"Someday, by all means, please save Yennekar."
I suddenly remembered the high-ranking wind spirit Merilda's message.
I couldn't help but want to ask follow-up questions at such a request.
How did it know what was gonna happen to Yennekar? It probably didn't have information of how the story would progress like I did.
And what did it want me to do by asking me to save her?
Did it expect me to just run to the Student Center and defeat Velosper? To go sacrifice myself and throw away my insider information about the future? How did it even think I could defeat Velosper?
Or did it want me to read Yennekar's thoughts so I could prevent her from doing this?
Like some mad god obsessed with controlling the variables to make it possible for Yennekar to live a happy life? There were certain degrees to how unreasonable demands could be.
But Merilda wasn't an idiot.
The one who delivered the message was Lucy Mayreel. Merilda kept track of every single move I made in the forest. This meant she took that into consideration before giving me the message. There must have been a reason for it.
Trying to figure out her intention wasn't easy, nor was it important, right now.
I already had so many things I needed to take care of. I didn't have the headspace to even think about some side problem.
***
The world was already filled with difficult challenges, so I found no reason why I should even challenge the impossible.
The reason people had a hard time challenging the impossible was that they didn't even know it was impossible in the first place.
From the point of view of someone who had already cleared 'Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster' countless times, who had measured all the skills of both characters and enemies, who had played through the game in various playstyles—trying to beat Takan right now would be like challenging the impossible.
Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster Act 1 Finale. The third named boss. The high-ranking fire spirit Takan.
Takan was already a high-ranking spirit with overwhelming specs, but with Velosper's Berserk buff, it now had an infinite advantage against magic. The hard scales that wrapped around its entire body nullified the power of any magic attack. The fact that a sword could even penetrate it already didn't make any sense.
Anyone who had ever played a game would figure it out at this point. Takan wasn't a boss made to be defeated through skills and strategies.
He was an event boss. A boss added by the story to have Taylee use his newly acquired Elemental Slash from the last chapter.
Whenever a new skill, function, element, or anything else was introduced in a game such as this, the natural progression would be to make players learn how to use it. It would be ridiculous if they just kept adding skills but never introduced the players to how to properly wield them.
As a result, this became a situation wherein I had to open a locked door without the key.
That was impossible, obviously.
"What's inside?"
"It's nothing special. It's not necessary but it's good to have, just in case."
"Is… that so?"
Ziggs asked me about the leather bag I brought out from the reading room. But there was no time to explain so I had held the bag in my arms as I crossed the hallway.
Since I needed to make the impossible possible, my methods didn't have to be normal. If I couldn't open a locked door, then I just had to go through the back door.
The story that was progressing smoothly somehow got derailed. I needed to put my stance of safely watching from the sidelines on hold. I had to flip it back to its original state. I needed to quickly adapt to the unfolding situation.
I would have been able to solve this in a simpler way had I had enough time. Since I knew every single factor within the game, I would've been able to plan more accordingly to my benefit.
But I could only afford to deal with what I already had. And my method boiled down to my insider information, a privilege I alone enjoyed.
Luckily, I came up with a good idea.
Though the idea was ridiculous, it was the surest idea that would work out.
***
"I'm sorry for being late. I will pay for the crime I had committed."
"Never mind that. Even if you were here, we would have lost anyway."
The time to face the subjugation force came earlier than I had expected.
Ziggs dropped Elka off at the Student Square since he couldn't enter the Student Center with her on his back. We ran all the way here with all our strength since it was an urgent situation. But surprisingly, the subjugation team had already returned to the Square.
And their condition was ridiculous.
"We were lucky enough to retreat, but…"
Princess Penia looked up at the vast night sky. Glasskan's summoning circle had almost completely turned dark red. It wouldn't even be strange if it were to be completed right now.
The barrier covering the academic district was still intact, so it seemed moot to expect help from outside.
"Having come all the way here, this is a situation where I have to enter headfirst and either sink or swim."
Time wasn't on our side. Nobody would suggest waiting for outside help at this point, given how the summoning circle had filled the sky with red. But even if they were running out of time, the subjugation team already lost once and had wasted precious time from retreating.
I looked around. How far did they enter? Where did they get stuck? And how much damage did they take?
I was awestruck by all the students gathered around me. All of these main characters who had individual roles were gathered together in one place like some sort of glorious event.
The Failed Swordmaster Taylee, Companion Ayla, The Benevolent Princess Penia, The Golden Daughter Lortel, The Spear from Nature Ziggs, Head Escort Claire, Gloomy Clevius, Nosy Elvira…
They all had injuries of varying severity, big and small. Head Escort Claire, particularly, had one of her legs completely burned. She was now useless in terms of fighting power.
Not only that, but Clevius was also wearing a splint on one of his arms. It looked like a fracture. That meant he too had lost a great deal of value as part of the team's fighting power.
But the most important thing was that Taylee looked okay. Considering that fact, I started to decide what steps we needed to take to keep the story progressing.
Claire voiced her opinion, barely managing to keep her balance.
"If you're planning on re-entering, I think it would be a good idea to gather volunteers from the regular students and then re-enter. Once the pain goes away, I will also hurry up and…"
"That's enough, Claire. You will rest here."
Claire shook her head.
"Princess Penia, if you are really being considerate towards me, then please withdraw your command."
"You can't even walk properly, Claire. I, too… have a heart."
You could infer from the princess's tone that the reason such a talented royal knight such as Claire was even seriously injured was that she had protected Princess Penia.
The princess talked in a firm voice, keeping her resolve, but she must be a wreck inside.
It was definitely like her to not show any weakness. However, just being strong-minded didn't mean the current crisis at hand would be solved. It wasn't a strong heart that would solve this crisis, but one's abilities.
I looked around our surroundings.
Surrounding the Square were Neres Hall, Obell Hall, and the Student Center.
Of the buildings, Glockt Hall was completely destroyed, a result of entering the building to fight a mid-ranking spirit during Phase 2. The entrance to Nail Hall was also open, probably from when they defeated the spiritual beast Altair who was blocking it.
Just as I expected. They got through Phase 2 but lost to Takan during Phase 3.
Thankfully, they were able to retreat successfully. Although they ended up wasting too much precious time and even lost Claire, who was an important part of the team in terms of fighting power. The top first-year student of the Combat Department, Clevius, had also lost more than half of his fighting power.
We didn't have much time and we were out of fighting power. It also seemed like the summoning circle would get completed anytime now before any sort of outside help could come. I couldn't just stay still but I also was not sure if we would be able to win if we were to re-enter right away.
Princess Penia tightly clenched her teeth. She was in the position to lead the camp. She had to come up with some type of plan.
"Let's divide the subjugation team into two."
I spoke the minute I was able to properly assess the situation.
An outsider had intervened all of a sudden. The gloomy atmosphere due to the first-year aces getting hurt became even worse at my intrusion.
"Looking at the summoning circle, it seems like it's going to be completed soon. There's not enough time to defeat Takan."
"What the—Ed Rothstaylor?"
Gloomy Clevius said as he winced in pain from his fracture.
"Listen here, does this situation seem like a joke to yo—"
"Let's hear him out first, Clevius."
Ziggs stopped Clevius before he could finish what he was saying.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight. They looked baffled. Something told me that Ziggs' attitude before he left and his attitude towards me now were vastly different.
They must be thinking something happened at the library.
But no matter what may have happened, I didn't have time to pay attention to such things right now.
"Takan relies on its hearing more than its sight when grasping the surrounding terrain and enemy's location. So making a loud noise should be enough to lure him away. It will be better if we have one team distract Takan while the other enters the Combat Practice Field."
"Ed, you can only say that because you've never fought Takan."
It was Lortel who responded. She had fought Takan one-on-one during the Joint Combat Practice class a while ago.
"It's not the same as when I fought it in class."
"I know. Velosper must have cast Berserk. Fighting low-ranking spirits was enough for me to realize that."
"Attract his attention and earn time. That plan doesn't sit well with me. It was already a relief not to fall down or lose your life with each of its attacks. The only reason we were able to retreat was because we got lucky."
