manage was to continue struggling against Vuel¡¯s subordinates using magic weapons infused with elemental power.
[Do not interfere.]
Vuel¡¯s voice fell heavily.
Vuel once again unleashed his Divine Power, driving back the Elemental Kings.
[It will soon beplete. The spear that can bring down the Heavenly God! Our desire will be fulfilled!]
At Vuel¡¯s shout, the Heavenly Beings shouted in unison and pushed back the Allied Forces.
The Heavenly God was to be drawn down and turned into prey for the Evil God, who wielded the power of Godyer.
If only they could defeat the Heavenly God, no further sacrifices would be needed.
Vuel intended to create a world where the Heavenly Beings would no longer be driven into endless wars and meet cruel ends.
The Allied Forces could no longer stop Vuel. Even with the Elemental Kings and the Astrea Ducal family, it was already toote.
As they gritted their teeth, staring at the almostplete Spear of Longinus.
Whoosh!!
With a strange wind sound, a dazzling half-moon of ice appeared in the sky.
[...!!!]
An enormous mana, iparable even to thebined might of the Elemental Kings, spread across the area.
Everyone fighting in the war felt an instinctive fear.
Even Vuel felt a chilling sensation and gazed at the ice moon that had suddenly appeared.
[What is that...?]
Beyond the half-moon, a pale blue meteor was streaking through the air at an unbelievable speed.
Then, in an instant, it shed and vanished.
Boom!
Boom!
Explosive sounds rang out simultaneously, and many Heavenly Beings were struck heavily and sent flying.
Soon after, a man with silver-blue hair, dressed impably, appeared before Gerald Astrea, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Behind him, six magic circles spread out, each extending magnificent cold wings.
The effect of [Ice Moon], time freeze.
The man manipted the flow of time to swiftly strike the Heavenly Beings before arriving in front of Gerald.
Crack!
ng!
The effect of the Heavenly Clock was no exception for the man with silver-blue hair. For him, maintaining [Ice Moon] for even a brief moment was all he could manage.
However, the mere fact that he could cast such a spell was enough to show how extraordinary his level of mastery was, something no one could fathom.
¡°You¡¯rete, Ice Sovereign.¡±
¡°Looks like you¡¯ve learned something new.¡±
The Wind Sovereign spoke with a look of relief, while the Water Sovereign spoke with a look of admiration.
¡°Ice Sovereign...¡±
¡°Heh heh. Reliable.¡±
The Lightning Sovereign spoke with a cold expression, while the Fire Sovereign spoke with a smile.
¡°You¡¯vee.¡±
Gerald wore a faint smile.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Father-inw.¡±
The man with silver-blue hair, Isaac, stood up, turned his head back, and greeted Gerald with a kind expression.
[Ice Sovereign... Isaac...!]
Vuel narrowed his eyes, revealing a deep sense of wariness.
The man he regarded with the utmost caution. The strongest human in the world, beyondparison.
The Ice Sovereign Isaac had joined the battle.
Dorothy beamed, calling out, ¡°President!¡± while Kaya smiled in relief, saying, ¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
¡°...Huh?¡±
As Isaac arrived, Dorothy felt a strange sensation as if something were seeping into her.
For some reason, a tear suddenly rolled down one of her eyes.
At the same time, her starlight magic was being refined, and vague memories began to surface in her mind.
¡ª Please, be my Wizard of Oz.
¡°What... is this?¡±
Overwhelmed with emotion, tears began to pour down.
Dorothy was bewildered. A woman¡¯s life shed through her mind like a panorama, filling her heart with pain.
It was the life of another version of herself.
It was the fate and past of a person who had perished in self-destruction alongside the Floating Ind.
At that moment, Dorothy felt as though she had be one with that other version of herself.
¡°Student Dorothy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m not sure...¡±
When a female knight beside her asked urgently, Dorothy shook her head in confusion.
Dorothy¡¯s increasingly sorrowful gaze turned toward Isaac.
¡°Isaac... just how much...¡±
On the surface, Isaac looked fine and immacte. But Dorothy could sense how exhausted he must have been and the immense pain he had endured.
Isaac stood beside Gerald, ring at Vuel.
¡°I¡¯ll handle the Heavenly Beings near the crater. With all due respect, Father-inw, please take care of the rest. Reinforcements from the Heavenly Beings will arrive soon. You only need to hold out until then.¡±
Gerald noticed that Isaac¡¯s breathing was slightly heavy. He was clearly fatigued.
A quick nce at Isaac¡¯s wrist revealed crimson blood trickling down.
His body was severely wounded, and he had yet to receive proper treatment.
Only the visible injuries had been treated hastily, while the wounds hidden under his clothes were likely severe.
That was probably why he wore dark-colored clothing and a coat to conceal it. Having traversed countless battlefields, Gerald could quickly deduce this.
Internally, Gerald found it amusing that he was worried about Isaac, someone overwhelmingly stronger than himself. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, focusing on the enemy.
¡°Hold out, you say? What aughable suggestion.¡±
Gerald swung his blood-soaked sword, flicking off the blood of the Heavenly Beings.
¡°I¡¯ll cut them all down swiftly.¡±
¡°That¡¯s even better.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll entrust that to you.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Isaac and Gerald kicked off the ground together.
Chapter 326: Thousand Wings Subjugation (14)
Kwagak!
As Isaac mmed the ground with his foot, the ground cracked like a tree root and splinters sttered.
Damn it!
As it were, Isaac flew towards Vuel.
Once again, the icy moon appeared in the sky along with the strange sound of the wind.
The magic power consumption was extremely high, but it couldn¡¯t be maintained for long anyway, so Isaac could afford to use it about 3 more times.
Everyone there felt it. With the effect of the Thousand-Wai Clock all over the ce, just by using that level of magic, Isaac has already surpassed the human category.
[Ice Festival!]
Five spears of light wrapped in divine power were created around Viel.
The spears all shot at Isaac.
At that moment, he disappeared.
[...] Heck!]
At the same time, a tremendous impact shattered Viel¡¯s helmet and pierced him directly to his head.
It was Isaac¡¯s fist.
Have you reached this point before you know it? Viel felt strong doubts.
I couldn¡¯t just see it as a quick movement. At least if it was movement, there should have been a convincing gap between the moment Isaac disappeared and the moment he was attacked.
But there was none. As if time itself had been cut out.
Vuel¡¯s head was crushed for an instant, and a pressure wave exploded.
Puuu!!!
And so Isaac¡¯s fists swung.
Wind pressure raged like a storm, and Viel¡¯s body shed through the air.
[Queue!!]
Viel managed not to lose consciousness and spread his cloth wings wide, taking in the air resistance and flying to a halt.
The crushed head was quickly restored with divine power, and his helmet was restored to its original form.
[Cool!]
My cough was full of blood.
Vuel¡¯s armament boasts extreme elemental resistance. No matter how much Isaac¡¯s ice magic was, he was hard to hit Vuel.
So it is more effective to inflict physical damage using physical abilities or weapons. That¡¯s why Isaac swung his fist.
[I can¡¯t believe it....]
No matter how much it is, is that really a power that humans can wield?
Viel frowned and raised his head.
Kwajajak!
The first half of the ice shattered like a piece of ss, and Isaac chased after Viel at high speed.
[What kind of magic is that moon... ?]
Viel muttered in a voice full of bewilderment.
[Ice Moon] Is the first ice magic that even the highest Elyos have ever seen.
In front of that power, Vuel has be worse than a slow slug.
A new moon of ice appeared in the sky. It was a dazzling, brilliant, and beautiful moon.
It¡¯s dangerous.
It¡¯s really dangerous.
Even though the duration of [Ice Moon] Was very short due to the effect of the Thousand-Wai Clock, Viel felt that the brief moment was unreasonably dangerous.
@@novelbin@@
[You are arrogant to even y with the logic of the passage of time! What about you... !]
Vuel is speechless with his eyes wide open.
He looked at Isaac again and realized.
The unknown monster lurking within his essence was invisible.
Full Isaac. That was it.
While he hadn¡¯t been seen for a while, he became stronger by consuming even the unknown monster that was hiding in his essence.
[Nonsense....]
A monster with enough magic power to swallow this world lightly. The source of Isaac¡¯s power must have been the monster, he thought.
No.
Even that monster was just nourishment for Isaac¡¯s growth.
Like the darkness outside the heavens, fear covered Vuel.
From noble mtl dot
How could such a person exist?
[This monster!]
Viel frowned and red at Isaac to hide his fear, and radiated divine power with all his might.
[There is a degree to reach a far-off state! You bastard, do you dare to surpass the godhead while still being a human!!]
As Vuel violently swung his arm, hundreds of beams of light shot out towards Isaac.
As the [Ice Moon]¡¯S ability was disyed, Isaac disappeared again. Even the thunderbolt wasggard in front of him. In the end, arge amount of light pierced the air.
At the same time, an uppercut hit Viel¡¯s chin.
Puuuong!!
[Keep!!]
The sound of something breaking was masked by the explosion.
A Isaac¡¯s Fist with ovepping powers.
At best, the regenerated helmet shattered helplessly, and Vuel¡¯s body surged upward at the mighty impact that blew his head off.
Isaac flew over him at even greater speed, stretching his long legs upward.
For a moment, Viel witnessed the blue eyes of the [Ice Emperor] Flowing through his eyes.
As if looking down, a very calm and selfpassionate look.
For Isaac, Vuel has be nothing more than a trivial toy.
[...] ... !!]
Kwagak!!!
Puuuong!!!
Isaak¡¯s leg mmed Viel¡¯s stomach down.
With the explosion, Vuel¡¯s armor shattered, and his body fell at high speed.
[Kuk!]
Vuel hurriedly restored his armor by emitting divine power.
At that time, Isaac quickly reached the ground as if he had teleported.
Wow!
Isaac throws his fist at the falling Vuel. The regenerated armor shattered, and his fist plunged deep into Viel¡¯s chest.
Although Vuel lost the power of immortality, he boasted a strong body with the power of full armament. However, even such a body was helpless in the face of Isaac¡¯s force.
Viel¡¯s body flew through the air again, and the armor regenerated in the blink of an eye. But before he could touch the ground, Isaac flew faster and kicked him upwards.
So repeat, repeat, repeat.
Vuel poured out his holy power and resisted, but to no avail. He just draws a helpless trajectory in the air without a break.
A spreading chain of eerie ruptures.
This was nothing short of a joke.
As belonging to the highest rank of Elyos, its hardness and elemental resistance needless to be said, the silver armor repeatedly breaks as easily as a ss window.
Like an egg trying to withstand the steel being knocked down, but it was at a mana level.
[Alternatively... , what is happening....]
I can¡¯t even use my hands.
The level of strength was different.
¡°I can¡¯t win....¡±
¡°How could that be... ?¡±
Everyone who watched the battle between Isaac and Viel was in awe.
Because those powerful Elyos were no match.
¡°Amazing....¡±
Even the brain emperor eximed.
With the effect of the Tianwei Clock, it is possible to demonstrate such strength even in a barren environment where magic cannot be used properly.
It was a sight that made even the original kings open their mouths.
¡°Vuel-sama... !¡±
Elyos Maetel Valencia couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut at the sight of Vuel being helplessly beaten, and Gerald raised her mouth in satisfaction.
Vuel managed to hold on to the consciousness that was drifting away and tried to fight back.
The ice moon appeared again, and Isaac disappeared, and a powerful shock hit Viel.
Vuel¡¯s body was blown up high into the sky. His body has already reached its limit. He was unable to mount any counterattack on Isaac.
Chin. Isaac reached Buell at once, grabbed him by the legs, and spun several times in the air. Just like that, he violently threw Vuel down.
Whee Woo Woo!!
Quaaang!!!
Vuel, drawing a beam of light in the air, plunges down.
The ground was smashed and craters formed, and Vuel could no longer regenerate his armor and vomited arge amount of blood.
[Keah... !]
Isaac quickly fell and trampled on Vuel¡¯s chest.
Wow!
Vuel¡¯s intestines were crushed, and he vomited more blood.
The ground copsed and fragments scattered. So the depth of the crater has been added.
Dust rose. Within it, the supreme being exuding a gentle, light blue cold air was looking down at Viel with cold-eyed eyes.
The fierce battle at Old Wreck is reenacted. At least fully armed, he believed, he could take on Isaac. Then and now, Vuel was no match for Isaac.
It was apletely unexpected result.
[Feeling so helpless... , It¡¯s the first time since we met our god....]
Feeling a deep sense of destion, Vuel let out a pointlessugh. The voice made his blood boil.
Can I barely stand up to Isaac if I bring all the highest-ranking Elyos?
The mere thought of that meant that the bnce of power had already copsed.
[I... , Wanted no more wars.... That¡¯s why, I tried to bring down our god who drove us to death.... To honor the souls of my dear people who died in vain on the battlefield, to protect my people who are still alive....]
¡°I know, what motivated you to do this.¡±
[As expected... , You know too much....]
¡°I don¡¯t mean to criticize your will, but in the end you tried to sacrifice me and everyone else to achieve it.¡±
Isaac said coldly and held out his right hand to Vuel¡¯s face.
In his hand, cold magic was condensed like a whirlpool, and a 5-star ice magic spell, [Ice Explosion], Was constructed.
Viel could not move or draw out his divine power. It was because he was limited only by holding on to his receding consciousness.
¡°That is hard for me to forgive.¡±
[...] Okay.]
Vuel smiled lightly as he looked at Isaac¡¯s face, which was very resolute and unassuming.
[This is my defeat.]
Soon, the umted ice magic exploded.
Wow!!
A powerful shock wave hit Vuel.
His head exploded, and the natural mana around him froze, sending chunks of ice out in all directions.
In the raging cold air, Vuel¡¯s body disintegrated into particles and gently scattered.
Kooooo!
The finished spear on the crater of the ck Stone began to copse. The natural mana that formed the spear was scattered and poured into the crater.
The rebels of Vuel looked at the Spear of Longinus crumbling and realized Vuel¡¯s defeat, and finallyid down their weapons and surrendered.
Therge federation army raised their weapons and shouted.
¡°Whoa, it¡¯s over....¡±
Isaac bowed his head and let out a deep sigh of relief.
From the underworld to here. I was very anxious, but fortunately it was not toote.
With great relief, Isaac gave way to his legs.
¡°President!¡±
¡°Isaac... !¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy and Kaya flew in and supported Isaac from the front side by side.
Isaac fell asleep from exhaustion and looked at them alternately with sleepy eyes.
Warak. I hugged their shoulders.
Dorothy opened her eyes wide, and Kaya said ¡°Huh... !¡± I involuntarily blushed.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sleep well....¡±
Isaac leaned on their shoulders, buried his head and closed his eyes.
His body limp.
¡°... Great job.¡±
Dorothy looked at Isaac with calm eyes and stroked the back of his head.
Kaya smiled in relief, with tears in her eyes.
¡°I was worried.... Wee.¡±
Wow!
Soon, another light poured from the sky, and the armed Elyos descended.
The Elyos, dispatched from the heavens, had finally reached the human world.
The effect of the Tianwei Watch has faded.
The bodies of the Elyos defeated soldiers who barely survived were filled with holy power restraints, and they screamed in agony while being bound.
Dorothy and Kaya nced sideways at them for a moment, and after grasping the situation, they hugged Isaac even tighter.
Isaac was sound asleep without the world knowing, only breathing lightly.
It was a very calm face.
Chapter 327: A Thousand Wings Subjugation – Interlude (1)
The ck Stone¡¯s natural mana returned to its original location.
In the aftermath, an even stronger earthquake urred and the volcano was about to explode, but the highest-ranking Elyos and their subordinates poured holy power to stabilize the unstable flow of natural mana and prevented the disaster.
After that, the Elyos returned with the surviving rebels.
As an apology, the highest ranking Elyos bestowed a blessing of abundance to the world, and disappeared in the light, promising that there would be no more interference with the human race.
The war ended in vain.
After that, discussions arose about where to evacuate Isaac.
Dupendorf, the best medical facility in the kingdom, or the Merchen Academy Hospital?
After a short discussion, it was decided to be Mergeen Academy.
It was because there was a message that Isaac had left with the armymanders in Dupendorf and the imperial family.
If you fall down and need treatment, take him to the Merhen Academy Hospital and ask for a priest with excellent healing abilities or apetent doctor.
He went to the underworld and if things went well, at least he expected what he would be like.
In this way, Isaac was evacuated to the Merhen Academy Hospital, and Morkan, themander of the Knights of Dupendorf, attached as an escort.
Merchen Academy Hospital. Isaac was healed by the kingdom¡¯s best magic doctor¡¯s healing magic and Kaya¡¯s nt magic.
It was at the level of a hero that he didn¡¯t die right away because his whole body exploded. He was treated like a rebellious adolescent child by strong magical powers, which interfered with the healing magic, and the agonizing treatmentsted for three days.
After the treatment was finally over, Isaac was moved to his private hospital room.
He still couldn¡¯t regain his consciousness. He just breathes quietly like a vegetable man and is sound asleep.
¡°Isaac.... It¡¯s already been four days since you haven¡¯t woken up, right?¡±
Kaya Astreang sat in the guardian seat and looked at Isaac quietly.
Dorothy Hart Nova, sitting on the other side of the bed holding Isaac¡¯s hand, nodded quietly to him. The witch hat she usually wore was ced in the corner of the hospital room.
In the meantime, Kaya was sleeping and focusing on treating Isaac, while Dorothy stayed in the hallway. Because the treatment took a long time, they were only allowed to visit today, and they were in Isaac¡¯s hospital room.
¡°He left after only talking to senior Alice.... How overbearing were you....¡±
Kaya, who used to shed tears whenever she had time to worry about Isaac, has now regained her stability.
Her evil personality also looked at Isaac with worried eyes beside Kaya.
Dorothy nced at Kaya.
The memory of another Dorothy Gale that has entered my memory has not yet been spoken of.
Not only does he not know what that memory is, he decided that he needed to consult with Isaac first.
@@novelbin@@
¡®If this memory is true....¡¯
I can understand why Isaac¡¯s emotions have been quiet sincest summer vacation.
The sight of Isaac appearing in front of another Dorothy Gale in the underworld vividly came to mind.
Isaac¡¯s sad, bloody smile made a lump in Dorothy¡¯s heart.
And.
From noble mtl dot
¡®The monster is gone.¡¯
In Isaac¡¯s essence, the unknown monster that even Dorothy feared has disappeared.
¡®Isaac, what have you been through... ?¡¯
Dorothy gently stroked Isaac¡¯s hair with a worried hand.
[It¡¯s boring. How long are you going to sleep? Our Dorothy has been awake for the fourth day.]
E, her white cat familiar, sat on top of Isaac¡¯s stomach and let out a deep sigh.
I¡¯m tickling, but E is also worried that Isaac won¡¯t wake up.
Jerking.
The door suddenly opened and the room suddenly became noisy.
[Receive news of Isaac¡¯s passing out! Bello, arrived at the scene!]
[Isaac, are you okay?!]
¡°Isaac... !¡±
Bello, a small killer whale familiar with a bandage wrapped around his torso, and Galia, a crow-like Thunder Goddess, flew through the air and entered the hospital room.
Following them, Luce, wrapped in bandages, entered the hospital room on his crutches.
¡°Luce Eltania? Are you awake now?¡±
Kaya looked surprised at Luce¡¯s visit. It was because Luce had also fainted.
[This is Bello! Bellow here! Isaac Respond! Deliver once again! Isaac, answer!]
Bello hovered over Isaac, chattering cheerfully in a voice like a young boy.
[Isaac....]
Thunderbolt-Galia sat on top of the cab next to the bed and looked at Isaac with pensive eyes.
Luce reached Kaya¡¯s side, threw her crutches aside, and put her on the bed. Two shocking eyes looked straight at Isaac.
¡°Isaac. I heard it¡¯s the 4th day.... Even if it¡¯s because I¡¯m naturally weak, he¡¯s not such a slow person to recover.... Did you do the right treatment?¡±
Luce looked at Kaya with urgent eyes.
¡°I, of course....¡±
¡°Then why are you doing this? Isn¡¯t nt magic the best of healing sses? It¡¯s the power of fairies. Do it right again, until Isaac wakes up. Hurry!¡±
Luce shouted out of concern for Isaac.
¡°... ....¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes were stained red. It was the character of a worse evil.
She tilted her head to her side, furrowed her brow and snorted at her.
¡°Why are you asking for amand when you can¡¯t do anything and copse? Luce Eltania, can you be anything?¡±
¡°What... ?¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes cooled down like ice.
Aksik Kaya stuck out her head and red at her Luce from close range.
There was a contrast between the blood-red eyes and the ocean-blue eyes.
¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t do my best? Do you know how I feel? If you don¡¯t add anything to Isaac¡¯s treatment, shut up.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
She said she would treat Isaac for three days. She struggled and slept poorly. After her treatment was over, Kaya was distraught because her Isaac did not wake up.
She was so driven, but as Luce stimted her nerves, her evil personality couldn¡¯t stay still.
¡°What are you doing in your hospital room?¡±
[You guys, don¡¯t fight here. Am I angry?]
Dorothy and E cast unpleasant nces at Luce and Kaya.
As the bloody air descended into the hospital room, Frost Knight Morkan, who was standing quietly by the wall, reacted as well.
At that time, a natural voice came through the open door.
¡°Oh my, what is this atmosphere?¡±
[Nioong!]
The eyes of Dorothy, Kaya, E, and Morkan all turned toward the doorway. Luce only nced coldly at him.
¡°What a heavy atmosphere.¡±
With a grinning Alice Carroll, the fat purple cat familiar, The Mystery-Cheshire, came inside.
Alice also had a bandage on her forehead and her arm, but she was better than Luce.
She approached Luce and Kaya, put her hands on their shoulders, and poked her head between them.
The fresh light pink eyes looked at Luce and Kaya alternately.
¡°You can¡¯t fight? This is a hospital room. That¡¯s when the baby is asleep.¡±
¡°... I have no intention of fighting. I didn¡¯t know what to say and said nonsense, so I just said something.¡±
Aksik Kaya put her head behind her and answered with a sigh.
Her red eyes were still aiming at Luce.
¡°Hey boy?¡±
Alice¡¯s unique smile turned to Luce.
¡°... ....¡±
Luce red at Kaya with lifeless eyes that seemed to mirror her depths, then she let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.
An emotional attitude should be avoided. Making a bad mood here will prevent Isaac from rxing.
In the end, Luce silently looked at Isaac and her nervous warfare ended.
¡°Right.¡±
When Alice gave up on Luce and stepped back, she kindly praised him.
Dorothy opened her hatchet eye and red at Alice. It was good that Luce and Kaya¡¯s war of nerves was over, but I didn¡¯t like the fact that Alice intervened.
¡°Why are you staring at me like that, Dorothy?¡±
¡°I just feel bad for some reason.¡±
¡°You really hate me? Cute too.¡±
Alice gave Dorothy a kind smile.
All the girls in Isaac¡¯s harem are spirited. In other words, they needed someone to direct traffic.
Alice was going to take on her role herself.
[Nioong. Isn¡¯t Isaac sleeping so peacefully? I struggled to the bone....]
Strange ¨C Cheshire curled up next to Isaac¡¯s head and grumbled softly.
The strange cry turned towards E. Comints continued in a tone of voice that sounded like a y.
[E, you know what?]
[I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t want to know.]
[I, the loyal Cheshireman, followed Isaac¡¯s orders and watched the Elyos all the time, got beaten up, and even suffered death. It was very difficult... ! I need yourfort to heal this heartbreak.... Can I ask for a word of constion for me?]
[Oops. Didn¡¯t he just die?]
The only thing that jumped out of E was a cold reaction.
[Nyon, as expected, E is sophisticated and proud to say a word tofort her! So good!]
[As expected, you are frustrating and ugly. So I hate it.]
E calmly rebuked the mysterious cat whose expression melted and smiled.
A sharp dagger pierced the monster¡¯s chest. The monster coughed up blood.
Looking at E, who was curled up on Isaac¡¯s stomach, the weirdo put on a sad expression.
[Ea....]
[My breath smells bad.]
[Do you hate me so much?]
[Yes.]
[I can¡¯t understand... !]
The strange cat jumped up with a spleen face.
[It¡¯s impossible to hate a charming cat like me... ! If you want to convince me, logically give me 1000 reasons why I hate you!] [I hate it because it¡¯s ugly, I hate it because it¡¯s annoying, I hate it because it¡¯s fat, I hate it because it¡¯s purple, I hate it because I wear a bowler hat that doesn¡¯t suit me, I hate it because it looks dull, I hate it because it looks stupid, I hate it because it¡¯s immature, I hate the way it speaks I hate it because it is yful, I hate it because my teeth are weird, I hate it because it has ugly stripes, I hate it because it smells like rotten fooding out of my mouth, I hate it because it makes meugh badly, I hate it because my toenails aren¡¯t straight, I hate it because it¡¯s stuffy, I hate it because it¡¯s timid, I hate it because it¡¯s not observant.......]
While E gave 1000 reasons why she didn¡¯t like it, tears like chicken droppings flowed from Cheshire¡¯s eyes.
While everyone listened quietly to E without denying it, the door creaked and opened cautiously.
E stopped her words, and all eyes turned to the doorway except for the grotesque, whose tears were dripping from her despondent face.
To pass through the gate, the guards guarding the gate had to be someone Isaac knew. In other words, the visitor would be someone they all knew.
¡°Hey....¡±
A first-year girl timidly stuck her head out through the slightly open door.
It was the princess, Snow White.
She shuddered like a small timid fish in front of a school of sharks.
¡°I came to see senior Isaac....¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry for arrogantly visiting the hospital. Take care....¡±
Kick, p.
White got scared and shut the door again.
Silence fell in the hospital room.
While everyone in the room was watching the door, the door opened wide again.
¡°Excuse me.¡±
¡°Me, Merlin... ! I can¡¯t go in... !¡±
The imperial knight with light green ponytail hair, Merlin Astreans, came in at the forefront. Behind her, White, stunned by her fear, her young eyes, tried to dissuade her, but to no avail.
Kaya looked at Merlin and widened her eyes.
¡°Merlin sister?¡±
¡°Greetings. My name is Merlin Astreans, who is serving as an escort knight for Princess White. She said that the White Princess was worried about her Prince Isaac, so she came to visit with a present. May I join you?¡±
Merlin politely greeted Merlin, holding a pretty flowerpot, while White fidgeted as she alternated between the female students in her room and Merlin.
¡°Ahhh....¡±
White, who won first ce in a beauty contest, is considered to be a person who unintentionally developed a crush on Isaac, and she became a person of interest to female students who liked Isaac.
However, each of them is strong, famous, strong, strong.... White couldn¡¯t help but feel the fear that made her body tremble and tears form in her eyes.
[The Rival Appears! Enemies appeared! Yeonjeok Deungjaang certified to be prettier than the owner! Master, activate alert!]
f*ck!
[Oops! Bello, shock! Against violence! Against violence!]
When Luce hit Bello with a cold expression, Bello protested by stirring the air around her. The Thunderbolt said [Calm down, Bello.] And urged Bello.
¡°There is no problem. Wee.¡±
Alice was the first to greet White with a kind smile.
That angelic smile made White feel relieved, as if she had met a reassuring killer whale among her sharks.
Other girls followed suit.
¡°Nihihi, what are you so afraid of? Come on. Do you think we will throw out the person who worries about the president?¡±
¡°Wee, Princess White. Come this way.¡±
Dorothy also greeted her white with her smile, and Kaya rose from her seat and greeted her politely.
Luce looked at White as impassive as her doll, then back at her Isaac.
Merlin bowed her head again, and a relieved White smiled at her.
¡°Then thank you... !¡±
White went with Merlyn to Dorothy¡¯s side and stared at Isaac.
¡°Senior Isaac....¡±
I looked at the unconscious Isaac for a while.
Gradually White sniffed her nose, and tears welled up in her eyes.
The female students and familiars in the hospital room, except for Luce, watched White with faint smiles.
¡°You were worried....¡±
White let out her ungainly sobs, revealing her concern for Isaac.
While everyone was concentrating on Isaac, amotion came from the hallway.
¡°Tristan! You can¡¯t move yet!¡±
¡°Tristan, you need to rest first... !¡±
It was the voice of the students.
¡°Ha!¡±
Suddenly, the door mmed open, and a blond-haired boy appeared on crutches. The boy, most of his body wrapped in bandages, let out a confidentugh.
¡°You still awake, Isaac! Too bad! Because this body woke up first! Mental strength is the body¡¯s victory!¡±
The boy who suddenly dered his victory andughed cheerfully was Isaac¡¯s ssmate, Tristan Humphrey.
From noble mtl dot
His gang of students trembled in fear as they watched the superpowers that filled the interior of Isaac¡¯s hospital room.
Everyone in the hospital room panicked.
[What is that jerk?]
Even Bello was taken aback.
¡°That way!¡±
¡°Yes... ? Ugh!¡±
One after another, the hallway became cluttered, and many students pushed Tristan across the hallway and tried to enter.
The guards stopped them all at once.
¡°Isaac! I¡¯m here! Ian!¡±
¡°Isaac, are you in?!¡±
¡°Hey, over there! Friend, don¡¯t die! Crying!¡±
¡°Dah, I didn¡¯te because I was particrly worried... !¡±
¡°Mywork... , No, is Isaac okay?!¡±
¡°There is no sign of bloodshed.¡±
Ian Fairytale, Mateo Jordana, Amy Holloway, Lisetta Lionheart, Keridna Whiterk, Ciel Carnedas, students who were once Matteo¡¯s gang, and other students who are friends with Isaac.
¡°Senior Isaac... !¡±
Students like Miko Miya and Taryn Bartan.
Since it was possible to visit Isaac in the hospital from today, everyone rushed to the hospital as soon as they had time ording to the undergraduate curriculum.
The hallway became a real mayhem.
¡°It¡¯s crazy....¡±
Dorothy admired.
¡°Please keep order everyone! Don¡¯t make a fuss in front of the hospital room... , Omg!¡±
The guards refrained from entering the students who filled the hallway, but when a pink-haired female student suddenly appeared apanied by an escort, she quickly lowered her upper body.
All the students looked back and were shocked.
¡°Meet the Holy Lady!¡±
¡°Is Bingje-nim okay?¡±
¡°Yes, the treatment went well! However, he is still unconscious.¡±
Saint Bianca Antourage peered into the hospital room behind her students.
¡°Our Holy Kingdom, Bardio, will spare no effort for Bingje.... Keuhum, by the way, there are a lot of people who came to visit the hospital.¡±
Bianca cleared her throat as she looked at the cluttered students.
She noticed that she was out of the way, but her students couldn¡¯t hear the clearing.
[These are all noisy! For the sake of Isaac¡¯s absolute safety, we demand that you refrain from making noise!]
¡°You are the loudest.¡±
[Ouch.]
As Bello reached the doorway and tried to m her students, Li Jetta gave a cold blow. Bello swallowed a gasp and lowered her tail and lost her charge.
Amidst all themotion, Isaac wandered about unconsciously.
Many people repeatedly came to visit the hospital, and Kayana Luce, Dorothy, Alice, and White guarded the hospital room and talked a lot, and time passed.
A monthter, around the time when white snow was piled up outside the window.
Isaac¡¯s fingers twitched.
Chapter 328: A Thousand Wings Subjugation – Interlude (2)
I had a long dream.
I organized a warrior party with my favorite people and went on a trip.
He defeated many demons and became a hero who finally defeated the demon king and saved the world.
When I came back after a long trip, people worshiped me. My shoulders went up and I enjoyed a very touching feeling.
I returned home in a good mood. I wanted to eat soybean paste stew and stir-fried pork that my mother made, and I wanted to talk about my heroic story to my heart¡¯s content.
When I entered the room with a smile, ¡°Mom!¡±, My room was a small studio.
Beside the desk, there were piles of thick books, the paper sheets of which had been worn out from reading several times, piled up like a mountain, and a game console was ced in the corner of the room.
It was only then that I realized the reality.
I was alone.
Looking at the calendar, it was the day I entered the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Following the feast of the unconscious called a dream, he entered the training center, finished his rigorous studies, and worked at aw firm before opening a smallwyer¡¯s office.
As we solve the legal disputes of many people visiting the office, flowers bloom, rain falls, roadside trees bring greenery to the dull forest of buildings, autumn leaves fall, it rains again, snows, and flowers bloom again. Bloomed
Just when Ipletely forgot my days as a warrior, a customer came to the office.
It was a woman with a grotesque impression dressed neatly in a ck suit. She couldn¡¯t even finish her wee greeting, and she just stared nkly at the woman.
She introduced herself as Ste and told me.
Your journey is not over yet.
It¡¯s time to go back to reality.
¡°... ....¡±
I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes. A familiar face came into view.
¡°Isaac? Isaac!¡±
The woman in front of me burst into tears and wept to the fullest.
¡°It¡¯s okay... ? Sister... ! Eve... ! I finally woke up....¡±
It was Yves Lopenheim.
No words came out. The afterglow of wandering around in a long dream remained intact, and my mind was still hazy.
Soon, the memory of reality gradually became clearer.
I remember overdoing it. Due to the excessive use of force, the reaction was extreme.
I can still feel the power of Ozma floating inside me. No, it should be called my strength now.
The contract, which was filled with lies called the status window, is now meaningless. I read the other person¡¯s emotions and psychology in detail, to the extent that I didn¡¯t even need to name the technique [Psychological Perception].
Perhaps I have be the person who hase closest to the level of transcendentalism.
Well, should I call myself abat weapon for evil credit?
... It¡¯s not a romantic expression.
¡°President... !¡±
¡°Baby....¡±
¡°Isaac!¡±
¡°Isaac!¡±
¡°Senior Isaac... , Ugh... !¡±
Familiar faces appeared one after another.
It was not the time to stand still. I tried to move my body with all my might, as if it had been pressed by scissors. Gradually, the cells of the whole body were stretched.
Bulkkeok. I raised my upper body. And smiled awkwardly at them.
¡°Good morning.¡±
I btedly realized that it was nighttime, but it didn¡¯t matter.
I regained consciousness after a month of fainting.
......
My physical condition was all normal, so I was discharged right away.
I didn¡¯t need any rehabilitation exercises. This body was so unmoving that it had only passed out for a month.
¡®The blessing of abundance....¡¯
Everybody heard about what happened after ¡¸ Chapter12, Thousand Wings Subjugation Battle¡¹.
It was as per the contents of the game.
Blessing of abundance. It was a great gift to mankind on the condition that the world would not be destroyed by evil spirits. It will be a bountiful harvest for years toe.
¡®It¡¯s all useless if it perishes.¡¯
Andpared to the atrocities Vuel was about tomit, it doesn¡¯t pay off. I don¡¯t have any means to track it down.
Professor Daisy also told me that I will be taking the end-of-semester evaluation that I missed, sooner orter.
Considering my performance, it was natural for me to take care of my convenience.
¡®Professor Philip is also safe.¡¯
Because Viel¡¯s identity was revealed, the academy personnel followed Professor Philip Meltran¡¯s whereabouts and found him. He was confined to a house, and was said to have been rescued safely.
I was relieved to see that what I knew through game knowledge became a reality.
¡®It¡¯s boring.¡¯
It¡¯s been a while since I faced a group of monster phantoms at the training ground, and the enemies¡¯ movements seemed too slow, so I yawned.
Since it was winter vacation, there was no one there, but I didn¡¯t feel particrly satisfied that I had dominated the training ground.
¡®What should I do....¡¯
I went to a corner of the butterfly garden and sat down in a lotus position, contemting the mana flowing through the mana circuit.
¡®With the training method I¡¯ve been training up until now, I don¡¯t even get a message.¡¯
It was because of absorbing Ozma¡¯s power.
Of course, if I hadn¡¯t trained up until now, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to beat Ozma, but anyway, I¡¯ve grown too much.
In other words, it was necessary to refresh the training method.
¡®It¡¯s still difficult to use power properly.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t fully use Ozma¡¯s power.
First of all, starlight magic didn¡¯t suit me, and other powers didn¡¯t give me the feeling that they perfectly matched my body.
¡®Is it natural?¡¯
If I had been able to fully use Ozuma¡¯s power, I would have already attained the status of a transcendental person, just like I was in the underworld.
Then it would have been applied with a 1-second cut by the evil god with the power of killing.
I can¡¯t help it. I had to reach the highest position within the limits of being human.
@@novelbin@@
The ¡®status window....¡¯
I made the shape of the status window sensibly and tried to reflect it in my field of vision.
The sense of constructing a status window as if loading saved data was engraved into the instinct.
[ Status ]
Name: Isaac
Lv : 200
Gender : Male
Grade: 2
Title: Ice Emperor
mana : 1564000 / 1564300
¨C Magic recovery speed (S)
¨C Stamina (S)
¨C Strength (S)
¨C Intellect (S)
¨C Spirit (S)
Potential £¼£¾
[ Combat Ability ]
Element ss 1: Ice
¨C Elemental Firepower (S)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (S)
¨C Element Synergy (S)
Element ss 2: Rock
¨C Elemental Firepower (S)
¨C Elemental Efficiency (S)
¨C Element Synergy (S)
¡°Oh, it works.¡±
I was able to make it ording to the standards Ozma had already established.
The amount of mana was iparably higher than when I was at the highest level I had imagined in Fictitious Hell. That was a specific number.
¡®Because 999,999 was the highest score in the game.¡¯
In my knowledge at the time, that number was the limit.
Anyway, the contract that was a false lie called a status window has now be a perfect status window.
It seemed like I could use [Combat power against races] As I wanted, regardless of whether I recognized a specific race as an enemy.
That ability was the power that Ozma recognized and applied to my hostility.
¡®By the way, the EX level hurdles are much higher than I thought.¡¯
[God Strike] It was like this. An ability that gives a 1.5X effect to a specific [Combat power against race].
If I use it, will I be able to take all of my stats to EX level?
¡®I think it might be.... I think it will be over after one use.¡¯
It seemed that the effect of [God Strike] Could be operated simrly.
However, it felt like I had to write something that could never be used again.
It felt sensuous. It was something deep within me, at the center of Ozma¡¯s core.
The time to use it was already decided.
¡®Evil God....¡¯
I will use that power against the evil spirits.
From noble mtl dot
It¡¯s a funny expression, but as I said to Thanatos of Death, I had the intention of bing a true demon-only munchkin.
Munchkin has be a term used in various media to mean the strongest person in the world.
I still have a hard time seeing myself as a munchkin, but when I was fighting evil spirits, I was determined to be the true strongest in this world against the demons.
So, Munchkin limited to demons.
Starting at the weakest point in the academy, it was the end point I would reach when I finished this journey.
¡®All that¡¯s left....¡¯
Only Mephisto of the contract and Nephid, the evil god of destruction.
Death Thanatos, Mephisto¡¯s legion of demons, and the abyss have already ended, and Mephisto of the contract has also been robbed and disappeared. It was all like a pass.
¡®Mephisto should be subdued separately.¡¯
Thus, the only thing left as a scenario is Act 17 of , That is, ¡°The final act, the battle against the evil spirits.¡±
However, that is part of the 2nd semester of the 3rd year. There is still time.
The key is how to use the remaining time.
¡°Here you are.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I heard the sound of brushing through the grass and turned my head in that direction.
A ck-haired male student came up to me, catching his breath after running around for a while.
It was Ian Fairytail.
¡®Ian?¡¯
Bewildered for a moment, I doubted my eyes, so I lifted my sses and looked again properly.
Ian was right.
¡°Did you find me?¡±
At my question, Ian nodded.
¡°Can I sit next to you?¡±
¡°Oh, yes....¡±
Ian sat next to me and looked up at the sky.
The psychology was read. Ian was deep in her depths.
¡®Ah, that¡¯s right.¡¯
Hey, it was time to drop out.
In the second half of , Ian realizes that he was the cause of the demons appearing and causing harm to people, so he drops out of school and leaves the academy.
It was a move worthy of a tragic protagonist in an academy.
Ian, who is wandering around, is visited by Mateo Jordana and Professor Fernando Frost, and they persuade him by saying famous lines that touch men¡¯s hearts.
And Ian¡¯s return to the academy was the game scenario for this winter vacation part.
¡°There is something I learned recently. He already knew that he was suspected by the Imperial Knights, but he tried to ignore it. Thanks to the Elyos who came to see me the other day and informed me, I¡¯m sure now....¡±
¡°What is that?¡±
I asked pretending not to know.
Ian replied with a sad smile.
¡°It seems that the demons were aiming for me. Because I am a human born with the light attribute. Because I¡¯m the only one of mixed Elyos and human blood.... So it seems that demons have appeared to kill me.¡±
That¡¯s normal.
I suddenly had a question. Was Ian¡¯s birth nned in this world?
I don¡¯t know, and I didn¡¯t want to know.
What is certain is that this guy has a strong sense of justice and has the temperament of a hero who knows how to risk his life for others.
The fact that so many people have been put in danger because of him must have be a guilt that tore his heart apart and strangled him.
¡°Isaac, you said my powers would help the world.¡±
Ah, I did.
I said that when I called Dupendorf¡¯s minions to train Ian and pitted them against each other.
So he didn¡¯t drop out and was waiting for me to wake up.
¡°So I¡¯m here to ask for advice. I don¡¯t know what to do now. You are a wizard I wish I could give practical advice on what I should do for people....¡±
Ian smiles sadly.
He was ready to run away at any moment.
I tried to wrap it up well by joking around andughing. Seeing Ian¡¯s serious attitude, I decided that it shouldn¡¯t be humanly possible.
I opened my mouth as I sat on the ground and corrected myfortable posture.
¡°The expression ¡®realistic¡¯ is wrong. No matter how big a risk you take, no matter what happens, it¡¯s all reality in the end.¡±
¡°More than that, you can foresee the future to some extent.... I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll give you some sensible advice....¡±
¡°Did you know that the 2nd campus of M?rchen Academy waspleted? The fact that faculty and students will be moved there for a pilot run next year.¡±
¡°Huh? Uh.... You know that It was said to revitalize the campus.¡±
¡°The kingdom ns to pack all the residents of this ind and leave within a few months.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Ian opened his eyes wide as if he had heard the news for the first time.
¡°You heard of it? It¡¯s information known only to those of a certain level, including me.¡±
To be exact, it was decided the other day while I was exchanging letters with the Emperor through Dupendorf¡¯s servants.
It was information that should not be known to students. There was a high risk of causing confusion or spreading fear.
It¡¯s Ian. Well, there are plenty of ways to silence him, so it didn¡¯t really matter if he revealed a secret like this here.
¡°Why, why does that happen... ?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll let you know when the time is right. All you need to know is that the purpose of the n is to protect people. And because of you, a disaster that is iparable to the time when I was attacked by demons wille. At that time, I will need your strength.¡±
I gave Ian a kind smile.
¡°On the contrary, it was to my advantage that the enemies came beforehand thanks to you. Because only the enemy forces are weakened. Anyway, so what... , Let¡¯s do well until we graduate.¡±
As I held out my fist, Ian looked at my fist with mixed emotions.
The emotions he harbored eventually turned into a resolution. With a determined face, he reached out his fist and pressed it against mine.
¡°Yes. Thank you, Isaac.¡±
A smile crept across Ian¡¯s lips.
He decided to stand up as a being who would save this world, not a being who only harmed this world.
......
¡°Sleep....¡±
Deep in the night. The top-tier dormitory, Charles Hall.
I fell asleep while reading a book.
Darkness came to the room when themp was covered with a light shade. I could hear the crackling of a fire in the firece. The dim light of the bonfire warmed my senses, and the warmth warmed the room.
It was time to throw myself on the bed and lie downfortably to fall asleep.
Koo Goo Goo!
Suddenly, a powerful restraining tool was activated and I was tied to the bed.
¡°... Ah.¡±
I wasn¡¯t embarrassed. I just feel like what I expected has now arrived.
It seemed that he had used a restraining tool with good performance. Did you save it with your family¡¯s ingenuity? It was at a level that most people couldn¡¯t even move.
Sorry, though, these things were just toys to me. It can be easily crushed like a cookie at any time.
Sue. I heard a rustle of cloth somewhere. A woman approaching me soon.
Blue eyes bathed in the moonlight and the soft light of the campfire turned toward me.
She stood by the bed and looked down at me like her ghost.
¡°I think I said I hate things like this.¡±
I was like ying hide-and-seek with a child, asking when it woulde out.
I narrowed her eyes in her bewilderment and as she spoke, she thrust her head at me. Her curly hair tickled my cheek.
Her graceful beauty filled her field of vision.
¡°Isaac was wrong. You, who worried me so much, are bad.¡±
Luce El Tania whispered, narrowing her eyes. It was an ecstatic tone that drained her whole body of strength.
I¡¯m sorry for worrying you, but I had no other options. The reason I left for the underworld was to get what I needed.
But what? Luce didn¡¯t have the ability to suppress me.
He let out a sigh.
¡°So? Did you think this would work for me?¡±
¡°No, not at all. There is nothing to control you.¡±
¡°So what?¡±
Suddenly, Luce took off her clothes.
She instinctively tried to open her eyes wide, wanting to see her underwear for a moment, but what was revealed was a thin nightgown.
She climbed onto the bed,y down next to me, and hugged me like a teddy bear.
¡°... ....¡±
¡°... ....¡±
What is this situation?
Luce still had a cold expression, but I could feel her rising body temperature.
Somehow, when the strange air flowed, I swallowed my dry saliva without realizing it.
¡°... What are you doing?¡±
¡°Exuding affection.¡±
It was so shameless.
¡°Yes....¡±
¡°I was very worried.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°... Isaac, you know what?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°We became adults today.¡±
¡°Oh, yes.¡±
From the third year of the academy, you are 19 years old, that is, the adult age.
To be precise, it is the year of transitioning into the third grade, and today was the first day we celebrated the year.
Luce put her hand gently on my cheek. Suddenly, I remembered how she had confessed to me, and I felt awkward.
Luce put her lips to my ear with her determined face. Naturally, she was very aware that her voice was her weakness.
Perhaps in order to overwhelm my eardrums, Luce brought the shade of her hand to her mouth and whispered sweetly as if tempting.
¡°Do you want to take my first?¡±
Luce pulled her head behind her and averted her eyes.
A bonfire crackling in the dark added a faint light to Luce¡¯s pretty face. She smiled softly, urging me to make love and her shimmering gaze in her eyes.
Since he had made up his mind, he left the choice to me.
¡°... ....¡±
I was at a loss for words.
Chapter 329: A Thousand Wings Subjugation – Interlude (3)
It was when Isaac was still unconscious.
¡°Are you really okay?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
A corner of the butterfly garden where Isaac often trained.
On a widewn, Luce Eltania and Dorothy Hartnova stood facing each other with a distance.
Luce nodded seriously at Dorothy¡¯s question.
¡°My friend is a big deal. If you ask even this older sister for a favor, can you say that she has been driven out a lot?¡±
Dorothy covered her mouth andughed sinisterly.
The sight got on Luce¡¯s nerves, but she only frowned at her.
¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±
¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Then... I won¡¯t see you.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The two female students deployed a magic circle towards each other.
During the Elyos Incident, Luce El Tania was defeated by Vuel and regained her sanity, and was struck by her helplessness.
I wanted to be stronger. So she asked Dorothy to fight her.
No matter how much Dorothy didn¡¯t like her, right away she was stronger than Luce himself.
As the sun went down, the sky was painted with ink, and as the days passed, Luce continued sparring with Dorothy without stopping.
It wasn¡¯t just Dorothy.
Luce also bowed her head to Alice Carroll and asked her to match her training, and Alice readily epted, and she kindly sparred.
No matter how genius Luce was, he was not strong enough to deal with Dorothy or Alice. But Luce didn¡¯t have the heart to back down in the slightest.
Since I couldn¡¯t lose someone precious to me because of my helplessness.
From noble mtl dot
She wanted to be someone who could somehow be stronger and keep pace with Isaac.
To that extent, Isaac was a precious person to Luce, and she was a loved one as a member of the opposite s*x. It was a clear feeling, no doubt about it.
¡°Isaac, why don¡¯t you answer me?¡±
Come back to the present.
On the bed, Luce whispered as if urging the man she loved more than anyone else.
I already poured out a confession once. Luce decided that he didn¡¯t have to hide his feelings in a frustrating way.
¡°No... ?¡±
Luce deliberately mixed his sticky breath with his voice and put his hand on Isaac¡¯s tied hand.
I carefully stroked Isaac¡¯s hand as if I were handling something precious, and I put my little finger between his fingers.
As I gently inserted the pods, Isaac flinched.
¡°Hey, Luce....¡±
¡°Isaac. It¡¯s a new word, but I see you as a man.¡±
Luce knew very well that he was beautiful.
That¡¯s why I secretly observed the love-filled gazes of the fish-like male students passing by with my excellent eyesight, and all the information I obtained was used to look after Isaac.
And I came to a conclusion.
Isaac saw Luce as a woman.
So it was the first time in my life that I chose the method of seduction, even if I wasn¡¯t used to it.
¡°You don¡¯t see me as a woman... ?¡±
I deliberately asked that. Like begging to be seen as a woman.
Isaac¡¯s lips twitched. Her eyes trembled and her body temperature rose. He seemed to feel tension, and the small movement of his head stiffened.
Luce captured all those changes. It was proof that even this man was a male who could not go against his lust.
Push.
Luce deliberately pressed his bare chest to Isaac¡¯s chest, and looked at him closely as if they were about to kiss. Warm breath warmed each other¡¯s lips.
She ran her free hand through Isaac¡¯s bangs, exposing his forehead. To focus all your attention only on yourself.
The two forgot even the sound of the crackling bonfire and looked into each other¡¯s eyes.
¡°I can do whatever I want.¡±
Luce licks his lips.
It was a sweet and alluring whisper.
¡°Do what you want.¡±
As if driving a nail, Luce added his words in an intimate tone.
p. When Luce suddenly released the restraining sphere, the magic power that formed his restraining sphere disappeared.
The restraints were installed to make all of Isaac¡¯s nerves focus on him. Now the restraints have exhausted their effectiveness.
All that remains is to wait for Isaac¡¯s reaction.
The affectionate yet strange eyes wet each other¡¯s vision. A strange breath flowed quietly between Luce¡¯s lips and tickled Isaac¡¯s lips.
It was now Isaac¡¯s freedom as to what to do with Luce, who had allowed his body to be like a prey that had thrust out its head.
Finally, Isaac closed his eyes and opened his mouth.
¡°Luce, did you notice that I like you too?¡±
I noticed.
¡°... What answer do you want?¡±
¡°No. You don¡¯t even have to ask So that would be it.¡±
Isaac opened his eyes again and turned his head to the side to avoid Luce¡¯s eyes.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but first of all I¡¯m trash.¡±
¡°Trash.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t told you why yet.¡±
@@novelbin@@
Isaac opened the ax eye.
¡°It¡¯s because I like a lot of girls.¡±
¡°I know.... Anyway, it¡¯s true that I like you, but I¡¯m not the only one who likes you.¡±
¡°... I know, it¡¯s a lump of s*xual desire.¡±
Luce replied with a slightly sad face.
¡°Why is it that I don¡¯t date? It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to mess around with the opposite s*x until I defeat the evil spirit. I don¡¯t want my mind to wander.¡±
It was a mental product obtained during the high school examination, but there was no way that Luce knew Isaac¡¯s past life.
¡°So, will you be patient?¡±
¡°Yes. At least I won¡¯ty a hand on you now.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
Luce closed her eyes and struggled, then realized something about her, then opened them again and looked at Isaac.
¡°Could you be a eunuch... ?¡±
¡°No, stupid.¡±
Isaac replied firmly.
¡°You idiot, why are you saying such harsh things?¡±
¡°You idiot.¡±
¡°It¡¯s much better.¡±
Another awkward silence fell.
It was Luce¡¯s turn again.
Luce turned her head and stared at her bonfire for a while.
¡°He said he has no intention of doing anything dirty with me yet....¡±
Suddenly, a sense of skepticism overtook Luce.
¡°Something between us... , It¡¯s a bit twisted.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°Then may I ask you one question?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Luce looked down at Isaac with her dead eyes, as though her bonfire had drained them of life.
¡°Is Alice an exception?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°You guys have secretly lived together and slept together. Why did you do that with that senior?¡±
The bloody pursuit of Luce.
Isaac doubted his ears for a moment, and soon broke out in a cold sweat.
How do you know?
Put that question aside for now. It was unfair to Isaac to be questioned for such a thing. It was because even though we had slept together in the same bed, we only slept.
It was a funny thing to say that he only slept, but Isaac was right within the category of trash anyway.
He took the first question out of his mouth.
¡°How did you know that... ?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
Luce shut her mouth. She didn¡¯t intend to answer how she knew.
¡®At that time, I also slept with Dorothy, but only Alice said....¡¯
That means.
¡®... You¡¯ve sneaked into my room again.¡¯
Isaac frowned and smiled bitterly.
Luce already had a history of visiting Isaac¡¯s room. He made a mistake on his first visit, but he must have closely grasped the cause of the mistake.
If she sneaks into Isaac¡¯s room and she sniffs it here and there or takes clues like her hair, she can deduce that Isaac and Alice lived together and even slept in the same bed. There would have been
If it was Luce, she would most likely havepletely erased the traces of trespassing even when she left her room.
After ¡¸Alice Subjugation¡¹, Alice hid in Isaac¡¯s room until she returned to her academy, so her traces of Dorothy must have been erased.
That¡¯s why Luce figured out that Isaac only slept with Alice.
¡°Ha....¡±
Isaac let out a sigh.
¡°It¡¯s not what you imagine. How could he be an exception?¡±
¡°I would have done everything. Alice couldn¡¯t have left you alone.¡±
¡°Really, nothing happened. Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡±
Luce read the slight change in Isaac¡¯s expression and recognized the truth of his answer.
¡°... Okay?¡±
She lowered her eyes.
She was relieved to know that she had only slept, but she had no idea that Alice hadn¡¯t been a fox while living with Isaac.
¡°Something... That¡¯s right.¡±
In the end, Luce¡¯s mood subsided again. Her strange air also calmed down before she knew it.
¡°I¡¯m out of breath.¡±
Luce gave up trying to seduce him andy down next to Isaac.
Her inteced hands were intact.
¡°I just got annoyed because I was trying to feel down about something.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that better?¡±
¡°Annoyance is one level below risk.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d. Then maybe I can be?¡±
¡°You still have something left to settle with me. It makes me feel better.¡±
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°Half a year ago, you said you would repay me if you were alone with me.¡±
Isaac recalled a forgotten past.
¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. The ¡°Alice Subjugation War¡± Is over.¡¯
As much as Luce suffered during the Alice incident, Isaac had told Isaac directly that she would repay her when they were alone.
At that time, I received the note left by Dorothy in the first ythrough from Saint Bianca, and since her mind waspletely focused on it, I forgot that I had to repay it.
Luce looked up at her ceiling, pursed her lips and made a pouty expression.
¡°You forgot. I hate you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. What would you like me to do?¡±
¡°Um... , Will snouts collide with each other?¡±
¡°It must be difficult to express a kiss so emotionally.¡±
To Isaac, Luce seemed far from romantic.
Isaac looked at the ceiling like Luce.
In the silence that returned, he fell into deep thought.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with saying instead of a kiss.... I have something to tell you.¡±
¡°Huh? What should I say?¡±
¡°I was thinking about when to say it.¡±
Luce turned to Isaac.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°I actually met the Great Witch of Heaven.¡±
¡°... What?¡±
Luce¡¯s eyes sharpened. She raised her upper body.
¡°Twice to be exact.¡±
¡°All of a sudden, what do you mean?¡±
The Great Witch of Heaven. The nickname of the confectionary witch.
To Luce, it was a name that was nothing short of a challenge.
Luce¡¯s eyes froze coldly. In contrast, her hands trembled slightly as she intertwined with Isaac.
¡°Just kidding... ? No, if that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to stay still....¡±
¡°Are you kidding me with something like this?¡±
Isaac grumbled softly enough for Luce to understand, then, with his eyes fixed on her ceiling, started talking about something serious.
¡°I met you at random because I went through various things as I did. At first, when I fought Gallia, for a while. Then we met in the underworld.¡±
¡°... So?¡±
¡°He wanted to say hello to you, Gretel.¡±
Upon hearing her name, Luce swallowed in vain.
Isaac waited for Luce¡¯s reaction without continuing the story. It was because she didn¡¯t want to reveal the candy house witch until the end.
Luce¡¯s eyes trembled.
¡°What are you saying all of a sudden... ?¡±
The core trauma mercilessly beat Luce¡¯s inner thoughts.
Isaac studied her expression and opened her eyes wide.
¡°Luce?¡±
The soft light of the bonfire shone in Luce¡¯s eyes.
It was tears.
¡°Really... ?¡±
From noble mtl dot
Whispering voices quivered in the air. It was a voice filled with tears.
Isaac untied her luce and her sped hands and hugged her.
As it were, he gently stroked Luce¡¯s head and tried to drive away her sadness.
¡°Yes, really. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you sooner.¡±
¡°You know how I lived.... If you say that, tell me how to endure it....¡±
For a while, Luce sobbed silently in Isaac¡¯s arms.
Her Luce fell asleep exhausted from crying, and only then Isaac fell into her dream holding her.
¡°... ....¡±
In the deep dawn, Luce opened her eyes. Her throat was sore, probably from crying while trying to hold back her voice.
There was no strength in her body. It was because her strength was waning.
She raised her head, and she looked at Isaac, who was sound asleep with him in her arms.
¡°I really hate you....¡±
Luce murmured quietly in her despondent voice, then pressed her lips to Isaac¡¯s.
Side, that cute sound. And then there was a brief squealing.
The next day, when the sun was shining, Isaac opened her eyes.
Looking around her, Luce had already left her room.
Isaac looked at the spot where she had slept with mixed feelings.
When I touched her hand, the warmth had already disappeared.
Chapter 330: A Thousand Wings Subjugation – Interlude (4)
¡°Luce has been training hardtely.¡±
Pure white snowkes have bloomed on the trees lined up in the schoolyard.
I met Dorothy and sat on the bench and talked.
I have already heard that Luce fought a lot against Dorothy and Alice while I was unconscious.
It seemed that he was still stepping up his training.
¡°He is one of the best talents in this country. I hope you will be very strong.¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
Haljjak. Licking.
Dorothy licked the ice cream in her hand with her long tongue.
¡°But senior, aren¡¯t you cold? What is ice cream in the middle of winter... ?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what, Chairman. Ice cream tastes best in winter.¡±
Dorothy exins triumphantly, raising her index finger.
I don¡¯t understand, but if it¡¯s Dorothy, that¡¯s it.
¡°So, what are you talking about?¡±
¡°That... , yes.¡±
As if Dorothy had been waiting for me to say that, Dorothy looked down at the ice cream and paused with a meaningful look on her face before speaking.
¡°Can you tell me about your experiences in the underworld?¡±
As expected.
As expected.
¡°Actually, a lot of things have been in my head since you came back.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
What do you mean by that?
¡°Chairman, have you met me?¡±
Dorothy asked, staring at me.
Under the witch¡¯s hat, her eyes, which had been as yful as a tomboy, had turned serious before she knew it.
I swallowed my breath at the unexpected question.
¡°Has a lot happened? It would be natural.¡±
¡°Yes. I guess it was.¡±
Come to think of it, did Dorothy tell you not to worry about Dorothy¡¯s runaway in the first ythrough?
I have something to check.
¡°Senior, let me hold your hand for a moment.¡±
¡°Huh? Suddenly?¡±
Without waiting for an answer, he took Dorothy¡¯s hand and closed her eyes.
Perhaps it was thanks to his experience of gaining the status of a transcendent and handling starlight magic, even though he couldn¡¯t handle starlight magic, he could feel it.
¡®It¡¯s calmly refined....¡¯
It was amazing.
I could faintly feel Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic in the first ythrough. I knew that power itself because I had used it.
It acted as a safety belt, holding onto Dorothy¡¯s starlight magic.
¡®There really won¡¯t be anything to run out of control.¡¯
She opened her eyes and breathed quietly.
In the first ythrough, the remnants of magical power left by Dorothy flowed into Dorothy in front of her eyes.
I don¡¯t know the principle.
However, since Lucifer of the Commandment once showed the power to reverse everything, I wonder if the remnants of Dorothy¡¯s magic that remained in me have finally returned to where they were supposed to go.
It would have been better to ept that.
I was convinced. This was magic that was no longer in danger of running out of control. The catastrophe that Dorothy feared had been resolved without incident.
¡°Nihihi, Chairman. Did you want to hold my sister¡¯s hand?¡±
As I got serious, Dorothy jokingly asked if it was to lighten the mood.
¡°Senior. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±
¡°... Huh.¡±
Everybody talked.
The message Dorothy left for me in the first ythrough, what I experienced in the underworld.
Dorothy also told the story that there would be no runaway.
While she was spouting out her long story, Dorothy listened without asking a single question.
¡°That was it....¡±
¡°Do you understand everything?¡±
¡°It¡¯splicated, but I understand all the important things.¡±
When I finally finished talking, she pulled her witch hat over my eyes.
¡°That¡¯s why you had such a hard time, President.¡±
¡°I was just worried.¡±
It¡¯s over now.
There was nothing to do or sleep.
¡°Yes....¡±
Dorothy didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, then she popped the leftover chunk of ice cream into her mouthful and jumped up from her seat.
Then she passed the ice cream down her throat, grabbed her aching head, moaned in pain for a moment, then drew in her breath and screamed loudly.
¡°Oh, how sad!!¡±
¡°...... !¡±
I clenched both of my fists, and my roar echoed across the campus like a raging sword.
¡°Seo, senior?¡±
Dorothy stood in front of me and looked down at me. She bit her lips and looked like she was about to cry. She looked distressed.
Suddenly, she bent her upper body and hugged my shoulders. Her soft cheek touched my cheek.
¡°Suddenly why... ?¡±
My voice trembled involuntarily.
¡°Do you keep making your sister sad? Do you want to see your sister die in a vase?¡±
¡°Yes? Oh no....¡±
I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being scolded.
Dorothy untied her embrace and put her hand on my shoulder, she looked at me with her face that seemed to be weeping but her determination.
Looking at the nted eyebrows, he seemed angry.
¡°Today I am quietly with my sister. I have a lot to do! I¡¯ll give you a hug and give you a lot offort.¡±
¡°Suddenly?¡±
¡°Tell me what you want to eat. My sister will buy them all! Do everything you want to do today. I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡±
Dorothy begged earnestly.
¡°Let sister do anything, please... !¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to....¡±
Somehow Dorothy shut her mouth, then half-opened her eyes and red at me.
¡°... President, why are you suddenly thinking dirty thoughts?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t read my feelings. You should have chosen your words well.¡±
Opening her hatchet eye, she argued with Dorothy.
Unbeknownst to me, I had erotic thoughts, perhaps because of the stimtion that Luce gave me at night. It was force majeure.
Psychology isfortable when you read it, but when you read it, you get very embarrassed.
At the very least, even if you read my mind, I hope you don¡¯t bother talking about it. Wouldn¡¯t that be the least consideration?
Suddenly, Dorothy¡¯s gaze was confused and confused.
¡°Gwa, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care. Do you think your sister is scared? We are all adults Mmm, what do you want to do first?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s stop....¡±
Dorothy seemed prepared for the wrong direction.
......
¡°An interesting thing. Really interesting... !¡±
As promised, I told Aria Lillias what she had experienced in the underworld at the top of Hegel¡¯s Magic Tower.
She said she had been waiting for that story while I was unconscious.
It was very strange to see Aria¡¯s passionate reaction for the first time. He was also a person who couldugh and be excited like that.
Aria quickly wrote down the story I told her with a book and pen that floated with her telekinesis.
¡°Myungwang, Ice Lake... ! What a really interesting story! Woohyo! Ok!¡±
¡°...... ?¡±
Huh?
¡°Did you just write a written statement?¡±
¡°... What do you mean?¡±
Aria, who had rapidly calmed down, calmly let go of her pretense.
¡°I said ¡®good¡¯. Sir, did you write a written statement?¡±
¡°What I heard wrong.¡±
Coming to think of it, I heard this from an employee at the Hegel Magic Tower the other day.
Arya thinks that ending the ending with ¡®thing¡¯ makes her look very rational and intelligent.
Because she got so excited, it seemed like she even forgot about the concept she had been thoroughly following.
She covered the book that she had floated with her telekinesis and put it in a luxurious box.
¡°By the way, what are you nning now?¡±
¡°You¡¯re just getting over it....¡±
Let¡¯s not ask more.
She pondered for a while before answering with a smile.
¡°You have to do the same thing. Evil spirits must be subdued.¡±
Arya stared at me as she used her telekic powers to put the luxury in the safe.
The sunlight outside her window illuminated Arya¡¯s emotionless face.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I am on your side. Talk to me anytime if you need help.¡±
She pped her sses on once and smiled kindly.
¡°Yes. Thank you sir.¡±
......
¡°From now on, we will hold the graduation ceremony of Merchen Academy.¡±
From noble mtl dot
As the winter vacationes to an end, the spirit of spring has arrived.
As previously informed, the 2nd campus of Merhen Academy waspleted under the support of the imperial family, and the faculty and students packed their bags and left. The superficial reason was for the revitalization of the second campus and pilot operation.
Most of the students who left the academy during the vacation could return to the second campus immediately. It was because some of the luggage left at the academy had been well organized and moved by the bachelor in advance.
The 2nd campus was far from the ind where the 1st campus was located, and was located in the middle of the continent.
After such arge-scale relocation, the graduation ceremony was held in the za of the 2nd campus where petals were flying.
As a representative of the alumni, Dorothy Hartnova, who was a senior in the third year, read the speech.
¡°...... As members of the Merchen Academy, we swear here that we will contribute to the development of the world.¡±
The sight of Dorothy in her graduation uniform, wearing her bachelor cap instead of her witch¡¯s hat, seemed to resonate in her heart.
After the graduation ceremony, the square became lively.
At the za full of presents and bouquets, families of graduates and seniors and juniors gathered and took pictures.
¡°Chairman, older sister graduates first!¡±
Among the people, Dorothy, with her many bouquets floating by starlight magic, gave me a V with her finger, and sheughed happily. She was very hot
I smiled brightly, and Luce next to me made a sullen expression.
¡°Congrattions, senior. I am now unemployed.¡±
¡°Finally leaving. I was annoyed by being together, and let¡¯s never see each other again.¡±
¡°Nhehehe. Are these things being cheeky?¡±
Dorothy looked very happy.
¡°And friend, this older sister is just graduating first, because she is going to stay in the academy for now? She is notpletely leaving.¡±
¡°... Tsk.¡±
¡°Nyahahahaha! Look at that tongue-in-cheek! Unlucky!¡±
Dorothy giggled as she turned her head sideways and pointed at Luce, who felt sorry for her.
¡°Hello, baby.¡±
¡°Ah, Alice.¡±
Alice Carroll, dressed in her graduation uniform, came next to me. She, too, had her many bouquets afloat with her telekinesis.
Dorothy and Luce red at Alice, but Alice only looked at me with a refreshing smile.
¡°Take this. It seemed like he was talking to the former student council, so the delivery was dyed.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you.¡±
When I handed the bouquet I was holding to Alice, she epted it with a grin.
She didn¡¯t float my bouquet with telekic power and hugged me dearly.
¡°It¡¯s pretty.... I am happy thanks to the baby.¡±
Alice smiled innocently and blushed.
Everywhere is filled with bouquets, so it¡¯s more stuffy than beautiful.
As befits the two most popr people in the academy, they seemed to have received countless bouquets of flowers.
¡°That¡¯s a clich¨¦d line.¡±
¡°Tch, that fox.¡±
¡°Can you hear everything, guys?¡±
When Dorothy and Luce red at Alice and talked badly about it, Aliceughed and urged.
When will these guys be friends? Can we get to know each other in the first ce? I couldn¡¯t get it, so only a bitter smile was put on my lips.
As the four of us got together, the eyes of the students around us were focused in this direction. Dorothy¡¯s friends and the student council who had served Alice did not rush to approach them and only noticed.
¡°You will graduate after all.¡±
¡°Yes, thanks to the baby.¡±
Alice answered, looking at the flower I gave her with her face still flushed.
I remembered the time when we risked our lives to fight Alice.
She was originally going tomit suicide in ¡°Alice Subjugation¡±, But somehow managed to survive and wear her graduation uniform.
In the end, the only thing flowing on my lips was a smile.
I really liked the sight of Dorothy and Alice graduating together.
¡°Oh, baby. Listen for a second.¡±
Alice put her head in my ear, and she whispered so quietly that even Luce couldn¡¯t hear it.
¡°Master, will you live with me? I will take care of you for the rest of my life.¡±
The sticky tones and warm breathing soaked my ears. A pleasant chill ran up her spine.
One flirtation is awesome.
¡°... I don¡¯t get paid.¡±
She pushed Alice¡¯s forehead with her finger.
Alice said aww, her head pushed back, but she smiled mischievously as she stroked her forehead.
¡°What did you hear, Isaac?¡±
¡°Just kidding.¡±
Luce red at Alice as if on guard and asked me, and she gave a rough answer.
¡°What did you say, Alice?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say anything special. Oh, Dorothy.¡±
Alice smiled and went over to Dorothy and crossed her arms.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
Dorothy was startled, but Alice didn¡¯t care.
¡°Will we live together?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You have to stay here anyway, right? I thought it would be okay if we stayed together. I think you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Dorothy and Alice decided to stay inside the academy until the end of ¡¸The Final Battle, Subjugating the Evil Gods¡¹. It was because there was still a variable called Mephisto in the contract. There were plenty of ces to stay inside the academy, as long as you didn¡¯t use the academic building.
Anyway, Alice¡¯s attitude was very unusual.
¡®Come to think of it....¡¯
As a result of what I¡¯ve seen so far, Alice has the feeling that if the girls I like show signs of fighting, she will step in first to mediate and promote their harmony.
How can I say it, how does it feel to be a mother?
In the meantime, I think the rtionship between those two is particrly bad....
From time to time, Alice casually approached Dorothy and expressed her closeness. Could it be that he had a bad feeling?
¡°Nihihi.¡±
Dorothy looked at Alice with a carefree smile.
¡°Did I turn? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about with such bullsh*t. When did you say you liked me so much?¡±
¡°Oh, unfortunately.... Our lovely Dorothy, to put it mildly, can¡¯t you understand that she¡¯s a deaf?¡±
Ah. Mephisto might attack, so maybe he was talking about staying together just in case.
No matter how it is, I can¡¯t imagine a picture of two people living together.
¡°No! Why me! Go away!¡±
¡°That¡¯s a cute reaction. Hi-Hi.¡±
Dorothy tried to untie Alice¡¯s arms, disying her alertness as her cat meowed, but Alice did not let go of her arms easily.
On a fine day like this, they seemed to be using only their strength, as if they didn¡¯t want to fight while using magic.
It was like a bickering between ordinary women, whose reputation as once the greatest strength of M?rchen Academy and the two major mountain ranges was overshadowed.
¡°What are you two going to do now?¡±
I asked and Dorothy and Alice stopped fighting and looked at me.
¡°Well.... I never thought about anything other than living with a baby.¡±
Alice opened her eyes and lost her thoughts. At those words, Luce let out her bloody aura and she stared at Alice.
¡°I have something in mind!¡±
Our eyes turned to her as Dorothy put her hands on her hips, spread her breasts, and boasted of her triumph.
She said nihihi and smiled.
* * *
¡°Ehh....¡±
Yves Lopenheim. 20 Years old.
Dressed in her graduation uniform, she sighed heavily as she crouched down in a dark alley between the buildings next to the za.
Her bachelor cap was worn dangerously as if it would spill at any moment, but she felt so sad that even that didn¡¯t bother her.
When I turned my head, in the middle of the za, I saw people who caught the attention of many people. They were shining very brightly under the brilliant sunlight.
The brightest of them all was, by far, her own younger brother, Isaac.
¡°Isaac....¡±
My friend left first because his family came.
Isaac was shining so bright that Eve couldn¡¯t even approach it, and he was surrounded by powerful geniuses who could not be surpassed by himself. I just felt inferior.
Even though she had the surname Lopenheim, no one in the family weed Eve, so there was no family to congratte Eve on her graduation.
¡®I¡¯m sure this is right?¡¯
Eve buried her head in herp.
Undeniably, she wanted Isaac to remember that he was also graduating and toe to him.
Eve thought there was an unbridgeable gap between Isaac and herself. Especially on a day like this, it was because of the inevitable psychological distance that I couldn¡¯t approach Isaac easily.
She just thought she was taking care of her on duty. Even if she was herself, she wouldn¡¯t have looked at an older sister like this.
There is no bouquet. She would rather be in a dingy corner. Eve thought so.
¡°Sister, what are you doing here?¡±
¡°...... !¡±
It wasn¡¯t long before Eve heard the voice she wanted to hear, and she raised her head in surprise.
In the sunlight, Isaac was looking at him with a puzzled look on his face.
¡°What are you doing on a day like this? Is it okay?¡±
¡°Isaac... ? Aww!¡±
Isaac took her Eve¡¯s hand and pulled her into her sunlight.
The bright sunlight illuminated Eve¡¯s white face, and she could see Isaac¡¯s radiant, lovely face closer.
Isaac knew that Eve had been through her painful days.
She couldn¡¯t fathom how much guilt she had to feel for leaving him for her beloved brother, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore.
¡°You worked hard, congrattions on graduating.¡±
Isaac gave Eve arge bouquet.
She took her bouquet carefully and looked bewildered for a while.
¡°I¡¯ll follow you next year too. Let¡¯s live together then.¡±
¡°Uh... ?¡±
Eve¡¯s eyes widened.
Isaac knew that she had nowhere to go right away.
She was determined to be kind to herself, just as she had promised to take responsibility for herself.
¡°That¡¯s fine... ? You can stay with someone like me... ?¡±
Eve trembled in her body, soaked in her joy. She was so happy that even tears welled up in her eyes.
@@novelbin@@
¡°What is like me.... Isn¡¯t it obvious anyway? They are family.¡±
When Isaac replied with a dumbfounded expression, Eve smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes.
¡°If that¡¯s the reason.... Lol. I need to prepare to move.¡±
The twoughed heartily.
That day, they took many pictures.
In all the photos, Eve was smiling very happily.
Chapter 331: Mitchell (1)
I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my room and looked at how I was dressed.
The brooch attached to the school uniform tie gave off a purple color that symbolized the final grade.
Compared to freshman year, my body has changed a lot. Her eyes have matured, and her height has grown to 185 cm. Her physique is alsomendable, and herpressed muscles are clearly visible when she takes off her clothes. She grew up dramatically.
When he first became Isaac, he was a weak boy, but now he is aplete handsome man who doesn¡¯t fit the expression boy.
¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±
I drank the hot coffee, cooled it down, and drank it all at once.
She left her dorm room onest time, putting on her round Li Be sses and grabbing her bag.
