"Something that I need to take care of suddenly came up, so I might be a little late. I'll be there as fast as I can, so please just wait a little longer. I'm sorry."
It would be a lie to say that something didn't feel right. From the tone of his voice in the note he left her, it was clear to her that Ed Rothstaylor had gotten caught up in some unexpected trouble.
Nevertheless, Yennekar put away her worries about Ed Rothstaylor. He was someone that was always able to deal with any crisis or problem in a smooth manner. He never took any unnecessary actions and would always finish the job quickly. Whether it was simply chopping firewood or making tools for survival, to intervening in the student center's subjugation team that was in a tough spot because of Yennekar's mistake. Ed Rothstaylor was someone who had created a certain expectation around himself that he could somehow solve any problem, no matter how big or small.
Only after being stabbed in one's blind spot, hidden in their complacency, is one able to truly reflect on themselves.
"I'll definitely help you then."
She remembered when she told Ed those words, sitting in his camp and looking up at the stars. She meant for him to ask her for help whenever something difficult arose, or if there was something too burdensome for him to take on alone.
Yennekar Palerover was fully aware of her own strength. She didn't often reveal it because of her humble and sympathetic nature, but… she had complete confidence that she would surely be of help to him in the event of a crisis.
But Ed Rothsatylor never asked her for help. He fought until the point where he was covered in blood, but ultimately ended up collapsing with a beaten body. He had ignored Yennekar, who had told him that she would always lend him a hand whenever he needed it, and fought by himself to the very end.
What was the reason for that?
What was the reason he left her a letter that was so unusual, why he made sure that she was outside of Ophelis Hall, and why he had to fight here, to the point that he was bleeding?
She didn't know what was happening in Ophelis Hall, but she wondered if he was just trying to make sure that she wasn't involved.
Yennekar Palerover's strength wasn't at the level that Ed would need to worry about it. However, Yennekar had already been given various disciplinary actions due to the Glasskan Incident. Creating any more trouble here would only ruin all of the hard work that her peers put in to support her and to make sure that she would only receive a light punishment.
Seeing Ed Rothstaylor fighting all the way to the end, until he was completely covered in blood… If Yennekar saw such a thing, would she be able to hold herself back? She immediately shook her head.
That was why Ed Rothstaylor had made sure to push Yennekar away from the battlefield. Considering that, an unbearable anger surged from inside Yennekar's chest.
She didn't know why Ed Rothstaylor was fighting until things became like this. However, at the very least she knew quite well that he was not the type of person who would commit irrational actions or evil deeds like the rumors claimed that he would.
What was she doing while Ed Rothstaylor was fighting here, to this extent? While someone was walking out towards a battlefield by himself, what was Yennekar thinking? She worried about her clothes, making her hair nice, and the color of her hairpin, all while she stayed up late at night in excitement, as her imagination went wild like any other girl who had fallen in love.
The direction of her anger was towards herself. But right now, it was the time to put that anger aside.
Shwaaaaaaa!
With her back to the sound of the falling rain and her head lowered, she quietly asked Taylee and the rest of the party a single question.
"What are you doing?"
There was a chill in her voice.
"Yennekar?"
Taylee was the first to respond. It went without saying, but at this point there was no way for Taylee to understand Yennekar's feelings.
"Thankfully you didn't get caught up in this situation, Yennekar! Right now, Ophelis Hall is being occupied by other students. But… I don't think it will simply end like this. Seeing as Ed went this far to stop us, that must mean there's something else…"
"Is that so?"
With her head down, it was hard to see Yennekar's eyes. However, the fact that she was glaring directly at them was obvious.
At that moment, a huge amount of magic power fluctuated around the main entrance of Ophelis Hall. The mana resonance level of the second year magic department's top student was impressive enough to even make alumni stare in awe. Her collar stood up as the wind hit her skin. The small chandeliers on the ceiling began to shake like crazy as they threatened to crash down next to the main chandelier.
"Wh-What?!"
"Yennekar! What are you doing?!"
She didn't summon the high-ranking fire spirit Takan. Because of its enormous power, it hadn't fully recovered from the damage caused by its previous battle. Though, she didn't need to borrow the power of a high-ranking spirit against three first year students.
Mid-ranking fire spirit Olgoas, mid-ranking wind spirit Pesci, mid-ranking water spirit Flan, mid-ranking earth spirit Tyke. The four mid-ranking spirits were summoned together to deal with Taylee's party. Besides those four, many other fluid spirits and lower spirits also began to rise, creating what looked like an army.
On the first floor, the windows began to shatter as the wind swept around. The rain mixed with the pieces of glass that was caught up in the storm of mana that shook the entire main hall.
"Get a grip, Taylee! She's an enemy!"
Elvira, who was the first one to realize the situation, quickly picked up all of the reagent bottles. She put them, one by one, into the hole of her torn alchemy bag. The rain was flying around like crazy and obscuring their vision.
"You know… What you guys were doing, I wasn't even curious about at all."
What Yennekar wanted wasn't that complicated. Did you guys do that to Ed? To that extent… She didn't ask that question in such a straightforward manner. What was happening at Ophelis Hall, and what Taylee and the rest of his party were thinking of by trying to enter Ophelis Hall, was no longer Yennekar's concern.
"Yennekar!"
Through the wind and rain, she heard that boy's voice. He couldn't hold himself up properly, but from the bottom of his throat he was able to squeeze out Yennekar's name.
Seeing the boy's wrecked body, Yennekar's heart was struck with pain. She didn't want him to use his strength unnecessarily, so she quietly responded to Ed.
"Just wait one minute, Ed."
At most, it would be just a minute. That was more than enough time to sort this situation out. It was obvious that the aftermath would lead to the destruction of Ophelis Hall, hurt her juniors, and would break the academy's rules. Nevertheless, the thing that was pushing Yennekar to go to such extremes was her past self.
She wanted to live up to expectations, she never wanted to harm others, and would always try her hardest for the people close to her. That was most definitely who she saw in the mirror. On the other side, reflected in the mirror was Ed. Ed, who was trying to take on all the work by himself for Yennekar's sake, to the point that he collapsed, covered in blood.
His appearance was what had triggered Yennekar Palerover's wrath. Yennekar knew herself just how sad and grief-stricken she was, which is why she couldn't leave Ed Rothstaylor like that.
An eagle made of fire, a raging lion formed by the wind, a giant shaped by water, and a horse created with mud all stood for their summoner. Each and every one of them was a mid-ranking spirit that could only be defeated with 4-5 people rushing it.
Taylee and his party began to break into a cold sweat as they took their stances.
"We have to run away, Taylee."
Elvira understood the situation. She didn't know why Yennekar was so angry, but knew that it would only be suicide to attack that ridiculously powerful magician. Even Lortel, who was one of the members of class A who was also known to be one of the best in terms of delicately managing magic power… She couldn't even let out a sound in front of that monster.
"Let's just accept the obvious. There's no way that we can pass through here."
An unexpected presence. Ed Rothstaylor, the fallen aristocrat that was guarding the first floor of Ophelis Hall. It took a long time to defeat him, even with their overwhelming difference in power, but now even the second year top student had shown up, summoning mid-ranking spirits. It would be ridiculous to get themselves any further involved in this situation just because of a few expensive herbs.
"That… That's right, but…"
However, Taylee couldn't get rid of that uncomfortable feeling. It seemed that whatever was happening now in Ophelis Hall wasn't just a simple occupation. He was sure that there was some greater darkness hiding behind it… he sensed the presence of a black curtain.
In Taylee's position, this might have been someone else's matter to deal with. It was a completely different story if it meant that there were actually going to be students that would be harmed. Taylee's sense of justice was innate, and his dominant attitude in the face of hardship was a quality that would drag him to his grave.
It was obvious that Taylee was going to live the life of a protagonist. The huge wall that stood in his way, Yennekar Palerover, was one he had experienced before. Could he simply overcome the overwhelming difference in power with just tenacity? However, that uncertainty wasn't important to Taylee.