Lortel calmly explained.
"Did you escape when the pillar fell down?"
"..."
How did you know that?
They all looked at me with the same questions in their eyes. But there wasn't enough time to explain.
I wasn't comfortable intervening in the first place. I wouldn't have needed to explain anything if only there wasn't an unexpected variable that happened.
I had decided not to do anything that would ruin the flow of the original story so as not to risk the knowledge I had.
But I needed to put that aside for now.
There are three cutscenes mid-battle where the pillars around the corridor will collapse. You will instantly die if a pillar falls on you so be sure to watch out for it!*
It wouldn't have been this hard if we had Elemental Slash. But that was something you'd only know if you had enough experience playing the game.
If you led Takan under the large stone pillars found at three corners of the corridor, you would be able to time it and had them fall on him, giving the players a bit of time.
"You were lucky."
They were lucky enough to have one of the pillars fall on Takan, giving them enough time to escape. It was like the heavens had truly helped them.
Although that would only happen the first time, because Takan would cut the pillar with its tail after, meaning you couldn't bank on such luck twice.
"I won't press you for the details, but what you're suggesting is completely unrealistic, Ed. Takan was an opponent we couldn't do anything against, even when we all rushed him. So why would we split our fighting power into two? We may be able to buy a little bit of time, yes. But I don't think that small amount of time would mean anything in the long run."
What Lortel said was realistic and reasonable. Her impressive level-headed reasoning was the biggest reason she got to where was today.
The half that would be in charge of Takan would most likely get wiped out before they could even buy us some time. And if Takan joins Velosper at the field, that would just be the worst possible situation for us, taking care of the both of them at the same time.
To summarize the entire reason for her object, it was:
"The risk is too high."
But that was not something I could say, knowing what I know.
"The risk posed by an action can only be determined if there is another alternative path, Lortel."
Lortel momentarily shut her mount, unable to refute my words. She rolled her eyes, thinking of what else she could argue with, but she couldn't come up with an alternative path to deal with this situation.
"Princess Penia, we shouldn't forget the most important goal we have right now. And that's to stop Yennekar, who is currently possessed by Velopser."
Everyone fell silent. Nobody wanted to agree with me even though everything I said was true.
"There's no reason to defeat Takan. We can just run past him and find a way to stop Yennekar in the practice field. With this group of people here, we should be able to defeat Velopser. No… not should. We have to defeat Velosper."
With all these main characters gathered here today, if we still couldn't beat Velosper, then it could only be attributed to a lack of synergy.
This subjugation team could definitely beat Velosper and Yennekar during the final phase, even if they were lacking in fighting power. The key was Taylee's Swordmaster skill. Things would work out if enough people supported him during the battle.
"Ed Rothstaylor."
Princess Penia was staring right at me, looking worse for wear.
So many things and different variables must have pushed her into a corner.
The hem of her dress, which had always been shiny, was now dirty and torn here and there. The tips of her silky hair had also been burned by Takan's flames. All traces of a gruesome battle.
With her mind and body pushed into a corner, she looked straight at me.
"You… It's you again."
"Since we don't have much time, I won't say much."
The students around us began to whisper.
Who is he to talk to the princess so condescendingly?
Isn't it crazy to follow Ed Rothstaylor's plan?
Won't we all die at this point?
Well, these were things not even worth reacting to.
"I am not lying."
But these students were not the ones who would make the final decision. Only one person in this base had a monarch's qualifications to take on such responsibilities.
Princess Penia stared at me for a while… she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, but soon nodded her head.
"Whatever your intent may be, you didn't say anything that wasn't true."
A judgment made calmly.
"Princess Penia! Are you taking his side?! That guy is Ed Rothstaylor!"
"Quiet, Claire. I am not taking Ed Rothsaylor's side, I'm just following the 'reasonable opinion' that he had brought up."
Princess Penia told the subjugation team after making her final decision.
"We can't beat Takan right now. But what's certain is that if we defeat the Elementalist Yennekar, then Takan would also be defeated. But there's something we must first decide."
"Who's going to stop Takan?"
Ziggs said. Followed by a moment of silence from everyone.
"Ah… isn't that just picking a person who wants to commit suicide?"
"Watch what you say, Elvira."
"Oh my, I apologize, princess."
In a state of disarray, Nosy Elvira quickly shut her mouth.
"One is not specifically safer than the other. The opponent will either be a high-ranking dark spirit or a high-ranking fire spirit."
That's right.
From their point of view, one was not safer than the other.
But from my point of view, knowing everything I did, dealing with Takan was much more dangerous.
Takan was an enemy designed to teach Taylee how to use Elemental Slash. That's why it was an overwhelmingly overpowered enemy.
On the other hand, the high-ranking dark spirit Velosper was just a strong enemy.
Defeating him would not rely on a specific attack method like Takan. Velosper was just a standard final boss you could defeat through strategy and properly using your abilities.
Takan's existence is completely unreasonable, given the circumstances. A lock that needed to be opened without a key.
But Velosper was just a complicated labyrinth. And with these many talented members, they could surely defeat him through pure effort.
"But… I… I don't want to deal with that fire-lizard!"
The cowardly Clevius groaned.
"I will… I'll go with the team fighting Velosper! I'd rather go that way! You even said it yourself, that it was more important to deal with Yennekar!"
Ah, that's right. Right now, the biggest difference between the two high-ranking spirits was the fear that the subjugation team had felt.
Tension spread throughout the group. The princess wasn't able to stop Clevius from saying such discouraging things.
The enemy they hadn't met yet, versus the enemy they already lost against.
It was obvious that the fear they felt for Takan was much stronger.
Takan, the high-ranking spirit made even stronger by Velosper's Berserk buff. The embodiment of fear, who swung its tail around, letting out a mighty roar, knocking down the pillars in the corridor while it spewed out flames.
It was only natural they didn't want to deal with it again.
Nobody volunteered for the Takan subjugation team.
There was tension among the students. Somebody had to take responsibility.
"I will take the position."
The first person to raise their hand was Taylee McLaure.
"Don't say something stupid."
I shut down Taylee immediately.
"What did you say…?"
There was still hostility in his eyes whenever he would look at me. That much was expected.
"You wouldn't be able to handle that lizard even if you die and get reborn. You wouldn't even last a minute."
"There's no guarantee someone else would be able to do it either. If we had to pick someone to sacrifice, it's only logical for that sacrifice to be me."
Taylee looked around. All of the faces he saw were of the ace students of the first-year students. It wasn't everyday you would get to see these people gathered in one place, sharing their opinions.
There was only one student here who was at risk of failing. Who was like a goose stuck amongst swans.
I was sure he was well-trained now. But that alone wouldn't nearly be enough to deal with the overwhelming gap between Takan and himself.
"I'm quick. I'm not sure how long I could run away for, but if we needed a sacrifice, it's only right for me to do it."
"You must have misunderstood. We aren't here to pick a sacrifice right now."
I grabbed Taylee's shoulders and turned him around. I gave him a strong push toward the crowd at the base.
"Stop making a fuss and get over there. You must be in the team who will deal with Velosper."
I looked at Princess Penia after.
"I have an idea. I can keep Takan busy until the main force is able to take down Yennekar."
"What do you mean?"
"That's… Is there even time to explain right now? It's a very long plan, so to speak."
The color of Glasskan's summoning circle up in the sky would no longer change. It was now completely dark red. It felt like the disaster that was Glasskan would come out any moment now.
"There's no need to divide the subjugation force into two equal numbers. I just need two people. One to act as the vanguard, and another for firepower."
That was all I would say. I then closed my mouth.
"Wh-What? You want us to come with you, Ed Rothstaylor, to go take on Takan?! Who in their right mind would do that?! We might as well just pray to god! Rather than trusting and following you… it would be better to run away towards the barrier's outskirts!"
"The person in charge of the vanguard will be Clevius, who currently keeps on yapping."
"WHAT? WHY?! WHY ME?! WHY?! I'M SORRY!!! IT'S MY FAULT! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!"
"Dear god… you're so loud! Idiotic Clevius."