Colorful flowers were rampant in her academy. Seeing new buildings and new structures makes me feel fresh.
The sky is blue.
Students in school uniform go to schoolughing and chatting.
From noble mtl dot
Suddenly, I saw a cleaner using a broom with telekinesis to sweep up petals that had fallen from high ces.
¡°Hey, over there.¡±
¡°Wow....¡±
I saw female students ncing at me in admiration.
Respect, awe, and excitement were read. These were familiar eyes.
¡°Good morning, Isaac.¡±
¡°Hello. Let¡¯s go.¡±
In front of the gate of the dormitory, Luce Eltania greeted me. She now knew how to use a more casual greeting than ¡®How¡¯s the weather today?¡¯
There¡¯s been a lot going on with Luce in the past, but now it seems like we¡¯ve agreed to each other¡¯s unwritten rules to live as usual.
Since she was the most possessive Luce, I thought she would oppose my harem more than anyone else, but now it didn¡¯t really matter.
Considering my social position, not having a harem feels unnatural.
Maybe that¡¯s why, instead of allowing other girls, Luce somehow seemed to be trying to be my first girl.
¡®I don¡¯t know what kind of ending I will face.¡¯
If I were to live with the women I like, including Luce, of course I would shower them with unreserved love.
As usual, we went to school together.
This is the 2nd campus of Merchen Academy.
There were no faculty members or students who opposed the move to the 2nd campus.
Even if I had the opposite intention, I would have kept quiet. The construction of the 2nd campus was a matter that proceeded because of a chain of demon incidents.
Who could object to the idea of breaking away from the existing ground where already good perceptions are shattered.
The location was good. It¡¯s near the capital, Byans. In case of emergency, the imperial knights mighte running straight from Byans to protect the academy.
Furthermore, the academy moved away from its closed education policy and changed the school gates to open during the semester. Thanks to this, I can go out to my heart¡¯s content on the weekends.
Of course, there were many students who missed the orthodox method of Merchen Academy, but now they had to participate in the pilot operation of the 2nd campus, so there was no choice.
¡°From now on, we will hold the entrance ceremony for new students at M?rchen Academy.¡±
I saw freshmen lined up in an orderly manner in the Academy Square. The entrance ceremony was in progress. Me and Luce looked towards the za.
The shrine maiden Miya and Noah Bartan¡¯s younger brother, Taryn Bartan, were seen as excellent performers in the entrance exam. Among them, Miya seemed to be the chief.
¡®As expected.¡¯
It must have been a natural result. There was nothing more to see.
I passed the za and headed for the ssroom building. Even though it is the 2nd campus, all the buildings have been given the same names as on the 1st campus so as not to confuse students. The ce I headed was Orphin Hall (God).
I arrived at the 3rd grade provisional ss while epting the respectful gazes and greetings of the students.
From the 3rd year, students will follow the curriculum appropriate for each student¡¯s career path in earnest.
You have to take all themon sses for each ss, but these are minimal.
¡®I don¡¯t even need to listen anymore.¡¯
The privilege obtained while absorbing Ozma¡¯s power is not limited to stats.
Including knowledge.
Now I had a vast amount of knowledge to use even 9-star magic.
¡®Eat raw, really.¡¯
I epted and knew Ozma¡¯s life.
For a long time, she wandered in the essence of many people and shared a lot of knowledge.
The Wonkings in the beginning were also the target. Rather, it may have attracted Ozma even more because they were original kings. Anyway, thanks to that, she acquired all the knowledge up to 9-star magic.
Suddenly, it reminded me of the beginning of the Dark Ritual that I had seen in Ozma¡¯s life.
Unlike the original Bingje, who went to the iceke to pursue the truth, the original Amje epted the world he lived in as the truth itself.
His boldness and bravery were deeply imprinted in my mind.
¡°There will be very little going to ss together now.¡±
When the temporary ss professor delivered the ss assignment evaluation notice, Luce whispered in the seat next to him.
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you lonely?¡±
¡°You won¡¯t be lonely. You and the other kids are all here.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
The knowledge of high-ranking magic that I gained while absorbing Ozma¡¯s power is only a thousand years old.
I didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to learn modern magic know-how from elite professors.
Of course, there was no merit in taking other sses. So after talking with principal Elena Woodline, it was decided to drop all but two of the practice sses.
Of course, this shouldn¡¯t have been allowed, but we were able toe to an agreement because we were in a special environment.
¡®Because I told the emperor about the evil spirit.¡¯
As the time hase to speak, I told Emperor Carlos when the evil spirit would be resurrected, and he sought safety by keeping the fact aplete secret so that the people would not fall into confusion.
It was the real reason why everyone in the academy moved to the second campus. In order to minimize human casualties, the ind where the first campus is located must be emptied before the evil spirit is resurrected.
Principal Elena was also exceptionally informed of the information, so she took care of me.
During the personal time he had secured, he was going to step up his training.
¡®Mephisto is the problem.¡¯
This is the reason why I live with my precious people at the academy. I don¡¯t know what Mephisto is up to.
Currently, many of my minions, led by Sangui-Merbul, are tracking Mephisto. Wondend was no exception.
But it was still dark news. Since it was difficult to specify the scope of the search, it was inevitable that it would take a long time.
By the way....
¡°What are you doing, Luce?¡±
What is it?
Luce was staring at the professor and groping for my hand. The secret friction felt strange.
¡°Seduce?¡±
¡°It¡¯s shameless....¡±
The corner of Luce¡¯s mouth went up.
......
I stopped by the magic tool shop in the Academy Mall. It was my first visit.
As I found out the other day, it was a store run by a young female owner. Because the 2nd campus was recentlypleted, all the stores opened this time.
Most of these stores were located in the former Academy Shopping Center, and they have moved. It was a time when everyone needed an employee.
¡°Wee... , Chairman!¡±
A woman with light purple hair who was sweeping the floor with a broom greeted me. She stopped sweeping her broom and gave me a broad smile.
¡°What happened? Are you here to see your sister?¡±
The sunlighting through the window beautifully illuminated her sly face.
The employee, Dorothy Hartnova. I came to see her
¡°Ugh... !¡±
I can¡¯t believe it.
I clutched her chest and let out a moan as her heart raced frantically.
It was because the image of Dorothy dressed as a pretty witch in line with the shop concept gave her heart a powerful blow.
It was insanely lovely.
¡®I should have brought a camera. It¡¯s a painful mistake.¡¯
I can¡¯t believe I have to keep this feeling in my memory at this moment. It is truly pitiful and heartbreaking.
¡°Nihihi, your heart was hit because your sister is pretty! Right?¡±
¡°Does it have to be so direct... ?¡±
I narrowed my eyes and questioned yfully as Dorothy ran up to her and asked her smiling face. Being able to read emotions was nothing new.
She turned her body around in a dance.
¡°I was going to brag next time. Isn¡¯t this uniform pretty? Did you make a custom one of your own?¡±
¡°Yes, it suits you well.¡±
¡°Nihihi.¡±
¡°Senior, weren¡¯t the strange guys flirting?¡±
¡°Huh? What is that.... I don¡¯t think there was?¡±
Dorothy averted my eyes.
¡°I see.¡±
¡°What can I do.... Isn¡¯t your older sister¡¯s charm something you can control just because you want to control it?¡±
Dorothy shrugs her shoulders.
Definitely. If it was Dorothy, she must have had a lot of experience being confessed to.
¡°Didn¡¯t the president fall in love with me because of that charm?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°It would be nice to be a little shy. There is no cuteness.¡±
Dorothy put her hand on her broomstick and rested her chin on it. Even though she said so, her face was filled with a smile that cared for me.
The reason she came to work here was not a big deal.
There is no way to train starlight magical power other than meditation, and it was limited to doing it all day long. So, in my spare time, I decided to work here for the purpose of making a living.
¡°Ugh... !¡±
A young female boss who was carrying a light box containing magic tools found me, and she ran to me in a hurry and bent her upper body to me.
¡°Oh, wee! Rain, how did Bingje-samae to such a shabby ce... ?¡±
It seemed that he had respect and fear for me.
If untilst year only the news of the appearance of a new ice cream had spread around the world, now my name and even my face were widely known.
I recorded the heroic story of Bingze, who was called a nameless hero in various books, and the wandering poets who wandered around the city praised me with their songs, and the kingdom officially dered their alliance with me.
Moreover, the kingdom is pouring all sorts of diplomatic gifts on Dupendorf, and thanks to my performance, Dupendorf¡¯s status has risen and my position has be more solid.
In fact, it was now harder to find someone who didn¡¯t recognize me.
It was very embarrassing to me, the person in charge, but I wasn¡¯t very impressed anymore. I feel that people are also animals of adaptation.
¡°I came to buy parchment for the court training. About 30 bundles.¡±
I just came to see Dorothy, but since I¡¯m here, I¡¯d better sell you something.
¡°I will prepare it right away!¡±
The female boss hurriedly brought three bundles of parchment paper neatly arranged in the form of rolls on her shelf.
She
She paid and looked at Dorothy. It was because I wanted to engrave a little more beautiful image on my retina.
She made eye contact with hers and I smiled brightly, probably feeling the same way.
¡°I¡¯lle back next time.¡±
¡°What an honor! Thank you for visiting!¡±
As for the female boss, she bent her upper body as much as she thought it was excessive.
¡°Me too. Thank you for making a pretty uniform.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
The female president expressed her doubts in a cold sweat as if she did not understand what I was saying.
I waved and said goodbye to Dorothy and left the store.
......
¡°This would be nice.¡±
It was when the sun had gone down and the sky had turned a dusky orange.
I found an outdoor arena where people don¡¯t seem toe in and out. Next to me were Ian Fairytale and Amy Holloway side by side.
¡°As expected. It¡¯s new, so it looks much better than the old one!¡±
¡°I like the old sensibility better.¡±
Amy admires and Ian grumbles.
I didn¡¯t care either way.
Me and Ian stood facing each other on the arena, with Amy watching us from the stands.
¡°Ian, you seem to have improved your skills too, so from now on, go harder. Be prepared.¡±
¡°As much as you like!¡±
Ian replied briskly as he took her training sword and assumed her posture.
It¡¯s a good spirit.
¡°Morkan.¡±
A light blue summoning circle appeared in front of me, and a tall frost knight appeared as ice magic gathered above it.
Clothed in silver armor, he blew cold air and light blue eyes. It was Morkan, themander of the Knights of Dupendorf.
He got down on one knee and bowed to me, and Ian swallowed dryly nervously.
¡°Join me in training Ian. Even higher than usual.¡±
[John name. I will ept it.]
Morcann replied solemnly and then stood up and looked at Ian.
There was a huge difference in height and physique. Morkan grabbed the training sword I gave him with one hand, not the sword worn around his waist.
From noble mtl dot
That was when the sparring was about to begin.
¡°What, you can¡¯t win at all?¡±
A girl¡¯s voice was heard.
¡°...... ?¡±
Me, Morkan, and Ian turned our heads in the direction of the voice.
Behind Amy. In her seat, a girl in an academy uniform and a red cape was holding her chin with her hands, looking toward her arena.
The red brooch worn on the school uniform ribbon symbolizes the first grade. That is, he was a freshman.
I knew that girl. Her hood is uncovered, so her head is visible. Braided bright yellow hair and walls.
My mouth fell open. Because she was an unexpected person.
¡°You... ?¡±
It was more mature than when I first saw it, but it was clear.
It was Mitchell, the Little Red Riding Hood girl who called me a prince and bestowed the blessing of incarnation on me.
@@novelbin@@
Ian and Amy looked back and forth between me and Mitchell with questioning looks on their faces.
¡°Do you know each other?¡±
She nodded at Ian¡¯s question.
Mitchell hopped lightly and made it to the arena. She had excellent athleticism that did not match her frail body.
She came up to me and gave me a meaningful smile.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, brother. I came to see you.¡±
Chapter 332: Mitchell (2)
¡°Can I ask you a favor? I have something to show you, something to tell you.¡±
I read the psychology. Mitchell seemed to want to show me his skills.
Well, I was also curious about this kid¡¯s skills. The same goes for having something to say.
¡°Morcan, Ian. Excuse me, please go to the stands for a moment.¡±
¡°Huh? Huh....¡±
Ian responded with a look of bewilderment, and Morkan saluted me. The two moved their feet next to Amy.
Only me and Mitchell were left on the arena.
I lifted my sses once and asked with a kind smile.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you like this. How did you pass the entrance exam?¡±
You must have known that I was here thanks to the blessing of the incarnation.
So I didn¡¯t bother to ask about that part.
¡°I was always confident in my studies. I passed the practical exam because of my ability. Unlike my older brother, I¡¯m in the engineering department.¡±
If you were a practical skill in the Faculty of Engineering, your motor nerves and weapon skills would have been evaluated.
Do you have excellent physical abilities?
¡°Is that so? Great. I also have something I want to talk to you about.¡±
¡°Did we get along?¡±
Mitchell moved her step away with her smile, giving her the proper distance from me.
¡°I¡¯ll give in first.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
Mitchell lifted her skirt with a swish and pulled out two hatchets that were fastened to the belts on either side of her thighs.
¡®That... ?¡¯
I sensed several signs from Mitchell.
... I see It seems that my opponent is not alone.
First of all, the story came first.
A soundproof barrier was deployed in the arena. The sound of our conversation won¡¯t reach the audience.
¡°Let me ask first. How did you be acquainted with Hwashin?¡±
¡°As expected, I know. If it were your brother, it would be like that.¡±
Mitchell tapped her on the floor with the tip of her shoe.
¡°This must be a boring story.¡±
¡°Tell me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll tell you about that while sparring.¡±
¡°I¡¯m a little embarrassed to ask you now, but why are you sticking with me?¡±
¡°Pure curiosity. I wonder how strong my brother is.¡±
I felt the same way. I was also curious about Mitchell¡¯s skills.
Moreover, Mitchell is the girl chosen by the incarnation. She didn¡¯t know that maybe she could be of use to me.
¡°Yes... ? Thene.¡±
Mitchell giggled and she leapt at me.
She didn¡¯t even have to read the psychology. She saw the preparatory action and she immediately threw her head back.
Sureung! A blue-ded ax passed in front of my eyes and drew a solid line in the air.
A series of ax de attacks rushed at me, but as I fell back, I lightly dodged or blocked the attack with my fingers.
¡®I have basic skills.¡¯
However, it is different from the strength my academy friends have shown.
It shows the ruthlessness of humans who havemitted countless murders.
¡°You are agile unlike a wizard!¡±
Mitchell eximed with her joyful face.
I fell back easily and opened the distance in an instant.
¡°Rather than that, tell me what happened.¡±
¡°When was it? When I was quite young, my parents sent me to my grandmother¡¯s house.¡±
Trumbling. Mitchell approaching me.
Two hatchets rode in her hands and danced spectacrly as if performing her acrobatics.
He seemed very good at handling an axe.
¡°But when I went to my grandmother¡¯s house, something funny happened.¡±
¡°Funny thing?¡±
¡°The wolf witch ate her grandmother, pulled her nket over her and pretended to be her grandmother. Isn¡¯t it really funny?¡±
Mitchell lunged at me again with nimble movements, unleashing her extended attack. She also repeated that she lightly dodged or brushed away.
Wheek! Mitchell lightly lifted her up and turned me around for a kick.
She lightly covered it with her arm, but my body was pushed back with a thump.
Strength that ignores differences in physique. Even though it¡¯s not my opponent, it¡¯s also different from what it looks like.
Mitchellnded on her ground again and looked at me.
¡°So?¡±
¡°In the end, she found out about her identity, so she tried to eat me. Then, a hunter appeared and saved me.¡±
Hunters.
I immediately guessed who it was.
¡°Hunter, is that the incarnation¡¯s nickname when he was alive?¡±
¡°Right. He was famous as a hunter who hunted bad guys for children.¡±
Mitchell nodded her head and tapped her on the shoulder with her hatchet.
¡°Someone like that must have heard the news. The news that there is a perverted wolf witch who tricks parents into giving their children their lives. And while walking around the forest, he felt the magic of the wolf¡¯s beast. So I was saved by a hunter and I interrogated his parents. Only then did I find out the background. My parents sold me for just a few pieces of meat. As food for those wolves.¡±
In any world, the life of a poor family is often headed for tragedy.
Like Hansel and Gretel were abandoned by their parents. It seemed the same for Mitchell.
Mitchell lunged at me again, brandishing her axe.
¡°I won¡¯t tell you what I did to my parents! Anyway! After that, I felt good, and I got angry a lot! So, I went to Hwashwa and asked. Just like you saved me, can I live like that too!¡±
Chin, chin. She grabbed both of Mitchell¡¯s arms as she was swinging her axe.
In terms of strength, my side was iparably superior. But Mitchell didn¡¯t panic and tried to kick me in the groin.
She read that psychology and even trampled on her feet.
¡°Ugh!¡±
Mitchell frowned and groaned at her, but then she giggled.
¡°Awesome, bro. Even if you don¡¯t use magic, you¡¯re at this level....¡±
¡°So? What did Hwasin say?¡±
¡°... Whatever choice I make is up to me, but he said he would help if he wanted to live that way. Thanks to that, I received a lot of books to study, and at least I was able to live like a human being. Benefactor.¡±
Was the rtionship between sessor and sessor like that?
The candy house witch was always alone, and she must have devoted herself to research to save children.
It must have been difficult to continue the life of saving children while continuing to work as a hunter.
¡®So I gave the role to Mitchell....¡¯
It was right toe to that conclusion.
¡°After all, you became a hunter instead?¡±
¡°Yes. Then, at one point, I almost died trying to kill some goddamn adults. At that time... I met Hwashin after a long time in a very bright world. My brother probably won¡¯t understand.¡±
I understand. It must be the middle world.
It must have been after the death of Hansel and the Witch of the Cookie Shop.
¡°I knew at once that he had ceased to be human. Now he asked what I should call you, so he said to call himself ¡®Hwasin¡¯. From then on, he began to call incarnations incarnations. She was just called the hook-nosed witch.¡±
Mitchell¡¯s eyes became dim as he recalled her memories.
¡°That¡¯s how it happened. Hwashin gave me the role of the condemner and gave me the power to bestow her protection. And I managed to survive, even killing adults.¡±
The Witch of the Cookie House decided to be a condemner herself, and entrusted her will to Mitchell.
The back of the confectionary witch who was destroyed by King Myung came to mind. She felt that she was very fortunate to hear her story.
¡°Now it¡¯s my brother¡¯s turn. Do you know why Hwashin suddenly cut off her protection?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
I decided to be honest.
I didn¡¯t want to hide the truth even from Mitchell, who had blood on his hands following the incarnation¡¯s will.
¡°He is gone. To protect me.¡±
Mitchell opened her eyes.
¡°... What are you talking about?¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°Literally.¡±
¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±
When Mitchell tried to get away from me, she deliberately let go. She immediately opened the distance.
Mitchell clutched her hatchet with her shocked face.
¡°A lie that doesn¡¯t sound like something like that... ! What did you mean by trying to protect someone like your brother? Wasn¡¯t oppa the strongest of mankind? They say they know everything because they¡¯re famous, even me!¡±
¡°Something was inevitable. I can¡¯t tell you that much.¡±
When I was about to give up everything, the candy store witch pushed me on the back.
Her sacrifice was too heavy for me.
Mitchell frowned as if he noticed that I wasn¡¯t lying.
¡°... Hwashin couldn¡¯t have just saved his brother. Was there a reason for that? The reason why I had to save my brother.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Then let me be part of that reason. It¡¯s definitely something I have to do.¡±
¡°If the skills you showed me just now are not enough, you won¡¯t be of any help.¡±
¡°Really? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the kind of person to be ignored that much.¡±
Mitchell red at me with her bloody eyes and poised to wield her hatchet.
Whee Woo Woo!
Suddenly, high-density magic flowed out of Mitchell. The red cloak she wore fluttered.
It wasn¡¯t Mitchell¡¯s magic.
¡°Did I tell you? I have something to show you. We will show our skills properly.¡±
The source of her magical power was the hatchet.
Magic weapons only strengthen the user¡¯s magic, they do not have their own magical power.
In other words, that hatchet was something that wasn¡¯t even a magical weapon.
¡®As expected.¡¯
I noticed from the beginning.
The creature¡¯s presence in Mitchell¡¯s hatchet intensified.
The status window left by Ozma floated in her field of vision. If it was her knowledge, it would contain its true identity.
From noble mtl dot
[ Red Book ¨C Lagros ]
Lv : 175
Type: Demon Beast
Attribute: Diffusion
Risk Level: Low
A high-ranking magician with a unique attribute. Two hatchets, both of which are ¡®Red Book-Lagros¡¯. Have you divided yourself into two equals?
It¡¯s not like we signed a contract for a familiar. Looking at Mitchell¡¯s ability, there was no way she had the magical power to handle that beast as a familiar.
In other words, the Jeokseo Gak was simply cooperating with Mitchell.
¡°Did the incarnation give it to you?¡±
¡°Right.¡±
I guess so.
This is a child who is entrusted with the role of a hunter by a candy store witch. It was absurd that she didn¡¯t give anything away.
¡®It seems that the axe master only follows him.¡¯
Red Seogak-Lagros must have also inherited the will of the candy store witch.
¡°I won¡¯t back down until you say you¡¯ll make me your ally too.¡±
Kagagakak!!
The magical power flowing from the hatchet is sublimated into a solid. The hard crimson pieces built up like that fill up around Mitchell.
The sharp pieces grew in size at once and began to rotate around Mitchell, creating a powerful whirlwind.
If an ordinary creature was hit by that whirlwind, its entire body would be torn to shreds.
The spectator side. Ian and Amy were surprised to feel an unexpected magic power from Mitchell.
¡°Go!¡±
Mitchell, bearing a whirlwind of des, lunged at me.
Her mana condensed into her outstretched hatchet.
The attribute of Lagross is diffusion. The moment she swung her axe, the magic power emitted by her ax de instantly expanded and aimed at me. The sharp whirlwind was no exception.
In other words, if you avoid it while adjusting your distance properly, it will lead to death.
¡°... ....¡±
That looks pretty useful.
As Mitchell swung her axe, I raised her right hand and lightly condensed her ice power in front of her fingers.
I snapped my fingers just like that.
Quaaa!!!
¡°Kyaaah!!¡±
A fierce shockwave spread in all directions, dispelling Lagros¡¯ whirlwind and sending Mitchell flying.
A murderous chill pierced Mitchell through her body. She missed the enemy squaregros and rolled on the floor of her arena for a while, then her body trembled.
¡°Huh, huh... ! Ugh!¡±
Mitchell looked at me with her quivering eyes as she moaned in pain.
The power control was sufficient. It will hurt, but it won¡¯t affect your life.
I went over to Mitchell and looked down at her. Then she flipped her sses once and smiled kindly.
¡°Not bad.¡±
¡°What... ?¡±
I crouched down to watch Mitchell closer.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it, fellow. Rather, I will wee you from my side.¡±
It was a time when even one person needed more power.
Besides, it¡¯s perfect that they both agree with each other.
She held out her hand.
Mitchell burst outughing with her face contorted in her pain.
¡°... What. I was treated in vain like this, have I been recognized now?¡±
¡°Why? Have you changed your mind?¡±
¡°Not at all. I am motivated. If I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it....¡±
Puffed up. Mitchell passed out as he tried to hold her hand with her trembling hand, as if she had suddenly lost consciousness.
Chapter 333: The Secret Shop
After being possessed by this world, an unprecedentedly peaceful semester passed.
I still haven¡¯t found Mephisto. He didn¡¯t even know where he was hiding. However, it was clear what he was aiming for.
When the evil spirits are resurrected, Mephisto will definitely appear.
This is because when the evil god dies, the demon¡¯s life ispletely cut off, and there is no chance for Mephisto to win except to be with the evil god. It¡¯s literally the truth of multiples.
There is a possibility that variables that I don¡¯t know about may ur, but I haven¡¯t found any problems so far even if I frequently activate [irvoyance] To inspect the imperial territory or pay attention.
We are also sharing information with other countries. They promised to report to me if any unusual signs were found.
There are two reasons for such a calm atmosphere.
First, 3Rd year 1st semester part ¡°Act 14¡± To ¡°Act 16¡± Were all passed.
Secondly, they are conserving their strength until the evil spirit is resurrected.
It is said that the weather is clearest and calmest before a stormes. Now was such a time.
¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
I arrived with Kaya Astreang on an ind off the continent.
It was the first campus of Marchen Academy where I stayed for two years after I became Isaac.
I was able toe right away because I rode the Ice and Snow Dragon-Heeld.
It wasn¡¯t empty like ruins. The dispatched imperial knights were guarding it.
I moved on.
¡°Isaac, where are you going?¡±
¡°Um... , Where is my secret friend?¡±
¡°A secret friend?¡±
Kaya tilted her head.
I took the campus exit and entered the forest entrance, where there was an old sign that said no ess.
Following the road, I turned around at a certain section and went to a backwater. From there, I went down the mound and headed behind the tree with the cross mark.
I see. There was a small, shabby shop with a big tree.
¡°Uh, since when did this ce... ?¡±
¡°Since ancient times. I told you, a secret friend.¡±
We went into the store.
[Wee, this is Monon Workshop.]
A monster in the form of a roon wearing a wizard¡¯s robe greeted us at the counter.
¡°Roon... ?¡±
Kaya was taken aback.
This is a secret shop.
You can only enter the second half of , And I, who is not bound by the game scenario, used it from the beginning and bought the magic camouge costume ¨C Berserker.
On the shelf, various unique magic tools were disyed, and various magic camouge costumes were hung.
But my interest was not in the product.
I greeted the roon demon with a smile.
¡°Long time no see, Monon.¡±
[Huh? And! It¡¯s you, Isaac. Long time no see. Did youe to mend the camouge?]
Monon, the roon beast, lifted the hood with his small hand and checked my face, then took off the hood and smiled broadly.
Monon was a brown roon demon possessing the me attribute.
¡°It¡¯s not like that. Probably won¡¯te to fix it anymore.¡±
[Really? Too bad. It was kind of like your symbol.]
¡°I have nothing to write anymore.¡±
He lifted his sses once and smiled.
The magic camouge suit was the means chosen to survive Alice¡¯s threat.
Of course, there was no reason to wear it anymore.
¡°Isaac, do you think there is such a thing as a secret friend... ?¡±
¡°Yes, it is him.¡±
Kaya secretly whispered in my ear and replied with a chin gesture in Monon¡¯s direction.
[Is she your girlfriend?]
¡°Yes.¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°Eh, yes? To?¡±
Kaya¡¯s face lit up at my short answer. Smoke rose above her head like a hot spring mark.
¡°Hey, girlfriend... ? Female.... Ouch!¡±
Kaya trudges back and crashes into a wall.
I am very shy.
That wasn¡¯t my intention. We both liked each other anyway, so we just answered like that.
[Are you doing your best?]
¡°That¡¯s done. Hasn¡¯t the ownere yet?¡±
Monon smiled bitterly at her and bowed her head.
[Yeah.... I think you are still busy. I wille back someday.]
Monon had a master waiting for him.
A long time ago, when Monon was someone¡¯s familiar. It is here that the master broke the familiar contract with Monon. He said that he had a problem to solve, so he would solve everything and leave the store to Monon in the meantime.
Monon received books and materials containing various workshop knowledge as a gift. Thanks to this, the current Monon had deep knowledge in magic tool making and alchemy. She knew how to gather materials either on her own or on the ind.
She
She¡¯s also resourceful, so she knew how to procure precious materials to craft magic weapons like Armana¡¯s wand.
This store was no different from an illegal store built on someone else¡¯snd, so it was in a position to be demolished if it was discovered by Merhen Academy, and Monon asked to keep the existence of the store a secret, saying that it would provide good quality products at a low price to every customer who came and went. .
¡®I don¡¯t know if the academy knows or not.¡¯
I don¡¯t know if the academy knows about this secret shop and doesn¡¯t know it at all. It¡¯s not even mentioned in the game.
Well, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no particr reason.
Anyway, it has been over 60 years since Monon waited for his master.
It would have been nice if the owner had appeared, but now it can¡¯t be helped.
¡°Monon.¡±
I approached Monon and looked down at him seriously.
It was time to get to the point.
¡°Let¡¯s float here.¡±
[Huh?]
Monon made a puzzled expression.
¡°Have you had any gueststely?¡±
[Ah, yes.... Did something happen outside? The mall was also empty and quiet.]
¡°Shortly, someone strong enough to be damned will appear on this ind. A monster that could burn the entire area with just a wave of his finger.¡±
[That, is that really true?]
Monon was greatly surprised.
¡°We¡¯ll do our best to stop that monster, but we can¡¯t avoid this ind bing a battlefield. Staying here is no different than just dying.¡±
[...] ....]
¡°We have already evacuated most of the inders, and we will find and send the rest out. So you too....¡±
[Thanks for letting me know, but that would be difficult.]
Monon bowed her head and timidly tapped her soft, small hands.
[Because the owner might return before that monster appears....]
My goal is to evacuate all the ind¡¯s inhabitants.
Monon is someone I¡¯ve already made friends with by going to and from the secret shop several times.
As she knew the story, she hoped that this guy would also evacuate safely.
¡°What if your master doesn¡¯te?¡±
[...] Huh?]
She brought out her insecurities that Monon might be harboring. The guy raised her head and looked at me again.
It¡¯s a pity, but if the owner hadn¡¯t returned by now after 60 years, there must have been a reason.
Have been in a major ident that left you unable to move, have already reached the end of its lifespan, or have abandoned the mono.
It¡¯s most likely thrown away.
At the time, Merhen Academy was the old campus where I took the final semester evaluation in the first semester of my freshman year.
Since there is a considerable distance from there to here, he must have judged that there was no fear of being caught by the academy.
Perhaps the reason why she turned over such a shabby ce was to alleviate some of her guilt by giving Monon a foundation for her productive life.
But I didn¡¯t want to hurt Monon. Let¡¯s persuade with good words.
¡°You might have been in an ident. So let¡¯s float here, Monon. Or I¡¯ll help you find your owner. I will be more helpful than anyone else. If you tell me what it looks like or whatever....¡±
[I don¡¯t remember.]
¡°...... ?¡±
From noble mtl dot
[What the owner looked like, what his voice sounded like, everything is hazy in my memory. If you look at it again, you will definitely be able to recognize it, but now I just remember that I was happy living with the owner.]
Monon smiled faintly.
But the smile disappeared from my lips.
[So, I have no choice but to wait for the owner here. I want to see the master So I¡¯ll be here.]
¡°... In the end, even if we die without seeing each other?¡±
[Then I can¡¯t help it. Because that is my choice.]
Monon looked around and smiled softly.
[And I like it here. It¡¯s the ce the owner left me. Throwing away this ce is the same as throwing away everything.]
The store, which seemed to copse at any moment, was full of traces of repairs several times.
All of these were traces of life left by Monon.
[So really, even if the owner doesn¡¯te back, I¡¯ll be here. Thanks for the suggestion, Isaac.]
¡°... Is that so?¡±
He blinked softly.
Monon¡¯s intention was very firm. So much that I can¡¯t say anything more.
[And, I have a n to deal with the crisis on my own. I made my own shelter in the basement. Even if that monster appears, no problem!]
The evil god Nepid¡¯s power is not like a nuclear bomb. It is the power of extinction. It can burn thend and evaporate even the sea. In other words, even if there is an underground bunker, there is no meaning.
However, I had no intention of letting the evil spirits easily destroy this ind. ¡®Cause I¡¯m going to block it somehow.
¡°Isaac....¡±
Kaya called me with a troubled voice. She looked at her Her eyes asked if it would be right to evacuate Monon by force.
She shook her head. I have the power to read minds. Forcing Monon to evacuate was no different from suppressing his will.
My choice was respect.
¡°Okay, so if you think something dangerous has broken out, hide in the basement right away.¡±
[Does it show when a monster appears?]
¡°Extremely. I will fly openly.¡±
[hahahaha! Okay, kind monster!]
Mononughed heartily.
[Ah, I have something to give you! Take this.]
Monon took out the luxurious box and opened the lid.
Clean clothes were neatly folded and tucked into the box.
It was a product I had never seen in .
¡°What is this?¡±
[Masterpiece of my conversion! I don¡¯t know why wizards wear cumbersome robes. It would be much better to wear clothes like this.]
¡°Why is this... ?¡±
[No matter how ignorant I am, I wonder if I haven¡¯t even heard your story? A hero without a name. I went out to the city the other day and heard the words of a wandering poet and realized that it was your story. So I was inspired by that story and made it for over a year. It¡¯s the sum total of all the skills I¡¯ve umted over the years. Try it on.]
So it was the first time I saw it.
I changed into the clothes Monon gave me.
How to say, it became a neat feeling. It seemed to go well with Hwirang¡¯s cloak.
I even put ck gloves on my hands.
Kaya looked at me stunned. She felt a strong love that was burdensome.
[Effects are rxation of the magic circuit and strengthening of the release of mana. Do you like it?]
I didn¡¯t know that I would be upgrading my specs at this timing.
¡°How much? Live.¡±
[Just take it.]
¡°Why?¡±
[Because it¡¯s a reward for caring about me.]
¡°Still, free is a bit ufortable.¡±
[Then do your best to protect this ind. That¡¯s enough.]
Nodded.
¡°... Thanks.¡±
I changed my clothes again.
I received Monon¡¯s presents together.
The guyughed and waved his little arms.
[Goodbye, Isaac. See you again.]
¡®See you again¡¯....
I greeted him with a smile.
¡°Okay, see youter.¡±
Kaya bowed and bowed politely, and we left the secret shop together.
As we were walking through the woods, Kaya asked with her worried face.
¡°Are you sure you are all right, Isaac? Even if you don¡¯t evacuate that friend....¡±
¡°It would be right to evacuate by force. If you want to live.¡±
I have the ability to read other people¡¯s minds.
And I read Monon¡¯s Unwavering Will.
Monon already knew the situation he was in better than anyone else.
¡°Other than that, there¡¯s no need to be coercive.¡±
¡°Yes... ?¡±
For the past 60 years, how did Monon devote himself to crafting magic tools and alchemy? I can¡¯t even guess.
However, there is something I noticed only now that I have reached a high level.
Monon was not waiting for his master.
Because I don¡¯t have the confidence to abandon this world alone, I was hoping that someone would cut off the thread of hope I had forcibly embraced.
That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t say anything more.
¡°... ....¡±
But, sorry for Monon, I intend to keep this ce as long as possible.
That was mypromise.
It was a time when there was only a short time left until the final stage, the battle to subdue the evil spirits.
Chapter 334: Subjugation of Evil Gods (1)
Theposition of the mobs in [The Last Act, Subjugation of Evil Gods] Is as follows.
The final boss, Nephid, the evil god of destruction.
A minion and mid-boss, Angra Mainyu, Destruction Dragon-Ajidahaka.
The ck element, the creation minion of the evil god.
What is unusual is that the final boss is at the top, as seen in the Trial of Frost.
An evil spirit cannot be defeated without Ian. In other words, the basic strategy is for Ian Fairytale to decapitate the demon after I push the evil god to the limit.
I remember that the mid-bosses were disyed as mosaics from level 200 to ¡ö¡ö¡ö when they moved into phase 2. Each of them is at the level of the Demon Abyss during the ¡¸Alice Subjugation Battle¡¹.
If there is a human other than me who can properly damage them, Ian is the only one who can handle the divine power, the weak point of demons.
Even ck elements cost 180 to 190 levels. They wille in droves. Everyone has no choice but to be prepared for death.
In addition, Mephisto of the contract will unconditionally join us. The demons also need to prepare.
¡°I must be prepared for many sacrifices....¡±
When I exined it in a way that everyone could understand, excluding game elements, Emperor Carlos patted his chin and answered solemnly.
With me at the center, big names from around the world gathered in one ce.
Emperor Carlos of the Gerber Empire.
Saint Bianca of Bardio and Pope Zion.
Hwabongguk ¨C Horan¡¯s shaman Miya and chief Miro.
Even the original kings of each country.
The tension of the royal guards standing in an orderly manner touched my skin. Foremost among them, Jacule Calix, seemed moved and awed by the sight of us gathered together.
The subject of discussion was, of course, the evil spirit.
To say that I felt that the resurrection of the evil spirit was imminent, they all gathered secretly.
It¡¯s embarrassing to say with my own mouth, but now I¡¯m standing at the pinnacle of humanity beyond the king of a country that no one can touch. None of mankind could disobey me.
In the first ce, since the fate of the world was at stake, everyone seemed to want to cooperate.
¡°In the end, the key is the child of light.¡±
The Thunder Emperor Zaul Dragoniac said while looking at the map of the ind on the strategy table.
¡°Yes. If you can¡¯t defend Ian, it¡¯s over there. To our defeat.¡±
¡°hahahaha had to fight a being called a god.... You can¡¯t even guarantee victory?¡±
I nodded as the apprentice siren Silivian grumbled, shrugging her shoulders.
¡°If we lose anyway, everyone dies. Still, if the evil god wins, the demons will bepletely extinct. Because the source of demons is the evil god after all.¡±
He lifted his sses once and exined.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the global mystery of the origin of demons would be revealed like this.... Really, a lot of things change when you show up. One day, in bed, share the history of cataclysm with me....¡±
¡°Stop talking vulgar.¡±
Apprentice Siren closed her eyes and covered her cheeks, smiling grotesquely, and Wind Emperor Erin Campbell red at her emotionless face.
The walls of apprenticeship are focused on young and young men. After my identity was revealed, the target seemed to havepletely be me.
It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t cross the line because of my skills and the pressure of wind.
¡°To sum it all up, senior Isaac is holding on to the evil spirit, and we have to defeat the rest together with senior Ian.¡±
[Is it okay to face the evil spirits alone?]
The priestess Miya summarized the n, and the nine-tailed fox beast, Gumiho-Mae, standing next to her, asked me with a worried tone.
¡°An evil spirit can easily destroy the world. If I don¡¯t hold on to it, we¡¯ll do nothing and perish.¡±
If the evil god is much stronger than in the game, there won¡¯t be time for me to defeat the Destruction Dragon ¨C Ajidahaka and Angra Mainyu in sequence. Because the evil spirit won¡¯t let it go.
In other words, if I didn¡¯t hold on to the evil spirit, there was a great risk that the damage would spread.
¡°The bigger problem is you guys. While I¡¯m fighting the evil spirit, I have to defeat Mephisto and the two night sky demons that appearedst year without my help. I have no choice but to risk my life to support Ian. In addition, each individual has to face the powerful ck element army.¡±
We toured the giants of each country. There was a heavy feeling of tension.
I took off my sses andid my eyes down, wiping them with a dry towel.
¡°This is the content of the operation.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
I put my sses back on after I polished them.
¡°I know it sounds shameless, but. Everyone, don¡¯t die as much as possible.¡±
I didn¡¯t say much, but they reacted in surprise with their eyes wide open.
Once you go beyond the national level, everything goes back to the logic of power. Among them, my power is more overwhelming than anyone else.
People seemed to be easily moved by my altruistic words.
¡°... Don¡¯t do that Don¡¯t you die either.¡±
me Emperor Andersen closed his eyes and nodded his head as he answered.
In session, the rest also had a spleen face, no, the siren nodded her head with a perverted smile.
......
In the peaceful time before the storm, I was busy moving.
To Ian Fairytale, I pretended that I had passed on domain control magic with an unknown power, and then helped him train to build the realm of light.
@@novelbin@@
All the inders have been evacuated except for Monon, the owner of the secret shop. It was a matter that was carefully checked.
I visited Noah Bartan. Before he knew it, he had be a strong man who could handle iron magic freely. Noah was also asked for cooperation, and he readily epted.
Dupendorf also gave orders to the troops in Wondend. You should gather as many usable powers as possible.
That said, concentrating all core forces on the ind could have been an act of suicide. If the ind sinks, everyone on it will lose their lives. Therefore, it was decided to spread the power.
Since I came to this world, the numerous bonds I have built have been united as a team to defeat the evil spirits.
It¡¯s windy. The leaves are falling, and it is a time in the cold season.
I sat on the railing and looked at the sea. The pale winter sun was almost sunk over the horizon.
The breath warming his throat flowed out of his mouth, turning part of the dark air white for a moment.
When I lowered my head, the streets paved with the macadam method, sculptures giving a sense of aesthetics, and a group of familiar buildings came into sight. Now, it is a scenery that suits the expression jeonggyeop.
I was on the roof of Bartos Building, the center of the first campus of Merchen Academy.
I wore the clothes Monon, the owner of the secret shop, gave me, and put on the cloak of Huirang. It seemed that he had finally be an icebreaker.
The condition was very good. As much as I wondered if there would ever be another good day like this.
Behind me, a red magic circle that transcended time and space was visible and scattered heterogeneous light. It was a precursor to the resurrection of evil spirits.
An ind where silence is locked. The air was heavy. Because everyone on the ind was holding their breath.
Elite soldiers, including Dupendorf¡¯s corpsmander.
Pdin and his soldiers in Wondend.
Wonkings, the strong people of the countries they rule.
The royal guards of the Gerber Empire, the Imperial Knights, and the Wizard Corps led by the Archmage Charlotte.
The Holy Knights of the holy kingdom Bardio.
The samurai and warriors of Hwabonguk, Miya Miya.
From noble mtl dot
Noah Bartan.
Mitchell.
The women I love.
Gormos, the giant rock turtle familiar that will be in charge of the rear.
And... Ian Fairytail holding the Spear Sword.
They all lined up and remained silent.
[Goo?]
¡°Huh?¡±
Eden, the little golem sitting next to me, started talking to me.
¡°No... , not very scary. Amazing. I thought it would be scary.¡±
[Guu, Guu.]
¡°I see. Are you a little bit emotional?¡±
I can¡¯t understand Eden¡¯s words even now, but I could share emotions and opinions with him, songuage wasn¡¯t a barrier.
2Nd semester of 3rd year, end of semester. Today my journey ends.
After the battle with the evil spirit, I didn¡¯t know what kind of destination I would end up with yet.
[Today, everything the owner has been worrying about is over.]
The humanoid Heald raised his arms on the railing next to me.
We quietly watched as the winter sun disappeared.
¡°... I know.¡±
[Master.]
¡°Yes.¡±
[What would you most like to do if you defeated the evil spirit?]
¡°What question....¡±
Laughter leaked out.
I wanted to do something.
Doing naughty things with your favorite kids, beingzy, eating lots of delicious food, traveling the world.... There were many things I wanted to do.
But more than anything else, I truly felt that I wanted to try it the most, and it was unexpectedly nothing special.
¡°Just... I want to take a nap without thinking about anything.¡±
Just taking a nap.
Lying in the corner of the butterfly garden, looking at the sky like a shoal and the rippling tidal clouds, I felt drowsy. I just wanted to close my eyes and enjoy the breeze, then fall asleep.
I missed that kind of luxury.
[It¡¯s a simple wind.]
¡°I see.¡±
I exchanged smiles with Hild.
Soon, the winter sun sank beyond the horizon, and the twilightpletely fell over the ind.
The beautiful ultramarine blue sky caught my eye.
Dense tension filled the academy, and the demon subjugation team swallowed dry saliva.
Go oh oh oh.
As if gravity suddenly became stronger, astronomical magical power pressed down on the academy. It¡¯s a start.
I got up on the railing and stood proudly.
As I turned to the rooftop with my familiars, red and ck mes followed the path of the magic circle that emitted dazzlingly intense light.
The sky gradually turned a vivid red.
The ss building where I once took sses normally, the tall clock tower that told the time, and the friendly streets all took on a mysterious red color as if burning fire.
It was the color of the end.
A strange me engulfs the structures that fill the corners of the rooftop, taking the form of ck worms.
Shortly, red magic power surged from the magic circle of resurrection engraved on the rooftop.
Quaaa!!!
With a deafening explosion, a red pir pierced the sky. I froze the seams of the feet, handrails, and handrails together to survive on the spot.
At that moment, all the leaders of the demon subjugation team, including Wonwang, activated amplification magic and shouted loudly.
¡°All!! Ready for battle!!¡±
The sounds of each person pulling out their weapons rang out simultaneously.
Innumerable high-ranking magic circles that the elite wizards had calcted in advance were lined up in the air.
Large-scale magic devices installed by prestigious magic towers were activated, and magic cannons with enormous magical energy gathered on several floating pedestals aimed at Bartos Hall at once.
An evil spirit subjugation team. We were the most powerful force in the world.
ck darkness hangs over the roof of the Bartos building. The darkness roared as heavily as the sea.
Numerous Hyukan rising above it.
The center of darkness rose in the pir of red light, forming the shape of a female demon.
The darkness became the demon¡¯s dress and slowly rose upward.
The bloated hem of the dark dress gradually descended like a curtain, revealing the size enough to cover the Bartos Pavilion.
¡°I finally met you.¡±
He smiled.
In the pir of light, I could feel the gaze directed at me.
I raised my right hand and poured cold magic over it. It was a battle stance.
Hwaaa!!!
Five huge pairs of me wings spread out, creating strong winds, and pirs of light coalesced in the sky and transformed into a thin disc with arge diameter.
Colossal mana with even physical power radiates from the front like a headwind. It was magical power that made my de blue as if it would rip my whole body apart at any moment.
All the fluff stood up, but for some reason I was excited.
Because the end of the obsessive journey filled my vision with dark red mes.
[ Nephid, God of Destruction ]
Lv : ¡ö¡ö¡ö
Type: Ma¡ö
Attributes: Dark, Fire, Void
Risk Level: Extreme ¡ö
Evil god Nephid.
The god of demons has arrived.
Chapter 336: Subjugation of Evil Gods (3)
¡°Stop everything!!¡±
¡°No one is allowed inside!!¡±
Under the red sky, corpses wrapped in dark magic moved toward the second campus of Marchen Academy. It was a grotesque sight.
They are one legion.
Each of them were humans who had their lives and souls stolen by the demon after making a contract with Mephisto of the Contract.
Because he inherited Mephisto¡¯s personality and intelligence, his intelligence was on the very low side.
The fact that they were faithful to their murderous intentions,municative, and even knew how to use dark magic made them a great threat.
Reproduction of demons.
It was a new army that Mephisto had prepared while hiding his body and using his abilities.
¡°To turn humans into demons... !¡±
Magrio, the vice-captain of the Fenrir Knights, the 4th Division of the Imperial Knights, chewed his lips.
The Academy¡¯sbat troops and the Imperial Knights fought a defensive battle against the zombie army, but their strength was far from enough to counter the powerful dark magic.
¡°Damn it! It¡¯s pierced!¡±
¡°Student safety is our top priority! Risk your life to protect the academy!!¡±
The zombie corps, spreading their wings and flying at speed or wielding dark magic, quickly broke through the academy¡¯s gates.
Faculty and staff worked hard to evacuate the students, but they couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of the zombie hordes.
As the zombies wielded dark magic, the teaching staff tried to block the approach of the zombie corps by counterattacking or using defensive magic.
Kwagagagagang!!
But the number of enemies was too many.
¡°Kyaaah!!¡±
¡°Run quickly!!¡±
As the students hurriedly ran to evacuate, vice-captain Magrio rushed at the zombies and swung his sword.
Sureung!
Several zombies¡¯ heads were blown off in an instant, but his left arm was consumed by dark magic and lost.
¡°Keuk!¡±
As Magrio¡¯s left arm disappeared, his blood gushed out. However, he only frowned and swung his sword nonstop.
¡°Damn you bastards! I¡¯m against you guys!!¡±
Magrio shouted.
Following him, the imperial knights engaged in a fierce battle with a group of zombies.
¡°Enemies are spreading!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t miss a single one!¡±
The hordes of zombies that invaded the schoolyard in droves spread out in an instant.
Their goal is to massacre all the people in the academy.
Above all, the method required cruelty.
Pooong!! Pew!! Pew!!
A light green wind stirred the campus, and several explosions rang out in session.
A kick wrapped in wind magic smashes zombies and sends them flying.
The man who raided the zombies was Tristan Humphrey.
Wow!!
A man¡¯s regime sent a shock wave that wrapped around the stone snow, drove away the dark magic, and smashed all the zombies in sight. It was Mateo Jordana.
A storm of mes, a waterfall of water, and a strong rock awl swept away zombies one after another throughout the schoolyard.
Merhen Academy¡¯s top-ranked students in the Faculty of Magic. It was an attack by Kerid, White rk, Ciel Carnedas, and Lisetta Lionheart.
¡°Did you think we would be easily defeated without Isaac?! I was bored, but it worked out! Search everything!!¡±
Coo goo goo!!!
Lizettaughed and wielded her magical weapon, Lokta, and used powerful rock magic.
Aside from that, all the talented students who had been hidden in Isaac¡¯s shadow joined in.
The time that the best talented students in the kingdom worked hard was reced by their full strength and poured into the zombie horde without regret.
Most of the strongest forces among the zombie corps prepared by Mephisto were raiding the first campus of Marchen Academy.
In other words, more than half of the zombies that attacked the second campus were at a level that top students could deal with somehow.
Kagagakak!!!
The baptism of wind des in the color of the night sky cut off the zombies.
The zombies who couldn¡¯t even get rid of them were decapitated by Merlin Astreans with a sword.
Snow White, who learned the power of Nyx, the fairy of the night, calmed down and sharpened her fighting spirit.
As a princess, she had no intention of being protected quietly. Like her Isaac, White is also determined to fight to protect her students. Merlin followed her doctor.
¡°Merlin, go to the Duke House!¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Merlin thought. She said White had grown noticeably.
Merhen Academy became a battlefield.
At that time, high-ranking students, professors,bat mercenaries, and the Imperial Knights were fighting against a horde of zombies who skillfully used dark magic to protect the academy.
A man was shivering while hiding his body in Orfin Hall in the Faculty of Magic ss.
¡°That, that thing....¡±
It was Marco, an assistant to Professor Fernando Frost and a graduate student in the Faculty of Magic.
He was sitting curled up in the darkb closet.
I can hear the roar and rupture of all kinds of magic colliding.
I was afraid. Marco couldn¡¯t calm the tremors in his body.
It¡¯s already toote to run away. The escape from here to the shelter was already a battlefield.
Then should we fight?
No.
No one can fight like them, risking their lives to protect others or the academy.
Most people can only hide from the storm of danger and hope that the storm will pass quickly.
Marco himself did the same. He himself was just an ordinary person.
A normal person who is afraid of dying because he is not brave, and who runs away because he is not strong and chooses a stable survival.
I had no intention of facing a futile death by acting out useless jokes.
That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it.
¡°...... !!¡±
Outside the closet. I heard the sound of quick footsteps.
Someone entered theb.
A terrifying spell. Something I¡¯ve never felt before. It¡¯s dark magic.
Marco peered into theb through a shallow gap in the closet.
Three grotesque zombies caught Marco¡¯s eyes.
¡°...... !!¡±
Marco covered his mouth with both of his hands.
Zombies smelled of humans and ran through theb.
It was only a matter of time before they were caught.
¡°That, uh, uh....¡±
Tears welled up in the dark circles around her eyes.
My heart was racing like crazy.
Marco wanted to live. She had a lot of unfulfilled life.
Suddenly, countless memories shed through his mind like a panorama, raising questions.
Unfortunately, the first question that came to my mind was why I had never been in a rtionship.
When he was an academy student. The memory of confessing to a girl he liked while stammering at her words came to mind.
The next day, she wrote a reply and gave it to Marco.
It was a time when I felt the greatest excitement in my life. Marco grabbed his pounding chest and read his reply.
¡®I¡¯m sorry, but the face isn¡¯t my taste.... To be honest, your face isn¡¯t pretty to look at, is it? And dating a gloomy guy like you is kind of okay. Sorry.¡¯
A few dayster. She walked arm in arm with the handsome boy, and Marco just watched her from afar.
The height of the sense of loss that came as a reaction was as far as the depth of the excitement that the adolescent male student felt.
Tumbling, Marco¡¯s steps headed towards the library. He poured out tears and devoted himself to studying magic.
If he had given up on dating, why did he be an academy graduate student instead of being a magician in a castle-level magic tower, which he had once dreamed of?
Because he tried many times and was frustrated. However, it was too much to get a diploma from Merchen Academy to focus on a goal that was not the best.
Unlike other graduate students, he did not have a deep interest in studies. Marco became a graduate student as if he wanted to do something and run away.
It was a life he was in a hurry to run away from.
I got used to this life, and the passion I had during my school days has long since faded.
... Why did you just run away?
It was okay even if he was dumped by the woman he confessed to. Because nothing has changed in Marco¡¯s situation.
It was okay even if the Mage Tower challenge was frustrated. He would not have had any regrets if he had sought a more efficient way to take the exam, put more effort into it, and devoted himself to it. She might have had better results.
Kick.
The closet door opens.
Zombies that shed dark magic gradually entered Marco¡¯s field of vision.
With his death just around the corner, Marco regained a deep sense of skepticism that he had forgotten by settling for the present.
I regretted it.
I¡¯ll try harder with all my strength.
I should try harder.
¡°Keep off....¡±
Marco gasped. Tears trickled down her sunken cheeks.
The difference in mana was clear.
They would be able to defeat Marco like a bug.
[...] ....]
¡°...... ?¡±
But why?
The zombies just stared nkly at Marco.
¡°That¡¯s... ?¡±
Marco, sobbing, looked at the zombies with a questioning face.
[Human... Is it?]
[Stupid.... I just can¡¯t see... ? This guy is on our side....]
[I see.... Indeed... , This face can¡¯t be human.... The human smell must be because of the clothes....]
[Grrr.... To bezy in a ce like this.... Hurry up and follow Mephisto¡¯s orders.... Torture and massacre humans, as brutally as possible... !]
The zombies clicked their tongues as if they were pathetic and turned their backs and left theb.
¡°... How much?¡±
Marco couldn¡¯t understand the situation.
After he got down from the closet, he stood nkly for a while, staring at the doorway where the zombies had left.
¡°... ....¡±
The relief of living... Did not feel
On the contrary, unbearable anger boiled within him.
The two tightly clenched fists trembled.
The source of his anger was the regret of his core life.
¡°That¡¯s... !¡±
Marco took his magic tools and went out into the hallway.
The wizard¡¯s robe he wore fluttered.
[Human!]
¡°Chit!¡±
In the hallway of the Orphin Hall, the three zombies encountered the academy¡¯s fighting forces, including Professor Fernando Frost.
Quaga River!!
They engaged in a fierce battle shing magic against each other without saying who came first.
The aftermath of the sh between magics shattered the walls and scratched the floor.
[...] ... ?]
At that time, a zombie felt a presence from behind.
Turning her head back, she saw a man with a shadow over her face.
It was Marco, the man I saw earlier in the closet.
¡°Marco?¡±
When Professor Fernando looked surprised, Marco rolled a round magic tool at the zombies.
Chin. The magic tool Marco rolled suddenly spread gas when it hit the zombie¡¯s foot.
Swoop!
[What?!]
A gas made by processing the spores of the Jerome mushroom that inhabits Elt Ind.
The effect is a disturbance of the magic circuit.
It was obviously not powerful enough to have a great effect on zombies.
However, in a close-to-close confrontation like now, even the slightest interruption will have a dramatic effect.
[Geug!]
The elemental magic poured out by Professor Fernando and thebat troops of the academy drove the zombies in an instant.
At the same time, Marco aimed at the rear and fired elemental lightning magic.
@@novelbin@@
Kwagagak!!
The electric shock that extended like a chain attacked the zombies, followed by dozens of magic bullets fired in session by Professor Fernando that pierced the zombies¡¯ bodies without mercy.
The zombies copsed with a [Oops!], And Marco reached them and stretched out his arms with a face full of rage.
Kwagagak!!
The finishing blow was poured out, and the zombies disintegrated into gray particles and werepletely annihted.
¡°That¡¯s... !!¡±
Marco let out a roar of victory in a trembling voice.
I¡¯m not a zombie like you guys. He said he wasn¡¯t a coward like you who made a contract with the demons and ran away beyond the line.
From noble mtl dot
As if he had gone back to a time when he was a child full of hopeful dreams, Marco felt alive.
¡°Marco... ?¡±
Even Professor Fernando, who was cold-hearted every moment, was taken aback at that moment.
It was because it was the first time I had seen Marco¡¯s eyes wide open and furious.
Chapter 337: Subjugation of Evil Gods (4)
The execution ceremony was held in a splendid ballroom.
In ce of the magnificent music yed by the orchestra, moans of pain filled the venue.
Snow White¡¯s mother danced in the luxuriously spacious venue, wearing iron shoes that had been heated on fire.
The crime is attempted assassination of the imperial family.
That day, Emperor Carlos calmly watched the empress dance like a person whose emotions had be numb.
There, the Imperial Knight, Merlin Astreans, who was standing in line with the other Imperial Knights, found the Princess, Snow White.
White was sneaking behind her pole.
That expression was so emotionless, and the two eyes were cold.
Another Imperial Knight found her White and quietly took her out.
Even while she was leaving, White¡¯s eyes were on her mother, who was performing herst solo performance.
¡°White Princess!!¡±
Merchen Academy 2nd Campus, garden near Duke Hall.
As Snow White yed the zombies, her ws of darkness came upon her.
Merlin hugged White and narrowly dodged the attack by spurring her to the ground.
Merlin quickly puts White behind her and corrects her stance.
White opened her eyes wide when she saw the gray-haired zombie wielding her dark magic at her.
Her eyes shook like an earthquake.
¡°Mother... ?¡±
Wearing a dress that was badly worn but must have been very pretty at one time.
In her rotten face, the beauty of the old days was vaguely contained.
The zombie¡¯s high-heeled iron shoes are her instruments of torture that led her to her death.
Her past, her death dance, was the same, but now many zombies were following her.
Empress Grimheilde.
She obtained the world¡¯s best beauty through a contract with Mephisto, bought the love of Emperor Carlos, and became empress dramatically.
It gurgles like a beast. Even after her death, she held on to her resentment towards her daughter.
¡°Mephisto¡¯s contractor that Prince Isaac said.... Okay. Grimhild, it¡¯s only natural that you show up too....¡±
Merlin narrowed her eyes.
¡°Merlin, that person....¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be shaken, Princess White. They are already dead.¡±
¡°... I know.¡±
Contrary to Merlin¡¯s expectations, White was very calm and upright.
I was embarrassed for a moment.
White raised the power of the fairy, the magic of the night, on her hand.
The ultramarine magic that flowed like smoke suddenly gained momentum and burned like the zing sunlight.
¡°Merlin, please take care of the rest. Her mother... I will finish with my own hands.¡±
Merlin had no intention of interfering with White¡¯s determination.
She just wanted to risk her own life to help her White break the curse of her past.
¡°... All right.¡±
Damn it!
Merlin jumped into the zombie horde and skillfully cut through the enemies.
Quaga River!!
One after another, White collided with Grimhide¡¯s magic.
Grimhail¡¯s dark magic could not easily push back the power of the fairy that White was using.
Grim Hyde let out a raging roar, tearing his mouth to the tips of his ears. Even if it was a corpse that inherited Mephisto¡¯s intelligence, remnants of memory remained in that rotten body.
Jealousy.
It was only because of jealousy.
©¤ ¡®Mirror, mirror. Who is the prettiest in the world?¡¯
Every day Grim Heild asked the talking mirror, and he was confirmed that he was the most beautiful.
However, when Snow White grew up to some extent, the mirror said that White, the daughter of Grimhild, was the most beautiful in the world.
In the past, Grim Hyle bet many things on his demons to obtain the world¡¯s most beautiful face. Both body and soul.
But White had held more beauty in her hand than she had, simply because she had been born of her Grim Heild¡¯s belly.
How could it be so unfair?
Grimhail was furious. He was the most beautiful being in the world he had to be himself.
¡°This is really funny!¡±
Kagagak!!
White snorted and fired wind des imbued with the magic of the night into a series of attacks, but Grim Hyde deployed her darkness shield to block and absorb the attack.
¡°That her mother was determined to kill her daughter! I thought you would at least consider me a bit of a daughter! If she had said that, she would have tried her entire life not to resent you!¡±
She believed that even if it was her mother who tried to kill herself many times, the pocket watch she gave her as a gift would be an ordinary gift, and White cherished it.
The fact that even that watch was a means of Grimheild¡¯s conversion that would drive White into eternal hell... She gave White her deep sense of loss.
One step, one step. White poured out night wind des and approached Grimhild.
Finally, White was right in front of Grimheild¡¯s nose.
¡°Here... Let¡¯s finish this, Mother.¡±
To break the shackles in your heart that you have cast.
In order to save herself, White would put her end to Grim Hyle.
Increases White¡¯s magical power density.
Within seconds, the barrage of night wind des from White pierced her dark shield of Grim Hilde and shed her mercilessly.
Sassasasak!!
Grimhail let out a scream.
Her rotten body, easily mutted, crumbled like a sand castle slowly copsing, turning to gray powder and disappearing.
It was the end of the demons.
White supported the falling Grimheild with both hands. The blood vessels rose in her ugly eyes, which contained her whiteness.
Grim Heild quietly licked his dry lips like a barren rice field.
[Ah... go....]
At that moment, White swallowed his breath.
Her eyes were wide open.
[My baby....]
It came through clearly.
Grim Heild muttered, staring into space as if looking at something dear to her.
Before her second death, she has already lost many of her memories.
She drifted in the most intense memories of her surviving until the end.
Her only remaining memory was the time she looked at the white-haired baby in her arms.
As she held out her index finger, the little baby, who couldn¡¯t open her eyes, held it tightly in her hand, the size of her baby¡¯s crotch.
Her heart jumped. A smile spread across Grimhide¡¯s face involuntarily.
She was smiling so happily as she looked at the baby born inside her belly.
For the first time, there was a treasure other than beauty.
¡°Baby, Lani... ?¡±
Only then did White realize.
Her own name was given to her by her mother.
It is called ¡®White Snow¡¯ because it is as pretty as pure white snow.
Snow White.
If she was a woman who would even be jealous of her daughter¡¯s beauty, why did she give her such a name?
The question continues.
Mephisto made two contracts with Grimhaild.
Why?
The answer is simple if you look at thest days of the contractors that are full around you.
Mephisto is a demon who makes contracts with human desires as toys.
I don¡¯t want a happy ending for the contractor.
The two contracts must have been in order to bring tragedy to Grimhild.
What was the talking mirror?
That strange mirror was a gift from Mephisto. It told Grimhild that you were the most beautiful, satisfying her need for confirmation every moment. Building up her obsession with her beauty step by step.
Later, when the mirror changed her position, even the jealousy that Grim Heild would have was Mephisto¡¯s work.
Mephisto has the ability to make the contractor¡¯s heart fill with malice. Just as she did to Alice in Wondend, who usurped the power of the Queen of Hearts.
There was no way that her ability would have worked for an ordinary woman who only coveted her beauty.
When the time was ripe, Mephisto came to Grimhild at the right time as if he had waited and made a second contract to put White into the abyss.
Hopefully the tragedy of Grimheild was already nned.
¡°Wait a minute, mother... ! Don¡¯t go away, don¡¯t go away yet... !¡±
Surely. Grimheild¡¯s formpletely disappeared.
The woman who was yed by Mephisto faced her second end, which was not so insignificant.
Not even her mother¡¯s ashes were left in White¡¯s hands.
When she opened her clenched fist, only the pitiful gray powder remaining in her palm was scattered in the wind.
It felt like my guts were being hacked to pieces. The blood all over his body was boiling.
Her unbearable rage consumed her.
Wow!
The magic of the night gushed out following White¡¯s intense emotions.
It formed the shape of ultramarine blue wings, raising her abilities to several higher levels.
It is a body that has already been affected more than anyone else by the magic of the night fairy. Even more so, thanks to the blood and sweat shed and focused on training, White was able to endure the awakening phase.
A powerful magical power descended on the campus.
Swoop!
The ground was covered with brilliant ultramarine magic.
@@novelbin@@
Heavy mana evaded White¡¯s colleagues and gnawed away at only the zombies.
Merhen Academy¡¯s faculty and students, as well as the Imperial Knights, looked at the magical power of the night that covered the area with shocked faces.
¡°This is... ?¡±
Only the helpless screams of the zombies rang out.
Bewildered, Merlin immediately looked at White.
Her eyes dropped to her knees on the ground, her head bowed, a gray-haired girl with a sense of loss. The magic of the burning night fluttered in her hair and the hem of her dress.
Her magical wings stretched behind White¡¯s back and swayed like mes. In contrast to her ultramarine blue wings, her body was white and glowing softly.
¡°Princess White... ?¡±
White stood up.
Merlin caught White¡¯s face in her field of vision.
A face stained with sadness and anger was covered with a thick murderous intent.
¡°Merlin, I need to go.¡±
¡°Where are you talking... ?¡±
¡°The 1st Campus.¡±
The huge eyeballs filling the sky face towards the 1st campus.
Ferocious mes are spreading in the sky of the 1st campus.
A battlefield where even a few lives won¡¯t be enough.
White was about to leave for the ce where the ¡¸Battle to subdue the evil spirits¡¹ Was taking ce.
¡°That demon... I must kill them with my own hands.¡±
White somehow wanted to punish her demons for making her mother look like this.
¡°White Yellow... !¡±
Wow!
When Merlin rushed to stop it, White exploded her ultramarine magic that made up her wings and left the spot in an instant.
An ultramarine meteor crossed the sky in the direction of the 1st campus.
Chapter 338: Subjugation of Evil Gods (5)
The mansion of the Earl of Holloway.
At the arena, two magical knights practiced swordsmanship and magic, and Ian Fairytale, who was young, watched the match with interest.
Amy Holloway opened her ax eye and asked Ian what he liked about that. Ian couldn¡¯t understand Amy¡¯s question properly because he was focusing on the two magic knights¡¯ sparring with her eyes twinkling.
On that day, Ian¡¯s goal was to be a magic knight.
The two magic knights back then weren¡¯t particrly prestigious men either. Just seeing them fighting together with magic and swordsmanship was enough to fascinate Ian.
In the flower field, Ian stretched out a sturdy tree branch to the sky and swore in front of Amy.
He said he would be a magic knight.
She shouted loudly that she would be strong enough to defend Amy or anyone.
The boy had such a dream.
Wow!
The two hands that held the strong tree branch are now holding the window sword imbued with divine power.
Dragon of Destruction ¨C As Ajidahaka caused a fierce me storm, the demon subjugation team deployed a barrier all at once.
Whee Woo Woo!!
The ultra-high heat wind broke the barrier and swept through the subjugation party. Just by pping the wings of the destroying dragon, it is alreadyparable to high-level magic.
If you get swept away by the heat here, the divine power that permeates the spear sword will be released.
Ian fused with his familiar, Rex, to have the skin of a dinosaur. mes rose from his mouth like a haze.
Quaang!
As he trampled the ground violently, a crack formed around it, and his feet were buried. He fixes himself as it is.
Thanks to his fusion with Rex, he was able to withstand the pain of burning his skin.
Ian¡¯s eyes, burning like mes, focused only on the fiercely resisting Destruction Dragon and the huge eyes quietly contemting the ground.
The sword body of the window myeong sword constantly gathered divine power.
From noble mtl dot
[Do you think I¡¯ll let you go!]
Mephisto of the contract deployed a dark magic circle towards Ian, but the attack was not easily allowed.
In no time, a muscr woman holding a silver two-handed ax came in front of Mephisto. She simply jumped off the ground.
It was Azabel Silverwolf, the corpsmander of Dupendorf that Mephisto fought in Olddrek.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, demon!!¡±
Azabel grins.
The cold air is condensed and the ax is swung, followed by a magic circle.
Quaaa!!!
Inundation of ice. The 5-star ice magic [Ice Explosion] Hit Mephisto.
Mephisto quickly spread the distance while riding on her bizarre chair to avoid the [Ice Explosion], And Azabel summoned her griffin familiar and rode on its back to chase after Mephisto.
Afterwards, the other Dupendorf corpsmanders and ice knights pursued Mephisto in unison.
As Mephisto cast dark magic, Dupendorf¡¯s powerbined ice mana and poured out powerful ice magic to counter it.
Meanwhile, Red Riding Hood Mitchell, Iron Fellow Noah Bartan, imperial knights, part of the mage corps, and a group of golems from female armor-Gormos stepped out toward the zombie army attacking from the direction of thend-connecting bridge.
The dark magic pincer attack of the zombie corps, which is difficult to block, was offset by the dark magic cast by the female armor.
Mitchell holds a whirlwind of red squares, and Noah unleashes numerous great swords in the air. Wizards built a magic circle, and imperial knights wielded swords and spears.
Soon they fought arge-scale battle on thend bridge protected by the barrier aegis.
[Faust.]
At Mephisto¡¯s sullen call, a huge monster of darkness appeared in the air and roared, leaving no trace of its human past.
The great sage, Heinrich Faust.
A human with the most powerful magic among all the people Mephisto has contracted so far.
As the great sage opened his mouth wide enough to split half of his head, dark red mes formed beautiful butterflies in all directions, and a strange star rose in the sky.
It was [Witch¡¯s Night], Ruling the realm of the great sage.
The subjugation party fighting on the continental bridge was wary.
[Grrr!]
[Guaaa!!]
The intensity of the dark magic emitted by the zombies has increased significantly.
The power of their dark magic has also increased.
It was the effect of the domain control magic that the great sage expressed.
¡°Honey!!¡±
Historia Astreang, a once-famous genius wizard, uses wind elemental magic to fight against the zombies¡¯ dark magic.
Gerald Astreang, the swordsman, pierced through the crowd of zombies with his graceful swordsmanship and lightning-like speed, and delivered a sword strike at the great sage Faust.
At that time.
While Mephisto was fighting Dupendorf¡¯s corpsmanders and various subjugation forces, a spiral of dark stems stretched out towards the back of Ian¡¯s head.
But Ian didn¡¯t look back. Because he had a role entrusted to him.
Through it!
The lines of darkness that crossed the air toward Ian at a terrifying speed were soon absorbed by the magic of the ultramarine night.
[Until you....]
Mephisto was taken aback.
In the eyes of that demon, Snow White, a pure white girl with outstretched fairy wings, was showing up.
¡°The White Princess?¡±
The power of the imperial side could not hide their surprise.
White flew towards Mephisto without saying a word, and she started a fierce battle by casting night wind magic.
In her eyes, there was only a cold will to fight.
Swoop!!
At the same time, a sea of ultramarine blue magic covered thend bridge and the ck element corps.
A power that ignores those who belong to the rules set by White and gnaws at others.
Many zombies fell under its power, but the ck element corps leisurely spread dark red mes and drove away White¡¯s magic.
[Kaaa!!]
A roaring dragon of destruction. The huge body burned to pitch ck.
Soon, the Dragon of Destructionpletely transformed into a ck dragon.
The original kings and the familiars they summoned had seeded in driving them into a corner.
However, it was a daunting task for the original kings even to stop the destroying dragon from pping its wings. They were already pouring out a lot of blood.
Whee Woo Woo!!!
As the Dragon of Destruction created a firestorm, the spreading mes of extinction swept away most of the knights facing the ck Element and devastated the battlefield.
¡°Turn it off... !¡±
At some point, Kaya changed into an evil personality and focused on healing herrades with blood magic and nt magic.
Healing wizards, including Kaya, had to use healing magic without blinking their eyes.
Even in such a fierce war situation, Ian gathered all his mental strength and was ready to wield the sword.
Wheein.
A white dharma formation unfolds above the head of the Destruction Dragon.
As the Destruction Dragon sensed the crisis and tried to leave the ce, the Wonkings and their respective familiars poured in all their strength to open an element barrier and block the Destruction Dragon¡¯s movement path.
At that moment, Ian swung his sword at the Destruction Dragon.
Quaaa!!!!
The divine power poured down like a waterfall and attacked the destroying dragon.
In the pale rays of light hitting the ground, the destroying dragon let out a grotesque scream and gradually disappeared.
[Expulsion from Paradise]. Ian¡¯s blow came at the right time.
As the light faded, the Doom Dragon faded away, blowing away in the wind like a lifeless ember.
The subjugation team watched the ruin dragon¡¯s downfall with their eyes wide open, and one imperial knight reported with a trembling voice.
¡°Ajidahaka, the subjugation was sessful!!¡±
The demon subjugation party let out a shout.
The charter has turned in a hopeful direction.
The fact that they subdued the Destruction Dragon seemed to add fuel to their fiery fighting spirit.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Good work, Ian!!¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°... From now on, it¡¯s only yours. Tell me when you¡¯re ready I¡¯ll shoot you anytime. I swear I will risk my life to protect you.¡±
A middle-aged male imperial wizard said to Ian.
¡°... Yes.¡±
Ian looked up at the huge eyes that filled the red sky.
The next problem is Angra Mainyu.
A terrifying gigantic body that is sure to scare any living creature. Angra Mainyu¡¯s overwhelming majesty aroused the fundamental fear of the subjugation party.
The Dragon of Destruction-Ajdahaka was able to somehow drive out the Evil God Subjugation Team, which gathered all the best forces in the world, but only Ian had to fight for Angra Mainyu.
Ian calmed his shaking chest with a deep breath.
¡°You can win....¡±
A quiet monologue.
Everyone had hope.
You can win.
The subjugation party continued the battle, saying that they would be able to win if this flow continued.
Kuuu!!
But... As ifughing at them all, the [Infinite Ice and Snow Scene] Suddenly unfolded in the sky, vibrating and engulfed in dark red mes.
Roaring!!!
The realm of conflict between Isaac and the evil god copses.
Finally, the realm of the evil spirits ate Isaac¡¯s realm.
[Infinite Ice and Snow Scene] Has been unlocked.
As if time had slowed down, the subjugation party had to witness the unbelievable sight.
The demonic beasts of the giant body were reverse summoned and crashed all at once.
Ice Snow Dragon ¨C Hild, Crusher ¨C Eden, Sangui ¨C Merbul, Bingtoewung ¨C Barbatoma, Taedongak ¨C Tugaros.
As they all disappeared, the ice wizard who was falling alone caught the eye of the subjugation party.
Wait, silence covered the world as if it held its breath.
A sense of helplessness and despair filled the eyes of the punitive forces.
¡°Isaac... ?¡±
Le, Dorothy, Alice, and White all opened their eyes wide as they witnessed the scene.
¡°Isaac!¡±
Reflexively, Kaya flew into the wind and caught Isaac.
Isaac was already passed out.
Tanned skin. Wounded body.
It was not directly burned by the mes of the evil god, but it was safe to say that it was a wreck.
Kooooo!!
The goddess in a ck dress exuding both splendid and dim majesty in the sky appeared again.
Intense pressure pressed down on the subjugation party.
Evil god Nephid.
The demon floating in the sky spread five pairs of me wings.
Furr rrr!
The subjugation team hurriedly opened the barriers, but they couldn¡¯t even withstand the magic of the evil god that had only been emitted, and all the barriers were shattered.
¡°Kyaaak!¡±
Embracing Isaac, Kaya was protected by Dorothy¡¯s starlight shield and blood and nt-based magic, but even that was easily burned and blown away.