Taylee was a person who would always act in accordance with what he believed was right. He even survived seemingly impossible hardships and evils doing so. However, Taylee's recklessness could only be seen as correct, because the world had recognized him as the protagonist. However he managed to overcome hardships, Taylee would end up growing because of it… So as long as the storyline of 'Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster' kept moving forward without breaking, the cycle would continue to repeat as he grew.
However, the Yennekar that he once again met was an enemy that was outside of that 'storyline'. Would Taylee's disposition as the protagonist end up being ruined because of this enemy, who showed up outside of the original flow of the story? Could he even overcome this trial, full of overwhelming strength, that was standing before him with just his disposition alone?
As everyone knows, hardships in real life are never as easy to overcome as in a game's dramatic storyline. If there was a severe power difference, then defeat was only natural. A sudden awakening of power, the interference of an opportunity granted by fate, a development that allowed one to accidentally overcome a trial… those were all just moments added to a game scenario.
"Taylee! Get a grip! Face reality already! Since all the windows are broken, let's get out that way…"
"Go while you can…!"
It was Ed Rothstaylor who stood up and interrupted Elvira.
***
"Yennekar! It's fine! I'm alright, so calm down!"
Yennekar was boiling with rage to the very top of her head, looking like a disaster waiting to happen. The hem of her robe was fluttering and her light pink hair was completely wet, making her look like a ghost that had climbed out of a swamp.
My plan was to just send Taylee upstairs as I went to sit down under the rose garden's pavilion with Yennekar. I planned to talk with her and watch the occupation at Ophelis Hall come to an end. I even left a note for her, promising that I would be there soon—just in case she was going to go somewhere else. I thought that if I made such a promise and apologized then Yennekar, who was born naive and kind, wouldn't leave her spot… I don't know what happened for her to come back to Ophelis Hall.
In any case, Yennekar's kindness ended up backfiring. I thought that we had gotten pretty close after talking about all sorts of things as we spent time together back at the camp… But she was also a great person, one who would never sit back after her friend had been beaten up to a pulp like this.
If I didn't do something about this, Taylee and his party would end up getting beaten up.
"Listen. I'll take care of Yennekar, so you guys go upstairs to the second floor as you planned."
"What?"
Ayla Triss looked at me with a face full of shock.
"Just a bit ago you were trying so hard to block our path, but now you want us to just go to the second floor?"
In the first place, I had just used a few tricks to test out Taylee's specs. If he didn't have high enough specs to clear Act 2, then there would have been an issue. That was the only reason I did it.
"I changed my mind, so hurry and go up."
"Hahaha. Really? You're going to stop those spirits? Your body is completely covered in injuries right now."
I walked over to Elvira, who was laughing her heart out at the situation, and thumped her on the head. Elvira took a step back, clasping her head as she let out a pained sound.
"Take your reagents. I'm sorry that I tore up your bag."
The various effects from the reagents that Elvira had was going to be useful in the battle against the twin maids on the third floor. Elvira was the most troublesome opponent of members in this Ophelis Hall subjugation team, so I had to make sure to seal her reagents first so she couldn't fight… I didn't think there would be anyone this annoying to deal with later on.
In the first place, the occupation of Ophelis Hall wasn't that difficult of an event. It looked like they had enough power, so it was fine to relax and loosen up for the remainder of it.
"Wh-What…? This, and then that, just what…?!"
Elvira looked at me, completely dumbfounded. However, I couldn't keep worrying about her.
I made my way to the center of the hall, through the rain and wind that was full of broken glass from the windows. I could only see Yennekar's eyes through the swarming spirits. Her cold eyes were completely different from usual.
Anyway, the reason why Yennekar was so angry was because of her natural personality. That was something that having good personal connections also meant… Thankfully, I was already friendly enough with Yennekar to be considered close to her. Knowing lots of people was the best advantage that you could have in your life. Relationships that came from family, school, or even fate…! The trinity of personal connections…! I was always grateful for them, as they could overcome the frustrations of life. No matter how rich, capable, or respected your family might be, you should always remain humble and nice to the people around you. You could never know how they would come back to repay you…!
Now was the time for me to benefit from that personal connection with her. I walked straight towards Yennekar. All sorts of spirits filled the hall, but they didn't care about the ones that their master wasn't hostile towards.
I walked straight in front of Yennekar, pushing through the gap.
"Ed, don't push yourself too hard. Just stay to the side, I'll finish up the rest."
"Yennekar."
"You can explain the details to me later. First, I'll quickly finish this up and we can get you treated…"
I put my hand on Yennekar's shoulder and clearly said,
"I'm really okay, so you don't have to go overboard."
The sudden skinship could be considered a symbol of rudeness. I knew just how burdensome it was for someone to put their hand on your shoulder without saying anything, staring straight at you. However, when dealing with someone whose emotions were out of control and their ears closed, it was necessary to make such a gesture to have them hear you out.
"Uh? Ehh?!"
Only then did Yennekar start to go back to her regular self, little by little.
"E-Ed! Your hand! Your hand is on my shoulder!"
"Yennekar… First, get rid of the spirits. The wind is too strong, so I'm having a hard time standing…"
"Uh, yeah?! Of course. It must be hard for you to stand up. I'm sorry…! What did I do…? I'm such an idiot…"
After that, it all happened in an instant. The raging storm of magic power quickly died down, and all the spirits waiting for their master's order to attack disappeared. After a while, the main hall of Ophelis Hall was once again filled with the sound of the falling rain.
"..."
Taylee and his party were staring, completely stunned, as I quickly waved my hand at them. They all looked as if they had seen a ghost. At this rate, they might end up missing Clevius, who was wandering around on the second floor. If that happened, it would be troublesome to deal with.
"Hurry and go… I don't think there's much time left…"
Saying that, I finally lost all of my strength. The completely confused Yennekar was frantically holding my collapsed body up.
***
Shwaaaa!!
"I'm really upset."
The pouring rain only added to the atmosphere. Sitting and holding her knees, Yennekar's voice was low and didn't sound very good.
The main hall on the first floor Ophelis Hall was a complete mess. Taylee and his party went up the stairs to the second floor while Yennekar and I sat alone, leaning against the wall and listening to the rain. We looked quite funny as we were both completely drenched, but… sometimes, after getting rained on, for some reason you could feel a sense of freedom and exaltation.
Anyway, I thought that Taylee's specs were growing quite well. There didn't seem to be any issues. Looking at the range of his Elemental Slash, as well as the speed and precision in which he struck, I could figure it out… It seemed that all of the regular events had been completed well.
Of course, from my point of view he wasn't completely perfect. But that was only because I was someone who would completely foster my specs to the furthest extent… I should have just been happy that he had attained the specs to be able to clear it.
In any case, for a short while it would just be a matter of mental strength. As the story progressed, it would push a human's sanity to its furthest. Professor Glasts' Celestial magic would trap Taylee in the cracks of time, causing him to experience hundreds and thousands of deaths. Lucy's supreme-rank magic would put Taylee on the brink of death, and Mebula, who was the evil god summoned by the head of House Krepin, would trap him in his worst nightmare.
Despite that, even in the ordeals that would test one's mind to its limits, Taylee would never give in. I had said it quite a few times already, but… I didn't want to take on such hardships. I was planning to just take care of myself and rake in the success, but… when I came to my senses, things had become like this. As expected, not everything in the world goes as planned.
"Why do you never say anything and get hurt? I told you to come talk to me if there was something going on…"
"There was a reason for it this time. Next time, I'll tell you everything…"
I persuaded Yennekar, who was twisting my arm to go see a therapist immediately, as we sat on the first floor of the main hall and waited for the event to come to an end. Though it was originally supposed to be in the rose garden, now we were waiting in the main hall of Ophelis Hall to check if there were any possible variables, and if everything was going as planned.