Nosy Elvira yelled as she grabbed a piece of cloth used to seal alchemy chemicals and shoved it into the injured Clevius's mouth, unable to deal with him anymore.
Clevius started groaning through the gag while screaming on and off.
"As for the person in charge of firepower… Lortel, you will come with me."
"Me?"
The Golden Daughter Lortel looked at me in surprise.
"As you already know, I suffered a crushing defeat against Takan before, even without the Berserk magic."
"Is that even important? Is there even anyone here who can beat Takan one-on-one?"
"That's true, but, uhm…"
Lortel smiled.
"I also know how precious my life is. In this situation, regardless of who you ask, isn't it only natural to politely refuse? Even though I'm not like that idiotic Clevius?"
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
I could almost hear Clevius cry through the cloth, but none of the other subjugation force members cared.
"Alright. But your opinion doesn't really matter."
"That's true, too."
Lortel cooly admitted. There was only one person who could decide every action and policy regarding the subjugation force.
I turned my head towards her. The girl who had the power to decide everyone's actions, The Benevolent Princess Penia Elias Kroel.
"Please make a decision."
"Will you trust him?"
"Is there any alternative?"
Everyone nearby had their attention focused on the princess. The students guarding the base looked rather skeptical. You would be living under a rock to not know Ed Rothstaylor's notoriety. I wasn't hoping for a favorable response.
"Princess! You can't! No! You must never! You can't just trust that guy to take care of things!"
Gloomy Clevius spat out the fabric in his mouth and shouted in objection.
"I think it's a worthwhile plan. If there are no other alternatives, let's go with the plan Ed suggested. Because that is the only option we have."
The Spear from Nature Ziggs was relatively in favor of me.
"Yeah, It might be better to follow his plan. I'm not sure about anything but I sure know it's better than doing nothing and getting killed, ahahah!"
Nosy Elvira seemed to agree with me, but you could tell she was actually in favor of anything.
"I… I don't have anything to say."
The Golden Daughter Lortel quietly watched the situation unfold.
"..."
Taylee stayed silent, his thoughts must have been quite complicated.
At the center was Princess Penia with her eyes closed, silent herself.
Trying to figure out the correct decision among the many differing opinions.
The princess had to carefully choose whose opinions to trust, and whose opinions to discard.
After contemplating for a while, Princess Penia opened her and spoke.
"There is one condition. It may be a bit hard to fulfill."
Without further complications, the plan seemed to be going into action.
"Please don't die. You can't."
***
The subjugation force was divided into two groups.
The team in charge of Takan consisted of me, Clevius, and Lortel.
And the team in charge of defeating Yennekar consisted of the remaining members.
I didn't have any big reason why I chose Clevius and Lortel. I just needed two people to be in charge of the vanguard and firepower position.
The people who could've served as the vanguard were Taylee, Clevius, Ziggs and Claire.
Taylee was out of the question and Claire was seriously injured. So it was either Ziggs or Clevius. But it was better to put the stronger Ziggs on the team in charge of defeating Yennekar, as his role was more crucial in the subjugation.
I just needed a vanguard who would attract attention, so I didn't really need someone who was strong. That was why I ended up choosing Clevius who was already injured.
As for firepower, Princess Penia, Lortel, and Elvira were my potential choices to be in charge of firepower. Ayla was still a bit too weak to be considered for the role.
Princess Penia was out of the question. She would be in charge of creating the defense to block Velosper's magic attacks during the final battle. That's why she needed to be part of that team.
That left Elvira and Lortel. There wasn't much of a reason for choosing Lortel over Elvira. Lortel was known as the Bad Ending Maker during Act 1, so I didn't want to put her next to Taylee. That was why I decided to take her with me, instead.
As a result, the group in charge of defeating Yennekar was Taylee, Princess Penia, Ziggs, Elvira, and Ayla.
The group was a lot smaller compared to the original story. But they could definitely win as long as Taylee would obtain the Swordsmaster skill.
"We're cutting it quite close…"
There was nothing to be worried about. I already considered everyone's stats and who would be the best member for each role, essentially creating the most optimal teams but… compared to how the story originally went, there were definitely more things to be nervous about.
If they couldn't defeat Yennekar, then things would only get more complicated from there on out. But I had no choice but to trust them for now.
What's more urgent right now was Takan.
"Things ended up turning out just like you wanted, Ed."
It was late into the night. Sunrise was slowly approaching. The time limit was almost up.
The location we were headed to was the entrance to the Student Center. On either side of it were Neres Hall and Obel Hall.
"Shit! Just why did I have to be here?! Dear God! Please spare my life!"
Clevius was on the verge of tears. Even though he was acting like this, he's someone who always managed to do the things he needed to do. Even though he was irritatingly screeching like some mosquito next to my ear, he should be quite amazing at being the bait.
The three of us stood side by side as we looked at the open entrance to Nail Hall. As soon as we entered the corridor, the battle would start.
When we had managed to drag Takan out, the group in charge of defeating Yennekar would be able to sneak in behind and enter the Combat Practice Field where the final battle would start.
I couldn't believe the battle against both Takan and Velosper would be happening at the same time. I was experiencing all sorts of weird things, getting myself caught up in all of this.
"It's about time you tell us, right? How are we going to buy time against that fire-lizard?"
"We can't."
"…What?"
Lortel looked at me with an absurd expression on her face. Even Clevius was completely caught off guard.
"What? What the hell are you saying?!"
"We will die if Takan's fire so much as grazes us. Takan is also ridiculously fast, and we will be in a confined space, the pillars have already fallen down… how could we possibly buy some time? Even if we try to run away, we wouldn't be able to drag it on for more than five minutes."
"That's… those are words we can't just easily overlook, Ed. We're risking our lives here."
"What I'm saying is, I think we can have around five minutes, at the very least."
I took my dirty school uniform coat off and rolled up my sleeves.
"You shouldn't think of this as running away. You have to think of this as defeating it."
Clevius and Lortel looked dumbfounded at my words. It was a natural reaction for Clevius, but I had never seen Lortel look so puzzled before. She always looked so level-headed. It wasn't a common sight. Seeing it in person was kinda hilarious.
"Just do what I tell you. As long as we follow my plan, we will definitely win."
I waved my arm around, signaling the team in charge of defeating Yennekar.
It was to signal that it was time to enter.
-x-X-x-
Takan's roar traveled all throughout the vast corridor of Nail Hall.
The sound was sharp like a knife, enough to cut through one's eardrums and make everyone swallow their saliva dry.
The vanguard leading the way into battle inside the corridor was Gloomy Clevius.
"Whatever! I don't care! This is the end of my life!"
He was the top student among the first-years of the Combat Department.
Clevius was prone to saying ominous things and was always complaining. Coupled with his gloomy appearance, one couldn't help but think of him as someone who's rather pathetic. However, he was actually pretty resilient in a crisis.
Even with how cowardly he tended to act, he was still able to take the top spot in the Combat Department's first-year students. Although, strangely, he was unsure of his own skills. Maybe it was due to his past, maybe an unfortunate family upbringing or history, but whatever the case, it wasn't what was important right now.
What was important was that he was able to withstand attacks at a level that anyone would be in shock of.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
He had one of his arms in a splint due to a fracture, but Clevius was running across the corridor of Nail Hall as if it was nothing.
Nail Hall was one of the three buildings in the Student Center. It was used as a venue for various assemblies and was also often used as a training field. It was properly managed as it was a building where crowds of people would come and go all year round. To prove this fact, not a speck of dust could be seen on the marble floor of the whole corridor which stretched all the way out.
At the end of the corridor, about fifty meters ahead, was a large door that led to the Combat Training Field. It was where the first-years and second-years held their Joint Combat Practice class every year. That majestic door that would normally welcome any student in Silvenia was now being blocked by a massive burning lizard.
Just looking into its eyes would flood the fear of the previously attempted subjugation attempt.
Takan slowly stood up, letting out a rather sharp ear-shattering roar. Fear began to take over Clevius the minute he saw Takan, his legs trembling.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Clevius clenched his teeth as he managed to get his trembling body under control.