¡°Ugh... !¡±
Ian, who was swept away by the frenzy, stuck his sword into the floor and got up from his spot.
I looked up at the sky.
The god of demons. The evil god Nephid came into the field of vision of the subjugation party.
Ian was ovee with a deep sense of fear. Even the promise to protect everyone was useless in front of the demon¡¯s might.
The demon stretched his right arm upward.
Roaring!!!!!
Unfathomable magic power burns in the form of a ck me above that right hand.
The me instantly turned into a ck sphere and formed a single sun.
An astronomical amount of magical power enough to distort space-time around it.
Any marvelous natural phenomenon would be powerless before it.
¡°Char, Miss Charlotte... ! Aegis....¡±
¡°I bet you noticed.¡±
Archmage Charlotte closed her eyes and resigned herself.
¡°Even the Aegis is useless. I can¡¯t stop that.¡±
I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the situation in front of me was so clear.
Even the strongest barrier built by the efforts of the whole world will not be of any use in front of the evil god.
At this moment, everything they had umted became meaningless.
[It¡¯s all over.]
Mephisto giggled.
Koo-goo-goo-goo!
ck spheres appeared all over the world and began to encroach on space.
The ability of Nephid, the evil god. The space upied by the sphere is stained with nothingness.
¡°All!! Stay away from the sphere!¡±
Royal Guard, Jacule Calix, cast an amplification spell on his voice and shouted.
The irregrly generated ck spheres ate anything, whether it was part of the academy building, thend, or the sea, and gradually grew in size.
That power does not discriminate against any dimension or world.
The time of the end hase.
Chapter 339: Subjugation of Evil Gods (6)
©¤ ¡®Kaya will be a great wizard.¡¯
©¤ ¡®Because it¡¯s your mother¡¯s daughter?¡¯
©¤ ¡®I¡¯m not saying this because she¡¯s my daughter. Kaya has no choice but to do that.¡¯
It is a memory that the sunset sky was especially beautiful.
As a child, Kaya Astreang remembered vividly the time in her mother, Historia¡¯s arms, gazing at the horizon as her sun set.
Historia always boasted. You¡¯re going to be a great wizard.
To repay that trust, Kaya has been working hard on her magic training.
However, her past of not being able to defeat her Luce El Tania once haunted her.
She was resentful of herself for not being able to properly support Isaac.
Is that why? At some point, her sense of defeat was deeply rooted and she lost her confidence.
The reason why she didn¡¯t show her feelings was because of her memories of expressing her true feelings to Luce during the final evaluation of the first semester of her first year.
She herself at that time was very ugly. Without Isaac, she would have been just an ugly loser.
©¤ ¡®As if I had received the blessing of life. What a terrible talent.¡¯
The words of the iron fairy Rachneel echoed in Kaya¡¯s mind.
Kaya wished she had the power to help her Isaac.
For her Isaac, Kaya wanted to do anything.
However, the tattered school uniform stepped on her eyes.
She didn¡¯t even have the strength to withstand the pping of the evil god¡¯s wings.
The only thing I had to prepare for was death.
She is not only her. The evil god subjugation team looked at the evil god and felt death.
The fighting spirit of the subjugation party has subsided.
Having hope is only possible when you can expect even the slightest hope.
The sight unfolding before the eyes of the subjugation party... It was despair itself.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Isaac.... Because I can only do this....¡±
From noble mtl dot
Whee Woo Woo!!
Kaya tried to protect Isaac, who was cradled in her arms, by creating wind around her even when the heat wave hit.
She thought it was the only thing she could do.
She constantly tries to heal Isaac with nt magic, but the red magic remnants of the evil god¡¯s sword persistently hinder the healing.
¡°Please.... Even recovery... !¡±
My voice was pierced with helplessness. Tears welled up in Kaya¡¯s eyes.
I should have done well with my main skill, healing, but nothing could help.
A sense of doubt came over me.
It would be fortunate if I could protect this man even at the cost of my life.
However, how can I stop that evil god, that ck sun, that has descended with its brilliance in the sky?
With Charra!!!
A clear and clear sound rose like a shower.
As the vast amount of magic power descended, Kaya was startled and turned to the source of the magic power.
¡°... ....¡±
A group of colorful stars rose fiercely behind Dorothy, and a huge magic circle was unfolding.
The magic circle of 9-star starlight magic [Supernova Explosion]. The most devastating ultimate she can use.
The price was his own life.
¡°Senior Dorothy... ?¡±
Under the witch¡¯s hat, Dorothy¡¯s eyes were cold.
She didn¡¯t even hesitate. She said that if Isaac had been beaten, she had no other way.
Dorothy was determined to protect Isaac, even at the cost of her life.
I took off my witch hat and sent it flying into the air. The hat fell off in the wind as if dancing freely.
Even the string that tied Dorothy¡¯s lotus purple hair came undone, and her long, straight hair blew in the wind.
Body shining brightly. The magic of her starlight in Dorothy¡¯s magic circuits swelled to the point of exploding.
She¡¯s like a bomb herself.
¡°Dorothy, stop it!¡±
Alice shouted urgently, but Dorothy showed no sign of retrieving her magic circle.
¡°I am the only one. At least that¡¯s something I¡¯ll try to do.¡±
Dorothy raises the corner of her mouth.
She was already prepared.
If Isaac is defeated by the evil god, she will give the evil god a blow, even by using the ultimate skill of starlight magic.
¡°... ....¡±
Kaya witnessed Dorothy¡¯s determination.
Within seconds, she bit her teeth and squeezed her arms, trying to calm her tremors.
He soothed the rough breathing with deep breathing. The beating heart and shaking eyes gradually calmed down like an animal.
At times like this, she had to control the torrent of emotions even more.
If you stay still, you¡¯ll just get hit.
Kaya concentrated, refining her magical powers.
Remembering Isaac¡¯s words.
©¤ ¡®You haven¡¯t shown your true value yet. You still have room to grow more explosively.¡¯
Jinga.
I don¡¯t know about that.
Even what potential you have.
But now, if I couldn¡¯t show my true value, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.
It was now or never. Potential, whatever, I had to scrape together what I had and pour it out right here.
Poof! Kaya stretched Armana¡¯s wand towards the sky.
She felt and understood her own strength.
What is the true value of nt magic?
It is an overflow of vitality.
What is the most suitable price for that ability?
... It must also be vitality.
Kaya used her life force as fuel.
Hwaaa!!
As if the nt¡¯s mana responded to Kaya¡¯s earnestness, it spun violently and emitted a brilliant light from the wand.
One after another, huge blue-green magic circles covered the sky. Like a work of art, it was a beautiful magic circle with borate and intricate patterns.
Dorothy, who was about to give her life, the other members of the punitive force, and the demons all looked at the magic circle.
A unique magical power that is different from the magical power that all creatures have felt so far has spread throughout the area.
People immediately recognized the identity of that power.
¡°This is life force... ?¡±
Charlotte, the archmage who is monologue.
That power is full of vitality.
One of Kaya¡¯s eyes was green, and the other eye was changed to an evil red color. The two personalities joined forces.
¡°Kaya... !¡±
Kaya¡¯s mother, Historia, who was fighting on thend bridge, looked up at the turquoise magic circle in the sky and shouted.
All the flowers and trees that had withered in the winter wind splendidly bloomed as if they were in spring.
However, Kaya¡¯s body could not easily handle the pulsation of the nt¡¯s mana.
¡°Cool... !¡±
Blood poured from Kaya¡¯s mouth, but she didn¡¯t care.
¡®I see.... I know what I am.¡¯
Only then did Kaya understand.
@@novelbin@@
Kaya¡¯s potential that Isaac saw through was deeply connected to her memories of her childhood, which she had lost.
Historia, who was infertile, wanted a child of her own, so she and Gerald Astrreang went to Sylpia, the fairy of the green blue, and asked for her help.
Sylphia solved Historia¡¯s infertility problem, and she extracted reproductive cells from both of them to make flower seeds.
It was the condition Sylpia offered to the Astreans couple that they would make the baby born from that flower seed a descendant of Hwarokcheong. Because the baby born between the two of them will surely be gifted with outstanding talent.
The contract has been concluded.
The Astreang couple nted flower seeds in a pot, and a green nt gradually grew from the pot.
Around that time, Historia became pregnant and gave birth to her precious first daughter Merlin, many yearster. The nt that was nted in a pot finally has a flower bud.
A small and lovely baby was born inside a pizza of flowers.
Historia named the little baby Kaya, and since it was the size of her thumb, she called her Thumbelina and pampered her.
Kaya gradually grew her size, and by the time she was five years old, she had grown to the point where she was considered a normal child.
She was born from the beginning of a flower and was blessed with life.
From the beginning, Kaya was born with a natural ability to reach the ultimate in nt magic.
Bing a member of Hwarokcheong was not a coincidence, it was inevitable.
The dark red mes that pervade the area are consumed by the pulsating vitality.
Silence fell.
In the wand held by Kaya, pure and intense vitality instantly expanded, filling the heavens and earth, and vibrating the air.
The magnificent magic circle emits light.
The turquoise mana, filled with vitality, pierced the sky.
Quaaa!!!
The mana gradually took the form of a tree trunk mysteriously glowing.
The mana full of life force was unaffected by the heat that Angra Mainyu exuded around it.
The tree trunk reached outside the sky and prated Angra Mainyu, expanding its territory. After that, it stretched out in all directions and produced abundant bundles of shaped leaves.
The lofty turquoise magic fills the world.
A legendary magic that could only be used by Sylphia, a fairy of green blue.
The ultimate nt magic, [Yggdrasil], Has been manifested in the world.
Whee Woo Woo Woo!!
The ck sun that the evil god stretched out over his right hand faded as it was wrapped in turquoise magic.
The countless eyes that made up the evil god¡¯s ck dress were frowning. It was because of [Yggdrasil]¡¯S magic that prated the demons in response to the power of destruction.
The ability to devour enemies like deadly poison, inflicting unknown ordeals and destroying their spirits.
The evil god felt the unknown power that was trying to drag his spirit down into the far-off abyss.
As [Yggdrasil] Concentrated all its strength on the evil spirit, that power worked effectively, albeit briefly.
The evil god opened all his eyes and red at Kaya.
The demonic god, who treated no one other than Isaac as an enemy, recognized Kaya as clearly as he did.
[You are born with the blessing of life.... Offensively.]
Mephisto narrowed his eyes.
Angra Mainyu, pierced by [Yggdrasil], Roared fiercely, spewing mes.
He wouldn¡¯t lose his life that much.
However, the pration of life force contrary to his nature gave him strong pain.
¡°That tree... how... ?¡±
The punitive forces were astonished.
Dorothy gathered the starlight magic circle and just looked at the turquoise tree soaring out of the sky with a surprised face.
Surely.
A cradle made of magic was built around Kaya. The cradle carried Isaac.
Colorful and mysterious flowers bloomed in the cradle.
Blue-green magic flowed out of the cradle, removing the remnants of dark red magic, and petals as soft as silk fluttered and wiped away Isaac¡¯s wounds.
The Cradle of Flowers covered each and every one of Kaya¡¯s allies who were already incapacitated, healing their wounds.
That refreshing beauty is in contrast to Kaya, who is already covered in blood.
A secondary effect of [Yggdrasil]. The recovery magic, [Flower Land].
As if time had turned back, Isaac was rejuvenated.
He opened his eyes slowly.
¡°... Kaya?¡±
¡°Isaac! Are you okay?¡±
Kaya cried out in tears.
The vitality that touches the skin.
As he looked up, a huge tree cutting through the sky came into Isaac¡¯s field of vision.
¡°[Yggdrasil]....¡±
A tree of life that creates trials to break the spirits of enemies.
The magic that can be used as a side effect also boasts excellent effects.
If it¡¯s an enemy¡¯s ability, it¡¯s the worst, but if it¡¯s an ally¡¯s ability, it¡¯s incredibly reliable.
¡°... Thank god.¡±
¡¸Behind the scenes ¨C Thumbelina¡¹.
Kaya Astreang, who was born from the flower of life, fully realized the true value of nt attributes at this moment.
Kaya¡¯s [Yggdrasil], Which reached a higher level than in the game, boasted a much bigger size and power than Isaac expected.
Wow!
Isaac stood up, stretched out three pairs of frost wings, and stood in the air alongside Kaya.
Colorful petals that do not match the apocalyptic scenery were scattered around them as if they were a spring day.
¡°Thank you. I was careless. I lived thanks to you.¡±
¡°... Didn¡¯t you already predict? I will do this.¡±
Kaya, who had already reached her limit, looked at Isaac with blurred eyes, shaking his body as if feeling a chill.
Kaya was sure. Isaac must have predicted that she would grow that huge tree.
¡°Okay.¡±
Isaac replied calmly.
Guessing Kaya¡¯s condition, Isaac grabbed her hand.
The two red at the evil spirit.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°... I love you. Please survive.¡±
Isaac smiled.
At that time, dark red mes covered the sky.
Roaring!!!
The evil god spread five pairs of me wings and flew towards Kaya. It was a coercive advance.
However, Isaac could not allow the evil spirit to approach.
Whewyyyyy! Ice magic was swirling in the sky, and a rising moon of ice was built. It radiated a mysterious halo.
The ultimate ice magic [Ice Moon].
Isaac stopped time, reached right in front of the evil god, and swung his right hand with condensed ice magic.
The 5-star [Ice Explosion] Collided with the evil god¡¯s shield made of red and ck mes.
Quaaa!!!
A cold shockwave flooded the area, and a violent explosion of steam blew the air away.
However, the impact did not reach the ind.
Because the two beings were imprisoned by the [Infinite Ice and Snow], The domain of control that Isaac had built before he knew it.
A mysterious ice pce has settled behind Isaac. Isaac and the evil spirit stepped into the realm of death where the fierce cold raged.
At the center of it, the ice moon was shining mysteriously.
¡°Who are you targeting? I am your opponent.¡±
Isaac said calmly.
Kaya is a human born with the blessing of life.
ording to the message Dorothy left in the first ythrough, Kaya could have be a vessel of the evil god.
Isaac couldn¡¯t even guess what kind of disaster would happen if the evil god took [Yggdrasil] As his own.
That sort of thing had to be prevented somehow.
¡°The end has begun....¡±
Isaac, who came to his senses, found ck spheres appearing all over the world.
As we saw in the Trial of the Sandstone, the existence of the evil spirit itself marked the end of all worlds.
The Earth must be in the same situation.
From noble mtl dot
Roaring!!
Half of [Infinite Ice and Snow Scene] Has been transformed into a scene of inferno.
The realm of evil spirits filled with dark red mes and ck structures collides with the realm of Isaac.
Dominating the Realm, [ck Nest].
In the realm of infinity, an evil spirit has risen in the air. The five pairs of me wings that the demon extended out showed off their true form.
Dark red mes soar, showing off the majesty of the evil god.
On the other hand, Isaac stretched out his body lightly and looked at the demon god wrapped in mes.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the second game.¡±
Booooo!!
Isaac spread three pairs of blue wings, emitting cold air from the [Ice Emperor] All over his body.
At the same time, in the blink of an eye, a huge iron gate with an unfathomable area appeared in the sky.
It¡¯s good!
The iron door opened and cold air of absolute zero poured out.
In it, the demonic beast that transcended life and death showed red eyes through several eyes.
ck and red mes rose like a storm against the cold.
Already, that space was no different from a limb in which anyone, except for Isaac and the evil god, would lose their life if they stepped into it.
Wheein! Countless magic circles lined up in the air.
Whewyyyyy!!
Isaac stretches his right arm up to the chill sun.
Roaring!!
The evil god raised his right arm and created a ck sun.
The two beings collided again.
Chapter 340: Subjugation of Evil Gods (7)
On one side stretches endlesslight, on the other side stretches endless emptiness.
Ice pieces make a cheerful sound as they shatter, and embers crackle and spring like a freshly erupted volcano.
Just by me and Nephid, the Evil God floating in the air, colliding with our magical powers, the impact spread like an explosion.
Quaaang!!!
A series of all kinds of binge drinking. I encountered world-destroying magic many times.
Even if you stop time with the [Ice Moon], Approach and pour ice magic, the Primordial Jade Demon Beast-Diakan shoots out of his mouth with cold magic, and pours out [Cold Ice Hell] Several times... It was only to offset the wide me of the evil god.
Because I have already experienced the status of a transcendent, I have a keen sense of it.
I am a human who has not reached divine status.
On the other hand, evil spirits are those who have already attained divinity.
¡®It¡¯s filthy strong....¡¯
As the story of Ste, the fairy of the stars, there was an excessivelyrge gap between the current evil god and the evil god of .
I can¡¯tpare it to the 1st ythrough when the evil god was defeated horribly even with a single finger, but my skills were still not up to that of the evil god.
It is unknown if Ozuma will be able to defeat the evil god even if he uses the power of conversion left behind, that is, the power that expresses it in a game-like way and increases my [Combat power against races] By 1.5 Times.
Even so, I had to keep that power as a trump card under my n.
The evil spirit will always find a way to deal with it.
If I unreservedly reveal my hand in a situation where victory is not certain, then all hope will copse.
Repeating the calctions of the highest level magic, fiercely rotating the magic power flowing through the magic circuit, and constantly rolling my head to choose the best option at every moment.
Roaring!!!
¡°Keep it off!!¡±
It flew up against the fiercely burning mes of extinction with fierce cold.
My eyesight flickered. It is shocking that we are facing each other with cmities and cmities.
At best, Kaya has been able to recover, but the condition of the whole body is already not good.
¡®Kaya....¡¯
I wonder if Kaya has fainted by now.
Since [Yggdrasil] Was raised high in order to temporarily neutralize the evil spirit, it must have consumed its life force.
There is a fortunate thing.
Kaya uses the nt magic [Yggdrasil] As a catalyst with the Yggdrasil seeds she wears like her ne. The vacancy of her life force she paid for would have been reced by her life force contained in the seed.
The moment Kaya uses [Yggdrasil], The fusion between herself and her seed begins. At most, her life force, which she had dedicated, would have returned to its original state.
Unfortunately, Kaya¡¯s excellent recovery magic can no longer be expected. He must already have the limit of his stamina.
In other words, if I copsed from now on, it would really be the end.
I had to drive the evil spirits here.
In the midst of the heavy drinking, the blood flowing from her head soaked into her eyes, and she quickly wiped the blood with her hand.
Because it has been engulfed in powerful steam explosions several times, its whole body is already full of blood. It was at the level of forgiveness that he narrowly avoided the body defect.
@@novelbin@@
But I did not hesitate. I tried not to show any signs of exhaustion.
Roaring!!
Like a shower, but powerfully, arge amount of mes that burned everything in contact without discrimination.
Several ck orbs that consumed space one after another and colored it into nothingness flew silently. It was empty magic.
One by one, each catastrophic attack aimed only at me.
I had to prepare for death just by brushing against him.
Quaaa!!!
I gritted my teeth and fired [Ice Hell], And a cold shockwave covered all directions.
The effect is only temporary. A shower of mes cut through the aftermath of the explosion and continued uninterrupted.
Wherever you run away, you will die. Blocking all of those attacks is absolutely impossible with my abilities.
[Ice Moon] Consumes a lot of mana. Anything that can be avoided must be avoided.
Increasing the momentum of the cold wings, he evaded the attacks of the evil spirits and crossed the air at full speed.
Concentrated. The unavoidable attack was blocked by raising her magical power and pouring the 7-star ice magic [Nether cier] At full output. Among my skills, it was a magic optimized for neutralizing attacks.
In the barren atmosphere, arge-scale magic circle was deployed around the evil spirit, shooting hundreds of [Ice Spears], A spear made of ice crystals, and dropping a lump of rock covered with cold, [Winter Meteorite].
He even used [Absolute Zero], The unique magic of the Frosty Scythe that cuts through space.
However, the evil god cleverly spread and rotated the mes of extinction and swallowed all my ranged attacks.
We¡¯ll take it step by step.
¡®As expected, my pattern is being destroyed....¡¯
f*cking it, the evil god was able to figure out my battle pattern and respond effectively as the battle got longer.
This was an expected situation. However, the emotions you feel when you only expected it and when you actually experienced it are on a different level.
I was on the verge of cursing when I saw them face to face.
Still, there was hope. It was because the momentum of the mes that formed the demon¡¯s body, including the demon¡¯s dress, was weaker than before.
The evil spirit red at me with countless red eyes. Does he feel the same way as me?
It was a pleasure. I feel very dirty right now.
Running through the air, spinning tracks, narrowly piercing through showers of sparks, they continued on their way.
I avoided all spheres of emptiness.
When they finally reached the evil spirit, the highest level of ice magic and fire magic shed close and shouted destruction at each other.
Quaaa!!!!
Another fierce explosion erupted. My vision was covered with shes oflight. My eardrum burst and I heard a beep, tinnitus in the distance.
It¡¯s a force that would have destroyed the world if each other hadn¡¯t built the territory.
We were caught in an explosion. I deployed the ice barrier that wrapped around the [Nether cier], But I couldn¡¯tpletely block the shock that pierced me to my bones.
My body flew backwards, and the demon flew to the other side of me.
We stretched out our wings and corrected our posture.
¡°Ha ha ha....¡±
I caught my breath.
I don¡¯t know what my physical condition is right now, but judging from the intense pain that resonated throughout my body and the blood that poured out, it didn¡¯t seem to be in a very good condition.
Roar!!
The evil god spread a st of fire and forced the aftermath of the explosion back.
Looking at it again, the hem of the demon¡¯s ck me dress had shrunk considerably. He still seemed to have room, but it was clear that he was pushing it.
It was time to gather mana to attack without stopping.
The demon stretched out his right arm to the side.
Wheei!
A gap was formed at the fingertips leading to the subspace.
¡°...... !¡±
The evil spirit¡¯s ulterior motive was discovered at once.
I flew towards the evil god again.
* * *
Wheey!
Above the war-torn ind, a gap appeared from the sky leading to subspace.
In the gap, a huge arm wrapped in annihtion mes emerged.
Six long fingers squirmed and sttered ck embers.
Kooooo!!
Suddenly, the arm of me stretched toward the ground and became infinitely longer.
The target of the arms of me in the raging sound was a female student, Kaya Astreang, who had fainted while lying on the ground.
¡°Come!¡±
The magician army guarding Kaya shouted and deployed the barrier all at once.
However, the arm of me continued to burn the barrier and move forward without a break.
Quaaa!!
With Charara!!
The original kings, who were already scarred, poured powerful elemental magic toward the arms of me.
At the same time, Dorothy also flew in and fired starlight magic with all her might towards the arms of me.
The elemental pincers with high magic density and the 8-star starlight magic [Sacred Explosion] Created a huge explosion, lighting up the horizon and striking the arms of me, creating a fierce roar.
©¤ ¡®If I seed in driving the evil spirit to some extent, he will probably target Kaya. Kaya is a gifted child of her life. The evil spirit will try to make her kaya her new vessel of her own. Therefore... I¡¯ll leave it to you. Please protect Kaya with all her might.¡¯
This is what Isaac said during the strategy meeting. It was the content that was emphasized based on the information Dorothy left in the first ythrough.
The trajectory of the arm of me was severely distorted by the powerful magic bombardment. However, the arm did not give up and continued towards Kaya.
All forces of the subjugation team intercepted the arms of me all at once. Gradually, the momentum of the me that wrapped around that huge arm weakened.
When the size shrank and shrunk, and eventually reached the point where Kaya couldn¡¯t be helped.
Toouk!
The arm of me pulled Kaya¡¯s ne with telekinesis and held it in her hand.
¡°What?¡±
¡°That bastard, no way... ?¡±
The seed of Yggdrasil.
Sylphea¡¯s gift that inspired Kaya with nt magic.
The catalyst for [Yggdrasil] That has now been harmonized with Kaya.
As the arm of me weakened, the evil god¡¯s goal changed.
Wow!
¡°Ugh!¡±
The arm of me created a gust of blue-green magic.
Dorothy and the original kings, who stirred the air and attacked the arms of me, were swept away by the gust of wind andnded on a building or the ground, leaving craters behind.
The arm of me faded, and the gap in subspace closed.
¡°I took the seed of nt magic....¡±
Looking at the ce where the gap in the subspace was closed, an imperial mage trembled with a frightened face.
The worst was averted, but the lesser evil was not.
* * *
Challenge!
The inside of the [Infinite Ice and Snow Scene].
I desperately tried to freeze the gap in the subspace by pouring cold air, but an unexpected situation urred.
I couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.
¡°Seeds... ?¡±
Wow!!!
¡°Queue!!¡±
As the evil god seized the new power of the seed of Yggdrasil, waves of magical power roared and spread.
While crossing the air, he hurriedly stopped on the spot, covered his face with his arms, and endured the waves.
Soon, I witnessed a bluish-green mana that was ipatible with a destructive being.
A sphere made of the magic of life embraced an evil spirit, and began to harmonize with the mes that brought about destruction.
Involuntarily, my eyes widened.
The reason why Kaya can be a vessel of evil spirits is because of the power of life.
The seed of Yggdrasil was no exception.
That¡¯s... Dangerous.
Furr rrr.
A soft blue-greenlightwas wrapped around the dark red me.
The sphere containing the evil spirit gradually faded, and a female demon came into view.
The turquoise rings that follow the demon¡¯s head, filled with the power of life.
Ten magic circles of nt attributes, and mes and wings of life extending from the magic circles.
That heterogeneous appearance, like an incarnation of evil or a holy goddess... I let out a feeling of oppression that oppressed my whole body.
Life and ruin.
The two powers were held in the hands of the evil god Nephid.
[...] ....]
The demon stretched her right arm upward.
A beautiful turquoise trace is engraved in the sky.
From noble mtl dot
A huge holy tree soared above it, andrge and splendid leaves of dark red me rose up with the momentum to cover the realm of eternity.
A magnificent sight.
Burning [Yggdrasil].
Every branch of the tree indicated nine dimensions in which the apocalypse was in progress.
¡°Uh... ?¡±
My head vibrated. When I looked around, I could see the dark red magic that colored all directions.
It¡¯s a mental attack. It was clear that [Yggdrasil] Of destruction was trying to drag my mind down into the abyss.
I couldn¡¯t avoid it.
No matter how much I was, there was no immunity that could handle such power.
I hurriedly built 3 spheres of [Hanging Hell] Andunched them toward the burning [Yggdrasil], But the evil god also responded by shooting 3 spheres of ck sun.
Quaaa!!!!
The power of evil spirit magic has also increased.
My body was blown away helplessly by the explosion and I rolled around in the middle of the [Endless Ice and Snow Scene] For a long time.
¡°Ugh... ! Diakan!!¡±
My throat exploded and I screamed.
Wonok Demon Beast ¨C Dia Khan gathered ice magic and tried to pour it into her mouth. However, Diakan, who was engulfed by [Yggdrasil]¡¯S mental attack before me, soon closed his eyes.
This is the end.
I tried toe to my senses by hitting the head with my fist several times, but to no avail.
The unbearable drowsiness set in and my consciousness went farther away.
It felt as if a disgusting arm had grabbed my legs and tried to drag me down into the swamp.
Roar!!
The evil god has built the ck sun again.
The sun growing in size while distorting even space-time seemed like a death sentence handed down to me.
I had to stop it.
However, reason could not perform proper magic calctions.
I opened my eyes, gritted my blood-stained teeth, and somehow kept my spirits up while raising my mana.
... It was then.
¡°...... !¡±
I felt a presence outside the realm.
There was only one thing that could stand against that tree of destruction.
¡°Are you here now....¡±
Hwaaa!!!
In the dominion realm where I and the evil god collided, the ground was covered in white shes in the blink of an eye.
Numerous eyes of the evil god shed.
The ground began to spread dazzlinglight, and white pirs rose one by one behind my back, forming a temple.
The domain of light.
The ck sun faded and the ck me¡¯s magic scattered.
For the first time, the evil spirit [Stop...] !] And groaned.
¡°Heo Eok, Heo Eok....¡±
I heard the breathing of a wee guy.
The man I allowed to enter the [Endless Ice and Snow Scene] Came to my side with a messy body.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte....¡±
Quaak! The guy mmed his spear sword into the ground.
The window myeong sword emitted a beautiful light and acted as a vein in the realm of light.
Ian Fairytale.
He reached this ce after defeating even Angra Mainyu.
¡°... Thank you foring.¡±
¡°Isaac. Last... , leave it to you.¡±
Ian, seemingly unable to open his eyes, tried to smile at me, then fell forward.
It reached its limit.
So Ian passed out.
¡°Thank you very much....¡±
For protection, Ian was covered withyers of [Ice Barrier] And Ice Barrier.
Anyway, this guy who was born with divine power would quickly recover and regain his sanity.
I looked at the demon again. He was seen struggling and suffering.
Dominating the Realm, [The Temple of Light].
As long as the spear sword is inserted into the [Infinite Ice Snow Scene], The area of light covered with divine power will be maintained.
The ruinous [Yggdrasil] Did not fully function. It was because of the interference of the [Temple of Light].
The red light that colored my vision disappeared, and my consciousness became clear as if I had awakened.
It was self-evident that the evil spirit was still stronger than me, but it was hard to hold back the smile that naturally flowed from my lips.
I spit out the blood in my mouth and opened my mouth.
¡°Isn¡¯t that it?¡±
I conveyed my voice to the demon¡¯s head through magic.
Instead of answering, the evil god responded with anger and malice towards me.
The demon¡¯s bloodshot eyes only red at me.
It was a very pleasant sight.
He continued to speak in aughing voice.
¡°How many crazy things have I done to get you?¡±
Chararak.
He raised ice magic above his right hand.
Ice crystals floated in the air.
¡°So now, I am really happy. Because you can finally do it.¡±
In the blurry vision, someone can be seen at a nce from the figure of the evil god covered in dark red mes.
I am an extra who once went on a journey to be the main character.
In the end, he was frustrated and made an extreme choice, but the journey he ran with all his might eventually led to me at the Merchen Academy.
Isaac, your efforts were not in vain.
Every journey you took was worth a thousand gold.
¡°... Goes.¡±
Watch it.
I will put an end to this journey you have continued.
So... Get some rest.
Chapter 341: Subjugation of Evil Gods (8)
Roaring!!!
The wave of dark red mes nervously spread by the evil spirit collided with the ice magic of my intense firepower.
In the area filled with pure whitelight, arge amount of magic circles were built and disappeared repeatedly with strong explosions.
I checked the situation.
The evil god used the seed of Yggdrasil as his own power. In other words, [Yggdrasil] Was the only nt magic he could use.
Resilience would have been greatly enhanced, but the effect would have been reduced in the [Temple of Light].
Because the realm of light greatly weakens all abilities possessed by demons.
As Ste said at the Ice Lake, the power of killing God is also included in the range of effect of [Temple of Light].
It is still difficult to fully intervene by God, even by force... I heard that it bes possible to help me on a very small level.
¡®Ste.¡¯
I remembered my n that I talked to Ste at the Ice Lake.
Now it was Ste¡¯s turn.
After I returned from the Ice Lake, the time hase to bear fruit for a year.
* * * * * * * * * *
The world has reached a turning point around Hicks, a game developer.
Number of people who had entered Hicks¡¯ building in Ilsan, South Korea were found in a closed railroad tunnel, and the world paid attention to Hicks.
Even if the helicopter bombed, the game building was restored to its original appearance in the blink of an eye.
Even when the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was put in, they all went missing and were found somewhere in South Korea.
When they returned, they lost all memories of entering the Hicks building.
Mysterious phenomena urred one after another, so the Hicks developers began to be called monsters or aliens, and the government asked them to talk.
However, Hicks stubbornly refused the conversation because he wanted a one-waymunication.
Even though they didn¡¯t cause any damage, they even responded that they were annoyed by humanity¡¯s hostile attitude.
Since then, the government has taken a cautious approach, recognizing that the situation is more serious than expected.
When such a confrontation continued. That is, about a year ago when Isaac met Ste at the Ice Lake.
Hicks released DLC.
The title was ¡°Isaac¡±.
[ Is a pure game without any problems, and the DLC is also the same. Please note that we may also take coercive measures if we impose sanctions on the services provided by Hicks for reasons outside of the game.]
Aletz, head of game development, spoke through the Hicks channel on the video tform.
She bowed her upper body and kept her manners, but the announcement was practically a warning to the nation.
Apart from the mystery of Hicks, people were curious.
Since the character Isaac, who was only an extra in , Has taken on the main character of the DLC.
In the DLC story, Isaac was in a position to know the future, and it was premised on recognizing even the status window.
It had an intro that would only appear in mass-produced fantasy novels.
DLC stimtes the interest of
Merchen¡¯s Magic Knight fans in that they can enjoy content that could not be expected from this game, such as the story that would continue if Dorothy Hartnova did not self-destruct with the floating ind and Alice Carroll¡¯s secret It was enough to do.
However, the fact that dating content waspletely excluded from the DLC and that you had to y an extra character whose attributes were already set, rather than the familiar protagonist, Ian Fairytale, worked as negative factors.
Even so, the game itself, such as excellent graphics and controls, detailed andlightaction, rich content, and a meticulous physics engine that is several steps ahead of the technology of famous gamepanies, was so great that it could be said that it was ahead of its time. .
In the end, the DLC received great reviews.
[ New DLC from Hicks, a mysterious game developer! ]
[ DLC Isaac y Status ]
[ Everyone... This is crazy... DLC Live ]
[ God game DLC review that was far ahead of its time ]
Video tform, intemunity, game evaluation site, etc.
The DLC caused a huge wave in the world as much as Hicks¡¯ mystery.
So many people yed DLC for a long time, and a year has passed since then.
¡°Hey, that....¡±
¡°Why is the sky like that?¡±
¡°What? What?¡±
The evil spirits were resurrected, and the sky around the world was suddenly dyed in an eerie bloody color, and people were thrown into confusion.
An emergency news was broadcast on TV, and experts were called in to investigate the cause of the red sky.
At that time, Hicks hacked news channels around the world and transmitted a video.
[Hello everyone. I am Aletts, the general manager of the game developer Hicks. This broadcast is broadcast all over the world in allnguages. This is to convey an important story to you.]
In the square.
On the subway.
At work.
At the restaurant.
At home.
Anywhere in the world.
Everyone held their breath and watched the video.
It was the moment when the world was filled with Aletsch¡¯s voice.
[The reason the sky is dyed red is because the evil spirits have resurrected and the end has begun.]
Hicks¡¯ topicality is widely known.
The absurd story that they were a race superior to humans, aliens, or gods was now epted as orthodoxy.
It was too much to dismiss all of Hicks¡¯ abilities and words and actions as mere show, and there was no other way to exin the phenomenon of the red sky that covered the world without warning.
Because of that, people didn¡¯t just think of it as fiction and listened to Aletsch¡¯s story.
[ording to the contents of the video we left before, Is a kind of message. It was part of a n to defeat the demon. And we¡¯ve chosen a hero to save the world.]
A dark space in the video.
Alets continued talking under thelights.
[ DLC [Isaac] Was created based on the footsteps of the savior I mentioned. A man who was a citizen of a country called the Republic of Korea is now fighting the evil god Nephid in the body of Isaac. If he cannot defeat the evil spirit, there will be no future for mankind. So please.]
In the video, Alletts bowed his head respectfully.
[The new ¡°Final Act, Subjugation of Evil Gods¡± Will be updated. After the update, please defeat the evil spirit.]
Alets raised his head again and showed an emotionless puppet-like ponytail.
[All the data you fought against the evil spirits will be passed on to the savior. We, Hicks, cannot afford to help because we have to observe and analyze the demon¡¯s patterns in real time and reflect them on the spot. This video was also made in advance.]
In the video, the events that Isaac experienced after he was possessed by Unfolded around Aletts piece by piece.
He devoted himself to training by pouring blood and sweat every day.
Crawling with teeth on the cold floor, leading a body covered in cold.
You fight even when your whole body is in disrepair.
Nevertheless, we are advancing.
People captured the image of a boy smiling and not giving up.
[As you y the game, you will be familiar with the journey he has been sweating and sweating. You are the only one who can help him.]
People¡¯s hands trembled.
Someone clenched their fists, someone lowered their eyes, and someone had a fighting spirit in their eyes.
[Again, please. Please... Please join forces to defeat the evil spirit.]
As Alletts bowed his head again, the video ended.
The streets and the Inte became very noisy, and many people went to the game consoles all at once.
It didn¡¯t matter whether everyone believed Hicks¡¯ words were true or not.
The video, which was broadcast all over the world, was effective enough as an inducement for people to y .
With the new ¡¸Demon Subjugation¡¹ Updated, the action became more sophisticated based on the existing control method, and yers were able to fight the evil spirit by manipting Isaac in the space where [Ice Snow Scene] And [ck Nest] Collided.
However, the evil spirit was so powerful and variable that only defeats were repeated even after yers around the world took their steps.
In themunity, a discussion was held to find a way to defeat the evil spirit by using all means.
From noble mtl dot
Experts analyzed the elements in the game and worked hard toe up with the most efficientbat method.
Each of them provided a y method to drive evil spirits.
Meanwhile, the apocalypse had begun.
ck spheres appeared irregrly all over the world and engulfed the space.
Every part that touched the sphere quietly disappeared, and the world became a mess.
As the true apocalyptic scenery unfolds, there are no more people who dismiss Hicks¡¯ words as absurd.
Kooooo!!!
Suddenly, a magnificent dark blue summoning formation was deployed in the airspace of Korea.
Underneath it, a giant demon with many eyes appeared, surprising people.
Asmodian, Lucifer of the Commandments.
He appeared as the end began and the blockade of the evil spirits was lifted.
¡°Kyaaah!!¡±
¡°What, what... , what... !¡±
¡°Monster... ?¡±
Lucifer repeatedly rewinded the time of the creatures who were about to be eaten by the sphere of emptiness and prevented their death.
Time is a rtive concept.
Returning only a part of it was much simpler for Lucifer than reversing the time of everything.
Remembering Isaac, the king of ice, Lucifer looked around with countless eyes at thendscape he was trying to protect.
[Ice King.... Is this body bing noble now?]
I asked a question that wouldn¡¯t reach Isaac.
Humankind recognized Lucifer as an ally, not an enemy, and focused more on ying DLC.
After Ian Fairytale¡¯s realm domination, [Temple of Light] Was activated, Hicks started rying the fight between Isaac and the evil god.
A scene that is too realistic to be simply dismissed as graphics is reflected in the video.
¡°Even though the evil god Nepid possessed the power of life, Ian Fairytale was found to have seeded in using the [Temple of Light]... ! The effect of the [Temple of Light] Is to weaken the authority and power of the demons...... !¡±
In the broadcast, thementator exined the situation based on the actual battle scene between Isaac and the Evil God.
A video of a famous gamer struggling to defeat an evil god was also shown on TV in real time.
Those who are not good at games prayed to God, prayed for Isaac to win, or cheered for him while watching TV or Inte videos in their own ce.
In the apocalypse, mankind all over the world has joined forces toward a single goal: victory.
It didn¡¯t matter if I was weak.
Every piece of data they yed was very precious to Isaac.
©¤ ¡®I don¡¯t have any wisdom.¡¯
At the Ice Lake, Isaac said to Ste while sitting on the ice chair.
©¤ ¡®I am most deeply aware of my inadequacies. Therefore... To borrow wisdom.¡¯
©¤ ¡®From whom?¡¯
©¤ ¡®All.¡¯
Merchen¡¯s Magic Knights ¡¸The final act, subjugation of evil spirits¡¹.
Isaac wasn¡¯t alone in fighting the final boss, the evil spirit.
It was a battle for all of humanity.
That was the reason why Ste burst outughing.
Because I am human.
Because we are human beings who form a society and live together.
With the godhead at hand, the Ice Wizard finally came up with a way to fight together with everyone and coordinated her opinions with Ste.
@@novelbin@@
It was a n that was different from the method of the independently strong gods.
Isaac didn¡¯t want any miracles.
I didn¡¯t expect a dramatic awakening like the protagonist in a cartoon in crisis.
Everything is the fruit of his achievements under his n.
The intersection of inevitability and inevitability.
In the end, Isaac was determined to make his victory inevitable.
A time when the fight between Isaac and the evil spirits continued and joys and sorrows crossed the world.
A post with a video was posted on the Intemunity.
[ I found the way to defeat evil spirits. ]
* * * * * * * * * *
[The demons have been recognized as enemies.]
Like a panorama, memories of many battles shed through my mind.
It was all memories of the battle with the evil god Nephid in front of him.
Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions.... Countless defeats and one victory reyed in my head.
Based on all that information, the margin of error was calcted and numerous variables were considered.
... Found. Solution.
[Unique attribute [Destroyer] Is activated!]
Hwaaa!!!
Blowing out the cold air of [Ice Emperor], He used thest power left by Ozma.
Increases the effect of [Destroyer] By 1.5 Times and triggers it again.
As if his body would explode at any moment, his mana spun rapidly and boiled likeva.
Currently, all of my abilities are EX level. That is, it was not measurable.
Damn it!
I partially summoned and fused Ice and Snow Dragon-Heeld.
My right half was covered in dragon scales, a gray horn protruded from the side of my head, and my right fingernails and ws were sharpened.
The white jade-colored wings protruding to one side were simr to Ice Snow Dragon¡¯s.
Half-man, half-dragon.
It was the best way to strengthen my mobility.
From now on, I was thinking of putting a clear winning number.
Wow!!
[Ice Emperor]¡¯S cold wings even spread.
As it were, I spurred the ground and took off with a step.
Wow!
Explosively releasing cold air, it advanced like a sh toward the evil god, Nephid.
The evil god threw ck and red me magic and void magic, but thanks to the countless information in my head, I was able to predict the movement and trajectory of every attack and pass it with ease.
The effect of [Ice Moon]. After predicting the space where the magic circle of the evil god would unfold and even freezing the space itself, the evil god frowned in embarrassment.
While sprinting, he poured his mana into the [Ice Moon] Floating in the sky.
Wheei! The [Ice Moon] Expanded its area and took the shape of a full moon.
Ice magic swirls around the full moon. The full moonlight is even reverent.
This is the result of one year of non-stop training. It must be uncharted territory for evil spirits.
The Evil God has even acquired strong resilience thanks to the seed of Yggdrasil.
I intended to end this fight with just one [Ice Moon] Effect from the full moon at the battle point, to the extent that the demons wouldn¡¯t even get a chance to devise countermeasures, and even their recovery would be meaningless.
I could.
There was a [Temple of Light] That unfolded like a blessing.
Roaring!!!
While fiercely crossing the air, the evil spirit spewed dark red mes and tried to annihte my body.
Turning the track to avoid mes, shing with ice magic or rock magic, and constantly advancing, fierce battles were fought.
A series of sharp and heavy steam explosions.
Scattering pieces of ice and snow.
In the midst of arge-scale magic feast that could destroy the world again and again, Diakan shot destructive ice magic of absolute zero through his mouth.
Quaaa!!!!
The bluelightfilling the [Temple of Light].
A violent explosion ripped through the air.
However, there was no great damage from the evil spirit. Only I was able to hide from the cold, blinding explosion.
When this happens, the pattern of the evil spirit bes clear.
Hwaaa!!!
The [Yggdrasil] Of destruction radiated light, and the evil god built arge magic circle zing with dark red mes.
An evil spirit¡¯s world-destroying magic, the second type.
As the evil god stretched out its arms, a heavy storm of me magic rose up, forming a vast wall and spreading out in all directions.
Rurrr.
A me that even distorts space-time advances with a strange explosion.
A wall of extinction that sweeps away everything.
Its magical power density is close to infinite.
The heat that seemed like it would burn my whole body just by approaching it hit me, and it radiated more intense cold air and cooled my body.
There was no way to escape other than to fly high and get out of the range of the wall of extinction.
If you even stop time with the effect of [Ice Moon], You might be able to aim for a surprise attack.
However, [Ice Moon]¡¯S time stop effect does not work against evil spirits. It¡¯s probably because the armor made of ck me melts even the ice of time.
In fact, there was no reason to use the time stop effect other than to move quickly or avoid an already cast demonic attack.
... I had no intention of avoiding it in the first ce.
I let out a noise and drove away the fear.
I desperately raised my magic power, entwine the cold air of the [Ice Emperor] At maximum output, and cast ice magic while running in a straight line.
Kwagagagak!!!
An eerie roar.
I felt the extreme pressure all over my body, and a burning sensation covering my skin.
As it were, it passed through the mes of darkness and arrived right in front of the evil god.
It happened in an instant.
[...] ... !!]
Many eyes of the evil spirits were wide open.
Prepared to cast attack magic in the direction of the sky.
It was a good decision. You must have known that I would stop time with the effect of [Ice Moon] And attack from above.
No matter who sees it, that side must be a reasonable and cool-headed judgment.
No one would have expected that he would break through the mes of annihtion.
ording to the data passed on to me, I have found that I can prate the wall of annihtion that the evil god will use first.
From the second time on, there was no way. The evil god must have realized how much to increase the power of the wall of extinction.
Even so, the damage could not bepletely prevented.
The whole body was already full of fatal wounds. It was as if he was about to die.
It got to the point where I couldn¡¯t even move anything except my arms.
One of the arms has already been lost. Since the mes of extinction wrapped around his left arm, he was blown away with [Freeze Explosion].
Well, it was the expected loss. Rather, this was enough to eat for nothing.
In our game, the risk taken when we fail to predict behavioral patterns even for a moment is beyond imagination.
At this moment, at this moment, the evil god has a gap.
There was no transfer.
The evil god has never let his guard down in the battles so far.
The only thing unleashed is a blow with all your might.
In my right hand, ice magic swirled and condensed, and a 5-star [Ice Explosion] Blue magic circle floated above it.
The gathered ice mana emitted a halo like a full moon, shining a mysterious bluelight.
Charra!!
A light freezing sound.
The [Ice Moon] Of the full moon gave off a blue glow.
©¤ Isn¡¯t that right?
For a moment, I smiled and spoke to the head of the evil god, Nephid.
©¤ There is nothing I cannot freeze.
The effect of the full moon is stark and simple.
A thing that causes absolute freezing.
There is no exception to that target.
He swung his right arm at the demon.
For a moment, the field of view turned pure white, and cold air pierced the evil god¡¯s body.
A bted roar echoed sharply across the realm of eternity.
Quaaa!!!!!
The roar gradually faded, and the space distorted and swirled slowly.
As it is, I and the evil spirit began to be sucked into somewhere like an irresistible force while receiving strong gravity.
Looking around, I found a passage surrounded by blue light. I felt the same sensation as when moving to the underworld.
¡®I can¡¯t do this... !¡¯
It¡¯s a big deal.
This is what happened during the fight with Ozma.
The excessively powerful energy exploded, and even the space was shattered and cracks were formed.
Ian should have the finishing touches.
In the ice block, there was a frozen female demon in front of me.
Her shockwave was hit and the dark red mes were greatly reduced, revealing her face and thin neck.
¡°Turn it off... !¡±
I gritted my teeth and raised my mana.
The evil god could only be subdued by Ian somehow cutting it down with his spear sword.
This means that you must not be taken to an isted dimension with me.
¡°...... !¡±
That was the moment.
As if it were natural, a divine light shone through the back of the evil god¡¯s head.
I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.
Ian Fairytale.
Once he regained consciousness, he stretched out his spear sword behind him, emitting divine power likebustion, and crawled after us like a rocket.
¡®Ah... , It did.¡¯
A smile came out of his mouth.
Ian is an expert in fainting who has trained in fainting.
From noble mtl dot
Haven¡¯t you felt that the speed of waking up after fainting is getting faster?
In other words, that guy quickly woke up and finished passing out.
Ian roared furiously and tightly gripped the spear that held her divine power.
I undid the ice, and at the same time, a pure white sword was thrown at the evil god¡¯s neck.
Chae Ae Ae Aeng!!!!
A clear explosion resounded, and a rainbow-colored light source came to mind.
The trail of the sword cut the evil god¡¯s throat, and a dazzling explosion engulfed the evil god¡¯s remaining body.
The head of the flying evil god turned into gray powder and disappeared.
Thest expression she made was... I couldn¡¯t tell the difference.
Because my vision is too blurry.
Just the fact that I won was resonating deeply in my heart.
¡°... Isak... !¡±
Ian shouted something and stretched out his arm at me.
In the midst of being pulled together beyond the unknown dimension, do you want to somehow rescue me?
¡°... Work... !!¡±
She seemed to be screaming seriously.
I couldn¡¯t hear well because my hearing was not perfect. From earlier, only tinnitus was ringing as if it would tear her ears.
But, Ian. There was no need to get swept away by that guy.
The speed at which I was sucked in was already elerating. Can¡¯t do this
On the other hand, Ian was pushed to the other side thanks to the explosion oflight, and he is still in a state where he has not gained momentum.
I¡¯ll be able to save that guy.
¡®Anyway, I¡¯m going to die soon.¡¯
I could clearly feel the condition of my body.
I was about to lose my life.
I tried to go back, but to no avail.
She didn¡¯t have much magic left. Perceiving it, Ian felt the same way.
With some effort, she stretched out her arm toward Ian. Finally, I scraped off the remaining magic power from her and gathered the ice magic power in that hand.
Removed the [Ice Barrier] On Ian, and released ice magic while leaving only the ice barrier on.
Wow!
The shockwave spread and sent Ian away, who was wrapped in an ice shield.
I¡¯m sorry, but no matter how hard he shouted, I couldn¡¯t hear him because the distance moved so quickly.
Contrary to Ian, I was pushed more quickly into the dimensional rift.
The surroundings are getting darker and darker.
I didn¡¯t think much of it.
I didn¡¯t even have the strength to think.
Because my mind was flying farther and farther beyond.
I couldn¡¯t stand my sleep anymore.
I slowly closed my eyes.
With Chara!!
It was then. What I heard was a faint sound.
A sound from Dorothy or Ozma¡¯s starlight magic.
Chin. Someone grabbed my hand
That hand was filled with dazzling starlight as if it were holding the universe.
It was such a beautiful hand that it was recognizable even with a blurred vision.
He dragged me and flew away somewhere.
I could feel the healing power as I rode through their joined hands. His left arm was regenerated from his empty left shoulder, and his body, which was destined to die, quickly recovered.
It was clear that someone d in starlight was healing my body with high-level magic.
As if you were wearing sses with the right prescription, your vision gradually became clearer.
Silence came to me before I knew it.
¡°... Uh?¡±
When I closed and opened my eyes, the scenery of the universe covered my field of vision.
This sense. A ce I¡¯ve been to
Is it because the body has recovered? I had enough energy to hold on to my consciousness that was drifting away.
I suddenly felt someone¡¯s presence.
When I turned my head there, I saw a woman in a ck suit standing at a distance from me.
Alletts, head of development at Hicks, a game developer who wore a hair iron.
In other words, it was Ste, the fairy of the stars.
[This is the second meeting.]
¡°... Did you save me?¡±
Ste nodded.
[I rescued you because you crossed over to the other side of the dimension. It¡¯s like an abandoned dump, so there¡¯s no hope once you enter.]
Ste looked at the distant gxy.
[...] A little while ago, the evil god Nephid disappeared.]
I took a deep breath.
Because I needed time to get my heart pounding at that one word.
But it was not the time to get sentimental.
Because there were still things I needed to know.
¡°What about Mephisto?¡±
[They ran away. Due to the defeat of the evil spirit, all powers were lost and incapacitated.]
Ste looked at me again.
[As you may know, all demons had an organic rtionship with evil spirits. Mephisto is slowly on the path of copse as the evil spirits have disappeared. In addition, Snow White has nted the magic of the night, and they are suffering terribly. He hid himself in a cave saying he wanted to live, but he would die soon after lying down in pain and suffering. It¡¯s a disappointing end.]
Ste¡¯s answer was insipid.
[See youter. Since you¡¯ve already reached the level of godhood, it would be a very simple task to find that demon.]
¡°Yes....¡±
I took out the pendant hanging around my neck.
It was a pendant Dorothy gave me as a giftst year.
¡°Are the others all right?¡±
[There have been quite a few casualties, but the humans you are attached to are all safe.]
¡°... I¡¯m d.¡±
I was really fortunate.
There was a moment of silence after that.
[I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to say.]
¡°I think so.¡±
Because I want to see the rest with my own eyes.
[Seongho Han. I have something to tell you.]
I looked back at Ste.
Ste smiled.
[All of the Hicks development team, including me, will be leaving the human world soon. In order to defeat the evil spirit, he intervened exceptionally with royalties, but there is no reason to do so anymore. That¡¯s why, now, even if you¡¯re angry, you can ept it.]
Ste asked in an ironic, joking tone.
There is no such thing as deep ill feelings now.
Even if there was such a thing, I didn¡¯t have the energy left to do anything right now.
He smiled kindly and answered calmly.
¡°... It¡¯s okay.¡±
[Ooh? Won¡¯t you regret it?]
¡°I¡¯m tired, now.¡±
I¡¯m tired.
Right now, I just wanted to rest.
[Is that so....]
Perhaps because the story was over, Ste¡¯s body began to glow brightly.
Her body changed into an unknown shape that contained a lot of starlight.
[Seongho Han. No matter how many times I thank you, it¡¯s not enough. You deserve everything you deserve. Now, you have obtained the blessing of [Fire] And ¡®freedom¡¯ that is superior to anyone else. These are all gifts from me.]
The surrounding scenery changed rapidly along with the consciousness of moving away.
Numerous gxies and starlight drew beams oflight, and my body was transported somewhere in a distant spiral gxy.
Suddenly, I saw a pale blue dot.
[Hero.]
Ste leaned over to me.
[Peace.]
The familiar blue.
The earth was visible.
When I closed my eyes, a warm and warm feeling gently wrapped around my whole body.
Soon, I felt the sensation of being sucked into somewhere and regained my consciousness somewhere, as if I had just woken up.
¡°...... ?¡±
The feeling of touching the hard ground.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw the marble floor.
A ce filled with the vague darkness of the night. The surrounding area was a wide square.
I got up and looked around. It was a very familiar ce.
When I turned my head back, I saw a statue of a solemn general.
Under it, there was arge Chinese character inscribed: ¡°ÖÒÎ乫ÀîË´³¼Œ¢ÜŠÏñ.¡±
The meaning is the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Chungmugong.
This is....
¡°Gwanghwamun... ?¡±
South Korea, Gwanghwamun.
When the name came to mind, I felt an indescribable feeling.
¡°Over there... !¡±
¡°I found it! It is him!¡±
¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡±
As if they were waiting, several people ran towards me. All were Koreans.
I could hear her voice clearly, probably thanks to Ste¡¯s recovery, but she didn¡¯t have the energy to answer.
¡°Mister Isaac! Are you okay?¡±
I am recognized as ¡®Isaac¡¯.
It must be because of Hicks.
People supported me and kept pouring out the same questions asking if I was okay.
Their voices were getting farther and farther away.
Drowsiness was hazy.
My eyes slowly closed again, just like that, I fell asleep.
......
It was a time when the bar exam was just around the corner.
After my mother¡¯s death, it was natural for me to not be able to study.
When I was reading a thickw book, my vision blurred and tears flowed down my eyes.
I couldn¡¯t keep myposure for several days. Separation from my mother made me so empty and gave me a sense of helplessness.
One day when I was locked up in a dark room, I just left the house without thinking.
Wandered aimlessly everywhere. I really had no idea.
Goshi vige, asphalt roads, many buildings, noisy shopping districts, overpasses.
As I was walking along the street, I suddenly looked up and saw the soft and faint sunset sky captivate me.
A new impression came into my mind. I thought the sky was that pretty.
My eyes turned back to the street.
I saw college students eating at a restaurant or in front of a food stall. They were reading a small summary for the exam, chewing food or passing it down their throats. And then he swallowed the wrong food and rolled up and drank water.
On the other side, I saw a middle-aged man. Seeing him lead his exhausted body in a suit, it looked like he was leaving work. He walked along the sunset-tinted sidewalk carrying an envelope that smelled like chicken. He wondered if he was talking to someone on the phone, and he called, ¡®Son~¡¯ in an excited voice with a bright smile on his tired face.
I saw a mother in a family holding a ck bag full of ingredients with green onions protruding from it, walking hand in hand with her little daughter with her free hand and chatting yfully. The daughter started talking about her cartoon characters, and her mother didn¡¯t seem to understand, but she just smiled and agreed.
I saw people leaving the subway station and trying to get on the Burinake bus. It looked like everyone was leaving work after work.
We were living like that.
Sometimes fiercely, sometimes strenuously.
Whether there were happy things or sad things, he was living day by day under the ever-changing sky.
For some reason, the scenery I had always seen looked very beautiful that day.
I went back to my desk, turned on the nightstand, and looked at the books for the bar exam.
As if my mind was organized, I studied very well that day.
¡°... ....¡±
Wandering through my memories, I slowly opened my eyes.
The sunsetlightthat prates the window is the color of the sun that I have often seen.
This is... Is it a hospital room?
¡°Oh! Are you awake?¡±
The nurse who was checking my vitals disyed on the machine next to the bed was startled.
¡°Now, wait a minute! I¡¯ll call the doctor!¡±
The nurse hurriedly left the hospital room.
Carefully raised the upper body. I was in a patient gown.
I nkly looked out the window. The harmony between the urbanndscape of buildings and the sunset sky was very familiar.
However, perhaps because the apocalypse was in progress, there were dents or signs of copse in various parts of the building.
Would all the people here be safe?
Through.
I looked down at my hands. The familiar ice magic flowed out lightly like limbs.
I was still Isaac.
But I can feel it. The power in my body was stronger than when I fought the evil spirit.
A piece of divine power that I once experienced. The status of a transcendent was contained within me.
Jumping. Soon the door to the hospital room opened and several doctors rushed inside.
From noble mtl dot
Looking into the hallway through the crack in the door, I could see bodyguards dressed in ck suits guarding the hospital room door.
It was a generous treatment.
¡°Isaac! You¡¯vee to your senses.¡±
An elderly, half-naked doctor came up to me with a pretentious smile.
I read the business card attached to my chest.
He was the head of the hospital.
¡°This is the best advanced ward in our hospital. A rmendation has been made at the government level. To serve Isaac, in that sense.¡±
The game developer, Hicks, seemed to have done a lot for me.
It must have been Ste¡¯s will that brought me here.
¡°How long have you been passing out?¡±
¡°Yes, you woke up after a week.¡±
Is it because Ste restored it? It was good for about a week.
I don¡¯t know if it feels rtively better because I¡¯ve already experienced fainting for a month.
Anyway, it was time to pull the nket over my body and get out of bed.
¡°Could you stand up?¡±
¡°Yes. No problem.¡±
He answered a thoughtful question with a kind smile.
I¡¯ll have to go back. I don¡¯t know how to go back
I wanted to end Mephisto with my own hands. I have something to say.
¡°Hey, Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Would you like to look out the window?¡±
The smiling face of the hospital director was meaningful.
I moved toward the window and opened the window.
A beautiful sunset sky. Building forest.
After looking down, my mouth opened without my knowledge.
So as not to obstruct hospital traffic, an orderly crowd and station vehicles filled my field of vision.
People were all sitting on the sidewalk.
People who pray, people who cheer, people who stare at the hospital silently.... I saw a lot of people.
They were either holding a sign or holding a banner somewhere.
Each one contained a message to thank me, admire my performance, or pray for my safe awakening.
An unknown shiver ran through my body.
For a while I couldn¡¯t say anything.
¡°Thank you, Isaac. For watching over us.¡±
I turned my head back at that voice.
Doctors and nurses, including the director of the hospital, were bowing down to me.
¡°You really worked hard.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
I didn¡¯t know what to say.
A man jumped out of the hospital and shouted with a loudspeaker.
¡°Attention everyone!! Right now, Sir Isaac has just woken up!!¡±
Everybody got up.
¡°Wow, Ahhhhh !!!¡± And people get up all at once, stretch their arms, live or cheer.
A sense of relief and joy filled their faces.
Because I can read their minds, it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that they were sincere.
¡®This is what you wanted to show me....¡¯
Ste.
I thought I knew what you meant by bringing me here.
I don¡¯t know who they are.
But they were so happy that only I was safe.
I checked each person¡¯s face. I tried to remember them all.
I tried to clearly imprint the cheers they gave out in my head.
For a while, I silently watched as if I was bewitched at the spectacle of people going wild.
Wheehee!!
¡°Uh, huh?!¡±
Soon, a gate shimmering with magical power appeared in the middle of the hospital room. It was a familiar magic.
Hospital officials seemed horrified.
Someone jumped out of the gate and stepped on the floor of the hospital room.
Turning her head there, a pretty woman with alchemy feet caught her eye.
¡°Hello, honey.¡±
A kind voice.
Alice Carroll. She casually smiled at her eyes and said hello.
¡°Alice....¡±
Not surprising.
It was the situation I was assuming as a way to return.
¡°Did Ste tell you the coordinates here?¡±
¡°Yes. You know right away.¡±
Now the gods don¡¯t have to worry about the power of killing.
You can freely intervene in the world where Merchen Academy exists.
So for me, Ste seemed to have taught Alice the coordinates of the Earth.
Alice held out her hand to me somewhat.
¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±
A smile spread across my lips.
A warm wind gently blew and caressed my skin.
Perhaps this is a spring breeze.
Chapter 342: Subjugation of Evil Gods – End (1)
Merchen Academy¡¯s 1st campus restoration work was in full swing.
Under the Emperor¡¯s reign, arge number of manpower intensively helped with the work using magic.
Corrections quickly changed to the old look, no, to a cleaner look than before.
It wasn¡¯t just Merhen Academy.
Since the apocalypse caused by the evil spirits happened anywhere in the world, all the sections that were swallowed up by the sphere of emptiness in other regions were undergoing restoration work.
After taking Hwirang¡¯s cloak and the clothes Monon gave him at the hospital in Korea, Isaac returned by riding the gate made by Alice.
Everyone in the Evil God Subjugation Team weed Isaac, and Kaya, Luce, Dorothy, and White were all hugged by Isaac and cried in relief.
Those who yed an active part in the subjugation of evil spirits were engraved one by one in the records that wouldter be world history, and were praised for their contributions.
In addition, Isaac¡¯s performance was announced all over the world. All of his footsteps will be left as legends.
Emperor Carlos asked Isaac what he wanted¡ª¡±For example, my child, my fifth daughter, or Snow White,¡± He gave examples, but Isaac did not ask for anything out of the ordinary.
And Emperor Carlos decided. To abdicate the position of emperor.
Isaac is the king of a country, and the apex of mankind who has been most active in subjugating the worst enemy that no one has been able to stop.
It was decided that Isaac was the one truly worthy of the title of emperor.
Some of the servants of Gerber¡¯s royal family expressed their dissatisfaction at the fact that Isaac had given them a position that they hadn¡¯t even asked for, but it was nothing more than dissatisfaction.
It is a matter unanimously agreed upon by even the original kings who had bnced the power until Isaac appeared. No one could object.
As a result, Dupendorf, which used to be an ice kingdom, became an empire and came to control its vassals.
Emperor of the Dupendorf Empire.
It was Isaac¡¯s new title.
* * *
¡°All right.¡±
[Isaac!]
Secret Shop... Arrived at the location where it was.
It used to be a dense forest, but after ¡¸Demon Subjugation¡¹, It turned into a wilderness, and a poor structure with a gabled roof made of wooden nks stood openly.
It seems that the secret shop has not escaped the aftermath of the war.
Still, it was fortunate that Monon, the roon beast, was safe.
The appearance of selling and selling even a few products was the same guy as usual.
[What a monster! Did you win that? Awesome!]
Monon nodded in admiration.
I raised my sses and responded with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s okay, what time are you in business?¡±
[Since the monster is gone, I have to work hard again.]
¡°Hmm.¡±
I asked while examining the magic tools ced on the disy stand.
¡°So, can you close the store for a minute and give me some time?¡±
[Huh? Why all of a sudden?]
¡°I have somewhere to go with you. I will juste and go.¡±
[...] OK, wait a minute.]
¡°Put on your clothes well.¡±
Monon wore a thick wizard robe as a coat.
After leaving the poor secret shop together, we walked on a deserted forest path for a while.
This distance should have been enough.
¡°Come out, Hild.¡±
Wow!
The sign of the contract engraved on the wrist glowed, and a white dragon was summoned releasing jade-colored magic.
Ice Snow Dragon ¨C Hild. It was now a level 200 level wizard level familiar.
When this guy is summoned, the cold spreads, so I walked all the way here because there was a risk of damage to the secret shop.
Monon looked at Ice Snow Dragon and said [Oh! It¡¯s amazing!] And eximed.
[What?]
I wrapped my arms around Monon¡¯s waist, jumped up, and rode on the back of Snow Dragon.
[Create Rock] Created a rock ring that connects Monon and Ice Snow Dragon like a safety belt.
[Kaaa!]
Ice Snow Dragon roared and spread its jade-white wings.
It flew up, pping its wings, and started heading somewhere.
[Wow....]
Monon¡¯s eyes twinkled as if the ground she saw from high above was strange.
[This is my first experience!]
¡°Is that so?¡±
[But where are you going?]
¡°You will know when you go.¡±
We arrived at a vige in Gerber Kingdom.
There was no one passing by at the time.
It was fortunate. Most people, when they see me, bend their heads like they¡¯re going to hit the ground, so it¡¯s burdensome.
¡°You worked hard, Hild.¡±
[Go, master.]
After getting off the Ice and Snow Dragon with Monon, I reverse summoned the Ice and Snow Dragon.
We headed to a small house in the vige.
As soon as we knocked on the door, a middle-aged woman came out and greeted us as if she had waited.
¡°Wee, Mr. Bingje.¡±
Since she had already said that she woulde, she was not surprised and greeted her slightly.
Monon tilted her head in puzzlement.
¡°Pleasee in.¡±
We went inside the house.
Sniff sniff. Monon¡¯s nose twitched.
The guy stopped his feet. As she opened her eyes wider and wider.
It was after he caught sight of an elderly gray-haired man lying in bed.
The upper skin bone. It¡¯s a skinny look.
The nket was charred where the man¡¯s right leg should be.
¡°Your master, I was looking for you. Go have a look.¡±
At the very least, I was thinking of finding a grave once I left this world.
Fortunately, he was still alive.
Monon trudged to the side of the bed with a startled look on his face.
[Bilbo... ?]
Hearing his name, Bilbo, the old man, breathed heavily and opened his eyes to look at Monon.
Her bony arm gently stroked Monon¡¯s hair.
Monon¡¯s eyes were wet. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off Bilbo even for a moment.
[I remember now. I remembered.... Bilbo, I can¡¯t remember what you look like, so I draw a picture every day, and I try to remember it somehow... , I worked really hard. Yes, this is what it looked like....]
Monon was delighted as he touched Bilbo¡¯s hand on his head with a small roon hand.
I thought you would recognize me when I met you.
The man in front of her was already far from the arrogant figure of her youth that Monon had known.
However, in Monon¡¯s eyes, he still looked like the owner he had been adventuring with 60 years ago.
[I really lived hard? I want to show off what I made, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯lle back someday.... In the meantime, I often opened the door and looked outside, afraid that you might have returned if I only heard the sound of the wind.... But at some point, I kept thinking that you wouldn¡¯te back, so I was very scared. I missed you so much....]
Bilbo didn¡¯t even seem to have the strength to speak. He just stared at Monon silently with guilt-soaked eyes.
The middle-aged woman who greeted us was Bilbo¡¯s daughter. She heard about her situation from her.
Bilbo was an adventurer who was active in the adventurer¡¯s guild. He didn¡¯t have enough skills and didn¡¯t have any colleagues, but he had a romance with adventurers, so he couldn¡¯t easily quit his job.
One day, he was motivated and epted a request to subdue a dangerous monster. The result was a tragedy. He was shot in the leg by a monster with deadly poison.
The venom was said to have the property of extending like a spider¡¯s web after taking the stung area as its own territory. The destination was death.
It would have been fine if he deciphered it quickly, but Bilbo said that the antidote was expensive and hadn¡¯t prepared it in advance.
It was acent decision stemming from cost issues andck of experience.
When I finally came back, it was sote that I couldn¡¯t afford the tolerable amount of treatment.
From noble mtl dot
In the end, Bilbo decided to give up his adventurer ways and his legs.
He didn¡¯t want Monon, his only friend and familiar, to be sad. She thought that by keeping Monon by her side, she would make him unhappy.
Bilbo, who knew that Monon was interested in the workshop while studying humannguage, lied to Monon that he wanted to do the workshop after he gave up being an adventurer.
And he couldn¡¯t find himself, so he went to a faraway ind and secretly built a shabby shop and left books there.
It was a secret shop, a new ce that Monon provided so that he could spread his will.
¡®If you think about it, it was like that.¡¯
I thought he did it out of guilt.
I was wrong. How could he have poured so much effort into the familiar he was going to throw away anyway?
Bilbo reassured Monon that he woulde back with the urgent business.
Don¡¯t let Monon follow you. And he hoped that over time he would naturally forget about sleeping.
After that, Bilbo amputated his own leg, where the poisonous core had already settled. He was able to save his life thanks to him.
However, due to the side effects of the poison, he couldn¡¯t even control his body properly and had to lie down all the time.
Then, when his daughter came down to his hometown, she was horrified to see Bilbo dying and decided to support him.
¡°... ....¡±
Bilbo abandoned Monon, but his intention was to make Monon happy.
There must have been a better way, but considering it now, it was a pointless question.
The one-legged old man and the roon beast, who were once linked by a familiar contract, held each other¡¯s hands tightly.
They seemed to have a lot to talk about, so they moved away.
......
Monon decided to continue the workshop.
Because that was Bilbo¡¯s will.
He said he had already heard about it, so he decided to be content with visiting Bilbo from time to time.
While I was riding Ice and Snow Dragon-Heeld across the evening sky, Monon thanked me.
She was honest about how she thought she would never be able to see her former owner, but that was something she had figured out a long time ago.
Now to the point.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Hey, Monon.¡±
[Why?]
¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for him anymore, do you?¡±
I asked Monon with a smile.
[That¡¯s right, but....]
¡°Then it doesn¡¯t have to be a ¡®secret shop¡¯, right?¡±
[Huh?]
Suspicion crept into Monon¡¯s expression.
It will be next year that he will proudly set up a workshop at the Marchen Academy Shopping Center.
......
It snows every day in the Duchy of Whiterk.
This is because the traces of battle left by Veronica Aslius, the primordial ice emperor, remain like scars, bringing about an endless winter.
I went deep into the snowy mountain nestled there and came to a cave.
As we crossed the cave, we saw a crackling bonfire.
In front of him, a female demon with a bizarre appearance was lying on a nket and struggling to breathe.
[...] Is it you, Bingje.]
¡°Hello.¡±
Mephisto of the contract.
That demon looked at me with a miserable look.
Currently, the scope of my demon detection ability is worldwide.
I was able to see everything about the demons as if I were looking at the palm of my hand, as well as where the demons were.
Thanks to that, finding Mephisto was very simple.
¡°It¡¯s be a joke.¡±
Saying calmly, I sat across from Mephisto and warmed up by the bonfire.
The reason he camete was because he wanted Mephisto to suffer even a little more.
The little creation minions were nibbling away all over the guy¡¯s body. It was the work of Snow White, made of the magic of the night.
You must be feeling terrible pain that is difficult to describe. It would look grotesque when the nket was pulled up.
When I looked closely, I saw gray powdering out like grains of sand.
Asmodians are beings made up of dark magic.
Dark magic is the criterion for ssifying demons. It is the life force provided by the evil spirit.
Materials copse when importantponents disappear. That¡¯s why the demons left gray powder instead of corpses.
The process of Mephisto¡¯s copse was also taking ce slowly. Soon the guy would bepletely dead.
[Gear ising.... It¡¯s funny. Are you here tough... ?]
¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±
He smiled kindly.
¡°I will find you and kill you.¡±
I had no intention of letting Mephisto just copse.
I wanted to end it with my own hands before it copsed.
[Right... , it was....]
Mephisto¡¯s ¡®whooping¡¯ughter was scattered in the cold air.
I looked at the bonfire and opened my mouth.
¡°... Let me ask you one thing. It seems that Nephid intended to create and rule the world of demons. What was the reason?¡±
[Is that a question now? ?]
Mephisto burst intoughter.
Why did Nephid be the demon king and evil god? And why did he try to destroy the world?
I was curious about the motive.
If you are Mephisto, the representative of the evil spirit, you must know it well.
Mephisto answered with a trembling voice, making a sound of air escaping.
[Nephid-nim... , Rejecting the mission given by the creator god, he decided to live the way he wanted to live....]
¡°... ....¡±
[That¡¯s it....]
A very simple and primitive motive, that I just did it because I wanted to.
It¡¯s clear.
¡°I see.¡±
My curiosity has been resolved.
I got up and stood in front of Mephisto.
He didn¡¯t even seem to have the strength to move a finger.
This bonfire must have been lit with thest of its strength.
He stretched out his right hand towards Mephisto. As it was, his ice magic was condensed.
[Even if I leave at least thest words... ?]
Wow!!
5-Star ice magic, [Ice Explosion].
The shock wave exploded Mephisto¡¯s torso and extinguished the bonfire.
Mephisto¡¯s head bounced off the wall and then rolled on the floor. In those eyes, only empty emotions remained like afterglow.
Soon Mephisto turned into gray powder and was blown away by the raging cold air.
In a cave filled with darkness and the sound of the wind.
I turned my back and left the ce.
Chapter 343: Subjugation of Evil Gods – End (2)
Not too long ago, the remaining 8-star beasts on the 1st campus allowed them to regain their freedom.
They were the guys I asked for cooperation before ¡¸The Demon Subjugation¡¹.
They were in a position where they had to follow thest message left by the original kings, and they said that they couldn¡¯t follow any instructions unless they were the ones who would defeat themselves with a legendary weapon.
After that, they figured out that the evil spirit had disappeared, and the message left by the original kings had no effect.
There was no reason to be there anymore.
They left with their legendary weapons in search of new homes.
......
Merhen Academy had a winter break.
However, for some reason, the students did not leave for their hometowns and stayed on the second campus of the academy.
Amid the deployment of barriers to block the cold winter air, colorful decorations, beautiful sounds of music, and the enchanting smell of delicious food filled the campus.
Everywhere was a party, and because many guests came, the wide campus was crowded.
Tomemorate the victory of the evil spirit subjugation force, the Jerber Kingdom held arge festival centered around the Merchen Academy.
It is said that the reason the festival was held now, not immediately after defeating the evil spirit, was because they waited for me to return.
If I hadn¡¯t returned or if my death had been confirmed, it might have been a grand funeral instead of a festival.
Anyway, it went well.
Hwabongguk and the countries of each Wonwang also spared no support.
When I looked around the world with [irvoyance], The atmosphere was festive everywhere.
A festival was also held in Dupendorf, and I had been there until yesterday.
Today, as a prospective graduate of Merchen Academy, I wanted to enjoy the festival with people I have seen often.