For quite some time, I sat next to Yennekar as we watched the rain pour down outside the half-destroyed main hall. Although there were some variables, somehow we passed the first floor event safely and Taylee's specs were growing without any issues. The job itself went as I had planned…
"They really went too far. I don't know exactly what happened, but there shouldn't ever be a reason to attack someone to this extent. Next time we meet, I'm going to get really angry at them."
It was completely understandable that Yennekar would say such a thing, as she didn't know about the chandelier I made fall… or the fire that I set… or the arrow that I shot. I was grateful that she was unconditionally on my side, but I didn't feel comfortable explaining everything that happened to her. Well, it would be fine to put it aside and do it later.
"Anyway… Ed… Don't go around getting hurt, okay? You got it? Promise me."
"Alright. Thanks for worrying about me."
Considering that, I calmed down and let myself rest. It was a little different from what I had planned, but in the end I had done my part as the first floor boss… Now, I could take a break and take care of the work at my camp. I felt a sense of relief, listening to the sound of the rain. My heart felt a little more at ease.
That was, until I heard what Yennekar had to say.
"By the way, Ed. When I was sitting in the rose garden, I saw a very big carriage."
"It went by so quickly that I couldn't see it well, but… There was a golden crown on it. Thinking about it carefully… isn't that a carriage from the Elte Company?"
"I read about it in a book long ago. That golden crown… For sure, the head of the Elte Company… That's the pattern for 'The Golden King, Elte', right?"
The fake boss 'The Golden King, Elte', who would leave the stage after being stabbed in the back by Lortel in the event that took place after the occupation of Ophelis Hall: 'The Battle for the Sage's Seal.' The fact that he had arrived in Silvenia way before it was planned… It was completely outside my range of knowledge… That meant that something unexpected must have happened.
Once again, I started to get anxious.
***
"You're not hurt anywhere else, are you, Taylee?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Ayla also seems fine. What about you, Elvira? Do you have enough reagents?"
"I have enough, so don't worry."
Ophelis Hall that was still getting rained on. The three members of the subjugation team climbed the stairs as they checked on each other's strength and healed any wounds they had. They had felt that something was happening in Ophelis Hall, but they needed to make sure of that fact. At least from the first floor, the fact that Ed Rothstaylor went to such extremes to stop them was unusual.
It was too tiring to face off against Ed Rothstaylor, since it was impossible to figure out what he was thinking or feeling. Even Yennekar Palerover was about to enter the fight as their enemy. They couldn't figure out what was happening yet, but they wouldn't let down their guard any further.
From the next floor, the enemies who would be blocking Taylee and his party would be just as difficult and complicated as on the first floor… Or maybe they could be even more troublesome. Just thinking about it gave them goosebumps. Nevertheless, they had no intention of going back down. Calming themselves, the group continued to climb up the stairs. They couldn't ever let their guard down.
-x-X-x-
"You know, Elris? I got dumped."
The fifth-floor hallway of Ophelis Hall was home to the equipment storage and the maid lounge. Other than that, it only had a utility room and was as quiet as always, despite the events occurring downstairs.
In the first place, the student's had no reason to go up to the fifth floor. All the housing rooms were downstairs, and most of the maids were trapped in the fourth-floor conference room, so the spacious hallways on the fifth floor were completely quiet.
A commotion was heard from downstairs. It seemed that Ed Rothstaylor had blown things up on a bigger scale than she had originally thought. The bigger the situation, the better news it was for Lortel.
Before long, the cries of the scared Clevius were heard as the students trapped in their rooms became more and more anxious. If the situation became any worse, they would eventually break down their walls and escape.
Elris stood modestly in the dark and looked at the girl speaking to her.
"Elris, you know him too. The one who seems a bit evil and mean when you first look at him."
"You mean Young Master Ed? The person we met at that camp last time?"
"Yes, that's right."
"That's the type of person you like? I didn't know that."
"…He's pretty good looking, but it's not like that."
Lortel Kehelland was sitting on top of a wooden cabinet in the equipment storage, drying her hair. She had just finished checking on the situation, to make sure everything was going as planned.
"The smell I get from you, Elris. I thought that I had smelled it coming from him, too. But he ended up making a bunch of emotional comments, which wasn't right."
"Is that so?"
"He ended up throwing it all away without hesitation. Saying that I was responsible for my own choices."
Lortel lifted her hair, sweeping it away with a smile.
"People that are like us live by hearing those words."
Elris could neither nod nor shake her head at hearing those words.
Elris was the head maid of Ophelis Hall, who has served as a veteran maid for over twenty years.
At the young age of fifteen, when she didn't know anything, she began her career as an apprentice maid. She later became a manager at Ophelis Hall, as she was recognized for her ability relative to her age.
All the veteran maids held a great level of wisdom, including her. That was why such people couldn't be easily bought with money.
If you wanted them to do something that went against the beliefs engrained deep in their hearts, you would need to spend a large sum of money—enough to destroy those values.
That was where the largest investment was made to forcefully increase the scale of the occupation of Ophelis Hall event.
Abandoning the job that she had been loyal to her entire life, increasing the scale of the situation, then destroying Ophelis Hall while taking all the responsibility for these crimes…
If you wanted her to commit such crimes, then you would need a large enough sum of money that would pay for all the crimes committed and give her a life where she would no longer have to worry about money.
Thanks to that, there was a large hole in the books of Elte Company's Silvenia Branch. Appropriate investments were essential for greater profits, but it was too much of a loss to just purchase the loyalty of a mere veteran level employee at Silvenia Academy. It wouldn't be easy to make up.
But Lortel didn't waste that expense at all.
It was not simply for the sake of an investment or for a greater profit. It was a part of a series of actions that was also an act, to find people that were just like her.
She had seen numerous people that would break their own faith by being attracted to mere gold coins.
They were those that were usually at the end of their rope, or those who were only living their lives, dedicated to small, meaningless beliefs and values.
Such people were not worth being called the same type of person as her.
The real proof was those who threw away their stubborn beliefs and values that they had devoted their entire lives to in the face of those gold coins.
The more noble and valuable those beliefs and values were, the more Lortel's heart would pound in excitement. That was the only way for her to relieve her sense of loneliness.
"I'm glad that you're here, Elris."
Even the veteran maid, who had served the students at Ophelis Hall for more than twenty years, crumbled in the face of greed.
In front of a tower of golden coins, whatever honorable values she had were lost.
Lortel knew all too well that it was all just useless self-consolation.
A life that was led by following gold coins and throwing away everything else… It was nothing more than a psychological defense mechanism to survive living such a life.
Despite her awareness of it, Lortel never stopped searching for her own kind.
"Without you, how could I have ever established such a plan?"
There was no need to stress just how much the involvement of the head maid of Ophelis Hall had contributed as a variable in this situation.
"As things are going, as long as we match the timing of the representative of the lower students, Willain, who is in the fourth-floor management room, and half-heartedly give him ownership of the defensive magic that is spread out, then… One way or another, Ophelis Hall will be destroyed."
Considering the people Lortel had trampled on all her life thus far just to survive, this level was nothing more than a bit cute.
On a straw mat that was laid out in the ghettos, or in the rush of merchants that were risking their lives for a single gold coin…
She lived a life where, if she didn't stab someone in the back first, she would be stabbed to death.
However, even if it was done just to survive, there was no justification for such an evil deed.
Saying that it was just a means of survival to protect oneself… Although it may be considered commonplace, that didn't mean that it was justified.
"The situation seems to be going as planned, so I'll just stay here in the storage room. I have to act like a good student, one that is simply afraid of the ongoing situation and doesn't know what's going on. That's why I hid up here in the storage room in the first place."
"I understand, Ms. Lortel."
Regardless of her unfortunate past and the circumstances that pushed her to the corner, Lortel was clearly a villain and a black curtain.
If the afterlife happened to exist, she would surely burn in hell forever.
She was neither understood nor did she deserve sympathy. Lortel knew that fact all too well.