All of his senses were screaming at him to run away, but he knew there was no positive outcome if he were to throw everything away here.
Fortunately, he had companions with him. He didn't need to deal with the overwhelming fear by himself. There was Ed Rothstaylor, who was, for some reason, overflowing with confidence while still remaining calm. There was also Lortel Kehelland, who was always able to stay cool-headed regardless of the crisis at hand.
They were extremely different people compared to Clevius, who was prone to making a fuss and getting scared of even the smallest of crises.
Clevius didn't think any of them would be able to deal any significant damage to Takan, but at least he didn't have to enter this hell alone. The fact that he wasn't alone served as solace in this hopeless situation.
"It's coming! The battle is starting! Now what…?!"
As he saw Takan run towards him, the burning lizard spirit looking like it was going to devour him, Clevius looked back at his teammates to ask about the plan.
But nobody was there.
Clevius didn't look back when he ran as fast as he could. He couldn't afford to pay attention to anything because he was in a state of panic, running with all of his strength.
The corridor of Nail Hall stretched out far, and his teammates who should've been running with him weren't there at all.
A cold sweat ran down Clevius's back.
"I got tricked! You tricked me!"
Clevius screamed, almost in tears.
"HEY, YOU CRAZY SHITS! HEY! WHERE ARE YOU?! COME OUT! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! OF ALL PEOPLE, WHY DO I HAVE TO BE THE SACRIFICE, HUH?! IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE JUST SENT TAYLEE! HE ALREADY VOLUNTEERED ANYWAY! SO WHY ME?! AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Clevius continued to scream in the most pathetic way as he ran like crazy, leaving Takan behind.
If he knew this was going to happen, he wouldn't have trusted that damn Ed Rothstaylor. Clevius would've persuaded Princess Penia, even if it meant hitting the floor and throwing a tantrum like an immature child.
He blamed himself for believing in the commanding presence of Princess Penia and following this plan she approved of.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! ACHK! I HATE YOU! I HATE THIS WORLD! SAVE ME! PLEASE, I'M SORRY! AGHHH!"
Clevius running away with tears in his eyes was truly a pitiful sight.
***
"Act like we're going to enter with him, and once Clevius is focused on Takan, we will run out of there. He wouldn't agree to this if we just tell him since he's such a scaredy-cat. That's why it's necessary we do it like this."
The light of dawn was rising from the east. This long night would soon come to an end.
Lortel slowly closed her eyes only to open them again. She was in a corner of the Student Square where she could see the three large buildings: Nail Hall, which Clevius entered, the half-collapsed Glockt Hall in front of it, and right next to it was Obell hall, which Ed Rothstaylor just ran into.
Pulling her full focus, she gathered all the magic power in her whole body.
Her conversation with Ed a while ago played in her head again.
"The first step is to make Clevius enter Nail Hall's corridor."
"So you were just going to sacrifice Clevius in the end. It might not be a bad move, but morally speaking, criticism is inevitable."
"I wouldn't have said anything if it was such a one-dimensional plan."
Lortel focused on Clevius's screaming in the corridor, the sound ringing in her ears.
"You have the most important role, Lortel. You'll be in charge of securing the entrance for the other group, who will defeat Yennekar. You'll also be in charge of dealing the fatal blow to Takan."
There was no hint of hesitation in any of what Ed Rothstaylor said. In the midst of this confusing, chaotic, and urgent situation, he had no hesitation in making decisions. He had complete confidence in his own plans.
Lortel closed her eyes.
She had experienced countless crises since she was young, having been in business from an early age.
The reason a crisis was a crisis was because it was unexpected. From paperwork crises in logistics like the halt of distribution or an issue with the cash flow at a store, to a practical crisis like a business competitor's secret or scheme.
From Lortel's experience, she knew very well that a crisis was a unique opportunity that gave insight into a human's true nature, as well as their worst qualities.
She thought back to Ziggs just before he left the camp earlier.
In an unpredictable crisis, he was disillusioned by his selfishness prioritizing his own emotions.
She also remembered how Princess Penia helped Ziggs.
She despised the fact that this person, who was supposed to be firmer and stronger than anyone else, made such a poor decision.
A person who was truly trustworthy was one who looked for the answer in a time of unexpected crisis, while still holding strong to their beliefs. Someone who wasn't swallowed by fear or swayed by their emotions. And they should be someone who would never doubt their own beliefs.
"The most urgent thing we need to do is to send the group that will defeat Yennekar into the Combat Practice Field. We can worry about how we can defeat Takan after. So make sure to focus on listening. When you think Takan is far away enough, destroy the wall next to the field to let them in."
The key was to keep Takan and Velosper apart.
The worst possible outcome would be to deal with both of them at the same time.
"Whew… Well… I think he's showing off a bit too much…"
Lortel was originally in a position of directing others rather than receiving orders.
However, she was only a first-year student. Not only that, but she was also in the same class as someone from the royal family.
At the Elte Company, Lortel had a quite high position that even old merchants would bow their heads toward her.
She was someone who made her living in business, so she never had to be in an academic setting until now.
But although she entered Silvenia out of a 'necessity', the essence shouldn't have had to change.
A fallen noble. A person on the edge of a cliff with nothing left.
She didn't have to listen to the orders of such a person.
However, Ed Rothstaylor's words had a strange sense of conviction.
He had confidence that they would overcome this crisis as long as they followed his plan. This crisis that even a monarch like Princess Penia was struggling with.
The tone of his voice that had no ounce of doubt made it seem like he had already experienced countless crises.
Just what was Ed Rothstaylor's worst quality?
He returned Lortel's three gold coins when he shook her hand.
"Hmm…"
As someone who lived in the slums before being picked up by The Golden King Elte, Lortel knew the mindset of someone pushed into a corner.
She fully understood just how great of a temptation even a single gold coin was to a person who couldn't guarantee to live another day.
"Well, I don't think I'm the type of person to jump to conclusions just by hearing mere rumors."
Lortel had a giant ice spear floating above her head. No matter how good Clevius was at taking hits or how fast his reaction speed was, Takan would eventually end up catching up.
The only way was the aggressive decision to break down the walls of Nail Hall, walls that boasted a long history.
It was quite a simple plan, but it wasn't a plan that would come to mind easily.
They were students who usually walked around the academic district and visited the Student Center as if it was their own home.
The magnificent Nail Hall was among the academy's pride and was a landmark that represented the Student Center.
They never even considered or thought of it, taking it for granted, as it was a permanent part of their environment. To destroy it with their own hands was something they would have never thought of.
But then, wasn't Glockt Hall already destroyed? No matter how many years a building has stood for, it could never take precedence over a person's life.
Those types of drastic decisions were needed in such a large crisis. It's just a building. They could just rebuild it. Either way, Takan was already going crazy inside anyway, so it probably already suffered a lot of damage.
Who would be responsible for such destruction? This wasn't the time to be afraid of such things, but for inexperienced students, making these types of valid judgments was outside of their jurisdiction.
The magnificent Student Center was the academy's treasure, it shouldn't be damaged so recklessly. In this situation, one wouldn't normally be able to make the best judgments, trapped by these rules and way of thinking.
But if there was a fire in your home, you would have to break the window to escape.
No matter how expensive the stained glass may be, no matter how valuable a piece of art might be, you would have to break that window without hesitation and escape.
Destroying an old building like that, Lortel should have nothing to worry about.
"I can't believe I will destroy Nail Hall with my own hands. When else would I experience something like this?"
But then again, Lortel had already blown off the roof of Nail Hall once.
Having thought this far, she finally understood what Ed meant before he left for Obel Hall.
"You're good at this type of stuff."
Lortel chuckled. Ed Rothstaylor really was quite an interesting guy.
When this crisis is over, should she go and strike a casual conversation with him?
BANG!!!
Lortel smashed her ice spear into the outer wall of Nail Hall, nearest to the Combat Practice Field.
Dust rose as the thick wall collapsed.
She smiled neatly as she saw the other group waiting on the outskirts of the Student Square.