¡°Cheers!¡±
¡°Drink! Drink!¡±
Under the calm night sky, I wandered among the students having a party with a ss of wine.
Few people approached me to look good.
It was because it was well known that even if anyone ttered me and teased me, I couldn¡¯t hide my true feelings.
Thanks to that, I was able to freely roam the food to my heart¡¯s content.
Besides, for the first time since the possession, I tipped my ss.
Slightly sweet and astringent taste.
It was close to the taste of wine.
Compared to other drinks, it was difficult to say that it was delicious, but I really liked the rich aroma and smoothness of the throat.
¡°Chairman, how is the first taste of alcohol?¡±
¡°I like it.¡±
I smiled and answered Dorothy¡¯s question, who was walking with me.
¡°Baby, ah.¡±
Alice, walking across from Dorothy, held out a skewer full of meat to me. She was dripping with gravy.
Ate in one bite. It was very delicious when the umami vor burst out.
Dorothy opened her eyes and had a snowball fight with Alice. As usual, Alice responded with a rxed smile.
At first, Dorothy and I were enjoying our date alone. Then Alice, who had been ying with the student council for a while, joined her and reached the current situation.
Meanwhile, Kaya was having a party with her parents, Luce was having a festival with the lords of the Mage Tower, and White was having a festival with King Carlos.
They also told me that they n to join meter.
¡®I¡¯m not drunk.¡¯
What I was looking forward to was a pleasant tactile feeling.
No matter how much alcohol he drank, his spirits did not return.
I wondered if he had been drinking the drink, mistaking it for alcohol, but that wasn¡¯t the case again.
It was simply a matter of my body. It seems that I have be strong enough not to get drunk with any kind of alcohol.
¡°Huh?¡±
Suddenly, an event site caught my eye.
Amid the gathering of students and guests, a sophomore girl was shouting energetically.
¡°Now! Who is the best drinker? Marchen Academy ship, ¡®Drinking Contest¡¯ is scheduled to be held! We look forward to your participation!¡±
I participated right away.
¡°Kyaha.¡±
I took the keg and drank the cool drink over and over again.
Looks like I¡¯m slowly getting drunk. Now I feel a little satisfied.
Every participant except me was stretched out a long time ago.
Because I participated in thepetition, there were many onlookers at the venue.
¡°A truly overwhelming amount of alcohol! Match over! 1St ce goes to our hero, senior Isaac! A big round of apuse everyone!¡±
I go around in a school uniform, and the junior host called me a senior.
As an academy student, I was just grateful that they fully recognized my desire to y.
The awards ceremony continued amid apuse from the onlookers, and a gift certificate from a pub in the academy was given as the winning prize.
A ce run by a renowned chef from Gerber Kingdom during the festival, it was a great opportunity to taste his cuisine.
I went right away and ate the meat dish to my heart¡¯s content.
Dorothy and Alice chatted for a while. We exchanged stories that didn¡¯t have any weight and weren¡¯t constructive in the slightest, just funny.
We had a lot of fun going around the festival yground together. My mouth hurt from bursting intoughter countless times.
¡°President.¡±
As they walked down the festival street, Dorothy said.
¡°Ah.¡±
I immediately saw the clock tower. This is the time Dorothy spoke of.
¡°You said you had something important earlier, right?¡±
¡°Yes, it is very important.¡±
Dorothy gives a stern answer.
She had told me beforehand that she had somewhere to go.
They said they couldn¡¯t say why, but it didn¡¯t seem like a serious problem.
¡°Baby, see youter.¡±
It was the same with Alice.
They walked together.
I finished my drink and waved.
I still couldn¡¯t read the minds of Dorothy and Alice. What is the reason why two people who are not very close have no choice but to walk together? I didn¡¯t even guess.
I decided to see the two of them again in about 3 hours. The meeting ce was the Iris Amodation, a high-end amodation in the academy shopping district.
Dorothy threatened that she would be disappointed if she peeked with [irvoyance]. I didn¡¯t know if she was preparing an event for me or if there were other reasons.
¡®Well, I n to stay up all night tonight.¡¯
Wouldn¡¯t it be bad to walk around leisurely by yourself for about 3 hours? There is also luck.
I wandered around the academy enjoying a good feeling of drunkenness.
I checked the rooftops of several buildings with the [irvoyance]. I saw a couple of men and women creating a romantic atmosphere, or a couple in the middle of affection.
I went up to the rooftop where no one was there and touched the railing. No matter howte it was at night, the campus was still brightly lit with a festive atmosphere.
From noble mtl dot
It was regrettable that we couldn¡¯t get out of the cold wind in winter due to the barriers deployed on the campus, but I also liked this gentle atmosphere.
¡°... ....¡±
My journey hase to an end.
I learned the secret of the world and seeded in defeating the evil spirit.
After putting down the heavy burden, I enjoyed whatever I did.
After returning to this world through Alice¡¯s Gate, it didn¡¯t happen right away.
At first, I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I just exercised.
Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been constantly training, but if I force myself to take a break, I get anxious without even realizing it.
But fortunately, I was able to enjoy my free time now.
The freedom to face afterpleting all the assignments gave me a tremendous sense of satisfaction.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Suddenly, a male student¡¯s voice came from the roof door.
I already noticed that he had found me and was following me.
¡°Why did you follow me?¡±
¡°Oh, did you get caught?¡±
As I turned my head back, Ian Fairytail, with his bangs up, caught my eye.
The guy with a ss of wine approached me with an awkward smile.
¡°Why are you alone? What about your girls?¡±
¡°Everyone is busy.¡±
¡°To be alone on a fine day, how did you end up like this?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
Ian stopped beside me with a mischievous smile.
As I just checked, Ian was hanging out with Amy Holloway. Because they are an official couple.
As a child of light, Ian is credited with bringing the demons to a close with the minions of the demons.
Thanks to her, she was told that soon she would be bestowed with a high aristocratic rank.
This guy¡¯s future as a magic knight must be solid.
The appearance of Ian, the magic knight seen at the ending of , Was no different from a confirmed future if nothing happened.
We looked at the scene of the academy excited with a festive atmosphere.
¡°... When you rescued me as I crossed over to the other side of the dimension.¡±
Ian opened her mouth again.
¡°Even though I came back, I couldn¡¯t be happier. Even though I won that war, something was frustrating.¡±
¡°Did you me yourself?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t deny it.¡±
Ian grinned.
¡°Isaac, thank you foring back. And it was really hard.¡±
¡°You too. Good job.¡±
Ian held out her fist, and we gently bumped into her fist.
¡°But can I ask you something?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°You were originally good at fainting?¡±
Now that the evil spirit issue has been resolved, let¡¯s ask.
¡°hahahaha, asking like that makes me feel a bit embarrassed....¡±
Ian let out augh as he scratched his cheekbones.
Well, this guy probably didn¡¯t faint because he wanted to faint.
¡°Because I aspired to be a magic knight, I trained my swordsmanship and magic at the same time. So, it seems that I have not been able to do this or that. It will gradually get better.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
I just skipped it because it was one of the answers I expected.
¡°... But you, are you going to marry all five of them?¡±
¡°Five people?¡±
¡°Kaya, Luce, senior Dorothy, senior Alice, and Princess Snow White.¡±
The first four are confirmed.
I was thinking of getting married unconditionally and establishing the harem kingdom I had been dreaming of.
No... , I have the title of emperor, so let¡¯s call it the harem empire.
However, questions remain for White.
¡®I knew you liked me.¡¯
White had a crush on me as a member of the opposite s*x.
She was different from the other strong kids, so she just didn¡¯t express her honest feelings properly.
It was a fact that I couldn¡¯t hide because I could see through the psychology.
The most important thing is my heart.
Do I have a crush on White?
... I can¡¯t deny it.
¡®It was cute.¡¯
Because White, whom she saw while treating her as a disciple, was too cute.
I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t thrilled.
I¡¯m sure. I like white too.
In the end, my answer bes clear.
¡°Unconditionally. No one can give up.¡±
¡°hahahaha! I am sure.¡±
¡°Are you going to marry Amy?¡±
¡°Actually... I have already proposed to you.¡±
¡°Oh, really? When? How?¡±
That¡¯s interesting.
¡°That is... ....¡±
Ian began to speak proudly.
Like that, I spent time talking to a protagonist in a game I¡¯ve been ying for years.
Amy intervened along the way, and weughed and chatted for a long time.
@@novelbin@@
* * *
Boom!
¡°Attention! From now on, we will start the battle of courtesy!!¡±
Dorothy Hartnova shouted in a confident voice as she mmed the table hard.
At the table were Kaya Astreans, Luce Eltania, Alice Carol, and even Snow White.
Chapter 344: Subjugation of Evil Gods – End (3)
It¡¯s a royal match.
Kaya looked at Dorothy with a doubtful face, Luce with an ax eye open and a face saying, ¡®What the hell is this time again?¡¯, Alice looked at Dorothy with a generous smile.
WHITE, on the other hand, shivered with his head down, like a small fish caught in a school of sharks.
¡°Why me... ?¡± He muttered in a voice so low that no one could hear
¡°What is that?¡±
Le asked cynically.
¡°You all must have noticed and epted it a long time ago, but the chairman likes us all. So, what will happen if we all connect with the president?¡±
Dorothy asked like a quiz presenter at an event.
Luce frowned and replied nervously.
¡°I don¡¯t need it, Isaac is mine.¡±
¡°Honey, don¡¯t you still understand?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Considering the status of a baby, being able to marry multiple wives is a natural consequence. Such a selfish mind seems suitable for a concubine.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
As Alice helped her, Luce red at her.
At that time, Kaya coldly offered her opinion.
¡°Is it a courtesy or a concubine.... There¡¯s no way Isaac would divide the ss like that, right? If we were to marry Isaac, it would be natural for all of us to be wives.¡±
Although the seed of Yggdrasil disappeared, [Yggdrasil] Could no longer be used.
She is Kaya who has reached a high level since she once used [Yggdrasil].
Kaya now had the ability to not shrink even if the opponent was Dorothy.
¡°Tsk tsk,¡± Dorothy smiled, clicking her tongue and waving his index finger from side to side.
¡°You don¡¯t know what. Of course Isaac would take all of us as wives. So, what number of wives will you be?¡±
¡°...... !¡±
Kaya¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Even if everyone has a wedding together, the order is bound to be decided unconditionally. In other words.... The ¡®first wife¡¯ implicitly has the value of ¡®principle¡¯, and the rest have the value of ¡®concubine¡¯.¡±
As Alice kindly exined, Dorothy nodded in satisfaction.
Kaya couldn¡¯t argue. Even more so, Luce admitted it without even realizing it.
Of these, who will be Isaac¡¯s first?
This was an in-depth topic, no different from ¡®Who bes the royal family?¡¯
¡°Because it¡¯s impossible to ask the president who likes all of us, ¡®Who do you like best among us?¡¯. So! We are trying to implicitly divide the ranks among ourselves.¡±
¡°I see... , It is an important matter.¡±
Kaya broke into a cold sweat and convinced with her serious face.
¡°Yeah, by the way....¡±
When White plucked up her courage and raised her arms, which trembled like her aspens, she said, and all eyes turned to her.
¡°Why did you bring me here... ?¡±
¡°Huh? You¡¯re also in a rtionship with the chairman, that is, Isaac, aren¡¯t you? Master versus disciple? With that feeling.¡±
¡°Yes, but....¡±
¡°Do you hate Isaac?¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°No! Absolutely! Absolute love!¡±
Startled, White shook her head violently.
It was so fast that it left an afterimage and the wind blew.
¡°Okay. Then do you like it?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
White¡¯s face is dyed like a blush.
She lowered her head again and gave her a feeble nod.
¡°That¡¯s really cool....¡±
¡°Unlike us, White is still young.¡±
¡°That statement is a warning. It sounds like we are fossils.¡±
¡°Calm down. We are in our second year of graduation soon, so the fossil is right.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m still young! Please refrain from such old man expressions!¡±
¡°Hey, that¡¯s cute.¡±
Aliceughed at Dorothy¡¯s exasperation.
¡°So? How are you going topete?¡±
When Luce showed interest, Dorothy eximed, ¡°Ohhhhh.¡±
¡°My friend, are you ready to do something?¡±
¡°Because Isaac is mine. I will make you guys admit it.¡±
¡°Nihihi. Confidence is good!¡±
Luce is a prospective graduate.
She opens her heart to Isaac and goes through a lot at the academy... Luce¡¯s social phobia was greatly alleviated.
Thanks to that, having a normal conversation has be a matter of course now.
There is probably no one like this among them, but Luce was very greedy to monopolize her Isaac.
However, the women gathered here are incredibly strong people that even they themselves cannot easily control.
In that case, it would be good to trample everyone down with today¡¯s match, and establish yourself as Isaac¡¯s first woman, whom no one can dispute.
Luce decided that.
¡°Then, this is the event!¡±
Boom! Dorothy brought arge keg, five sses, and snacks from her other room by starlight magic and ced them on her table.
Except for Alice, who had a smiling face, everyone showed a look of bewilderment.
Dorothy said, tapping the huge keg.
¡°Drinkingpetition. Let¡¯s have a drink!¡±
¡°Do, Dorothy, I will protest! Let¡¯s decide on the amount of alcohol! This is too....¡±
¡°Is there any other match that is as wholesome, fair, and even persuasive as this one? Or what, rock, paper, scissors? Dirtyly uninteresting.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not true....¡±
Kaya was terrified in front of a barrel like a mountain.
¡°I agree. For some reason, Dorothy and I got along.¡±
¡°Can you stop saying things like that? Because I feel bad.¡±
¡°A nerd.¡±
Alice smiled naturally.
Then, Luce grabbed her ss and mmed her on the table, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.
¡°Follow me.¡±
It was a high-handedmand tone.
¡°You are proactive! Good!¡±
Dorothyughed and filled each of her sses.
White looked at therge amount of alcohol in front of her eyes and her eyes trembled.
¡°Let¡¯s get started! Now, everyone cheers!¡±
Dorothy shouts while holding out her ss.
The heat of the match hangs over the room.
¡°Hey, cheers.... Huh?¡±
White held out her ss and tried to make a real toast, but the other women didn¡¯t clink as she had promised, and immediately gulped down her drink.
¡°Hey, hey... ?¡±
White gulped down his drink rather than paying attention to her.
Boom! Four times. Rang simultaneously.
Kaya, Luce, Dorothy, and Alice all put empty sses on the table at the same time.
White also joined btedly with a frown on his face.
¡°Okay, next!¡±
After repeating to drink so heartily, half of therge keg was empty before I knew it.
Kaya rocked her body from side to side like a tumbler, with her face flushed from her drunkenness, Luce silently holding her spirits, and White bowing her head like a weary person. He took a sip of her drink.
On the other hand, Dorothy and Alice were rxed, only their cheeks flushed slightly.
From noble mtl dot
They were so fond of alcohol that they were called drinkers.
¡°What is it, everyone? Are you tired already?¡±
Dorothy asked yfully as she poured herself a drink.
¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±
Kaya whipped out the ss from her hands. Dorothy smiled contentedly and said, ¡°Drink, drink!¡± And filled the ss.
Kaya drinks without hesitation. She mmed her ss down on the table and resisted her belching.
Suddenly, Kaya hupped and nced at the other four women with weak, open eyes.
¡°By the way.... Aren¡¯t you all so arrogant?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Everybody focused on Kaya at the sudden attack.
Kaya sighed and continued her words.
¡°That¡¯s right. At this academy, I was the first woman that Isaac hooked up with. I was the first to join Isaac¡¯s n, and the first to figure out Isaac¡¯s true identity... ! Of course I have to be the first! Logically!¡±
First bond appeal.
However, Kaya¡¯s argument was not very persuasive.
¡°What does that have to do with being a favor?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t spend the first night with my baby. What does it mean to be hooked up first?¡±
Alice calmly retorted, closing her eyes and sipping her drink.
Kaya¡¯s face turned red like a ripe apple at her irritating words, but she responded vigorously.
¡°On the subject of terrorism at the academy! And stir! Ah, have you ever spent the night with Isaac?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Everyone except White reacted in surprise to Kaya¡¯s sudden assertion.
¡°In the past, we were homeless together. After defeating the demons, just the two of us, enjoying the sound of a babbling stream and the warmth of a bonfire... , I slept in a tent!¡±
Sleeping experience. Kaya¡¯s second hand is revealed.
¡°First bed... !¡±
A surprised Dorothy.
Kayada was the first person to associate with Isaac.
In other words, it was revealed here that Kaya was the first to enjoy the experience of sleeping with Isaac.
¡°Even when I pretend to be asleep... , You even secretly said I was pretty... ! It means that Isaac gave me his heart first!¡±
¡°Your delusion is on the level of a psychosis.¡±
¡°For real. Luce Eltania, will you hit me?¡±
As her luce was dismissed, Kaya narrowed her eyes and nailed her own argument.
But.
¡°You literally just slept, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°That, that....¡±
¡°Even if she said that her baby was pretty, I don¡¯t think it would have been anything special.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°You seem to be giving too much meaning, dear.¡±
As Alice pointed out, I only slept.
That was all.
¡°And the baby loves everyone. After all, just because she said the baby is pretty doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t judge.¡±
¡°... What do you want to talk about?¡±
¡°The important thing is who loves the baby the most.¡±
Alice had her characteristic caring smile.
¡°To put it bluntly, for example, even if I had a baby¡¯s urine, nothing would change in my love. I already have.¡±
¡°What are you talking about... ? What do you mean you¡¯ve already done that?¡±
¡°Dirty.¡±
Dorothy and Luce squinted in disgust.
¡°I am saying that I can embrace my baby as it is, everything. I love you so much....¡±
Boom!
¡°Isaac doesn¡¯t urinate and defecate!!¡±
Kaya huffed and she burst out.
Everyone was surprised. Even Luce.
¡°Dear Isaac, what? Feces? You are exaggerating!¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that....¡±
¡°Sacrilege!! Isaac is nothing short of a god!¡±
¡°No, even babies....¡±
¡°Isaac has reached a level beyond humanity! Even if you urinate, it is holy water! It¡¯s not a dirty, insignificant toilet!¡±
While Kaya fell in love with Isaac, she was also his ardent admirer.
Because of her drunkenness, Kaya¡¯s candid feelings flowed out as if she had turned on a faucet.
¡°Um, that¡¯s right.... Calm down, sister, I¡¯m sorry.¡±
In front of Kaya, who was preaching with enthusiasm like a cult leader, Alice acknowledged that she had spoken thoughtlessly and curled her tail.
¡°Nyahahahahaha!! That¡¯s right! The President is God! sphemy!¡±
Dorothyughed and pointed a finger at Alice to help Kaya¡¯s argument. Of course, Dorothy was meant to be a prank.
¡°That¡¯s a poem....¡±
Luce let out a sigh while drinking and then monologued with a pathetic nuance.
¡°Hup....¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
It was White¡¯s hups that calmed the noisy atmosphere.
White set her ss down on the table, then raised her head.
Half-open, eyes that had already lost their taste stared into space.
¡°What are those eyes? Why are you so scared?¡±
¡°Hup.... Issac senior? .¡±
White¡¯s voice stretched.
¡°His Majesty Carlos... This is the rtionship you want to establish with me! This is a national issue... ! This way, we don¡¯t have to argue with each other!¡±
In the quiet room, White closed her eyes tightly and my voice resounded.
¡°To bring this up as a public topic....¡±
¡°This guy has power on his back... !¡±
Alice and Dorothy were perplexed.
¡°Pu-huh!¡±
¡°...... ?¡±
Suddenly, someone burst intoughter.
Silence came again.
The reason why the atmosphere changed with just oneugh was that the person whoughed was an unexpected person.
Luce. She giggled, trying to muffle her voice, with her head down, her face hidden in her flowing rose gold hair.
¡°My friend, Iughed... ? No, did you even know how tough?¡±
Dorothy was very surprised to see Luce smile.
White, who was encouraged by her drinking energy, stared at Luce.
She decided to take a stab.
¡°Me and senior Isaac are what the state is trying to do....¡±
¡°Puhahahahaha!!¡±
Luce burst intoughter.
¡°It¡¯s as if His Majesty Carlos decided to get married....¡±
¡°Stop! So funny... ! Stomach hurts... !¡±
The sight of Luce holding her stomach and giggling was enough to surprise the women gathered there.
Soon after, Kaya, Dorothy, and Alice startedughing along with Luce. Because White¡¯s drunken solemn voice was funny.
After that, as the night deepened, the girls had a good time with drinks.
Talk about your adventures.
What they want to do for a living in the future, they all openly confess.
* * *
¡°Wee, baby.¡±
¡°Uh... ?¡±
When I arrived at Iris¡¯ lodging, the ce Dorothy talked about, Alice greeted me by opening the door.
It was very noisy inside the room. Anxiety came like a tide.
When I finally went inside, the horror unfolded before my eyes.
¡°Ahhhhh... ! I¡¯m going to go crazy.... I¡¯m ipetent trash... !¡±
¡°Worship Isaac... !¡±
¡°Isaac, only me, only me... , if you look... It would be nice.... Put it in the basement.... As long as you long for my love, that¡¯s enough... I could be happy....¡±
¡°Nyahahahahaha! What a mess!¡±
This, what is all this....
The smell of alcohol vibrated.
I don¡¯t know what the hell we were talking about. White was sobbing and self-deprecating, Kaya was worshiping me like a god, Luce was muttering something with her head on her table, and Dorothy was on her stomach. I was holding it andughing loudly.
It was a scene of madness.
I saw arge keg lying on the table. The inside was empty.
Guys, how much did they drink... ?
¡°Exin it, Alice.¡±
¡°Everybody had a drinking party.¡±
Alice replied with a grin.
¡°Are you all right?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it fine?¡±
Warak. At first, Alice hugged me tightly.
The smell of her alcohol wafted from her as well.
¡°Honey, I have no strength.... Hot.... Take it off....¡±
¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be weak.¡±
¡°Really? Opening the door was thest thing I tried.¡±
It seemed like a lie, but really Alice, like she was drunk, she was powerlessly putting her weight on me.
Only the surface was fine.
¡°Wee, Isaac Neim....¡±
Kaya, who was praising me, crawled on her floor and held onto my leg.
¡°Chairman, are you here? Come on.¡±
Dorothy tilted her head and smiled broadly. She looked like she wasn¡¯t normal either.
¡°... ....¡±
Soon, the corner of my mouth went up.
Everyone seemed to be close.
Asked Dorothy, taking off her coat and hanging it on her hanger.
¡°Senior Dorothy, do you have any drinks left?¡±
¡°Nihihi, left! Will the president also join?¡±
¡°Yes. I will drink too.¡±
¡°Good!¡±
That day, I also had a lot of drinks and talked with them.
Even if I said ¡®several stories¡¯, there was no context, I didn¡¯t know what it meant, and when I woke up, I wouldn¡¯t even remember it, most of the stories were just funny.
Perhaps it was because I drank too much, my head was dizzy and it was difficult to control my body properly.
After covering the five people who fell asleep quickly after being tangled here and there, I turned off the light andy down in an empty seat.
¡°Hmm....¡±
Dorothy turned her body around and hugged me in her sleep.
Come to think of it, dear, when she was living her terminally ill life, she took away the teddy bear. To get rid of lingering
After defeating the floating ind, I took out the teddy bear again.
Well, the experience of bing Dorothy¡¯s teddy bear wasn¡¯t too bad either.
Outside the window, it was dawning. It was the first time since I had been possessed that I had yed like this until the sun came up.
There was no worry whatsoever.
As if all the shackles that had been like iron armor had been released, only a feeling of freedom, along with a strong intoxication, hung over my whole body.
I smiled and closed my eyes, and soon fell asleep.
In the first ythrough, I met Dorothy and the candy house witch.
She told Dorothy she loved her, and thanked the Witch of the House.
I saw her mother who had passed away while living in the high school exam.
You said you were proud of me and had a smile that was more lovely than anyone else in the world.
They moved their steps towards the distant horizon shining with brilliance.
I stared at the back of her.
Chapter 345: End – Spring Day
Snowkes flew leisurely.
The pearly sky reflected on the white snow in the corner of the butterfly garden.
As Iy on my back, my body was pushed into the snow. It was asfortable as lying on a bed.
The ce where I started training.
It¡¯s been a while.
Because it was good to organize my thoughts here.
There is a fact that I learned recently.
The scope of my ability, [irsight], Has expanded to another dimension.
As time passed, my body was adapting to the godhead and naturally approaching the absurd state.
After reaching the current level, there were many things that I came to know.
For example.
I learned that before the evil god Nephid had the power to kill God, there were many more things prepared in advance in this world besides Ste¡¯s story.
People whose names are inspired by characters in fairy tales. Magic beasts whose names are only mentioned in mythology from another dimension. Their birth.
Fate left such footprints for the n called , And the reason was all to defeat the evil spirit.
Because they were familiar to the people of Earth and could stimte interest.
Recently, I spoke to the head of Lucifer of the Commandment, a demon in the Ice Lake. It was such a simple thing for me, who had a godhead even though I was far away.
Lucifer said that one day, he was reborn as a new being after getting some enlightenment and discharging his dark magic. It was like he was no longer a demon.
Thanks to that, even though the evil spirit had disappeared, he was still alive and was maintaining his position as the ruler of the Ice Lake.
When the apocalypse began, it was learned btedly that Lucifer had returned to the Ice Lake to protect the people.
It was something I really appreciate.
From noble mtl dot
Merhen Academy¡¯s 1st campus has been normalized.
From the next year, you can apply to either the 1st campus or the 2nd campus, and there is no qualitative difference ineducation.
As such, the number of new gardens will double.
@@novelbin@@
It was decided to hold the graduation ceremony at the 1st campus, reflecting the opinions of prospective graduates. Because there are more memories umted here.
I liked this ce too.
I took a deep breath in the cold air and exhaled it, and white breath flowed out.
After achieving a vague goal, leisurely worries inevitably follow like a tag.
So, there are two concerns these days.
How will we live in the future?
What do I want to do?
Sometimes it¡¯s enough to just hang out and pass the time. Because i¡¯m not used to it
I didn¡¯t even bother to get used to it.
¡°Then....¡±
I finished thinking.
You muste here to organize your thoughts.
I got up from my seat.
......
The warm breath of spring tickled her skin.
Splendid flowers greeted spring, and colorful petals flew like confetti in the spring breeze.
Merhen Academy¡¯s 1st campus, which had been restored in the past, has gone beyond its old appearance and is almost new. It was very tidy.
I received my graduation uniform from Orfin Hall. The bachelor maids hand-dressed her in her graduation uniform and put a bachelor cap on her head.
The brooch that symbolizes the school year was removed from the tie and tucked into the pocket.
It was a symbolic tradition to remove the brooch at graduation ceremonies.
¡°Ohhh.¡±
Is it a high-quality cloth? The graduation uniform boasted a very smooth texture.
I looked at myself in the full-length mirror.
Basically navy blue, with gold edging, the graduation gown swayed and swayed at my gestures.
As I headed to Academy Square to participate in the graduation ceremony, I saw students dressed in graduation clothes.
A lot of noise. Laughter pervaded the square.
Whether you are looking forward to or worried about the days ahead, finishing a long journey inevitably makes you smile.
¡°Isaac!¡±
Kaya came running towards meughing and her Luce followed.
The two ssmates were also wearing the same graduation clothes as me.
Involuntarily, augh came out. Because Kaya and Luce in their graduation uniforms were very cute.
As the graduation ceremony began, students dressed in graduation uniforms stood in an orderly manner in the za by department.
Many people, including family members, acquaintances, and friends of the graduates, watched the graduation ceremony from outside the za holding bouquets.
¡°From now on, we will hold the graduation ceremony of Merchen Academy.¡±
From the podium, the presenter raised a loudspeaker and spoke.
After several rituals, the presenter called me by name.
¡°Next, we will give a speech by the representative of the alumni. Alumni Representative, Isaac. From now on.¡±
As a representative of the graduates, I went up on the stage and headed towards the podium.
The presenter moved away, and I took his ce.
The presenter held out the loudspeaker.
The silence followed.
I caught my eyes on the graduates gathered in the za. Everyone was staring at me quietly.
Speech by the alumni representative.
Faculty and staff select excellent students, and select one of them to act as the representative of the alumni. I was selected for this jockey.
I prepared a formal speech, but when I stood here and looked at the students, quite a few thoughts ran through my mind.
So, I decided to just say whatever came to my mind.
¡°Hello, graduates. I am Isaac, the representative of the graduates, Faculty of Magic.¡±
I bowed my head and said hello.
¡°On this meaningful day when everyone is graduating together, I sincerely thank everyone at Merchen Academy for allowing me to stand in this honorable position.¡±
Respectfully.
With a kind smile.
¡°Actually... As you know, I attended Merchen Academy for a separate purpose. Perhaps he is the most unsuitable person for this position.¡±
Several graduates shook their heads and expressed their disapproval.
¡°... Ah. If not, I¡¯m d.¡±
The graduatesughed as the atmosphere was rxed.
Breathe quietly.
Considering my current position, I will not be able to elicit any sympathy from them.
So I decided.
I decided to tell the story I wanted to tell myself to the graduates.
¡°You have been studying here at Merchen Academy for many years. There must have been many happy moments as well as difficult moments.¡±
I saw Kaya Astrean with twinkling eyes and Luce Eltania looking at me with a gentle expression.
¡°There must have been many moments when things didn¡¯t go smoothly. He even got caught up in all sorts of idents.¡±
Ian Fairytale and Amy Holloway were seen with delicate smiles on their faces.
¡°However, none of you gave up, and in the end, that eventful journey waspleted safely. Thank you very much for your hard work.¡±
I saw Tristan Humphrey looking at me with eyes burning with determination, and Matteo Jordana with a serious face.
¡°Now to tell you my story... , I didn¡¯t want to leave any regrets behind. Because I had a goal. So, I ran every day without rest.¡±
I saw Lisetta Lionheart with her eyes down, Kerid and White rk with her eyes open, and Ciel Carnedas who was not sleeping for some reason.
¡°There were definitely moments when I wanted to give up, and there were many times when Imented my abilities, which were infinitelyckingpared to my goals. Still, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue,¡± And did not stop studying and training. I felt like I would regret it if I didn¡¯t do my best.¡±
Outside the za, I saw Princess Snow White with tears in her eyes, Saint Bianca Entourage with a benevolent smile, and Miya, a priestess listening to my speech.
Abel Carnedas nodded, as did Roanna Shelton standing next to him.
Mitchell wearing a red cape too.
As well as Aria Lillias with an emotionless face and Elena Woodline smiling with her arms crossed.
¡°In the end, I achieved my goal. Thanks to you, I am able to stand where I am today.¡±
I saw Yves Lopenheim, Dorothy Hartnova, and Alice Carroll holding a bouquet and looking at me lovingly.
¡°In the process of running without rest, so many people helped me and pushed me on my back. Now I am called a hero who saved all of humanity, but all of you who helped me were my heroes. I can only thank you all from the bottom of my heart.¡±
Outside the za, I could see several Wonkings and world giants who hade in disguise.
¡°Dear graduates. The end is a new beginning. You will now graduate from the academy and step into society. The Merchen Academy diploma will help you a lot. It¡¯s all the result of your constant running and hard work.¡±
I gently lowered my eyes.
¡°Even so, life won¡¯t work out the way you want it to. There will be many times when you will face difficulties that you never thought of. But if you don¡¯t give up, you¡¯ll find out in your life that every moment you ran into had meaning. For example, the experience you ran to get a diploma from Merchen Academy. Achievements and failures in the future. Every experience has meaning.¡±
Looking at the graduates again, he smiled broadly.
¡°I would like to express my sincere and deep gratitude to the graduates, seniors and juniors who ran with me, the professors who provided good lessons, the knights who fought hard to protect the academy, and all the people involved in the academy. Congrattions on graduating everyone. This concludes the speeches of the alumni representatives. Thank you.¡±
Once he bowed his head and finished his greeting, apuse poured in.
The rest of the rites continued, and likest year¡¯s Dorothy, she read the oath and returned to her seat.
After the graduation ceremony, the graduates spent time taking pictures andughing and chatting.
¡°President, sister is here!¡±
¡°Congrattions on graduating, baby.¡±
¡°Senior Isaac, congrattions on graduating... !¡±
Dorothy, Alice, and White, who was crying for some reason, approached and handed over the bouquet.
Dorothy and Alice were in school uniforms.
¡°Thank you everyone. But why do Dorothy and Alice wear school uniforms... ?¡±
¡°Because it¡¯s the day my baby graduates. If possible, I want to take a picture in my school uniform. It¡¯s like a match.¡±
Alice smiled kindly.
¡°Why, Chairman? Is it bad that your sister wears a school uniform?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the main book.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t ask you, man.¡±
Dorothy pushed her luce. Luce said mee and stuck out her tongue.
You two really got along....
Anyway, I told Dorothy and Alice that it looked good, and they were both delighted.
¡°Isaac.... This.¡±
¡°Ah, sister. Thank you foring.¡±
Eve approached timidly. Receiving the bouquet from Eve, she smiled brightly.
She currently resides in Dupendorf. It would have been far She thanked her foring.
¡°Bingje-nim. Graduation, congrattions from the bottom of my heart.¡±
¡°Senior Isaac! Congrattions on your graduation!¡±
Saints, priestesses, and many others came and handed over bouquets. He smiled and said thanks.
I received so many bouquets of flowers that I asked Alice to float them all by telekinesis.
¡°Senior Isaac....¡±
¡°Why are you crying all the time?¡±
¡°Because I think I won¡¯t see you at the academy anymore... , Tears are justing out... ! Whoa... !¡±
¡°Anyway, it¡¯s only one year. You can see it even on vacation.¡±
¡°Even so....¡±
White cried, but she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯lle back often.¡± She gave her a hug, and she swallowed a sigh and stopped crying.
We captured the moment by taking many pictures whileughing.
As I was moving my steps to take a photo in another good spot, the wind picked up the petals and caressed my skin.
Suddenly, I raised my head, and the clear sky and silvery sun filled my field of vision.
I took in the drowsy sunlight all over my face. It was very cozy.
At that time, she told a funny story, saying that White suddenly came to mind.
It was a spring day.
It was a very happy day.
Chapter 346: Final review of the main story and a side story plan information
Hello, this is Chicken Boy.
Asmodians limited Munchkin main story has beenpleted.
There were good times and bad times during the serialization, but fortunately we reached the end of the main story hehehe
Thanks to everyone who followed us.
What should I write... I thought about it a bit.
But I¡¯m not good at words like good words or touching words because I don¡¯t have people around me.
I just want to write my story or impressions.
@@novelbin@@
First of all... I was nning to give up on Asmodian Munchkin for thest time.
Writing was a fun hobby and a refuge from the hard days.
I also got older and got a job at thepany I wanted.
I also nned to live my life focusing on the specialized field I had studied without regrets.
My family¡¯s circumstances are difficult and I can¡¯t see the answer, so I study after work hoping that my life will get better.
I wondered if I could continue to enjoy writing as a hobby, so I finally decided to give up writing after writing for thest time.
It¡¯s like a farewell trip.
Because I¡¯ve never really made money from writing, and I don¡¯t even look like I have talent in this world.
This novel is what I started writing like that.
I decided to reconsider quitting writing if things go well.
If it didn¡¯t go well, I nned to finish it with 100 episodes and give up writing.
Actually, this novel underperformed in the beginning.
I couldn¡¯t see the future until about episode 20, so I thought about whether or not to do it throughout the year.
Still, it¡¯s thest novel, and I still have stockpiles, so I decided to continue serializing it.
Then more and more people started to gather and I made money.
Now, my life has improved, and I am thinking about my next work rather than quitting writing.
Thanks to all of you.
Thank you.
Also, there must have been many good and bad points while publishing.
I think the most disappointing thing was the serial cycle issue and frequent hiatuses.
It took me a long time to write because I wascking in skills, and it was difficult to have a second job, so I caused concern.
So I am even more grateful that you have followed me.
Thank you so much for participating in Isaac¡¯s story until the end of the main story.
I hope this novel is like a snack that you can eat lightly in your daily life, even for a moment.
*
The following is a side story.
To start with the conclusion, the side story is [Irregrly serialized].
It is because of reasons such as nning the next project, writing practice, and taking care of health.
He seems to have a particrly big health problem hahahaha..
I didn¡¯t know that long-term serialization would take such a toll on my health. It seems like you have to experience anything to know.
Because Ick experience in serialization, I tend to be like that, so I¡¯m trying to regain my health and have a good lifestyle.
And a true review will only go up after the side story is over, but I think there won¡¯t be much to write about at that time.
I don¡¯t care about anything, and I¡¯m going to write whatever I want to write without burden, so it¡¯s because I have nothing to regret.
Abductions are divided into two types.
¨C Just abduction
¨C IF Abduction
I will try to write and post as I like, regardless of the order.
Side story is just an extension of the main story, and will be uploaded regardless of time zone.
In other words, you will be able to see stories that you did not see in the main story, such as the main character¡¯s first experience (19 gold), wedding, and peaceful after story.
The IF side story is separate from the main story.
I¡¯m thinking about a case where Isaac meets the bad ending mentioned in the main story, such as the cage ending and the demon king ending, or an episode about Eve, who gets worse mentally after Isaac¡¯s death and then returns.
Therefore, most of them may not be suitable for exhaustion or mental illness, and a warning will be attached at the beginning of the section.
And as per thest vote, Dorothy¡¯s 19th gold illustration was outsourced.
So, for the 19th gold side story, Dorothy¡¯s illustration will be included.
Thank you.
*
Lastly, there is also a Q&A, and I will post it separately in the notice, so if you have any questions, I will answer them.
In thest Q&A, I couldn¡¯t give spoilers, so there are many things I couldn¡¯t answer.
This time, I think most of the answers will be possible, except for questions that are unexpectedly difficult to answer.
Everyone, thank you and love you all.
Chapter 347: Side Story – Harem Confession (1)
Drizzlingly, raindrops fell from the silver-gray sky.
Fallen leaves and often puddles of water were stepped on with every step.
The woman with the low ponytail, Kaya Astrreang, looked behind her.
The footprints she left on the forest road she passed by were soaked with rainwater.
Summer by now. Several months have passed since I graduated from Marchen Academy.
Isaac is working tirelessly to improve Dupendorf¡¯s stability.
In particr, the imperialw he is reorganizing is said to be surprisingly systematic, borrowing the evaluations of experts.
Luce Eltania is nning to study in the magical city of Asberica in order to be the owner of the mage tower.
No matter how strong Luce was, it was an inevitable process. Ascension-level magic tower lord she was aiming for was a high-ranking positionparable to that of a great mage.
The goal is to falsify history.
Seeing that she had vowed to achieve that goal with her own hands rather than borrowing Isaac¡¯s, it seemed that Luce was determined.
Dorothy Hartnova is getting ready to go on a trip. She ns to crisscross the world, she says.
Some of her travel destinations she said she would go to with Isaac. She said it was a promise she made about two years ago.
Alice Carroll visited Wondend after a long time. It was because she had to take care of the Heart Kingdom.
He would return sooner orter, because Isaac had called him, but he would go back to Wondend when his business was over. She said that her full-fledgedeback would be around next spring.
As Alice is Isaac¡¯s minion, she ns to be his closest aide. In her office, it is obvious what a woman who is innocent on the outside and like a fire fox on the inside will do to Isaac.
Snow White von Kairos Epelto is still attending Marchen Academy. As she hears, she says that since she was in third grade she has been in ss A.
From thest freshman to the best 3rd year ss.
It achieved simr results to Isaac.
However, he acted as the weakest. And in that White is sincere, the difference is huge.
The magic of the night fairy must have contributed the most, but the results of constant training cannot be overlooked.
¡°Everyone is nning something and living well...¡±
Recently, Kaya Astreang has been in trouble.
Everyone is trying to do what they nned to do.
But what about himself?
The uses of magic in this world are very diverse.
For example, even if you dream of bing a wizard, the job is subdivided into various ways to determine what kind of wizard you will be.
Among them, Kaya¡¯s goal was originally to be Gerber¡¯s imperial mage.
As if his father was a former Imperial Knight, and his older sister, Merlin, was an Imperial Knight.
Wearing her imperial uniform and disying her magical talents and being active was enough to be her goal.
¡®It¡¯s ambiguous. This ce has be a kingdom, and if I work here, it¡¯s obvious that I¡¯ll be far from Isaac.¡¯
If she bes the pce wizard of Gerber, she will naturally be distant from Isaac.
However, Isaac opposes that he would be a royal mage of Dupendorf. He said he didn¡¯t want Kaya to be treated like a soldier.
The object of the avoidance included the highest rank, themander of the corps.
So, with the intention of contemting a career path, the Duchy of AstreansI came back and walked through the forest, but my worries still burned like embers and did not go out.
[Can we just y?]
The evil personality said.
From Kaya¡¯s appearance, only her eyes were blood-red, she was walking with Kaya with her hands together behind her hips. It was a sight that only Kayaman could see.
Aksik tapped his lips with his index finger.
[The world has changed, and it¡¯s be ambiguous to live as I had nned, and it doesn¡¯t matter if you y around anyway. Then, isn¡¯t it just a matter of ying with Isaac and being happy all the time?]
¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡±
[Even so, why don¡¯t you put off your worries for now?]
¡°Huh? Why?¡±
Akshik poked her head at Kaya and narrowed her eyes, smiling at her.
It was a sly face, as if a fox was trying to y tricks.
Even though no one could see him, Akshik whispered secretly, covering his mouth with the canopy of his hand.
[You can monopolize Isaac while everyone else is away. It will be an opportunity that will never exist in the future?]
¡°...¡±
[In the office, you can hug Isaac from behind, bite his ears, suck him, and even give him a kiss on his lovely cheek from time to time. When Isaac is lying on the bed, you can secretly dig into the nket and enter Isaac¡¯s arms. Let me touch my body, whisper that I love you, stroke Isaac¡¯s head, kiss him, and do all night long... ! hahahaha, i¡¯m happy... !]
Aksik covered his blushing cheeks with both hands and smiled broadly, as if he was getting excited as he spoke.
The sight of him closing his eyes and letting his imagination run wild is a monster of s*xual desire.
It was because the s*xual curiosity umted during his student days had be concentrated on Isaac.
[I¡¯m sure you feel good, right?]
Aksik who thinks of Kaya.
Aksik¡¯s imagination was entirely up to Kaya.
Fascinated by it, Kaya forgot to even breathe and wandered in her sweet imagination.
¡°Omg!¡±
Kaya, who soon regained her sanity, shook her head vigorously.
She opened her axe eye and stared at her evil spirits.
¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I feel like I¡¯m falling behind, and won¡¯t my charm be halved?¡±
[Oh. Sharp, sharp Is it a long-term perspective?]
Akshik covered his mouth and smirked admiringly.
[Now Luce Eltania or whoever is our lifelong rival? That¡¯s a reasonable opinion.]
¡°If you are full of lust...¡±
[What are you selling? I am you?]
¡°Stop... Let¡¯s think rationally, rationally.¡±
@@novelbin@@
Akshik flirted like a demon, and Kaya wrapped her hair and pondered.
Listening to the pouring rain made her feel calmer.
¡°...¡±
No matter how much a person decides on a course, there is no guarantee that the destination will always be in ce.
The world is always changing every moment.
Therefore, it was necessary to keep pace with the rapidly changing world.
¡®Ah.¡¯
Thoughts turned in a new direction.
Surprisingly, the solution was simple.
[WorryLooks like it¡¯s over?]
Aksik purposely bent his upper body and looked up at Kaya and asked.
There was a lot of talent buried in each of his facial expressions and actions.
¡°I think so.¡±
Kaya nodded her head and looked at Akshik.
¡°Shall we go back?¡±
[Isaac-nim, do you wash?]
¡°Stop...¡±
Akshikughed mischievously.
* * *
I don¡¯t know anything about politics.
Let alone a legal expert, I have never even entered the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
Maybe because of that, I¡¯m feeling myck of ability these days.
The Blue Imperial Pce of Dupendorf.
In the office, I said ¡°Yeah¡± And shook my head.
¡°There are so many things to do...¡±
Even if I were in the convenient position of being at the pinnacle of humanity, there were too many tasks piled up by the vacancy of the Ice Emperor for a thousand years.
Trade routes were blocked due to the blizzard that had been blowing incessantly in thend of ice, making it impossible to establish diplomatic ties.
Since the policy of seclusion was enforced, in the end Dupendorf has been working hard to build an independent system that can be maintained alone.
Since I cleaned up the blizzard, there were no more environmental problems that could be said to be the most troublesome.
Now it was necessary to get out of this ass system.
They opened trade routes, encouraged trade, and overhauledws.
In addition to that, I often skipped sleep because I lived only in national affairs.
In the meantime, I realized how much of a monster my body had be when my physical strength would quickly recover like a superman even after sleeping for an hour.
Smart.
I heard the knock I was waiting for.
Thanks to being able to detect even undischarged mana, he was able to immediately identify who the customer was.
¡°Come in, Alice.¡±
The door opened, and an elegant woman with alchemy hair brushed her way into the office.
An enemy who had once fought for his life, and now the woman I would take as a wife.
¡°Hello, honey?¡±
Alice Carroll.
The red uniform dressed to the fullest was the first time I had seen it.
Is it from the heart kingdom?
It fit well.
¡°Come on. Long time no see.¡±
Greeted with a good smile.
Alice hurriedly came up behind me, and she ced her big chest on top of my head.
A soft, soft mass wrapped around her head.
As it was, Alice lowered her hands and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
The back of her head pressed against her abdomen.
¡°What are you doing as soon as you arrive?¡±
¡°My baby seems to have suffered while I was gone.¡±
Alice¡¯s gentle voice permeated the air.
¡°You also came to see your work. Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡±
¡°Yeah, so I¡¯mforting myself by holding my baby.¡±
Alice hugged me tighter.
¡°Baby, I missed you.¡±
¡°Me too.¡±
¡°Does this feel good?¡±
Alice moved her upper body to the left and right of her little by little.
She stroked her hair as her soft flesh pulsated as if it were about to flow.
These days, I feel like the intensity of seduction by the girls I like is getting worse and worse.
Is it because the evil spirits have been subdued and all the heavy tasks have been solved?
¡°I can¡¯t deny it.¡±
¡°He.¡±
To be honest, Alice smiles aegyo.
Anyway, I wondered why the texture was so ecstatic.
¡°Are you not wearing underwear?¡±
¡°Did you wear it?¡±
¡°But why is it so soft to the touch...¡±
¡°Only down.¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°It¡¯s the same color as my clothes now.¡±
Unnecessary answer added.
¡°... Oh.¡±
An exmation flowed out spontaneously.
No, is it an exmation?
I do not know.
¡°Baby, did you call Princess Snowwhite besides me?¡±
¡°Ah, yes. I have something to tell everyone.¡±
I decided to gather all 5 girls I like in one ce.
White replied that she would definitelye because it was the academy vacation season, and Kaya sent a letter saying that she was alreadying.
Luce and Dorothy were living in the imperial pce with me and making ns for the future.
¡°I see.¡±
Alice asked no more.
They seemed to have already figured out what I was going to say to the kids.
¡°Uh?¡±
Then, she sensed mana.
Dorothy Hartnova, now getting ready for the trip, hase out of the room and ising up here.
Outside the imperial pce, Kaya Astreang has just arrived and ising up here.
From noble mtl dot
¡°Are the kidsing?¡±
As expected, Alice noticed immediately.
¡°Uh, two.¡±
¡°Okay?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Suddenly, Alice started to get under my desk.
As it was, she sat down under her desk, looking at me.
Since it is arge desk, the space was free.
¡°Why all of a sudden? What are you doing?¡±
¡°Shh.¡±
Alice put her index finger to her lips with a smile as she put her head between my legs.
There was yfulness and entricity in that kind smile.
¡°Don¡¯t do anything weird, I...¡±
Knock!
¡°Oh.¡±
Just as he was about to tell Alice toe out, the door burst open.
¡°Chairman, I¡¯m bored, so I came to interrupt!¡±
The spirited voice of a perky woman rang out.
A woman with light purple hair, wearing a pretty witch¡¯s costume with her wide-brimmed hat turned back.
¡°Senior...¡±
¡°Nihihi, can I interrupt?¡±
It was my sweetheart, Dorothy, who was breathtakingly beautiful just to look at.
¡°That is difficult.¡±
She replied with an awkward smile.
Dorothy came to me.
¡°Then can I tickle you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Can wind blow in your ears?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong...¡±
Dorothy grumbles.
Normally, I would have weed him with both hands and feet, but now it was difficult to see Alice under the desk.
¡®Because I haven¡¯t confessed yet.¡¯
I have yet to express my position to five women.
Today, I was thinking of confessing to them that I like all of you.
Unintentionally, everyone noticed my feelings andpromised, but there was a big difference between directly confessing and skipping the Eoyoung and Booyoung stage or dying the confession.
That¡¯s why we wanted to bring everyone together.
¡®I have to make the harem official with a confession.¡¯
It was a serious matter.
So, before dering a harem, if someone shows me the way to go ahead with a bizarre flirtation with me... , I feared, intentionally or not, to offend other women.
¡®A harem confession is a risky statement...¡¯
I couldn¡¯t ruin an important day like today.
After dealing with Dorothy in moderation and sending her back, it would be better to quickly bring Alice out.
¡°Then do you want to n a trip?¡±
¡°Are you nning a trip?¡±
¡°You are having a hard time with your work. I wondered what it would be like to cool off.¡±
It was Dorothy¡¯s consideration. It seems that I felt sorry for myself while staying with me.
Suddenly, as a first-year student at Merchen Academy, memories of her social church came to mind.
At the time, Dorothy was convinced she was going to die.
But as she danced with me, she told me about the things she wanted to do in the future.
Now that the fear of death was gone, he was about to put the n into action.
It was also the reason why I was more immersed in my work.
Because I wanted to enjoy a leisurely trip with Dorothy.
¡°How can I say, my sister has been researching the destination and thinking hard about it, but something is not right... ?¡±
¡°If you go all the way, there will be no more fulfilling trip than that...¡±
¡°Not enough, to satisfy my thirst!¡±
¡°Oh... !¡±
¡°Huh? Chairman, what¡¯s wrong?¡±
I flinched involuntarily when I felt her soft touch on the inside of her thigh.
Alice, I knew this too.
¡°Oh, I just forgot to remember. About work.¡±
¡°Okay?¡±
Dorothy had a carefree face.
As her Alice¡¯s hand moved closer and closer to her crotch, she lowered one hand under her desk and tried to push her away.
¡°...¡±
Something warmly wrapped around the index and middle fingers.
¡®I asked... ?¡¯
This guy asked.
My fingers.
The slimy liquid wets your fingers, and the soft tongue moves gracefully, moving your fingers.Licked
Alice grabbed my wrist with both hands.
I couldn¡¯t get my hands off it. If you make any awkward movements, they will definitely get caught.
Fingers were quick, and I could hear the slight twitching and ttering.
A strange feeling of excitement ran through his fingers and spread throughout his body, and a drop of cold sweat ran down his cheek.
¡°So, the new ce I found was... !¡±
¡°Isaac, I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Oh, junior! Hi!¡±
Of course, I came to Kaya.
¡°Oh, Kaya. Come on.¡±
It was very cute seeing her cautiously poking her head through the crack in the open door, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that.
First, Dorothy and Kaya, I had to let these two go and get Alice out.
Alice took my finger out of her mouth and started licking between her fingers.
I could feel the gaze from below.
I could see Alice smiling mischievously at my reaction.
¡®This, really...¡¯
He tried to keep a smile on his face.
One eyebrow raised without my knowledge, but Dorothy and Kaya didn¡¯t notice.
¡®Driving me crazy.¡¯
Alice, boy.
It is very aggressively tempted.
He must havee with a firm determination today.
The act of licking my fingers, the strangeness in itself, got on my nerves.
¡°Have you been with Dorothy? Shall we wait in the hallway?¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay, I came here because I was bored.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Kaya stood next to Dorothy.
¡°Nice to see you after a long time. It must have been harding a long way, but go and rest for now.¡±
I smiled kindly and told Kaya, but somehow she was serious.
Kaya hesitated, then carefully opened her mouth.
¡°Isaac, I finally found the answer to my worries. Will you listen?¡±
¡°Okay?¡±
Can¡¯t we talk about thatter... ?
Chapter 348: Side Story – Harem Confession (2)
¡°I¡¯m trying to embrace a bigger goal.¡±
¡°A big goal?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been targeting the imperial mage of Gerber. If so, what did you want to achieve by bing an imperial mage? I decided to achieve that goal in a way other than being an imperial mage.¡±
¡°Good idea.¡± Kaya¡¯s expression brightened as she chimed in.
Unfortunately, however, my attention was focused entirely on Alice under the desk, not on Kaya¡¯s concerns.
I didn¡¯t know if I was good at it. She didn¡¯t feel good because she was a finger.
The problem was that the brain-destroying tongue-in-cheek stuffed my head with all sorts of wild fantasies.
Those countless imaginations drove me crazy, and Alice was present in all of them.
Alice must have had such intentions.
¡®I have endured my lust... Was it this dangerous?¡¯
The s*xual desire that I had endured for so long swelled up in an instant.
¡°Chairman. What¡¯s the matter?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°For some reason, I feel like my face has turned red.¡±
¡°Am I? ... Is it because it¡¯s cold?¡±
¡°The ice cream catches the cold... ?¡±
Didn¡¯t say anything
It was patchy.
Dorothy can read people¡¯s emotions.
He should have seen clearly that I was feeling a strong s*xual desire right now.
¡°I have something urgent to do. Senior Dorothy, can you talk to meter?¡±
¡°Later? I want to do it now...¡±
¡°Tomorrow in the senior¡¯s room.¡±
¡°... My room?¡±
Now that this has happened, I decided to use what Dorothy saw.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°Uh... ?¡±
Now that she sees Dorothy and lusts after her, so that she can think of it.
Dorothy sighed and held his hair with both hands, twitching and lowering her eyes.
¡°If it¡¯s my room... I think it might be good... ? Yes, that would be great! There¡¯s a lot of information in my room, so... Yes, very good judgment!¡±
Dorothyughs too much.
Her lips twitched.
Based on my condition and what I said to her, it seemed like she drew her own analogy.
Fortunately, it went as expected.
¡®In the meantime, he¡¯s cute again.¡¯
She was so cute that Alice¡¯s imagination would fill up with Dorothy for a moment.
¡°Kayado. We¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡±
¡°Yes. Excuse me, Isaac.¡±
Kaya bowed her upper body.
She had a very enthusiastic expression on her face, as if she had a bright future ahead of her.
¡°Chairman, see youter!¡±
¡°Then see youter.¡±
Dorothy and Kaya said goodbye to me and left the office.
Bang. The door is closed.
¡°Sweep... Whoa...¡±
Under the desk, Alice stopped licking my fingers and let out a deep breath.
¡°You really...¡±
¡°Did you like it?¡±
I hated the way he poked his head between my legs and smiled slyly.
¡°The baby¡¯s reaction was fun.¡±
¡°Stop kidding... I can usually ept it, but for today, refrain from it.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
Alice stood up, put her cheek on my stomach, and hugged me around the waist.
From noble mtl dot
¡°For what? Is there any reason why I shouldn¡¯t be doing this?¡±
Alice looking up at me.
... I¡¯m going to go back because it¡¯s lovely.
¡°Oh, really stop...¡±
¡°Honey.¡±
¡°Please... Whoop!¡±
Augh burst out at Alice as she tilted her head and yed her charms.
...
¡®Shake...¡¯
She didn¡¯t tremble like this even when she caught the evil god, Nephid.
It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had my legs shake like this.
Irrespective of the [Frozen Soul] Effect of [Ice Emperor], Which allows you to feel calm at any time, the excitement that pulsates in your heart was giving me a tremble.
Come on, let¡¯s calm down.
Looking at the salt-like stars in the night sky, I gathered my emotions.
Today is an important day.
It was a day to confess to everyone.
To this end, the rooftop of the imperial pce was deliberately decorated to create a pleasant atmosphere.
He prepared many beautiful structures and flower branches, and made them sparkle with blue ice mana.
It was because I thought that if the atmosphere was good, people¡¯s hearts would soften a little more.
With the help of his servants, he dressed up as nicely as possible and styled his hair.
In my hand were five flowers prepared for confession.
I learned the telekinesis magic in the past, but the reason I didn¡¯t bother using it was because I wanted to deliver flowers with my own hands.
¡®Come... !¡¯
The Realm of the Archmage.
Mana sensing ability is disyed.
Five women wereing up... !
One by one, they opened the roof door and came out.
Dorothy, Alice, Luce, Kaya, and White were in order.
They admired the beautifully decorated rooftop.
¡°Isaac?¡±
Luce called my name with a questioning face.
I tried to write [Psychological Detective], But I ended up using it.
I felt like I would lose my strength if I read their psychology here.
Let¡¯s put off writing [Psychological Sight] At least until after the confession.
Five women stopped in front of me.
¡°I¡¯m here?¡±
Ah, this...
When the situation came right in front of my eyes, the cringe raised my head.
Suddenly, I remembered the advice from Azabel, themander of the 3rd Corps.
©¤ ¡®Master! All you have to do is say, ¡®You, be my woman¡¯ and you¡¯re done! Is there any woman in the world who would not follow her lord?!¡¯
Doesn¡¯t fit the sensibility of this worldAnd, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m trying to take care of the romance unnecessarily.
However, there was no woman who would hate being pretty.
And above all, I was sincere with them.
Loved it all
So she decided to pour out her sincerity and sincerity and bring out her confession to marry.
@@novelbin@@
Even the opponents are five.
It wasn¡¯t too hard.
Crouching in this situation? I have to suppress it somehow.
Here I be the ultimate harem romantic.
¡°Dorothy, Alice, Luce, Kaya, White.¡±
I looked at their faces and called their names.
Even without reading their psychology, it was clear that they were nervous.
It was natural.
They must have noticed why I decorated the rooftop beautifully and sang it all, and why I was holding five flowers.
¡®Well, isn¡¯t it more strange not knowing?¡¯
... Thinking that way made me feel better.
A smile flowed from his lips.
Because I felt like we confirmed each other¡¯s feelings even before giving flowers.
¡°I think you guys probably noticed the reason why I asked you guys to gather.¡±
He bent down on one knee and held out five flowers.
A ring telekically rose from within each petal.
The five rings quietly rotated and shimmered in blue mana light.
Except for Alice, the other four women all looked surprised.
Come on, take a deep breath.
I let go of the tension and spat out a confession.
¡°All five of you, I like it. Marry me.¡±
In an instant, a hot sh came.
Involuntarily, I lowered my head.
I couldn¡¯t even imagine how red my face was now.
He must have a face that doesn¡¯t fit the title of an ice wizard.
¡®I thought it was too steamy... ?¡¯
Wouldn¡¯t it be cool?
Didn¡¯t I just follow Azabel¡¯s advice and go ¡®do my girl¡¯ and go like her real man?
I don¡¯t know.
My mind wasplicated.
¡®I feel like dying... !¡¯
A silence heavy as lead weighed on my chest.
I couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to see the faces of the five people.
I hoped that someone would respond.
Please.
¡°... Pooh!¡±
Before long, like a helping hand, Alice¡¯sughter was heard.
Soon the flowers slipped out of my hands one by one.
When all five flowers were finally out of my hands, I slowly opened my eyes and raised my head.
I saw five lovely women with blushing cheeks holding flowers.
Dorothy looked at me with an awkward smile.
Luce turned her head to the side and avoided my gaze.
Kaya opened her eyes wide and looked down at the flower.
Alice smiled leisurely and smiled at me.
HwayiTed looked very surprised.
¡°Chairman.¡±
Dorothy tried to make eye contact with me, but suddenly she shook her head and lowered the brim of her witch¡¯s hat to cover her eyes.
¡°What are you even doing like this? Anyway what... , It would have been nice if it was a little simpler...¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that great?!¡±
¡°No! No way! You¡¯re more than happy!¡±
Dorothy waved her hand hastily, bewildered.
¡°Aha...¡±
I¡¯m d... It was fortunate.
Shaking off her tension, she stood up.
She picked up the rings floating on each flower and began to carefully ce them on the ring fingers of each of the five men.
Dorothy smiled shyly and hung her head.
Alice smiled faintly.
White said, ¡°Senior... ¡± He called me in a trembling voice.
Kaya said, ¡°Huh... ¡°She eximed. Soon, her smoke rose above her head, but her smoke faded as her original personality retired and her evil personality emerged.
Onest time she approached Luce.
As she raised her left hand, she saw the ck Sea Empress¡¯s ring.
¡°Luce.¡±
¡°Huh.¡±
¡°Do you remember when we promised to be together in the future?¡±
Luce nodded her head with her tense face.
It was the first look she had seen of her.
¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Let¡¯s live together forever by my side.¡±
Luce had a gentle smile on her face.
¡°... My answer is always the same, Isaac.¡±
A smile crept across my lips too.
When I finished putting her ring on Luce¡¯s ring finger, she hugged me tightly.
¡°Hoejaang!¡±
She shouted as if she wouldn¡¯t let Dorothy lose either, and her luce clung to her side and hugged me.
¡°Isaac, I love you.¡±
Kaya hugged my arm tightly.
She looked at Alice. She was looking at me with her flushed face.
One after another, White also approached me.
¡°Senior Isaac...¡±
¡°Why are you crying again?¡±
¡°I just love it so much...¡±
White cried as if she was moved, and she embraced my remaining arm.
I felt funny because I was nervous for no reason.
I buried her head in the girls who hugged me tightly.
Everyone was so lovely.
Long live Harem.
Chapter 349: Extraversion – Revenge
[Master, what are you so anxious about?]
Inside therge room.
Only the soft moonlight filtered into the dimly lit room.
While lying on the bed and staring at the dim ceiling, the humanoid Ice and Snow Dragon ¨C Hild spoke to me.
She was reading a book with themp on her desk. It was because these days she was immersed in reading.
¡°Why me?¡±
[The owner¡¯s feelings are being transmitted to me. Aren¡¯t the master and I one in spirit?]
¡°Just. I was curious about what they were talking about.¡±
[You mean the master¡¯s wives?]
¡°Huh.¡±
After a sessful harem confession, something unexpected happened.
©¤ ¡®President! We were supposed to have an important meeting. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡¯
©¤ ¡®Yes?¡¯
After the confession, in the midst ofughing, Dorothy, Luce, Kaya, Alice, and White nodded as if they had promised and headed to the meeting room.
Except for me, with them.
It seemed like they were having a long meeting in the conference room, but I couldn¡¯t bear to look at it with [irvoyance].
Now that Dorothy and Alice can perceive [irvoyance].
¡®What kind of meeting is this...¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but tremble when I confessed.
I just hope they don¡¯t make strange agreements with each other.
¡®Couldn¡¯t it be that they decided not to eat rice cakes until marriage... ?¡¯
From noble mtl dot
At first nce, the order of s*x seems to be ranked before marriage.
But that was something I couldn¡¯t ept.
How to endure s*x with five people until marriage...
I¡¯m full of the urge to grab their breasts right now... !
¡®No. Is it too grandiose?¡¯
Maybe it¡¯s an overly futile concern.
Suddenly, a sigh leaked out, and there was the sound of a book closing on the desk.
[You don¡¯t have to worry so much.]
Heald put a shade on themp that was shining and came over to me and sat down on the bed.
The silver bobbed hair caught the moonlight and created a beautiful color, and the elegant and cool-headed eyes captured only me.
[The owner confessed to five people at once. There¡¯s a risk that it will get crowdedter, so it¡¯s probably trying to set up some rules in advance.]
As Hild said.
The five people who received my confession seemed to have already expected that to happen.
If you look at the preparations for the meeting.
¡°Even if you say that, nothing will be resolved in the end. It¡¯s an inescapable anxiety. You just have to carry it, that kind of thing.¡±
[While subjugating even the evil spirits... I still have a lot of worries. After all, he is a young guy.]
Fluff. Hild lifted the covers and came inside, andy down next to me.
As it was, she hugged me and closed her eyes.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
[Wouldn¡¯t this ease your anxiety? Today, I will especially share my arms, master.]
¡°Originally, oftenYou did.¡±
[This must be the first time in human form?]
¡°It is true. Thank you, Hild.¡±
As she stroked Hild¡¯s hair, the corners of her mouth twitched.
Then, as I withdrew her hand, she grabbed mine by the hand and dragged it back to her head.
[Please stroke me more...]
Heald urged in a charming way.
Soon after, Hild gradually calmed down, and she quickly fell asleep.
A soft breathing sound flowed from Heald.
As usual, she had the habit of falling asleep as soon as she got into bed.
¡°... It works.¡±
Perhaps because Heald¡¯s arms were warm, her tension gradually eased.
She quietly closed her eyes and rxed her body, making Hild¡¯s breathing a luby.
It wasn¡¯t long before my mind sank into a dream.
...
The morning sun was bright.
I decided to see Alice off this morning. It was the day she returned to the Heart Kingdom.
While the attendants were dressing me and adorning me in my room, one of the attendants knocked on the door and entered the room.
¡°Your Majesty, this.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Dorothy asked me to tell you the results of yesterday¡¯s meeting.¡±
Meeting results?
What the attendant handed over was a sheet of parchment.
I quickly received the parchment and read the contents.
©¤ Hello, Chairman!
The chairman¡¯s wife and first wife, Dorodororo Doroshi!
Yesterday, we had an in-depth discussion on ¡®Who will have the president¡¯s baby first¡¯?
First of all, no one decided to beat the president until marriage!
That¡¯s it. What the president imagines... Physical rtionship.
I came to the conclusion that if someone did it first, there would be something that would hurt my feelings when we got married.
I ask for your understanding!
Ah, from today, perhaps the president¡¯s wives will avoid the president.
I¡¯m so ashamed of it.
Be brave ande closer! Everyone will love it!
Then see youter!
¡°What are you talking about... ?¡±
Why did the anxiety hit?
I didn¡¯t ask for this...
¡°Lungs, Your Majesty?¡±
¡°Are you having any problems!?¡±
The attendants were all taken aback as their bodies sagged from the loss of strength.
I wanted to say yes, but the words just couldn¡¯te out.
Because it wasn¡¯t okay at all.
¡®Why is this... Do useless things...¡¯
However, it was not unfathomable, and I couldn¡¯t avoid feeling sad.
At that time.
Knock, knocking sound was heard.
¡°Your Majesty, Alice has arrived.¡±
¡°Alice?¡±
Did the twoe because they had something to talk about before going back to the Heart Kingdom?
I guess it¡¯s all set up The attendants decided to export.
¡°Everyone go out. Let only Alice in.¡±
¡°All right.¡±
After the attendants greeted and left, Alice Carroll entered.
Somehow, Alice was wearing the same outfit as when she was attending Marchen Academy.
¡°Hello, baby. Good morning.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you still far from leaving?¡±
¡°I came to see my baby.¡±
Alice grinned and she sat down on the wide sofa.
Her hand rested on her bare thigh, and the ring I had given her on the ring finger of her left hand glistened in the light.
Looking at it like this... It makes me happy.
¡°Baby, where are you looking?¡±
Alice smiled kindly and tilted her head to her side.
It was a yful tone. It was clear that she had deliberately ced her hand on her thigh, knowing that my gaze would stay on her ring.
¡°I just saw the ring. It¡¯s nice that they fit well.¡±
¡°Lie. While looking at my legs.¡±
I unconsciously rolled my eyes and looked around.
No one? Isn¡¯t Luce under the bed by any chance?
Fortunately, no one seemed to be there.
¡°I saw that too.¡±
Well, that was fortunate. It would be okay if I matched Alice¡¯s talents.
Tuk-tuk. Suddenly, Alice tapped her own leg. With just that little jolt, an enchanting wave rippled through her bare legs.
¡°Do you want toe and lie down?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it the day I leave today? I want to be with the baby before I go.¡±
Ah, herp pillow.
¡°I¡¯m good.¡±
He went over to her couch andy down, carefully cutting Alice¡¯s hair over Alice¡¯s thigh.
Herrge, round chest took up half of her field of vision. Her breasts were sorge that the buttons on her shirt seemed about to burst.
Through it, the gap between the two lumps of her breasts could be seen. It was a spectacle that made me feel admiration whenever I saw it.
Alice¡¯s lovely smile was visible over herrge chest.
As if she were a mother looking at her child, Alice kindly stroked her hair.
¡°Right.¡±
Alice whispered softly.
Her mood rose as the scent of her rising Alice wet her senses.
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Huh.¡±
¡°Are we really getting married?¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°In the past, I never thought I would ever find someone to love. Plus, that person was someone who fought to death in the past... Even if you know the world, you don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°It is all in the past. Why? Are you angry about losing?¡±
¡°Shall I do that?¡±
Alice smiled at my yful question.
¡°Then baby, can I get revenge?¡±
¡°How? ... Uh?¡±
Suddenly, she felt a gentle touch on her groin.
I looked up and saw Alice¡¯s soft, gentle hand caressing my crotch.
¡®What... ?¡¯
Even with light stimtion, the penis swelled in an instant. £¼Br£¾
With the cloth between them, Alice carefully stroked my long hair with her thin fingers. Then she fiddled with the contents of her pants and carved the shape into the palm of her hand.
Meanwhile, Alice was looking straight down at me.
With a smile, looking at my reaction.
¡°You guys... Didn¡¯t you have a meeting yesterday that you shouldn¡¯t do something like this?¡±
She asked in embarrassment, and Alice gave a smirk.
¡°Do you think the kids will keep it? Everyone loves you like crazy.¡±
¡°Her...¡±
I guess so.
¡®Were the rules used to keep each other in check?¡¯
Hearing Alice¡¯s words, he was convinced.
If there is something agreed upon, that agreement will also y a role in keeping each other in check.
Besides, it won¡¯t be revealed on the surface who first had a rtionship with me.
... Somehow they felt scary.
¡°Are you feeling good? It¡¯s grown so much...¡±
Alice¡¯s hand tantalizingly stroked mine, almost as if taking out the long thing from inside her pants.
Her whole body was hot, and the s*xual desire she had been enduring all this time rushed like a flood.
To the extent that the pre-cum flowed down and soaked the penis.
A strange sensation slowly suppressed my self-control.
¡°You...¡±
My attention was focused on the voluptuous breasts that filled my vision.
It was lust that filled the void of self-control.
¡°He. Your face is cute.¡±
¡°...¡±
I couldn¡¯t stand it.
My hand moved by itself, as if being dragged by Alice¡¯s body.
Her hands, dominated by such lust, gripped therge lump of flesh in front of her eyes.
¡°Oh... ! Baby... ?¡±
Alice trembled in surprise.
The soft feel of her breasts covered her entire palm.
I was fascinated by her extraordinary sticity and softness to the extent that each of her fingers dug into it.
Squeezed slowly Following my hand, Alice¡¯s breasts under her shirt moved as softly as marshmallows.
Alice¡¯s face gradually grew hot. Her erratic breathing made it clear that she was excited too.
¡°For some reason, he only looked at my breasts every time... My baby, did you want to do this?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it natural? It¡¯s so naughty.¡±
Alice smiled happily and stroked her hair.
¡®For a moment...¡¯
From noble mtl dot
However... Why can¡¯t I feel the texture of my underwear?
A sense of incongruity raised her head every time she tinkered with it.
I only felt the feeling of touching a piece of cloth on my chest. The shape of the are could be felt through the cloth, and only a luscious touch pervaded the palm of her hand.
¡°Alice, you... Are you not wearing underwear?¡±
Alice let out a deep breath and nodded her head.
¡°Because I came here with the baby...¡±
¡°...¡±
Wait for that strange whisper,I almost lost the string of reason.
However, Alice¡¯s subsequent actions drove me into it.
¡°Can you show me, baby?¡±
Swoop. Alice pulled my pants down.
Just like that, the phallus soared upward, seeking freedom.
¡°Uh?¡±
Alice looked at my groin and widened her eyes. In an instant, herplexion turned white.
My penis... It was too small for her to hold with one hand.
It was because the effect of [Body training efficiency] Was applied to that side as well.
It was big from what I could see.
¡°Originally this big... ? Oh... !¡±
I couldn¡¯t control my lust any longer.
I opened the shirt that was holding Alice¡¯s big breasts open.
The buttons on her shirt were ripped open, exposing her frustrated chest.
It was tang, tang, and immacte breasts.
¡°Baby... ?¡±
Sensual big breasts that fill my vision.
Those beautifully shaped, round breasts seemed too much for her to hold in one hand.
A violent chest that is far from Alice¡¯s kindness, kindness, and innocence. The exmations that always flowed from her mouth... That chest heightened my excitement.
And looked Between the pink ares that spread in the middle of her breasts, they hid inside like cowards.
I never thought that the bare breasts I saw for the first time in this world would be inverted nipples.
I thought I had to free him.
It¡¯s obviously not a conclusion thates from a normal thought process, but what about it?
He raised both of her hands and gripped both of Alice¡¯s breasts.
He lifted her head and bit her lips as if eating the are on one side of her breast.
¡°Oops... !¡±
A sticky moan leaked from Alice¡¯s mouth.
¡®And...¡¯
The soft touch of her skin filled her hand. The more I pressed and touched it, the more exmations came out.
It was astonishing sticity and softness.
I felt the warmth of her hands digging into her breasts. It was as if she was warmly embracing my hand, the side that Alice¡¯s heart touched.
¡°Ah, ah...¡±
She pushed her are with two of her fingers and pulled out her nipple. He held her nipples between her fingers and massaged her soft breasts repeatedly.
So that nipples can no longer hide.
Her remaining breasts were squeezed sideways and elongated, and he stuck out his tongue and licked her are round and round.
Chop, stuff, stuff, stuff. As he continued to suck her breasts as if squeezing them, a strange sound rang out.
It had no taste.
However, only Alice¡¯s body odor lingered on the tip of her tongue so addictively that she could hardly stop her tongue.
¡°Baby... Hey, since I called him a baby, what should I do if I really act like a baby... ? Oops, ha...¡±
Alice¡¯s body odor leaked into me. It was a strong smell that seemed to be inhaled not through her nose, but through her entire body.
She didn¡¯t stop, inserting the tip of her tongue into the gap between her nipples and licking it. As if urging them toe out.
¡°Now, wait... Yes, ah...¡±
Alice let out a shallow moan.
She lifted her head and avoided my gaze with a flushed face.
As if I had been electrocuted by a strong stimulus.
Before long, Alice looked down at me again with an enraptured expression.
¡°Hey, baby. My breasts are so delicious... ? Even if you don¡¯t have to be so impatient... , It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Because I¡¯m a baby anyway...¡±
Sue, Sue. Alice struggled tough and wiggled my phallus up and down.
There was a creaking sound because the pre-cum had already flowed out. Her hands were probably full of pre-cum.
¡°Haa, the lower one looks like a weapon, and this one looks like a baby... Be cute... Ugh...¡±
Alice stroked my hair with her free hand, as if urging me to suck her breasts.