So in the end, the thing that she was looking for was one of her own kind.
She desperately wanted a companion, one who would sink to the bottom of the swamp with her.
Though she knew that there was no way such a person existed.
You're such a pathetic person.
You'll die in solitude, alone for the rest of your life, never loving someone else like a girl your age should. Or will you have someone that's like family, who you can open your heart up to?
Elris sighed with regret at that fact.
…She then took out her rapier and pointed it at Lortel.
"Ms. Lortel. Thinking about it, let me tell you something."
At that point, for a magician to deal with a sword that was pointed at them at this distance… It could no longer be considered a fight.
"I am not someone like you."
***
"…It's not as difficult as I thought."
Ophelis Hall's third floor hallway.
It was still raining heavily outside the window.
Walking alongside Taylee, they continued to move forward.
Taylee, Ayla, Elvira, Clevius.
They had caught Clevius, who was running away on the second floor, and forced him to join their party.
On the third floor, 'Kelly, who is in charge of washing bedding' blocked the parties' way. However, she was defeated in a timely manner.
"I am sorry, Ms. Elris… I couldn't finish what you entrusted me with…"
Kelly kept talking to herself until they had tied her up and thrown her into a corner of the hallway.
Come to think of it, where did her twin sister, Shaney, who was with Kelly almost every day, go off to?
Of course, Taylee hadn't considered it up to that point.
"At this pace, we'll be there in no time…"
And in no time at all, they had arrived on the fourth floor.
Was it because they were nervous? They felt that things were going much better than they had thought.
In the first place, the first floor's difficulty was, oddly, way too difficult. Since then, nobody had tried to strategically attack Taylee's weakness.
"..."
Elvira had an expressionless look on her face, unlike her usual self.
She kept on thinking of that second year magician, in the midst of burning flames, standing there with his blood-soaked shirt rolled up.
His experienced movements, which gave her goosebumps, were the complete opposite of his appearance at the entrance examination. There, he had been rolling on the floor in a disgraceful manner. That fact kept bothering her.
Elvira was someone that was full of pride. The fact that Ed had lost on purpose left a stain on her arrogant character, but she didn't completely lose her temper.
It's bothering me. I'm sure that he was hiding his true skills.
It seemed necessary to confirm that fact.
Once Elvira became curious, she wouldn't stop, no matter the difficulties. Clearly, Ed Rothstaylor had a hidden side that Elvira didn't know about.
"R-Run away"
"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghk!"
Elvira's worries only lasted for a moment.
At the end of the hallway on the fourth floor, a crowd of lower students were pouring out. They all started to run past Taylee in complete terror as they went towards Ophelis Hall's exit.
"The defensive magic is going wild!"
"William's such an idiot! I told him not to touch it carelessly!"
"Shit! Where are all the maids who are supposed to be managing the defensive magic?! Whatever, let's just get out of here!"
"I didn't know! I really didn't know that this would happen!"
The students that came running out screaming like that turned the hallway in a complete mess in no time at all.
"W-Wait! What?! What's wrong with you all?!"
Taylee shouted as he tried to stop the students, but it was impossible.
The ground started to shake as Ophelis Hall began to vibrate, little by little.
In the corner of the hallway on the fourth floor, by the entrance of the management room, a situation occurred.
The third year magic department student, representative of the lower students, Willain.
All sorts of defensive spells were curling around his body, spells that were so delicate to deal with that even experienced magicians wouldn't be able to handle it. Usually, it was just a spell that could be easily managed with just four to five maids who had a decent level of mana resonance.
Since it was an emergency barrier system for the entirety of Ophelis Hall, unless you were someone who had clear authority, it wasn't something that you could just access. It was not natural at all for Willain to be taken over by such a spell.
It was all a scheme created by Elris and Lortel, who had left the crystal bead that activated the management system of that spell in the middle of the management room.
"Ag-gghk! H-Help me!"
Willain staggered as his body was wrapped up and pressured by the spell. When he would swing his arm to one side, all sorts of magic circles engraved on the walls and ceilings were triggered, completely breaking down the outer wall on one side of the hallway.
With a loud crash, dust rose and rain began to fall inside the hallway.
"I can't handle it! Save me!"
William slipped and fell on his face in an unsightly manner. That ended up actually being some sort of triggering method, as it began to blow out the ceiling and break down the other wall.
All across Ophelis Hall, self-defensive mechanisms were carved into the stone. It was originally designed to protect the students, who held a noble status, from outside invaders.
But now, it was like putting a weapon in the hands of a child without teaching them the dangers of using it improperly, and that weapon was pointed directly at the wielder.
"First off, we have to knock that delusional Willain unconscious! In his current state, it will be too difficult to get rid of each magic circle one by one!"
Even though her practical magic power resonance was quite low, Ayla was an excellent source when it came to magical knowledge. She quickly grasped the ongoing situation.
As soon as she finished explaining, Taylee nodded his head and jumped out. He was thinking of lowering his sword and beating Willain with the backside of it.
"Kaaaaghk!"
However, if you suddenly jump out like that, no matter who it was, it was only natural that they would be taken aback and position themselves in a defensive stance. In doing so, it ended up triggering another magic circle.
Baaaaam!
Taylee got knocked back by a wave of magic power that flew out from the windows and the bathroom door. He fell but quickly stood back up, taking his stance.
However, a new spell began to fill the halls, following Willain's scream.
Wind Bomb, Ignite, Earth Wall, Shadow Blade, Earthquake.
All sorts of magic circles began to activate, creating complete chaos in the hallway and also cutting off access to Willain.
Needless to say, all the various murals, the wooden cabinets that were lined up against the walls, and the walls and floors themselves ended up broken and torn.
Meanwhile, the students that were stuck in their rooms were already trembling from the sound of the chandelier falling earlier. Their patience would eventually reach its limit.
"What the hell is going on out there?!"
"If I stay here like this, won't something really bad happen?! I'm going to break down the wall and get out of here!"
"Just what the hell are the maids doing?"
Boom!
In a room in the corner of the second floor, a girl broke through her wall as she started to evacuate.
It was clearly different from the time Clevius did it. This time, the building really was about to collapse. They would just end up dying if they kept on sitting in their rooms like that.
Crash!
Boom!
As several people began to break through the walls, the students soon got caught up in the crowd as they started escaping from their rooms in different ways.
Students on the first floor broke their windows and ran out into the rain. On the higher floors, the students who could use flying magic or had the skills to safely land after jumping out from such a height broke their windows and left.
Students who couldn't do that broke down the outer wall of the hallway instead or used their magic power to cast a brief spatial-type magic that broke the floor, falling safely down to the first floor.
BOOOOOM!
Bang! Bang! Pwooosh!
Screeeech! Pssskt! Pssskt!
The sound of destruction that echoed throughout Ophelis Hall seemed like it would never end. All the students kept evacuating in all sorts of different ways to protect their lives.
Taylee's party had a feeling that things were going well, but despite that, the violence of the defensive magic circle that William was in control of never stopped as it continued its destruction.
"Elvira! Do you have any chestnut flower reagents left?!"
"Don't say something so idiotic, Taylee! That reagent only twists the magic power of a magician, it doesn't work against pre-carved magic circles!"
Elvira clicked her tongue as she lowered her body. She then sprayed a reagent around her feet that was made by mixing and melting the eggs of a devil fish with the mashed shell of emperor clams. In the center of it, energy from the magic power began to rise as all the different types of beginner magic that came from the defensive magic circles were temporarily blocked.
It wasn't very practical because of its short range, but in such a narrow hallway it was a reagent that did its job well enough.
"Anyway, that defensive magic circle is only a secondary type of magic! The amount it has is quite amazing, but the power itself is bearable! Break through and knock Willain out!"
Saying that, Elvira quickly grabbed Clevius, who was hiding quietly behind the wreckage of a cabinet, by the collar.