Everyone's puzzled expression was quite memorable. Anyhow, their entry point had been secured.
The only thing left to do was take care of Takan.
They just had to buy enough time so the other group could defeat Yennekar. It was obvious what she needed to do now.
"If we do something about its scales, then your magic will become effective against Takan. I'll take responsibility and figure out what to do about the scales, so just gather all the magic power you have and cast the strongest ice magic possible then."
Lortel became quite curious about this guy who gave such straight-to-the-point instructions.
The possibility was slim, but perhaps, she had found someone just like her. Her heart would've skipped a beat if that were the case, but she wasn't immature enough to get excited over such a slim possibility.
Lortel quietly began to gather her magic as she watched the group in charge of defeating Yennekar enter the Combat Practice Field.
This was a thousand times better than the commands of that princess, who was still naive and easily swayed. Ed's was an unfounded conviction that it would all work out. And if this was the wrong way, then it would all be useless. But at least, right now, it didn't feel that way at all.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! LORTEL! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL! I WON'T LEAVE YOU ALONE!"
Clevius screamed as he ran out of Nail Hall, Takan almost catching up to him, on the verge of eating him whole.
"NEVER MIND! I'M GOING TO DIE! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS! SAVE ME! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I SAID I WOULD KILL YOU! I'LL FORGIVE ALL OF YOU! JUST PLEASE SAVE ME!"
Watching him scream in a pathetic manner, Lortel gathered all the magic power in her body.
***
BANG!!!
Obel Hall was located on the southwest side of the Student Square. It was a building that Princess Penia would frequently visit when she become the Student Council president. It was full of privately owned rooms used as warehouses, along with conference facilities for the Student Council. It was a place of no importance right now, located outside of the current story.
As I ran up the stairs like crazy, I could see the outer wall of Nail Hall collapsing outside the window.
Lortel was able to secure the entry point as Clevius ran away in fear. Then I saw the group in charge of defeating Yennekar entering the Combat Practice Field. Having confirmed that everything was going according to plan, I continued my climb up the stairs.
Act 1's finale has finally entered Phase 4. The Glasskan summoning ceremony was near completion, and the sun would soon rise in the sky from the east. I thought this would be our last chance. If we were to fail in defeating Yennekar here, then everything that would happen afterward would be completely unknown territory.
It was such a crazy situation, the Takan and Velosper battles happening at the same time.
It's completely arrogant to have a fair fight against Takan without Elemental Slash.
It would be like trying to burn a person to death when that person was wearing two or three layers of fireproof clothing.
It might be possible to inflict a light burn or have them faint, but if you wanted to completely burn them to death, then there was no choice but to overwhelm them with firepower, or even use magma.
But there wasn't a member among the subjugation team capable of doing that.
Among the subjugation team.
BANG!
I kicked open the door to Obell Hall's roof. The view of the entire rooftop greeted me… and a familiar witch hat caught my eyes.
I would have stopped by Obell Hall first if I had the time, but I had to let the group in charge of defeating Yennekar in first because the summoning ceremony was just about completed. But it's a good thing I got to the roof of Obell Hall just in time to see this girl here. Everything would be okay now.
If we were to discuss the method on how we should break through Takan's scales, we would have to go against the story of Act 1's finale. Instead, we would have to look at the first part of the strategy guide.
■ Phase 1: Gathering your subjugation force
Achievement Conditions:
Please gather these characters at the Student Square!
'The Princess of Benevolence Penia'
'The Spear from Nature Ziggs'
'The Golden Daughter Lorte!'
'Companion Ayla'
'Nosy Elvira'
'Gloomy Clevius'
For additional achievements, also gather:
'Romantic Adele'
'Lazy Lucy'
'Senior Maid Bell'
Meeting the additional achievement conditions only give a little bit of Likeability for each character. The characters will not participate in the subjugation. But try to meet 'Romantic Adele' since she gives a useful buff for attacking the boss later on.*
If you're trying to 100% clear the stage: Adele can be found playing ukelele in the grass behind the Western Archery Center, Lucy can be found taking a nap on the roof of Obell Hall, and Bell can be found next to a statue in Olin Square.
There were barely any players that wanted to clear the additional achievements during the finale's Phase 1. The chapter was already short on time and finding the additional characters didn't mean they would participate in the subjugation, nor was the achievement itself that great in the first place. Additional achievements such as this were usually treated as useless content.
But as I had already cleared this stage countless times, I already knew where the additional achievements were hiding. And I knew that among them was a weapon that would completely overturn the flow of the story.
In front of me was a 'grenade' that could even break through the scales of Takan.
A girl that was able to sleep through the ongoing crisis.
A spear that would break through any shield no matter how thick they might be.
If you were going against something irrational, then there was no choice but to counter it with something irrational yourself. If someone wasn't playing fair, then that leaves you no choice but to not play fair as well.
I hadn't completely finished training yet. And my advantage of knowing insider information wouldn't enable me to defeat Takan.
But there was no reason to be upset. This side was in desperate need as well.
I jumped over the handrail and hurriedly picked up Lucy. She was so light that even the piles of firewood I carried every day seemed heavier.
"Eh? Huh? Eghk?"
The girl was taking a pleasant evening nap while the entire academic district was being destroyed. There should be a limit to how lucky someone can be.
"Wh-What? Ugh, so shaky… Uhhh…"
It wasn't even daytime anymore. It was already night time. This couldn't even be considered a nap at this point. I wanted to ask her why she'd been sleeping for so long, but the reason was pretty obvious so I didn't.
For Lazy Lucy, sleeping was a means to restore her power. And given how she ran away from the senior maid Bell last night, she consumed an enormous amount of mana and had not lost her energy.
She used such high-ranking spatial-type magic with quick casting. It allowed her to skip the chanting all together, and came all the way from Ophelis Hall to the northern forest. The only reason she ran out of magic power was because she did something this crazy. She needed to take a break if she wanted to recover that huge amount of mana back.
It was very like her to be sleeping on the rooftop of Obel hall, but now is not the time to sleep.
Besides, how many pieces of my jerky had she already eaten? She even ended up breaking my drying rack, something I had painstakingly made. She had to do something in return for it. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
But I'm not that cold-hearted. I took out the leather bag from the reading room and opened it. It was full of strips of jerky.
"Hmm… Jerky…? Something smells like jerky."
She was still half-asleep, so she didn't seem like she was conscious just yet. And yet she could still smell the jerky like some ghost.
I grabbed a handful of the dried meat and stuffed it into Lucy's small mouth.
"Eughk–! Eugh–!"
"Eat a lot."
I then picked Lucy up once again and jumped over the railing once more.
"Mughk! Mudhka!"
'My jaw hurts! Too much!'
At least, that's what she sounded like.
I could see the high-raking fire spirit Takan over the handrail. And running away while crying from it was Clevius, who was excellently performing his part. Meanwhile, I could barely see Lortel, who seemed to be casting the largest ice spear she had ever made.
Lucy's magic power probably hasn't fully recovered yet since her capacity to store mana was as deep and vast as the sea. It was likely she had only been able to recover a small portion of it.
But that should be enough. Just like how Takan's existence was irrational, Lucy herself was also an irrational existence.
"Once you're done eating, I need you to take care of that thing's scales!"
"Wh-What?"
I positioned Lucy properly. She couldn't say anything properly because of all the jerky stuck in her mouth.
Good thing the target was a lizard on fire, so we could clearly see it even in the dark.
Would this distance be enough?
There was nothing to worry about. I had already done this a bunch of times in the military.
First, check the target.
Second, remove the safety clip.
Lastly, take out the safety pin and throw it!
"Everyone! Get down!"
I shouted with a voice so loud it spread across the Student Center.
Then, I threw Lucy over the railing using all of my strength, straight to where Takan was visible.
"Muumama!"
Lucy screamed, finally awake.
"Mahfahaf Mafmad-!"
I think she said, 'This is too much!'
Sorry, Lucy. But from my point of view, this was the only way out.
Lucy's screams, impeded by her mouthful of jerky, slowly echoed across the Student Square the farther she got away.