But each time a hot breath ran down my nostrils and wet her breasts, Alice stopped stroking my hair and twitched her shoulders.
While licking the bumpy bumps of the are, the nipple was about to protrude little by little.
She didn¡¯t miss it, bit the nipple lightly with her teeth, and gently licked the center of her nipple.
¡°Huh... !¡±
Alice was startled and her body trembled. Her considerable pleasure seemed to pass over her.
That¡¯s right, because her hand shaking my penis got faster.
I met Alice¡¯s eyes as she looked down at me with flushed cheeks.
¡°I can¡¯t stand it...¡±
Breathing heavily, that alluring face looking at me as a man and yearning for it... It was the first time she had ever seen it in Alice.
¡°Baby, hurry up and pack it up... ? Baby semen, I want to taste it...¡±
Said Alice, as if pleading with her breath, sheughed.
With that one word, her pleasure rushed like a wave, raising her sense of ejaction.
As if my body wanted to obey Alice¡¯s request.
¡®Eww... !¡¯
Going crazy.
It was to the point of dizziness.
¡°... !¡±
Then, her senses reacted.
Someone wasing this way in the hallway.
¡°Why?¡±
This magic... It was Dorothy.
Because she was distracted by Alice, her senses were dyed.
¡®Dorothy would have opened the door and entered... !¡¯
If they showed such an appearance, things might get tangled, saying that the agreement they had made with each other had been cracked from the first day.
She opened her mouth from sucking on Alice¡¯s breast and said,
¡°Alice, someone ising.¡±
Alice smiled mischievously and stuck her head out to me.
¡°Should I hide?¡±
¡°Uh?¡±
Alice pushed me and got under therge table in front of the sofa.
I quicklyy down under the table, and Alice climbed over my legs.
£¼BR£¾ Bang! The door mmed open.
¡°Chairman, my sister is here... !¡±
Dorothy¡¯s voice cut off.
¡°Huh?¡± She looked around her.
She seemed puzzled to see that no one was there.
¡°I said I was in the room... Have you already left?¡±
Dorothy mumbled as she breathed.
Will you be leaving soon?
As she was relieved at that thought, her phallus was suddenly covered with warmth.
¡°... ?¡±
I saw her as she shook her head.
With Alice tucking her hair behind her ear, she sighed and put my phallus in her mouth.
Quietly, secretly.
There was a feeling of mucous membranes in the oral cavity at the tip of the penis. One after another, the freely moving tongue licked the pre-cum like candy, stimting my penis.
¡®Alice... !¡¯
Needless to say, at this time...
Alice seemed to enjoy getting me into trouble.
An unusual tongue twister.
I found it ironic that he was trying to raise my ejaction somehow.
Tizzling. An intense feeling of pleasure ran down her spine and spread throughout her body.
Fearing that the sound would leak out, she held her mouth shut with one hand. Alice also sucked on my penis kindly, keeping her voice as low as possible.
Jjueup, jjook... A very small squeaking sound was heard.
The penis pulsated, and semen slithered in it.
I just couldn¡¯t stand it.
¡°I wanted to talk, so where did you go... ? Hoejaang! Where are you!? Answer your sister¡¯s call!¡±
Dorothy shouted and ran out of the room and down the hallway.
Thud. As soon as I heard the sound of the door closing, I felt ejaction.
He grabbed Alice¡¯s head as it was.
¡°Oops... !¡±
Alice opened her eyes wide in surprise, but I didn¡¯t care.
Call it, call it! Bureus! Semen erupted from the penis like a volcano.
An immense sense of pleasure and release engulfed me.
Without realizing it, I tightened her hips and pushed her back up, thrusting my penis into Alice¡¯s throat. It was an instinctive struggle.
Alice was suffering from her choking to the point where even her tears welled up in her eyes.
Soon, she closed her eyes and swallowed the semen that flowed incessantly down her throat.
Swallow, squeak. Alice swallowed all of her semen and licked my penis with her tongue to wipe away her semen.
My body trembled at the sensitive sensation immediately after her ejaction, and an unbearable pleasure covered me.
When I finally took her hands off Alice¡¯s head, she took her mouth off her penis and coughed out the cough she had been holding back.
¡°Ha... I hate you...¡±
Alice took a deep breath and opened her axe eye and red at me.
Some of her white semen trickled down Alice¡¯s mouth, but she scooped it up with her fingers and sucked it up.
¡°Whoa...¡±
He let out a long sigh. It was because of theck of strength.
As if the sight was amusing, Alice soon shed a lovely smile.
No nasty words came out.
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°I drank it all.¡±
Alice opened her mouth and showed her mouth.
When she saw her neat mouth, her lust rose again.
¡°Am I pregnant now?¡±
¡°Drinking it by mouth would mean...¡±
@@novelbin@@
Why are you so pure in this way?
¡°It¡¯s a joke.¡±
It was a joke.
From noble mtl dot
It was so natural that I thought it was sincere.
Alice quietly hugged her gear and her to my chest.
Her voluptuous breasts squeezed tightly, giving a pleasant feeling.
Even the body temperature felt through her fabric was so lovely.
¡°Ha...¡±
Alice lets out a long enchanting breath.
Her phallus was caught between her soft thighs and crotch. Her rationality was almost cut off by an unexpected attack of seduction.
I had the urge to do more pleasant acts like this, but... , I didn¡¯t have the confidence to restrain myself more than that.
Because everyone seems to be looking for me. Surely my girls would notice something strange.
That fact barely held me back.
¡°The kids seem to be looking for it, so I can¡¯t stay much longer.¡±
Alice seemed to feel the same way.
¡°It seem to be like that. Let¡¯s go out.¡±
¡°And.¡±
Alice rested her chin on my chest and looked at me.
¡°It seems that the baby has already decided who he will have his first experiences with.¡±
¡°... I¡¯m sorry if you found out.¡±
She tried to hide it as much as possible, but it didn¡¯t seem to escape Alice¡¯s notice.
Her first experience was with Dorothy, who was my favorite.
It wasn¡¯t that I loved other women any less, but my heart longed for Dorothy to be my first date.
The wind brought back self-control.
Alice shook her head and smiled kindly.
¡°Ugh, no. I¡¯m happy enough with this. But didn¡¯t I get the baby¡¯s first ejaction?¡±
¡°I see...¡±
She seemed to understand and move on, perhaps because she was Alice, who had already epted my harem before anyone else.
¡°But I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Alice put her cheek against my chest and gave me a sullen look.
Her cheeks were pressed softly.
¡°Now, whoever the baby is in a rtionship with, he will be the first to think of me.¡±
¡°...¡±
Was this revenge?
¡°Under.¡±
Laughter broke out.
It seemed that I had been defeated by Alice.
...
¡°I¡¯ll be back, baby.¡±
¡°Bye. Take care of yourself.¡±
I saw off Alice Carroll.
There were incidents of their own, but fortunately Alice and her actions did not go unnoticed by other women.
¡®Even if she rxed a little, she could have been in trouble.¡¯
Dorothy was also in an atmosphere where she noticed something strange.
Anyway, it went well.
After she had been s*xually active, Alice went back to her room and washed and redecorated her body.
Dorothy cast her suspicious eyes on Alice, who had disappeared with me, but she would not have picked up any circumstantial evidence from Alice.
¡°Oh right.¡±
Alice came to me as if she had remembered something about her.
Side. She kissed me lightly on the lips.
¡°I love you, honey.¡±
¡°... Me too. Love you.¡±
Alice smiled broadly, then she turned her back and made her way towards the gate. Shaking her left hand with her ring on her ring finger.
I smiled and waved her hand, and Alice left over her gate.
Alice said she would be back from work as soon as possible.
That day was long awaited.
Chapter 350: Side Story – Siblings (1)
¡°Finally, the urgent work is over...¡±
¡°Great job.¡±
I reached the garden bench and slumped.
Luce, who was reading a book next to me, stroked my hair and whispered in an admirable tone.
¡°...¡±
As I looked at my wife-to-be, a thought popped into my head.
Premarital chastity agreement.
My five women made such an agreement so that we would not hurt each other until marriage.
However, it is only a superficial agreement.
Listening to Alice¡¯s story, the girls only prepared a device to keep each other in check.
I was able to read their psychology and confirm that they would stop if they secretly preupied me.
¡®Although White really believed it.¡¯
Only White seemed to have genuinely epted the significance of the pact.
Well, it didn¡¯t matter.
If my women¡¯s intentions were sinister, I was an illusion. It¡¯s something I have to approach White directly.
As a result, disappointment disappeared and expectations rose.
¡®I have to get along with him.¡¯
Looking forward to seeing how they turn out.
¡®Still, nothing special here.¡¯
There were many eyes in the imperial pce. No one will be hasty to work on me.
Even in the past few days, the imperial pce held a celebration that I had weed my wife-to-be, whether or not they knew about the premarital chastity agreement.
The wedding is scheduled for next year. This is after White graduates from her academy. In other words, it was too early to throw a party.
But isn¡¯t it a party to celebrate the birth of my harem empire? Afterpleting the pre-determined work quota, I enjoyed it as much as I could.
¡°...¡±
¡°...¡±
However... Why can¡¯t I hear the turning of the book?
Luce seemed to be staring at me.
Before long, a warm breath wets my cheek.
¡°Haap.¡±
Lick. I felt the touch of moisture in my ears.
I was startled and opened my eyes. Then Luce naturally put her hand on my cheek to prevent me from pulling her head out.
Well well. I¡¯m sorry... Luce licked my ears endlessly with her lips and tongue.
The sound of muddy breathing tickled my ears, and a strange pleasure flowed down my ears.
¡°What, what are you doing... ?¡±
There is a precursor to Alice¡¯s mischievous behavior. ¡®I¡¯m going to y with you from now on¡¯. So, you can prepare your mind.
Luce, on the other hand, was different. She had a tendency to strike suddenly without context. This means that unexpected things often happen.
Luce removed her mouth from my ear. The sticky saliva that connected her tongue to my ear lobe stretched like a skein of thread.
Luce replied as if it were natural.
¡°Are you washing your ears? You like things like this.¡±
¡°Say something or something. You¡¯re surprised every time...¡±
¡°Isaac, your face is red.¡±
Luce made her turn my head slightly towards her,He put his two hands on my cheeks.
She whispered enchantingly from close range, her breath touching.
¡°Did you feel it?¡±
Luce smiled and asked in an intimate tone.
Aggressive.
Aggressively seduced
¡®Of course I felt...¡¯
It felt like her senses were sharper after her recent flirtation with Alice.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡±
Suddenly, Luce stuck her head out to me, and she kissed me on the cheek.
Side.
Luce then pours a kiss on the other cheek.
¡°Aren¡¯t you talking? Aren¡¯t you going to tell me?¡±
Side. Side. Side.
I was still in a good mood, and a smile came out of me.
¡°Yeah, I felt it. It feels good.¡±
¡°Can you lick me more?¡±
¡°Please.¡±
As I sped Luce¡¯s hand, she smiled benignly and leaned against me.
Luce licked or sucked my ear again.
Her body twitched as her soft lips and the wind from her nose touched her skin.
@@novelbin@@
¡®Ha, good...¡¯
Happy.
But... , There was one thing I was concerned about to fully enjoy that happiness.
¡®Anyway, I¡¯ve been staring at you since before...¡¯
Maybe it would be nice to see that half-sister secretly hiding behind the wall and ncing at me.
Yves Lopenheim. They were my remaining blood rtives living together in Dupendorf after graduation.
She often nced at me, contemting whether or not to talk to me.
¡®I just need toe and talk.¡¯
Was it because he was spending time with Luce? Eve didn¡¯te close.
Only her lips munched and looked at Luce enviously.
¡®I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it...¡¯
I¡¯ve been very busytely.
When I tried to heal for a while, she would visit Dorothy and bury her head in her chest, but I couldn¡¯t care less about Eve.
Eve must have noticed a lot too. I¡¯m not sure if you cane to me or not.
... I¡¯ll have to go first
As much as he is my only blood rtive, he is someone I have a special affection for.
...
When I looked at Eve noona, there was always something that bothered me.
Before I became Isaac, a chronic problem I had seen in various ice waters. It was a problem with the possessor dealing with existing blood rtives or acquaintances.
Now I am Isaac.
However, until I entered Marchen Academy, Isaac was not me.
And in the category of Isaac, whom Eve loved, the original owner of this body and I were included at the same time.
... If I reveal the truth here, will it only be poison?
With that thought in mind, I pulled over my robe and headed for the entrance to her imperial pce. It was a robe enchanted with perception-damping magic, and if I wore the hood well, it would be difficult for others to distinguish my face.
Under the night sky, blue-silver hair dipped in the moonlightA woman was seen.
As soon as she saw me, she jumped up from her bench.
It was Yves Lopenheim in street clothes.
¡°Sister.¡±
She took off her hood and smiled broadly, waving her hand. Eve opened her mouth and she suddenly forgot to breathe.
As I stopped in front of Eve, she regained herposure and turned her head to her side.
¡°What, what did you call me for? Why did you ask me to wear street clothes... Aren¡¯t you busy?¡±
From noble mtl dot
Eve intertwined her fingers under her abdomen and wiggled.
¡°The urgent work is over. We couldn¡¯t be together these days. I¡¯ve been busy since I graduated.¡±
¡°It is, but...¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go for now.¡±
She chinned toward the gate.
¡°Where?¡±
¡°y. I want to y with my sister.¡±
When I smiled brightly, Eve stopped like a frozen person for a while.
* * *
The streets of Dupendorf are predominantly blue.
Structures made of ice, beautiful buildings, and blue mana and golden lights of the city dazzled Eve¡¯s eyes every time she saw them.
But today was different.
I was walking side by side with Isaac on this street.
There was no mental time to appreciate the scenery of the city.
¡°Are you really okay? Even if you spend time on me... ?¡±
¡°Stop belittling yourself... That¡¯s enough for my wife.¡±
It was the story of Princess Snowwhite.
Considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, she showed a particrly weak side in front of her Isaac.
There was no way that Eve herself, who was inferior to White in terms of social status, beauty, or talent, could ever gain confidence.
¡°Shall we eat something?¡±
¡°Is that so!?¡±
Isaac took Eve, who reacted fussily, to her skewer and to the front of her house.
¡°How much is this?¡±
¡°Two fairy tales!¡±
¡°Please give me two.¡±
The vendor handed over two skewers of steaming meat. Due to Rob¡¯s perception-disrupting ability, she is unable to recognize that her guest is Isaac.
¡°Sister, this.¡±
¡°Can I eat it? I?¡±
¡°Then I can¡¯t... ?¡±
¡°Thank you...¡±
Eve took a skewer of her meat from Isaac and ate her meat piece by piece.
She couldn¡¯t taste what it tasted like.
All my attention was on Isaac, who was walking side by side and eating a delicious skewer of meat.
Eve looked at Isaac¡¯s right hand, which held her meat skewer.
¡°But Isaac.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why did you ask to y with me? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to hang out with your wives than with me?¡±
Eve asked in a trembling voice.
She wasn¡¯t saying she didn¡¯t like it.
It was only because Isaac had found himself out of her wives-to-be that Eve couldn¡¯t help but have strong doubts.
But the answer from Isaac was very simple.
¡°You are family. I can tell my sister what I can¡¯t say to themGo. Ask because you don¡¯t know?¡±
Eve¡¯s lips twitched.
¡°... Okay?¡±
Eve had thought that there were unparalleled priorities between herself and those who would be Isaac¡¯s wife.
That kind of thing... Are you saying you don¡¯t have to worry about it?
Does Eve herself mean that it doesn¡¯t matter because she is Isaac¡¯s only blood rtive?
When she thought so, her heart felt at ease.
Eve, her cheeks flushed, smiled and lowered her head while clenching her fists.
¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s okay to hold my heart when you¡¯re having a hard time like Dorothy... I can give you some encouragement or constion. He¡¯ll be good at sucking his ears too. I practiced!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I have anything to say to my brother.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Eve startled.
Feeling relieved, she identally spilled her selfishness.
I¡¯m sure Isaac would feel burdened.
Even Isaac is a great wizard who can understand the psychology of her opponent.
Eve thought that Isaac must have been very considerate of her, and she decided to be careful from now on.
¡°You didn¡¯t take it seriously, did you? Of course it¡¯s a joke!¡±
¡°Okay...¡±
They both knew it was a lie, but Isaac skipped it for fear of making the atmosphere awkward.
While passing among the people, Eve looked up at the night sky and opened her mouth.
¡°I remember that.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I mean. After graduating from Marchen Academy, I was going to be responsible for you unconditionally.¡±
Eve intended to cut ties with the Lopenheim family and live with Isaac for the rest of his life once Eve obtained a diploma from the M?rchen Academy.
No marriage, until Isaac wees his wife and leads a stable life... She wanted to live for Isaac all this time.
It was enough for her as long as her beloved brother lived well.
That was the resolution Eve had in her heart, shedding tears of blood on the day she abandoned her family.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Just... I¡¯m curious because it¡¯s like this. She was definitely a child who thought she was weak. In fact, she was born with the qualities of a great mage, and she became the strongest person in the world... You don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m still a bit new. I must say that my sister is like a different person...¡±
Eve had a faint smile.
¡°I think about that sometimes. Thinking about what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t abandoned you from the beginning. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a miracle or a tragedy that we became like this.¡±
¡°Why are you useless?¡±
¡°I know. I still don¡¯t know. What changes have you been through since I couldn¡¯t see her mother? .¡±
Eve looked at Isaac¡¯s right hand, which held her meat skewer.
¡°For example, there is something like this. I watched and felt her all the time at the academy... , You¡¯repletely right-handed now?¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°I used to be left-handed.¡±
Chapter 351: The Side Story – Siblings (2)
¡°There are a lot of things, things that have changed from before. Did you try to change something?¡±
Yves Lopenheim looked at every part of my body and asked.
¡®Is it natural?¡¯
No matter how much I was possessed by Isaac¡¯s body, I tended to act ording to the habits of my previous life.
There was no way that the only family member who had the utmost affection for me did not feel a sense of incongruity with me.
¡°I do not know. I don¡¯t think so. Well, it¡¯s been quite a while since I haven¡¯t seen you. Even if there were some changes, there is nothing strange about it.¡±
¡°Huh... It is.¡±
Eoyoung and Booyeong passed.
I read Eve¡¯s psychology in an awkward atmosphere. She suspected I might be hiding something.
However, her guilt over abandoning Isaac once covered her doubts.
I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t reveal the secret that I was a possessor.
¡®I¡¯m still not sure how to deal with it...¡¯
All I can do is be a good younger brother.
¡°Ah. Sister, do you want to go see a y?¡±
When she changed the subject, Eve smiled brightly and nodded her head.
Because she bought a ticket and left on time, she arrived at the theater just in time for the y.
We sat side by side in the front seats and watched a y called Arte the Frost Knight.
Artera is an epic about a fictional character, and it was exciting because it was a fairly standard growth story. The stage production using ice mana was also excellent, so the sense of immersion was excellent.
Eve seemed to be relieved. She leaned on my shoulder and watched her y.
While sharing a snack together, I nced at Eve. She was staring at the y with an expressionless expression on her face, as if she had no particr inspiration.
Then, when Eve looked at me, she wondered if it was better for her to look at me.
¡°Do you remember? When we were young, we didn¡¯t have money to buy tickets, so we secretly watched a y like that from afar.¡±
¡°Okay?¡±
¡°Then you did. He said he would be a knight and protect me. I just hugged him because he looked so cute.¡±
¡°Is it? I don¡¯t remember...¡±
¡°Huh. So I said I would protect you too. I really liked it then.¡±
It was a lie.
When Eve opens her mouth, she reads and notices.
But her lie soon became the truth to her.
To be precise, she immediately believed the false story she had brought out as the truth.
Having her story established in her head seemed to be the condition for her bing true.
¡°It was pure.¡±
¡°If I knew Isaac was such a strong person, I would have asked him to protect him for the rest of his life. Then she could have lived with Isaac every day...¡±
¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t know I was going to be like this.¡±
¡°No... I didn¡¯t mean to apologize. I am sorry.¡±
She had no intention of saying anything about Eve¡¯s fake memories.
If she embraced her false memories, no one would be harmed by her.
In the first ce, memories are the way to beautify, and they are dotted with many lies and be another beautiful thing.There are times when luck turns into truth.
Eve thought it was just a particrly strong tendency.
After watching the y, I wandered around the colorfully lit streets.
¡°Isaac, do you remember this? You always looked at me and said I was cool.¡±
¡°Okay?¡±
¡°How is your sister so good at magic? You said you would be like me when you grow up. Besides, she said I was the prettiest next to my mom? He often said that, and honestly, I was happy...¡±
It was a lie.
¡°Oh, right. We were supposed to go on a long trip together one day.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yeah, I said let¡¯s see the wide world together. When we sleep hugging each other, looking at the moon outside the window.¡±
It was a lie.
¡°hehehe, weren¡¯t you a coward when you were little? Almost every night, he tried to fall asleep in my arms, saying that there would be thunder, that there would be ghosts, or that he was scared for some other reason. As if a child like that was said to be a brave warrior if he came into my arms, I only promised myself that he would protect me from now on... , It was so cute.¡±
It was a lie.
¡°If, if, yes.¡±
Eve said while sitting on a bench and looking at the green hills called Winter Hills.
¡°What would have happened if I hadn¡¯t abandoned you?¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°If only we had been together without money problems. If I hadn¡¯t gone to Baron Lopenheim...¡±
I do not know either.
¡°Well... How do you think it turned out?¡±
¡°Actually, I imagined it every day? If so, maybe you couldn¡¯t live without me?¡±
¡°Uh?¡±
¡°I would go to work every day because I had to support my family. Since he knew how to handle elemental magic, he must have had quite a few things to do. Labor cost would be a little cheaper, but that¡¯s it. Still, when I came back from work, you would have hugged me and slept with me, saying that you were scared again, and sometimes if I taught you my studies, you would have held me in my arms again, saying that you were the only sister. So maybe I couldn¡¯t go to Marchen Academy... , But maybe I managed to get you into the academy.¡±
Eve smiled softly.
¡°Or there would have been the option of not going to the academy and staying together all the time. You are a deep thinker. Maybe... It might have been better that way. If you start working, I¡¯ll be able to breathe a bit... We might have lived without a chance to think of each other as lovers. No, maybe it was like this? I don¡¯t need a girlfriend because I have an older sister... Lol.¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°Obviously we would have lived by relying on each other. When you were lonely, you would sometimes lend me my arms, and on the contrary, when I was lonely, I would ask you to lend my arms. Like that... I wonder if we could have be a mutually dependent rtionship.¡±
Eve¡¯s cheeks turned red.
Suddenly, Luce came to mind. Because she also used to imagine a future with me in detail.
However, there was a big difference between them.
Eve regretted the past and wished for an illusion that would nevere true.
Luce looked forward to the future and hoped for a loving life with me as a couple.
Is that why?
Eve¡¯s words were implicitly tinged with persistent longing.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be okay? No more, even simr...¡±
asionally, intermittently.
Eve¡¯s regrets leaked out little by little through her lifeless eyes and asional hushed voice.
I nodded.
¡°... It¡¯s difficult. I¡¯m not a kid like I was back then.¡±
¡°Huh...¡±
¡°To begin with, you are overprotective. I¡¯m not the kind of person to be protected like that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. Yes.¡±
Eve looked right in front of her and forced a smile.
¡°It can¡¯t happen anymore, huh.¡±
¡°But if it¡¯s something else, I can do enough.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
She leaned back against the back of the bench and gazed up at the night sky.
The beautiful starlight was scattered like salt.
@@novelbin@@
From noble mtl dot
¡°What are you doing thinking about the past? The Baron of Ropenheim is over, and there¡¯s nothing to stand in the way between my sister and me anymore. Then just... It¡¯s enough if we get along well with each other. I¡¯ve been very busytely, but if I find some time, we can hang out like today. Sometimes we can chat untilte at night. It would be nice to have a drink too.¡±
Eve, I want you to free yourself from the shackles of the past.
¡°So, let¡¯s not think about that anymore. There must be many more happy days ahead. Just thinking about the future, let¡¯s live with me like that.¡±
I wish I could dream of the future and live my life from now on.
That was my wish
Eve stared at me for a while, then lowered her eyes.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Actually, I have no confidence in you... A lot of that...¡±
¡°Do I need to be there? It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re doing well. There are so many useless worries, sister.¡±
Eve raised her eyes again and smiled brightly.
¡°Can I hug you?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to ask for permission.¡±
¡°My little brother...¡±
After that, Eve hugged me dearly and stroked my hair for a while.
...
The next day.
¡°Senior Dorothy!¡±
¡°Why, Chairman!¡±
¡°I¡¯m here to rest!¡±
¡°Come to my sister right now!¡±
Wow!
As soon as Dorothy spread her arms out wide with a proud smile, she buried her head in herrge chest.
She wrapped herself around her slim waist and hugged her tight, and Dorothy let out a characteristicugh and rocked her from side to side as she stroked my hair.
I came here because I was exhausted while finishing the remaining assignments with ast-minute spurt.
¡®Ah, I¡¯m happy.¡¯
Soft and cozy feeling.
Every time she shook her head, soft flesh wrapped around me through the fabric.
This is heaven and paradise.
¡°Ugh. Our president is cute...¡±
¡°I¡¯ll stay like this for a little while.¡±
¡°You can stay long. My sister likes to do this!¡±
Dorothyughed heartily.
¡°Chairman, haven¡¯t you forgotten? Two days left of our trip.¡±
¡°I must have forgotten.¡±
Two dayster, Dorothy and I go on a trip. £¼Br£¾
All the urgent work has beenpleted, so the rest should be left to the agent, Richard.
All I had to do was enjoy the trip with lovely Dorothy.
¡°Oh... It tickles my breath.¡±
She let out her breath as she buried herself in Dorothy¡¯s chest, and she twitched andughed.
The reaction was so cute that I couldn¡¯t stop doing it.
Then, as we continued to hold each other tight, a calm would graduallye and a strange air would flow.
I liked the awkward atmosphere. It was a time when we realized more than usual that we are a man and a woman.
¡°Ah, Chairman.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°An obstruction appears in the back.¡±
A hindrance?
I used [irvoyance] To look behind me. Because she didn¡¯t want to take her head off Dorothy¡¯s chest.
Side of the open door. In her hallway, a pretty woman with flowing rose gold hair crossed her arms and stared curtly at us.
It was Luce.
¡°Luce... ?¡±
I couldn¡¯t get it off Dorothy¡¯s chest, so my voice rode through her chest like a cave.
¡°My friend, what are you doing? Oh, are you jealous? Is the chairman only looking for my arms?¡±
¡°...¡±
Dorothy smiled slyly, squinting her eyes and covering her mouth.
At her provocation, cross veins sprouted on Luce¡¯s forehead.
¡°Ha...¡±
Luce closes her eyes and lets out a deep sigh.
Only then did Lucee into her room.
Warak. She hugged my back.
¡°Luce, join.¡±
With words of unknown meaning.
¡°Eh? Friend? Wait for a sec!¡±
Dorothy¡¯s panicked voice rang out.
Her back was covered with the feeling of Luce¡¯s chest pressing down on her and her warm body temperature.
¡°I am heavy... ! You¡¯re in the way!¡±
¡°Noisy. Isaac, let¡¯s take a quick turn. Come into my arms I¡¯ll make you morefortable than him.¡±
A feeling of bliss covered her whole body from front to back.
¡®Oh, this...¡±
I enjoyed the moment without saying anything.
It was so satisfying to feel surrounded by the women I love.
Chapter 352: Abduction – The Case of Dorothy (1)
¡°Chairman, are you ready?¡±
¡°Yes, sun... Oh.¡±
As soon as I saw Dorothy in my room, I almost stopped breathing.
She wears a symbolic witch hat on her head and even wears pretty clothes that go well with it.
Seeing her shy smile, she seemed to havee to see my reaction.
¡°Is your sister pretty?¡±
Dorothy shows off her figure by lifting the ends of her skirt.
Her expression was ted, as if she knew she was pretty.
I heard that when a man gets s*xually aroused, nosebleeds can pour out, but that was probably my current condition.
¡°Yes, very much.¡±
I gave my goddess a thumbs up.
¡°Nihihi.¡±
I was very fortunate to have the memory to remember that beautiful figure clearly.
¡°Can I hug you?¡±
¡°Do you want to be hugged by your sister again?¡±
Dorothy smiled slyly, cing her hand on her chest.
She nodded, and Dorothy shook her head.
¡°Not now. Your clothes are wrinkled ... Huh?¡±
Ignoring her, he walked over to Dorothy and hugged her.
¡°It¡¯s okay, because I can¡¯t...¡±
Dorothy whispered softly in aughing voice and wrapped her arms around my waist.
I spent some time cuddling with Dorothy.
Today was Dorothy and her travel day. It was also the day she realized the future she had hoped for.
I left the rest of the work to the agent, and I decided to enjoy the trip with Dorothy.
Anticipation swelled at the thought of fully relieving the fatigue umted from the heavy workload. Did you feel a sense of liberation?
Dorothy alsoughed a lot today. Looks very excited. At the same time, I was also excited.
We packed up, climbed into the carriage, andughed and chatted nonstop as we rode across Dupendorf.
¡°Chairman, has your sister been waiting for this day? You mean I never looked anywhere else on purpose to travel with you?¡±
Seat next to me.
Dorothy was leaning her head on my shoulder, holding me and her hands sped.
Cozy andfortable feeling. I didn¡¯t want to move like this.
Dorothy flirted and continued her story.
¡°The chairman got an opportunity to appreciate new things together, experience things together, and be moved together with his sister. It will be a great life achievement. I consider it an honor.¡±
¡°It is an honour. I am a sessful fan.¡±
¡°Nihihi, that¡¯s a good answer!¡±
Dorothy put her chin on her shoulder and smiled bashfully as she looked at me closely.
She felt her warmth as her breath touched her skin. As she turned her head to face each other, I saw my face in her big eyes.
For a moment we didn¡¯t say anything and just looked into each other¡¯s eyes. She was so lovely that I felt a sweet trembling in her heart.
Like dorothyIt would be heart. I could feel it.
In no time, the carriage passed through thend of ice, crossed the border guard, and arrived at Gerber Kingdom. After being greeted politely by the guards, he headed straight for his destination.
¡°This is Regel!¡±
As soon as they got out of the carriage, Dorothy shouted with a big smile. His voice was full of vitality.
She grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Chairman, let¡¯s go!¡± And pulled me down.
Zerber Kingdom, Regel.
It was a ce Dorothy said was famous for her croissants.
It was a quiet street.
If you turn your head a little, you can see a row of red brick buildings.
Colorful and colorful wagons were strolling along the road, and streetmps full of aesthetic sense were lined up.
The smell of freshly baked bread and fragrant coffee beans also filled the senses. Following the smell, I arrived at a seat on the terrace of a cafe.
We ordered food from the staff. Before long, a zed croissant and two cups of tea were ced on the table.
Dorothy¡¯s eyes sparkled more than usual. She cut a piece of croissant with a fork and knife and put it in her mouth.
¡°... !¡±
Dorothy¡¯s eyes wide open in surprise.
I was taken aback by not even moving for a moment.
¡°Senior?¡±
¡°Chairman... , My sister is happy...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°This is incredibly delicious... ! I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive!¡±
Dorothy ate the croissant with a face that was difficult to recognize whether she wasughing or crying.
¡°Eat slowly.¡±
It was so cute that a smile never stopped on my lips.
On the table, Dorothy and I each raised one hand and held it together. At first nce, it seemed like a fledgling lover.
It was because he wanted to remain in physical contact with Dorothy even for a moment, since he had been on a trip.
She seemed to be of the same mind.
Even if she was just a little away, she would quickly hold my hand again or hug my arm in hers, and she would somehow try to stick with me.
¡°Before going to the moss forest.¡±
Dorothy pointed at me with her fork.
¡°Shall we go to the academy once in a while?¡±
Marchen Academy.
Among the travel destinations we nned, it was the closest to the moss forest.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Now, the journey begins. I feel like I want to lose some emotion... ? So.¡±
It¡¯s emotion
Understanding goes.
It was the ce where we met, the center of our journey, and the ce where our memories are kept.
¡°The corner of the butterfly garden and the hideout, I¡¯ve been wanting to visit for a long time.¡±
The two ces Dorothy mentioned were ces in particr where we spent a lot of time.
Even though the M?rchen Academy is currently in session, we were graduates and would have been able to enter the campus.
¡°Shall we go?¡±
¡°Good!¡±
From noble mtl dot
I also wanted to visit the corner of the butterfly garden after a long time.
But there was a problem on the Ajit side.
Sensibility tooA real problem that can¡¯t be solved.
¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I didn¡¯t clean.¡¯
It must have been dirty.
Even if Dorothy brushed off the dust with wind magic, it wasn¡¯t enough.
¡®Still, it would be okay to spend time sitting at an outdoor table or on the roof.¡¯
There was no need to go inside.
Just watching the night sky there is quite romantic.
It would have been nice if the trip had continued cruising like that, but...
A few hourster, we had to reach a nearby lodging.
Shoot it!
¡°...¡±
Dorothy stood in front of the window, unable to take her eyes off the heavy rain outside.
On the way to Marchen Academy, it was because a sudden shower started pouring from the sky.
I immediately put on an ice barrier so I didn¡¯t get hit by the rain, but the schedule was disrupted.
¡°I think it will be off for at least a week. Not just here, but across the continent.¡±
He looked at the climate with the [irvoyant] And conveyed the information he found to Dorothy.
It¡¯s ufortable to say, but I couldn¡¯t hide it.
You¡¯d better change your itinerary.
Even if you covered the wagon with a shield and blocked the rain, the terrain battered by heavy rain would be unsuitable for travel.
¡°Chairman...¡±
Dorothy¡¯s head creaked and turned toward me.
Sunken eyebrows and downed corners of the mouth.
Dorothy looked at me with a disappointed face and pointed out the window with a trembling finger.
¡°Please stop the rain...¡±
¡°Such indiscriminate intervention is not to interfere with nature...¡±
It was as simple as changing nature.
However, unless a catastrophic natural disaster strikes, they are determined to avoid directly intervening in natural phenomena.
Because I didn¡¯t have the confidence to handle the headwind.
No matter how much Dorothy was precious, I had no intention of breaking my lifelong promise because of today¡¯s trip.
Dorothy sighed silently and looked out the window again.
It was an eye that understood my thoughts.
¡°Sorry... Romance is dead I didn¡¯t expect such a dismal beginning...¡±
A voice of regret escaped Dorothy¡¯s lips.
It was my mistake.
¡®I should have checked the climate before leaving.¡¯
It¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve been traveling that I forgot.
But it wasn¡¯t the time to be immersed in remorse.
We¡¯ll have to talk about how to change our travel ns.
I took out the nner that Dorothy had given me from my bag.
¡°It would be better to change the itinerary. Shall we put off going to the moss forest and the academy untilter, and start looking around the ces that are close enough to rain? Rather, there are ces that are more beautiful when it rains.¡±
¡°Something... I don¡¯t know because I feel like I¡¯m drooping.¡±
¡°Is it so... ?¡±
Even when I go on a trip, I feel like a child on a school trip.I saw it floating.
The sudden downpour seemed to have calmed Dorothy¡¯s mood.
I watched Dorothy¡¯s back for a moment.
¡°...¡±
However... Is this necessarily a bad situation?
It ismon for travel to not go as nned.
The store I wanted to go to was closed, or bad weather struck.
So, avoiding the rain and suddenlying to this unnned lodging could in a way be seen as the beauty of travel.
¡®The atmosphere here is also unexpectedly satisfying.¡¯
The sound of rain pounding on paving stones.
Old-fashioned room atmosphere.
There is a subtle darkness, and a brightmp illuminates the bed.
Even Dorothy said the room was pretty.
¡®And what...¡¯
@@novelbin@@
Above all, Dorothy was enough for me.
Warak. He went up to her Dorothy and hugged her from behind.
¡°Chairman... ? Oops...¡±
She pressed her face against Dorothy¡¯s neck and took a deep breath.
The thick body odor soaked my sense of smell with moisture, bewitching my reason.
Dorothy flinched and let out a strange moan. But she didn¡¯t question my behavior or push me away.
¡°It may sound shameless, but I think this is okay. The atmosphere is fine... , In the first ce, I just need a senior.¡±
Looking out the window, I could see our reflection reflected translucently.
Dorothy lowered her head, blushing on her cheeks.
¡°Yeah, but...¡±
¡°Senior, is it dinner now?¡±
¡°Huh...¡±
¡°I¡¯m hungry?¡±
Dorothy shook her head.
¡°I ate a lot of croissants earlier, so it¡¯s okay.¡±
Dorothy turned her head to her side and put mine in hers.
She smiled softly, fading her subtle tension.
¡°By the way, Chairman, something touches your butt... ?¡±
Dorothy quietly spit out what she was conscious of like a joke.
For a while, we looked at each other silently, listening to the sound of rain in our ears.
Feeling each other¡¯s body temperature and enjoying the quiet exhaled breath, the air gradually heated up.
Before long, Dorothy whispered to me in a voice that prated the sound of her deep breathing.
¡°Sister... , Do you want to run over?¡±
The question informed me.
That we were looking for each other
Chapter 353: Abduction – The Case of Dorothy (2)
One word from Dorothy became the trigger.
No one said first, their heads moved forward, and their lips ovepped.
¡°Chew... , Ha... , Cuz...¡±
Dorothy grabbed the back of my head and let out sweet sounds as she coveted my lips.
Rusty saliva soaked each other¡¯s lips.
¡®Croissant...¡¯
Dorothy¡¯s saliva tasted sweet like a croissant.
An unbearable ecstasy crawled up my spine and gave me chills at the thought of intermingling with the woman I loved.
He immediately raised his hand and grasped Dorothy¡¯s chest, which he wanted to touch.
¡°Wow... !¡±
Malkan. More than expected, it felt soft and strong.
Breasts that cannot be held in one hand.
Beyond the clothes, the feeling of herrge breasts, which the thin underwear couldn¡¯t contain, spread thickly in her hand.
¡°Ahhh...¡±
Dorothy let out a hot breath and parted her lips.
The slimy saliva stretched out like it was connecting each other¡¯s lips.
But my hand didn¡¯t stop, and I squeezed Dorothy¡¯s voluptuous breasts at will.
The feeling was unfamiliar and embarrassing, so Dorothy smiled awkwardly and looked down at her breasts.
¡°Isaac, sister, a little embarrassing... , Oops!¡±
He kissed Dorothy again and cut her off.
I was in no mood to speak.
Desire was rising like a volcano, and it was moring to covet Dorothy¡¯s body right away.
¡°Oops... !¡±
He squeezed her breasts tightly and hugged her, rubbing his swollen phallus freely against her soft ass.
Even though cloth and cloth were in the way, my mood was rapidly lifted by the softness.
The thought that I was viting my favorite Dorothy¡¯s lips, breasts, and ass.
There was no time toe to my senses.
¡°Chewup... Isaac... ?¡±
He parted his lips and turned quickly around Dorothy, sitting her by the window.
My heart was racing and my longing was burning. Because I wanted to continue kissing again.
As soon as they faced each other, he immediately leaned in and kissed her recklessly.
¡°Hap...¡±
It might have been a violent kiss.
But when she sticks her head out, Dorothy opens her lips and makes the sound of eating... , His s*xual desire red up as if he had been anointed with oil, and he could not bear it.
Dorothy put her arms around my shoulders and responded with a passionate kiss.
I parted my lips slightly, and Dorothy¡¯s tongue patted my teeth. He opened his teeth and mixed her tongue with thick saliva.
¡°Ugh...¡±
Chuup, chuup...
A muddy yet sticky sound rang through the air.
Tuduk! As they kissed, he ripped open Dorothy¡¯s shirt violently, and the buttons fell off. For a moment she thought she had made a mistake, but Dorothy had noints.The kiss went on without a hitch.
With Chara.
Suddenly, a feeble cluster of stars rose around them, and Dorothy¡¯s bra strap slipped down.
Did he not want to take his hands off me even for a moment? To untie the bra with starlight magic.
Even in that little gesture, I could feel the love he had for me.
I pulled out her bra and set it down on her window sill, pulling her Dorothy¡¯s shirt up to her elbow.
As I did so, the white andrge breasts protruded stically and took away my concentration.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Ha...¡±
In admiration, he separated his lips from Dorothy and looked at her breasts.
Breasts that are smooth and voluptuous like pudding.
The pink nipples that stretched upright and the shape of the circr are spread lightly were very desirable.
To the extent that I lost my mind for a while.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Chairman?¡±
¡°Your breasts are really pretty. ... Ah.¡±
Ah.
I unknowingly spoke half-heartedly.
Dorothy also heard my rude words and shook her head.
¡®No... , Now what?¡¯
It doesn¡¯t matter.
I notice that Dorothy is also passing.
Anyway, I had to let go.
From noble mtl dot
I am Dorothy¡¯s husband.
Because she is the one who will take care of her for the rest of her life.
¡°Nihihi. Don¡¯t embarrass your sister, you bastard...¡±
Dorothy presses on yfully, but shyly.
Her face was as red as a ripe apple.
¡®I can¡¯t stand it...¡¯
Her lips parted.
What was so erotic about Dorothy¡¯s body?
I felt infinitely grateful for the fact that I was her lover.
She grabbed Dorothy¡¯s breasts with both her hands and squeezed them around.
¡°Ah... !¡±
Soft, pleasant softness spread all over the palm of my hand.
I thought Alice¡¯s breasts were great too, but she also couldn¡¯t beat Dorothy¡¯s.
Soft flesh that stands out between the fingers.
Following my touch, Dorothy¡¯s breasts flexed and changed their shape.
Her euphoria surged. Dorothy has such lovely breasts too.
Dorothy let out her sticky breath and looked at me with her affectionate eyes.
¡°Isaac. I want to suck my sister¡¯s breasts... ?¡±
She lifted her head and met Dorothy¡¯s eyes.
How are my eyes looking at her now? Maybe it¡¯s shining
Without answering, he bit Dorothy¡¯s pink nipples with her lips.
¡°Ha ha... ! Ugh...¡±
Perhaps too sensitive, Dorothy let out her charming moan.
A strong scent mixed with Dorothy¡¯s body odor wafted through her mouth and into her nose.
Slowly, sideways, sideways...
He licked her are with the tip of her tongue and sucked on her nipple. An addictive aftertaste mixed with her pleasant meat scent followed.
Dorothy covered her mouth with her wrist, turned his head to the side, and said, ¡°Sssss...¡± .¡± And shook his body.
He also touched the remaining nipples with his fingers, pressed the ares and turned them round and round.
The touch of a bumpy bump was imprinted on the tip of her finger.
¡°Yes, yes, yes.... ! Isaac, tickling... This feels weird... !¡±
Dorothy¡¯s moans became harsh.
A child who was always innocent was able to make such an obnoxious voice. When she thought so, an unknown sense of aplishment filled her.
It feels like I have my own way with the breasts of my favorite celebrity for years.
I am a fan of sess.
No, it would have been more than that.
After caressing Dorothy¡¯s breasts for a while, she said, ¡°Nihehehe...¡± He let out a deep breath and hugged my head.
¡°So cute... Uhhh... Huh... Still, Isaac... , Shall we wash and continue? Sister... , I¡¯m sweating a little, honestly, I¡¯m very embarrassed...¡±
Dorothy asked carefully as she stroked my hair.
It seemed that he was concerned that the flow would be cut off.
She lifted her mouth from Dorothy¡¯s chest and brought her to eye level with her.
The pretty face breathing roughly stimted my lust more intensely.
¡°Are you okay. It¡¯s fine as it is.¡±
Smell of sweat? Rather, it had a strong body odor.
I don¡¯t know if Dorothy is too hot for my sense of smell to function properly.
In any case, there was no difort at all, just excitement ahead.
In the first ce...
¡°No, more than that... I can¡¯t stand it until I wash it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s awful... , Is your sister so lovable?¡±
¡°Lovely.¡±
Dorothy let out a chuckle. She stroked my cheek and poured her kisses.
Even though it was all about intertwining her lips and tongues as if wrestling, her excitement as a male continued to rise.
She parted her lips again, and Dorothy pursed hers, wet with each other¡¯s saliva.
¡°Whoa... Come to think of it, Chairman... , Didn¡¯t you say you liked your sister a lot from before?¡±
Dorothy exhaled her rough breathing and asked yfully with her flushed face.
¡°Yeah, I liked it a lot.¡±
¡°Is the president good? I became a lover with my sister. Your wish came true.¡±
¡°You?¡±
¡°My sister too. I like you. Best in the world...¡±
We smiled brightly at each other, stuck out our heads, and kissed our lips again.
We were immersed in our own world.
My hand went down and reached Dorothy¡¯s lower abdomen.
I quietly put his hand on that area, and Dorothy pulled his legs together as if to grab my arm. She wrapped the skin of her two bare legs around my hand.
Seeing him continue to kiss me in the middle of it, it was probably a reflex reaction.
Her right hand, which had been touching Dorothy¡¯s breast, ran down her ribs to her lower abdomen.
The fingertips, which trickled down little by little, finally prated between Dorothy¡¯s legs and reached her crotch.
Soft silky feel. Her fingertips touched her panties.
My fingers ran down my panties and stopped in the hollow.
¡®Huh... ?¡¯
It was bathed in a liquid warm enough to wet his fingers.
Love juice. Dorothy was mercilessly dripping the lubricant to receive my phallus.
Even if Ick experience.
As much as the fact that Dorothy spills a lot of love juiceCould be noticed at once.
¡°Huh... !¡±
As his fingers entangled the jig behind her panties, Dorothy trembled as if she felt pleasure and grabbed my arm with both hands.
Then, as if retreating, he parted his lips and said with a tense face.
¡°Ah, Isaac... Now wait! I¡¯ll take a break and continue... ?¡±
It seemed that he was frightened by the unfamiliar pleasure.
I wanted to hear Dorothy¡¯s heart.
¡°Scared?¡±
¡°Oh, no... ! Isn¡¯t it something like that? Is your sister rxed?¡±
Dorothy made a fuss about it.
¡°What can I say... ? I wonder if it feels a little weird, maybe it¡¯s too hot and dangerous...¡±
¡°Then bear with me.¡±
¡°Huh? Oops... !¡±
She kissed Dorothy so hard that she could barely breathe, and she grabbed the back of her head to keep her from me.
¡°Whoop, Churup... ! Wow... !¡±
Dorothy¡¯s will no longer mattered.
¡®How can I endure this?¡¯
Because I didn¡¯t have enough heart.
Her finger pressed down on her wet silky panties, revealing the outline of Dorothy¡¯s crotch.
The soft touch of hers told me one thing.
I¡¯m touching the cunt of Dorothy whom I loved so much.
¡°Oops, whoops... !¡±
Dorothy snorted her hot air as she stroked her jig once more with her ring and little finger.
Dorothy reacted as if her back would bend as she gently stirred her crotch up and down in session, but she did not resist at all.
Rather, she kissed me more violently and tried to ept my touch.
¡®It¡¯s cute, really.¡¯
Dorothy¡¯s panties were getting more and more wet.
Enough to leak out of her panties and run down her thighs.
¡°Cheup, huuu...¡±
Dorothy mingled with her tongue and took off her top. She also untied her own clothes. As if they were through each other¡¯s hearts.
We faced each other naked to feel each other¡¯s body even a little more.
Dorothy¡¯s hardened nipples and soft breasts pressed against my chest like a marshmallow.
I could clearly feel her rising body temperature.
As it was, my hand dug into the inside of her panties and reached Dorothy¡¯s sensitive vagina.
At that moment, Dorothy Hook! And let out a strong breath in my throat.
¡°Huh... , Haaa... !¡±
Dorothy stopped kissing her and let out a moan that tickled her.
Unknowingly, her hand stopped at her lewd moaning that made her body shudder.
¡°You know what I just said was very erotic?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, boy...¡±
Moved her hand again.
As I passed her hairy pubic hair, a warm, moist section soaked my fingers.
It was Dorothy¡¯s pussy.
¡°Ha, ah... The feeling is so strange... Ugh, ugh...¡±
Dorothy covered his mouth and tried to suppress his moans. Even the way she closed her eyes tightly, she was so cute that he kissed her on the cheek.
She slipped her knickers down, and put her ring finger and little finger together and tucked them into her jig.
Stirring with her two fingers, she patted her flesh, and Dorothy shook her body.
¡°Ha! Ha... Ha, uh...¡±
Dorothy, feeling the strong irritation, lowered her hand that had covered her mouth, and she looked at me intively and let out her long, soggy moan.
The expression on his face, stained with pleasure, swallowed my heart.
¡°Isaac? Oh... !¡±
She was startled when she stopped fondling her and took Dorothy into her princess arms.
I said.
¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±
Chapter 354: Abduction – The Case of Dorothy (3)
¡°It¡¯s powerful, Chairman... !¡±
Laughing Dorothy.
Every time I walked, the protruding penis bothered me, but I ignored it and went on.
Iid Dorothy carefree on the white bed sheets and took off her panties.
¡°Hmm... !¡±
Without a chance to reveal her genitals, Dorothy immediately pulled her legs together in shame.
¡®Cute.¡¯
Not trying to force herself to look at her cunt, she slowly climbed onto Dorothy.
My shadow fell over her.
A few strands of her pale purple hair stuck to Dorothy¡¯s cheeks, wet with sweat.
She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off me, her face flushed red, as if she longed for me.
Her round, soft breasts spread out in all directions and took on a seductive shape.
She rode her violent breasts and moved her gaze, and her slim waist, wide silence followed, jig wet with love juice, and beautiful legs were captured in her field of vision.
White and smooth body.
¡®And...¡¯
I was lost for a while.
Dorothy¡¯s naked body...
It was so beautiful.
¡°I¡¯m going crazy because I¡¯m pretty...¡±
This pretty person is my girl.
A feeling of happiness welled up in her heart.
From noble mtl dot
So much that I couldn¡¯t contain my smile.
¡°Come to think of it, president, whenever you see your sister, you always think of erotic things, don¡¯t you?¡±
Dorothy asked with her eyes half-opened and a natural smile.
She nodded.
It was a fact that she didn¡¯t have to hide.
¡°I wanted to do this to my heart¡¯s content.¡±
¡°Nihihi, aren¡¯t you being too honest?¡±
¡°Because your body was too hot.¡±
¡°Huh... , Happy. Come on. Noona, you can do whatever you want...¡±
Dorothy whispered seductively as she stroked my cheeks with both of her hands.
¡°Are you not afraid anymore?¡±
¡°What are you talking about? Were you rxed from the start?¡±
A smallugh came out.
Kissing Dorothy again, she took her free hand off her pants, exposing her lower body.
Her phallus then got a breath of fresh air.
It was erect with Dorothy in front of it.
¡°Huh... , Ha...¡±
Dorothy parted with me. Their saliva flowed down her mouth like mucus.
Dorothy raising her head, examining my penis.
¡°Isaac...¡±
Dorothy swallowed her dry saliva with her tense face.
¡°Sister, you won¡¯t die... ?¡±
It buzzes intermittently.
Did I get a bit scared?
He lifted her torso and carefully stroked Dorothy¡¯s thigh.
There was a feeling of smooth skin.
¡°Are you okay. Open your legs.¡±
¡°... Huh.¡±
At my low words, Dorothy blushed again and slowly spread her legs apart.
A small amount of mauve pubic hair.
Beneath it, my vision caught a pink, straight-line crack that had been hidden between the immacte skin.
The area was clenched tightly and was dripping with a slippery liquid.
This... Dorothy¡¯s pussy.
¡°If you stare at me like that, noona, it¡¯s very embarrassing...¡±
Dorothy¡¯s voice trembled slightly.
She blushed even more as she felt my gaze between her legs.
¡°Really pretty.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t talk like that...¡±
Dorothy covers her eyes with her arms and lets out a bolmen.
It looked very embarrassing.
She leaned her upper body toward Dorothy again.
The high-erected bile touched Dorothy¡¯s jig.
Little by little I rubbed mine against her jig.
¡°Huh... !¡±
Suddenly Dorothy arched her back, startling her.
Startled, she stopped her waist.
¡°Ah, Isaac...¡±
¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±
¡°Oh no, there is that? Should the stimtion be a little harsh? I must say, I feel dangerously good... ? Isn¡¯t this a bit dangerous? Ah, rice, it¡¯s not a big deal, but... !¡±
Friction on the clitoris caused her stimtion to be strong.
To reassure her, sheughed silently and ran a stroke through her hair.
Dorothy caught her breath once and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay...¡± .¡± She said with a gentle smile.
She moved her silence followed again, moving her penis over her cunt like a warm-up.
¡°Huh... ! Ugh, ugh... !¡±
Dorothy squeezed her eyes shut and she bit her teeth. She turned her head to her side and let out a deep breath with her flushed face.
Poke, poke... Dorothy¡¯s liquid mixed with the pre-cum flowing from my penis, creating a more erotic sound like a chord.
Her pleasure was so great that it spilled out at the sound of an unintentional yuck.
¡°hahahaha...¡±
Suddenly, Dorothy¡¯s breathing slowed down.
Gradually she seemed to be getting used to her sensations.
¡°Huh, I¡¯m sorry... Isaac... Are you okay... Even if you don¡¯t look like that...¡±
Dorothy looked at me with her flushed face.
It¡¯s hard to believe that she¡¯s always yful.
It¡¯s pathetic, and it¡¯s only soaked in lust... Female face.
My breathing became rough with the maddening excitement.
Soon, Dorothy¡¯s groaning voice rang through the air.
¡°Put it in...¡±
That sticky word blew away even the slightest bit of self-control in me.
Grab Dorothy and hold her hand intertwined.
I rode my ns down between her legs, covered in love juice, and kissed herbia.
It is drenched in warm feminine liquid and feels very soft.
As her ns dug between herbia and entered her vaginal opening, he slowly pushed her around the waist.
¡°Turn it off... ! Nemuk... !¡±
Dorothy arched her back, and she gritted her teeth and held back her screams.
The narrow and tight vagina squeezed my amniotic fluid tightly and sucked it up.
Gris dorothy¡¯S inner body was opening to the size of mine.
Suddenly, something in her vagina was pushed out by the pration of the penis, and Dorothy closed her eyes tightly.
¡°Ah, evil... !¡±
Dorothy furrows her brow.
A painful voice burst from her mouth, and red blood trickled down our joint.
It was when my penis was about half way in.
Self-control surged up. I immediately stopped inserting it.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°Ah... Green onion... !¡±
Dorothyined of her pain hoarsely.
She stroked her hair and was still, giving Dorothy time to calm down.
¡°hahahaha... !¡±
Dorothy gasped for breath and looked at me.
Both of her eyes were wet with tears.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Isaac... A little more than expected, that...¡±
¡°I¡¯ll wait until you get used to it.¡±
¡°Yeah, thank you.¡±
I kissed Dorothy on her side, and she stuck her head out and kissed me.
Jjook, Chook, Chureup...
Then, she parted her lips and said.
¡°... It¡¯s okay now, you can move.¡±
It was a gentle whisper.
¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±
¡°Impossible... ? Is your sister okay? It¡¯s rxing.¡±
Did the pain lessen with a lot of love juice? Or am I forced to endure it?
I don¡¯t know, but let¡¯s move carefully so that Dorothy doesn¡¯t get hurt.
¡°Huh.¡±
I smiled and moved my waist little by little. The penis was still only half inserted.
¡°Huh, huh, hah...¡±
Dorothy let out a hot moan.
Her flesh densely embraced my first nourishment.
The feeling of pressure and the warm and soft touch were so enchanting.
Dorothy let out augh at her strange breathing.
¡°It¡¯s rxing... It¡¯s really nothing... ?¡±
¡°Are you okay now?¡±
¡°Are you okay... Oops... It doesn¡¯t hurt, and I feel better... Isaac, you are finally one with your sister. It¡¯s an honor... ?¡±
¡°Yes, it is an honor.¡±
¡°Nihihi... hehehe... Inside my sister, I feel good... ?¡±
¡°Really good.¡±
¡°Thank god...¡±
¡°... ?¡±
Soon, when I saw Dorothy¡¯s eyes, my heart sank.
I immediately stopped her at the waist.
¡°... Why do you suddenly stop?¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°Why are you crying?¡±
¡°Huh? Ah.¡±
Tears flowed down Dorothy¡¯s cheeks incessantly.
¡°What? Why are you doing this?¡±
¡°Does it hurt that much? Shall we do it a littleter?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m not sick anymore...¡±
Dorothy looked flustered at her incessant tears.
Dorothyughed awkwardly, constantly wiping away her tears.
¡°Actually, you know?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Sister now... , I¡¯m really happy. Connected with you... , Should I say that it is a little heartbreaking? Nihihi, it¡¯s just a cheesy sound... You can ignore it.¡±
Feeling the surge of joy, brushing Dorothy¡¯s hairDown and kissed lightly.
Suddenly, I remembered the journey we had run so far.
3 years of attending the academy.
If it¡¯s short, it¡¯s short, if it¡¯s long, there were so many things in a long time.
Suddenly, when she fell off her floating ind and crashed down with Dorothy, she could see the reflection of her unusually bright smile on her face.
Dorothy who wanted to destroy the world together, Dorothy who endured loneliness for me.
It all passed through my head.
©¤ ¡®Are you two in love right now?¡¯
That question still gnawed at my heart.
Many emotions ran up my spine.
All of those emotions came down to a single whisper.
¡°I love you, Dorothy.¡±
I never had the slightest doubt about this feeling.
I liked her Dorothy, and her feelings for her grew stronger as time went on.
Dorothy¡¯s wet eyes widened.
She regained herposure, a smile mingled with many emotions all over her face.
¡°I love you too. Forever.¡±
Finally we have reached now, and it is bearing fruit.
I would love Dorothy forever, and we would be happy forever.
Side. He kissed her lightly, looked at Dorothy, and then yfully spoke to her.
¡°Come to think of it... , Did you say you were rxed?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t even put half of it in yet.¡±
¡°Uh? Bar, only half... ?¡±
Dorothy was appalled.
As I slowly thrust her phallus deeper, she said ¡°Uhhhhh...¡± !¡± She let out a moan that bordered on screaming.
Dorothy shuts her eyes and lips and holds her breath to hold back her screams. ¡°Ugh... A voice leaked out, but her waist began to curve upward.
From noble mtl dot
Pleasure rushed through my head like a wave, but I managed to hold on to reason and stopped her waist when her phallus was about two-thirds of the way in.
I really thought Dorothy would faint if I added more here.
¡°Huh, huh... !¡±
Then Dorothy opened her eyes and opened her mouth, gasping for breath. Her voluptuous breasts moved up and down her as she breathed heavily.
Dorothy¡¯s flesh slithering and tightening my phallus.
I moved her hips slowly.
As if I were savoring it while clearly feeling the shape of her vagina.
¡°Ugh, uh, heh... ! hahahaha... !¡±
Dorothy sobbed between her pleasure and her pain, and she held her hand tighter between mine and hers.
Twitch, Twitch... Her overflowing love juice made a regr, dirty rubbing noise.
¡°Yes, yes, ah, this is good... !¡±
At Dorothy¡¯s pleasure, her young groans, her hips involuntarily quickened a little.
Dorothy twisted her body, letting out her raunchy moans.
The thought that Dorothy, whom I loved so much, was feeling to the fullest as my male, made her heart overflow with joy.
¡°Ah, little... Sister, it¡¯s dangerous... ! I can¡¯t think of anything... ! Oops, something strange came over me, and I think it¡¯s going to be cold... !¡±
¡°Me too, I think I will go soon...¡±
My penis was shaking and the urge to ejacte came.
I wanted to continue my first experience with Dorothy a little longer, but I couldn¡¯t stand it because the flesh was pressuring the pirs of my own and hastening my ejaction.
¡°Eww... !¡±
It seemed like it was about to explode.
... Still, will it be okay now?
I wanted to impregnate Dorothy with my seed anyway.
If so, there was no reason to put up with the situation again and again.
I shook her waist even faster, careful not to let the phallus fully enter.
A creaking, grinding sound resonated from the connecting part.
¡°Huh, haang... ! Isaac, wrap it... ! Haa, noona too, soon... ! Huh!¡±
I lost my temper at the maddening sense of ejaction and pushed my silence followed in.
A phallus digging deep into Dorothy¡¯s inner flesh.
My ns passed through the narrow meat passage, pushed through the mucous membrane in the depths, and swelled as it was! I apologized.
Dorothy opened his eyes wide in amazement, but before he could scream, he covered his mouth with my lips.
¡°Oops... !!¡±
Dorothy screamed as her lips pressed against mine. Pressed down with her body and her hands inteced, she offered no resistance.
Dorothy¡¯s vaginal juice sloshed around, squeezing out all the juices she¡¯d gotten into her roots. As if to ept every drop.
Call, call. The thick, concentrated semen gushed out nonstop, and the front of her penis was drenched in the sensation of the semen.
Intense pleasure passed through my whole body like lightning. I flinched, my body trembling intermittently.
Dorothy also trembled in her body. The trembling passed through her lips.
It was the climax we met together.
It stayed that way for a while. Because I wanted to fully enjoy the joy of the moment.
After remaining absorbed in the afterglow of her pleasure for a while, she cautiously stuck out her tongue.
As if waiting, Dorothy¡¯s tongue met me, mingling with mine again, sharing her saliva.
¡°Haaa...¡±
She untied her sped hands and lifted her head.
Dorothy breathed deeply, opened her axe eye, and stared at her.
It was a nasty look.
¡°My sister almost died...¡±
¡°Sorry. I was so happy that I made a mistake...¡±
¡°I¡¯m not ming you. Are you all here now?¡±
¡°Yeah, everything is in.¡±
Dorothy must have been joking around staring at me. She grinned and caught her breath.
¡°Happy... I feel like I¡¯m finally one with you.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±
¡°It hurt a lot for a while, but I can bear it now. ... I almost fainted, but.¡±
Dorothy smiled sinisterly as she stroked the hair next to mine.
¡°Your semen inside me is overflowing? This guy, I wanted to impregnate my sister like that... ?¡±
Ah...
I can¡¯t stand it again.
¡°Oh... ! Now, wait, don¡¯t move now... ! hahahaha... !¡±
The sharp sensation immediately after her ejaction gripped her phallus. Even if she moves her waist just a little, a strong sense of pleasurees to the point of rejection.Was
So did Dorothy.
But... , My phallus held erect in Dorothy¡¯s vagina. The lust has not yet died.
I realized that the hurdles for the sage time toe have be quite high.
¡°Not there yet.¡±
¡°Huh... !¡±
When his waist was pulled out, Dorothy reacted violently by closing his eyes tightly.
When he pushed his back again, he let out a strange scream.
¡°Haaa... !!¡±
Along with the juices, pale semen ran down Dorothy¡¯s crotch.
¡°It¡¯s painful... ! I feel so good, I feel like dying... ! What does this feel like?!¡±
¡°You¡¯ll get used to it in no time... !¡±
A stimting and sensitive sensation immediately after climax.
The pleasure was so intense that it made me dizzy, but now I wanted to enjoy the sensation to the limit.
Tingling... ! Every time I moved my waist, the dirty liquid rubbed against me and made a squishy sound.
With the addition of semen, the piston became easier.
¡°Huh, haang... !¡±
Coquettishness permeated Dorothy¡¯s tender moaning, perhaps because she had grown ustomed to pleasure.
She stretched her arms back and clutched at her pillow, exposing her shapely armpits.
¡°This is so, so good... ! Sister, I think I will go again... !¡±
Her beautiful eyes turned to me with tears in her eyes.
How can you be so lovely
Dorothy hugged her around the waist and lifted her up, tightening her lower body and shaking her back vigorously.
Squeak! Loud rubbing sound.
And the sound of rain and Dorothy¡¯s moaning harmonized.
¡°Ah, ah... !¡±
Dorothy arched her back, shaking her body.
She paused for a moment and watched Dorothy as she reached her second orgasm.
¡°hahahaha... This is the first time I feel good... Just now, noona, you didn¡¯t look a little out of ce... ?¡±
¡°At all. Just pretty and lovely.¡±
¡°Nihihi... Okay? You are cool too...¡±
Dorothy ced her hand on her stomach, drawing an arc with her mouth.
¡°I feel like my stomach is full... Whoa, you look pregnant today...¡±
¡°Should I think of a baby name while traveling?¡±
¡°That would be fun... , Sooooo! Wait, noona, she¡¯s still sensitive... ! Haang... !¡±
Moving her back again, Dorothy let out a moan.
When he finally felt his second ejaction, he squeezed Dorothy¡¯s breasts with both hands and let his semen squirt.
Bureus! Out of habit! I closed my eyes to feel the sense of liberation as if my whole body were flying up into the sky.
As he pushed his back hard to pour even one more drop into Dorothy¡¯s stomach.
¡°Huh... ! Isaac, it¡¯s so hot inside... ! Ha ha?!¡±
Tingling! Even in the midst of ejaction, he continued to vaginal his piston.
Semen leaked out through the cracks in the joint.
¡°Ah, ah... ! It¡¯s already moving again... ?!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t stop...!¡±
Even though I had obviously ejacted, why was my s*xual desire hitting me harder?
I couldn¡¯t figure out why. It seemed as if it had be an animal that only moved its waist without dy, just for the sake of breeding.
Again, he burrowed into Dorothy¡¯s cunt, f*cking him wildly.
Bang bang bang bang! The sound of skin crashing. It was difficult to stop the waist.
Intense coption tinged with s*xual desire followed, only to covet pleasure.
I don¡¯t know where the freshness of the first experience went, but I didn¡¯t feel any skepticism.
In front of the lust for Dorothy that I have suppressed all this time... It seemed like I couldn¡¯t help it either.
¡°Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa... ! Isaac, slow down a little... ! Haaang!¡±
Despite Dorothy¡¯s pleas, she could not rest her body.
Third, fourth, fifth... , Repeated only intravaginal ejaction countless times.
With a desire to pour every drop of semen into her womb.
At some point, we stopped talking. They just sweat and indulge each other¡¯s bodies.
Afterwards, no matter how I changed her position, Dorothy epted silently, seeking only her pleasure.
In the process, semen poured out like a waterfall every time he pulled out his penis.
How much time had passed
I returned to the top and looked at Dorothy.
¡°Hey, eh... ! Aww, heh, hey! Eh... !¡±
Dorothy let out a furious moan.
Dorothy¡¯s eyes had been distracted for a long time.
Her saliva trickled down the tip of her tongue as she stuck out to her.
A face that can¡¯t think of anything except s*x with me.
Her face, as if urging her body to burst out with lust, made her stop even more.
Bang bang bang bang! Dorothy¡¯s penis was violently hammered into her vagina, pushing her sense of ejaction to the limit again.
Last minute.
Grasping Dorothy¡¯s plump breasts with both of her hands, she pushed her inner flesh with her fists, and the lingering fluid from her scrotum rode down her urethra, with her pleasure rushing in like a torrent. Soared.
It was poured out generously in Dorothy¡¯s mind.
Call it, call it!
¡°Hmmm... !¡±
Dorothy, her tongue sticking out, her ecstasy pouring out.
The lust that still simmered inside me didn¡¯t stop, and her penis showed no signs of shrinking.
¡°Given, low...¡±
Are you saying it feels good?
Dorothy put my tongue on the tongue she held out. Reflexively, she moved her tongue in circles, mingling with hers and mine.
Because of kissing her so much, mixing her saliva a few times quickly made her mouth dry.
Repeating her dry deep kiss without moisture, Dorothy parted her lips and let out hernguid voice.
¡°I¡¯m thirsty...¡±
Dorothy brought her bucket with her starlight magic and drank, and she held out her bucket to me.
¡®Ah.¡¯
You look exhausted.
Suddenly, reason raised its head and guilt rose. £¼Br£¾
Was it too much?
She turned her head and looked out the window. The night passed and the day dawned.
¡®How much did you do?¡¯
How many hours did he have mindless intercourse? It was hard to guess.
No wonder Dorothy was tired.
I need to let her rest for now.
¡°Ah... !¡±
Bit by bit, he pulled her penis out of Dorothy¡¯s cunt, and a groan escaped from her mouth.
Arge amount of semen flowed down her crotch, so much so that it was difficult to tell whether Dorothy was spilling liquid or semen.
Perhaps because of the afterglow of the countless climaxes, Dorothy flinched.
From noble mtl dot
¡°Ahhhhh, hahh... Isaac... , That¡¯s it... ?¡±
Dorothy whispered, looking at me with her rxed eyes.
Her sweat-drenched lotus purple hair, and her arms, were limp and limp.
¡°Sister, I can¡¯t think of anything else... Her head is nk...¡±
Dorothy drooping her horse.
She is very tired
¡®Today is my first experience... Wasn¡¯t he too inconsiderate?¡¯
She didn¡¯t even know that she overworked it.
I¡¯m very sorry.
I never thought I¡¯d be able to control her desires like this.
Furthermore...
¡®It hasn¡¯t subsided yet.¡¯
The penis, covered in semen and love juice, was still firmly swollen.
In the meantime, I had already noticed that her stamina had be stronger thanks to [Her body training efficiency], But I didn¡¯t expect it to be this much uncontroble.
Well, since he has risen from the weakest to the ranks of the demigod... There was nothing strange about it.
¡®It¡¯s not some kind of infinite energy...¡¯
Will this energy ever run dry?
At least, it seemed like it would be too much for one wife to handle.
¡°Isaac... , I guess I haven¡¯t calmed down yet...¡±
Dorothy whispered softly as she looked at mine with eyes wide open.
Do you feel guilty?
¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter. Nice, a lot.¡±
Still, this is enough.
The need has been satisfied enough. To the extent that I can exercise self-control now.
The phallus showed no signs of fading, soaked in the aftertaste that had flowed in and out of Dorothy¡¯s cunt, but it would subside on its own over time.
As Iy down on the bed, Dorothy turned to me.
Swoop. He stroked Dorothy¡¯s hair carefully.
¡°Are you okay? Aren¡¯t you sick now?¡±
¡°Honestly, it hurts... I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to walk today... Or, would you like to spend one more night here?¡±
¡°I¡¯m good.¡±
¡°Nihihi, cutie... Come here, into your arms.¡±
He moved and fell into Dorothy¡¯s arms.
The sweaty skin touched his skin, but he didn¡¯t feel ufortable in the slightest.
Rather, the strong body odor only lifted his mood.
¡®Huh?¡¯
Dorothy is still my dick that hasn¡¯t subsidedHe grabbed it and squeezed it between his pussy and legs.
It was because of the dirty liquid, and there was a strange sound.
As thebia on both sides, covered in love juice, wrapped around the phallus, it felt warm and wet, and it felt very good.
¡°How is it?¡±
¡°Good mood.¡±
¡°Thank god.¡±
Dorothy smiled contentedly.
... This is fine too
¡°Let¡¯s rest for a bit, then let¡¯s do it again.¡±
Dorothy whispered privately in my ear. She was alluring in tone.
How... I felt that Dorothy had be more raunchy.
¡°Can you rest?¡±
¡°Even if I can¡¯t rest, I can¡¯t help it... It feels so good.¡±
I hugged the smiling Dorothy tightly.
¡°Isaac.¡±
¡°Huh.¡±
¡°I really love you.¡±
¡°Me too.¡±
Before long, Dorothy seemed to be asleep, closing her eyes and letting out only quiet breathing.
I also fell asleep by her hugging her.
Her s*x with Dorothy was so good that she dreamed of having s*x with her again.
Then, she ejacted shortly after, waking her up.
Bureus!
¡°Oops... !¡±
As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt a thrill of pleasure from the sensation of her genitals adsorbed.
Looking up, I saw Dorothy holding my penis in her mouth and sucking on the other side.
A sunny room. Dorothy removed her mouth from my cunt and gulped down her semen.
¡°Uh, write...¡±
Dorothy frowned, then looked at me and grinned.
¡°Did you sleep well? Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you up.¡±
¡°Dorothy, just... ?¡±
¡°I thought it would feel good in a dream like this. You, the face I feel while sleeping is very funny.¡±
... I feel it all over again.
I was a really sessful fan.
¡°... Shall we go wash up?¡±
¡°Huh?!¡±
I jumped up, picked up Dorothy, and headed for her shower.
¡°Oh no, Ha-an... !¡±
As she was washing her body, it hit her again.
Today is the 2nd day of the trip.
We still have two more weeks left on our itinerary.
Chapter 355: Abduction – The Case of Luce (1)
After the trip, Dorothy often felt empty in her stomach.
Whenever I thought of Isaac, my body heated up all the time, and I missed him every moment. It felt like my self-control was greatly reduced.
It was Dorothy¡¯s daily routine to give her arms to Isaac when he asionally came to visit her while doing her job, but now she had no room in her heart to wait for him.
Repeatedly curling her legs while reading a book, Dorothy Hmm! And let out a snort.
¡°I can¡¯t... !¡±
I need to hug Isaac right now.
It is an urgent matter. I¡¯m already addicted to him.
Dorothy quickly ran out of the room to Isaac¡¯s office, and mmed the door open.
¡°Chairman!¡±
¡°Senior?¡±
Dorothy smiled and stretched her arms out to the sides.
¡°The president is hungry!¡±
Isaac¡¯s eyes widened. I was taken aback for a moment, but I quickly understood what he meant.
He chuckled, jumped up, went over to Dorothy, and gave her a tight hug.
The two clung to each other¡¯s arms and kissed each other¡¯s cheeks and necks.
After the trip, the intensity of the expression of affection between the two increased significantly. Just by hugging, energy surges and intense excitementes.
Isaac and Dorothy whispered their love, enjoying the happiness.
...
There were many times when Luce shut herself up in the magicb.
In order to achieve the goal, he did not yet have the jaw with his own knowledge.
The ability to memorize anything as soon as it was seen was also a basic skill for the owner of the tower. So, what was needed was a huge amount of study and practical training.
With the graduation certificate from Marchen Academy, as long as you have the knowledge, the road ahead will be solid.
¡®It¡¯s cloudy...¡¯
During magic research, when thick smoke rose from the rain cup, Luce opened the window.
Then I was faced with a very unpleasant scenery.
¡°Babe.¡±
¡°That title is still hard to ept...¡±
¡°Honey.¡±
¡°Cheup.¡±
Garden path. A woman with light purple hair walking with Isaac¡¯s arms crossed, apanied by attendants.
She called Isaac affectionately in a coquettish voice, and he covered his mouth and blushed.
¡®Leech... A nasty creature belonging to the ss Leech of the phylum Annelid...¡¯
From the way he clings to Isaac and spits out all sorts of cheesy noises... Luce was looking at the leech.
Yes, that was a purple leech.
The attendants that followed looked like fish swimming in the air.
Only Isaac maintained a human form in Luce¡¯s field of vision.