"Agggghk! Kaaaagkh! What's this?! I thought nobody knew!"
"You idiot, Clevius! It's because you always try to hide whenever you have the chance!"
Elvira kicked Clevius in his ass as she yelled at Taylee.
"With the two of you rushing in, you guys should be enough to defeat him! I'll support you from the back, so hurry up and defeat Willian before the damage gets any worse!"
Taylee nodded his head at the remark while Clevius was completely dumbfounded.
***
Crumble!
Boom!
The outer walls of Ophelis hall were falling down. The battle against the fourth floor boss had begun.
Considering the fact that, other than the fifth-floor boss Elris, the difficulty wasn't all that high… It wasn't long before the occupation of Ophelis Hall would be over.
"Ed, where are you going?! Your wounds are going to open!"
"It's not that bad! Most of this isn't even my blood!"
I ran around Ophelis Hall in the rain as Yennekar quickly followed behind me.
A little while after, I found a large carriage standing in front of a staff passageway behind Ophelis Hall.
The carriage, with its various gilded edges, looked expensive and dazzling at first glance. But considering who was inside, it couldn't be much more frugal than this.
Originally, when that man would travel somewhere he would come with at least ten of these carriages. Coming here with only one carriage meant that something urgent had come up, so he had shot out like an arrow.
Looking at the carriage, it seemed as if it had been standing still for a long time. Almost as if… he was waiting for Ophelis Hall to be destroyed.
Eventually, from the staff exit, a woman that was neatly dressed in a maid uniform came out holding an umbrella.
'Shaney, who is in charge of dishes.'
She was one of the orphans brought up by the head maid Elris. She should have been on the third floor of Ophelis Hall with her sister, Kelly, stopping Taylee's party.
However, unlike the original storyline, Shaney had run away from the scene and was now knocking on the door of the carriage.
The story was going off track. And this was clear evidence of that.
As Shaney took a step back and curtsied, a skinny gentleman from inside opened the door and exited the carriage. He was Victor, an old executive of Elte.
Victor opened the door and lifted the umbrella politely, setting the stage for the owner of the carriage to come out.
Eventually, he stepped out of that magnificent carriage.
He wore a tight-fitting white shirt and leather pants that were tightened with a dark red belt. Honestly, it made him look quite frugal. However, he also had all kinds of gildings and jewels hanging from his coat, as well as jeweled rings on each of his fingers that were as expensive as a house.
He was neither young nor old. He had a well-groomed beard that stood out. His dignity was like an extension of his body.
The Head of the Elte Company, "The Golden King, Elte."
I had a hunch.
Now, at this spot, this was the starting point for all the unexpected events.
If I remembered correctly, the Golden King Elte only visited Silvenia long after the Occupation of Ophelis Hall. It was during "The Battle for the Sage's Seal" event.
Elte's position within the company was being threatened. Because of that, he tried to turn things around with the purchase of the Sage's Seal. It was because the Rothstaylor head of house, Krepin Rothstaylor, asked for the book at a ridiculous price.
However, he was eventually sent off after being stabbed in the back by Lortel. After that, he ended his life as a merchant.
And yet, he was at Ophelis Hall.
I didn't know the process, and I was only left with the end result.
What had happened, and where did it take place? How it had all ended up getting this twisted was completely beyond my understanding. It would have been arrogant to try and figure it all out at this point.
However, it was possible to infer what would happen in the future.
Maid Shaney and Maid Kelly, the twins who were completely loyal to Head Maid Elris.
Amongst them, the fact that Shaney was already in contact with the Golden King Elte so soon meant… That Head Maid Elris and the Golden King Elte were secretly in contact with each other.
But in the original timeline, it was clear that Head Maid Elris had been completely bought out by Lortel.
She received a huge sum of money from her and took on the entire responsibility for not properly managing Ophelis Hall's defensive magic circle.
After receiving various disciplinary actions, as well as punishment from the workplace that she had been loyal to for decades, she had completely let go of her career.
She was not a person that could be simply bought over with a bit of money. Elris was a person who held firm beliefs and values.
Though, how Lortel ended up being able to buy over such a person through money wasn't explained in much detail. I had just assumed that she must have given her a ridiculously large sum of money.
In the first place, Lortel was able to entice even the most noble and honorable of men to break their faith in the face of money.
However, the scene I was looking at was clearly different from the original timeline. That definitely looked like…
"Ed… You'll catch a cold…! Your body temperature is also dropping because you lost so much blood!"
Yennekar, who followed me, took off the shawl that was under her robe and approached me, quickly wrapping it around me.
"You're making me so upset! Seriously!"
"Yennekar."
"Uh, hm?"
This is not a situation in which I could just sit still. I hadn't figured it all out yet, but I could predict enough of what would happen in the future.
"I have a favor to ask you. It's urgent, and it might be too much for me to handle by myself."
With her arms stretched out, wrapping the shawl over me, Yennekar kept listening to me absent-mindedly… then she tilted her head.
It was clear what Yennekar's answer would be. Hearing something like that, out of the blue, most people would ask about the situation first—saying things like, 'What is it? Is it urgent? What did you get caught up in? Explain the situation first.'
How could I explain it so that Yennekar would agree to help…? How could I explain the gist of the situation in a short time and in as much detail as possible…? While I was thinking about how I should explain, Yennekar immediately replied.
"Alright."
Was it because she was being considerate, since I said it was urgent? Or did she really just not care about things like that from the beginning?
"What should I do?"
She skipped all the usual questions, and asked me straight up, in such a cool way, exactly what she needed to do. I thought to myself that I had really made such a great friend.
***
[ Letter sent to Elte Kehelland ]
Greetings, most honorable head of the Elte Company, the Golden King, Elte Kehelland.
My name is Elris, and I am the head maid at the prestigious Silvenia Academy's Ophelis Hall.
When you finish reading this letter, it will burn to ashes with an Ignite magic circle that is imprinted on it. Please be careful, so that you do not get burnt.
Even though we have not yet met, the reason I am writing to you, who must be extremely busy, is because of your adopted daughter, Ms. Lortel Kehelland.
ordered, she is creating a financial crisis in Silvenia's academic affairs department by inducing the destruction of Ophelis Hall.
The plan is progressing at a fast pace. Sooner or later, it is certain that I, Elris, the head maid here at Ophelis Hall, will fulfill my duty.
If the plan ends well, Silvenia's academic affairs' finances will be in a tight spot. Thus, the Elte Company will have an overwhelming advantage in regards to the purchase of the 'Sage's Seal.'
However, 'for a certain reason' I have come to know her true intentions.
Mr. Elte. Your adopted daughter, Ms. Lortel Kehelland, is not your ally. You must never trust her.
She knows the truth. She knows that you killed her biological parents. I also know about the fact that you had recognized her talent, drove her life into a corner, and forced her to take your hand.
She is planning to coax the top six Elte merchants and executives without your knowledge to force you to step down as the head of Elte Company.
The negotiations for the purchase of the Sage's Seal are also bait to attract your attention to Silvenia Academy, thus preventing you from dealing with any unexpected events that may occur at any moment back at Elte's headquarters.
I am keeping the secret letters from her room, as it could later serve as evidence.
Though she thinks that she definitely burned them in the incinerator before disposing of them, it's the maid's job to light the incinerator.
No matter how thorough she was, she would have never thought that the maids of Ophelis Hall would go through each scrap of paper that went into the incinerator.
I am always prepared for her.
No matter which way this situation ends up going, I will be punished for my failure at properly managing Ophelis Hall.
If I give out Lortel's name, then I will not be the only one who falls into hell.
However, there is no such thing as free work in this world.
On the condition that I remain silent on the matter, I was promised a huge sum of gold coins by her.
The only thing that would block a huge sum of gold coins would be an even larger sum of gold coins.
The content I have listed on the attached paper are the names of the 'organizations' I secretly and regularly manage. The number of gold coins that are delivered to those organizations will determine my actions.