This is too much– too much– too much–
There was a moment of silence as Lucy sailed across the sky.
And then–
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!
It was the high-ranking lightning magic Divine Judgment.
The lightning magic spread around Lucy, covering the entire field. The shock happened in an instant, leaving behind a huge gust of wind that I had to hold onto the railing for support as it flew by.
"Hah!"
Now that its scales had been blown away, us alone should be enough to take Takan down.
I stood and climbed back onto the railing.
It was about time to wrap things up.
All this while I'd been worried my plan would fail, but having come this far, there was only one important thing left.
It might sound a bit selfish considering the situation, but this was a serious matter.
Takan was a high-ranking fire spirit. The amount of spirit-type experience I would get should be enormous… I couldn't let this go to waste!
This was, somehow, the most important moment.
"Last hit…!"
Last hit!
I needed to get the last hit!
I wouldn't give this up!
I quickly ran to the side of the Student Square where Lortel and Clevius were.
***
"I'm so proud of you, my beloved daughter, Yennekar."
"I'm so proud to be your friend, Yennekar."
"You're the hope of the second-years. You were the only one who properly showed off your skills this Joint Combat Practice."
"Of course, you can trust Yennekar."
"Without you, us second-years would be the worst year. I'm glad you're here, Yennekar."
The memories leaking into her consciousness made her heart ache.
Beyond the collapsed wall of Obel Hall, the sky had gradually begun to brighten.
In the young girl's eyes, the twinkling stars had disappeared like melting snow.
She couldn't help but sneer at herself as she witnessed such sentimental scenery.
The number of students who came to defeat her was not as large as she had expected.
She quietly stood up from chatting a choral song in the middle of the Combat Training Field.
The oak wand she always carried was now stained black.
The eyes of the spirits protecting her were different from usual. They were glaring.
And those who saw it couldn't help but have their hair stand on end.
Hidden among the many fluid spirits, the low-ranking spirits, and the spiritual spirits… the young girl who was chanting a spell slowly glanced back.
Shedding tears, she looked for the face of a certain boy.
But that boy wasn't there. That was an obvious fact.
The faces of the students that came to stop her were all stiff.
Velooper's curse had embroidered itself all over her body like chains that bound her.
She gave a regretful smile and quietly kept on reciting the mantra.
"Welcome."
Act 1 Finale's final battle.
The subjugation of Yennekar Palerover.
Sadly, there wasn't much time left to talk things out with each other.
-x-X-x-
The tip of her nose was tingling.
That was a familiar feeling to Yennekar.
Like when she would put too much pepper in her cream soup at the cafeteria, or when she would get into an argument with her close friend Clara, or when her beloved father got seriously injured after getting hit by a cow at the farm, or when she came back to Silvenia after a long break.
Whenever it happened, Yennekar would endure the insistent feeling that would creep up the tip of her nose, a frown on her forehead.
"I guess I want to cry."
She knew that feeling.
She would always smile like a princess in some children's fairytales. Everyone knew there was no one more thoughtful than her.
Just spending a day with her would enable anyone to see that the source of her uniquely youthful and relaxed attitude was, ironically, her extremely mature character.
Everyone, from family to friends, to faculty, to upperclassmen, and to those who were younger—all couldn't help but look at her in envy. She was a promising talent who never once lost her position as the top student among the second-years of the Magic Department.
Yennekar lived her life with these expectations.
She lifted her head and looked at the sight before her.
The high-ranking dark spirit Velosper was leisurely reigning over the top of Nail Hall's Combat Practice Field. He had the arms and legs of a human but his head was strange, like that of a goat's. His bat-like wings were gigantic, stretching from his back and covering the whole of Nail Hall. He was holding a flaming mace in one hand, and it looked like it could wipe out all the seats in the field in an instant.
Needless to say, he clearly had the appearance of a devil. It was an appearance that would surely inspire fear in those who would see him as they swallow their breaths and take a step back. However, the subjugation team firmly stood in their place with an unwavering gaze.
Taylee McLaure, Ayla Triss, Penia Elias Kroel, Ziggs Eiffelstein, and Elvira Aniston.
The face of each student was burning with a firm will and fighting spirit rather than a sense of fear.
Yennekar looked at them, and then slowly closed her eyes. She naturally felt an impending sense of defeat.
She would disgracefully lose this battle, that much was certain.
However, the emotions pouring out of her chest were not frustration nor grief.
She opened her eyes gently, and shortly after, lifted her oak wand.
Just as she expected, the tip of her nose was tingling.
To Yennekar, it was quite a familiar sensation.
***
I ran down like a madman from the roof of Obel Hall down to the Student Square and saw that they were nearly done finishing Takan off.
Crash! Crash!
"EUGHAAK! KYAAGHK! DIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH! JUST DIE ALREADY!"
Lucy's high-ranking lightning magic was frighteningly powerful, but it wasn't enough to kill Takan immediately.
But even still, considering the fact that Lucy's power was not at its best and that she couldn't properly cast magic in such a sudden situation, the fact that Takan was still able to endure her attack deserved applause.
However, she still managed to completely burn off Takan's scales, so his tremendous magic resistance was now gone.
Magic would be able to finish it off now.
This one fact had just decreased the difficulty of defeating this giant flaming lizard.
Clevius continued to scream as he avoided Takan's attacks. And even though he was trembling in fear with tears streaming down his face, his movements were quite mysterious yet marvelous as he avoided getting hit and kicked by Takan's tail.
That may have been due in part to Clevius's high Agility, but it was also because Takan's movement had noticeably slowed down compared to the beginning.
Like an animal on the verge of death, it was making its final last-ditch effort to survive.
Takan let out a piercing roar that echoed through the sky and over the Student Square.
Its roar from before was fierce, similar to that of a belligerent warrior, rushing into battle. But now, Takan's roar was a scream due to intolerable pain.
I would make that pain go away soon.
I went to Lortel who was continuously supplying firepower.
"Where's Lucy?"
"She's rolling around somewhere. It'd be nice if she could finish this off, but I'm not sure she has the energy."
"It's fine."
It was a relief, in fact. What if she ended up finishing Takan off? I was actually worried about that. Because no matter how low her magic power was right now, Lucy could definitely defeat Takan easily.
As I had mentioned, my ultimate goal was to land the last hit on Takan so I could get that enormous amount of Spirit-type Skill experience points.
And there was a high chance that Lucy's overwhelming power would most likely interfere with that.
"I didn't get to see it but Clevius is quite impressive as a vanguard. I didn't expect him to draw Takan's attention away to this extent with that injury. If only he would keep that mouth shut, then he would be a great warrior."
"Nah, that blabbering mouth of his is his trump card."
"HEY! AGHK! YOU GUYS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, STARING AROUND LIKE IDIOTS! SAVE ME! PLEASE! SHOOT SOME MAGIC! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! AGGGHK! I'M GOING TO DIE AT THIS RATE! PLEASE!"
Clevius's biggest strength was that people viewed him as insignificant. He screamed like crazy no matter what he did, naturally making people look down on him. That made them think they could easily take him down when, in fact, they couldn't.
He might be imperfect, but that didn't mean he wasn't valuable. He was, after all, the top student among the Combat Department first-years.
It was ironic how his low self-esteem often became his strength.
I also understood where Takan was coming from. Clevius seemed easy enough to deal with as he buzzed around like a mosquito, like Takan could've finished him off with a single flick of its tail. But no matter how many times Takan tried to get rid of him, it couldn't.
"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GUYS OFF THE HOOK! REALLY! YOU'RE USING ME LIKE BAIT AND YOU'RE JUST SITTING AROUND! I'M NOT GOING TO LET THIS GO!"
He was eventually going to reach his limit with how he was running around and screaming like crazy.
"Let's wrap this up."
"That's what I'm trying to do. I've already landed two ice spears, but it just kept clinging for its life. It really does have all sorts of defenses."
"We need to cut its neck."
I gathered all my remaining magic power and focused it on my fingertips. After training to my limit at the library earlier, my remaining magic power was nearly all out. But it was still enough to cast a few beginner spells a few times.