¡®Somehow, the atmosphere has changed.¡¯
Recently Isaac and Leech, no, Dorothy went on a trip. After that, Dorothy¡¯s mood changed.
I¡¯m usually clumsyHe looked like an innocent and innocent child, but now he has be a leech boasting subtle entricities.
I should say that she has be more like a woman.
Not just Dorothy. Same goes for Isaac.
She didn¡¯t change her appearance, but she had an aura that stimted her female instincts. She seemed to have someposure.
It wasn¡¯t simply because Luce himself liked Isaac. Her senses were keen.
The conclusion was one.
¡°You did...¡±
Fog formed in Luce¡¯s eyes. The target her two lifeless eyes are looking at is Isaac.
There was no confirmation, but the heart was clear. The two must have had a hot time while traveling.
I guessed in my heart that what I feared would be a reality.
epting her harem didn¡¯t cause her anger to rise, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel stabbed in her chest and her stomach bloated.
¡°...¡±
Luce red at her leech.
In the cold heart of her blizzard.
You have to take the second one... , Since the unsightly thoughts were burning like embers.
* * *
Whoop.
I was lost in her thoughts while working in her office.
During her travels, she had a lot of physical contact with Dorothy.
To the extent that the expression ¡®infinitely¡¯ is not enough, there are countless of them.
Now, whenever I saw Dorothy, heat ran through her body and her lust surged, as if I were Pavlov¡¯s dog.
She said, ¡®I learned something I didn¡¯t know.¡¯
She figured it out because she was determined and had a physical rtionship.
This body... The energy went crazy.
When making contact with Dorothy, her body roared and howled like an unbridled dog.
I was convinced that this would be enough for my five wives.
¡®I have a lot to do today, so bear with me...¡¯
The urge to go and attack Dorothy immediately arose, but I had to hold it in today.
Even though Lee Shard, the acting manager, had handled the work properly, she had to be busy with work that only I could carry on. At least today was going to be very busy.
¡®Suddenly, I have to see my father-inw too.¡¯
The aftermath of the harem confession was approaching.
An appointment was made for a meeting with King Carlos and the Duke of Astreans.
The very next week she arranged a meeting with King Carlos. He sent me a letter with a sense of intimacy that was burdensome, and the expression ¡®my son-inw¡¯ was full of affection.
¡®King Carlos feels like the uncle next door to him, so he¡¯s friendly, but... , The other father-inw is the problem.¡¯
What was worrisome was the encounter with the Duke of Astreans.
Gerald Astreans and Historia Astreans.
The former has a heavy atmosphere, and thetter is an unknown territory because it is the first time.
It will definitely be an ufortable ce.
¡®Still, I have nothing to bow down to.Just because...¡¯
Anyway, I am the one who stands in the highest position in the world right now.
There was nothing to kneel down.
To bow down... Not at all, but...
It was inevitable that his heart would tremble and he would feel nervous.
Whoop.
A long sipping sound had been heard from before.
I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore because I was ignoring it.
He stopped holding the quill and raised his head.
¡°Luce, if you have something to say, do it quickly.¡±
Reception sofa side. Luce was drinking tea and reading a book.
She said not to mind. He said he only came because he wanted to be with me.
But I have [Psychological insight]. Didn¡¯t you realize that you came here with a purpose? So, Luce was waiting for her to speak.
But it¡¯s been an hour already.
Luce had already drank four cups of tea.
¡°...¡±
Luce looked at me with an expressionless expression, then quietly set the teacup down on the table.
Soon a gentle smile appeared on her face.
¡°Today I am Air Luce.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Ignore it.¡±
Luce turns her head again and drinks her tea.
She read the book she brought.
¡®... I don¡¯t know thenguage.¡¯
She half-opened her eyes and red at Luce. She intended to stay with me all day.
It was a psychology she had seen often since she was a student at the academy.
She is a Luce who has learned to be considerate of others in her own way, but she still worries that sometimes she unexpectedly crosses her line.
¡®Is it okay?¡¯
She didn¡¯t particrly dislike it. Rather good.
It¡¯s been a while since I haven¡¯t spent time with Luce.
When she was in the academy, she was the one who stuck with me the most than anyone else.
On the contrary, after graduating from the academy, the amount of time they spend hanging out together has drastically decreased.
I was busy as I was, and Luce was busy as Luce.
¡®Shall we be together today?¡¯
It didn¡¯t seem too bad. Luce¡¯s appearance is cute too.
After so many hours.
¡°Whoa...¡±
It was time to lean back in her chair and breathe deeply.
Luce came up behind me without saying a word and rubbed her shoulder.
¡°Ah. I don¡¯t have to.¡±
¡°I will. ept my sincerity.¡±
¡°Then, thank you.¡±
It was lovely to see her squeezing her shoulders as she squeezed her fingers.
Because he wanted to be by my side somehow.
¡°Come to think of it, what kind of panties does Isaac like?¡±
¡°White... , Huh?¡±
An answer flowed involuntarily to Luce¡¯s carefree question.
¡®Panties? Suddenly?¡¯
What question is this... ?
Poof, quickly turned his head and looked in Luce¡¯s direction.
¡°Hmm,¡± She thought deeply as she let out her breath.
¡°Is it white...¡±
¡°No, why all of a sudden?¡±
She pretended not to know, but Luce¡¯s blue eyes were tantly aimed at her lower body.
Soon, she met her eyes with mine and smiled softly.
¡°Is Isaac wanting me to wear white panties?¡±
¡°Uh... ?¡±
Uh... , That¡¯s what...
She cleared her throat for a moment and calmly took her breath.
Anyway, Luce is one of my future wives. Does she have any reason to hide my true feelings?
I asked with a smile.
¡°Are you going to wear it?¡±
¡°You¡¯re so honest, Isaac.¡±
Luceughed.
¡°Transformation.¡±
Leaving that one word behind, Luce went back to the sofa.
¡®I wasn¡¯t tempting... ?¡¯
Watching my wivese along has been one of my recent pastimes.
She hoped Luce would seduce her like she did when she was at the academy, but she noticed that it wasn¡¯t the time yet.
And tens of minutester.
It was when I had to go to the bathroom to urinate.
¡°... ?¡±
Luce was staring at me.
Her perplexity suddenly lifted her head.
¡°Luce, this is the bathroom... ?¡±
¡°Keep watching. I don¡¯t care.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s me who cares...¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, she came here because she was curious to see if Isaac is urinating well.¡±
@@novelbin@@
No matter how you look at it, it bothered me.
Luce¡¯s eyes were still fixed on my lower body.
She was in the middle of urinating, so she couldn¡¯t even get her bottom.
¡°I see... This much...¡±
¡°What are you weighing?¡±
Luce, who muttered to herself, measuring the length of her something with both of her fingers.
Her intentions were inly evident in the way she brought the length to her own lower abdomen.
After hearing my question, Luce raised her head a little, and she answered with a nk expression.
¡°Nothing.¡±
Luce turns her back and moves her steps.
For a while, she looked at the ce she had left in silence.
Chapter 356: Side Story – Luce’s Case (2)
Luce leaned back on the sofa with an expressionless expression, stretched out her hand, and looked at the wedding ring adorning her finger.
At first nce, it was a silver ring with a jewel that reflected the color of a rainbow.
¡°Aren¡¯t you bored?¡±
Luce seemed lost in thought so I spoke to him.
She didn¡¯t take her eyes off the ring.
¡°Not really. ¡°I¡¯m never bored when I¡¯m with you.¡±
Should I say it is different from Dorothy?
She tends to express her honest feelings, saying that if it¡¯s not fun, it¡¯s not fun, but Luce didn¡¯t feel any boredom.
The fact that he was really with me meant that he wasn¡¯t bored.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because it looks like a human.¡±
¡°Yes... ?¡±
Good meaning... Right?
And so the night deepened and dawn came.
Luce stopped by theb for a moment and brought back some more books. Most of the books she skimmed through quickly.
Luce¡¯s dream is to be the Lord of the Magic Tower. The highest among them.
As her position requires a particrly good head, having a memory that remembers everything in detail like Luce¡¯s eyes is an essential skill.
What was required was an overwhelming amount of reading andprehension.
¡®You¡¯re having a hard time.¡¯
Lovely thing.
It¡¯s nice to see you working hard.
¡°Am I pretty now?¡±
Luce asked without even looking at her.
¡°Huh? Suddenly?¡±
¡°I want you to keep looking at me.¡±
¡°How did you know?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t hear you working.¡±
I see.
Luce looked at me and smiled gently.
¡°Would you like a ride in the car?¡±
¡°You can leave that to the servant....¡±
¡°I want to ride you.¡±
¡°Then let me ask you a favor.¡±
Luce brought ck tea.
Isn¡¯t it somehow proactive?
I read Luce¡¯s psychology, wondering if she might have been on some strange drug.
There was no problem. In other words, this would be simple ck tea.
¡®You should drink with confidence.¡¯
I drank ck tea repeatedly.
Soon, all work waspleted.
¡°Off.¡±
I stretched and looked at Luce. She was still sitting quietly, leafing through her book.
¡°Luce, won¡¯t you disturb me?¡±
¡°There is no way it will be disturbed. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be with you.¡±
¡°Then can I take a break?¡±
¡°How?¡±
When the light shade waspletely ced on themp on the desk, darkness fell in her office.
Only themp in front of the sofa where Luce sat softly shed a soft light.
¡°Whoa.¡±
She exhaled, rxed her body, and sat down next to Luce.
She leaned on her shoulder and closed her eyes, her strange flesh scent filling her sense of smell.
Is it because all the urgent work is over? Her body suddenly became drowsy.
Now I wanted to take a good rest next to Luce.
¡°... ....¡±
Silence came, and Luce stared at me for a while.
¡°Do you want to lie down?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Luce gently pushes my head away and ces it on herp.
The hem of the delicate skirt rubbed against the back of my head.
¡°This is fine.¡±
I smiled at Luce. The light from themp on the table illuminated her smile.
I closed my eyes again and rested my body on Luce¡¯s thighs, and she carefully brushed down my hair.
¡°Good job, Isaac. ¡°Sleep well.¡±
A secret voice tickled the air like an angel¡¯s whisper.
Her body rxed and she fell asleep at the sound of a voice as gentle as a luby.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s get some sleep.¡±
I didn¡¯t hesitate and just fell asleep.
......
Chirik.
What are you talking about?
Suddenly, the sound of lightning shing and the sound of chains strangelybined and pierced my ears.
As she waved her arms in a half-asleep state, the same sound echoed repeatedly in the space.
¡®Is there a sound?¡¯
Doubts pulled my consciousness.
As I slowly opened my eyes, the face of a woman with Rhodes-colored hair appeared blurry.
It looks like she is hugging her knees.
She was sitting in front of me, looking at me with a meaningful smile on her face.
¡°Did you sleep well?¡±
Those blue eyes that captured me were Luce¡¯s.
¡°Luce... ?¡±
An eerie space.
The brightness was weak. It¡¯s dark, but enough to distinguish things around you.
The humid air moistened my lungs. It wasn¡¯t just the humidity that made my heart feel cold.
Suddenly, the ending I had once feared came to mind and I suddenly regained my senses.
¡®What is it?¡¯
I opened my eyes wide and regained my senses.
This is... Closed basement located in an annex.
It was a ce where no one came and went.
I felt a foreign body sensation in my wrists and ankles. When she looked, her arms and legs were restrained.
¡®What is this restraint?¡¯
This was my first time seeing such a sophisticated and strong restraint.
A magic tool that seems to have contained Luce¡¯s magic as much as possible and used it as her own hardness.
It was as if I could feel Luce¡¯s persistence.
¡®Could it have been developed?¡¯
It is difficult to find something like this on the market.
Even I am impressed.
It was probably made by Luce.
¡®If you try hard enough, it will break....¡¯
Did Luce not know that?
That can¡¯t be possible.
First, I decided to have a conversation with Luce.
¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of doing this?¡±
I opened my eyes and red at Luce.
¡°Not yet. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get tired of it.¡±
I didn¡¯t ask that question hoping for that kind of answer.
¡°You said you didn¡¯t like this kind of thing... , remember. Still, I want to be alone with you, just for today.... ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±
I couldn¡¯t tell if the phrase ¡®I couldn¡¯t help it¡¯ was appropriate in the context here.
¡°If I don¡¯t do this, aren¡¯t you going to go to that leech again?¡±
¡°Leech?¡±
What is that?
... The question was resolved immediately.
If there is someone I often visit in the imperial pce and someone Luce would be jealous of, there is no one other than Dorothy.
¡®You see Dorothy as a leech...¡¯ .¡¯
When I was attending the academy, I remembered Luce saying that she looked at the people around her like fish.
Putting aside the issue of Luce opening or closing her heart to others, it seemed like I was probably the only person in her sight.
¡°Ha, indeed....¡±
Among her wives, the one who was most dissatisfied with my harem was definitely Luce.
No matter how much she epted the harem, there was no way her dissatisfaction would have been plucked out in the bud. Shepromised a bit.
In a way, it was an understandable act.
More than anything, that wasn¡¯t the important thing.
¡®But why didn¡¯t I know this would happen? I¡¯m sure you read Luce¡¯s psychology, right?¡¯
A whirlpool of confusion swirled in her mind.
Even after reading Luce¡¯s psychology, you didn¡¯t know she would be like this? I?
Have my abilities weakened? It couldn¡¯t have been that way.
It was difficult to convince myself.
¡°What happened next? Just by looking at it, it looks like it was prepared in advance.¡±
When I asked about her carefree attitude, Luce put her hands on her floor and approached me.
Slowly, like a baby.
She brought her face close enough for her warm breath to touch my lips, and softly let out her voice filled with the sound of her breath.
¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude to read people¡¯s minds?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
Her mouth opened slightly.
¡®Did you know?¡¯
Of course, I expected this to happen.
Even the question, ¡®Since when did you know?¡¯ Is probably meaningless. Because something that would have happened anyway just became reality.
But....
Anyway, this was unexpected timing.
¡°You read my mind even when I had the slightest doubt. That¡¯s really... ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±
Luce whispered quietly in a tone like a quiet moonlit night.
The confusion in my mind was further aggravated by that tone.
They say we haven¡¯t seen each other properly these days... , Isn¡¯t this too dramatic?
¡°... How did you know?¡±
I decided to ask honestly.
How could this happen?
From noble mtl dot
¡°The method was simple.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°My head.¡±
Luce tapped her head with her finger.
¡°You can manipte it.¡±
¡°... What?¡±
I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying so I asked him a question.
Then, purple lightning mana fluttered from the index finger Luce ced on her head.
¡°This was possible because electrical stimtion was cleverly applied to my head. Memories and emotions. As a result, psychology. Abstract concepts can now be manipted at will. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can do this to other people, too.¡±
¡°It makes sense....¡±
¡°I recognized the sleeping pill as a must-add ingredient in ck tea. Then my husband drank it without hesitation, right? ¡°You¡¯ve always been so careful with me.¡±
An answer I could not have expected at all... I couldn¡¯t bear to shut my mouth.
Is that possible?
No, more than that.
¡®You¡¯re in your right mind, kid...¡¯ ?¡¯
Even I couldn¡¯t understand.
The idea, method, and execution ability....
By nature, people are immune to their own magic. However, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as he has the will to be affected by that magic.
In other words... , Luce was even prepared to suffer brain damage to avoid my abilities.
¡°But at some point, Isaac, it seemed like you weren¡¯t using that mind-reading ability well? ¡°I¡¯m d that I¡¯ve be someone Isaac can trust.¡±
Luce continued to whisper in a captivating voice.
¡°What are you...?¡± , Do you do that? ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡±
I formed a harem and overlooked it because I was buried in work.
The opponent is Luce Eltania.
She was a woman who did not find anything strange even if she showed unreasonable behavior at any time.
I didn¡¯t know that he would actually use my abilities to reassure me.
¡°Isaac....¡±
Luce¡¯s mouth drew an arc. She was moved and even had joy in her eyes.
She buried my head into her ample chest.
¡°Thank you for your concern. You can rest assured about that. You know that I¡¯m good at using magical power. This is only possible with partial memory anyway. I don¡¯t have to worry about forgetting you or having brain problems. ¡°Because I am capable.¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not it....¡±
¡°But you know. I have something to say.¡±
Luce¡¯s lovely voice suddenly turned cold. A chill crawled up her spine.
She took my head out of her arms and took out something of hers.
Crinkly folded paper.
It was a photo taken outside the window while rain was pouring down.
Inside it was an apricot-colored image of a man and woman engaging in a physical rtionship.
No matter who saw it, it was me and Dorothy.
That¡¯s one sheet, two sheets....
Crunched like small balls, they unfolded one by one and were embroidered in my vision.
¡®How did you film this? Rather, why couldn¡¯t I sense it?¡¯
It is said that at the time, I was consumed by lust and focused on Dorothy....
No matter what, there wouldn¡¯t have been any loopholes in my abilities, right?
¡°You, this...¡± . How?¡±
¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know?¡±
Luce spread her crumpled photos on the floor.
¡°... I forgot. ¡°It made me forget.¡±
Luce extends her index finger. Her fingers are twitching! Lightning Mana stood up.
Her finger became the answer.
I knew for sure. Luce, who remembers everything about her, has achieved the ability to forget only her partial memories.
It also has the ridiculous ability to cause loss of desired memories.
¡°And I let the photose to me when the time was right. ¡°When I look at fragments of memory, connections naturallye to mind.¡±
You deceived my [Psychological insight] Like that?
Now I was almost amazed.
¡°Hey, Luce. Are these photos using magic tools? You can fly in the sky, and a photo function has also been added.... ¡°You made it.¡±
This was a fact that could be understood by looking at the angle of the photo.
¡°Yes, I made it.¡±
Luce nods calmly.
If I were topare it to my past life, it seemed like I was manufacturing something like a ¡®drone¡¯.
¡°Ha.¡±
I burst outughing because it was so absurd.
Luce lowered her head and looked at the photos that had fallen haphazardly on the dull floor.
¡°ording to the agreement, this shouldn¡¯t have happened until marriage.... ¡°I really don¡¯t like this senior.¡±
Luce¡¯s low voice fell heavily.
¡°I told you to do it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not interested. Whether Isaac asked to do it first or not. The thing is, if I showed these pictures to her other wives, there would be quite a bacsh.¡±
Luce raises her head again.
Out of the darkness of the basement, his blue eyes red at me, shining vividly.
Ha, that¡¯s it now.
¡°So? ¡°Do you want me to stay like this today?¡±
Luce surely knows. She said she couldn¡¯t tie me up with such cute threats. She¡¯s just afraid of getting into trouble.
So let¡¯s hear what small demands are worthy of small threats.
@@novelbin@@
¡°It¡¯s obvious. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯ve always wanted.¡±
Seuuu. She gave off a feeble glow of multi-branched, thin stems on the walls of the cer.
¡®When did something like that happen...¡¯ ?¡¯
She was sure that it was the light installed by Luce.
Uniquely, the basement ceiling was connected to the sculpture on the first floor and had an oval shape, so all the stems took the shape of a bird cage.
It seemed like it was intentional. Because Luce has secretly wanted to confine me like a bird in a cage.
It wasn¡¯t at the level of dramatically lighting up the gloomy basement, but thanks to it, I was able to see Luce¡¯s face more clearly.
Luce was blushing with her cold face.
¡°Isaac.¡±
Luce gently stroked my cheek.
¡°Today is mine.¡±
There was a strong love for me in that sound.
The sight was so beautiful that without even realizing it, my appreciation came out like a monologue.
¡°... Cute.¡±
As if to say no more.
Luce stuck out her head, and a moist feeling covered her lips.
Chapter 357: Side Story – Luce’s Case (3)
For a while, Luce closed his eyes and remained still as if his whole body was paralyzed, and then let out a deep breath.
¡°Whoa.¡±
The thin, warm breath passed between Isaac¡¯s lips.
Luce deeply enjoyed Isaac¡¯s body scent. It was a scent that seemed to be absorbed not by the nose but by the entire body and reverberated within the body.
¡°Jjueup....¡±
I pursed my lips once. Sigh. Twice.
In this ce, where the metaphorical desire topletely possess Isaac was reflected, the thought of being able to covet him as one wanted eventually came like a storm and ignited Luce¡¯s lust.
The soft lips dug deep into each other¡¯s and touched the moist inner mucosa. With that, a thick feeling of ecstasy flowed down my spine.
Luce¡¯s normally calm thoughts were consumed by her racing heart. A bit of shame and self-control evaporated like smoke, and a wet and rough kiss followed.
¡°Chulup, hooup....¡±
It felt like biting into a fruit full of juice. It was such a sweet and moist kiss.
Luce stroked the side of Isaac¡¯s hair, then grabbed him and kissed his lips more intensely.
¡°Haup.¡±
As if she was going to eat him, Luce opened her lips a little wider and gradually wrapped around Isaac¡¯s lips violently. Isaac did not refuse and moved his lips as her lips moved.
Chureup, jjueup. Luce continued to swallow Isaac¡¯s saliva flowing into her mouth and down her throat. That squishy feeling made me feel like I shared each other with Isaac.
¡°Ha....¡±
When her lips parted, Isaac, who had already closed his eyes, slowly lifted her eyelids and engraved his precious fiancee into her eyes.
Luce looked down at Isaac, and she stared at her face reflected in his eyes.
The mouth of the temple drew an arc. Luce gently stroked Isaac¡¯s hair, as if she were stroking her kitten.
¡°Isaac, you.... ¡°You just got my second kiss.¡±
Luce whispered in a voice as faint and alluring as the full moon in the middle of the night.
The cage-shaped basement gave her voice a deeper resonance than usual.
@@novelbin@@
¡°What was your first kiss?¡±
¡°At the Academy. ¡°I did it while you were sleeping.¡±
The child let out herugh and red at Luce yfully.
¡°Get permission.... ¡°You¡¯re morally wrong about that.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the problem with saying I¡¯m going to suck?¡±
Luce tilted her head to the side, her doubts visible on her face.
¡°It¡¯s your fault for being defenseless in front of me. ¡°Why do I refuse the meal that was prepared for me?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this too reckless...? ?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯smon for both of us. So far, I¡¯ve been naked to you, right? ¡°After reading my mind to the fullest.¡±
Isaac smiled awkwardly and avoided Luce¡¯s eyes.
¡°That¡¯s... , I feel sorry. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not ming you.¡±
Luce¡¯s Lupus Lupus One finger slid gently down the line carved between Isaac¡¯s firm chest until it reached her abs.
Seuuu. Luce gently swirled his fingers around Isaac¡¯s belly button. Her head rested on Isaac¡¯s shoulder, and her breath mixed withughter moistened his ear.
The little boy reflexively flinched and trembled.
¡°So, I guess you knew that I wanted to do this with you all this time?¡±
The devilish voice clearly tempted me.
An intimate tone that has been Isaac¡¯s weakness so far. Still unable to get over it, Isaac felt a dizzying chill and a faint sense of ecstasy, as if he had been driven to the edge of a cliff.
Because of that, Luce missed the timing to reply, so she ced her lips on Isaac¡¯s ear and whispered in a clear voice.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you with my own words.¡±
Luce covered Isaac¡¯s remaining ear with her hand and tried to let him hear only her own voice.
¡°I¡¯ve been imagining a lot during this time. Like locking Isaac in the basement and making him mine forever. Like living alone on a deserted ind with Isaac. It¡¯s okay to put restraints on each other¡¯s wrists. It¡¯s okay to live naked, hugging and tying each other. ¡°I imagine being with you like that all day long.¡±
A cool smile crept into Luce¡¯s voice.
¡°You knew all that, right? ¡°Shame on you.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know the details of such shady details?¡±
¡°Lie.¡±
When Luce hardened his face and spoke sternly, Isaac covered his mouth.
Without having to go into the realm of magic, Luce was able to detect subtle changes in people¡¯s facial expressions with her good eyesight and discern lies.
Soon, Luce put a gentle smile on her lips again.
¡°It¡¯s okay, Isaac. Because now it¡¯s probably a good thing. It was a stroke of my youth. For now, I¡¯m content with being with you. ¡°For now, I¡¯m just curious.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You knew I was having shameful thoughts, so what have you been thinking all this time?¡±
Luce stopped touching Isaac¡¯s abdomen with her fingers and asked softly.
¡°Tell me. What were you thinking? ¡°Did you want to do something dirty with me?¡±
From noble mtl dot
¡°... ¡°From the beginning.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Isaac closed his eyes, put on a calm expression, and spoke an honest story.
¡°It was like that from the beginning. ¡°I felt you were pretty even before you knew me.¡±
¡°What?¡±
It was an unexpected answer.
Luce opened her mouth slightly and pulled his upper body back. It was difficult for him to logically understand the answer that he had feelings for her from the beginning.
Isaac opened his eyes again and smiled awkwardly, staring at Luce¡¯s beautiful face.
¡°I wonder what meaning these questions and answers have when we have decided to get married.... To be honest, I was before you. I liked you, Luce. Well, I sometimes had dirty thoughts.¡±
At first, I simply had affection for the characters in .
After actually meeting Luce, those feelings naturally turned into love for the opposite s*x.
Even if he knew how dangerous a person named Luce was, that was the only reason why he did not give up her favor.
I liked her that much.
¡°... I did not know.¡±
Luce could not hide her surprise.
¡°Is it true?¡±
¡°Do you think it¡¯s fake?¡±
Uncharacteristically, the corners of Luce¡¯s mouth twitched. She closed her eyes and smiled softly.
¡°So that¡¯s why.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°He always stared at my breasts.¡±
¡°It was force majeure....¡±
Luce opened her eyes again and smiled brightly at Isaac¡¯s unsure answer.
Reying in my head and savoring the story that Isaac had liked me from the beginning.
¡°You wanted me from the beginning.... Right?¡±
Isaac nodded his head.
Luce¡¯s cheeks became even redder, and her beautiful smile adorned her face.
It was as if she had received a new confession of love. For Luce, Isaac¡¯s sudden confession sank into her heart and brought about an overwhelming sense of happiness in her.
Soon, Luceughed mischievously.
¡°This won¡¯t work, Isaac. She didn¡¯t know she was such a pervert that she lusted after me from the beginning. ¡°You became friends with this guy without knowing?¡±
¡°That¡¯s.... Ah.¡±
Tuk. Tuk. Luce unbuttoned her shirt. She clearly felt her desire to be skin-to-skin with the man she loved.
The child deliberately closed her mouth.
Her shirt was unbuttoned and her smooth breasts, covered in Luce¡¯s underwear, popped out. Her pure white flesh formed a round curve and shone brightly under the light.
When he took off his coat, which was down to his elbows, the fascinating curves of Luce¡¯s body were revealed even more clearly.
She then took off her skirt, but her unbuttoned shirt covered her crotch.
¡°Huh?¡±
Isaac¡¯s eyes stopped on that half-naked body, but soon his attention shifted to his feet. This was after Luce stretched her legs out to the sides and sat down on Isaac¡¯s bare feet with her crotch touching.
The ce where the bottom of the shirt is covered. Something wet and soft touched the top of Isaac¡¯s foot. His eyes opened wide.
Isaac felt an inexplicable sense of tion at his behavior, which did not match his usual noble yet innocent appearance. Luce smiled brightly, as if this was the reaction she expected.
¡°Isaac, do you think I¡¯m wearing it?¡±
Panties.
¡°... ¡°You weren¡¯t wearing it from the beginning?¡±
¡°Yes. ¡°Because that¡¯s what I was thinking.¡±
The slippery vagina covered the top of Isaac¡¯s feet, dripping with his bodily fluids.
¡°Ugh....¡±
Luce shook her waist slightly and let out a low moan mixed with pleasure.
The airing out of the basement became increasingly strange. The little boy wiggled her toes and patted Luce¡¯s soft buttocks, but she didn¡¯t care.
¡°... I know that?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I was wet from the moment I met you.¡±
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know who the pervert is....¡±
Luce chuckled and gently tilted her upper body towards Isaac and ced her hand on his groin.
The ce, which had already swelled, boasted a hardness as if it were a rock inside.
When Luce gently touched that area, the child¡¯s body trembled as if an electric current was flowing through her.
¡°It¡¯s so big. ¡°Are you crazy because you want to get me pregnant?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t deny it.¡±
¡°You put me to shame...¡± . ¡°I¡¯ll take it off, Isaac.¡±
Sigh. Luce took off Isaac¡¯s pants a little.
Calmly, refraining from making any noise, my pants graduallye off.
Tuuk. Isaac¡¯s six peaks regained their freedom and rose tall like a dragon.
¡°Uh... ?¡±
At that moment, a slight embarrassment appeared on Luce¡¯s face.
¡®What I saw earlier... It¡¯s so different... ?¡¯
The size and thickness far exceeded expectations. The shape of powerfully protruding veins.
It was much bulkier than what I saw in the bathroom. Isaac¡¯s penis boasted a feeling of overwhelm rather than loveliness.
Luce suddenly felt chills and swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.
Chapter 358: Side Story – Luce’s Case (4)
¡°What are you doing, Luce?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
Luce stared at my penis as if observing. The penis, swollen as if it was about to explode, was already beyond the control zone. I felt quite embarrassed.
I decided to stay still for now. Were you nning on following Luce¡¯s pace as much as possible?
Luce gently cupped my penis. The hand size is not enough to cover the whole thing. But the soft hands treated my sensitive parts with care.
Soon, wow. Luce grabbed my stick so hard that it seemed like she was going to break it.
¡°Ugh! Luce, are you there? Wait for a sec... !¡±
A dreary air lingered in the air. For the first time in a long time, I felt an instinctive sense of crisis due to the pressure that made my genitals explode.
Luce looked up at me and smiled meaningfully.
¡°Did it hurt?¡±
¡°Of course...¡± .¡±
¡°It¡¯s fun. ¡°I think this is Isaac¡¯s weak spot.¡±
Do you usually think like that at times like this? ?
¡°Isaac.¡±
When Luce carefully rxed his hand, his penis was relieved of the pressure. A silent sigh escaped me out of some unknown relief.
Soon, Luce pressed my ns with her finger and let out a calm voice.
¡°So this is what went in and out of that senior? ¡°We work hard against each other, making the sound of meat hitting each other.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
The air became heavy again.
This... How should I answer?
As Luce¡¯s cold smile looked directly into my eyes, cold sweat ran down my cheeks and a gloomy energy enveloped my entire body.
¡°Did you feel good?¡±
¡°That....¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s difficult to answer. ¡°I¡¯m going to cover it from now on.¡±
¡°Ovey?¡±
Luce shifted his knees and came closer to me.
Quuk. Her underwear-covered chest was pressed against my chest. The soft feel of her underwear caught my senses.
Luce puts both hands on my shoulders and looks down at me. Hot breath wet my philtrum.
¡°I¡¯ll let you think only of me. ¡°I¡¯ll make it today so that if the lower part sucks from now on, you¡¯ll be reminded of me first.¡±
I was speechless as Luce¡¯s wet private part touched her ns. I just swallowed dry saliva.
There was a strange, crackling sound. Her Luce hand gently grasped my penis, fixing her direction.
Little by little, her ns was poking and prodding somewhere.
¡°Ugh....¡±
Luce let out her gooey sigh and just looked at my face.
The narrow flesh is forced wide open. Her Luce flesh was filled with her love juices and hugged mine fiercely. She was a woman with a violence that contrasted with her elegance.
¡°Hmm... !¡±
Luce lets out a passionate moan. Even though she was clearly showing signs of difficulty, Luce forced herself to keep her gentle smile as she pushed her penis inside her.
Regardless of the pain Luce must be feeling, she was overflowing with satisfaction that she and Luce had be one with her. Her intense pleasure flowed like electricity, and a pleasant moan naturally escaped my mouth.
However, it was inevitable to worry first.
¡°Are you okay? Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±
When asked urgently, Luce shook her head with a smiling face.
Finally, half of her penis was swallowed by her vaginal flesh.
Even though red liquid, different from her love juice, was flowing out of her, Luce just smiled, trying to hide her pain.
¡°Don¡¯t overdo it....¡±
The moment I spoke, Luce ced her lips on mine.
¡°Ugh, ugh...¡± . Chueup....¡±
She wasn¡¯t just enjoying the kiss. To stop her from screaming, she covered her lips, pretending to kiss him. The rough breath exhaled through the nostrils proved this.
¡°Ugh... , ugh....¡±
As a result, the screams that I was trying to control were little by little mixed with erotic moans and leaked out between my two lips.
More and more, mine prated Luce¡¯s smooth and squishy vagina. As I squeezed and applied pressure, my sensitive area was able to enjoy every detail of Luce¡¯s vaginal folds.
Soon, when the penis was about two-thirds of the way in.
¡°Hmm... !¡±
Luce seemed unable to bear it any longer, so she removed her lips from me and buried her head in my shoulder. Just like that, her hips stopped.
She was a master at maintaining her poker face all this time, and it seemed like she didn¡¯t want to show me that she was ruined.
She was so cute that she buried her nose in Luce¡¯s hair. There was a strong body odor that stimted the male¡¯s instincts.
¡®It smells good.¡¯
Luce decided to wait until Luce calms down.
Finch, flinch. Luce trembled intermittently.
¡°Ha, ha....¡±
The sound of her heavy breathing wasyered in the thick silence.
However, it was not an awkward or ufortable atmosphere. Because it felt really good. Luce in front of me is also lovely.
Finally, Luce exhaled her breath and put her mouth to my ear.
¡°Isaac, congrattions.... ¡°You took my virginity?¡±
A sticky yet intimate whisper resonated seductively in my ears. There was a subtleughter in the heavy breathing contained within.
I noticed that Luce was feeling a sense of happiness that was stronger than her pain. Her entire body clearly expressed that she felt a strong sense of satisfaction at the fact that she had be one with me.
As she looked at it, more blood rushed to her lower body. Luce opened her eyes wide and looked down at her.
¡°Huh? It could have gotten bigger from here... ?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because this is not something I can do with my own will....¡±
Luce¡¯s voice is still my weakness.
That voice wanted me, and now that I had be one with Luce, I couldn¡¯t do anything about the overwhelming joy that came over me.
While her six peaks were growing to their limit, Luce looked at me and smiled.
¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m this excited while tied up...¡± . ¡°Aplete pervert.¡±
Luce¡¯s fascinating vaginal folds quivered and clung to herpletely erect male penis. Hers was a loving yet fierce hug.
Luce slowly lowers her hips and swallows mine more deeply.
Red blood and warm love juice kept flowing down and moistening my fleshy body.
I closed my eyes, giving myself over to the pleasure that the dizzying feeling gave me. I feel sorry for Luce, who must have been in pain, but it was a very happy time.
¡°Haap.¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°Oh.¡±
Suddenly, Luce bit my ear. It was unexpected. My eyes opened with embarrassment.
Luce took her mouth off my ear and looked at me again. She wasughing hard at a close distance, as if even her breath was touching her.
¡°Don¡¯t close your eyes. ¡°Just look at me.¡±
From noble mtl dot
He caresses my cheek and whispers softly.
It seemed like he didn¡¯t want me to think any differently.
¡°You only think about me, feel only about yourself, and only look at yourself...¡± . Understand?¡±
The voice was stronger than usual. There was no doubt that Luce was also feeling intense excitement.
¡°Okay....¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll add more.... Sigh... !¡±
Luce closed her eyes tightly, endured her pain, and finally swallowed my penis, all the way to the root.
Her cervix opened wide and let mine in.
¡°Ugh....¡±
I couldn¡¯t hold back my moans either. Luce¡¯s vagina was beyond warm to the point of being hot. To paraphrase, she felt like her dick was melting.
Luce tightly covered her mouth with her hand.
There was a tingle, and an electric current flowed. It seemed like Luce had shed her lightning magic without even realizing it. Perhaps because of her pleasure, she felt thrilled rather than stung.
¡°Ahh, kkeut...¡± .¡±
Luce barely calmed her breathing and lowered her hand that was covering her mouth.
¡°I put it all in...¡± .¡±
Luce smiled broadly as she stroked her lower abdomen after swallowing my penis. Before she knew it, several strands of her sweat-soaked rose gold hair were sticking to her face.
Her face was full of aplishment.
But it seemed like he couldn¡¯t move. Little by little, I waited for her to get used to mine.
¡°What¡¯s inside me...?¡± ?¡±
¡°I feel good.¡±
Luce smiled with her reddened face.
¡°Isaac. This may be a new confession, but... I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment The moment that connects with you.... Ever since I attended the academy.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been calling you a pervert. It was a joke at first.... It wasn¡¯t like that at some point. I think I wanted you to rape me. So... You fell into my trap because you lusted after me, and the picture of you getting eaten by me... ¡°I think I¡¯ve drawn it quite a bit.¡±
She suddenly remembered Luce, who, when she was a student at the academy, would always try to stay with me all day or evene into my bed.
As Luce¡¯s confession mixed with shallow moans continued, her vagina tightened around mine mercilessly. The thick sensation of hers felt very pleasant.
¡°... Can I talk about that? ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a shame. But Isaac said it was like that from the beginning. ¡°You said you were going crazy because you wanted to f*ck me?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say I would go crazy....¡±
¡°I heard you felt like you were going crazy?¡±
¡°Uh... , It did.¡±
It seemed like the answer I had to give was already decided.
Luce grinned.
¡°Did your wishe true?¡±
¡°So... yes?¡±
No matter what, it probably doesn¡¯t really matter.
The carnal desire is so unbearable that it is trying to dominate the body. In fact, it is correct to say that I feel like I am going crazy.
¡°hehehe, I¡¯ll move...¡± .¡±
Luce moved her waist back and forth little by little.
Luce clenched her teeth as if it still hurt. He felt it deeply when he was with Dorothy, but first experiences are difficult to be romantic.
Rather than a strange moan, a hoarse sound to endure the paines out of Luce¡¯s lips.
¡°Ugh, ah, haah...¡± .¡±
But Luceughed every now and then. He seemed unable to suppress his smile. He was stroking his lower abdomen, and seemed to feel satisfied despite the pain. The satisfaction of finally connecting with me.
The sensation of prating Luce¡¯s vagina was truly fantastic. Heat kept flowing out of the narrow joint, trying to melt my groin. It felt so good that I didn¡¯t know what to do.
¡°Isaac.... hahahaha.... You now... ¡°Do you know that facial expression is so funny?¡±
¡°What is it like?¡±
¡°It seems like you really want me.... I¡¯m d you fell for me.... I think so.... ¡°You¡¯re really perverted.¡±
I did not deny it. Because I finally connected with the elegant woman I loved and thought was pretty.
What¡¯s more, while the vaginal fluid is squeezing my swollen male organ, the pleasure of sliding in and out of her is so ecstatic that it¡¯s almost crazy.
I was happy. Very.
¡°Yeah, like that...¡± You should have only looked at me. You should have. It should continue to be like that.... You are mine, Isaac. Mine....¡±
Luce whispered intently into my ear.
It was as if she was hypnotized.
Gurgling. The amount of love juice pouring out has increased. I felt like insertion became easier. Little by little, Luce stopped rocking her waist back and forth and slowly lifted her buttocks and began her insertion movement.
Knock knock, knock knock.... A dirty sound rang out along with a pleasant friction. Part of my penis was briefly revealed from Luce¡¯s narrow vaginal opening and then repeatedly swallowed.
¡°Ugh, yeah, ah...¡± . Ugh!¡±
Luce put her arm on my shoulder and moved her hips, then she bit her teeth and let out a loud moan.
Luce quietly trembles as her body swallows everything that is mine to the root.
Hey, has it really peaked already?
¡°Luce? What¡¯s the matter?¡±
¡°Huh... , this is where it goes.... It was creepy....¡±
Luce¡¯s face, which always maintained her poker face, now belonged to apletely excited female.
Excited. The urge to vite her even more violently stirred within her.
¡°No, if you look at me like an animal like that.¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
Tsu! Luce ran her fingers through my hair and pulsed her current. A part of my brain tingled.
¡®What is it?¡¯
Is this meant as a warning? Luce let out his breath and put a gentle smile on his heated face.
¡°Today is the day I vite you...¡± . ¡°You stay still.¡±
But isn¡¯t this too much?
I opened my eyes and red at Luce.
¡°But what if an electric current passes through a person¡¯s head? ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d break Isaac. I am confident that electricity will make you feel better. On the other hand, it may only bring pain. ¡°I studied quite a lot.¡±
Luce knows how to do crazy things, even controlling her own brain with lightning. It was quite persuasive, but considering the side effects of possibly damaging my brain, I wanted to avoid it anyway.
¡°Anyway, don¡¯t do it....¡±
Instead of answering, Luce responded with a smile and kissed me again.
¡°Huh, Chueup, Jjung...¡± .¡±
Both of us were boiling with lust. Their moist lips touched, their tongues stuck out, and they tangled together.
Snap.... Even if Luce moved even a little, a sticky sound came out of the joint very easily.
¡°Ha....¡±
Luce parted his lips, smiled leisurely, and pressed his cheek against mine.
¡°What¡¯s wrong... ? ¡°Why are you squirming inside me?¡±
Luce¡¯s intimate tone stimted my ears.
¡°Do you want to cum?¡±
Thatughing voice had the power to make people go crazy.
¡°It seems so....¡±
It was inevitable that a feeling of ejaction woulde rushing in. The vaginal walls were squeezing my penis.
¡°Ouch.¡± A shallow moan came out of my mouth. Perhaps that was funny, Luceughed and held my hair.
¡°It¡¯s okay, cum...¡± . Anytime, feel free to cum inside me.... Our first daughter, Adriana, our second son, Hamel.... ¡°I have to have it, right?¡±
I remember hearing that at the Magic Tower.
It wasn¡¯t a joke.
¡°Ugh....¡±
Soon Luce lifted her buttocks again.
Stupid!
¡°Ha!¡±
She lowered her buttocks and let out a stream of saliva with an ecstatic look on her face.
He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and clung tightly to my body, vigorously engaging in back and forth movements that became easier.
¡°Tsk, tsk, yes, ah...¡± !¡±
Squeak! Squeak!
A harsh friction sound rang out fiercely.
The vaginal walls were moring to somehow squeeze out my sperm. In an instant, an irresistible, intense pleasure engulfed my genitals.
¡°Cum it up quickly...¡± ! Inside me... !¡±
¡°You¡¯re crazy, if you say something like that... ! Ugh!¡±
The cock buried deep inside her Luce could not resist her urging and poured out endless amounts of the result of her pleasure.
Calling! Call! Thick and sticky semen poured out inside Luce.
Her whole body trembled. The satisfaction of pouring my semen into such an elegant and pretty woman, and her happiness that that woman was the person I loved, gave her the greatest pleasure.
¡°Sssss though though.... It¡¯s hot inside.... Good mood....¡±
Luce raised her head and looked into empty space with a contented expression.
Tears filled eyes, a lot of saliva spilling from the corners of the mouth, face drenched in sweat.... That face made my lust boil again.
¡°Ugh!¡±
I stuck my head out and licked the back of Luce¡¯s neck. It tasted salty because it was soaked with sweat. In the meantime, my penis was pumping out semen to somehow impregnate Luce.
Luce smiled and stroked my head as if sobbing. He soon stopped spewing out his semen, but his sense of helplessness did note easily.
¡°Isaac, I felt good too...¡± ?¡±
¡°Of course....¡±
¡°More than when I was with that senior?¡±
¡°That¡¯s....¡±
I couldn¡¯t bear to answer the surprise question.
The corners of Luce¡¯s mouth slowly lowered.
¡°Why can¡¯t you answer?¡±
How can you say something like that? .
However, Luce ignored my wishes and continued speaking.
¡°... ¡°I¡¯ll make you answer.¡±
Luce immediately pushed my head back and lifted his hips.
And then shended.
¡°Ugh... !¡±
Squeak! My penis dug into the deepest part of Luce¡¯s flesh again.
Because it was right after climax, the corpus cavernosum was very sensitive. Moreover, because her vagina became even smoother with my semen mixed in, her pleasure seemed to skyrocket.
Pang, pang, pang! Luce looked down at me coolly and resumed her reciprocating movements. It was a vigorous exercise. It was hard toe to my senses from her crazy pleasure.
¡°Yeah, ah... , haa... !¡±
¡°Hey, wait... ! Ugh!¡±
Thrill! A continuous purple current flowed from Luce¡¯s pussy, urging her to cum again. A series of unexpected, tingling pleasures followed.
Even during her reciprocating movements, Luce¡¯s vagina contracted and put endless pressure on my penis.
¡°What are you doing... !¡±
As I was about to argue, Luce removed her bra, exposed her voluptuous breasts, and covered my face with her breasts.
Her soft, squeaky flesh covered my face as if it were falling down. The male¡¯s body odor that made me lose control filled my sense of smell.
¡°Wow... !¡±
¡°Ugh, Aang... !¡±
Perhaps due to her strong stimtion, Luce let out a deep moan that was uncharacteristically coquettish.
She hugged me so tightly that I couldn¡¯t even breathe from her ample chest.
¡°You are mine...¡± . I have to be myself and feel good... !¡±
The current pulsating in the coupling sphere was caused by Luce¡¯s fine control of magical power. It was providing a unique stimtion experience.
Should we call it sudden s*x? It started out as a brief pain, but has now transformed into a deeply stimting pleasure.
However, the only thing I can allow is the area below Luce¡¯sbia, where my fleshy stick quickly moves in and out.
I wasn¡¯t going to allow Luce to even touch my brain.
Pang! Phut! Phut! Luce shook her hips roughly, her whole body drenched in sweat.
From noble mtl dot
¡°Tsk, tsk, ah... ! Yours again, squirming inside me... ! ¡°Do you want to cum again?¡±
As if she had received an electric shock, an exhrating feeling of pleasure flowed through her entire body and reached her testicles. Her semen surged as if electricity were an elerant.
We have reached our limit. Mymb juice that Luce drank trembled violently. As if she didn¡¯t want to miss this moment, Luce whispered in my ear.
¡°Cum as much as you want.... Within me, as much as I want... !¡±
Something ising up. I feel dizzy and even feel like my testicles are being squeezed out.
¡°Puh-ha!¡±
I escaped Luce¡¯s chest and took in some air.
At that time, it was thrilling! The purple current pulsed again, stimting my genitals.
I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer.
¡°Ugh... , cum... !¡±
¡°Wow!¡±
I lifted my waist and plunged my penis deeper into Luce¡¯s vagina. Luce screamed out as if she felt pain.
The desire that covered my entire body made my semen rise again and again. The sound of thunder echoed throughout her body. Finally, semen spewed out from the vent likeva.
Brrr!! Gulp! Call!!
A stream of sharp and hot semen filled Luce¡¯s insides. In order to get even a single drop into Luce, he repeatedly raised his waist and pushed his cock into it. Every time that happened, Luce kept moaning, ¡°Huh, huh!¡±
Semen so massive that it leaks out from the tightly filled vagina. I felt like I was going to faint for a moment from the lingering effects of the ejaction. I couldn¡¯t even tell you how good it felt. I couldn¡¯t think of anything.
¡°Ah, ugh, ah...¡± .¡±
Luce also felt intense pleasure and climaxed, his body shaking. A melting expression. That expression, ruined by pleasure, stimted my lust to no end.
We caught our breath, immersed in the deep afterglow. However, his cock, which still could not forget the pleasure of intense ejaction, throbbed and wanted every inch of Luce¡¯s flesh.
¡°hehehe....¡±
Luce let out a breathyugh.
¡°After packing so much, I¡¯m still fresh.... ¡°How good was it inside me?¡±
¡°Are you saying it¡¯s a horse...? .¡±
I couldn¡¯t deny it. My body wanted Luce even more.
¡°I¡¯m happy.¡±
Luce lowered his head and kissed me, moving his waist little by little again.
¡°I love you, Isaac.¡±
¡°... I love you too.¡±
That day, all day long.
We fell in love with each other, just as Luce had wanted ever since we attended the academy.
* * *
[Galia, why are you making a proud expression?]
D¨¹fendorf Imperial Pce, Luce¡¯s room.
Bello, a small orca familiar who was swimming in the air and ying with a ball, asked Thunder God God-Galia.
Raijin Jo, in the form of a small bird, was lyingfortably on her bed with her pillow and smiling happily.
[For some reason, I can feel the owner being very ecstatic right now! Is it rted to that?]
[Yes. Because my long-cherished wish is finallying true.]
[Long wish?]
Raijin Jo looked at her desk.
There was a luxurious ring case ced there. Inside the case, which was open so that the contents could be seen at any time, was a ck ring.
It was the ring of the ck Sea Empress. There was joy in Raishinjo¡¯s eyes when he saw this.
[I can¡¯t wait to see you, grandchild.]
The long-awaited day was approaching one step closer.
Chapter 359: Side Story – King Carlos
¡°Where did you and Luce go yesterday?¡±
While I was working in the office, Dorothy, who was sitting at the dance desk next door to me, opened her eyes and asked.
¡°I just went somewhere and had fun. ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult to answer.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
Yesterday, I spent some exciting time with Luce tied up in the basement of an annex far away from the main building.
We couldn¡¯t even guess how much time was passing, so we just indulged in each other.
There was no need to exin to the subjects the time spent that day. Luce told me in advance that she would be spending time outside the imperial pce with me.
I understood why there was no particr uproar in the imperial pce about my whereabouts.
Of course, the news reached Dorothy¡¯s ears.
¡®Of course you know how I feel, but.... ¡®It¡¯s difficult to answer honestly.¡¯
I scratched my cheek gently.
It is impossible to hide the truth from Dorothy. Because he sees right through my emotions.
But if you give a straightforward answer like, ¡®I had s*x in the annex,¡¯ isn¡¯t that just providing an excuse for questioning?
Right now, my fianc¨¦es have signed a superficial agreement on premarital chastity.
¡°Because it¡¯s a secret. ¡°Just like you don¡¯t go on a trip with a senior and talk about what you did.¡±
I smiled kindly and met Dorothy¡¯s eyes.
¡°That¡¯s.... ¡°Okay.¡±
Dorothy crossed her arms and struggled.
I guess I guessed well enough.
It was as clear as my palm what would have happened if Luce and I had spent time alone. Just as Dorothy herself went on a trip with me and became romantically involved.
¡®I hate it too.¡¯
This is true.
Although I established the harem I had longed for, I still felt like I was walking a tightrope.
In particr, Dorothy and Luce had a strong tendency to be implicitly wary of each other. Like a bomb that will explode if you touch it.
I could only hope that they would quickly get used to the harem.
¡®Traffic control would be easier if Alice was there....¡¯
There is still a long way to go for Alice to return.
I miss her even more today.
¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t like it for some reason....¡±
Dorothy¡¯s expression scrunched up and she lowered her eyes sullenly. Soon, she red at me with a pouty face.
It was difficult, but it was better to express my true feelings than to pretend that nothing happened.
When I was a student at the academy, Dorothy tried to hide her feelings and pretended to be bright, so there were a few times when I thought, ¡®Why are you doing that?¡¯
... Wait, but this.
¡®Cute....¡¯
The texture of my thinking soon changed.
How can a person be this cute? Just seeing Dorothy¡¯s pouty face gives me a continuous powerful blow to my heart.
Hook! As she pleased, she buried her face in Dorothy¡¯s stomach and hugged her thin waist.
¡°Nuh-uh...¡± !¡±
Dorothy trembled at my sudden action and let out a strange scream.
¡°Sweet, hahahaha.¡±
¡°What! Wow, it tickles... !¡±
Beyond the cloth, at Dorothy¡¯s navel, she exhaled deeply and the scent of her scented clothes filled her nostrils.
Dorothy instantly loses her expression and smiles heartily.
She hugged the back of my head and swung her legs and pounded her desk cutely.
¡°... ¡°You were surprised, Chairman.¡±
¡°It¡¯s really so cute....¡±
As she was dating, her cringe-worthy expressions of affection were expressed in her mouth without hesitation, and her happy emotions welled up.
She started flirting as she nuzzled her face into Dorothy¡¯s abdomen.
¡°Nihihi. ¡°You brat, do you want to embarrass your sister?¡±
A lot of affection was evident in the yful question.
Dorothy¡¯s breasts covered the top of her head. I felt her warmth. It looks like it was hugging my head dearly.
After she had spent some time in that embrace, Dorothy did not speak of her Luce.
It was unintentional, but it was a good thing.
......
¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±
She was in the middle of doing strength training with her top off at the personal training center.
When Luce, who was watching me, suddenly made ament, I lost my bnce and fell.
¡°... ....¡±
I was confused for a moment, but soon realized that what was said was not true.
¡°How do you already know that?¡±
She smiled awkwardly and looked at Luce. She was rubbing her tummy and smiling softly.
Not even a few days have passed since I had a physical rtionship with Luce. It was still too early to confirm that she was pregnant.
¡°It¡¯s going to happen anyway.¡±
¡°Not yet...¡± .¡±
¡°ept it quietly. Soon I will have her first daughter, Adriana, inside me. Isaac, congrattions on bing a father.¡±
¡°If something happens, tell me. It seems like you¡¯re making a fuss for no reason. ¡°It may not be possible yet.¡±
Of course, once her pregnancy was confirmed, I was confident that I would be happy by holding a festival. I just hoped that I wouldn¡¯t have to drink kimchi soup for something that hasn¡¯t happened yet.
When I got up, Luce suddenly came in front of me and kissed me on the cheek.
When I looked at Luce nkly, she covered her mouth with her hand and whispered in a private voice.
¡°Maybe not? So just to be sure, shall we do it here again?¡±
As that tone filled my ears, a pleasant chill came over me.
After her first experience, she spit out these bold statements without hesitation with her carefree face.
Of course, it was beyond adorable. It was inevitable that the corners of her mouth would turn up.
But now was not the time to spend happy times with Luce.
¡°I can¡¯t because I have an appointmentter.¡±
¡°There might still be some time left...¡± .¡±
She didn¡¯t respond to Luce¡¯s retort, but just waved her hand and left her training ground. She had a waiting servant wipe my body with a towel and dress me.
I could feel Luce¡¯s eyes watching the back of my head. But she couldn¡¯t help it.
Today is the day to meet King Carlos. I didn¡¯t have the confidence to end my romantic rtionship with Luce before he came.
......
¡°Meet Your Majesty the Emperor.¡±
King Carlos visited the imperial pce apanied by guards from the Gerber Kingdom. I greeted him with a formal greeting and weed him warmly.
We sat facing each other in the carefully decorated living room.
Frost Knight Morkan and Gerber¡¯s guard knight Jacul Calix stood by the reception room door as their respective representative guard knights.
¡°Father-inw, there is no need to be formal here.¡±
The subject spoke with a smile while drinking the tea served.
A small smile appeared on King Carlos¡¯ face.
¡°As my father-inw.... ¡°It¡¯s a good sound.¡±
A gentle respectful expression.
King Carlos still seemed to want to treat me as a superior.
No matter how much it is from the father-inw¡¯s perspective, he seems to be trying to make the superiority of power clear.
Still, this is a bit ufortable....
¡°Then, may I call Your Majesty the Emperor ¡®son-inw¡¯?¡±
Huh? That¡¯s already....
¡°Didn¡¯t you say ¡®my son-inw¡¯ in the letter you sentst time?¡±
¡°At that time, I was just writing down the things I was bragging about these days. Even now, every day when I wake up, I keep thinking about the question, ¡®Who is my son-inw?¡¯ ¡°Just saying that question makes me happy.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±
¡°I never get tired of it. It¡¯s thrilling. ¡°It¡¯s always new.¡±
¡°Aha....¡±
Suddenly, I imagined King Carlos waking up to the morning sunlight, looking out his window, and asking the question, ¡®Who is my son-inw?¡¯
In my imagination, I could not see the slightest trace of worry about the future on the face of King Carlos, who was ruminating on who his son-inw was and raising the corners of his mouth.
From noble mtl dot
¡®That¡¯s right...¡¯ .¡¯
I feel good, but I should say it¡¯s burdensome....
Heh heh, only an awkward smile flowed from my mouth. For some reason, goosebumps appeared on my forearms.
¡°Thank you, father-inw. It is an honour.¡±
¡°It¡¯s an honor. That¡¯s me. ¡°His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s favor for my daughter will be an indescribable honor to the Eiffelto royal family both now and in the future.¡±
After that, many useless and heartwarming stories were exchanged.
Perhaps because he wanted to lighten my burden as much as possible, he seemed to be trying to refrain from talking about national affairs as much as possible.
Of course, those stories were only an introduction.
¡°...... White was so beautiful that she received requests from all over the world for her to be his wife. However, none of them appealed to me... ! ¡°In the meantime, she couldn¡¯t be happier to hear that White was liked by His Majesty the Emperor.¡±
¡°Is that so...? .¡±
Of course, King Carlos mainly talked about white, and I responded with a smile.
¡°So... , Your Majesty the Emperor.¡±
In the midst of a conversation, King Carlos carefully calmed his voice.
He was maintaining a smile, but his eyes became quite serious.
¡°Can I ask you one thing as your father-inw?¡±
¡°Speakfortably.¡±
Is this the main point?
I decided to listen carefully.
¡°How about moving up your wedding date with White?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
Wedding date?
I was nning it for next year....
¡°Why is that suddenly... ?¡±
¡°I am told that the reason His Majesty the Emperor has decided for her wedding to be next year is because it will be after White graduates from her Academy. ¡°She wondered if there was some other reason, but she could only think that it was His Majesty¡¯s consideration.¡±
That¡¯s right. It was just a pure decision.
I briefly exined this to let you know that King Carlos¡¯s thoughts were correct.
¡°Yeah, well...¡± . White is now in his third year, right? She needs to graduate sessfully, but I feel like if she gets married while she is still in school, it will be a hindrance to White. Moreover, after the wedding, we n to go on a trip together and hold a festival. ¡°So she thought it would be better in many ways to have her wedding after White graduated.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. In fact, there is a story I heard about her as a father versus daughter....¡±
King Carlos spoke while looking down into his teacup.
¡°White seems to want to marry His Majesty the Emperor as soon as possible. ¡°She was so sorry she couldn¡¯t get her words out easily, she was told.¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°Even if she moves up her wedding date in the first ce, it won¡¯t affect White¡¯s future. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel sorry for her because she took care of every little thing for White.¡±
King Carlosughed.
There was no lie in what he said.
It seems that White wanted to be with me even when she was young.
¡®That¡¯s nice, but....¡¯
However, after using [Psychological Insight], She was able to figure out the hidden intention behind the story King Carlos told.
¡°... All right. ¡°I would be happy if the wedding date was pushed back.¡±
There was no problem.
Rather, I wanted to see the women I love in white wedding dresses as soon as possible.
Originally, there was no such thing as a white wedding dress in the culture here, but I decided to introduce it.
It was a serious matter for my wives to wear wedding dresses.
¡°Thank you. LOL....¡±
Afterughing at each other, I took a sip of the remaining tea.
¡®This person...¡¯ .¡¯
Hidden intention.
King Carlos must have heard from White about the premarital chastity agreement my fianc¨¦es signed.
Unlike White, who purely believed in the agreement, King Carlos saw the true meaning contained in the agreement.
If her wedding is postponed until next year and White focuses on her academy life....
I must have judged that there was a high possibility that the remaining four fianc¨¦es would take precedence over me before next year.
I could never allow my daughter to be inferior to my other wives.
¡°Your Majesty, I tell you without shame....¡±
King Carlos smiled kindly and spoke with sincerity.
¡°Please take good care of my daughter, Snow White.¡±
¡°... Yes. Of course. ¡°I will make you happy, father-inw.¡±
King Carlos¡¯ smile was purely that of his ¡®father¡¯.
......
A weekter.
¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡±
Something came up, so I headed to Marchen Academy to see White.
Chapter 360: Side Story – Visit to the Academy
¡°Master, Luce. This.¡±
It was a long time ago.
While spending time with Luce in the garden, I received an interesting letter.
©¤ Hello, Isaac!
This is Amy Holloway. It¡¯s been a while, right? It¡¯s so nice to meet you!
This is a letter from a ssmate.
Because starting this year, our riders have decided to hold a reunion at Marchen Academy!
You know, Keridna, who was the student council president? She said the decision was made on her own initiative. She also talked to Ian and Ciel!
I want you to attend too!
Well, what can I do if I can¡¯t attend?
Then it would be a pity, right? It must be very disappointing, right?
As the person who once kidnapped me, I wonder if it would be right for me toe? Is that so?
hahahaha! Just kidding!
Goodbye then!
Posted by Amy Holloway.
Underneath the letter was written the date and ce to meet.
¡°Reunion? ¡°I see one of our jockeys too.¡±
Now that I think about it, I heard that Dorothy and Eve had a reunionst year.
Is it our turn this time?
¡°Luce, are you going?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because it seems troublesome. ¡°I¡¯m busy too.¡±
Luce seemed to have made up her mind as soon as she saw her sender.
¡®Well, since it¡¯s Luce, it¡¯s natural.¡¯
Luce doesn¡¯t really try to be friends with anyone other than me.
It would be awkward to be among her ssmates.
¡®Ah.¡¯
Now that I think about it, who sent the letter to Luce? Is it Amy?
¡°But how is yours written?¡±
¡°Just be polite. ¡°I think it was sent by someone from the Holloway family.¡±
Are there not many writers?
It seems that Amy¡¯s handwritten letter was only delivered to me from D¨¹fendorf.
Well, Amy and Luce are not close at all.
¡°Are you going?¡±
She nodded.
¡°I have to go. ¡°I want to y with the kids.¡±
¡°I guess so. ¡°Isaac has many friends other than me.¡±
... I think I¡¯m feeling sad inside.
Still, I was fortunate that it wasn¡¯t as sunny as it was when I was attending the academy.
¡°hahahaha.¡±
This is a level that can be easily overlooked with a lightugh.
¡®I don¡¯t know if Kaya will go too.¡¯
It¡¯s probably difficult.
It is said that she is currently training hard under her parents due to career issues.
¡°Come back.¡±
Luce rested her chin and looked at me intently.
The glow of the sunset fell on her gentle smile.
¡°Isaac, you worked hard, so you should have fun.¡±
¡°Okay, well...¡± .¡±
I don¡¯t know why Luce was in an atmosphere of approval, but she decided to be grateful.
......
Tomorrow was the reunion day.
I was nning to spend three days at Marchen Academy, so I decided to leave today.
I wanted to see White for the first time in a long time, and I also wanted to see the Academy.
¡°What about the carriage?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not riding. ¡°I¡¯m going to go normally.¡±
He answered Dorothy¡¯s question with a smile when he was seen off with his subjects.
¡®If you take a carriage, you have to have a guard with you, it takes a long time to get there, and it¡¯s annoying....¡¯
At first, Grandmaster Rishad tried to attach me to the Frost Knight Morkan, saying it would damage my dignity, but I tly refused.
I just wanted to go as an ordinary graduate. This was also the reason why he deliberately wore neat clothes for going out.
¡®Shall we go?¡¯
He put on the felt hat on his head and summoned a means of transportation.
¡°Hild.¡±
Whaaa!!
An intense blue light emitted from the wrist, white jade magic gathered in the air, and a white dragon was summoned.
The hem of the robe fluttered wildly in the cold gale.
Thump. Ice Snow Dragon-Hildnded on the ground, showing off his majesty.
¡°I also ask for the academy.¡±
[Leave it to me.]
I quickly jumped up and got on the ice and snow dragon¡¯s back.
Charak! I roughly used ice magic to secure my luggage bag next to me.
¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡±
As I smiled and greeted the people who came to see me off, the ice and snow dragon pped its wings and flew into the sky.
Pretty light powder like snowkes was scattered everywhere.
Soon, the ice and snow dragon spewed out blue magic power from his wings like a driving force and quickly flew towards the academy.
¡®I like it because it¡¯s fast.¡¯
I am now used to the strong air resistance. It was just cool.
[Owner.]
¡°Why?¡±
While crossing the sky, an ice and snow dragon spoke to me.
[If you go to the academy, do you n to meet White first?]
From noble mtl dot
¡°Yes. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going a day earlier than the reunion day.¡±
[Hmm....]
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
I think he¡¯s dissatisfied with something.
Fortunately, Ice and Snow Dragon revealed his true feelings without hesitation.
[I believe that the owner spends very little time ying with me these days.... The owner has finally been freed from his heavy duties and has some free time, but this time he doesn¡¯t want to stay at the academy? Otherwise, I think I¡¯ll get really bored again, but I don¡¯t know what to do about it.]
¡°I haven¡¯t been able to pay attention these days.... But why do you always seem bored?¡±
[The word ¡®boring¡¯ is preceded by ¡®extremely¡¯. I hope you take it seriously.]
The ice and snow dragon grumbled in a calm tone like a noble youngdy.
¡°Um....¡±
Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t remember petting an ice and snow dragon recently. He must have been waiting impatiently for my touch.
It was just a shame.
From where he was sitting, he lowered his upper body and gently stroked the ice and snow dragon¡¯s back.
[hehehehe....]
An ice and snow dragon reflexivelyughing.
The guy quickly stoppedughing and cleared his throat.
[Did you think you would like it if I pet you just now?]
¡°I¡¯ll pet you moreter. ¡°Then is it okay?¡±
[...] There is no objection.]
A mysteriousughter quietly flowed from the corner of the ice and snow dragon¡¯srge mouth.
Soon, the ice and snow dragon reached the end of the bridge leading to Marchen Academy.
The logistics workers passing by with the carriage and the guards guarding the security station looked at me, their eyes wide and their mouths gaping, as if time had stopped.
It was a natural reaction. To the general public, Ice Dragon-Hilde must be very intimidating.
Cow! When the ice and snow dragonnded on the ground, I easily got off of it.
¡°Thank you.¡±
[Thank you, I hope you can pet meter....]
Any amount.
When I responded with a smile and stroked the ice and snow dragon¡¯s head, it smiled expectantly and was reverse summoned.
¡°... Huh?¡±
The heavy gazes of passers-by greeted me.
......
¡°Graduates cane and go at any time. All you have to do is hang this in a visible ce.¡±
I received a name tag from a guard. It was granted to guests who were permitted to enter.
After writing down that I nned to stay at the academy for three days, I entered the campus.
¡®It must be the middle of the second semester.¡¯
M?rchen Academy had a closededucationalpolicy, blocking entry to outside guests during the semester until I was in my second year, but has now changed to a moderately open form.
Thanks to this, a new system was established to allow entry under certain conditions even during the semester.
He wore a felt hat. I would feel ufortable if students passing by on the street recognized me.
¡®Bartos Hall.... ¡®There it is.¡¯
The first ce we headed to was the Bartosu Building, which boasts a neat exterior. It was once a ce where an evil spirit was resurrected, and is now a newly built building.
I visited there and found the academic office.
¡°I am a graduate. ¡°I would like to attend ss.¡±
He handed the graduation certificate to the faculty member and said.
As an A ss graduate, I would have been qualified to attend some A ss sses.
I would have a free pass on anything if I used the emperor¡¯s power, but I didn¡¯t want to do that while I was here as a graduate.
¡°Yes, wait a moment...¡± .¡±
The faculty member answered in a businesslike tone, looked at my diploma, and then suddenly opened his eyes wide.
A faculty member lifted his head and looked at my face.
She immediately got down from her chair, knelt down on one knee, and bowed her head.
¡°My Majesty, meet you!¡±
I still feel ufortable when people call me by the title ¡°Your Majesty¡± And make a fuss. It was a problem that I had to quickly get used to.
I smiled softly.
¡°I just came as a graduate. Please keep your head up and do your job.¡±
¡°Yes, yes!¡±
The staff member quickly sat back down in her seat.
¡°Which ss will you attend?¡± ?¡±
¡°3Rd year A ss in the Department of Magic.¡±
¡°Yes... ! Your qualifications have been confirmed.¡±
The faculty member used telekinesis to move several quills to quicklyplete the task, then handed me an ¡®Observer¡¯ name tag.
I hung it on my chest.
¡°The next ss for the 3rd year A ss of the Department of Magic is... It¡¯s a joint practice with first-year students. ¡°You can go here.¡±
A faculty member used telekinesis to lift a pen and point to a location on the academy map.
¡®It¡¯s a joint practice with first graders...¡¯ .¡¯
I know what it is.
I rarely took academy sses due to special treatment in my third year, but I still remember ying .
The ss was a practical ss in which a third-year ss A student or an honors student from ss B served as an example and guide for the first-year students. In fact, it was safe to say that it was a first-year ss.
¡°Okay then.¡±
¡°I hope you have a good time!¡±
After saying hello politely, I left the office.
¡®You¡¯ll be surprised to see Whitee out, right?¡¯
The corners of his mouth rose.
White, who was also my mentee and student, entered the A ss in his third year. How amazing is this....
She was very excited to see what a great honor student she would be.
¡®I want to see you soon.¡¯
I wore a fedora and walked down the street. Thanks to this, students wearing school uniforms passing by didn¡¯t seem to recognize who I was. It seems like they just treat it as a guest from outside.
But as I nced at them, many students were squinting at me. In particr, I could feel the gaze of the female students filled with rational goodwill. It¡¯s probably because of his well-developed body thanks to [Body Training Efficiency].
I ignored it and elerated my steps towards my destination.
¡°Did you say Princess Snow White would demonstrate today?¡±
¡°I heard so.¡±
A time when there were many students walking down the street wearing magic school capes.
I suddenly heard the name ¡®White¡¯ from some female students.
¡®It looks like the kids here are all first graders.¡¯
I figured out her grade by looking at the red brooch attached to the ribbon.
The path I was taking seemed to be the same, so I walked behind the girls who intentionally mentioned White at a reasonable distance and overheard their conversation.
¡°Hmm, is it okay for me to appreciate the wind magic of someone as noble as Princess White with my puny eyes? Is that really okay!?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss....¡±
¡°Are you making a fuss? Our Princess Snow White, she is beautiful, has overwhelming charisma, is very intelligent, and has a very high level of magic.... Should I say that I would fall in love with her even though she was a woman... ? Anyway, that¡¯s the kind of person you are!¡±
¡°Okay, okay...¡± .¡±
¡°Ha, I¡¯m nervous.... I¡¯m happy because it¡¯s a wind attribute... !¡±
Passionate. Is this girl like an otaku?
Although I heard words that did not fit White¡¯s appearance, White seemed to be respected by her juniors in her own way.
Other students were also mentioning the names of third-year ss A students such as White and Miya.
Suddenly, the time when she was teaching White and her mentoring ss came into her mind, and a smile naturally appeared on her face.
* * *
¡°As you all know, today we will be conducting a joint practice with the most skilled seniors among the third graders. ¡°We will deal with wind elemental magic here.¡±
Training ground.
The professor pointed behind himself.
¡°The target is a specially constructed structure over there. Very solid. Moreover, what needs to be adjusted is the minute gap in the structure. This is difficult unless you have excellent magic control skills. Before you try it yourself, your ss A senior will give a demonstration, so watch carefully and refer to it. Snowwhite, forward.¡±
At the professor¡¯s call, a female student with pure white hair entered the training space.
Her cool-headed yet haughty face was overflowing with a graceful and noble elegance.
The upright back and powerful steps seemed like evidence of great confidence.
Both male and female students looked at the demonstration student with admiring eyes.
¡°You¡¯re cool, Senior White...¡± . Charisma is crazy....¡±
¡°Oh my....¡±
¡°How can you be so beautiful? .¡±
Poof. The demonstration student lightly moved her hand and elegantly brushed her hair once.
An exmation came out from the mouths of the first-year students who saw this.
As expected, she looked like the princess of this country and the academy¡¯s highest honors student.
3Rd year, ss A, Magic Department, Snow White.
She stood next to the professor.
¡°This student is Snowwhite, a third-year ss A student and one of the top students in the Faculty of Magic. This student¡¯s wind magic will be an exemry form of wind magic that you will achieve in the future. What I¡¯m saying is that you should refer to it like a textbook. Everyone, stay focused and watch closely. White, ready.¡±
¡°Oh my....¡±
White sighs softly.
¡°Why are you doing that?¡±
¡°Because it looks too easy.¡±
White shrugged her shoulders.
That triumphant attitude appeared to be theposure of a master in the eyes of first-year students.
¡°Well, it might be too simple for you.... ¡°Let me demonstrate first.¡±
¡°Yes, whatever.¡±
White raised her arms towards her training area, coiling her magic towards her specially crafted target.
Wheewoo! Light green wind magic swirled. The first-year students who were watching were amazed as they felt the high density of magical energy.
¡°Wow....¡±
¡°Amazing....¡±
Goosebumps appeared all over the first year students¡¯ bodies. With their exmations flowing through the air, White deployed her wind attribute magic circle.
Every single stroke engraved on the magic circle was extremely borate. It was abination of strokes that most first-year students couldn¡¯t even think of constructing.
Although a high level of mana control was probably required, White simply remained calm.
¡°Heh.¡±
I just smile leisurely.
¡°Kyaaa!¡±
¡°Did you hear meughing just now? Awesome... !¡±
¡°Look at that space. If the strokeposition was that detailed, it would be difficult to use magic power... ! Amazing!¡±
The first year students were full of excitement. White was very good at pointing out the attractive points of her juniors.
Meanwhile, White was absorbed in her own magic.
¡®Are you just admiring me this much?¡¯
This is once she doesn¡¯t have to worry about her mentor, Isaac, the strongest man in the world.
White wanted to be seen as sophisticated and charismatic like senior Luce.
If Isaac and Luce, who know her true self, saw this, they would probably want to hide in a mouse hole, but haven¡¯t they already graduated? There was absolutely no need to worry about anyone.
Furthermore, he is a person who has achieved tremendous achievements to the point of entering the A ss.
Crybaby White, who was once at the bottom of the D ss, became a victim of the passage of time and was buried in the dark past.
There was absolutely no problem with improving her own image.
¡®Have I be too cool?¡¯
So the current Academy is a white world.
He was no different from the main character.
... It was then.
¡°Hey. Cool, White!¡±
¡°... Huh?¡±
Amid the exmations of countless first-year students, a somewhat familiar voice was heard.
White instinctively opened her eyes wide and turned her head back without realizing it.
Beyond the students, in the very back seat behind her, a man not wearing a school uniform was watching White with a wide smile.
White, seeing him, swallowed his breath.
¡°Ah.¡±
He didn¡¯t know that White would notice him, so he kept his mouth shut.
White was so amazing that her praise for her came out without her realizing it.
I thought I would be buried in the cheers of first-year students. He considered himselfcent.
But time could not be turned back. His existence has already been discovered by White.
¡°Ah, Senior Isaac... ? Why here... ?¡±
He is an unprecedented grand wizard in history and a senior mentor to White.
@@novelbin@@
It was Isaac.
¡°Oh... !¡±
White felt heat rising to her head. A strong feeling of skepticism and shame came to me over time as I used to be proud of myself.
The days when I cried pathetically while being taught by Isaac one after another shed through my mind.
White¡¯s confident, cool-headed expression and concentration on using his magical powers copsed in an instant.
Wheewooung....
The wind magic dissipated helplessly, and silence fell in the training room.
The first-year students looked at White with suspicious expressions.