I am losing my eyesight, and, for some reason, I have almost completely lost my sense of hearing. There is no reason for me to explain the reason in detail, but this year will probably be the last that I can work as the head maid.
I am the only person who knows all of the facts of this situation, and I am someone who is in a tight spot with no one supporting me anymore. Depending on which side I'm going to support, the situation may become either more complicated or simpler.
I hope you will be merciful and judge wisely.
– Sincerely, Ophelis Hall's Head Maid, Elris
[ Attached Sheet ]
Seren Region, Crook's Orphanage
Kohelton Orphan Shelter
Athens Crocell Orphan Shelter
Odell Region, Alton Orphanage
Temil Region, Public Orphan Shelter
***
"Ed…! You're injured! If you move too fast, your wounds will open…!"
What I had come to realize was that the variables in the world were too complex to control all of them.
All I could do was give my best effort. All I was doing was taking care of the larger variables, so that there wouldn't be any problems.
While pushing through the rain with Yennekar, I was organizing my thoughts.
I didn't know why, but… If Elris had really betrayed Lortel, it was safe to say that the fall of Lortel would be inevitable.
How important was Lortel Kehelland to the original timeline?
In Act 3, she needed to confront Princess Penia and lead a political battle within the academy. She had an important role in gathering talents for the right mountain's scouting mission. And she played an active role as a representative of the top forces during the Lucy Subjugation… She was someone that held a tremendous level of importance.
In Act 4, she had the position of being one of the helpers on the protagonist's team, which would develop into a great friendly force that would directly confront the Rothstaylor family… Other than that, she had a major influence in other, smaller episodes as well. It would be impossible to list them all.
The fall of Lortel.
It is just one sentence that would break down the entirety of all those scenarios.
Lortel Kehelland disappearing from the storyline… That was a dark world that I would have no information about. Future knowledge and my informational advantage would completely collapse, and I wouldn't be left with a single advantage.
But if I could completely fill in the role of Lortel… It might have been possible, but it would be a very difficult and arduous road. I'd been saying this like it was some sort of habit, but it was already hard enough for me to make ends meet. Adding in that kind of hard work was something I absolutely rejected.
Unless I was planning to give up on my degree at this academy and go out to live a life in an unknown fantasy world… Lortel Kehelland's exit from the story was absolutely unacceptable.
"Yennekar, do you happen to know where Ziggs' room is? I think I am going to need to ask him for help as well."
"Uhmm? Well…. Since we aren't that close… I'm not sure."
"…Alright, we'll just have to look everywhere then. He may have already escaped from the building."
Wiping the rain running down my face, we came back to the main entrance of Ophelis Hall. The evacuated students were running around screaming, unsure of what to do.
The Occupation of Ophelis Hall was coming to an end.
Since the defensive magic had been activated, the faculty would be arriving in a few minutes.
Lortel Kehelland was a person that couldn't be sympathized with or understood just because she had fallen. No matter how dramatic her situation may be, she was a true villain.
Encouraging good and punishing evil, the universe corrects all wrongs, justice will always triumph.
All of those were true sayings, but we had to ignore the lessons that came from such folktales for now.
The existence of a black curtain that covered all the truth on the stage was indispensable.
Nobody knew what direction the villain's missing storyline would go, or how the snowball would roll. It could end up destroying the world.
In the falling rain, at the main entrance of Ophelis Hall.
Thinking of how to deal with the situation to the best of my ability, I looked up at the half-destroyed Ophelis Hall with Yennekar.
-x-X-x-
"Ugh-Heeeek! Heeeeeeek!"
The injured Taylee was holding Willain down on the floor. By attacking with Clevius, he succeeded in cutting through the magic circles and was finally able to get close to Willain.
However, Ophelis Hall was already a complete mess. Precious, expensive pieces of furniture and art had fallen on the floor. The outer wall was covered in holes that looked like stars, and no longer intact.
Taylee knocked Willain unconscious and tied him up, letting out a sigh as he wiped the rain from his face.
The outer wall on the fourth floor hallway was completely destroyed. Because of that, they were exposed to the pouring rain. The party was soaking wet as they kept wiping their faces.
"Phew. Isn't it almost over, then? We just have to wait for the faculty to come."
"No, Taylee. Something's definitely not right."
Hearing Elvira's words, Taylee appeared puzzled.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"You felt that something was wrong as well, Taylee. Not just anyone can access Ophelis Hall's defensive magic circle. You would have to be at least the general manager of the building or the head maid to be able to use these magic circles to your heart's content, without facing any disruption."
"Then that means…?"
"I haven't finished yet. There's a black curtain that made this happen."
However, after coming all the way to the end of the hallway on the fourth floor of Ophelis Hall, there wasn't a single person left that could be their enemy.
That meant that all that was left was the stairs to the fifth floor.
"The real culprit must be on the fifth floor. If we don't catch them before they escape, then what would have been the point to all of our suffering? After coming this far, I'm going to finish the job and get a reward from the academy."
Elvira rolled up her sleeves as she walked towards the staircase. Clevius was shouting, asking 'What's the matter now?' while Ayla was at a complete loss on what to do.
"Elvira, if it's as you said… then that black curtain must be…"
"That's right. It must be Elris, the head maid that takes care of Ophelis Hall. What are you standing around for? It's obvious she's on the fifth floor, so let's hurry up and catch her quickly to get rid of all these defensive magic circles."
Taylee sighed as he was ordered around by Elvira. After going through everything that they had and coming all the way here, it wasn't like he could ignore it.
There certainly seemed to be a black curtain behind the entire occupation of Ophelis Hall incident. Thinking about it, it was clear that Elris—the head maid—was the culprit.
***
There was no such thing as kindness without reason or faith without a basis in the world.
It was such a natural understanding for Lortel that she had never once doubted it.
She lived in the world of business, where you would get stabbed in the back the moment you let your guard down.
Lortel was someone who had never experienced family, siblings, close friendship, or camaraderie. For her, a relationship built on trust was always a rationally designed structure based on thorough evidence.
Therefore, a relationship where one trusts each other unconditionally was like a flower that bloomed on a cliff.
It existed, but it couldn't be reached… A treasure that existed only in one's imagination.
She was not obsessed with it, because she couldn't reach it. Obsession was a feeling that formed from nearly being short of reaching it.
The only realistic option for her was to increase the number of people that were just like her.
People who would break their values and sell their beliefs for money. Those who provide evidence to the fact that there was no unconditional trust or favor. That was what was important to her.
While her perception might have been wrong and twisted, it wasn't a particularly bad thing.
But once in a while, even something as sturdy as steel would shake.
Even though his life was teetering on the edge of a cliff, there was a man who returned the three golden coins that she had placed in his hand.
Even though he agreed to Lortel's plan for twenty gold coins, his expression showed that he had little interest in money in the first place.
That man's code of conduct was far from the vocabulary of market value, payability, economics, rationality, etc.
In fact, there were a lot of people like that. They were human beings who acted emotionally, risking their lives for loyalty and love. Rather than being cool-headed, they were foolish people.
But Ed Rothstaylor didn't seem to be like that. He was not a man who got swayed by his emotions like Ziggs, nor was he as nice as Yennekar. That wasn't to say that he wasn't swayed by money, so seeing such a person made her heart fill with the desire to bring him in as one of her own.
The smell of another person just like her that had been constantly tickling her nose, filling Lortel with certainty. It was the conviction that he would be the same as her.
"No."
"You should be responsible for your own choices, Lortel."
But just like that, she was dumped.
What was surprising was that, instead of feeling frustration or anger, she felt a sense of relief.
As she had often said before, there were too many sources of light in Silveria Academy. It was completely different from the world of business that she lived in.
When you walk through a garden full of the smell of flowers, you often risk mistaking the smell of those fragrant flowers as coming from your own self. No matter how hard she tried to remind herself that she was just a sewer rat walking through the sewers, her heart was broken.