"I'll do it, since your ice-type magic isn't suited to cutting cleanly. I'll take responsibility and finish this off so you just stop its movements once. You can do that, right?"
"It's possible. If we do it now."
What's important was attacking Takan's weakness.
Now that it had no scales around its body, even Taylee would be able to cut through it. Yes, even if Taylee has yet to finish his proper training according to the original timeline.
I should be able to cut it off with a single strike using Wind Blade, this skill having exceeded level 10.
My problem was distance. Takan was able to destroy anything that came near it as it swung its tail and stomped its feet like crazy. If I enter Takan's range and make even a single mistake, I would be killed in one shot. It was truly amazing how Clevius was managing to avoid its attacks. It almost looked like a circus.
"You need to restrict its movements the moment I approach Takan, and at that moment, I'm going to cut its off head with Wind Blade close range. If I don't defeat Takan then, I'll be in danger too."
I tapped Lortel's shoulder.
"I'm risking my life and entrusting you with it, so you have to make sure to do this right."
"Haha! You always say things like, 'I'll take responsibility and finish it off' and 'I'm risking my life and entrusting you with it' so easily… but isn't this all just a gamble?"
"It's not a gamble."
With how fed up I was with constantly having to deal with her in the game, I knew how to handle the Golden Daughter Lortel all too well. No matter what extraordinary event happened from Act 1 all the way to the final chapter, she was someone who was always able to regain her composure despite being taken aback for a moment.
She was a monster when it came to being reasonable.
There were many situations in the original story where she had to act with more urgency and carefulness than she was now. So even though she was acting like she wasn't sure, I already knew what was going on in that head of hers. This was why she's perfect in situations like this, situations where everyone needs to remain calm and composed until the very end.
"This is an investment. Life isn't cheap, so make sure to get the job done well."
Lortel's face hardened for a moment after my words, then she started to treat it as something fun.
"An investment… That's my specialty."
She smiled a mischievous smile.
"But frankly speaking, isn't it better to leave the close combat to Clevius? After all, he's the Combat Department's top student among the first-years. And if you're going to cut something off, isn't it better to use a sword?"
That was a valid opinion. There wasn't any reason for me to get involved in close combat as a student from the Magic Department. Clevius, on the other hand, was expertly dodging Takan's attacks with such incredible movement. He should be able to get up close to the terrifying Takan and cut off its arms and throat.
But I needed to do it.
Why?
It's because I needed to land the last hit!
The high-ranking fire spirit Takan was a treasure full of enormous Combat and Spirit Skill experience points that I couldn't afford to pass up.
But not like I could tell Lortel that. So I had to improvise with a believable lie instead.
"Does it look like Clevius is in any capacity to do that right now?"
Lortel's eyes seemed to slightly widen at my answer, and then she let out a beautiful smile, as if flowers were blooming.
"It's true that distracting Takan and actually running up close to it are two entirely different issues. There's no way that scaredy-cat Clevius would be able to do that. Alright, then…"
All the while, Clevius was screaming his head off in the background as he was chased by Takan. Although nobody really cared about it.
Maybe if Takan was still in his prime condition and had the Berserk buff applied. But it won't be able to easily defeat Clevius while in this weakened state. Clevius was so agile he was like a buzzing mosquito flying about.
"Please don't die. You cannot."
Lortel spoke harshly, and the way she had her eyebrows raised in a funny way and acting all tough was definitely meant to rudely imitate the way Princess Penia speaks.
"You're insulting the royal family."
"The princess wouldn't punish me for such a silly impression since she's known for being benevolent. But if you're curious if they really would punish me, why don't you try telling her, Ed?"
And the next thing she said was really quite something.
"Frankly speaking, I don't like Princess Penia. I'm sure she has her own reasons but I'm sick and tired of being told what to do by that naive leader."
"Those are quite dangerous words you're saying."
"It's just hilarious that such a naive person will occasionally pretend and act like a monarch just because she was born with royal blood. We should be looking at people's abilities before their blood in order for there to be proper order in the world."
I stood still without saying anything and just continued to listen.
"What I'm saying is quite dangerous, huh? It's been a while since I was able to fully express my true feelings."
"What would happen if I were to report this to the princess?"
"Who knows? I can't say for sure. Maybe she won't believe you or maybe I'll face capital punishment. I don't think we'll know for sure unless you try, right?"
"What's your purpose for saying all of this?"
With a playful smile, what Lortel said next was just so like her that I couldn't say anything more.
"Just how you're risking your life and entrusting it with me, I'm risking my life and entrusting it to you, too."
She raised both of her hands as if to yield.
"Both sides of a double-pan balance scale must always be kept level. That's the secret to the Elte Company's longevity and success."
It was a bit lame to point it out since we both knew that saying was hypocrisy.
But if I were to think about it, this was just how Lortel Kehelland was. Even the way she pays respects was unnecessarily complicated. There was never a simple way for her to express her feelings.
And that was one of the characteristics of a merchant.
***
I needed to finish up before Clevius ended up peeing his pants.
As crazy as it may sound, the battle against Velosper and the battle against Takan were happening at the same time. And somehow, Act 1's finale, even though it was different from the original timeline, was actually looking like it would end well.
Once the other group entered the Velosper battle, Taylee should acquire the Swordmaster Skill, and from there on, there shouldn't be any more unexpected events.
Though the skill's strength became a bit more ambiguous as time went on, its overpowered specs for Act 1 made it quite powerful. Every player knew how helpful the skill was to break through the early game story.
As long as Penia was able to set up her defense magic and Ziggs was in charge of tanking, then Taylee alone would be enough to defeat Velosper.
The story should go back on track the moment we finish off Takan and clear the road.
It was obvious what was going to happen next. Velosper would cast another large-scale Berserk on all the spirits once Yennekar and the subjugation force face off. This would push the team into a corner but, at that moment, Taylee would use his Swordmaster Skill and cut down Velosper in one fell swoop. And just as Velosper was about to die, he would use Yennekar to trigger the incomplete Glasskan summoning circle.
Of course, summoning Glasskan with an incomplete circle was not possible.
However, Velosper would succeed in summoning the demon's right arm. Glasskan would begin to wipe out the subjugation force with his magic emanating from his right arm, the power covering the entirety of the academic district. But then Taylee would once again use his Swordmaster Skill and cleanly cut off the right arm.
And at that moment, Taylee would realize the way of the sword, kicking off the rest of the story.
If the story returned to progressing like in the original timeline, then I would only need to take care of myself from then onwards.
Anyhow, this was a chance for me to defeat a named boss, the high-ranking fire spirit Takan. I couldn't waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The best thing to do right now was to defeat that lizard and exponentially increase my Spirit Skills proficiency, the proficiency that was just barely short of reaching my goal a while ago.
"I'm going now."
I took a long deep breath as I walked out of the Student Square. Lortel had already prepared an ice spear and nodded her head. The relaxed atmosphere between the both of us a while ago was nowhere to be seen. She completely believed that I was putting my life on the line and entrusting it to her.
This was something that required a great deal of courage, but it wasn't impossible. I knew Takan's stats like the back of my hand, and he was also in a weakened state.
That meant I could easily win as long as Lortel backed me up on time. The key was to attack Takan's weakness. To cut its throat.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Clevius was still running around like crazy, having completely lost his mind by now. It looked like Takan had slowly realized that Clevius wasn't that easy to take care of, even though he completely looked easy, to begin with.
As I quickly approached them, Takan turned toward me.
Both Takan and I were in a state of total exhaustion.
We both realized this fact.
Then Takan roared as he charged at me. The ground shook beneath my feet, my ears pounding, Seeing Takan turned directly at me, I understood why Clevius was scared beyond his wits. Even though it was completely exhausted, Takan ran like crazy, dragging along its injured body with the determination to kill its opponent.
No.
Not yet.
I needed to be closer.
Lortel knew as she waited to fire her ice spears. I had to get closer, even closer, to make sure that his neck would be in the range of my magic.
Then—
BOOM!