¡°Ugh... ?¡±
He was so surprised that an awkward exmation slipped out of White¡¯s mouth.
It was the moment when the form of the top honors student, who had maintained his best, copsed.
Chapter 361: Side Story – Autumn Scenery
¡°... ....¡±
¡°... ....¡±
A sunny afternoon. I was sitting on the bench next to White.
In ufortable silence, White ate a pudding bar.
I couldn¡¯t say anything because I was being watched, and White also said nothing.
¡®It¡¯s embarrassing....¡¯
Because of my mistake during the pilot training, White lost his proud attitude.
Her magic demonstration ended without incident, but as soon as she did so, White blushed and ran away from her.
It would have been better if I had just looked at him in silence and satisfaction. I was sorry.
I¡¯ve been apologizing repeatedly since a while ago.
But ¡°It¡¯s okay...¡± .¡± The only reply I received was a weak one mixed with a faint tear, and it was just embarrassing.
¡®I wish Merlin woulde....¡¯
After finishing ss, I met Merlin Astrean for the first time in a long time.
After she bowed to me and said she could not disturb White¡¯s time, she walked away and hid her body in the grass.
The eyes seen through the grass in the distance behind were those of Merlin.
Because the atmosphere was heavy and awkward, she felt like calling her Merlin, but she didn¡¯t know if she would be rude to White. Because I¡¯m making the escort driver interrupt my time alone with her fianc¨¦.
¡°Have you eaten everything?¡±
¡°Yes....¡±
White held up the finished pudding bar wrapper and headed toward the trash can next to her with weak steps.
Poof. White throws her wrapping paper into an empty trash can and quietly looks at it.
Just as she was, lost in thought, she put her leg in her trash can.
¡°White?!¡±
When White tried to throw himself into her trash can, she hurriedly pulled her body out.
¡°What are you doing?!¡±
¡°Sir Isaac....¡±
I stood facing White. The tears in her eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
White became more and more crying like a puppy, and she sobbed and poured out her true feelings.
¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die of shame... !¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°What can something like me be like...?¡± . You must have been pathetic, right? She must haveughed and said, ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing since I graduated.¡¯ Right?! Isaac is my teacher... ! Because you know very well what kind of person I am... !¡±
¡°Those are all achievements you achieved through your hard work.¡±
White let out augh and lowered her head to the side with an uncertain expression.
¡°I became stronger thanks to my blood.... With fairy power. It was an expedient....¡±
I also became stronger because of Ozma....
It was not the time to question such things.
¡°If you think about each and every one of those things, there is no end to it.¡±
¡°But...¡± .¡±
Although it was difficult, it was somehow nice to see the White I knew crying.
Her heart softened as she bowed, and a smile spread across her lips. Yes, white looks like this too.
With her handkerchief, she wiped away the tears from White¡¯s eyes. She sighed, ¡°Huh,¡± But didn¡¯t reject my touch.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not good at painting....¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°Huh....¡±
She took the handkerchief away and smiled brightly.
¡°It¡¯s okay. ¡°Seeing you cry is also the reward of my life.¡±
¡°... That¡¯s up, right?¡±
¡°I guess so?¡±
Perhaps.
¡°Where will the next ss be held?¡±
¡°At Orphin Hall. ¡°All remaining sses.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
I walked towards Orphin Hall with White.
Ssuk. Merlin followed, hiding in the grass or trees.
¡°Can I observe?¡±
¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t, but do I have the right to veto?¡±
¡°I¡¯m kidding. Because the professors feel burdened by my presence. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±
¡°Okay, thank you...¡± .¡±
After White entered Orphin Hall, I went to the store and bought two bottles of soda.
I handed one bottle to Merlin, who was leaning against a tree.
¡°You¡¯re having a hard time.¡±
¡°Thank you for your concern.¡±
Merlin greeted politely with knightly manners.
¡°Don¡¯t be too formal. Because I came here as a graduate. ¡°The title ¡®Lord Isaac¡¯ is sufficient as before.¡±
¡°Still....¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°... All right. ¡°Lord Isaac.¡±
Merlin epted the drink I gave him.
I went next to her and leaned my back against the tree.
¡°The White escort mission will soon be over.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°How are you feeling? ¡°It¡¯s been three years.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
Merlin took a sip of her drink and looked toward her Orphine tube.
¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t disappointed.... ¡°Apart from my desire to stay with Princess White longer, I sometimes feel like I want to leave quickly.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Since Lord Isaac subdued the evil spirit, we have been living an extremely peaceful life here. ¡°I think it suits me to be busy moving my body and constantly engaging in battle.¡±
¡°You had a hard time before the evil spirit died, right?¡±
¡°Yes. It is unbelievable that suchrge-scale battles took ce in a ce of learning in the first ce.... Anyway, the cause of all the incidents has been resolved and there are no real dangers, so it¡¯s time to leave. Of course, I n to assist Princess White until the end andplete my mission safely.¡±
Merlin has lived here at Marchen Academy to protect White.
Whether she liked it or not, there would be countless images of White in her head.
¡°Still... , I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay for her to harbor such thoughts during her mission.¡±
The corners of Merlin¡¯s mouth rose.
¡°It was fun. Really.¡±
......
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
After all sses for the day were over, the glow of the sunset filled the visible distance.
White approached me with a wide smile, and she caught the attention of the students walking around the academy. Perhaps she thought she had made a mistake, White stiffened and looked embarrassed.
She covered her face with her fedora and quickly took her steps.
It was a hungry time, so I stopped by a restaurant with rooms at the Academy Mall.
Merlin was also there, and as she was chatting happily with the two of them, the sky was already turning an ultramarine blue.
¡°Shall we go there after a long time?¡±
White said during the meal.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Hydrangea garden?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you training there these days?¡±
¡°These days, we do it at the training ground.¡±
¡°Ah... ¡°Because it¡¯s good to show off your skills to people at the training ground, right?¡±
¡°Well, is that possible? That¡¯s because it helps with training! Please don¡¯t misunderstand... !¡±
White shakes his head violently and denies it.
Merlin, who was eating in silence, quietlyughed.
She finished her meal, teasing her White, and walked to her ce where she had once taught her.
A ce where there is ake that shows off the colors of beautiful natural mana at night.
It was a corner of the hydrangea garden.
¡°Hmm?¡±
When she felt her magic, she and White stopped and hid behind a tree. Merlin was far away from us.
In front of theke, ice elemental magic cut through the night air along with the sound of crackling.
¡°Ugh... ! I failed... !¡±
¡°Why do you think it is?¡±
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know?¡±
¡°The mana output was reasonably good, but the strokeposition was strange. So it spread out in such a strange way.¡±
A female student was receiving magic education from a male student. It seems that she is more senior to the male students.
Even though it was my first time meeting students, I felt that she was very familiar.
For some reason, the male students saw me as myself, and the female students saw the image of someone who cried a lot but studied and trained hard.
We watched the two students in silence as if we had made a promise.
I nced at White, and the gentle smile on her face made my heart flutter. Her round eyes were clearly capturing the two students.
Suddenly, the times we spent together shed through my mind.
Now it was their turn.
¡°Shall we go back?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
She spoke quietly and left with White.
Throughout her walk, White gently lowered her head and smiled. She seemed to think the same thing as me.
When I carefully held White¡¯s hand, she shook her head in shock and her face turned red.
The sight of him quickly looking at me with a surprised face was quite cute.
¡°Ah, Senior Isaac....¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°So, if you¡¯re going to hold my hand, please give me a warning in advance...¡± !¡±
Does this kind of thing require warning? ?
¡°I¡¯m not mentally ready yet....¡±
Even as White said that, he secretly inserted his slender finger between her fingers.
Perhaps she mustered up some courage, her face turned even redder, like a ripe apple.
I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Every word she utters, every expression on her face, seems to be whispering her love.
We walked through the hydrangea garden, holding hands.
¡°Sir Isaac.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If you were going toe see me, it would have been nice if you had told me in advance....¡±
White turned her eyes away from me and smiled happily. The twitching of her shoulders represented her excitement.
... For some reason, I wanted to make fun of him.
¡°I didn¡¯te to see you, did I?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
A question suddenly appeared on White¡¯s face.
She looked at me again with an iprehensible expression on her face.
You might have expected a sweet answer toe out of my mouth, but it turned out to be disappointing.
¡°Of course...¡± ?¡±
¡°I came here because I heard there was a reunion. ¡°I promised to meet up with my ssmates after a long time.¡±
¡°Well, you didn¡¯te to see me...¡± ? Yes? Yes?¡±
I smiled broadly.
¡°You just came to see me because I had time.¡±
¡°... ....¡±
White¡¯s face froze, but then her eyes became moist.
Soon, White began to sob.
From Noble mtl dot
¡°Why are you... !¡±
I am satisfied.
After soothing White, who was crying for a while, she cleared up the misunderstanding by saying that she came to see you. I was quite satisfied to get a reaction I liked from her.
White continued to ask, ¡°Is it true?¡± And held my hand tighter. It was so funny that she even burst intoughter for a moment.
The streetlights shined down and brightened our path ahead.
Fallen leaves being stepped on with every step.
Late evening dusk and a refreshing breeze apanied the autumn leaves.
The autumn scenery of the Academy, which I once got tired of seeing, just looked beautiful today.
Chapter 362: Side Story – Answer
¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
Aria Lilias, a short-built wizard with flowing red-brown hair, greeted me with an expressionless face. Using her telekinesis to straighten the books on her bookshelf.
The books on the bookshelf were obsessively neat.
This was the top floor of Hegel¡¯s Magic Tower, Arya¡¯sboratory. She sent White first and came to visit Aria after a long time.
Her tone was as dry as usual, but I could tell that she was happy on the inside.
¡°Are you still spying on Professor Fernando these days?¡±
She asked yfully, taking off her fedora.
¡°It¡¯s difficult these days because students¡¯ ability to notice has improved.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right.¡±
¡°Because I¡¯m worried. Anyone who is my disciple. ¡°But what business is it?¡±
Aria sat down at herb desk and looked at me.
¡°It¡¯s not like I have any business toe see you. ¡°I just came to see the faces while I was at the academy.¡±
¡°It¡¯s toote to eat together... , Rest in peace.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Aria lowered her head and read the book in silence.
Although she was small in stature and had a youthful appearance, her age was evident in the way she read a book. Should I say he is quiet and intelligent?
I looked around the bookshelf, picked up anything and read it. It was a professional book. In the middle of the page, pictures were moving like animations to exin the research process.
Suddenly, a new question urred to me. Are all the books on the bookshelf here magic books?
¡°Teacher, are all the books here only professional books?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°... ¡°There are some s*xy books too?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
As the saying goes, ¡°If you want to hide a tree, hide it in the forest,¡± Erotic books were naturally ced among the professional books.
No matter howrge the library was, it was difficult to avoid my eyes.
¡°... Someone left it behind and just put it somewhere. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Aria nced at the book I was holding and then turned her eyes to the side, maintaining her poker face. I knew right away that it was a lie. Perhaps the book would be gone the next time she came to visit.
Of course, it was just fun. She didn¡¯t want to invade Arya¡¯s privacy, so she put the book back in its original ce.
In the first ce, the title was ¡®Three Men, One Woman¡¯ so I didn¡¯t even have the courage to look into it.
It is true that I was curious, but there are some things in this world that it is better not to know.... It was an exercise of self-control.
¡°Anyway, there¡¯s something I need to tell you now.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
While she was looking through the bookshelf, Aria spoke to her. He stopped in her tracks and looked at her.
What should I talk about soon?
¡°Did you forget? What you decided to tell me after everything was donest time. ¡°I haven¡¯t talked about it yet.¡±
¡°... ¡°What was it?¡±
As I asked her with an awkward smile, Aria lifted her head and looked at me.
¡°Why did you have such a hard time learning the 7-star magic?¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
It came to mind.
I decided to answer that question once everything was done. Ipletely forgot about it.
It was already over, so there was nothing more to hide.
I guess it¡¯s okay if I tell you what I promised.
¡°I see.... ¡°You haven¡¯t told me yet.¡±
With a smile on my face without even realizing it, I quietly walked along the bookshelf.
Every time I took a step, I felt as if the steps I had taken in a distraught mood the day I first faced the demons were vaguely ovepping.
For me, life at the academy was not a story of romance and youth, but a period of survival marred by difficulties and despair. It was a tightrope walk that meant death if you missed it.
Because I am.
¡°I was actually the weakest.¡±
For a moment, Aria furrowed her eyebrows and then calmed down her expression.
¡°The weakest... ? You? Based on what?¡±
¡°At the Marchen Academy. I was actually weak. That¡¯s why I learned, studied, and trained hard one by one.¡±
¡°... ¡°Something I don¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
I felt lighter inside as I told my story without any pretense.
That may be the reason why a smile still flows from my face.
¡°Instead, I had the ability to be strong conditionally.¡±
¡°Conditional? What?¡±
¡°The ability to be stronger if you have the will to fight against demons. I could only be stronger when demons were my enemies. And everything I umted was helpful when fighting the demons.¡±
The weakest member of the academy became the demon-limited munchkin.
¡°Just...¡± , That¡¯s the story.¡±
My journey of constantly running to ovee the evil spirit could be titled with that one sentence, which may seemical in some ways.
Aria closed her eyes and lowered her head. She seemed to be gathering her thoughts.
¡°It¡¯s an answer full of absurdity and questions, but... ¡°When you think about it that way, it makes sense.¡±
Aria opened her eyes again and smiled faintly.
¡°... ¡°Good job, student.¡±
And she spoke normally.
What is it?
¡°... ¡°Why aren¡¯t you suddenly using a tone that makes you seem intelligent?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡±
Aria went back to her dull expression and turned her eyes towards the book she was reading.
For some reason, he looked pouty.
¡°Rather than that, are you going to sleep?¡±
¡°That is difficult. ¡°I have a separate ce to sleep.¡±
¡°Well, you probably still have a fiancee at the academy.¡±
¡°Yes, whatever.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give you a reviewter.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
What review?
......
White was staying at the princess¡¯s private residence. Although she was different from the other students, she was also treated as she deserved, considering that White was the princess of this country.
She had never thought much about it when ying , But from her perspective as a graduate, the equality of status pursued by Marchen Academy was a contradictory policy.
In a country with a caste system,plete equality of status is impossible. The students are simplyplying with the academy¡¯s policies as if it were a given. Otherwise, you will be the target of criticism.
Of course, the academy¡¯s will to at least educate everyone equally was nodded. The person who initially founded Marchen Academy must have had such beliefs.
¡°Sir Isaac!¡±
¡°White!¡±
When I arrived at the princess¡¯s residence, White weed me.
In addition to her, Merlin and several royal knights were keeping their seats upright. They all saluted me.
¡°You weren¡¯t sleeping? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you tend to go to bed early?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right... , I can¡¯t fall asleep first. That senior Isaac... my... Since you¡¯re going to be my husband, I¡¯m going to sleep with you.... Ah, no, it¡¯s not this... !¡±
Now that the child I had held in my arms so many times in the past became engaged to me, I began to feel conscious of it in many ways.
I let out augh as White seemed confused.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the room first.¡±
¡°Yes, yes...¡± ! ¡°Is that so?¡±
White nodded her head quickly.
Me, White, and Merlin walked down the hallway.
I nced at White. From earlier, she keeps wiggling her fingers.
It was very simple to realize that he was secretly looking forward to spending the night alone with me.
¡°Where is my room?¡±
¡°There is one empty room....¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a little worried. It might be a little too narrow for senior Isaac to stay there. You may not like the facilities.... Should I say that this is a room where I am very concerned about whether senior Isaac will be able to sleep well? . Or, it might be okay for Isaac to sleep in my room for a good night¡¯s sleep... ?¡±
The method of induction was cute. She also seemed to have no idea what she was talking about.
She felt the urge to tease him again, but she felt sorry for White to tease him about something like this, so she answered calmly.
¡°Then shall we sleep in your room?¡±
¡°Yes, a very excellent choice... ! ... Yes?¡±
White¡¯s face lit up for a moment, and then she suddenly freaked out.
¡°Well, you can say it so easily... !? Of course I don¡¯t mind, but Isaac, you could have said that so easily!?¡±
¡°What¡¯s the problem? ¡°We¡¯re going to get married anyway.¡±
¡°Principal rules, morals.... The truth of this world... ! There isn¡¯t much to consider... !?¡±
White trembled, her voice trembling as her face flushed. She looked very nervous.
¡®Didn¡¯t you want to sleep with me first... ?¡¯
What do you want? ?
Soon, Merlin intervened.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be any problem. The soundproofing design was thoroughly designed during the day, and His Majesty also wished for the two to sleep together and also gave enthusiastic support....¡±
¡°What if you say something like that, Merlin!?¡±
White was startled and shouted.
Before she knew it, tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. But you have nothing to hide, right? ¡°You are engaged to each other.¡±
Definitely.
These two people became close friends while living at the academy for nearly three years.
¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think of that at all... ?¡±
¡°... Yes, I see. ¡°My thoughts were short.¡±
Merlin answered as if he had given up.
In no time, we arrived at White¡¯s room.
A small light was weakly illuminating therge room.
As White and I entered the room, Merlin saluted from her side of the hallway.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Well then, have a good night, you two. Tomorrow is a holiday, and you won¡¯t hear anything outside, so you won¡¯t be able to hear anything and it will feel dead quiet, so don¡¯t worry....¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t talk nonsense, Merlin...¡± !¡±
When White begged as if he was crying, Merlin chuckled and said, ¡°Yes.¡± She closed the door.
¡°... ....¡±
On the outside, it seemed like a refreshing atmosphere, but....
I hid the magic radiating outside of her and activated [irsight] To look outside the door, and saw Merlin leaning against the wall and lowering her head.
Although she pretended to be calm from a while ago, she was feeling ufortable. She just didn¡¯t show it.
She is Kaya¡¯s older sister.
As Kaya¡¯s fianc¨¦, I seemed reluctant to support her sleeping with another fianc¨¦.
From Noble mtl dot
But anyway, my status is such that having multiple women is taken for granted, and all five women, including Kaya, have agreed to marry me.
Merlin seemed to be trying to somehow let go of her ufortable feelings.
It was something I was grateful for. This is proof that she values me, Kaya, and White.
¡®Ah.¡¯
She realized toote that an awkward silence hade because she had been lost in thought for a moment.
White didn¡¯t know what to do, so she just twisted the ends of her hair with her fingers.
¡°White.¡±
She spoke first.
¡°Yes, yes?¡±
¡°It¡¯ste, so let¡¯s sleep. ¡°It¡¯s already past your time to sleep.¡±
¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it!¡±
White reacted fussily.
¡°I¡¯ll wash first.¡±
¡°Yes.... Then I, hey... I¡¯ll wait in bed... ! Isaac, senior....¡±
White is sweating profusely and showing off her nervous expression. Movement became very stiff.
Rational thinking was not functioning properly in White¡¯s mind at the moment. It seemed like a creaking sound could be heard all the way up here.
The reason why she even put the word ¡®bed¡¯ in her mouth is clearly visible. She knew very well what she was expecting.
White headed to therge bed, and I headed to the shower room.
Shower.
After washing her body thoroughly and putting on a shower gown, she came out.
¡°Huh?¡±
Bedside.
For some reason... White was sleeping soundly, breathing softly.
¡°... Are you sleeping?¡±
I tried using [Psychological Insight] Just in case, but it didn¡¯t work. It was clear that she was perfectly asleep.
It seemed like I couldn¡¯t hold back the drowsiness that came over me while I was washing.
¡®It waste, though.¡¯
It would have been better for White to take a shower and go to sleep, but she didn¡¯t want to wake up her child who was already fast asleep.
I covered her with a nket andy down next to her. The bed was wide and the space was spacious.
She turned her body and looked at White¡¯s sleeping face. I still couldn¡¯t believe that such a lovely person was my woman.
After running her fingers through White¡¯s white hair for a moment, she kissed her forehead.
I immediately closed my eyes, and soon I was fast asleep.
* * *
The chirping of birds announced the morning.
After waking up, White raised her upper body and looked nkly in front of her. Bright sunlight was breaking through the curtains and illuminating the room.
As I turned my head to the side, I saw my fianc¨¦ sleeping peacefully next to me.
There was silence for a while.
¡°aaah...¡± .¡±
White covered her face and let out a low, desperate scream.
Her body became drowsy and she only closed her eyes a little....
¡®Why is it morning? !¡¯
White cried.
I resented this needless refreshment.
Chapter 363: Side Story – Reunion (1)
¡°... ....¡±
¡°... ....¡±
Because it was a holiday, I decided to have breakfast with White.
Although there was amodation for White, no separate meals were provided. The reason White attended the academy was to foster her independence. The only thing White can enjoy as a royal is safety and a ce to sleep.
So she came to the restaurant in the Academy Mall apanied by Merlin, but White had been keeping her mouth shut ever since.
¡®It¡¯s awkward to talk to...¡¯ .¡¯
I understand White¡¯s feelings.
She revealed what she had in mindst night. In the meantime, she fell asleep without realizing it.
It would be very shameful.
So she couldn¡¯t help but be distraught.
Merlin, standing solemnly against the wall, seemed to understand our silence. Reading her psychology, she thought it was an aftereffect of a hot night.
If you had any sense, you would have realized right away that that wasn¡¯t the case.... Unfortunately for her, Merlyn didn¡¯t have the experience to do that.
¡°... ¡°Senior Isaac.¡±
¡°Uh, White.¡±
White finally opened her mouth.
She immediately responded warmly.
¡°Why is the morning so bright?¡±
White muttered while looking nkly at the sunlight outside her window.
Why such a question... ?
¡°And why is the night dark?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
Why was the question unusual?
There was no way White didn¡¯t know such basic knowledge.
¡®Is this a philosophical question?¡¯
It seems that because White spent her first night with me feeling refreshed by her sleep, she began to think deeply about things she usually took for granted.
¡°Why are you suddenly asking that?¡±
¡°Just... ¡°I suddenly remembered this.¡±
White lowered her eyes. Looks depressed. Looking at her slightly moist eyes, she seemed to be ming herself severely.
Even her appearance was so cute that the corners of my mouth naturally went up.
¡®Is it that unfortunate?¡¯
Last night wasn¡¯t the only day.
Of course, she knew that White had high expectations for his first night with me.
How can I not know that she has been s*xually curious about me, her senior, since first grade. She had no choice but to know because it was obvious without her having to use [Psychological Insight].
So, even though I was engaged, it was understandable that I was very thirsty because I couldn¡¯t satisfy my s*xual desires.
The same goes for me. It may be a perverted thought, but there were many times when she had the urge to lick White¡¯s smooth armpits until he cried.
¡°Have you eaten everything?¡±
I got up from my seat.
¡°Yes? ¡°Have you finished eating already?¡±
White followed suit and stood up.
¡°I¡¯m not trying to go away.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
White went to the seat next to her and gently pushed her shoulder down. White obediently sat back down in her chair with an iprehensible look on her face.
I sat down next to White and folded my hands over hers. She was startled and automatically straightened her back, her face turning red.
She leaned her head on White¡¯s shoulder.
Anyway, we were the only customers at the restaurant. There was nothing to worry about.
Let¡¯s do what White wants after she gets her feelings back. After that, I also nned to give her her love as I wanted.
Last night has already passed, so I have no choice but to let go of my regrets.
For now, let¡¯s soothe him with affection.
¡°Ah, ah, Senior Isaac...¡± ? Joe, are you sleepy... ? Oh, oh, it¡¯s a public ce, this... ?¡±
White¡¯s voice trembled as if there had been an earthquake, but I didn¡¯t care.
¡°What are you doing holding my hand? ¡°There are no other customers anyway, and no one can touch us.¡±
Even if there are people, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll think of touching us.
¡°Oh.¡±
She said, staring at White¡¯s thin neck and her body trembled. Because the warm breath that flowed from her mouth tickled the back of her neck.
This was not specifically intended. You react sensitively.
¡°Then...¡± .¡±
White tried to put on a solemn face.
¡°Just a little bit, let¡¯s do this... !¡±
¡°Then.¡±
White also seemed to like it.
¡°Huh... ?¡±
With a grin, he wrapped his arms around White¡¯s waist and pressed thempletely against each other. She became even stiffer.
White¡¯s fingertips touched her folded hands. I first grabbed her hands and held them together.
White lowered her head with blushing cheeks and pursed her lips as she tried to suppress herughter.
Seeing that look on his face made her feel proud.
I spent some time like that for a while.
......
I arrived at the reunion meeting ce at a time when the sky was dyed ultramarine blue.
Familiar faces were seen in a ce decorated with its own emotional sensibility. These were faces I had seen for a long time, starting from To now.
¡°Isaac!¡±
It was Amy Holloway who greeted me first, waving her arms.
Our main character, Ian, is Fairy Tail¡¯s fiancee and the first heroine of .
Amy, dressed in a beautiful dress, was smiling brightly while holding a bottle of alcohol. Her bunny ribbon headband was still the same.
Following her greeting, other ssmates also looked at me.
¡°You¡¯re here, Isaac!¡±
¡°Wee!¡±
Ian Fairy Tail and Mateo Jordana greeted warmly. They gained more muscle than when they were at the academy, and they looked sharper. Should I say that I have matured in just one year?
Besides, Ciel Carnedas, a woman with wavy blue short hair, was quietly eating snacks. She just shook her hand lightly. Seeing that he didn¡¯t have the pillow I gave him, it seemed like he had graduated from that pillow.
I also said hello to the rest of my ssmates. Mateo¡¯s gang who once made me feel a sense of belonging and nned to kidnap Amy, the curious Lisetta Lionheart, the former student council president Keridna Whitecloak.... In addition, there are many other familiar motives.
There were many happy faces.
First, I approached Ian and his group.
¡°What about Lucena Kaya?¡±
¡°Luce couldn¡¯te because she was busy, and Kaya said she would have to see the situation to find out, but she probably won¡¯t be able toe. But you guys, things have changed a bit?¡±
¡°I gained a lot of muscle. ¡°At the academy, I trained mainly in magic, and after graduation, I trained mainly in swordsmanship.¡±
Ian replied, showing off her arm muscles. Her confidence has grown.
By the way, she is much closer to the appearance of Ian seen at the ending of . She also enjoyed watching him grow up. She¡¯s the same with the others.
¡°On the other hand, you remain the same?¡±
¡°Because I¡¯m in a state of fire. Ah, thank you.¡±
I took the ss that Amy handed me and took a sip.
From Noble mtl dot
I was satisfied with the appropriate astringency. I¡¯ve tried many high-end drinks in D¨¹fendorf, but this moderately cheap one suited my taste well.
¡°Wow, you say such amazing things so casually. He is a wizard at the top of humanity! ¡°Then you¡¯ll just live like that?¡±
¡°I think I will live with a slightly older face in the future. ¡°If you get tired of it, you can change your face again.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Ian has doubts as he answers calmly.
The rest of the kids didn¡¯t seem to understand my answer either.
¡°Wait a minute. ¡°Can you control aging?¡±
Ciel narrowed her eyes and asked, causing her to nod.
¡°To be precise, it¡¯s up to you. You could be younger. ¡°You could be a grandfather right now.¡±
Unlike other people who have been blessed with immortality, I was able to look old or turn old at will.
I think it might be a fantastic synergy effect between immortality and godhood. I don¡¯t know what the exact effect of Godhead is, but it allows me to do all sorts of unusual things.
As time passes, I n to develop a more mature appearance. It would be nice if it was at least at the level of a brain emperor. It¡¯s personal preference.
Everyone looked at me with disbelief. It was something that no one but me could imagine, so it was a natural reaction.
The reason for revealing this ability was not a big deal. I don¡¯t want these kids to be confused when I see them againter.
¡°How is that possible...¡± ?¡±
Mateo¡¯s voice trembled.
¡°I don¡¯t know either. ¡°How did this happen?¡±
I am sincere.
He is only a half-deity, not up to the level of deity he had when he fought with the King, but he can perform various miracles.
¡°Show me.¡±
¡°Okay, whatever.¡±
At Ciel¡¯s request, she swept her hand down her face. It¡¯s a kind of performance. In the first ce, the process of changing the face could seem grotesque at first nce, so it was intentionally covered up briefly.
The children¡¯s surprised faces were etched in their eyes. Now I would have a mature appearance. Because my face changed to that of when I was in my 30s.
Sigh. He swept his face with his hand and returned it to its original appearance.
p p. Amy pped her hands with an admiring look on her face.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it....¡±
Ciel, who always had a monotonous expression, suddenly had his eyes widened.
I smiled brightly as the atmosphere became mysterious.
¡°Anyway, this is what it feels like.¡±
¡°My friend has transcended the human realm... !¡±
Amy shouted with a face full of curiosity, then approached me and quietly whispered.
¡°Then, our Grand Wizard, can you possibly be younger?¡±
¡°When you get younger, your clothes be disheveled. That¡¯s a bit....¡±
¡°It¡¯s unfortunate.... ¡°I think it would be cute.¡±
Amy expressed her regret and returned to her seat next to Ian.
Iughed and sat down at the same table as them.
After that, I had many chats with them. As I gradually became more intoxicated, the atmosphere became warmer.
¡®Anyway... ¡®Why are they here?¡¯
Suddenly, I sensed and recognized magical power.
There were two cats on the roof of a three-story building nearby.
One was E, a white cat believed to have flown in with starlight magic.
The other cat was Cheshire, a fat purple cat who is believed to have climbed through the gate created near the academy.
They seemed to be having a secret conversation. Cheshire smiled and set the task, and E showed her usual mood as she bounced around.
¡®Were they sent to watch over me?¡¯
Dorothy and Alice.
Are those two feeling anxious because I sent them to the reunion alone? Are you afraid that another woman will make fun of me?
@@novelbin@@
Even so, Dorothy was surprised by Alice. Although I asionally let my voice into her head and let her know what she¡¯s up to, she never thought she¡¯d send Cheshire....
I would have guessed that I could sense E and Cheshire¡¯s magic anyway, so sending those two might have been an indirect message to say, ¡®Don¡¯t do anything weird.¡¯
¡®It¡¯s kind of cute when you think that way.¡¯
I don¡¯t touch anyone other than the woman I love. There was nothing for them to worry about.
Ah. Now that I think about it, wouldn¡¯t Luce havee forward to join Dorothy and Alice? Maybe there was a means of monitoring Luce nearby.
But because that guy was so darkly and meticulously detailed, unlike Dorothy and Alice, he must have prepared a means to avoid my magical power detection ability.
¡®... Let¡¯s ignore it for now.¡¯
I just want to enjoy the reunion and leave. I decided not to take it seriously.
I thought about using that as an excuse to tease him by ying dirty tricks on himter, so I got excited.
¡®Nothing will happen anyway.¡¯
Could something happen here?
There was nothing to worry about.
Chapter 364: Side Story – Reunion (2)
¡°But what about Tristan?¡±
While drinking, I asked Amy, the reunion organizer. She was timing her timing on when to ask.
Tristan Humphrey, a vain blonde nobleman. I was curious because he was the one I was particrly worried about among my ssmates.
He was the first student at Marchen Academy I fought with after I became Isaac, and he was also the one who boasted that he would catch up with me.
Amy, who was shaking her head due to her drunkenness, reacted fussily, ¡°Oh, that guy!?¡±
Next to her, Ian had already passed out on her table due to her drunkenness.
¡°Humphrey? He doesn¡¯t know.... What did you say you were training for? ?¡±
¡°As for Tristan, I didn¡¯te here to train. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s gaining a reputation among mercenaries these days.¡±
Mateo, who was still not drunk, answered instead.
¡°Mercenary?¡±
Is this interesting?
Tristan was only a third-rate viin in , So his face was not shown in the ending.
I thought he would be recognized as the next head of the Humphrey family and lead the family. The mercenary didn¡¯t expect that.
¡°You are a graduate of Marchen Academy, and you have skills. ¡°He seems like he¡¯s worth a lot of money.¡±
¡°How did you know that? ¡°You weren¡¯t close with Tristan, were you?¡±
¡°Just. ¡°I¡¯m interested in that field.¡±
Mateo slightly raised the corners of his mouth and looked down at his drink.
Well, this guyter became famous as a mercenary. I remember seeing it at the ending of .
¡°I live fiercely....¡±
¡°That goes for you too. ¡°I¡¯m doing my job for the country.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that intense.¡±
There was no enemy for me in this world. It¡¯s just an objective power story.
Under the premise of letting go of emotions, it was obvious that even if I were to fight against all of humanity, I would win.
The political games that inevitably took ce within the imperial pce did not have much meaning in front of me, who possessed [Psychological insight] And power.
So, I was leading a life that was far from fierce.
When things get hard at work, all you have to do is bury your face in Dorothy¡¯s chest. Does it feel like the genre of your life has changed to something healing?
¡°Hey. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡±
Ciel, who was taking a small sip of her drink, looked at me and asked. She was right next to me.
She put her arms on the table, rested her chin, and stared at me with half-open eyes, just like her movements.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°First of all, if you¡¯re rude, promise me you won¡¯t get angry.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not so bad-tempered as to swear like that. ¡°Just say itfortably, idiot.¡±
¡°Bah, well...¡± ?¡±
¡°You fool.¡±
¡°...... !¡±
Iughed and teased him.
I had nothing to hesitate about now. Like during the end-of-semester evaluation in the first semester of the first year, I was in a position where I didn¡¯t have to humiliate Ciel by writing a three-line poem with ¡®You fool¡¯.
When this situation happened, I felt like I had seeded.
Ciel¡¯s head trembled.
¡°It¡¯s leading to bloodshed...¡± .¡±
They just say things like that. In reality, Ciel has never caused bloodshed.
It was like a habit.
¡°So, what is the question?¡±
Ciel let out a huffing sound under her breath, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered softly into my ear.
¡°The people who will be your wives.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Who do you like best among them?¡±
¡°...... ?¡±
Why are you curious about that? ?
It wasn¡¯t even a joke. There was even curiosity in Ciel¡¯s eyes.
As if he heard the whisper, Mateo also secretly showed interest. Of course he knows who my five fiancees are.
¡°Is it difficult to answer?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
Ciel fell away from me with a sad expression on her face.
¡°If it¡¯s difficult to answer, can¡¯t you at least tell me who you liked best when you attended the academy? At least who your first love was, or something like that.¡±
¡°That sounds fun. It¡¯s Isaac¡¯s first love. ¡°Who are you among those five?¡±
Mateo helped.
Definitely. There is nothing more fun than talking about love at her drinking party.
I don¡¯t n on telling you honestly who my fiancee liked first, but I¡¯d like to get in the mood.
¡°That¡¯s....¡±
¡°hehehehe. ¡°If I¡¯m Isaac¡¯s first love, isn¡¯t it actually me?¡±
¡°... What?¡±
Amy, who was shaking her head due to her drunkenness, suddenly dered, and there was silence for a moment.
Before I knew it, Amy was crossing her arms on the table, looking at me, and smiling brightly like a sunflower.
Everyone at her table, including me, looked at Amy.
¡°Isaac, you asked me out in first grade, right? He made a very funnyment asking if he could be kidnapped....¡±
No, wait a minute?
It was a story about the time when I was part of Mateo¡¯s gang and kidnapped Amy.
It seems like they are trying to use it as a fun snack since it is all in the past.
But the timing was bad.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Interesting....¡±
Mateo asked in surprise, and Ciel responded by stroking her chin.
¡°Amy, wait...¡± !¡±
¡°What should I do? ¡°Didn¡¯t you go through the pain of heartbreak because of me?¡±
Crazy.
What if I say that here... ?
She urgently adjusted her magic power and activated [irvoyance] To look at E and Cheshire.
They were listening towards me with a sensory enhancement spell cast on their hearing.
I heard it as expected.
¡°Hey, you have a boyfriend too, so let¡¯s talk about that...¡± .¡±
¡°Ian has already passed out, and aren¡¯t your wives here anyway? Why? ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡±
From Noble mtl dot
Amy waved her hand, smiled, and talked without notice. Suddenly she started to sweat.
Really, when I thought about it, it was difficult to firmly deny it because I could see that my first date was Amy.
¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this. It doesn¡¯t seem like it was strictly her request for a date. It was simr, but... !¡±
¡°Hey, are you a friend? Is it okay to be honest that we both decided to marry different people anyway? I understand everything? Yes, I understand! ¡°I must be pretty!¡±
Please shut up... !
* * *
When the reunion started.
E, a white cat familiar, arrived at Marchen Academy following Dorothy¡¯s instructions. Thanks to the fact that she flew with starlight magic, she was able to reach it quickly.
[Faith is important in love.... If you feel anxious because you sent Isaac alone, how will you live from now on? .]
On the roof of the building. E clicked her tongue and watched her Isaac quietly.
He came to watch over Isaac under orders from his owner, Dorothy. Dorothy had sent E because she thought she was too conspicuous. He seemed overly self-conscious, but in some ways it was true.
Anyway, Isaac would notice that E was here. In other words, E¡¯s presence was Dorothy¡¯s cute warning to Isaac, ¡®Don¡¯t do anything foolish.¡¯
[Haam.... Why did you make me do this.... If this continues, I¡¯ll have to take care of my childrenter....]
That was when E yawned and grumbled.
[Nioong~.]
@@novelbin@@
[!]
The dull crying sound created a strong sense of tension in the cat¡¯s rxed senses.
E whipped her head behind her where she heard her crying.
As expected.
Cheshire, a fat cat with a small fedora on his head, was approaching him.
[Nioong, Nyong, Nyong~.]
Dum chit dum chit, Cheshire approaches, shaking his back to the rhythm.
Her steps were overflowing with confidence, as if revealing to the world that she was attractive.
What¡¯s more, it¡¯s so fun that you¡¯re even humming a sweet song.
All of that was her act of courtship toward E.
[What is that voice....]
E showed disgust on her face.
Cheshire, who understood those words to mean admiration, let out a livelyugh.
[Long time no see, E! You can see it all here!]
[Ugh....]
[Is this fate!?]
[It must be a curse.]
Cheshire stood next to E.
E opened her eyes and responded bluntly.
[Did Alice send you this?]
[Of course! She entrusted me with an important mission to look after her husband? How trustworthy is this Cheshire that she would take on such a mission?]
[I probably sent it to you because you are useless there.]
[As expected, E¡¯s cold tone of voice is attractive!]
Frown. Cheshire winks.
[Sigh.]
There was no way I couldmunicate with this bastard.
E sighed and turned her head back towards Isaac.
Cheshire sat on the roof like E. He was more focused on capturing E¡¯s beautiful profile in her eyes than on the mission given to him by Alice. But E didn¡¯t pay Cheshire any attention.
[E. You are still pretty.]
[You are still ugly.]
[No star in the night sky is as pretty as you. I¡¯m happy to be able to hold you in my eyes!]
[If you don¡¯t want to check the existence of the afterlife with those two eyes, it would be better to keep your mouth shut.]
[That arrogance! You have the perfect qualities to be the wife of this charming Cheshire!]
[I would rather die.]
The two cats were engaged in a fierce battle.
[...] Wait for a sec.]
E sensed the strange conversation from Isaac¡¯s side and focused on it, strengthening her hearing with her magic.
[...] ....]
It was the same in Cheshire.
[Did you just hear that?]
[I heard you, E.]
A woman I had never heard of imed that she was ¡®Isaac¡¯s first love.¡¯
I thought it was nonsense, but the following statement surprised the two cats.
[Isaac asks for a date... ?]
[The pain of broken heart... ? Isaac... ?]
The two cats¡¯ eyes widened.
[First grade was when you and Dorothy were at their best?]
[This is a fact that Alice didn¡¯t know... ?]
That white short-haired woman with a ck rabbit ear ribbon.
While her lover was unconscious, in her drunken state she was doing the fox thing to Isaac, wagging her tail.
Isn¡¯t this a sign of infidelity...? !
It didn¡¯t matter whether she did it consciously or unconsciously. She said this was a big deal for her.
Pabbat! E and Cheshire looked at each other and quickly dispersed.
E usedmunication magic.
[Dorothy, fly to Marchen Academy right away! Full speed ahead! It¡¯s important!]
Meanwhile, Cheshire arrived near the other world gate created in Josena Forest. It was a gate leading to a strange country, or ¡®Wondend¡¯.
After that, she immediately usedmunication magic.
[Alice, now is not the time for you to work! A woman appears iming to be Isaac¡¯s first love! He also went on her first date! Isaac didn¡¯t deny it either!]
On the other hand, inside the D¨¹fendorf Empire.
¡°Ugh... ? First love... ?¡±
Dorothy, who received E¡¯smunication magic, could not hide her embarrassment.
So did she and Isaac¡¯s lover in the other room.
[Shock! The situation we were worried about urred! Isaac¡¯s past that even the owner didn¡¯t know, the truth!?]
Inside theb.
Belo, a small killer whale familiar, was swimming in the air and shaking. It was because of the story that Luce had heard through the watchman she had secretly attached to Isaac.
¡°... ....¡±
Luce, who was next to Bello, couldn¡¯t say anything.
She stopped what she was doing and stood still. With a cold shadow cast over her face.
Tsuzu! Soon, a purple lightning shed outside her window and the Thunder God Joe was summoned.
[Master, sortie! Keep the enemy in check!]
Bello shouted excitedly.
On the other hand.
A few hours ago, the Duke of Astrean.
Kaya packed lightly, dressed appropriately and pretty, and left her mansion.
¡°Miss Kaya, I hope you have a great vacation for all your hard work.¡±
¡°Yes, I wille back!¡±
Isaac sent me a letter the other day asking if he coulde to the reunion.
She wrote back that she would most likely not be able to make it because of training, but she somehow managed to make time. She devoted herself to training tirelessly and achieved her goal early.
¡®Isaac, I¡¯ming...¡¯ !¡¯
Just thinking about Isaac brought heat to her face. Kaya covered her flushed cheeks with both hands and smiled happily.
She flew through the sky, engulfed in her wind magic.
There would be no Isaac¡¯s other fianc¨¦e at the current reunion. In other words, now would be an opportunity to have Isaac all to himself.
I can¡¯t believe I can spend time alone with Isaac, bypassing other fiancees.
Kaya quickly decided to fly away.
Chapter 365: Side Story – Reunion (3)
It¡¯s cold.
The cat familiars E and Cheshire disappeared, and a powerful magical power began to be felt from the direction of D¨¹fendorf.
Something was about to happen at an unbelievable speed.
¡°So... , Isaac¡¯s first love is me....¡±
¡°Amy, stop.¡±
He tapped the table and stood up.
¡°Stop talking about that.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Putting her index finger to her lips, she held out her upper body to Amy and spoke urgently.
My ssmates at the same table looked puzzled by my sudden reaction.
I ignored it and turned her head.
¡®Crazy, already...¡¯ ?¡¯
Suddenly, a dazzling and colorful meteor shower appeared and spread across the sky, a beautiful phenomenon.
Also, from a distance, the legendary Demon Beast, Thunder God, engulfed in purple lightning, was seen approaching at incredible speed.
¡®What is the ability to act?¡¯
Horrifying magic power that tingles the skin simultaneously spreads widely. Many people were probably witnessing that powerful magical phenomenon taking ce in the sky.
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°Meteorite... ?¡±
I could hear my ssmates whispering.
Cold sweat ran down my cheeks.
My wives areing.
Wheewooung!
A meteor shower crossing the starry sky suddenly changed its orbit and headed toward the ground, significantly slowing down its fall.
The colorful starlight magic that enveloped the meteor shower spread out in all directions. In the center of it all, a beautiful woman with light purple hairnded softly nearby, holding the witch¡¯s hat on her head.
Dorothy Hartnova.
Her starry eyes glowed a mysterious color under the brim of the witch¡¯s hat.
Kwakwang!!
Almost simultaneously.
A ck grouse passed in the sky, leaving behind an afterimage of lightning, and a purple thunderbolt struck Dorothy.
The ce where lightning struck.
A woman fluttered her rose gold colored hair and spread her brain energy. She red at me with her cold aquamarine eyes.
Luce Eltania.
Her cold face showed a grim expression of life.
¡®... ¡®It¡¯s gone.¡¯
It was already toote.
The ssmates were surprised by the appearance of Dorothy and Luce, legends of Marchen Academy, and began to whisper. But I couldn¡¯t pay attention to their voices.
¡°Chairman....¡±
From Noble mtl dot
Dorothy looked at me with one meaningful eye of hers.
¡°... ....¡±
Luce was giving a look in her eyes that wouldn¡¯t bother her even if she were chewing on someone right now.
It would have been better if those eyes were directed at me.
The other person happened to be Amy.
¡°Wow, they are Isaac¡¯s wives...¡± .¡±
Amy, this bastard was so drunk that he seemed to have caught her eye.
¡°I overlooked it.¡±
Luce said.
¡°Even Isaac can attract as many pests as he wants.¡±
No matter how bad it is, calling it a pest is an understatement... ?
¡°Luce, I think there was a misunderstanding....¡±
I couldn¡¯t figure out what misunderstanding my wives had.
I smiled kindly as usual and approached Dorothy and Luce.
¡°Isaac.¡±
As Luce approached me as if I had been waiting and narrowed the distance, I stopped.
Luce is soon standing right in front of me and looking up at me. Her face was as elegant as ever.
Luce spoke firmly.
¡°Kiss me.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Suddenly?
¡°Here... ?¡±
Kiss in a ce like this with so many people?
¡°Prove your innocence by kissing me.¡±
Why is it so solemn?
Anyway, Luce seemed to havee up with a way to proudly show that ¡®Isaac is my man¡¯ in her own way.
¡®Do you think it would be difficult to kiss in front of your first love? .¡¯
I read and understood Luce¡¯s psychology.
Why on earth do wee to that conclusion? What happened to the ident circuit?
Even if Amy was really my first love, Luce didn¡¯t seem to mind. She was determined to show off her affection for me so that Amy wouldn¡¯t crawl any further.
[Raid the scene of my master, Isaac¡¯s affair!]
Suddenly, a small killer whale familiar, Bello, jumped out from behind Luce.
Bello raised her fin and shouted excitedly.
[Right now! The brave killer whale detective, Bello, appears! Evidence of Isaac¡¯s affair has also been secured... !]
Bah!
[Quaeng!]
¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡±
[Bello, shock! Oppose violence! Oppose violence!]
After eating Luce¡¯s honey chestnuts, Bello violently protested by circling her in the air.
¡®It¡¯s going to spin.¡¯
My ssmates gave me interesting looks.
Especially Ciel Carnedas, this guy¡¯s eyes were shining so dazzlingly.
¡®What is this again?¡¯
I felt bewilderment in Ciel¡¯s sparkling eyes. Why is he so needlessly interested in my love life?
¡°They say it¡¯s an affair! Isaac, are you having an affair with me?¡±
Amy made a short sound with her tongue andughed, unable to understand what was happening.
Meanwhile, Ian was unconscious.
¡®Wake up, Ian!¡¯
@@novelbin@@
Take care of your girlfriend!
I can¡¯t do it. Better get out of here quickly....
¡°Chairman.¡±
Next, a voice with refined cheerfulness was heard.
The owner of the voice turned her head towards Dorothy.
Dorothy nced at Amy with her wide open eyes, and then she came closer to me like Luce.
¡°Senior?¡±
Dorothy covered her mouth with her hand shade and whispered in my ear.
¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and talk somewhere else.¡±
I felt like apuding my very understanding goddess.
¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get out of here and talk....¡±
¡°But really.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Dorothy narrowed her eyes and gave him a questioning look.
¡°Is that girl your first love? ¡°Not this sister?¡±
¡°... ....¡±
¡°My sister... ¡°You were the first.¡±
If that were true, I would be very disappointed... Dorothy gave me a faint look.
¡®That can¡¯t be.... Of course not.¡¯
Amy?
She was just a girl I felt affection for because she was the heroine of .
From the beginning, the status of my beloved Dorothy and Luce has not changed.
¡°There seems to be some misunderstanding, so let¡¯s talk about it somewhere else. Dorothy also ignored E when she said something strange. Exin everything....¡±
At that time.
I began to feel a familiar magical power from behind. The person Cheshire had called must havee.
Unlike Dorothy or Luce, she was not openly disying her magic, so the detection of her magic was dyed.
¡°Aren¡¯t you Alice?¡±
¡°Student President?¡±
¡°This is Alice senior....¡±
I can hear my ssmates whispering.
Me, Dorothy, and Luce all turned our heads behind me.
A beautiful woman was approaching me, her long, silky feetpping.
My other soon-to-be wife, whom I haven¡¯t seen in a long time.
One of the strongest people at Marchen Academy who was on the same level as Dorothy.
Alice Carroll.
She came closer to me with a rxed smile on her face.
Page.
¡°!¡±
Suddenly.
She cupped my cheeks with both hands, lifted her heels, and kissed my lips.
Jjook.
Chureup.
Alice¡¯s tongue darted between my lips. When she was caught off guard, her tongues mixed together, and their warm saliva mixed with each other.
I was embarrassed and took a step back, but Alice took a step closer and gave me a deep kiss.
It was a bold kiss that seemed to be intentionally shown to the people around him.
¡°Now, wait a minute...¡± ! Alice, yummy!¡±
Dorothy was embarrassed and tried to stop Alice.
One after another, the shocked faces of my ssmates appeared in my field of vision. Their exmations and sighs reached my ears all at once.
I also felt like I was living close by. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a battle broke out right away.
It all happened in a very short period of time.
Time to get rid of Alice.
Jjueup.
As if deceptively.
Finally, after a sticky kiss where our lipspletely met and then slowly fell apart, Alice took her lips away from mine.
¡°Alice....¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a while, honey?¡±
Alice looked into my eyes and had a naughty smile on her face.
¡°I havee.¡±
Alice¡¯s beautiful face as always filled my field of vision.
* * *
¡°heheheheung~.¡±
Kaya Astre Ang, a woman with light green hair flying in the wind, hummed her song repeatedly.
This was because she was filled with anticipation at the thought of meeting her husband, her Isaac.
I¡¯m sure by now, if I go to Marchen Academy where the reunion is being held, I¡¯ll be able to have my husband all to myself.
With powerful people like Dorothy and Alice and a murderous motive like Luce, it was bound to be difficult to have Isaac all to themselves.
So, we couldn¡¯t miss this golden opportunity.
¡®For today, Isaac is mine and only mine...¡¯ !¡¯
I had dreamed of it for so long.
Kaya, she will be able to have her own Isaac.
¡°Isaac, I can finally see you...¡± . Uh?¡±
As she neared her reunion site, Kaya stopped her flight on the spot.
Her eyes widened.
Alice, the wife who should be in the Heart Kingdom... She was kissing Isaac.
Even next to them were Dorothy, who was yelling something, and Luce, who was spouting murder.
¡°Why...¡± ?¡±
Why....
¡®There are those people...¡¯ ?¡¯
A shadow fell on Kaya¡¯s face.
I let my guard down.
I was mistaken in thinking that I would be able to get rid of those shady women and have Isaac all to myself.
From Noble mtl dot
¡®Why... !¡¯
¡°Off... !¡±
As her inted expectations burst and subsided like a balloon pricked by a needle, Kaya let out a sob that was close to crying.
Kaya hides in a corner of her own mind as if she is running away.
Sigh. Her body suddenly lost strength and her upper body bowed down.
For a moment, Kaya¡¯s body almost lost her consciousness, but her evil personality came out and saved her consciousness.
¡°Whoa...¡± . What are you doing?¡±
In her evil form, Kaya looked down at her body dissatisfied with her red eyes.
Suddenly, the original Kaya hid deep inside her and curled up, which was just embarrassing for her.
¡°After all, we are all Isaac¡¯s wives. All equal. And didn¡¯t you gain confidence while training these days?¡±
[I don¡¯t think so....]
Kaya, hidden in her heart, let out a voice ofck of confidence in her evil mind.
Aksik scratched her head and thenughed. She spoke to her inner Kaya as if she were caring for her baby.
¡°Wow. She¡¯s lost herself, isn¡¯t she? ¡°I was hoping that I could have Isaac all to himself today.¡±
[Help....]
¡°Yes, yes, that is how it should be. Listen carefully. ¡°Today, Isaac, we take over.¡±
Aksik grinned and licked her lips. Her blood-red eyes sparkled vividly in the moonlight of the night sky.
Gathering magical power.
Booooong!!
The evil spirit flew towards where Isaac, Dorothy, Luce, and Alice were.
Chapter 367: Side Story – Reunion (5)
¡°First love... you say? My... first love...¡±
I trailed off with a benevolent smile.
Even I, proud of my acting talent, struggled to stem the cold sweat trickling down my spine.
¡®It seems I have to tell them...¡¯
Dorothy, Luce, and Alice had rushed over, no, flown over as soon as they heard about my first love issue.
A topic I had hoped to keep hidden forever had inevitably surfaced.
Thus, the question ¡®Who indeed was Isaac¡¯s first love?¡¯ sharply took its ce in their consciousness.
Above all, the answer to this question was of a higher order than ¡®Was Amy Holloway truly Isaac¡¯s first love?¡¯. Their reaction was understandably convincing.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite curious. Depending on who your first love was, it might even affect the pecking order among these kids, right?¡±
Alice spoke in a gentle, natural tone, stirring the emotions of Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya.
¡®Alice, you rascal...!¡¯
Pouring oil on the fire, indeed...!
Alice herself was confident she wasn¡¯t my first love and seemed to be leisurely enjoying the situation.
She must have known how emotionally difficult this was for me... It was quite malicious.
¡°Mr. President? You don¡¯t have to answer...! This sister here doesn¡¯t really need to hear it, okay? Of course, I¡¯m curious, but it doesn¡¯t matter if you say I was your first love, right?¡±
¡°Isaac, please answer. Then I¡¯ll forget everything Amy Holloway said.¡±
¡°Mr. Isaac...?¡±
The hopeful gazes of Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya weighed heavily upon me.
It was a testament to their love for me, which was gratifying, but the pressure was undeniable.
No matter who I named as my first love, they would all be unable to hide their disappointment. It was like putting a dent in a marriage that hadn¡¯t even started yet.
Is this the weight one must bear when wearing the crown of a harem?
...No.
¡°...It won¡¯t do.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°I guess this won¡¯t work after all.¡±
If they were going to push me this far, I had no choice but to resist.
Especially Alice, I didn¡¯t want to y into that guy¡¯s tricks.
Unknowingly, a chill seeped into my sigh, and the atmosphere dipped.
Everyone swallowed their breaths. Kaya released our interlocked hands and sped hers together politely.
Were they all watching me?
I wasn¡¯t angry, but... they all seemed toopliant.
¡°There are things I don¡¯t want to answer too.¡±
I said as gently as I could, with a calm smile.
¡°You¡¯re all going to be my wives, aren¡¯t you? So I think we shouldn¡¯t bring up this topic.¡±
¡°......¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t that a bit harsh?¡±
Silence lingered for a moment.
Dorothy touched her witch hat andughed awkwardly.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Nyahahaha...! Really, you don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want this kind of mood, you know...?¡±
¡°Me too. I think I was a bit harsh. Sorry.¡±
Alice apologized cheerfully.
¡°...Yeah. I think I was a bit too cold.¡±
Lucy shrugged one shoulder, closed her eyes, and sighed.
¡°I havemitted a sin. I¡¯m sorry, Isaac.¡±
¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to get an apology... I usually prefer meeting you all over a ss reunion...¡±
¡°Ah, is that so? Good for you?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
As if she knew this would happen.
As if she had been waiting, Kaya hugged my arm.
¡°So, Isaac, may I ask for forgiveness?¡±
¡°Forgiveness?¡±
¡°Yes, with this insignificant body of mine...¡±
Kaya¡¯s soft yet sinister voice crept up stealthily, secretly shaking my eardrums.
What was the flow... It was hard to understand.
Had Kaya intended to steer the mood this way from the start?
¡°Why are you bringing that up now?¡±
Dorothy narrowed her eyes in disbelief and asked.
Suddenly, Kaya¡¯s expression turned cold. She red sharply at Dorothy.
¡°Senior Dorothy. Did you do it with Isaac while I was away?¡±
¡°What...? Do, did it? What does that even mean...!?¡±
Startled, Dorothy quickly avoided Kaya¡¯s gaze.
Typical Dorothy. Her attempt at ying dumb was terribly unconvincing.
¡°Lucy Eltania, you too.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
At Lucy¡¯s curt reply, Dorothy was momentarily stunned, then eximed, ¡°Yes!?¡±
She seemed quite shocked.
Hadn¡¯t she guessedst time that Lucy and I had a physical rtionship?
¡°So, it was true after all...¡±
Dorothy murmured to herself in a low voice.
Apparently, she had trouble believing what she had suspected.
¡°So, our vow of premarital purity was meaningless after all?¡±
¡°How naive. That¡¯s why you were always second best.¡±
Lucy, Lucy...!
That¡¯s a taboo...!
¡°Ah?¡±
Kaya let out a smallugh.
Unexpectedly, her reaction wasn¡¯t intense.
¡°Is that so? Always the runner-up... Hearing such words from you brings back memories.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°The person who couldn¡¯t even remember me, now you can at least recall who I was. You¡¯ve learned how to intentionally scratch my nerves?¡±
Somehow, Kaya didn¡¯t seem too upset.
¡°Does that mean I¡¯ve be someone you care about to that extent?¡±
¡°...Positive thinking. Think what you will.¡±
¡°Heh.¡±
Luce was at a loss for words.
¡°By the way, Isaac...!¡±
Kaya turned her head towards me, puffed up her cheeks, and sulked. The ends of her eyebrows raised. She had a pouty face.
¡°You¡¯ve been working hard, haven¡¯t you? In my absence...¡±
¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words...¡±
¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It was my fault for leaving my spot. It was bound to happen anyway.¡±
From noble mtl dote
Whether it was an act or not, Kaya¡¯s lips soon curved into a smile.
¡°And you don¡¯t have to reveal who Isaac¡¯s first love was. It¡¯s meaningless, such things.¡±
¡°?¡±
For some reason, Kaya wore a smile unique to a victor.
Suddenly, a psychology I hadn¡¯t been aware of tread upon my mind.
Kaya, this girl.
Why is she so sure she was my first love...?
Perhaps because of that, even though I had shared a deep love with Dorothy and Luce first, it felt like it ended with just a slight regret.
¡°Now, those of you who broke the promise, how about giving up your seats for today?¡±
Kaya leaned her head against me and spoke firmly to Dorothy and Luce.
¡°Today, I¡¯m going to monopolize Isaac.¡±
Kaya¡¯s unteral deration continued.
¡°Monopolize!? All of a sudden?¡±
¡°......¡±
Dorothy reacted violently, and Luce sent a cold nce.
¡°It¡¯s okay for today, right, Isaac?¡±
I had intended to lead the mood until just a moment ago...
Somehow, I felt like the flow of the conversation was going exactly as Kaya, the monopolist, had aimed.
I didn¡¯t particrly dislike it, so I didn¡¯t think to say anything.
¡°Well, if everyone agrees.¡±
After all, Dorothy and Luce could return to D¨¹pendorf at any moment.
From the start, neither of them had any connection to this reunion, nor the intention to attend.
They had rushed here, harboring misunderstandings, only to confront me.
¡°So that¡¯s how it is... How amusing.¡±
Alice wore a meaningful smile.
¡°Well then, sweetheart, enjoy your time. I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±
Alice turned her back and began to walk away, drawing everyone¡¯s gaze towards her.
¡°It was a pleasure to see you, even if just for a moment today.¡±
¡°Wait, you¡¯re leaving already?¡±
¡°There¡¯s still so much to do. But I might drop by from time to time? Seeing my darling has made me lose a bit of my self-control.¡±
¡°Self-control...?¡±
¡°Take care.¡±
At that moment, a secretmunication spell was cast on my ears. It was Alice¡¯s magic.
[Have fun with the rest of them. In the end, you¡¯ll only have eyes for me, won¡¯t you?]
A voice that resonated only in my ears.
A ndestine yet meaningful statement.
Soon after, themunication spell was lifted.
¡°What are you saying... Come back soon, please. I want to see you too.¡±
Without even a nce back, Alice waved her hand and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
¡°The most bothersome meddler is gone now.¡±
¡°Meddler?¡±
¡°Never mind. Now, Master Isaac~. I¡¯ll clean the inside of the hideout with my wind magic~.¡±
¡°But there are still kids left?¡±
Dorothy and Luce were staring intently at us. Unable to refute Kaya¡¯s words, they stood there dumbfounded.
¡°Actually, that¡¯s better.¡±
Whoosh!
Kaya used a simple wind elemental spell inside the hideout. Following her precise control, the wind swept up the umted dust and sent it flying out the window.
Kaya¡¯s indigo hair fluttered in the breeze.
Then, her blood-red eyes looked at me, a yful smile on her lips.
¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to moan even harder, huh?¡±
¡°......!¡±
Dorothy and Luce¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It was a sight to behold as Kaya, who was weaker than them,nded a solid hit.
Kaya nced at the two women and smirked.
She intended to vividly share with them the sounds of our love.
¡°President...¡±
¡°Did you think I would just sit by and eavesdrop?¡±
Dorothy trembled, unable to continue speaking, shocked, while Luce looked at Kaya with a scornful gaze.
Unyielding, Kaya frowned and scoffed.
¡°Are you implying you want to interfere with Sir Isaac¡¯s grand affair? Luce Eltania, as someone who will also be Sir Isaac¡¯s wife, shouldn¡¯t you refrain from causing such trouble? I wonder how disappointed Sir Isaac would be...¡±
¡°......¡±
¡°Even though you were the first to do so. Please stop being so selfish. It¡¯s irritating every time I see it.¡±
Kaya snorted with derision.
Luce¡¯s eyes lost their vitality.
Chapter 368: Side Story – Reunion (6)
¡°Kaya, such words...! Huh?¡±
I thought the mood was getting serious and that I would have to intervene.
But contrary to expectations, Luce remained silent and closed her eyes. It seemed she had no intention of attacking Kaya.
Fortunately, Luce then began to quietly take deep breaths, regaining herposure. Perhaps it was thanks to the tempering she learned while attending Merhen Academy.
¡°Sigh.¡±
Finally, Luce let out a deep sigh, turned her back, and walked away.
¡°Luce?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go ahead. I never nned to attend the reunion anyway.¡±
¡°Huh? Oh...¡±
Boom!
A burst of purple lightning.
Luce summoned the giant ck thunderbird, Thunderbird-Galia, and climbed atop it.
The Thunderbird, wrapped in purple lightning, looked down at me. Its eyes shed fiercely.
[Isaac...! Please mate diligently!]
Crack!
[Argh!]
Luce punched the Thunderbird¡¯s head hard.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
[Luce, aren¡¯t you all in the same position? In the end, the more Isaac mates, the more grandchildren I have...!]
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said.
[Hem hem..., indeed.]
Finally, the Brain Deity ceased speaking, sensing its master¡¯s foul mood.
One after another, the killer whale familiar, Velo, was summoned of its own ord.
[Breaking news! My master is upset..., ¡®Shocking¡¯! Following the news of Isaac¡¯s infidelity, even yielding the grand affair to Kaya! My master, truly humiliated! Psychological pain! Terror!]
¡°......¡±
Smack!
[Aargh! Velo, shocked! Against violence! Against violence!]
Velo circled above Luce¡¯s head, vehemently protesting.
Thanks to the familiars, Luce never had a quiet day.
Soon, Luce rode the Brain Deity, scattering purple lightning across the sky, flying at tremendous speed.
Whoosh!
The wind howled, shaking the Josena Forest.
¡®Luce has learned to back down, after all...¡¯
I had felt such signs during my time at the academy...
But feeling it anew, it was indeed a significant development.
¡°Hmm... Am I an unwee guest too?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s not quite right to put it that way.¡±
At my response, Dorothy smiled generously and shook her head.
¡°No, you¡¯re right, an unwee guest indeed. Someone who has nothing to do with today¡¯s reunion. Kaya¡¯s words were all correct.¡±
¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll feel sorry... I may not know Luce Eltania, but I don¡¯t particrly dislike Dorothy senior.¡±
So Luce dislikes me after all...
¡°Is that an honor?¡±
Dorothy approached Kaya and me, knelt down slightly, and looked closely at Kaya. Being taller, this brought their eyes to level.
Under the witch¡¯s hat, a smiling face.
Dorothy¡¯s eyes, shining with star patterns, captured Kaya.
Kaya swallowed dryly, gazing into those mysterious eyes. It seemed like an instinctive reaction.
Whatever the case, one of the strongest beings in this world was looking intently at her.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for not keeping the promise of premarital purity.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You see, this sister just couldn¡¯t hold back in the end. So of course! I understand how Kaya feels, right? So neither of you should feel pressured. Kaya, there¡¯s no need to be so upset. After all, aren¡¯t we all going to be Isaac¡¯s wives without exception?¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°Such words are quite disheartening...¡±
¡°Nyeh heh.¡±
Dorothy stroked Kaya¡¯s hair with a rxed expression.
¡°Sorry for being selfish?¡±
¡°Dorothy senior...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t try to establish hierarchy by stealthily stroking my head.¡±
¡°Oh dear, have I been caught out?¡±
Dorothy stepped back with a bashful smile.
¡°President, I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡¯ve been shameless.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±
I never tire of seeing my girls.
But today is the reunion.
I wanted to spend time with those who rightfully should attend the reunion together.
¡°And.¡±
Dorothy covered her mouth with her hand and whispered quietly into my ear.
With a slightly troubled face.
¡°Don¡¯t be too rash, okay...? Even your sister gets a bit jealous.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°That, don¡¯t be too, you know... Don¡¯t do it like that...!¡±
Dorothy whispered, eyes tightly shut, braving the embarrassment.
Or should I say, she cried out in a small voice.
I couldn¡¯t quite grasp the specifics, but I seemed to understand the meaning.
A smile naturally formed on my lips.
I gently brushed aside the hair next to Dorothy¡¯s head.
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thanks for understanding.¡±
¡°Ahem, yeah....¡±
Dorothy cleared her throat and stepped back, wrapping herself in a constetion of stars.
Ting-a-ling!
Then, with a mischievous smile, she saluted with her fingers.
¡°Well then, it¡¯s time for the uninvited guest to leave!¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to listen to the groans? I wanted to let you hear them.¡±
¡°If you wish to incur my wrath, by all means.¡±
Dorothy waved at me, then soared up and streaked across the sky with incredible speed. It was a mystical sight, as if a meteor shower was etched into my vision.
And so, Luce and Dorothy both returned to Dufendorf.
For a moment, only the chirping of crickets and silence remained in the Josena Forest.
¡°They¡¯re finally gone... Shall we go in, Sir Isaac?¡±
Kaya¡¯s voice broke the silence.
She rushed into my arms and looked up at me with an affectionate smile.
¡°You¡¯re quite bold now that the kids are gone...¡±
¡°To us, this is no different from a war. A war to receive even a bit more of your love, Sir Isaac... and to love you. It¡¯s an unavoidable problem, even if you love us all equally, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°If you put it that way, I¡¯m at a loss for words... But, is it really okay to do this in such an old ce? There are much better ces, you know.¡±
¡°I like it here. Everyone has memories here.¡±
Kaya gazed into my eyes.
¡°Still, it¡¯s a pity. It¡¯s not exactly a natural situation. Not very romantic, is it?¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
¡°But I think it can¡¯t be helped. To monopolize such moments among those great people... I have no choice but to struggle, even if it¡¯s graceless, forced, and unnatural.¡±
Kaya forced a smile.
A subtle loneliness was woven into her voice.
¡°The luxury of monopolizing you naturally is something I can¡¯t expect for myself.¡±
Kaya is a top-tier magician by global standards.
Yet, it seemed she harbored aplex about not standing out among my women.
Despite being a person of character, her saying this meant her self-esteem must be low.
I wonder if I¡¯m also to me for not paying enough attention.
¡°Kaya.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve just thought of a ce I¡¯d like to go right now.¡±
With a refreshing smile, Kaya tilted her head in curiosity.
This ce, the hideout, has been graced by all mydies.
So today, I wanted to visit a ce filled with memories just for Kaya and me.
......
¡°Pfft! Here, it¡¯s right there, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Beneath the towering cliff, basking in self-admiration, the valley water mirrored the moonlight trickling down.
Back in the first semester of the first year at Merhen Academy.
It was the ce where Kaya and I had spent the night alone.
¡°Look.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
I had brought the magic pouch stored in the hideout. Showing it to Kaya, I pulled out all sorts of camping gear from within.
It was the camping set I had prepared in the hideout, to be used when the enemy was demonic, a time when I fought fiercely.
With a light flick of telekinesis, I set up the campsite in an instant.
Afterward, baring my teeth and stretching out my arms, I grinned broadly.
¡°Ta-da, setupplete.¡±
¡°Pfft! What is this, really? So cute.¡±
Even as a demonic being, the original personality and memories remain the same. That¡¯s why even Kaya, as a demon, could understand the significance of the scene before her.
Gradually, a wistful look appeared on Kaya¡¯s smiling face.
¡°The facilities are better than before?¡±
¡°I¡¯m always improving. Even setting up a campsite is no exception.¡±
Kaya chuckled at my proud response.
We lit a bonfire and sat side by side on folding chairs. I draped an extra nket, always kept in the magic pouch, over Kaya¡¯s shoulders and handed her a warm cocoa.
Kaya smiled awkwardly.
¡°Isaac, this isn¡¯t quite the situation I was hoping for until just now... Should I say it¡¯s too heartwarming, or too wholesome...?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡±
¡°No~? I love it. It feels like my heart is being filled.¡±
¡°Then just follow me quietly. It¡¯s time I can have you all to myself.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Caught off guard by my response, Kaya asked back with a hint of question.
¡°This is a ce only the two of us know. None of the others do. So if I¡¯m with you, this ce is indeed the best.¡±
¡°.......¡±
¡°Kaya is still pretty. She seems a bit more mature too. She¡¯s lovely.¡±
Kaya took a deep breath and smiled awkwardly, turning her head towards the cup in her hands.
The crackling of the bonfire.
The sound of the stream flowing.
The cool night breeze and the warmth of thentern.
It was the same atmosphere that Kaya and I were fond of.
¡°Ah, really...¡±
I didn¡¯t deliberately read Kaya¡¯s mind.
Although I often read people¡¯s minds due to my habits, I didn¡¯t feel like doing so this time.
But when I looked at Kaya¡¯s face, I didn¡¯t seem to worry too much. She was just smiling carelessly, without any concerns.
We chatted about various topics for a while. Kaya had trained at the Astr¨¦aean Duke¡¯s mansion, so there was a lot to talk about.
The soft murmurs of conversation andughter followed by the gentle swaying of thentern.
Then, as we talked about the incident in Dourfold, excluding Dorothy and Lucas.
I locked my eyes onto Kaya¡¯s face, which was gazing at me with a deep gaze, and stopped talking.
¡°Mr. Isaac, may I ask you something?¡±
Kaya smiled with a yful air.
¡°Would you like to cover me?¡±
A awkwardugh burst out.
¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too direct? Do people usually say that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to know...¡±
Kaya stood up from her chair and walked towards the tent, and I approached her, giving her a kiss. The lips met with a sticky sound.
Our bodies entered the tent. I grabbed the back of Kaya¡¯s neck and gently pushed her onto the bed. When Kaya¡¯s back hit the tent floor, I continued kissing her.
It seemed like Kaya was refusing to let me go, as she wrapped her arm around the back of my neck.
Ssss.
The surrounding trees, lit up likenterns, appeared. It was like amp.
I carefully opened my eyes. I seemed to have calcted the angle of light, as Kaya¡¯s skin received the soft, silvery glow, making her even more radiant and beautiful in my gaze.
I guess I had prepared for this situation, too.
It was really cute.
Chewp...
¡°Eh?¡±
What¡¯s that?
¡°The kiss suddenly became timid...?¡±
As if Kaya had suddenly lost her confidence.
I could feel a strong tremor from her body pressed against mine.
It was a dramatic change.
¡°Could it be.¡±
I carefully pulled away from her lips.
Then, a woman with trembling green eyes came into my view.
¡°Hu, aah...¡±
Her cheeks flushed red.
Her light blue hair, disheveled and adorably tousled.
Her eyes spinning round and round.
Kaya... had returned to her original self.
¡°Kaya?¡±
¡°Ah, Isaac sir... That, that is, um...! Huuah...¡±
From noble mtl dote
Kaya¡¯s face turned as red as a ripe apple, as if it would burst at any moment. Her voice was so twisted that she couldn¡¯t speak properly.
A personality baton touch at this timing.
The personality of Aksik was truly cruel.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°I am, okay... No, honestly, I¡¯m not okay... My heart feels like it¡¯s going to burst... Hoo, ha...¡±
Kaya exhaled roughly, letting out a raspy breath.
¡°Yeah.¡±
I smiled reassuringly and stroked her hair to calm her down.
I had to soothe her, but that didn¡¯t mean I was going topletely indulge Kaya¡¯s wishes.
¡°Shall we take it slow?¡±
¡°What...? Slowly...?¡±
¡°Sorry, but quitting isn¡¯t an option.¡±
¡°Y-yes...?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know how lovable you are right now.¡±
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she yed with her tongue, and Kaya¡¯s face gradually regained itsposure.
Of course, her flushed cheeks and embarrassed expression remained unchanged, like a girl who had just fallen in love.
Fortunately, my current situation was very well-received by her, it seemed.
¡°Mr. Isaac...?¡±
¡°Are you okay? Can we keep going?¡±
¡°......¡±
I prompted Kaya to look to the side, and she murmured with her lips trembling.
¡°Wait, please.¡±
She whispered softly, her voice trembling with courage.
It was the answer I had been waiting for.
¡°Ugh!¡±
I forced myself to kiss her again, rougher than before.
¡°...... Mr. Isaac, stop, just for a moment...! Ah...!¡±
Kaya tried to push me away with her tremulous arms, but I grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the ground.
Soon, Kaya¡¯s strength gave out, and she slowly let me take her in.
¡°aaa... Ah... Ah... Ah...¡±
Kaya¡¯s lips were like those of a wicked person, and she tried to kiss me with more ferocity and passion. Her face, flushed with excitement, looked adorable, and I couldn¡¯t help but continue kissing her.
I slowly undressed Kaya.
That night, we spent the night filled with passion, until dawn broke.
Chapter 369: Side Story – Pregnancy (1)
When I went outside the tent, I felt the cool breeze on my skin.
The inside of the tent was extremely hot, so I used my magic to lower the temperature.
Inside, Kaya was sleeping naked, covered with a nket. I was exhausted, and soon fell asleep.
Kaya¡¯s moans and cries still echoed in my ears. She would sometimes change into her wicked persona and attack me. We had a quite interesting rtionship.
Suddenly, the sky was getting lighter. I walked outside naked, feeling the morning breeze, and then washed my body in the nearby stream. After that, I took out an extra set of clothes from my magic pouch and changed.
¡®What¡¯s for breakfast?¡¯
I suddenly heard a loud noise.
I transformed my body into a cold one and merged with nature.