Looking at people like Taylee and Ayla, Ziggs and Elka, the feelings that she had rejected before were once again rising inside of her.
Jealousy.
Obsession.
She wondered if the day would ever come that she would be able to build a trusting relationship, free from bias and personal interest. In fact, the cliff where that flower had bloomed wasn't all that high or steep.
Let's not dream about such things. I am a villain who will stay in a world run by business, backstabbing other people until the day I die.
That was a promise that she swore by.
Looking at Ed and Yennekar, the desire that had been buried deep inside her was finally completely awakened.
"Don't move. Soon, Mr. Elte will arrive at Ophelis Hall."
The result was a rapier pointed at her neck.
Elris, the head maid of Ophelis Hall, was a senior worker who had spent most of her life at Silvenia. However, her health was deteriorated by heavy work and a chronic illness. It tortured her endlessly. She had asked the academy to adjust the amount of work, but… There were only a few people who had the experience to take on the work for her.
The management of Ophelis Hall, which was full of distinguished guests, must always be steady and safe. Elris' life has been a constant sacrifice for the goal of making sure that system was stable.
On the day they had made the backdoor deal, approaching Elris and watching her tell her backstory… Lortel had also ended up revealing her own story.
That was a mistake that she would have never made in the world of business. She had hastily come to the conclusion that they could embrace and understand each other's pain. When she visited Ed's camp, accompanied by Elris, they were even able to share their feelings together.
"…I didn't expect you to react in such a way. I thought you were a bit more cold-hearted… Well, that's not something I can really say."
What expression did Lortel show? Lortel herself didn't know, so she didn't try to understand.
"Miss Lortel, you said that you were going to get revenge against the Golden King Elte. However, I apologize. From my point of view, you two aren't that different. There's no human being in this world without their own personal stories and reasons."
She closed her eyes and added on.
"And I am the same."
Bang!
At that moment, the door to the fifth floor swung open.
"I found you, Head Maid Elris!"
"She's holding a hostage! Be careful, Taylee!"
Taking advantage of Elris' astonishment as she looked towards the entrance, Lortel quickly rolled out of her range.
"Lortel! Are you okay?!"
Elvira cried out, checking on Lortel.
I'm okay.
Look over there.
We need to take her down quickly.
It would have been the best choice to quickly put all the blame on Elris and run away… But Lortel couldn't open her mouth.
"L-Lortel! What's wrong with your expression?"
Just what was the expression on her face? Lortel looked back and forth between Elris, who stood still without an unchanging expression, and her classmates, who were saying things she couldn't understand.
Then, after holding her breath for a while, Lortel ran down to the first floor.
The Golden King Elte was coming.
Elte's dismissal plan was in its final stages. If she could just make up some type of excuse, then it would nearly be complete.
But if Lortel, the center of the plan, was captured… it would all be ruined.
Lortel's volition might have been firm, but she was still a girl whose body was extremely fragile. If she were tortured, even just a little, she would confess everything.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
The good news was that Elte had gone directly to Silvenia.
He was not sure of which of his followers had decided to side with Lortel, so he came to deal with the matter himself.
If she was able to reach out to anyone back at Elte's headquarter right then, it would be fine. Lortel knew quite a few commercial executives that were at the head office.
The plan was to manipulate the books, steal property, maximize damage, and then hand over the entire responsibility to Elte… It was already quite a concrete plan.
However, the scale was too big, and if Elte himself was at the headquarters then he would definitely find out.
Elte intended to defeat Lortel without fail with that trip. The moment he left his seat, he committed to seeing it through to the very end. The dice had been rolled.
Lortel needed to head back down to her room on the first floor and send the homing pigeon that she was hiding in secret, then find somewhere she could hide until it was over.
Lortel clenched her teeth as she ran down the stairs frantically.
A longing that that was at your fingertips, just out of reach, would drive anyone crazy. If it had never touched her fingertips in the first place, she would never have been that obsessed.
She couldn't help it. No matter how cold-blooded she pretended to be, a lack of affection was a deadly poison that would slowly eat away at anyone.
It was only then that she realized that there was a difference in the latent period, and that was just a moment of collapse.
It was all because of the romanticism at Silvenia Academy. If she had never left her cold-blooded world, that latent period would have lasted much longer.
She'd had enough of being betrayed and stabbed in the back. Only now, after going to the Academy, did her heart break and her actions lose consistency.
Nevertheless, Lortel had no choice but to continue running away.
Either way, she had to run. If Elte arrived at the main lobby on the first floor before she did, the way back to her room would be completely blocked off.
***
Slam!!
Yennekar's magic struck the wall as the sound of its collapse rang out.
"...?"
Looking inside the room, she saw Ziggs. He was continuing to work out by himself, despite the urgent situation.
As the wall suddenly collapsed, he looked towards me with a puzzled face.
"Wh-What is going on, Ed? This is…"
"Why are you still in your room when the situation outside is like this…? Didn't you hear all the noise?"
"Well… I'm not going to act rashly. Even if the building collapses, it's not like I would die anyway."
Since Ziggs was born naturally strong, he didn't really recognize the situation as a crisis. He thought that the faculty would figure it all out and take care of it themselves, so he could keep on doing what he needed to do.
In fact, some of the other students also hadn't left their rooms. Even if the building did collapse, as long as you had the specs to protect yourself there wasn't a need to stay out in the rain.
"But Ed, I didn't expect you to completely break down the wall of my room like that. Won't it be too cold when I sleep now?"
"You're only saying that because you haven't seen the situation outside. Anyway, this entire building is going to need to be renovated."
"The situation is that bad?"
Ziggs stood up from doing his push-ups and shook out his arms.
Who in the world would think that Ziggs was a magician…?
"Ah. Yennekar is also here. This is my first time greeting you properly. During the Glasskan incident… we didn't really have a good relationship, though."
"Yeah… that's… I'm sorry about that."
Yennekar looked down at the floor, a little hesitant. To Yennekar, that incident was the lowest moment in her life. However, Ziggs was not a good enough person to pretend like it never happened.
What happened already happened.
"You don't have to be so down, Yennekar. The disciplinary action is already over, you know."
"Yeah… that's right. Thanks Ed."
It wasn't until he heard us exchange such words that he let out a sigh, realizing that he might have mentioned something useless.
"I'm glad that you've been doing well since then. You two seem to be on good terms."
"Hm?"
"I also have enough sense to recognize these things. Ed, aren't you the type that prefers keeping your distance from the first years? Well, there are many of my classmates that ignore others if they look even a bit weak… as an upperclassman, it would only make sense for you to do it, too."
Ziggs stretched his body out as he sat back down on the bed, relaxing his legs.
"But seeing you act so comfortable with Yennekar, it's refreshing to see that new side of yours. Are you two dating?"
"No! No! No! It's not like that!"
At that moment, Yennekar started to tremble, shaking her arms as she glanced at my face. Perhaps it was because she thought that I denied it too strongly…
"E-Ed, does it make you feel bad?"
"No, I'm fine. It was just a rude question from Ziggs."
"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry about that."
After a polite apology from Ziggs, his expression slowly became more serious as he sat on his bed.
"So, there must be a reason why you broke down my wall and came to see me."
"Do me a favor. I promise I'll pay you back later."
"In the first place, aren't I the one who's in debt?"
Ziggs responded while letting out a smirk. He was talking about a debt that he has yet to pay off.
I decided to respond by bringing up how he had helped me, whenever he had time, with building my cabin and other jobs that required physical labor.
"That… I just wanted to help you. That's all. That's why I did it."
After that response, I put on my overcoat.
"Looking at this atmosphere, this doesn't seem like it's going to be an easy job."
***
According to the original timeline, Elris should have cooperated with Lortel until the end of the Occupation of Ophelis Hall event.
There was no immediate way for me to figure out why she was involved with Elte.
However, that didn't mean that there was no answer at all.
The battle for the Sage's Seal, which was meant to happen after the occupation of Ophelis Hall.