Something unexpected happened all of a sudden.
Glasskan's summoning circle embroidered itself in the sky.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT IS THAT?!"
The first person to scream was Clevius.
Glasskan's summoning circle emitted a dazzling light in the morning sky as dawn rose from the horizon. And then a humongous right hand ripped through the circle covering the entirety of Nail Hall.
Velooper had been defeated.
It was the sound of the start of Phase 5. And once Taylee cut down Glasskan's arm, then the entire Act would be over.
No matter where you were in the academic district, chances were, you could clearly see the disaster unfolding. The sight of a demon's right hand coming out of a summoning circle high up in the sky, a dark energy emanating from it, definitely would look like it was the end of the world.
I knew that was going to happen, but the timing of it wasn't good.
It was a sight impossible to take your eyes off regardless of who was watching. It looked like the apocalypse was upon us. It would be weird if you weren't paying attention to it.
But Takan wasn't like that, and that was a problem.
Seeing Takan still charge at me like a madman, I looked at Lortel. But even though she was probably distracted, the moment I shouted at her, an ice spear flew.
The ice spear struck Takan right on its face, stealing its sight and hearing. Takan screamed.
Lortel turned around and looked at me, her face serious. Even in the midst of such a crisis, she focused on me. Her lips were clearly saying 'Do it now,' entrusting me with the rest of the work.
The next part wasn't hard.
I turned back around and looked up to see a giant flaming lizard writhing in pain.
I cast Wind Blade, a spell I must've used hundreds of thousands of times by now, and drove it right into its neck.
[ You have defeated the high-ranking fire spirit Takan! ]
[ Spirit-type magic 'Spiritual Resonance' level has increased!
Spirit-type magic 'Spiritual Understanding' level has increased! ]
[ Spirit-type magic 'Spiritual Resonance' level has increased!
Spirit-type magic 'Spiritual Understanding' level has increased! ]
[ Spirit-type magic 'Spiritual Resonance' level has increased!
Spirit-type magic 'Spiritual Understanding' level has increased! ]
[ Spirit contract slots have opened! You can now sign contracts with spirits! ]
***
"I have seen so many people sincerely risk their lives throughout my life. Though they were all cowards."
The manifestation of Takan had completely dissipated, leaving no traces behind.
I, along with Lortel, Clevius and Lucy, sat side by side under a Zelkova tree just outside the Student Square.
Clevius was weeping terribly for a while until he completely passed out on the grass in exhaustion. Lucy was munching on jerky as she leaned on me until she fell asleep. This stray cat would probably go off and disappear again sometime soon.
The sun was rising over the half-destroyed Nail hall. Up high in the sky, there was a crack in the barrier covering the academic district.
I didn't need to explain what happened after the right arm of Glasskan was summoned. Taylee jumped into the air and cut it down in an instant using his Swordmaster Skill. It was so straightforward that I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
Of course, there must have been a really dramatic scene happening at Nail Hall, but that was all the view we got from the outside.
I thought it was hilarious that the final chapter of Act 1 was about Glasskan's subjugation, and yet Glasskan was defeated in just one cut scene. I wonder if they had the same impression as when I played the game.
Even still, the entirety of the academic district was engulfed in a gale as the manifested right arm of Glasskan was cut down, truly worthy to be part of the main character's story arc. Everyone was looking at the brilliantly splendid scene, well except for Lucy who was already dozing off at that time.
And just like that, the curtain fell on Act 1.
"Of course, the main force of the subjugation efforts was the group that went inside the field, and they must have fought with their lives at risk. But didn't we also go out and risk our lives out here as well? We could go ahead and be proud of what we did. We really did risk our lives for this one."
Lortel said uselessly as she smirked.
"Well, in a life dedicated to business, risk is inevitable. Though this was my first time in such a situation. It was quite an experience."
She had so much audacity for someone that nearly died just a few moments ago.
Well, I guess her life wasn't any less difficult than Taylee's. She must have experienced a few crises similar to this one already.
"Yeah."
I nodded as I looked up at the bright sky.
Perhaps Lortel didn't like my simple reaction because she sat up with a grumpy expression on her face and pushed toward me.
"What's the matter? We overcame a life and death crisis but you don't seem too happy about it."
"Well, I'm so tired I feel like I'm going to die. I also couldn't sleep at all. It should be the same for you too, no?"
"I guess that's true. I'm not even sure what's going on…"
The sun rose as the light of dawn lit up the day. It had been a long night.
Finally, I saw one of the subjugation team walk out of the half-destroyed Nail Hall.
Taylee was walking up front. Having acquired the Swordmaster Skill, his black hair was not light gray and the color of his eyes had turned bright red. He was followed by Ayla, Princess Penia, Ziggs, and Elvira.
Ziggs must have gone through a lot as the team's vanguard because he came out limping, and even Elvira looked as if she was on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
At least everyone seemed safe. Things seemed to have followed the original story, somehow.
Lortel stood up as she greeted and congratulated the subjugation force for their victory.
Only to stop and suddenly look back, as if she had remembered something, She then reached her hand out to me as if to introduce herself, and cunningly said her own name.
"Lortel Kehelland."
"I know…"
"I'm officially introducing myself again. Well, I won't pull any crazy pranks against you. From now on, that is."
When she said crazy pranks, she was probably talking about the last time when she suddenly approached me and gave me money.
I knew it. She approached me then with hidden intentions. I already expected it, of course.
"Alright… Good choice."
I thoughtlessly accepted Lortel's handshake since I was tired. But I didn't expect what she would do next.
Lortel wrapped her small hand around my own and shook it a few times, before quickly letting go and putting her hands behind her back.
She looked like a downright troublemaker with the way she was walking backward.
"I won this time."
That fox-like smile was her trademark.
I opened my hand and saw three gold coins inside. She had taken revenge on me returning them to her last time.
"You let your guard down, didn't you? Now, you owe me a favor. What should I do now?"
Lortel kept grinning at me like the troublemaker that she is before she turned around to greet the party.
"See you again, Ed."
Lortel left me with such words before she walked towards the subjugation team first.
I sighed as I looked at the sun rising up in the sky.
I knew Lortel had a foxy side to her. Well, just because I got some money while I was in debt didn't mean I would be swayed. Lortel knew that too, and yet she gave me the money anyway. She must have wanted to remain in contact in the future, and use this as justification for it.
"An investment… That's my specialty."
I can't help but want to give her a round of applause in admiration for putting her words into practice.
Anyhow, the Glasskan Subjugation chapter had ended well.
It was the perfect time to make such internal monologues while watching the subjugation force walking out of the hall with their backs against the rising sun.
It was a difficult hurdle, but we got through it pretty well. As I watched the sky slowly turn brighter, I wanted to congratulate myself.
Good work, me. Though it's just Act 1, I somehow managed to get through it all quite well.
"…So, what about Yennekar?"
I suddenly felt like a core piece of the story was still missing. There was an indescribable emptiness left, as if an important part of the story had been completely skipped over.
It was the empty puzzle piece that had changed Yennekar's every move, and it still remained empty.
The Glasskan Subjugation chapter ended well, and even though there was an unexpected hiccup in the middle, ultimately, the story returned to the original flow of the game. And there were no casualties. Shouldn't this mean that everything ended well…
And yet, there were so many things I was worried about that I couldn't just let things end like this.
"Come to think of it, I don't see our upperclassman Yennekar."
From this distance, I couldn't see Yennekar with the subjugation force. Since they had defeated her, wasn't it only natural that someone carried her out on their back?
"Well, everyone's focus was completely on Glasskan's right arm during the battle. I'm sure Yennekar was just left behind."
Lortel tilted her head at me as she walked away from the team.
"Come to think of it, I think I know what happened to Yennekar for her to do this."
"What?"
"I happened to run into Yennekar in the hallways of Ophelis Hall some time ago. We made up with each other for what happened at the Joint Combat Practice."
And as if it was nothing, Lortel continued to talk.
"I just happened to take a look into her room…"
Lortel continued to take slow steps forward as she talked.
"Would you like to hear my story? Hmm, Ed?"