After arriving near the Academy, I put on my hood. If I showed my face, the situation would beplicated.
I stopped by the store to buy some food and returned to the campsite.
¡°Eden,e out.¡±
Ssshhh.
A tawny magic rose into the air, and it transformed into a small rock golem.
It was my familiar, Eden.
[Goo!]
Eden greeted me with a smile, stretching its short arms up.
¡°I¡¯m going to prepare breakfast, help me out.¡±
[Goo, Goo!]
Eden invoked its magic to add rocks to its body, growing to my size.
Kukuku.
I crafted a square table and chairs with rock magic, and Eden set up the food.
I already sensed that Kaya would wake up soon, feeling the magic.
She must feel like she¡¯s done hardbor and stayed up all night, but she needed something to soothe her insides.
¡°Isaac, sir...?¡±
¡°Awake?¡±
As expected, Kaya emerged from the tent, her body covered in a nket. Her legs shuffled, her face half-asleep.
I approached Kaya and kissed her, then tried to hand her the hooded robe I had taken out of my magic pouch earlier.
¡°Just soothe your stomach and go back to sleep.¡±
¡°Huaaah...¡±
¡°Hm?¡±
Kaya¡¯s face flushed red, and smoke rose from her. Her eyes and lips trembled.
I didn¡¯t expect such a reaction from just a morning kiss, after all we had done throughout the night.
¡°We, we, we surely did that thing, right...?¡±
She seemed incredulous.
¡°Yes, we did.¡±
¡°You and I, Isaac... really...¡±
¡°Let¡¯s eat, darling.¡±
¡°Gulp!¡±
After expressing affection, Kaya suddenly stiffened like a stone and fell backwards.
¡°......?¡±
Isn¡¯t that quite an intense reaction...?
......
I went to greet my ssmates who had been drinking all night. They pressed me about what had happenedst night, but I evaded the question, citing issues with my wives.
Now, before leaving the academy.
I met with my fianc¨¦e, Snow White.
¡°Isaac, are you leaving?¡±
White came with her escort knight, Merlin, to see me off.
Beside me stood the White Dragon, the Ice Dragon-Hild, summoned in full presence.
Kaya and Merlin were having a separate conversation.
¡°It¡¯s time for me to go. I came because of the reunion.¡±
¡°Ah...¡±
White, with her snow-white hair as pure as the driven snow, kept brushing it back for no reason, slightly bowing her head.
Her face was visibly filled with reluctance.
¡°When will I see you again...?¡±
¡°Soon, isn¡¯t it? Your graduation isn¡¯t far off.¡±
¡°Time just doesn¡¯t seem to pass...¡±
¡°If you live with the same zest as when I was here, it¡¯ll fly by.¡±
¡°Hehe, please don¡¯t tease me...!¡±
As I responded with a bright smile, White took a deep breath and her eyes welled up with tears.
I leaned in slightly to kiss her cheek and looked at her intently.
¡°I¡¯lle back. Focus on the academy for now, okay?¡±
¡°You still treat me like a child, Isaac...¡±
White pouted with a whimper, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath topose herself.
Then she opened her eyes again, looking at me with a longing gaze, and stretched out her arms to either side.
¡°Hug me, please. So I can endure the remaining time.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
I embraced White tightly and we spent some time together.
¡°But Isaac...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Why can¡¯t you walk, senior Kaya?¡±
Kaya was wrapped in wind magic, floating in the air. It seemed to raise questions in his mind.
¡°There were... some issues.¡±
I answered with an awkward smile.
After our conversation, Kaya and I climbed onto the back of the Frost Dragon.
I deliberately ced Kaya in front of me, to catch her in case of an emergency. I was worried about her because of the strain she had endured all night.
¡°Let¡¯s go! See you again!¡±
White waved his arm vigorously, while Merlin bowed politely.
As the Frost Dragon pped its wings, a cold wind blew. We ascended and soon crossed the sky.
I spread a light telekinesis in front to minimize the impact of the wind.
We leisurely headed towards Duffendorf.
¡°?¡±
But somehow... smoke was rising above Kaya¡¯s head.
Even from behind, I could tell her neck was flushed red.
¡°Kaya, are you okay?¡±
¡°Hyaah...!¡±
As I leaned forward to ask in her ear, she let out a strange sound and was startled.
¡°Yes, yes...!?¡±
Kaya quickly turned to look at me, then immediately averted her eyes. Her round eyes with green irises spun around.
¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine, what do you mean...?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been acting strange for a while.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry... It¡¯s hard to look at your face, Mr. Isaac.¡±
It seemed the aftermath was hitting her hard.
¡°Hmm...¡±
In that case, drastic measures were needed.
¡°How about this?¡±
¡°Eeek...!¡±
I wrapped my arms around Kaya¡¯s waist and propped my chin on her shoulder.
Boundpletely, Kaya let out a bizarre moan and stiffened.
¡°Ah, Mr. Isaac...! If you do this...!
It didn¡¯t seem like I would die, no matter how bad it was.
¡°Don¡¯t die. I won¡¯t give up.¡±
¡°Ah...!¡±
I held Kaya tightly, as if I was going to faint.
[You guys!]
At that moment, Lucifer¡¯s dissatisfied voice echoed loudly.
¡°What the hell are you doing?! This is not the ce for such nonsense!¡±]
¡°I¡¯ll hold you tight and cuddle you like this.¡±
[Then, there¡¯s no dissatisfaction.]
Lucifer easily backed off.
From then on, until we arrived at the Backdoor, Kaya remained stiff and rigid.
After arriving, she copsed like a soulless person.
It was too intense.
...
¡°Chairman!¡±
¡°Dorothy!¡±
Ah, ah.
As soon as I saw Dorothy, I buried my face in herrge chest. It was like being in heaven, a soft andfortable ce. This was where I was.
Dorothy also seemed to know what I was thinking, and she wrapped her arms around my back.
¡°A, ah...!¡±
As I shifted my weight forward, Dorothy was startled and pushed me back, falling onto the bed.
Her long, curly hair spilled onto the bed.
Iy on top of Dorothy, my head buried in her chest, breathing deeply.
¡°Nihihi, it seems like we¡¯re still having fun, right? Your breasts are really great.¡±
Dorothyughed, ying with my hair.
As I lightly touched her armpits and arms, she let out a ¡°Heh-heh¡± andughed.
¡°Kaya¡¯s?¡±
¡°She came with me. I felt a bit hesitant, but I brought you here and you¡¯re fine.¡±
¡°Did you overdo it? You were quite tough at first, right?¡±
¡°It¡¯s... unavoidable. Lucy?¡±
¡°Were you waiting for me toe first? It seems like you¡¯re a bit flustered.¡±
I was going to think that.
¡°So, I waited for you in the president¡¯s room on purpose!¡±
Doroshi replied with a carefree tone.
¡°What¡¯s going on...?¡±
She whispered with a slightly flirtatious tone.
I raised my head and looked down at Doroshi. She was blushing and making a silly face.
I took a deep breath and felt my heart racing. She seemed to be getting excited too.
I thought it was okay to ignore it, but...
¡®Uh?¡¯
I was staring at Doroshi¡¯s sparkling eyes.
@@novelbin@@
She looked puzzled and suddenly remembered something, avoiding my gaze. She couldn¡¯t meet my eyes.
Her eyes darted away, and her lips trembled.
Doroshi seemed to be thinking of something, but it wasn¡¯t rted to her excitement.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Ahah... I think ice breaking is enough, don¡¯t you?¡±
Doroshi let out a small ¡°ehem¡± and cleared her throat awkwardly.
¡°There is. I¡¯ve been feeling a bit strangetely, and I think it¡¯s true. I was thinking about how to say it...¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Doroshi looked at me carefully and said, her eyes avoiding mine.
¡°Sister... I think I might be pregnant.¡±
My eyes widened in shock.
My mind went nk for a while.
Aplex and inexpressible emotion swept over me.
Doroshi turned her eyes away, looking at me with caution.
¡°President...? Why, why is that!? Was I too sudden!? ¡°
Doroshi was shocked.
¡°No, it¡¯s just... I was too sudden, and I¡¯m worried.¡±
Dorothy¡¯s death came to mind.
Even after losing everything, she had survived.
Having barely built up a reason to live, she had to sacrifice it all again.
In the end, the woman before me, who had to ept death with a bright smile,
became my fianc¨¦e, and would now be the mother of my child.
As I thought this, my vision blurred.
I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Thank you.
I love you.
Truly.
With only those words on my lips, I showered Dorothy, whom I loved endlessly, with ceaseless kisses.
Life is too short for love alone.
So, I will love this woman diligently for the rest of my life.
For a while, there was a festival in Duffendorf.
Every day, I imagined and talked about life after having a child with Dorothy, and weughed a lot.
Really a lot.
Chapter 370: Side Story – Pregnancy (2)
370 ¨C Side Story ¨C Pregnancy (2)
[Finally, my grandchildren have been conceived!]
Lately, Brain God Gahlia has beenughing a lot.
Especially recently, he¡¯s been chattering around me, busy at work, in his small crow-like form.
[Following Dorothy, now Luce too, it¡¯s going smoothly, very smoothly!]
¡°How many times have you said that?¡±
[Isaac, do you know how much I¡¯ve longed for this? These days, waiting to see my grandchildren is the joy of my life.]
Brain God Gahlia pped his wings by the window as he replied, as if he were a grandfather overjoyed at the thought of seeing his grandchildren soon.
Of course, I understood why the usually dignified him was making such a fuss.
Ever since graduating from Merchen Academy, he¡¯d been hinting, almost talking to himself, ¡®When will I see my grandchildren?¡¯
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±
I chuckled.
¡®Dorothy is pregnant, and Luce too. And probably Kaya soon.¡¯
Slowly, it was time for my children, and for Brain God Gahlia, for the grandchildren to multiply.
It was a moment of sheer joy.
To actually meet and unite in love with the idols I had adored.
Wasn¡¯t it just like a dream everyone had, now turned into reality?
[Gallia, you¡¯re making quite a fuss.]
The small white dragon, Ice Dragon Hild,y sprawled over my head.
Her voice wasnguid and feminine.
[You might as well be a child. But then again, given your age, it can¡¯t be helped.]
[Are you referring to me? I¡¯m not so young to be spoken of in that manner...!]
[Hm?]
[...No, you¡¯re right from your perspective.]
An unexpected hierarchy was established.
[That¡¯s enough. As the saying goes, the heavier the ear of rice, the lower it bows. ...Hmm?]
I smiled and gently stroked Hild¡¯s body with my hand.
[Hehehe, such sudden petting...!]
¡°Enjoying the age talk, Hild?¡±
[More, pet me more...!]
Hild burst intoughter above my head.
My yful spirit was kindled.
I ced Hild on the desk and brought my nose and mouth close to her belly. And then.
Yawning and stretching like a cat, the magical beast E.
¡°Ah, E. Did you wake up because it¡¯s noisy?¡±
[Yeah. Hilde seems to be having fun.]
From noble mtl dote
E pranced over and curled up on myp.
¡°E?¡±
E cracked open an eye and nced at me sideways.
[Can¡¯t I be a little spoiled too?]
Iughed and stroked E¡¯s back.
E closed her eyes and quietly enjoyed my touch.
[...Not bad at all.]
E expressed her opinion with a touch of sass.
As I reached out to pet Hilde again, E ced her paw on my arm.
So, I stroked Hilde with one hand and E with the other.
¡®So cute...¡¯
Surrounded by these small and adorable magical beasts, my heart felt healed.
[Hmph.]
The elder god of thunder, Brainshaker, let out a grunt of difort.
¡°Shall I pet you too?¡±
[I¡¯m fine....]
Brainshaker expressed his disapproval with a shake of his head.
......
I was in the midst of a peaceful day, taking care of mymitments and mydies, when I found out about Kaya¡¯s pregnancy. After that, we decided to move up the wedding.
Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya were at the Duffendorf Pce, so I spoke to themfortably in person.
They all agreed.
It seemed they wanted to have the wedding before showing too much.
I sent the news to White and Alice, who were far away, via letter.
The replies came quickly.
White said she woulde right after finishing her final semester evaluations at the academy, and Alice said it wouldn¡¯t matter since the kingdom¡¯s reorganization was likely to finish sooner than expected.
If that was the case, Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya had no objections either.
And then one day.
¡°Um...¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Isaac?¡±
¡°Luce, can youe here for a moment?¡±
I called Luce, whom I had wanted to spend all day with.
She closed the book she was reading and came over to me without a word.
Thud.
¡°Ta-da, Luce has arrived.¡±
Luce said in a calm voice as she sat sideways on my legs. Then, she draped her arms over my shoulders.
I wrapped my arms around Luce¡¯s waist and leaned my cheek against her shoulder, exhaling deeply.
Luce gently stroked my hair and yed with my ears with her slender fingers.
¡°Tired?¡±
¡°I suddenly don¡¯t feel like working. I can¡¯t seem to get a grip on it.¡±
It just came out of nowhere one day.
A feeling of not wanting to do anything, be it work or hobbies.
¡°It¡¯s okay to rest. Let¡¯s take a good rest in bed. I¡¯ll take care of you with all my heart.¡±
Luce whispered seductively.
¡°Marriage...¡±
Merhen Academy.
Snow White murmured softly while training in the practice field.
¡°Ugh...¡±
White¡¯s hands trembled uncontrobly.
The surrounding students felt a sinister magic and, without realizing it, broke into a cold sweat as they stole nces at White.
Whoosh!
White¡¯s emotionden magic surged. It was an elemental wind magic, imbued with the blessing of fairies.
She unleashed it towards the target.
Boom!
With a series of chilling explosive sounds.
¡°Argh!! You cowards of the world!!¡±
White screamed in rage internally.
Her eyes brimmed with tears as she choked up.
The students around her marveled at White¡¯sbat magic.
¡°Everyone agreed not to touch Senior Isaac until after marriage...! Why am I the only one in this state...!¡±
White recalled the previous night when she was determined to confront Isaac.
But what was the oue?
She ended up having a very refreshing sleep.
Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya had already conceived Isaac¡¯s child ahead of her.
And I.
Still.
Have not.
Conceived.
Senior Isaac¡¯s.
Child!
¡°aaahh!!¡±
White¡¯s internal scream turned into a intive cry.
Sssshhh!
The fairy¡¯s wind des furiously shed the training target in rapid session.
¡°Princess White, you¡¯re truly formidable...!¡±
Merlin, the knight escorting White, eximed in awe from a corner as he watched her elemental magic.
He felt an immediate urge to apud.
Whoosh!
The wind elemental magic dispersed, and the air gradually regained its calm.
¡°Huff, huff...¡±
White gasped for breath, her breathing rough.
p, p, p, p!
Then came the endless cheers and apuse from the students.
White, flustered, looked around bewildered, her face turning red, and then she quickly left the training ground with hurried steps.
...
Twilight was slowly setting in.
Having finished her training, White arrived at the royal quarters.
Even before she had washed up,
White leaned on the window sill, gazing nkly at the moon that had begun to hang in the sky.
¡°Senior Isaac... You must be having a happy time with your other wives by now, not even thinking of someone like me...¡±
He must be having a very joyful and happy time.
Wasn¡¯t there a festival in Duffendorf with the announcement of Dorothy, Luce, and Kaya¡¯s pregnancies?
This year was indeed a historic day for Duffendorf.
¡°And Senior Alice is said to be returning soon...¡±
Considering the order of pregnancies, Isaac would no longer have a moment to spare for White.
White couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of crisis.
¡°Grr, if only I had been born just one year earlier...!¡±
White clenched her fists, trembling with frustration. Her eyes brimmed with regretful tears.
Wasn¡¯t she the weakest among Isaac¡¯s five wives?
If only she had been Isaac¡¯s contemporary and had already graduated from the academy, the situation might have been better.
But now, she was tied to the academy.
Neither she nor Isaac wanted her to drop out.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Sigh.¡±
White let out a deep sigh and hung her head.
¡°Senior Isaac..., I¡¯ve missed you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve missed you too.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Suddenly, a familiar voice rings in my ears.
Startled, White quickly lifts her head.
And there, hanging upside down, Isaac enters her view.
¡°aaagh!!¡±
Thud!
White falls backward in terror, as if she had seen a ghost.
Isaac gracefully climbs through the window into White¡¯s room.
Bang!
Merlin bursts through the door.
¡°Princess White! What¡¯s the matter...!? Oh?¡±
Merlin stops short at the sight of a familiar face.
Snap. She promptly salutes Isaac.
¡°Here we meet again. Has it been a long time?¡±
Isaac smiles, looking back and forth between White and Merlin.
He had followed the visitor¡¯s protocol as an alumnus of M?rchen Academy.
¡°Didn¡¯t I hear this room was soundproof?¡±
At Isaac¡¯s teasing remark, Merlin flinches.
¡°A loud voice can still be heard...! As Princess White¡¯s guardian, I have no choice but to be all ears.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Isaac doesn¡¯t say much more.
He knows Merlin will make herself scarce.
¡°Ah, Senior Isaac...? How did you suddenly...?¡±
Isaac extends his hand to White, and as she takes it and rises, she asks,
¡°You said you missed me? I missed you too.¡±
¡°Well, yes, but...¡±
¡°So I came to see my beloved wife.¡±
Isaac gently brushes aside a lock of White¡¯s hair.
When the man she loved appeared unexpectedly, White¡¯s eyes, still not fully recovered from the shock, were soaked with affection.
¡°White.¡±
¡°Yes....¡±
Isaac sent a deep gaze with a smile.
And he said,
¡°Give me your child.¡±
¡°...What?¡±
Suddenly, confusion flooded White¡¯s face.
¡°That¡¯s what I want.¡±
A smiling face. It was a tone both kind and firm.
White mulled over Isaac¡¯s words for a while, and soon grasped the context.
Soon.
¡°Whaaat!?¡±
White¡¯s horrified voice echoed through the dormitory.
Chapter 371: Side Story – Pregnancy (3)
¡°Ahem.¡±
Merlin coughed andposed his expression.
¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, the soundproofing here is excellent. With Sir Isaac here, Princess White, you¡¯re safer than ever.¡±
¡°Merlin...!?¡±
¡°Have a good time, both of you.¡±
Creak.
Click.
Merlin tactfully left the room.
Now, only Isaac and White remained.
White, with a bewildered expression, didn¡¯t know how to react.
¡°Senior Isaac, this is so sudden...¡±
¡°It¡¯s not sudden. Haven¡¯t we already crossed that line once?¡±
White jerked her head and looked away.
The memory of the night she could have spent with Isaac, wasted in a deep sleep, filled her mind.
A self-deprecating smile yed on her lips.
¡°Already know what¡¯s going on, don¡¯t you...? No, it¡¯s toote to not know, anyway...¡±
White¡¯s eyes flicked towards Isaac and then away, as if she was looking at something else.
¡°Did you wait for me?¡±
White asked cautiously.
Isaac¡¯s expression was rxed, as if he didn¡¯t care.
¡°I¡¯m fine whenever, but... it¡¯s too sudden, and I¡¯m getting anxious... Ugh!¡±
Isaac suddenly bent his head and pressed his lips to White¡¯s. His ambiguous attitude seemed to convey that he wouldn¡¯t ept refusal.
White¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Her arms iled wildly as she tried to free herself, but Isaac grabbed her wrists.
And then.
Thud.
He forced a kiss upon White, pushing her against the wall.
¡°Ugh..., Ugh...¡±
The sound of their kissing echoed through the air. White felt a burning sensation spread throughout her body and, without realizing it, closed her eyes.
Isaac forced her wrists upwards, pinning her to the wall. She didn¡¯t resist.
¡®I can¡¯t breathe....¡¯
White couldn¡¯t free herself or move her body. However, she couldn¡¯t resist Isaac¡¯s sweet kiss. Her lips moved of their own ord, exploring Isaac¡¯s lips.
Then.
Kkung.
The rock magic was activated.
A pair of rock cuffs appeared on White¡¯s wrists, binding her to the wall.
White was startled.
Pffft.
¡°Ah.¡±
Isaac stopped kissing her and exhaled a warm breath from close range.
Then, he smiled and asked,
¡°Like this?¡±
White took a deep breath, her face tense.
¡°No, I don¡¯t...!¡±
¡°Of course you do. You¡¯re a pervert.¡±
Isaac spoke with a tone that was fitting for a child.
Suddenly, White remembered the joint tactical evaluation they had undergone in their freshman year.
The time when Isaac had defeated White and they had been bound together, White had had to secretly suppress the rising desire.
Isaac seemed to know White¡¯s mind, which was torn apart with conflicting emotions.
¡°That, is...,¡±
¡°You¡¯re my woman, White.¡±
The soft, husky whisper of Isaac¡¯sughter resonated in White¡¯s ear.
It was a voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
White¡¯s words were stuck in her throat for a moment.
Then she realized.
She no longer needed to feel shame or guilt in front of her opponent. He was her man, and he would be her husband.
As she felt the strange sense of freedom from being trapped, White¡¯s eyes met Isaac¡¯s, and she nodded slightly.
¡°It¡¯s all the same, isn¡¯t it...,¡±
¡°Ridiculous.¡±
White¡¯s head jerked forward.
Snap.
The two people began to kiss again.
Isaac wrapped his arms around White¡¯s waist, and they shared a passionate kiss. For a while, they fed each other¡¯s passion, their tongues entwined.
As the kiss continued, the past shed through White¡¯s mind like a panorama.
She had entered Merhen Academy with a heavy heart.
She had be Isaac¡¯s mentor.
She had received guidance from him every day, struggling to improve herself.
And now, she had finally reached this point.
Her opponent was not only her senior but also someone who could match her passion. The realization filled her with a sense of treachery.
However, it only seemed to heighten her excitement.
When Isaac looked away again, the tip of their lips touched, and their breaths intertwined like a thread.
¡°...Senior Isaac.¡±
White took a sip of Isaac¡¯s saliva, her voice trembling.
Her eyes locked onto Isaac¡¯s intense red gaze, filled with a sense of longing and sincerity.
White¡¯s flushed face was a far cry from her usual shame and guilt.
Her eyes, filled with pure sincerity and longing, poured out her true feelings.
Finally, White gathered her courage and puffed out her lips.
¡°Please cover me up like this... ¡°
She sessfully let out a desperate sigh from the depths of her lungs.
A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over her, but now it seemed like a good thing.
White¡¯s expression was filled with genuine sincerity.
A single droplet of sweat and a flushed cheek, a sorrowful gaze, and a strand of white hair hanging from her lips.
The face White had created was so captivating that Isaac lost his breath and swallowed his saliva.
A smile soon spread across his face.
¡°Do you get it?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It¡¯s really wild, your expression.¡±
White¡¯s expression turned bright red like a ripe pear.
¡°Ah, ah, ah...?¡±
¡°I love you.¡±
Isaac then leaned over and kissed White¡¯s jawline with his hand.
* * *
¡°Isaac-senpai...¡±
Dark dawn.
White whispered my name in her sleep. She wrapped her arms around me like a nket, her soft and white skin embracing me tightly.
I was holding her hand.
Her lovely forehead and her silky white hair were still entwined.
¡®If I hadn¡¯t used the muffling spell, it would have been a big problem.¡¯
From noble mtl dote
I had been controlling the magical energy emanating from my body since Meryl left the room, wrapping the room in a muffling spell.
Luckily, White¡¯s excited moans didn¡¯t escape outside.
When White and I reunited after 6 hours, she had exhausted herself and copsed in my arms.
Even though she moved her hips, I didn¡¯t realize she was tired.
The problem was that I would have to apologize to White when she woke up.
¡°Hmm...¡±
I gazed at the ceiling, quietly sipping my tea.
Even the lingering desire was still left.
¡°¡®I¡¯m not satisfied yet.''¡±
I had felt it every time since my first experience with Dorothy.
It was difficult to fully satisfy my desire by marrying one woman after another.
That¡¯s right. I hadn¡¯t yet grasped the limits of my vitality.
I had a physical rtionship with Dorothy while traveling with her, so it was a little better, but I couldn¡¯t ask my wives to do the same.
It seemed to have a significant influence on me, making me stronger and more self-assured.
¡°...I don¡¯t think I can¡¯t take it, anyway.¡±
The fact that my desire was great didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t control it.
As usual, it was easy to restrain my desire.
However, to be satisfied in my s*xual life, it seemed that I needed the cooperation of multiple women at the same time, not just one.
That¡¯s why White was my greatest concern.
¡°...This one was the most worrying.¡±
White was the one who was most sensitive to shame among my wives.
Additionally, she was the weakest among them, so I worried about what the other wives might think.
If I were to have a physical rtionship with all my wives at the same time, I thought I might put White under too much stress.
However, fortunately, White seemed to have opened up to me. She fell asleep with a contented expression, as if this night had been satisfying.
By gradually umting these moments, White would also blend seamlessly into my harem.
At that time...
¡°What?¡±
My gaze turned towards the window. It was because I suddenly felt a familiar magic.
Soon, a thick, purple-haired arm poked out from below the window, as if greeting me.
Full-bodied.
A chubby, purple-haired cat climbed up and settled on the windowsill. A small, crescent-shaped mark was on the cat¡¯s forehead.
The cat¡¯s eyes met mine, and it shed a wide, toothy grin.
¡°Isaac, having a good time?¡±
It was creepy.
The grin was eerie, but I was already familiar with it, so I didn¡¯t care.
¡°Cheshire?¡±
I carefully untangled my arm from White¡¯s and sat up.
As the nket slid off, the dawn breeze struck my bare skin.
[I heard you were here and came looking. White¡¯spletely knocked out! There¡¯s even a strange scent wafting through the room... Heh.]
¡°Why did youe looking for me?¡±
[Alice told me to report to her.]
Alice?
[Alice has been rapidly reorganizing the kingdomtely! It seems she was a bit spurred on by Isaacst time!]
It seemed to be because of the incident that happened at the academy reunion.
[Our Alice has her cute sides, doesn¡¯t she?]
¡°Ah....¡±
So that¡¯s why she said I could return quickly.
Not because things were going well, but because she was overdoing it?
¡°Tell her not to overdo it. She cane to see me anytime she¡¯s free.¡±
[You see, Alice wants to spend uninterrupted, quality time with Isaac.]
¡°I¡¯d like that too, but not at the expense of overdoing it....¡±
[Anyway, Alice asked me to tell you. I¡¯ll even mix in my charming aegyo, so listen carefully.]
The odd creature cleared its throat with a ¡®hem¡¯ and then rubbed its front paws together, acting coy.
[¡®I¡¯lle to see you soon. Love you, Yeobong~.¡¯]
Good heavens....
Chills raced down my spine.
[...Why that look? Didn¡¯t you like my aegyo just now?]
¡°I¡¯ll save my words....¡±
I smiled awkwardly.
Suddenly, I thought of the white cat, E.
E had endured all sorts of antics and aegyo from the odd creature ¨C Cheshire.
@@novelbin@@
When I return to D¨¹ppendorf, I¡¯ll have to take good care of E first.
¡°Alice, senior...¡±
Suddenly, White called out to me and clung closer. Her arm wrapped around my groin.
[Heh.]
Gwimyo-Che-shier smiled slightly and prepared to leave.
¡°I¡¯ve already said what I needed to say, so I¡¯ll just let this amazing cat go.¡±
He seemed to be trying to sneak away unnoticed.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Take care, and give Alice a good time. Be careful on your way back.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Gwimyo-Che-shierughed and turned around, disappearing into the air like a puff of smoke.
I¡¯ll be ready to meet Alice soon.
Iy back down on the bed, holding White in my arms.
I stroked White¡¯s silky hair like a baby, whispering sweet nothings.
White is a baby. I have to take care of her.
White whispered softly, ¡°She¡¯s a senior, you know.¡±
A gentle smile spread across her face.
I kissed White¡¯s forehead, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.
Chapter 372: Side Story – Alice’s Case (1)
When White opened her eyes, she formed a crescent moon shape on her lips.
A 3rd-year student at the Academy.
An adult.
¡®I¡¯m an adult now!¡¯
She had finally seeded in having her first experience with her beloved husband, Isaac.
She felt like she had been reborn.
She knew it would be a shameful morning, but instead, she felt ted.
¡°Akaseon, you¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re sleeping.¡±
White kissed Isaac¡¯s cheek, which was still sleeping, and got out of bed.
The lingering sensation of their all-night affair still lingered.
Feeling refreshed, White went to the window to let in the wind.
However, suddenly...
¡°What?¡±
White copsed in hesitation.
The cold sweat trickling down his cheeks.
An unexpected situation had unfolded.
¡°I can¡¯t walk...!¡±
His head throbbed painfully.
¡°What¡¯s happening? Is it supposed to be like this...?¡±
His body seemed to have reached its limit, his steps no longer obeying his will.
¡°White...?¡±
Isaac, who had just woken up, rubbed his eyes and propped himself up.
¡°What are you doing over there?¡±
¡°To senior Isaac....¡±
¡°Hm?¡±
White turned to Isaac, his voice quivering.
¡°My legs...!¡±
¡°Ha.¡±
Isaac let out a hollowugh.
That day, Isaac carried White on his back. It was the weekend, so they could spend most of their time in White¡¯s room.
Merlin insisted on taking care of White himself, urging Isaac to preserve his strength, and while White covered his face in embarrassment, Isaac felt responsible for the consequences of his actions.
¡°Here, I¡¯ll feed you.¡±
¡°But my hands are fine...!?¡±
¡°Ah~.¡±
¡°Ah....¡±
White felt cared for by Isaac.
This must be what it feels like to be loved.
The two chatted away and shared their love that day as well.
* * *
Two weekster, on the outskirts of the Merchen Academy grounds.
I wandered back and forth along the sunset-drenched beach.
It was the ce where I had yed with Alice the day before the ¡°Alice Subjugation Battle.¡±
I had promised to meet her here upon hearing the news of her early return.
¡°It¡¯s strangely thrilling.¡±
Beyond the horizon, the sun was setting, its light fading gently.
The sea breeze was cool, and the sound of the waves was lively. An understated anticipation filled me at the thought of encountering Alice in such a romantic setting.
And for good reason, as the naughty things Alice did before she left were still lingering in my mind.
¡°Ah.¡±
I halted in my tracks.
I could faintly sense Alice¡¯s magic. It was magic that hadn¡¯t been released.
I turned towards the direction where the magic was perceptible.
A woman was approaching, her hair fluttering in the light sea breeze, tinged with the colors of the sunset.
Her coat draped over her shoulders fluttered in the wind. She was dressed reminiscent of our academy days, perhaps evoking memories since our meeting ce was on the outskirts of the academy.
Her pinkish eyes met mine. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled faintly.
I turned towards her and returned the smile.
Suddenly, memories flooded my mind.
The student council president, soaked in the pouring rain, ying in the water, sshing sea water around.
The next day, we fought for our lives, and the future where she took her own life was significantly altered.
Alice Carroll.
The final boss of the first semester of the second year in ¡°M?rchen¡¯s Magic Knight,¡± and now, the woman who would be my wife.
She stepped lightly on the sandy beach as she approached.
I moved forward as well.
Listening to the sound of the sea as we walked, we soon found ourselves face to face.
Alice¡¯s eyes captured the hues of the sunset and reflected my own.
¡°Hello, dear.¡±
Alice greeted me with a gentle voice.
As I took in her face, my heart trembled.
Indeed, it seemed I was in love with this woman.
Alice tilted her head to the side with a caring smile.
¡°Did you miss me?¡±
¡°And you?¡±
¡°...I missed you terribly.¡±
Alice took my hand.
I greeted her with a smile.
¡°Wee.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
We walked side by side along the beach.
¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to move up the wedding? It was supposed to be far off still.¡±
Alice shook her head.
¡°The initial kingdom restructuring period I mentioned was set with ample time, and with some effort, it ended earlier than nned.¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t it tough?¡±
¡°It was. Will youfort me?¡±
I briefly hugged the coquettish Alice and stroked her hair.
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±
¡°Hehe... I feel healed.¡±
Alice took a deep breath in my embrace, savoring my scent.
We chatted and held hands again as we walked along the beach.
¡°So, will you be entirely mine today?¡±
¡°If that¡¯s the case, then yes? It¡¯s just us today.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this way. It reminds me of our academy days when we used to date.¡±
I remembered the times when Alice was a senior ss president and I was a sophomore. We dated asionally.
Back then, Alice was in a position where she had to kill me, and I had to survive her.
¡®Looking back, it was a thrilling time...¡¯
The misconceptions caused by the power of Ozma that I wielded to deal with the demons became my lifeline.
The reason Alice asked me out on a date was certainly not for a good cause.
It may not have been a sweet memory, but it turned out to be not such a bad one in the end.
¡°It¡¯s different now...¡±
Wait.
¡°Yes?¡±
I looked at Alice.
¡°Did you say it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve felt this way?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Alice gazed beyond the horizon, at the orange sky.
¡°Before I fought with Agi yesterday... I felt this kind of feeling.¡±
Alice spoke softly.
¡°A feeling of warmth in the heart. However, a feeling of trembling in the chest.¡±
Alice nced at me sideways, smiled kindly, and raised an eyebrow.
¡°Maybe I¡¯ve already fallen for Agi?¡±
As I stumbled over my words, Alice looked straight at me again.
¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can enjoy this blessing. I too... will love.¡±
Alice whispered quietly.
That ominous voice was scattered by the sea breeze.
I grabbed Alice¡¯s hand, which was clenched tightly with mine. Alice was startled for a moment, then smiled happily.
We entered the coastal cave, a ce where we had rested our bodies the night before the ¡°Alice Conquest¡±.
Just like that day, I took out the dried firewood and me spell from my magic pouch. Whoosh! The fire burst forth.
I spread out arge mat on the floor, hung amp with a glowing stone on the wall, and it became a fairly authentic resting ce.
¡°Then, I think I can take a break...¡±
Just then, Alice approached me from close by.
My words suddenly stopped.
Alice¡¯s gaze was fixed on me. The crackling of the fire, the sound of the waves outside the cave, and the heavy silence that fell were all so oppressive.
¡°There is, Agi. I¡¯ve always imagined what I would do in the kingdom.¡±
Alice whispered softly, slowly leaning into me.
I naturally backed away, my back against the wall.
¡°What...?¡±
¡°What¡¯s with holding hands with Agi?¡±
Alice slipped a gentle hand into mine, then ced her other hand on my chest.
And she pressed her head against my neck, blowing a warm breath.
Alice¡¯s kiss on my neck.
The warm touch filled my neck, and a response began to rise in my stomach.
¡°Kissing Agi¡¯s neck, so s*xy.¡±
Alice pressed in closer deliberately.
Her full breasts pressed against me, and a shameful sensation was triggered.
Still, the subtle breath was warming my neck.
¡°And, doing some naughty things with Ae-gi.¡±
¡°.......¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been holding back. I want to be reckless with Ae-gi... Now, it¡¯s my limit.¡±
I smiled awkwardly.
¡°Can¡¯t we do it at the dorm?¡±
¡°Ae-gi?¡±
Excitement filled the small smile as it crept onto Alice¡¯s voice.
¡°Can you bear to leave me?¡±
...No.
¡°...Not likely.¡±
There was no hesitation at all.
I lowered my head and kissed Alice¡¯s lips, pouring my emotions into it. The soft lips felt good, and I was thrilled.
Tsuk-tsu-tsu, tchu-tchu-tchu... Alice seemed to be trying to hold onto me, wrapping her arm around my neck.
It was as if Alice and I had be one, clinging tightly to each other.
I grabbed the round buttocks of her red skirt, which was fluttering behind her.
I caressed the round belly through the skirt, and the soft touch filled my hands, making me feel stic.
The sensation was as if my body was about to burst, and I pressed it against Alice¡¯s buttocks. Alice seemed to have felt it, and she started to sway her hips slightly, stimting my erect pen*s inside her pants.
It was as if she was longing for mine.
Tsuk-tsu-tsu, tchu-tchu-tchu...
Alice¡¯s slender tongue tickled my teeth. I parted my lips and thrust my tongue out, mingling it with hers.
Tsuk-tsu. Alice¡¯s tongue slipped into my mouth, and we continued to kiss, our tongues entwined.
Alice¡¯s long coat, which was draped over her shoulders, flowed down like a waterfall. She ignored it and continued to kiss me.
¡°aaa...¡±.
Tsuk-tsu... Alice pulled her lips apart and let out a deep breath.
¡°Ah, you¡¯re so interesting...¡±
Alice looked at me with sparkling eyes, her gaze quiet and soothing.
¡°Will you touch my chest too?¡±
Exactly as I hoped.
I exhaled deeply and turned Alice¡¯s body around.
She still seemed to want to stick to me a little, so she wrapped her arms around my back and pulled me towards her.
Then she arched her back slightly, her body curving into a seductive pose, and pressed her buttocks against my crotch.
From noble mtl dote
¡°Uh...e on...¡±
Alice emitted a sultry sigh and urged me on.@@novelbin@@
Chapter 373: Side Story – Alice’s Case (2)
Alice was rubbing her buttocks against my crotch through her pants.
I grabbed her breasts with both hands, just as they were.
¡°Ah...¡±
It felt like a big, soft balloon that was about to burst.
The gentle touch of her soft flesh was seared into my palm. I could feel the shame and embarrassment radiating from her, even through the shirt.
¡°Didn¡¯t you wear any underwear?¡±
My voice was shaking with excitement, and I could hear my own breathing.
¡°I¡¯m thinking about seeing the kid today...¡±
¡°Good job.¡±
I touched her nipples with my index fingers, but they were still hard.
As I had seen before, Alice¡¯s nipples were usually sunken, like a turtle¡¯s.
I inserted my fingers into the small gap between her breasts, feeling something firm and slightly rough beneath the shirt. Her nipples were very sensitive.
As I twirled my fingers around, Alice bowed her head and let out a deep sigh. She was vulnerable.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right... just a little more, okay... Ah...¡±
Alice smiled sweetly and spoke in a gentle voice, as if she were personifying maternal love. There was an undercurrent of anxiety in her voice, as if she were craving my intense touch.
Alice continued to sway her hips, as if begging me to take her. I slowly undid the buttons of her shirt. Since her belt was wrapped around her waist three times, her chest area was tight and swollen when I undid the buttons.
As I gently pushed the shirt open, her firm breasts were revealed. I took a moment to appreciate the sight before pushing the shirt aside and inserting my hands into her chest.
¡°Hmm, yeah, oh yeah...¡±
The smooth skin of her breasts.
Alice¡¯s breasts were like soft marshmallows, changing shape to fit my every movement.
How could they be so soft? The sensation of her breasts overflowing in my hands was extremely addictive.
¡°Ah...¡±
As I pressed my fingers into the soft flesh of her breasts, Alice let out a faint sigh.
¡°Good grief...¡±
The nipples hidden inside her breasts seemed to be waiting for my touch.
Alice smiled with a subtle, yful grin.
She grasped her swollen nipple with her finger and began to caress her breast, transmitting a sense of happiness and stimting my instinct.
¡°Ah... my love...e here.¡±
I lowered my upper body and leaned my head next to Alice¡¯s, so that our faces were close together. Alice turned her eyes to the side, looked at my face, and then turned her headpletely towards me.
We began to kiss without hesitation.
¡°Suuu, suuu, chuuu...¡±
Alice ced her hand on the back of my head, as if telling me not to stop kissing. Our bodies, which had already be hot and sweaty, were now dripping with sweat.
Alice¡¯s body exuded a more intense, alluring scent, filling my chest. It seemed as if she was tempting me to take her body immediately.
Now, I could only think of Alice.
I gently stroked Alice¡¯s chest with one hand while pulling down my pants with the other.
Suddenly, the erect pen*s burst out from between my legs. Alice stopped for a moment when it touched her buttocks.
I grasped the fully engorged pen*s and held it up, cing it between Alice¡¯s curved buttocks.
¡°Suuu...¡±
¡°Ahhh... Ahhh...¡±
Alice pulled out her lips, which were covered in saliva, and let out a deep breath.
¡°Ahhh, it¡¯s really big, isn¡¯t it? Now, if I take it, our baby will have a certain expression...¡±
Her crimson cheeks and s*xden eyes were extremely alluring.
¡°Ahhh, I can¡¯t hold it anymore...¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been holding back for a long time. I can¡¯t hold it back anymore.¡±
The pen*s began to twitch and tremble, demanding Alice.
I leaned back and pushed my pen*s into Alice¡¯s legs. Then, I inserted it between her legs.
Thanks to the semen that had flowed from Alice¡¯s thigh, my pen*s slid smoothly into the gap between her thighs.
Before I could even insert it, our genitals had already touched, and a pleasant sensation spread through my spine.
¡°Ahh...¡±
Alice bowed her head and let out a soft moan.
I wrapped my hands around Alice¡¯s chest like a vice, shaking her body. The tip of my pen*s slipped between Alice¡¯s thighs, repeating the motion of entering and exiting.
Alice¡¯s clitoris, which had grown bigger and more swollen, rubbed against my pen*s, causing a mixture of semen and v*ginal fluid to squirt out. The sound was obscene.
¡°Ahh... Ahh... Ohh...¡±
¡°Feeling good?¡±
¡°Hu hu... Hmm, I haven¡¯t even gotten in yet... But it feels like I¡¯m going toe already...?¡±
Alice¡¯s voice was filled with a sultry moan.
Alice turned her head back towards me, and I leaned in to kiss her.
¡°Wooh... Woooh... Hmm, Huh!...¡±
Tch, tch, tch... I continued to kiss her, shaking my hips back and forth.
v*ginal fluid flowed out of Alice¡¯s buttocks, and her body became even more swollen. The friction between our bodies became even more intense.
¡°It¡¯s a lot of water, Alice.¡±
That was proof that Alice was getting excited.
Tch, tch, tch... My pen*s, which had be slick with v*ginal fluid, moved back and forth between Alice¡¯s buttocks and thighs, making a slurping sound.
Alice gathered her legs together, her body trembling with pleasure. The pressure became even more intense, and my pen*s began to throb.
I caressed Alice¡¯s plump buttocks with even more confidence.
Her nipples still didn¡¯t stick out, unlike when she was usually rxed. She seemed like a coward, and I felt a strange sense of affection towards her.
I continued to stroke Alice¡¯s pubic area with my index finger. Alice closed her eyes tightly, and a warm gust of air blew into my mouth.
Alice opened her eyes widely, her tongue darting out. We parted our lips, and I savored the humid air with my tongue. Our tongues intertwined, not pausing for a moment.
¡°Ahh... Ahh... Ahah...!¡±
Tch, tch, tch... In the midst of the obscene sounds, Alice quietly inserted her tongue and smiled sweetly.
The response from my pen*s was immediate. It began to throb and pulsate, ready to ejacte at any moment.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s shaking, shaking, shaking... Do you think it¡¯s going toe soon?¡±
¡°It¡¯s going toe soon.¡±
¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±
Alice whispered in my ear.
¡°Let mee inside....¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to waste the semen... If Ie like this, one drop will fall on you... I want you to squirt it out for me....¡±
As the tension was released, my male desire was ignited, making my mind spin with excitement.
I was swept away by the intense desire.
¡°...Ah, I¡¯ll make sure to hold it in.¡±
I stopped my movement, grasping my pen*s with one hand to adjust my position. Alice bent down further, lifting her buttocks.
I lifted Alice¡¯s skirt, revealing her soft buttocks in all their nakedness.
The tip of my pen*s slid into the wet and slippery v*gina, finally finding its way into the narrow opening. Alice¡¯s v*gina was mine.
The moment our bodies touched, I felt a tremor run through my body, transmitted from the hand grasping Alice¡¯s chest.
¡°Ah, oh...!¡±
A moan of pleasure dripped from Alice¡¯s lips, her eyes half-closed.
Alice was already at the brink of climax.
I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
¡°You¡¯re cute, Alice.¡±
¡°Yeah...?¡±
¡°You¡¯re lovely.¡±
I found the perfect angle and slowly inserted my pen*s into Alice¡¯s v*gina.
¡°Aa, oh, oh...!¡±
Alice let out a pained cry, her voice like a scream.
My pen*s was widening Alice¡¯s v*gina, which was already wet and slippery. The feeling of forcing open the narrow opening was intense.
However, it seemed to be getting closer. Alice¡¯s v*gina was ignoring the pain, responding to my pen*s like a lover.
I inserted my pen*s into the warm and wet v*gina, feeling a sense of pleasure.
¡°Ah, oh, ah...!¡±
Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed, her lower lip biting down hard.
The red liquid flowed from my pen*s, mixing with the bodily fluids on the floor.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s too big...!¡±
I wrapped my arms around Alice¡¯s shoulders from behind, inserting my pen*s into her all the way.
The built-up pleasure was about to explode, my pen*s swelling with excitement.
The slippery v*gina wrapped tightly around my solid rod, sending an incredible pleasure through my entire body.
Alice shook her body, her lower back arching like a bow.
¡°aaa...!¡±
A deep breath escaped Alice¡¯s lips, mixed with a groan. It seemed she was in severe pain.
I was burning with desire. My genitals felt like they were about to melt.
I wanted to rush into it immediately, but thanks to my previous experiences in s*xual rtionships, I was able to hold back.
¡°Are you okay, Alice...?¡±
¡°Uh, yeah... It¡¯s just that... I¡¯m feeling a lot of pain... But I¡¯m also feeling really good because I¡¯ve be one with the baby, and I don¡¯t know how to express this feeling... ¡°
I gave Alice some time to adjust. Since I had done this with all my previous wives, I could wait calmly.
My erect pen*s was throbbing in Alice¡¯s v*gina. It was because her v*gina was tightly wrapped around me, releasing a stream of hot semen.
¡°Uh-uh-uh... ¡°
Alice let out a deep breath, her face drenched in sweat, and turned to look at me.
¡°Baby, do you like it inside me...?¡±
I nodded and answered with a yes.
¡°I think we should go now. I¡¯ve just managed to hold back... ¡°
¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry... Uh-uh... ¡°
¡°Are you already there?¡±
@@novelbin@@
¡°I think I¡¯m almost there... It¡¯s a bit painful... ¡°
Alice smiled slightly and looked at me. Her eyes had a subtle hint ofpassion.
¡°Before we move, can I kiss you? I think I¡¯m about to make a loud noise... ¡°
¡°Yes.¡±
I pressed my lips against Alice¡¯s, and then grasped her full breasts tightly.
Squirt, squirt, squirt... We kissed, mixing our tongues and saliva, and slowly pulled our hips back.
Giggle...
¡°Uu-uu-uu! Ah-ah-ah!¡±
Slow and gentle movement. But Alice stopped moving her tongue and let out a cry. I held my lips against hers, trying to stifle the cry. Her hot breath was blowing against my cheek.
Each wrinkle in her v*gina was wrapped around my pen*s, urging me to climax. Already, the sensation of climax was reaching its peak. I couldn¡¯t think rationally. I just wanted to unleash everything inside me, driven by instinct.
Squirt... Alice slowly pulled her lips away from mine. I stopped moving and stroked her back of the head.
She looked at me with loving eyes, still taking deep breaths.
¡°You¡¯re being gentle, dear... I think I¡¯m okay now... ¡°
¡°...Just a little more.¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
I released my body from Alice¡¯s and grasped her breasts like a handle, slowly inserting my pen*s back into her v*gina.
¡°Ah, uh...!¡±
As soon as Alice let out a cry, I started moving my hips slowly.
Tck-tck-tck-tck...!
¡°Ahh, ah, ah, ah...!¡± I screamed, my voice trembling.
Alice¡¯s eyes sparkled with a mixture of pain and pleasure. She was still feeling the pain, but it seemed to be overridden by a more intense sensation.
¡°Don¡¯t hold back, hurry up and finish... I think I¡¯m about to climax too... Ahh...!¡±
I elerated my hip movements, and Alice let out a low moan, her lips pursed in an effort to stifle her cries. The sound of our lovemaking was like a mixture of thick liquid being poured.
Her clitoris began to vibrate as my pen*s pressed against her inner walls. The signal of orgasm. The sensation of climaxing was forced to reach its limit, starting from the deepest part of my groin.
I pinched Alice¡¯s clitoris with my fingers, trying to bring her to the climax.
¡°Ahh, ah, ah, ah...! Hurry up and finish...! Inside me...!¡±
¡°Ugh...!¡±
Just as I couldn¡¯t take the sensation anymore, I wrapped my arms around Alice from behind and thrust my pen*s as deep as I could into her.
At the moment of deepest fusion, I released all my energy.
Burst, burst, burst...! A white stream shot out of my pen*s. I let out a loud ¡°Kk!¡± as the overwhelming sensation coursed through my spine.
¡°Ahh...!!¡±
Alice covered her mouth with both hands and let out a scream, her body trembling.
She seemed to have reached her limit.
I leaned my head against Alice¡¯s shoulder, still panting heavily.
I savored the afterglow of orgasm, but my desire didn¡¯t subside. Instead, it seemed to be fueled further.
Because of this, my pen*s remained erect, as if it was determined to continue exploring Alice¡¯s inner depths.
¡°Ahh, ahh... Huh...?¡±
Alice lowered her hands and took a deep breath. Then she turned her head towards me.
¡°Yes, I did well... Finally, I¡¯m here... Your love is inside me...¡±
¡°Alice...?¡±
¡°My feelings are really strange... There¡¯s still a lingering desire inside me, and even a little movement makes me... Ahh! It¡¯s too sensitive... Ahh, I¡¯m still moving...!¡±
I wrapped my arms around Alice¡¯s waist, still holding her close. I was nning toy her down on the cushioned nket below.
At that moment, Alice reflexively released a burst of energy, creating a transparent table. Her bodyy on top of it.
We were still connected. I was still clinging to Alice, and we had fallen together.
¡°Ah...!¡±
Alice, who had just reached the climax with her own ejaction, let out a strange and eerie scream a moment ago.
Her legs were still entwined, and she was in a side-by-side position. She turned her hips to look up at me.
Her shirt was pulled up to reveal her small shoulders. Her full breasts were now exposed.
On the other hand, her waist, which was cinched with three belts, was slender, and the alluring curvature was enough to make me swallow my saliva in thirst.
She was an incredibly alluring female body.
Her face, which was usually rxed, was now tense with excitement. Her eyes, which were usually soft and gentle, were now covetous and seductive.
This was Alice¡¯s true face, revealing her deepest desires.
My heart was racing with excitement and lust, as if I was possessed.
¡°Alice, do you think your body is weird?¡±
I asked, my finger tracing the outline of her small breasts. The erect nipple was palpable at the tip of my finger.
¡°Yeah...?¡±
Alice smiled sweetly, cing her hand on my cheek.
¡°Of course... I¡¯m pretty. But is that what you¡¯re saying, that you¡¯ve always wanted to cover me up in the past?¡±
¡°Since you became my woman.¡±
¡°Good... I just need to get excited and I¡¯ll be fine....¡±
Alice whispered sweetly into my ear.
¡°Let me have my way... Ah...!¡±
I gripped her breasts again and shook her hips.
¡°Huh, let¡¯s go, I¡¯m still sensitive, but...!¡±
Alice looked at me with eyes zed over with lust, biting her lower lip and smiling.
Chapter 374: Side Story – Alice’s Case (3)
Due to Alice¡¯s psychic powers, the angle of insertion wasfortable. It seemed like she had calcted it.
¡°Ah...! Oh, ah...!¡±
Gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp...!
Alice¡¯s rough breathing.
I shook her hips again.
The ejaction and sperm mixed together, ying the role of lubricant. The friction movement became smoother. Even though Alice¡¯s legs were still entwined, the pressure was pleasant.
The vulva was stretched to fit my pen*s. I was matching her to myself.
As I grasped Alice¡¯s plump chest with one hand, my ring finger was buried in her cleavage. Her nipples, which had been hidden until then, poked out between my ring finger and pinky, and I pressed them together.
Although her nipples were stiff, they felt soft between my fingers.
¡°Ahh...!¡±
Alice let out a sharp breath as her weak point was caught.
I pinched her nipples while kneading her chest, and then I pped her buttocks with all my might.
Pang, pang, pang!
Tzuk, tzuk, tzuk!
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the air. As this happened, white semen began to thicken and flowed out of her v*gina.
I felt an intense pleasure, as if I was going to lose my mind. The sensitive feeling after orgasm was something I was familiar with, so I didn¡¯t hold back.
However, the thought that I could explore Alice¡¯s alluring body freely was a stimnt that used her sensitivity to enhance pleasure. It seemed that Alice thought the same way.
Alice¡¯s face, drenched in lust, looked adorable.
I moved my hips and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips.
¡°Ahh...!¡±
Aliceughed, gasping for air, and her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.
¡°Our lover, aren¡¯t you feeling loved?¡±
Alice ced her hand on my cheek and gave me a sly look.
¡°Feel it... ahh...!¡±
The moment Alice spoke, I felt my pen*s swell even more.
My hips gained momentum, and I attacked her v*gina with increasing intensity.
Kik, kik, kik! The fluid inside her v*gina filled the crevices, making the sound of insertion movement even more lewd.
¡°Ahh, ahh...! Huh, huh...!¡±
Kunk. Alice¡¯s momentum was broken, and she copsed onto the bed.
No, it seemed she had lost control and couldn¡¯t harness her power.
¡°Huh...!¡±
Alice let out a short, stifled cry.
Swoosh. I reflexively grabbed Alice¡¯s nape and slender waist, and managed to prevent her from falling onto the bed. I gentlyid her body down on the bed.
As a result, her s*x organs slipped out of her v*gina. The mixture of red blood and whitish semen flowed out, and a clear, transparent fluid followed, flowing down her thigh.
¡°Gah, gah...!¡±
Alice panted heavily, spreading her legs. It seemed she was inviting me to take her right away.
Ample figure, sagging with weight. The voluptuous waist that connects to it, as well as the shameless curves that reveal themselves in between, causing my semen to drip copiously.
She had surrendered to mepletely, her seductive and lewd body.
She spread her hands towards me.
¡° Hurry up....¡±
I could feel my manhood swelling at the thought.
I quickly entered Alice¡¯s embrace, and she grasped my arms.
Once again, I plunged my face into her depths.
¡° Oh! Alice¡¯s moans filled with audacity...!¡±
She tightly clung to me, refusing to yield even the slightest gap, as if to protect the sweet indulgence that was now mine.
Thrust after thrust, I persisted, and the sensations I once knew no longer resurfaced.
I wrapped my hands around Alice¡¯s breasts, squeezing them until her nipples protruded. I held them captive in the narrow space between my fingers, caressing her spine.
¡° Hmm, hmm, hmm..., hmph...!¡±
Alice leaned her head to the side, closing her eyes and giving herself over to the pleasure.
The sight of Alice¡¯s body in front of me, looking so alluring and voluptuous, made me yearn for a manly dream. When Alice¡¯s aroused face looked up at me and she extended her hand, I took it in mine.
¡° Are you delicious, my love...?¡±
The coquettish voice that carried a hint of childishness caressed my ears.
I couldn¡¯t resist any longer.
I pressed my body onto Alice¡¯s, lifting her up to make love to her more fiercely.
Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!
From noble mtl dote
¡° Oh, oh, hmm, oh!¡±
Alice wrapped her arms around my neck, moaning as I took her. The grip of her fingers tightening around me only intensified the pleasure.
My face was buried in her chest, which was slick with sweat. I could distinctly smell her intoxicating aroma. Oh, was this heaven?
Despite myrger stature, the ufortable posture prevented me from escaping. But attempting to leave was akin to being a bodhisattva or a saint.
¡° Are you wanting to fight again...? Oh, back inside me...?¡±
¡° I can¡¯t resist...!¡±
¡° It¡¯s fine,e quickly. I can handle a few more rounds...! Just give me a little more, my dear...!¡±
Is this a prepared phrase?
Well, Alice has always wanted me to do this, hasn¡¯t she?
The effect was phenomenal.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!!
My body collided with hers, and the cave was filled with a loud, intense sound.
I took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of Alice¡¯s smooth skin, and continued to thrust, my weight bearing down on her.
¡°Uh, ah, ah...! Yeah, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s it. Just like that... inside me...¡±
Alice¡¯s voice was drenched in passion, sweet and alluring.
Alice¡¯s hips moved up and down, her body beckoning me to hurry up.
There was no hesitation, and as a male, my instincts took over, and I felt a rush of pleasure. I moaned softly, focusing solely on the act of pration, my body moving in and out of hers.
As I thrust deeper, the currents of pleasure surged through me.
Suddenly, the tension built up again, and I felt myself about to climax.
¡°Alice, I¡¯m going toe again...!¡±
¡°Uh...!¡±
I pulled out of Alice¡¯s chest, grasping her smooth skin with a sense of euphoria.
Bang, bang, bang!
I inserted myself deep into her, feeling the rush of pleasure.
Finally, I released a torrent of semen.
Hrrr... still, the semen flowed from my connected bodies, and I savored the lingering aftertaste of our s*xual encounter.
Alice gently stroked my hair.
¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. You¡¯vee a lot, well done. My belly is full of your baby¡¯s semen...¡±
¡°What were you saying, didn¡¯t you ever hold back? You can do it here... Hehe.¡±
Alice whispered into my ear.
¡°I was so grateful to have you, I loved you so much... I don¡¯t think you know how much.¡±
¡°...?¡±
¡°You gave me the chance to make amends, to be your lover... I¡¯m overflowing with blessings, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m aware of it.¡±
I stood up and looked down at Alice, who was sitting on the floor.
She was smiling slightly.
¡°I love you. Really, really... I love you so much... You can¡¯t bear it.¡±
Alice¡¯s lips curled up slightly.
¡°...I love you too.¡±
...
Before I knew it, the morning had arrived.
We had reserved a room in advance.
Amp was spreading its light in the room.
Snap, snap, snap...
¡°Eh, eh, eh, ah...!¡±
Alice lifted her hips on the bed, where I was lying. She waspletely naked, except for the handcuffs on her wrists.
She didn¡¯t want to take them off, saying they were proof that she was mine.
Her buttocks pressed against my lower body, and I felt a sense of satisfaction from the gentle, enjoyable s*x. It was different from the intense s*x we had earlier.
It seemed that she had be ustomed to s*x, and her hips moved more smoothly. She held my pen*s in her v*gina, ying with it like a toy.
¡°Yes, eh, ah, ah...!¡±
I savored her lewd moans and enjoyed the pleasure of s*x.
My pen*s swam tirelessly in her hot v*gina, apanied by the sound of the bed creaking and the distant noise of the sea.
Despite having s*x countless times with Alice, I couldn¡¯t get tired of it. My desire didn¡¯t seem to wane.
After we finished having s*x, we still had to suppress our desires for a moment before we arrived at the room. We had then repressed our desires and shared them with each other.
On the bed, covered in sweat and body fluids, my semen continued to flow into Alice¡¯s uterus without stopping. It seemed endless.
Even after we had showered together and had s*x, there was still a lot of my semen on Alice¡¯s body.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with your expression now? Are youughing?¡±
¡°I¡¯m feeling good, so I¡¯m having trouble managing my expression now...¡±
Alice leaned her upper body towards me.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, now, what should I do...? If I keep making such a pitiful face, I¡¯ll want to make love every day, it seems...?¡±
¡°Has your confidence increased? Are you going to say all that?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make a face like I¡¯m about to cry, and then... Ah, Ah, Ah... I¡¯ll make love, that¡¯s how much I know...?¡±
Alice pressed her lips to my cheek and whispered.
¡°I, I think I can¡¯t take it anymore....¡±
Snap, snap, snap, the sound got louder. Despite my own aggression, I let out a low ¡°Ah¡± and Alice¡¯s breath was faintly audible.
The sound of our bodies rubbing together turned into a loud, grunting noise. The walls of my insides tightened even more, and I felt an overwhelming urge to release my tension.
¡°Just wait until I make love to you, and then it¡¯ll all be my fault...?¡±
¡°What a joke...?¡±
I turned my head to face Alice and our lips met. Sssss... We continued our passionate kiss.
I guessed that Alice was the one with the most physical strength and s*xual desire among my wives.
I wondered why Alice would say that once she had s*x, she would only think of herself.
It seemed that she had already guessed what kind of person she was.
¡°What did you hold back all this time.¡±
@@novelbin@@
No... I didn¡¯t really hold back. It was actually Alice who caught me off guard.
Thanks to that, I felt less worried. I was worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to fully satisfy my s*xual desire with Dorothy, Lucy, Kay, and White alone, but it seemed that Alice was a stronger opponent than I had expected.
Tsst... Alice pulled away her lips.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong! I want it more! It¡¯s not over yet, right? Ah, Ah, Ah...!¡±
Alice¡¯s words sparked mypetitive spirit.
I grasped Alice¡¯s smooth buttocks with both hands and shook her.
Pang pang pang pang pang!
Snap snap snap snap!
The gentle lovemaking turned into a violent coption.
The sound of our bodies colliding was loud and piercing, and Alice buried her head in my shoulder, letting out a loud scream.
Alice¡¯s body twisted and turned. It seemed she was unable to hold back her pleasure.
We were lost in the ecstasy of lovemaking.
¡°Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah! Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah!¡±
Alice¡¯s lubrication was still flowing, making it easy for us to continue the lovemaking.
Cheeks and sweat bathed Alice¡¯s body, her cherished parts now fully mine.
Alice, grinning, pressed herself against my insertion, her back arching in response.
¡°I¡¯ll go too, won¡¯t I...!¡±
Her moan echoed with rough passion. Alice looked at me, her head tilted. My jealousy subsided, reced by the urge to possess her fully.
¡°Alice, again...¡±
¡°Me too...! Pant, pant!¡±
I hugged Alice¡¯s bottom tightly and leaned in, my body responding to the onrushing wave of pleasure.
Just before the release, Alice gripped both my cheeks and pressed her lips to mine.
She held back a scream.
I too surrendered to the intense pleasure.
¡°Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr!¡±
A wave of liquid passion surged towards Alice, the release sudden and intense.
¡°Hooom! Goom!...¡±
Alice let out a scream-like moan.
Despite giving in to the release, she repeated the invasion several times.
¡°Gah, wretched...!¡±
The passionate Alice, her eyes briefly losing focus.
¡°Ha, cling, cling, squish...!¡±
Finally, the true Alice emerged, gasping for breath and resuming our kiss.
We exchanged the passionate kiss without taking a single breath, Aliceughing mischievously afterwards.
The desire was far from quenched.
¡ª
Our lips, having not parted since our previous lovemaking, felt dry and empty.
Even saliva failed to bring back the feeling of our kiss.
I fetched a water jug.
¡°Alice, water.¡±
¡°Thank you...¡±
Alice took the jug and drank, only to fill her lips with water instead.
Chapter 375: Side Story – Alice’s Case (4)
And then, I leaned in and kissed her lips again, letting the water flow into my mouth. It seemed like I was trying to conserve the time of our bodies being together, and also wanting to explore her body a bit more.
I sucked in the water from Alice¡¯s mouth, honey-like.
We mixed our lips and tongues again, with the water still lingering.
We moved our hips again. It was still not time to stop.
...
Dark room.
Alice was sleeping soundly.
My still-hard pen*s was connected to her v*gina. She wanted to sleep together, connected like that.
I wrapped my arms around Alice¡¯s waist and crossed my arms, squeezing her breasts.
It was the most exquisite sensation. Each finger was deeply embedded, and it felt like I could pull my hand out if I squeezed hard enough.
As I savored the sensation of Alice¡¯s v*gina and her plump breasts, I also closed my eyes.
¡°Huhuh...¡±.
Alice¡¯s soft moans echoed through the room.
My pen*s felt the sensation of Alice¡¯s v*gina, even as it rested there.
After a while, my semen was released, and Alice breathed quietly, unaware of what was happening.
It was a different kind of pleasure.
I fell asleep in that state. I think our s*xual activity had exhausted me a bit, because I fell asleep soon.
I dreamed of being covered by Alice. I even had s*x with her in my dream, releasing my semen.
Before I knew it, it was morning.
¡°Huhuh...!¡±
I opened my eyes, feeling the sensation of ejaction. A strong sense of pleasure enveloped my entire body, and my consciousness became clear.
¡°Alice...?¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m awake...?¡±
Alice¡¯s voice was muffled, as if she was trying to stifle her cries of pleasure. I was still wrapped around her.
¡°Alice...?¡±
Alice¡¯s voice was hoarse from crying out.
The sun was shining brightly outside, casting a warm glow over the room. The chirping of birds was quite pleasant.
My pen*s was still warm. It was still wrapped around Alice¡¯s v*gina.
I leaned my head against Alice¡¯s neck and took a deep breath. The scent of her body overwhelmed my senses, and my s*xual desire was stirred once more.
Since then, Alice¡¯srge chest was caressed like a toy. It was a heavenly sensation.
¡°What¡¯s this feeling inside me?¡±
¡°It¡¯s too good...¡±.
¡°I¡¯m d.¡±
¡°Did you sleep well?¡±
¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t sleep much... I wanted to do it a little more...¡±.
Alice gently shook her hips. As a result, the erect pen*s inside her moved. She trembled all over with the sensitive sensation after orgasm.
It felt like being in a warm and viscouske. Every time Alice¡¯s hips moved, theke seemed to ripple.
That meant her v*gina was full of semen.
Ssssss. I carefully pulled out my pen*s from Alice¡¯s.
¡°Baby, you¡¯re still sensitive...! Hehehe...!¡±
Alice let out a lewd sigh.
Ssssss. When I pulled out my pen*s, arge amount of semen spilled out of Alice¡¯s v*gina. Gurgle, gurgle.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s a shame...¡±.
Alice stroked her lower back and let out a sigh. She seemed to be regretful that she couldn¡¯t hold all my semen.
I turned Alice¡¯s body towards me. Alice looked at my tired eyes and smiled kindly.
Alice gently took hold of my still-erect pen*s and pushed it into her thigh gap.
¡°Ah, ah...¡±.
Soon, Alice was pressed against me, inserting my pen*s into her v*gina.
My pen*s was still being pulled in by the remaining semen and lubricant in Alice¡¯s v*gina. It was easier than the first time. It was because Alice¡¯s body had already adapted to mine.
The warm v*gina hugged my pen*s tightly, giving me a deep sense of pleasure. It was like wearing a coat, and I felt iplete if I didn¡¯t do this.
¡°aaah... You¡¯re still firm...¡±.
Alice let out a deep sigh from my chest. I kissed her forehead and pulled her close.
@@novelbin@@
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°This is fine. It feels like we¡¯re one. I want to live like this...¡±.
Weughed together.
Then, Alice lifted her head and yfully tickled my nose with her long fingers.
¡°Did you sleep well, dear?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Your sleepy face is cute... Really, darling, how can you be so lovable...¡±.
¡°You¡¯re cute too.¡±
¡°Do you want to do it a bit more?¡±
Alice whispered sweet nothings into my ear, her hand covering my mouth.
¡°Don¡¯t we have to leave?¡±
¡°Just ask Chester to extend it, it¡¯s fine.¡±
I chuckled.
The problem was on my work side, but since there was no major issue, I could leave it to the team leader.
¡°Maybe.¡±
Alice summoned Chester.
Chester, with a skeptical face, appeared and looked at Alice, then followed her instructions to extend the stay.
After that, Alice summoned Chester again. And we were still together, washing our bodies in the shower.
But we couldn¡¯t help ourselves and I ended up having s*x with Alice again.
We even had s*x during meals, and whenever we had a chance, we would mix our bodies.
¡°Baby, you never get tired... Ah, I¡¯m so happy...¡±
I moved Alice¡¯s hips while she was sitting on the table. I caressed her chest with both hands, and soon her nipples poked out, which I licked and sucked.
The sensation of indulging in pleasure and treating her body as my own was extremely satisfying.
¡°It¡¯s wrong...¡±
Alice gently stroked my hair, like a mother caring for her child, and then pulled my head to her chest.
¡°I love you, I love you...¡±
Alice whispered her love several times.
I kissed her lips and whispered my love back.
...
Doppelganger.
I was dealing with work in the office when...
Zzz, zzz, ch-ch-ch...
¡°Ah...¡±
A woman with a golden horn was sucking and licking my pen*s under the desk.
It was Alice.
¡°Ah, is it nice?¡±
Alice held my pen*s precious and asked, her mouth licking my cock and balls.
¡°Just say it before... Ah,e on...!¡±
As I grabbed Alice¡¯s head, I forced my pen*s into her mouth, and it slid down her tongue, touching the slippery mucous membrane. At the end, there was a solid, hard part of her throat.
Alice closed her eyes tightly.
Then, ¡°Pffft, pffft, pffft...¡± Arge amount of semen, carrying intense ecstasy, poured into her throat like a waterfall.
¡°Ah...!¡±
I realized I had made a mistake again, and let go of her head.
Alice quickly pulled her mouth away from my pen*s, covered her mouth, and repeated the gesture of clearing her throat.
¡°Kk, kk, kk...!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to...¡±
I pushed the chair back and apologized with a guilty face.
Alice looked at me with a smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement, and shook her head, showing no sign ofint.
Then she opened her mouth, revealing the semen-filled space, and showed it off to me like a trophy.
¡°Uh...?¡±
She closed her mouth again, and sucked in audibly. Alice swallowed my semen.
And then she took my pen*s into her mouth, licking it clean like a cat.
¡°Zzok, zzok...¡± My still-throbbing pen*s was sucked dry, lost in the pleasure of being licked by Alice¡¯s tongue.
¡°Kk, kk...¡±
The afterglow of the climax was so intense that it felt like a wave crashing over me.
After finishing, Alice pulled my pen*s out of her mouth, kissed my ns, and held it precious, pressing it against her smooth cheek.
Smiling sweetly, she looked at me again.
¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯m a ve, remember? I can give you orders and do as I please, and... ¡°
¡°...and?¡±
¡°...it¡¯s even better if you can¡¯t control me... ¡°
I burst outughing.
¡°So, little one, next time...¡±
Suddenly, Alice opened the buttons of her shirt, revealing her plump chest.
She inserted her two fingers into the gap and gently spread her breasts apart.
¡°Want to try this too?¡±
¡°No, thank you.¡±
¡°Huhuh.¡±
Alice still hadn¡¯t gotten tired and was still excited, so she put my erect pen*s between her unbuttoned shirt buttons.
The meat stick, soaked in Cooper¡¯s lotion and Alice¡¯s saliva, was buried deep into the smooth flesh of her chest.
I felt a sense of fullness. While it was less stimting than putting it in her mouth or v*gina, the psychological s*xual pleasure was considerable. It was a pleasurable sensation, I suppose.
Alice pressed her chest, which felt like a pillow, against my side and increased the pressure. She then shook her chest, shaking it back and forth.
¡°Is your chest feeling good?¡±
¡°Do I need to say anything....¡±
¡°Cute.... Come on, let¡¯s get started. On my chest... yes, yes....¡±
I couldn¡¯t focus on my work anymore. I couldn¡¯t let Alice go either. How could I push away this lovely girl...
My semen was umting again, and I let out a small sigh.
The sticity of my rigid meat stick was causing me a lot of suffering.
Continuous pleasure. Then, a sudden burst! I came again in Alice¡¯s chest.
From noble mtl dote
Alice smiled wickedly, stuck her finger into my chest, and hid my semen. Then, she licked her finger.
It¡¯s like a subus...
¡°What can we do next? We can make our partner happy....¡±
I spread my arms to the sides.
¡°...it¡¯s fun.¡±
Alice smiled happily and closed the shirt buttons that I had previously opened.
Then, she stood up, lifted her legs on both sides, and snuggled into my embrace like a baby.
I held Alice tightly and gave her a kiss on her cheek. The sound of her giggling echoed in my ears.
At that moment...
Knock knock.
¡°Come in, sir?¡±
The sound of knocking and Dorothy¡¯s voice came from outside the entrance.
¡°Dorothy?¡±
I turned my head towards the entrance, looking away from Alice.
Usually, she would just barge in, but today she was knocking on the door for some reason.
¡®Ah.¡¯
As I thought, Dorothy probably knew that Alice was here. What was she trying to do?
Suddenly, Alice grasped my cheek and turned her face towards her own.
...
She smiled with a gentle face, stretching her index finger and pressing it against her lips.
¡°Shh.¡±
Then she grasped my hand and ced it on her waist.
¡°It won¡¯t do. Now it¡¯s just for me to see?¡±
With a soft yet firm tone.
Alice took a deep breath, revealing her exclusive desire for the first time.
¡°Ah!¡±
Tss. Alice parted her lips and kissed me as if devouring my mouth.
She then matched her hips to mine, swaying her waist slightly, and filled my mind with her again.
¡°Kk... I can¡¯t help it... with Alice...¡±
Dorothy¡¯s weak voice was heard from outside the entrance, but Alice didn¡¯t give me a chance to respond.
Sorry, Dorothy. It¡¯s not possible now.
I wanted to spend time with Alice, who was by my side, alone.
¡°It¡¯s okay... good.¡±
Alice raised her waist slightly, parted her lips, and whispered seductively.
¡°It¡¯s a reward.¡±
And then, she slowly brought her hips to mine, filling her with my semen, and lowered her waist.
¡°Hu...!¡±
She let out a deep sigh.
Alice wrapped her arms around me and started swaying her waist.
We kissed again, whispered love in each other¡¯s ears, and became lost in passion.
From then on, the times we had s*x with Alice were countless, and it was hard to count them because my mind was numb.
So many happy moments followed for me.
Chapter 377: Afterword of the Side Story Completion
Hello, this is Chicken Boy.
The work I cherished the most has finallye to aplete end.
It¡¯s been about a year since the main story ended, and now the side story is finished...
I thought I could manage writing other works alongside this, but it seems it was more challenging than I expected. It feels like an issue with my chronic tendencies.
Next time, if I write fewer side stories, I n not to even look at new works until those side stories are finished, haha...
Still, I¡¯m d I could finish the side story.
Being able to wrap up all the loose ends andplete the novel was all thanks to the readers who have been with this story.
I sincerely thank you.
Isaac and his wives have gained very long lifespans and immortality, and they will live happily for a very long time, haha
If I write an original web novel, I remember saying that my first work would definitely be about an academy.
I loved the element of the academy so much.
The work titled ¡°Demon Race Limited Overpowered Hero¡± fulfilled that desire.
Because of this, I believe it will hold more meaning than any other novel I will write in the future.
Also, as I mentioned in a prior notice, I apologize once again for omitting the adult scenes for some heroines..!
You can throw stones at me for that part..??
But as a sign of my apology.
@@novelbin@@
If my position stabilizester, I will sequentially bring in adult-ratedmissioned illustrations for the remaining heroines besides Dorothy..!
Lastly.
After thepletion of ¡°The Prefect of the Academy City,¡± I mentioned I might change my pen name, but I¡¯ve decided to continue using the same one for the foreseeable future.
I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll return, but as I¡¯ve beencking, I think of myself as an aspiring writer again and n to gradually improve my skills.
With this, I¡¯ll take my leave.
Once again, thank you for reading ¡°The Weakest at the Academy Became the Demon Race Limited Overpowered Hero¡±!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!