The academy and the Elte Company played a game of tug-of-war over the research records related to Celestial Magic, left by the great sage Silvenia. With that event, Lortel's plan to overthrow Elte would blossom.
During Elte's long stay at Silvenia, the forces aiming to overthrow him would begin gathering at the headquarters of the Elte Company.
There's no better timing than now.
Elte tried, but failed, to monopolize the sale of grain from large farms in the northwest region of the Empire. He had also signed an exclusive distribution agreement meant to monopolize cotton with the Collet Company—from the Kingdom of Theron across the sea—but failed again due to a steep drop in prices.
No matter how well-informed and callous a merchant might be, it was only natural that they would surely experience failure and have moments where they lose money over the years.
If they were unlucky, such incidents could happen three or four times in a row. Though. from the position of a business, this would surely have a negative impact. That would jeopardize even Elte's position as the head of the Company. Especially since he was one to advocate for meritocracy.
How long had she been making plans? I didn't know much about the details.
However, at the time of the occupation Lortel's plan to dismiss Elte should have been nearly complete. As long as she made some type of excuse, everything would be fine. But at that moment Lortel, who was the focal point of the plan, had her feet cut out from under her.
Lortel was someone who always handled everything with confidence and rationality. At what point did she make a mistake?
First Floor Main Hall.
Wham!
A group of mercenaries, numbered at about fifteen or so, had been hired from the commercial city of Oldek. In the middle of the group was Elte, wearing his luxurious clothes.
The size of the group that Elte had brought in was too small for someone of his status. From that alone, I was convinced that Elte didn't want to make this situation a big deal.
"Are you students? Hurry up and evacuate."
I was the only one in the way while blocking Taylee, but this time there were two more with me able to greet him. The second year star student, Yennekar Palerover, and the first year runner up, Ziggs Eiffelstein… Even though they were students, they were both promising individuals that wouldn't disappoint.
Yennekar stood behind me, glancing around as Ziggs stood, leaning against a nearby post.
"By chance… Are you Sir Elte Kehelland, the head of the Elte Company?"
I called out to Elte with a cunning voice. Standing in the center of the mercenaries, the merchant nodded his head as he signaled for us to get out of his way.
"No way! It's such an honor to meet you. Sir Elte, the merchant who rules over the entire continent. I don't know why an important figure such as yourself has come all the way to Silvenia, in such a remote location…"
The Golden Daughter, Lortel.
The Golden King, Elte.
The Head Maid, Elris.
In the end, those three were the only ones who fully understood the situation.
Lortel, who sought to overthrow Elte, avenge her childhood, and overthrow the head seat.
Elte, who was trying to stop Lortel's plan and succeed in purchasing the Sage's Seal.
And Elris, who was stuck in between those two.
After all, the underlying cause for the story going off track was because of Elris' sudden behavior. The cause was still unknown, but either way, there was no need to run all the way up to the fifth floor and defeat the head maid.
Since the rest of the story was still following the original timeline, Taylee's party should ultimately be able to defeat the head maid. I'd already confirmed that his specs were high enough, and that all his party members were dependable.
With that taken care of, the party that I was in charge of had a duty to take care of Elte.
"…We are making sure that nobody can enter this building. Since the building is at risk of collapsing, for safety reasons nobody is allowed inside until the faculty members arrive."
"Did you get those instructions from the academy?"
"No, we are acting at our own discretion. Isn't this an unexpected situation? Here in Silvenia, when it comes to something like this, we have a system that will award prizes."
That was a perfect excuse. But Elte would also be able to read the hidden intentions behind it.
"…If someone as noble as you is here, then there must be some justifiable reason. However… Why don't you try talking with the academy first, and be treated accordingly?"
After saying all of that, I kept my mouth shut.
Elte definitely didn't want to make the situation too big.
It couldn't be revealed that the black curtain behind the incident was Lortel.
No matter how old she was, Lortel still belonged to the Elte Company and was the adopted daughter of Elte.
If it turned out that there was any sort of influence from the Elte Company behind this incident… Then the Elte Company wouldn't be able to escape the responsibility of covering the cost for restoring the destroyed Ophelis Hall.
In the act of trying to trap her enemy, she ended up falling into it herself. If there was a part that the head maid Elris had not recognized, it was that.
From Elte's point of view, just sending Lortel off to hell didn't mean that everything would be okay.
Lortel needed to be handled by Elte himself, not by the academy.
And the ones who knew the truth behind the incident were Elris, Shaney, Kelly, Willain, and myself. Thus, we also had to be convinced to keep our mouths shut. He still had quite a long way to go.
"You're on Lortel's side, aren't you?"
I hadn't talked to him for too long, but he already noticed that I knew at least some bits of the truth behind the incident.
"I'll give you twice as much gold as that child gave you, right now. So get out of my way."
This was no time to unnecessarily raise emotions or compromise. Given the conditions of the incident and the urgency of the situation, he quickly named the maximum value that he could. A number that the other person would never be able to refuse.
"Thank you. But I haven't even received the gold coins I was promised yet, so what's the point in paying double of it?"
"Haha!"
Elte briefly let out a laugh.
"You don't have a good eye for people. Do you think I'll treat you special just because you're loyal to that girl? Were you perhaps bewitched by that child's beautiful appearance?"
At that, Ziggs smiled and responded with an 'Ohhh' while Yennekar nodded and looked back and forth between me and Elte. She didn't seem to care about Elte at all.
"That child was born with the blood of a fox. She is someone who stabs others in the back the moment she meets them. I've been raising her since she was a child, so I know her better than anyone else. I didn't expect her to turn that blade against me, not after I took care of her all this time."
"Is that so?"
"She's someone that would betray her own father. Instead of being loyal to gold coins that you may or may not receive, take the definite profit that's laid out in front of you. That would be the only natural and correct choice."
He then looked into my eyes again. The reason he didn't give orders to the mercenaries immediately was probably because he didn't want to escalate the situation.
"Or is there another reason for you to put so much trust in that child?"
"Does there even need to be such a grand reason?"
"Alright. I can see that we aren't communicating."
I didn't necessarily have a lot of affection towards Lortel.
However, there was no way that I could explain to him that it was because of the original timeline. That was why I ended up using a reason based on 'just because.'
There was no reason other than my belief in her.
Elte would click his tongue at such absurd remarks, but I had my own personal reason. And I couldn't ask for his understanding.
I lowered my voice and spoke quietly to Yennekar and Ziggs.
"I'll go and check out the situation. Buy me some time."
I left Ziggs, who nodded his head, and Yennekar, who looked a little anxious, behind. Slamming the door behind me, I quickly entered the main lobby.
I needed to find Lortel and inform her about the situation.
"..."
…As I was going to do that, it turned out that I didn't need to run around Ophelis Hall.
She was already looking at me, her pupils dilated, from the opposite corner from the door. Needless to say, it looked like she had figured out the situation outside as Elte was trying to enter the building.
"…You weren't able to get out?"
"Well…"
She didn't have her usual foxlike smile. Lortel was trying to say something, but her voice wouldn't come out. Instead, she nodded her head.
Her usual appearance—one of calmness and composure, regardless of the crisis—was missing.
She was probably surprised at seeing me covered in blood stains from my attempts at blocking Taylee's entrance.
"It's good that I don't need to waste time explaining things. Let's go around to the back door and get out. Do you still have the energy to run?"
The rain mixed with blood as the rainwater rolled off the back of my hand. I quickly shook it off and swept away my messy bangs, which were getting in the way because of the rain.
"Don't fall behind. Stick with me."
I was getting involved with the main characters of the storyline more than I should, but wasn't it already an unexpected situation? It was only for the sake of fixing the flow of the story, which was already broken. Afterwards, I would just go back to keeping my distance from them.
In the first place, I had already gotten involved to the point that I couldn't turn back.
I nodded my head as I picked up the pace with Lortel.